Actions and Consequences

Chapters

0: Prologue
1: A Royal Order
2: Change Doesn't Come Easy
3: As We Mean to Go On
4: Seeds of the Future
5: Gratius Magnus
6: Setting the Stage

0: Prologue

Six months of chaos and uncertainty; six months since Starlight, Trixie, Discord, and Thorax defeated Queen Chrysalis and saved all of Equestria. Just a couple weeks after that historic victory the first protests sprang up, and the Equestrian Democratic Union issued the Fillydelphia Manifesto, calling for the creation of an Equestrian Republic. At first Twilight had been shocked by even the idea of an Equestria without Alicorn royalty, but the more she’d thought about it the more reasonable some of their demands for representation had begun to seem. It was true, she supposed; the Princesses failed to protect Equestria. Not just this time, but others too. Maybe it was unfair to put all that responsibility on a few ponies, but when you’re practically alone at the head of the state you kinda set yourself up for it. If it wasn’t for Starlight and the others they’d all still be encased in cocoons in a Changeling hive somewhere, getting the love slowly sucked out of them. Maybe it was time for change. Regardless of her personal feelings, the protests had brought Equestria to a halt. Government workers were resigning in droves, rallies and marches were blocking roadways and impeding commerce, strikes were hurting the economy; the country couldn’t go on like this. Even worse, the Princesses’ supporters were taking to the streets as well. It was only a matter of time, she thought, before ponies started making rash decisions. With a slight groan, Twilight raised herself from her bed and stumbled across the darkened floor to a mirror. It was too dark in her room; she cautiously nudged a gap in the curtains and peeked outside. Not even noon yet, but already, just like every day, a small crowd had assembled in front of the castle, chanting for government reform. Twilight sighed and stepped away from the window, casting a look over the barely recognizable mare in the mirror. Her mane was a scraggly mess, her eyes glassy and squinting in the smallest amount of sunlight, the dark circles under them plain to see. She shook her head, trying to force the cloying, cottony feeling out of its insides, and reluctantly picked up a hairbrush. Today, she needed to finally stand up and face the music. Something had to give, had to put a hold on the growing chaos, and Twilight had a feeling the protestors wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Something, or somepony, else had to.

An hour later, after a shower, some vigorous scrubbing, an intensive ten minutes of mane care, and one minor nervous breakdown, Twilight stepped out of her room and into one of the castle’s hallways. Taking a moment to breathe and calm herself, she could hear Spike and Starlight’s voices echoing faintly from the kitchen a ways away.

“I just don’t get how they can blame Twilight for any of this!” Spike seemed on edge, “Yeah, the Changelings captured her too, but how many times have the Elements of Harmony saved Equestria before? Those ponies can’t be this mad at her over one mistake.”

“You have a point,” Starlight’s voice was muffled, like she was talking with her mouth full, “But that’s just the price you pay for being royalty, I guess; blame by association. Twilight may have a good ‘saving Equestria’ track record, but the reformists have a point about Celestia and Luna. As much as I like them personally, sometimes it seems like they need saving almost as much as the country does. I can understand Celestia’s explanation for losing to Chrysalis at the wedding, since the Queen was hopped up on all of Shining Armor’s love for Cadance, but what the hay happened last ti-”

Starlight cut herself off and went back to chewing on her haycakes as Twilight walked through the kitchen doorway.

“Good morning, everypony.” Twilight glanced around the room. Starlight was sitting at the table, her back to the window, leaning on one hoof and glancing over the morning paper while she ate her breakfast. A plate of half-eaten haycakes and most of a cup of coffee sat in front of her. Spike was at the stove, in his apron, gently lifting up the bottom of a haycake to check how it was browning.

“Morning, Twilight!” Spike turned and gave her a winning smile, “You’re just in time, there’s plenty more breakfast to go around.”

“Good morning,” Starlight took a moment to finish chewing and swallow, “Sleep well?”

“Eh, I’ve had worse nights.” Twilight sat down at the table across from Starlight and rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t quite been able to get rid of the dark circles. “Is there any more coffee?” Starlight nodded and floated the pot and a mug across the room.

“I know what you mean,” Spike neatly flipped the haycake over with a flick of the pan, “I wish the protestors would chant a bit quieter after dark. Sure, they leave eventually, but I like to get to sleep early. A growing dragon needs his rest.”

“It could be worse.” Starlight turned a page of the newspaper, “At least there aren’t that many of them. Only the real diehards stay that late.”

“Yeah, but they’re the loudest ones.” He slid the latest finished haycake atop a small stack and brought the plate over, “Here you go, Twi, this’ll help.”

“Thank you, Spike, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Twilight dedicated the next few minutes to herself and her breakfast. Spike was right, it did help a bit. Her immediate hunger pangs satisfied, she looked up at her former student. “Could I have a look at that paper when you’re done, Starlight?”

“Sure,” Starlight nodded and slid most of the newspaper across the table to her, “I’m just looking at the comics at the moment, I’ve finished with the rest.” Twilight looked over the headlines; as usual, nothing good. More small businesses closing, dangerous tensions between the reformists and the monarchists on the streets, somepony put a brick through the leader of the Equestrian Democratic Union’s window, a member of the Alliance of Farmers and Laborers drew some threatening graffiti on the sidewalk outside a monarchist organizer’s house… nothing good indeed.

“Somepony needs to do something, we can’t have the reformists and monarchists fighting in the streets.” Twilight sighed and took another bite of her haycakes.

“You think these are more than idle threats?” Starlight raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, but that’s what I’m worried about. It’s not a risk we can take or a situation we can control. I’m going to Canterlot to talk to Princess Celestia.”

“And say what? Got any ideas?” Spike took a seat at the table with the two unicorns and got to work on his own breakfast.

“I’m going to advise her and Luna to step down.” The room froze. Starlight’s fork clattered onto the table as she and Spike stared at the princess with their mouths open.

“Are you serious, Twi?” Spike spoke in a hushed tone, “I mean, this is Celestia and Luna we’re talking about here. You know, the ponies who are responsible for literal day and night? They’ve ruled for thousands of years, I can’t even imagine Equestria without them.”

“It wouldn't be an Equestria without them. They don’t have to stop doing everything and just disappear. They can’t, it's impossible.” Twilight’s thoughts raced, she had been having this conversation with Celestia over and over in her head for weeks, “Of course they’ll still need to raise the sun and moon, and I don’t see anything wrong with keeping the titles and some kind of executive role, but clearly something has to give out here if we want to avoid total chaos. The Princesses need to give in for now, just temporarily, to satisfy the protestors and show that they’re open to the idea of reform.”

“That would probably be the best place to start,” Starlight had recomposed herself and now appeared deep in thought as well, “But what about the monarchists? The Alicorn Princesses’ Party? You could alienate a lot of ponies by giving the Princesses that kind of advice. You might find just as many protestors outside your window, just with different slogans.”

“The APP is a lot smaller than the EDU,” Twilight continued, “And my biggest concern is both groups protesting at once. That’s where the potential for violence comes in. If we can get most of the EDU off the streets and into a constructive dialogue, the other parties will want a seat at the table and will follow, but the only way to do that is to make concessions.” Starlight nodded in agreement.

“Well, you’re the smartest one in the room, I guess.” Spike said, hesitantly, “If you think it’s a good idea…”

“I think you’re making the right call, Twilight. Is there any way I can help?” Starlight took another sip of coffee. Twilight shook her head.

“I don’t think so, at least not right now. I need to talk to Celestia and Luna myself. I appreciate it though, thank you.” Twilight gave her friend a smile, which Starlight returned. She reached across the table and touched Twilight’s hoof reassuringly.

“You can do this, Twilight. After all, it can’t be the hardest challenge you’ve faced.” Starlight chuckled, and refocused on the newspaper. Twilight finished her breakfast and stood up, rinsing her dishes and depositing them in the sink.

“I hope you’re right. For Equestria’s sake.”

The next morning, Twilight arrived in Canterlot on the eight o’clock train. Celestia had already brought the sun over the horizon, and its warm glow was steadily spreading across the rooftops and through the streets and alleyways of the capital city. She could hear the steady sound of marching hooves and yelled slogans not too far away; the protests in Canterlot had been going steady for months now. Not only were they among the largest and longest lasting, they were also the riskiest. Canterlot was the beating heart of the monarchy, and there was a great deal of resistance to reform here. Definitely not the sort of thing she wanted to get caught up in. Standing clear of the other passengers disembarking from the train, Twilight spread her wings, feeling the slight breeze whisper through her feathers as they caught the early morning sun, and launched herself high into the sky. Her wings caught the wind and it carried her towards the castle, soaring over the great city. She looked down and saw crowds marching, as she’d expected, but she was too high for any of them to notice her. It didn’t take long for her to reach her destination by air, and after a quick circle of one of the towers she alighted in one of the castle’s many courtyards, the one closest to Princess Celestia’s chambers. She hoped she was early enough to catch the Sun Princess before she became too busy, and before Princess Luna had gone to sleep. Twilight wanted to speak with both of them, but if she could only speak with Celestia that might be okay as well. Celestia could always discuss the matter with her sister later.

The guards flanking the door to Princess Celestia’s chambers snapped to attention and saluted as Twilight came around the corner.

“Good morning, gentlecolts. Is Princess Celestia available right now? There is a matter I urgently need to discuss with her.” Even after spending so much time in Canterlot the formalities still felt slightly forced. One of the guards gave a quick knock at the door and then spoke through it.

“Princess Celestia? Princess Twilight Sparkle is here to see you. She says it is an urgent matter.”

“Thank you, sergeant, please let her in.” Twilight felt a sense of instant relief come over her at the sound of her mentor’s voice; Celestia was the wisest pony Twilight had ever known, surely she would see reason. The guards parted and opened the door, letting Twilight into the Sun Princess’ rooms. Celestia was right there in the small sitting area, lounging gracefully in a chair by the main window, which faced east towards the dawn. She lifted a teacup from the small table in front of her and took a sip from it before gesturing for her student to join her, which Twilight did eagerly.

“Good morning, Princess, I’m so sorry to drop in like this without notice, I hope I’m not interrupting anything, I-” Twilight was cut off by her mentor’s quiet laughter, like a gently ringing bell.

“Oh Twilight, my most faithful student, you know I always have time for you.” Celestia poured Twilight a cup of tea, “There, for your nerves.”

“Is Princess Luna around? I was hoping I could speak with both of you.”

“I am afraid my sister is already asleep, recovering from her nightly duties. However, we could postpone this meeting until later, if you wish.”

“No, no, it’s too important, we need to talk now. It’s okay, you can always speak to Princess Luna about it later.”

“What is troubling you, Twilight? Something so urgent must be of very great importance indeed.”

“Princess, I…” Twilight hesitated. Could she do this? Could she really tell her idol, the pony she had always looked up to, who had taught her everything she knew, who had made her who she was, that she needed to stop ruling Equestria? Celestia looked at her expectantly. “It’s about the protests. Something needs to be done to reduce tensions, before anything terrible happens. Ponies are already losing their jobs, their businesses, are getting threats just for voicing their beliefs… if we don’t do something this could tear Equestria apart.”

“It seems as though you already have a solution in mind.” Celestia gazed at Twilight over the rim of her teacup. Twilight took a deep breath. This was it. This was the moment she had been dreading for weeks now; but she had to do it, for Equestria.

“I think you and Princess Luna need to step down.” She practically blurted it out. Celestia stared at her, the two Alicorns making fixed eye contact. For the briefest moment, Twilight thought she saw the warmth and happiness drain from her teacher’s gaze, before Celestia’s face became an impenetrable mask.

“Oh.” The Sun Princess lowered her teacup to the table. “I see.”

“I’m sorry, Princess, but I genuinely believe that it’s the best option. The only option, really. As much as I hate to admit it, we all failed Equestria when we couldn’t stop the Changeling plot. Maybe the reformists have a point about our country’s leadership. If we show them we’re open to a dialogue, and work with them on reforms, we could still secure a strong position for the monarchy in the future. Letting go of your supreme executive authority would send a powerful message to the opposition that-” Twilight stopped short. Celestia was staring out the window, towards the sun. Twilight looked for anything, the slightest crack in the ruler’s mask, a hint at what her teacher was feeling, but there was nothing there. She felt like crying, but held her emotions back; this was not the time. After the longest, stillest moment in Twilight’s life, Celestia spoke.

“I understand. Perhaps you have a point. I will speak with my sister and consider your advice.” There was a knock at the door. “Come in.” Celestia’s secretary, Raven Inkwell, poked her head through the doorway.

“Excuse me, Your Highness, but the mayor of Cloudsdale is here for your scheduled meeting. Should I tell him you’ll be delayed?”

“No, Ms. Inkwell, I will be there shortly.” Celestia stood and addressed Twilight without looking at her, “My apologies, Princess, but I have matters to attend to. Have a pleasant day.” She left the room, and things felt darker already, as if the sun had gone behind a cloud. Twilight sat there for a few minutes, completely still, staring down at the table. Princess… she’d called Twilight “princess”. No “my most faithful student”. No “Twilight”. The fur on Twilight’s cheeks felt damp, and she wanted to slap herself. Stop crying, you silly filly; her own voice echoed in her head. This isn’t the time or place. You’re doing the right thing. You’re doing this for Equestria. You need to be stronger than this.

A week later, Twilight was reading in her castle library when Spike entered carrying a scroll.

“Hey Twilight, you busy? This letter just arrived. I think you can guess who it’s from.” Spike sounded concerned, and she supposed it was justifiable. She hadn’t done much but mope around and be nervous since she’d gotten back from Canterlot. Filled with dread, Twilight floated the letter over and broke the seal, unrolling the parchment. It wasn’t long, though she wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. She read through the letter in its entirety. Then she read it again, and again. She looked over the edge of the parchment at Spike, who raised an eyebrow.

“This has to be a joke. She can’t be serious.” Twilight turned the letter around and held it close to her assistant so he could read it. His eyes went wide as he reached the end.

“Well at least she took your advice seriously, I guess?”

“I didn’t advise her to have the Elements of Harmony temporarily run Equestria and figure this whole mess out, that’s a terrible idea! None of us have any experience or any idea how to govern, we’ll run the country into the ground!”

“Oh come on, Twilight, give yourself and your friends some credit. You’ve saved Equestria from danger loads of times!”

“That’s not the same thing, Spike. Changing a millennia old system and resolving political chaos aren’t tasks that can be solved by rainbow lasers. But, I guess we don’t really have a choice. It’s a royal order, and as of now Princess Celestia is still in charge.” She sighed, “I knew I’d regret telling her to step down, but I didn’t think this would be why.”

“Hey, it’s going to be okay, Twi.” Spike hopped up on the chair next to her and patted her side reassuringly, “You won’t be on your own. It’ll be all the Elements, together, and in Canterlot you’ll be able to get all the expert advice you need, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” She smiled down at him, “And I’ll have my number one assistant, too.”

“Of course! You know I’d never let you down.”

“How does ‘Chief of Staff Spike’ sound?”

“Now that’s something I can get behind!” He grinned. The library door creaked slightly as it opened again.

“Twilight, is everything okay? I heard Spike say a letter came from Canterlot.” Starlight stepped into the room. Twilight filled her in on the letter’s contents and watched as Starlight’s face rapidly changed from concern, to shock, to concern again.

“This seems like a lot of pressure for one little pony... are you sure you can handle it?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t be alone.” Twilight smiled, “She’s asking all the Elements. You know, I could really use your help too, Starlight. The more friends to share the burden, the lighter it is.”

“Me?” Starlight raised an eyebrow, “How could I possibly help with this? I’m not an Element of Harmony or a political expert.”

“Well, it’s like you said, running something like this is a lot of responsibility. Of course, Spike will be able to assist me with organization, which will be a huge help, but I won’t be able to be everywhere at once. Whether you'll admit it or not, Starlight, you're a good leader. You have an incredible capability in you if you'll just let it out. It would be good to have somepony who could represent me sometimes, like a-” Twilight sifted through her brain for titles, “Like a Vice President!”

“I-” Starlight hesitated. Twilight stared at her expectantly, attempting a confident and reassuring smile. After a moment, Starlight composed herself, her eyes suddenly blazing with determination. “I’ll do it. What do you need from me first?”

“Yes! The more the merrier!” Spike cheered. Twilight jumped from the chair and tackled Starlight in a big hug.

“Okay okay, I get it, you’re happy!” Starlight couldn’t stop laughing. “But speaking seriously, as your Vice President, what do we even do first? We’ve got a huge mess to sort out.”

“You’re right,” Twilight stood, “Time for business. Get the girls together, we need to figure out who will be responsible for what in the transitional government. I don’t think there’ll be enough of us to take care of everything, so we need to keep in mind what posts will be empty and who we can bring in to fill out the spots. We need to work quickly, time is of the essence. Princess Celestia's letter said she wants the transition to begin in two weeks, so we need to have all parts of the government accounted for by then.” Twilight took a deep breath, reassuring herself. “We can do this. I have nothing but faith in us, and in our friends.” Starlight and Spike nodded with equal notes of grim confidence and lurking anxiety. Every new journey needs something to start with.

Author's Note

Edit 4/28/2021: Attempted to fix what I thought were slight tonal differences between the Prologue and successive chapters, in both descriptive text and dialogue.

Edit 5/23/2021: Did another editing run-through, made some minor wording changes, added a little to some dialogue.

Edit 5/31/2021: You ever get worried your subtext just isn't subtexty enough?

1: A Royal Order

“We can’t do this… we can’t do this… there’s no way we can do this…” Twilight hugged her tail closer to her body and willed her mattress to swallow her, “No no no no no, what was Celestia thinking!?” There was a gentle knock at her door.

“Twilight, you okay?” It was Spike. Twilight covered herself thoroughly with a pile of blankets and made no response as her number one assistant quietly pushed open the door. “Starlight’s gonna be back with the others soon, we’ve gotta be ready!”

“Twilight’s not home right now,” the pile of blankets moved slightly, “Please leave a message at the tone… beeeeeep…”

“What?” Spike clambered up onto the bed and gave the pile a hearty shake, “Come on, stop messing around.” Twilight’s head poked out from the small mound of blue and purple cloth.

“I’m not messing around, I’m, uh-” She faltered before Spike’s judgement and attempted an uneasy smile, “Studying?”

“Sure you are, that’s why there’s so many books under there with you. Oh, wait,” Spike yanked the blankets away, “There aren’t.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t make you cuter, Spike.”

“Good thing I don’t need to be any cuter. Listen, I know you’re nervous about this, but even if Celestia didn’t like your advice she wouldn’t ask you to do this if she didn’t think you could. She cares about Equestria more than anything! If she thought you and the others would destroy it, she would never have ordered you to lead it. What sense would that make?” Twilight continued to silently look up at her assistant as his gaze softened, “You’re the smartest, most capable pony I know, and I happen to know some pretty great ponies. I get why you’re afraid, but you don’t need to be, and if you really think about it you’ll realize that too. Now are you getting up or do I need to start threatening your quills?”

Twilight hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head in defeat and sighed.

“Fine, I guess it can’t be helped.” She stood and stepped to the floor, shrugging off the blankets, before taking a deep breath and steadying herself, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t make you cu-” She cut off Spike’s mockery by turning to him and gently placing a hoof on his arm.

“No, Spike, I really mean it.” She smiled at him. Her eyes were watering a bit, “I genuinely have no idea what I would do without you. Thank you.” After a momentary pause, he returned the smile and put a claw on her hoof.

“No sweat, Twilight, I’ve always got your back. What are number one assistants for?” Twilight lifted him onto her back and turned back to her bedroom door.

“Come on,” A little bit of confidence crept back into her voice, “We’ve got some friends to rally.”

The halls of the castle were vast and quiet as Twilight and Spike made their way to the map room. She took her time, soaking up the energy of this place. It was no Golden Oaks, but it was still her home, and had been for some time. Now her and her friends would need to go to Canterlot, and she had no way of knowing when she would see Ponyville again. She stopped by the map room door and gingerly rested a hoof on the crystalline wall beside her. She could feel the magic in it, flowing through the structure like blood, and a faint pulsing, like a heartbeat. It could be said that her castle was like a living thing, but Twilight thought otherwise; the heartbeat was not her castle’s, but Ponyville’s. A town, a community, is alive in so many ways, so very much like a thinking, breathing organism, every street an artery and pony a cell. She’d spent such a tiny portion of her life here compared to Canterlot, but now the capital felt more foreign than Ponyville ever had. Going to Canterlot would be even harder for the others to accept, she thought. They were the more integral of Ponyville’s cells compared to herself. Their lives here were more than studying friendship; they had jobs, homes, families, responsibilities. She was about to ask them to put aside all of that for who knew how long. Burying her doubts, she pushed open the door and entered the map room.

The others had yet to arrive. As she approached the round table at the room’s center, Spike slid from her back and took his seat next to hers. She sat down on the cushion, her back against the cold stone, and leaned on one hoof, looking over the arcane map of Equestria and its surroundings. Her country, its land as vast as the sky, its culture and history as deep as the sea; quite a lot to be protected by seven little ponies and a dragon, but they’d done it before. Dangling from the ceiling above her, hung from the gnarled roots of Golden Oak, were the constant reminders of all that she and her friends had accomplished together. The elegantly faceted slivers of crystal jingled faintly as the door opened again, and the castle’s lonely, thoughtful silence was swept away by the sounds of friendship and love as the most important ponies in her life greeted her in their own familiar ways.

“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie bounced up and down and around the room, “You’ve been shut up in here all week, ever since you got back from Canterlot! I mean we were all super worried and I just kind of assumed you were sick but I was also thinking what if she’s not sick and there’s something else going on and-” Pinkie sprang across the table and landed in her chair, never breaking her stream of consciousness.

“She’s right, darling, you must tell us what’s been bothering you. It’s simply not good for you to hold your troubles in.” Rarity, in contrast, moved gently and elegantly as she took her seat.

“You totally missed the awesome routine I showed off to everypony yesterday!” Rainbow did a tight loop just beneath the ceiling decorations, the breeze from her wings jingling the memory crystals again, before landing in her chair.

“Heya, Twi, feeling any better today?” Applejack took her seat and adjusted her hat, tilting it back slightly to get a better view of everypony.

“I made scones.” Fluttershy placed a small basket on the map table and sat down, “They’re a little dry, I’m sorry…”

“I’m sure they’re amazing, Fluttershy.” Starlight’s horn flared briefly and a simple wooden chair appeared in an empty space at the table. She took her place next to Twilight and Spike. Twilight took a deep breath, then cleared her throat and looked around the table at her friends.

“So, you’re probably wondering what the urgent business Starlight told you about is.” She began. They all nodded. “Well, I’m afraid it’s both incredibly simple and dreadfully complicated.” She produced the letter from Princess Celestia and had it passed around the table so each pony could read it for themself. When it had made its rounds Starlight wordlessly passed it back to her.

“Now, Twilight,” Applejack broke the silence, “Ah don’t mean no disrespect by this, but uh, ya don’t suppose that Princess Celestia may’ve gone just a little crazy, do ya?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Ah mean tha last six months’ve been pretty hard on everypony.” Applejack continued, “This jus seems, I dunno, kinda drastic.”

“Applejack is right,” Rarity leaned forwards, resting her chin on her hooves, and looked over to Twilight for answers, “What are we supposed to do that the Sisters can’t?”

“I’ve thought a lot about that,” Twilight looked up from the letter, “And at first I didn’t understand it either, but then it hit me. It’s not really about our knowledge or expertise. The government already has ministries and civil servants who know all the ins and outs of their jobs; they’re the ones providing the experience. Princess Celestia wants us at the top because whoever is up there is the face of the transition. As the Elements of Harmony, we might as well be national symbols. The Elements represent what binds Equestria and its ponies together, through any hardship. What we’ll need most right now is unity, patience, and cooperation. Clearly Princess Celestia believes those are things our presence can provide.”

“Do you really think everypony could start fighting if we don’t do something?” Fluttershy’s voice was shaking. Twilight hesitated, but then nodded; the truth was best.

“That’s why I advised Princess Celestia to step down in the first place. Something had to be done to reduce the tension, or things could have ended very badly.”

“Things could still end badly,” Applejack scowled, “Ah don’t like those EDU upstarts just tryna change things all willy nilly. Equestria was fine how it was, dammit! What’ll we do without the Princesses next time somethin like Tirek comes a’knockin?”

“Well maybe if any Princess other than Twilight actually did something to save Equestria the EDU wouldn’t-” Rainbow Dash, who was now angrily hovering above her chair, stopped herself when Twilight held up a hoof for calm.

“Personal feelings aside,” She looked both AJ and Dash in the eyes, “Fighting won’t help anypony. Talking will.” Her two friends stared daggers at each other.

“Twilight’s right,” Pinkie interjected, “We’ve gotta forget about all this boring political stuff and stay together on this! We’re, like, the very best friends in all of Equestria! If we can’t put something silly like politics aside, how is anypony else supposed to?” AJ and Dash’s gazes softened.

“Yer right, Pinkie,” Applejack lowered her head, her hat shadowing her face, “Ahm sorry, Dash.”

“Yeah, uh, me too.” Dash sheepishly landed back in her seat and looked at the floor, “Sorry, AJ.” An uneasy silence descended over the room; nopony would make eye contact. Starlight gently slid Fluttershy’s basket across the table and produced a small, white, fluffy scone from inside it. A soft crunch cut through the quiet and bounced off the walls.

“Wow, Fluttershy, these are really good.” Starlight’s eyes widened. She slid the basket to Spike, whose reaction was much the same.

“You don’t think they’re too dry?” Fluttershy perked up a little at the praise.

“No way!” Spike took a second one and passed the basket to Twilight, who quietly took one as well, “These are almost as good as mine!” The basket slowly made its way around the table, and the awkward silence was shredded by the sounds of chewing and contentment; baked goods always go such a long way towards relieving tension.

“On another note,” Rarity finished her scone and swallowed, “Even if we do accept that reasoning, that we’re the best choice to bring Equestria together, we all have a lot to do here in Ponyville. I have Carousel-”

“Ah’ve got the farm-”

“I’ve got the Wonderbolts and the weather patrol-”

“Mr. and Mrs. Cake always need my help at Sugarcube-”

“I need to take care of my animal friends-”

“We can’t simply put all that down and run off to Canterlot, darling.”

“I know, I’ve thought about that a lot, believe me.” Twilight took a deep breath, bracing herself to give them the worst part of the news, “But Celestia isn’t asking, she’s ordering. We don’t have a choice in the matter. I’m sorry. I’m willing to do anything I can to help each of you figure out a way your jobs can get done without you, but we are going to be in Canterlot in two weeks. That’s just how it has to be.” The room went quiet again.

“Well,” Rarity looked thoughtful, “When you put it that way, I suppose I could get somepony to take care of Carousel while I’m gone. I can’t be the only fashion forward pony in Ponyville.” The others murmured in assent, all thinking of their own plans for who could help take over their work while they were gone.

“Ah guess Applebloom’s gettin old enough to help out more around the farm.” Applejack added, though she looked slightly concerned at this prospect, “And I could ask some other Apples to come in and help out some.”

“There’s plenty of other weather ponies, even if none of them are as awesome as I am, and... I guess I can put being in the Bolts on hold, if its for the good of Equestria.”

“The Cakes can hire someone new, I guess they’ll be okay without me for a while.”

“I could ask Dr. Fauna to watch my animal friends for a bit.”

“Thank you.” Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank you all so much for being so accommodating.”

“Well of course, silly,” Pinkie laughed, the others joining in, “We’re your friends! And it wasn’t a choice, but the friends part is more important!” The others agreed heartily, and Twilight felt like her heart was going to burst. After a moment, Starlight cleared her throat and dropped a stack of thick manila folders onto the table.

“Now that we’ve gone over the basics of Celestia’s orders,” she began, “We need to figure out who’s going to be responsible for what. Twilight and I have already discussed this some, and we both agree this isn’t the time for any kind of radical restructuring. Therefore, we’ll be keeping the pre-existing ministry structure of the government; all that’s left is to decide who’s minister of what. We’re also fortunate enough to be inheriting the pre-existing government budget for this year, so that’ll help ease us into things.”

“Starlight and I will be serving as Vice Head of State and Head of State, respectively, and Spike will be my Chief of Staff.” Twilight added, “I have some ideas about what roles would be best for you all, but I want your input too.”

“Um, excuse me, but what are the options?” Fluttershy had raised her hoof like she was a filly in a classroom.

“And are any of them not incredibly boring?” Dash faked a yawn.

“Dash, this is the future of Equestria we’re talkin about, ya could at least try payin attention…”

“Ugh, it’s like being back in school.”

“Girls, please.” Twilight motioned for calm, then gestured to Starlight, “Could you give us a summary of the different ministries?”

“The names are pretty self explanatory, but we’ve got the Ministries of Security, Defense, Economy and Development, Agriculture, the Interior, Foreign Affairs, Education, which was formerly the Equestrian Education Association, Public Services and Labor, and finally, Law and Justice.”

“We have Security and Defense Ministries?” Dash said in disbelief, “Why don’t they ever stop us from getting invaded?”

“They don’t get a lot of funding.” Starlight grimaced, “I mean, it’s basically just the Wonderbolts and the Royal Guard, and look at them. The Wonderbolts are more performers than soldiers, no offense, and the Guard still use weapons we imported from Griffonia two centuries ago. How the hay do you even hold a spear with hooves?”

“That always confused me too.” Pinkie made a few experimental attempts at positioning her hooves in a manner capable of reliably gripping a spear, “I guess the Unicorns could do it fine, but they’ve got magic, so what do they even need spears for?”

“We’ll get to the Defense Ministry later. I don’t think anypony here is a particularly good fit for it, or there are at least better options.” Twilight shuffled through some papers, “We’ll probably have to look elsewhere for somepony to lead it. But, moving on, I already know one appointment for sure. Who better for the Ministry of Agriculture than Applejack?”

“Aw shucks, Twilight,” Applejack removed her hat and held it over her heart, “Yer confidence means the world to me. Ahd like nothin better.”

“Good, one down.” Starlight said as Spike scratched out a note on a piece of parchment, “Any other shoe-ins, Twilight?”

“I’m still torn between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash for Interior.” The two Pegasi perked up at the sound of their names.

“What does Interior do?” Dash asked.

“Nature related work, mostly, taking care of the land and environment, developing Equestria’s natural resources, keeping tabs on animal populations, which is of course why I thought of Fluttershy, but they’re also responsible for the weather and issuing assignments to local weather patrols, which is why I thought of you.”

“Getting to work with animals and plants every day would be nice.” Fluttershy smiled, “It’s already what I’m used to, it’d be like hardly anything changed at all.”

“As much as I like doing weather, I don’t know anything about the rest of what you said.” Dash folded her forelegs in front of her chest, “You should probably give that one to Flutters, she’ll be better at it. Besides, it sounds kinda boring…”

“Alright, Fluttershy for the Ministry of the Interior then.” Spike made another note.

“I think that was the last one where we had any obvious answers.” Starlight added.

“Wait! What about me!?” Pinkie almost jumped out of her seat, like she’d sat on a tack. Starlight raised an eyebrow.

“Did you have something in mind?”

“Uh, duh! Who saved Equestria from having a war with Yakyakistan? Who’s an honorary Yak?” Pinkie looked around the room, as if waiting for someone to answer her questions, “I did and am! Pinkamena Diane Pie!”

“That’s a very valid point,” Twilight rubbed her chin, “You did normalize relations with Yakyakistan for the first time in almost a century. Pretty impressive work, considering everything that happened.”

“So does that mean I can do Foreign Affairs?” Pinkie looked on expectantly. After another moment of contemplation, Twilight nodded and was immediately tackled into a classic Pinkie Pie hug.

“Oh, let her up, Pinkie,” Starlight giggled, “She can’t breathe. Assassinating a Head of State is a serious crime.”

“So that’s Agriculture, Interior, Foreign Affairs… what about Public Services and Labor?” Spike asked, making another note on the parchment.

“Ahem.” The room’s attention turned to Rarity as Pinkie finally released Twilight and returned to her seat, “I believe I could be of use in that department. After all, I am the Element of Generosity.” Her words hit Twilight like a lightning bolt.

“Damn, why didn’t I think of that? Of course, that makes perfect sense!”

“More generosity isn’t always the answer.” Starlight spoke hesitantly, “The government has a limited budget, we won’t be able to help everypony as much as we might want to.”

“I trust Rarity to make the right choices. She’ll know where our help will matter the most.” Twilight gave her friend a warm smile as Spike made another note.

“Thank you, Twilight. As Celestia is my witness, I will not let you down!” Rarity made the gesture of a Pinkie Pie Promise.

“Which just leaves Rainbow Dash,” Spike read over his notes, “And the remaining ministries are Security, Defense, Education, Economy and Development, and Law and Justice.”

“Twilight,” Rainbow’s voice had an edge of concern to it, “Are you sure I’m even gonna be any help? None of these sound like something I’d be good at…”

“Uhh-” Twilight hesitated and looked to Starlight for assistance.

“Hmm,” Starlight’s eyes lit up, “How about Security? The Minister of Security needs to be somepony who can be trusted implicitly, and who better than the Element of Loyalty?”

“Starlight, you’re a genius!”

“Security, huh,” Rainbow appeared lost in her imagination, “I guess that wouldn’t be so bad. Fighting bad guys, saving the day, keeping ponies safe; I could get behind that.”

“Perfect!” Twilight clapped her hooves together, “Then Rainbow Dash will be Security Minister, and that takes care of everypony. Spike, Starlight, I’ll meet with you two later to figure out who we can bring in for the last four positions.” They nodded in agreement.

“I was already looking into possibilities for all the posts, just in case, and I believe I have some good options for those last ones.” Starlight shuffled through her notes again.

“Great, I think that takes care of all our official business for today. Does anypony have anything else to add?” Twilight looked around at her friends. They all shook their heads, “Alright, then I’ll just leave you with this. We’ve saved Equestria a few times now. We’ve faced some unimaginable challenges, seen things and gone places we never could have dreamed of just a few years ago. But this, this will be our greatest trial yet; we must save Equestria from itself. I know I can count on all of you, and I know we can all count on each other. We will succeed.” The others nodded, their eyes filled with confidence and determination.

“Yer darn right we will!”

“Hell yeah!”

“I have nothing but confidence in us.”

“Woohoo! Responsible government party!”

“I’m just glad I can be there with you all.”

“Just think of it as a different kind of adventure!”

“Yay.”

“That is all.” Twilight smiled, “I know you have a lot to take care of before we can go, so get to it. We’ll leave next week, just before Princess Celestia set the transition to begin.” The new ministers dispersed back to their homes and families, to make their arrangements, leaving Twilight, Starlight, and Spike in the castle.

Author's Note

Edit 4/29/2021: Just some minor alterations while I procrastinate my real work, I swear I'm never happy with anything. Editing is Magic.

Edit 5/23/2021: Another editing run-through and some little fixes for things like Twilight briefly forgetting the existence of the Ministry of Education.

Edit 6/1/2021: I was rewatching S5E1 and realized the chairs in the map room have cushions, oops.

2: Change Doesn't Come Easy

“All in all I think that went pretty well.” Starlight lifted the last of the books they’d been using up to their place on the shelf. Twilight wasn’t sure how long they’d been cooped up in the library since their friends had left the castle, but they’d finally finished deciding on the remaining ministry appointments. She couldn’t stop herself from making a final check of the list, just to be safe. The names of respected experts and prominent civil servants bolstered her faith in the transitional government: there was Spitfire, the commander of the Wonderbolts, as Minister of Defense, Neighsay, the head of the old Equestrian Education Association, as Minister of Education, Fund Raiser, a high ranking and oft commended government employee, as Minister of Economy and Development, and finally Court Order, a judge from Baltimare with unparalleled knowledge of the Equestrian legal code, as Minister of Law and Justice.

“I’ll pen a letter to each of them offering the positions, then Spike can proofread and send them.” Twilight put down the list, stood, and stretched, “But that can wait for tomorrow, I’m exhausted. I need to turn my brain off for a while.”

“Can you even do that? I’d never believe it.” Starlight winked at her.

“Witty, hilarious, powerful," Twilight began collecting her things, "Is there anything you aren’t?”

“You're the Princess of Quips.” Starlight laughed, “Where’s Spike gone too?”

“I think he went to bed.” Twilight yanked open the curtains on a nearby window, revealing the night sky outside, “Dark already?”

“Time flies when you’re busy.” Starlight pointed to the library clock; it was almost eleven at night, “I’m starving, gonna go see what I can find in the kitchen. Wanna join me?”

“Sure, I haven’t eaten since this morning.” The two Unicorns made their way to the castle kitchen, where Twilight had told Starlight and Spike of her fateful decision just over a week before. It was large, spacious, exactly the type of room one would think a castle should have, but hardly convenient when only three creatures lived there. They’d sectioned off a small piece of it and put a table and chairs nearby, made it homely and comfortable, the center of their collective lives; no matter what each did with their own day, they all came together here most mornings and evenings. Starlight started to rummage through the cabinets, pantry, and cooler in search of food that would require as little effort as possible.

“Want any help? I could make something instead if you want.” Twilight knew the answer would be no, but, she thought with a giggle, it never hurt to ask.

“No thanks,” Her student laughed too, “I’ve had your cooking one too many times. I choose life. How about sandwiches? I make a mean daffodil and daisy sandwich.”

“That sounds wonderful, thank you, Starlight.” Twilight eyed one of the cabinets, “Want a drink? We’ve had a long day, it wouldn’t hurt to relax a bit. I may not be a good cook, but I do know chemistry, and that’s actually very similar to bartending.”

“Sure, I could use one after all those books. It’ll help with the ‘turning off the brain’ you mentioned earlier.” As Starlight got to work on their sandwiches, Twilight hopped out of her seat and floated some glasses and bottles down from the cabinet. They worked, and then ate, in a comfortable silence, each simply enjoying the other’s presence. Twilight cleared away the dishes.

“Want another drink?” She asked Starlight.

“Sure, why not?” Starlight drained the last bit in her glass. As they drank, conversation kindled; they talked about Ponyville, memories from childhood and school, their friends, magic, until eventually Starlight’s mind wandered into politics.

“And that’s the problem with the Equestrian economy!” Starlight put her drink down a little too hard, with a jarring thud of glass on wood, “We have all these rural communities completely disconnected from our economic heartland and population centers. There’s no adequate infrastructure to support them or link the periphery to the center! How long until they start feeling neglected, if they don’t already? And the government doesn’t have enough money to build new roads or railways, or even to properly maintain the ones we have, but we’ve got wealthy businessponies sitting on mountains of untaxed bits! For Celestia’s sake, it seems like half the roads in this country are still dirt! Don’t even get me started on how the recession is only really hitting small businesses and workers, but the government won’t even tax the rich to help the ponies losing their jobs.”

“I’d never even dream of it.” Twilight laughed and took a sip.

“Of what?”

“Of getting you started.”

“Shut up.” Starlight laughed too.

“I never knew you were so interested in politics.”

“Ah, well, I’ve been reading a lot of AFL pamphlets lately.”

“You gonna go Red on me?”

“I dunno,” Starlight took another sip, “They’re starting to make a lot of sense, Twilight.”

“I'm not going to judge your opinions. Personally, I like a lot of the AFL’s ideas, and the problems they point out are very real; it’s just some of their rhetoric that worries me. Actually, I think all the parties have some good points, which is why I want to work with all of them on the reforms.”

“An admirable goal, if you can get them to work with each other and you.”

“There’s no problem that can’t be solved by open and honest discussion. Just don’t let your sympathies blend into your work as Vice President, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I promise. Hey, that reminds me of something.”

“What?”

“I forgot to bring this up during our meeting earlier. You’ve been calling me ‘Vice President’, but we never did officially decide on a title for you, did we? I mean, I just kinda assumed it was President, but you never said anything, so…” She trailed off.

“Huh, I guess I never really thought too much about it.”

“Still gonna go by ‘Princess’?”

“No,” Twilight shook her head, “We need to distance ourselves from the monarchy a bit. We need something that speaks to change, and to the temporary nature of the position and the government that goes with it. ‘President’ is good; simple, democratic, but with some strong executive authority connotations for the APP. Maybe not temporary enough?”

“How about ‘Interim President’ officially? And then you can cut it down to just ‘President’ for general use.”

“Interim President Twilight Sparkle. I like it.” The two ponies sat in silence for a couple minutes.

“You ever feel,” Starlight took another drink, “Like you’re just blindly flailing through life, but somehow upwards?”

“Like no matter what mistakes you make or how badly you fail you still end up better off than when you started?”

“Yeah.”

“All the time.”

“Huh, wasn’t expecting you to say yes.”

“Really? Why not?”

“I dunno, you’re an Alicorn, clearly you did something to deserve it and know what that was.”

“I mean, I completed a spell left by Starswirl the Bearded, but compared to everything else the Elements have done that didn’t really seem like much. I just have this feeling, like everything in my life has fallen into place in a way it shouldn’t have; like I'm being set up. The Elements are all connected by the sonic rainboom, but there’s something more to it, like this great, invisible plan devised by... “

“Celestia?”

“I don’t know. It’s like I’m just inches away from grasping it, from seeing all the universe’s intentions for me, but I’m still blind to what it really means. It’s whatever, even if Celestia does have some plan for me, she probably hates me now.”

“She’d be an idiot to hate you for giving her good advice.”

“Starlight!”

“Just being honest. If she’s really as wise as you say, she’ll realize it was for the best.”

“I hope you’re right. I really hope she does.”

“Hey, Twilight?” Starlight’s voice shook a little.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think I’ve really changed?”

“Of course I do, why? Do you think you haven’t?”

“I- I don’t know. I’m scared I haven’t. Losing Sunburst as a filly made me want everypony to just be the same, and my pursuit of that is what drove me to do all the awful things I did, but it’s like there’s still a bit of that left in me, y’know?”

“I’m not sure I do…”

“Well, the AFL’s whole thing is equality. It’s in their motto; Freedom, Equality, Harmony.” Starlight’s words were starting to slur quite a bit, “So if I agree with the AFL, and I still believe in equality, does that mean I’m still just as evil as I was before, and I’ve just been hiding it somewhere deep down inside me this whole time? I mean I’ve got a crossed out equal sign hung up on my wall, does that even mean anything? Have I been lying to all of you? Have I been lying to myself?”

“What!? No!” Twilight drunkenly reached across the table and grabbed her friend’s foreleg, “It doesn’t mean that at all! Okay, listen-” She swayed a bit in her seat, then caught her balance, “The problem with what you were doing was never the general idea of equality, Starlight. It was the idea that there should be no differences at all, and the magical brainwashing, and the intimidation. That’s what’s evil, and I know you feel awful for doing it. Just believing that ponies in general should be treated equally well, that’s different.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure. If the AFL was anything like you used to be I wouldn’t want to work with them. Change doesn’t come easy, but it’s never impossible. I’ve seen it in Luna, I’ve seen it in Discord, and I’ve seen it in you, Starlight; you’ve learned so much, and you’re a much better pony now, trust me.”

“Okay. Thank you.” She seemed doubtful.

“You do believe me, right?”

“I’m trying really hard to. It’s not easy.”

“I know.” Twilight walked around the table, a bit clumsily, and gave her friend a big hug. Starlight buried her face in Twilight’s chest and sniffled. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Yeah. It’ll be okay.” Starlight hugged her back, then pulled away and wiped her eyes, “I’m gonna go, I think I need some sleep. Thanks for the drinks, and for listening. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, I’ll always be here for you. Thank you for making dinner.”

“I don’t know how I made it so long without real friends. You know, that I wasn’t brainwashing. Guess that wasn’t really living. Don’t stay up too late, okay?”

“I won’t. Sleep well, Starlight.”

“Thanks, you too, Twilight.” Starlight left the room, her steps receding into the quiet halls. Twilight sat alone at the table. She looked down at what remained of her drink, finished it, and set the glasses in the sink before making her way outside, to the balcony that overlooked Ponyville.

The air was crisp and cool, a sign of an early autumn, and a gentle breeze whispered through her mane and tickled the fur of her ears. The moon and stars were bright, low, and beautiful tonight; Princess Luna had really outdone herself. Twilight leaned on the wall of the balcony and looked out over the town, wondering if any of her friends were still awake at this hour. Fluttershy and Rainbow’s houses were dark, as was Sweet Apple Acres, off in the distance, but there were lights glowing in the windows of Pinkie Pie’s room at Sugar Cube Corner and Rarity’s workroom at Carousel Boutique. That didn’t surprise her, Pinkie was usually high on sugar and Rarity always had some project to work on. Twilight stretched her wings experimentally and contemplated going for a quick flight; flying at night was the best, she always loved being closer to the blanket of stars. Eh, probably not a good idea, she’d had too much to drink. It was always best to fly responsibly. Instead she leaned back onto the wall and continued to look out over the town, lost in the peace of the quiet and the dark, and her own imagination. She stretched her wings out again and took a look at them in the moonlight. Change doesn’t come easy. She was experiencing a different sort of change, she thought as she started to preen her feathers, than what Starlight was going through. She hoped she would be able to help.

Part of their earlier conversation came back to her; she really did feel like she was blindly flailing upwards, on the whim of some unseen force. She wasn’t one to believe in fate, but the machinations of an unknown being? That was different. If it was Celestia, like Starlight said, what had she been working towards, and had Twilight already sabotaged it purely by accident? Maybe she should ask her mentor about it, if she could ever work up the courage to speak to her again. She went back to looking over Ponyville, trying to clear her head, but she couldn’t shake the looming feeling of uncertainty. Soon the foggy-headed feeling of the drink began to wear off, replaced by an all consuming tiredness as the long day caught up to her. With a groan and another stretch, Twilight returned to her room, wrapped herself in warm, soft blankets, and fell asleep.

Another week passed, slow and uneventful. The three denizens of the crystalline castle packed their things in solitude, save for Twilight’s occasional check-ins to ensure they were on schedule, where she told Spike he really didn’t need all those Power Ponies comics and noticed Starlight had thrown out the crossed out equal sign that had previously hung on her wall. She hoped that was a good sign. They still came together every morning and evening, in that cozy little section of the kitchen, where they talked, laughed, and planned. It was the best part of her day, Twilight thought; she’d have to make sure they still did it while they were in Canterlot. Soon after the movers came and took away all their neatly packed boxes, and the castle was even emptier than before, save for the three friends and the small bags they would carry with them on the train. It was during this, the last lonely moments before they finally stepped off, that the stress began to sink in again. Seeing Twilight's ticks and twitches return, Rarity invited Twilight to join her and Fluttershy for their weekly spa visit, which of course worked wonders, as it always does. It was as Twilight returned to the castle from this outing, her friends with her, all three carrying on their conversation until the very last minute to get every moment of each other that they could, that she noticed something.

“And so then I said,” Rarity giggled preemptively at her own story, “‘Darling, that’s not a hat, that’s a natural disaster that somehow landed atop your head!’” All three laughed uproariously.

“Hey,” Twilight’s steps faltered just before the gates of the castle, “Is it just me, or does Ponyville seem really empty right now? Where is everypony?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, Twilight.” Rarity seemed oddly unconcerned.

“Nothing seems unusual to me.” Fluttershy sounded very confident, which in itself was certainly off.

“Anyway, back to what I was saying-” Rarity pushed open the castle door, and all three were immediately deafened by a wave of sound as the entire population of Ponyville yelled “SURPRISE” all at once and a barrage of Pinkie’s party bombs went off, coating the castle’s entrance hall in streamers and confetti. Twilight shook her head, trying to banish the shock and the ringing in her ears. Rarity and Fluttershy were laughing.

“You knew!” Twilight started laughing too. Rarity nodded.

“Gotcha.” Fluttershy grinned.

“Girls!” Pinkie called out to them, bouncing above the heads of the crowd, “Get in here! It’s time to PARTY!” They trotted in, to more deafening cheers from the town’s residents, finding the rest of their friends in the middle of the hall.

“Pinkie, what is this?” Twilight looked around at the rapidly but elaborately decorated hall. Pinkie sure had a way with her special talent. Something about the setup seemed almost familiar.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s a nearly exact recreation of the party I threw for you when you first got to Ponyville, except this time it’s a going away party and it’s for all of us!” She gestured to a nearby table, on which there was a conspicuously placed cup and bottle of hot sauce, “And everypony’s here!”

“Wow,” Twilight looked around the room in disbelief, “Girls, this is incredible, you didn’t have to-”

“Of course we did.” Rainbow put a foreleg around Twilight’s shoulders, “This is a huge deal, for all of us. We couldn’t let it pass without some celebration!”

“Come on, y’all,” Applejack adjusted her hat, “Let’s say goodbye to everypony.”

“And have some fun!” Pinkie hung a party hat on Twilight’s horn. The rest of the evening was a blur as Twilight was swept through the party, saying her farewells to all the treasured friends, neighbors, and acquaintances who wouldn’t be coming with them into this new chapter in their lives. Mayor Mare, the Cakes, Lyra, Bon Bon, Octavia, Derpy, Daisy, Rose, Golden, Dr. Fauna… the last few years swam before her eyes. Eventually the party died down and everypony went home, until it was just her and her friends left, and she found herself sitting on the front steps of the castle, taking in the night air.

“Heya Twi.” Applejack sat down on the steps next to her.

“Hey, AJ. Have a good time?”

“Course ah did,” The farm pony laughed, “Can’t not have fun at ah Pinkie Pie party.”

“Yeah, that’s for sure.”

“Ya seem down, Twi.”

“Eh,” Twilight shrugged, “Maybe a little.”

“We leave tomorrow morning, yea?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s eatin’ ya, sugarcube?”

“I dunno, it’s just, this sense of foreboding.”

“Well it’s like Dash was sayin, this is a big moment for all of us. It’s not an easy change ta make, bein nervous is normal.”

“It’s not just that, AJ, it’s like… an odd sense of permanence.”

“Permanence?”

“Like things won’t ever be the same. Like they’ll never be just like this again.”

“Ain’t that tha point?”

“What?”

“Ain’t it our job to change things?”

“Well yeah, but that's not what I mean. We're going to be changing how Equestria ticks, sure, but that shouldn't mean changing how things are for us down here. Once we're done, I want us to be able to all come back here, to Ponyville, and for it to be like we never left at all."

"Ah feel ya, Twi," Applejack sighed, "But that ain't how the world works. Wish it weren't true, but it is."

"Yeah." Twilight looked at the ground, "Guess it's kinda foalish to wish for something like that."

"Hey, don't get down on yerself." AJ put a foreleg around Twilight, "Jus cause things change don't mean any of us are gonna stop bein friends, if that's what yer worried about. Years might pass, Equestria might change, hell even sleepy lil Ponyville might change, but we'll all be goin through it together, the whole way."

"You mean it?"

"Ahm tha Element a' Honesty, Twi."

"Of course." Twilight laughed. They sat there in silence for a bit, just listening to the sounds of the night, lost in their own heads.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash's voice jolted them from their thoughts, "Are you two gonna help us clean this up or are you just gonna sit around all night?"

"Be there in a minute, sorry!" Twilight called over her shoulder.

"Let's go lend a hoof." Applejack stood and helped Twilight up. Cleaning up the remnants of the party didn't take too long with them all working together, and soon the others left for their own homes. Twilight tucked Spike into bed; Starlight was already asleep, her snores echoing faintly through the hallways near her room. Twilight made sure her alarm was set, checked over her bags another time, and got some rest herself. She dreamed of cats, and night flights, and a musical she was pretty sure was original.

The next morning came quickly. Twilight woke early, before her alarm, but she just tossed and turned and couldn't get back to sleep. She got up and went to the kitchen instead. She knew she should eat something, but she wasn't sure if she was hungry. Her stomach felt a bit queasy; maybe just some dry toast then. That would do.

"Morning." Starlight stepped in, bleary eyed, and put the kettle on.

"G'morning." Twilight replied with her mouth full of toast.

"Spike still asleep?"

"Probably. I'll let him rest, I can always carry him onto the train if I have to."

"Good idea." Starlight sighed, "Gosh, it's early. I need my magic bean juice." The kettle started to sing. Starlight added the water to the press and the smell of fresh black coffee filled the kitchen. "You want some?"

"Sure, thanks."

"Yeah, no problem." Starlight brought the cups over and they both drank deeply. "Now that's much better. How long do we have?"

"About forty-five minutes."

"Gotcha." She took another gulp of coffee. Twilight woke up quick, shook the last of the sleepy fog from her head, and finished her breakfast. Time to go. Grabbing her saddlebags, she peeked into Spike's room and saw he was still asleep. Not a problem, she thought, lifting him onto her back. Starlight was waiting by the castle doors.

"Ready to go?" She asked as Twilight trotted up to her.

"As I'll ever be." They made the short walk to the train station, where they saw the others had already gathered. The train was just pulling in; time to step off. Start as we mean to go on, Twilight thought. She boarded the train with confidence in her step.

Author's Note

Edit 5/24/2021: Just some minor wording and tone changes.

3: As We Mean to Go On

They sat together for the trip, in a small cluster of seats near the back of the train. The car was nearly empty, which was nice; they could talk without being overheard. Technically, the transition was still not public knowledge. Even their friends and family back in Ponyville hadn't known why they were actually leaving.

"So," Rarity began, "What are our goals for this? What are we trying to accomplish?"

"Our primary goal is to keep things running day to day. That'll be what you all will spend most of your time on." Twilight looked around at the other Elements, "The other goal is to form a committee with the political parties and write a constitution that can pass a public referendum."

"Grassroots, Legacy, and Starry Plough in tha same room?" Applejack referred to the leaders of the EDU, APP, and AFL. They were all known for their fire, stubbornness, and dedication to their ideals; any sort of compromise between them wouldn't be easy. "Who gets that wonderful job?"

"I do." Twilight grimaced, "And Spike and Starlight. Certainly some fun times ahead."

"How long do we have?" Starlight asked.

"Princess Celestia wants a ratified constitution and successful elections, should that be a part of the new system, within two years. The sooner, the better."

"Do you think that's even possible?" Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"We'll get it done. If we play our cards right, give a little to one party here and another party there, we can get them all to sign on, and if the parties do the population will follow."

"You sound like you already have a plan." Fluttershy’s face lit up with a glimmer of hope.

"I think the best bet is to make a play for constitutional monarchy. It keeps the Princesses around, which the conservatives want and which, if I’m being honest, is absolutely essential, while also adding an elected legislature and diluting royal power, which the reformists want. The real trouble will come from deciding exactly how much power the Princesses should have."

"We've got our work cut out for us. I can't wait for Grassroots and Starry Plough to bring up the flag." Starlight laughed a little as she mentioned the dreaded flag debate.

"Oh, anything but that..." Twilight sighed. The Equestrian Tri-color, three vertical bands of pink, white, and light blue, had become a powerful reformist symbol, and there was a not insignificant amount of support for using it to replace the old Flag of the Two Sisters. Needless to say, the monarchists were firmly against this. "The flag debate is a pointless distraction from issues that actually matter. We should do our best to shunt it aside whenever it comes up."

"Good idea."

"Are we just kinda hoping that the protests will suddenly stop?” Dash, who’d clearly already been thinking about her security responsibilities, spoke up, “Cause that seems unlikely."

"We don't need them to stop entirely, we just need calm. If the parties see we're open to discussion and taking their concerns seriously, they'll be more patient with the process." Twilight was certain of it, this plan had to work. “I just don’t want anypony to get hurt.”

"And what if something goes wrong?" Rainbow and Twilight made eye contact.

"Then the Ministry of Security will need to maintain order."

"Twilight, I know I’m pretty awesome at just about everything, but we’ve all seen how things have been going the last six months. We might as well not have a Ministry of Security for all the good they did keeping things under control. They're underfunded, understaffed, poorly equipped, their only real presence is in Canterlot-"

"I get the picture, we'll figure something out. We can't work towards a permanent solution if the country is in chaos. I know the goal is to avoid making major changes during the transition, but if we have to, we have to.”

“Concrete improvements in governance could also help bolster the legitimacy of the process.” Starlight added, “Some changes to the ministries might be necessary.”

“We’ll take it one step at a time. No sense in accidentally creating an emergency where there isn’t one. Regardless of broad, overarching goals, the first thing you all need to do is get to know your ministries. You need to know who works for you, what they do, your budget, your expenditures, current policies, ongoing projects, anything and everything that could possibly be relevant to your job or require your input.” The others all nodded their assent. “I’ll be doing a review of each ministry not too long after we get started, and I’ll expect you all to be ready.”

“We won’t let you down!” Pinkie made her characteristic promise gesture.

“I know you won’t.” Twilight smiled.

The trip to Canterlot wasn’t too long by rail; they arrived early the next morning. As they disembarked onto the station platform, Twilight was immediately struck by the character of the noises emanating from deeper inside the city. They were not the same as the ones she’d heard during her previous visit, the sound of thousands of ponies marching and chanting. Instead it sounded almost normal, the usual hustle and bustle of a large city just after the break of day.

“Princess Twilight?” An unfamiliar voice called to her from one end of the platform. She turned to see its source, a white Pegasus mare with a dark blue mane wearing the armor of a member of the Guard. The Pegasus gave a formal bow, then stepped close enough to be able to whisper. “Apologies for the lackluster reception, Princess. As you can probably hear, things are quiet today, but most of the Guard are still stationed around the castle; can’t be too cautious.”

“Any idea what’s behind the sudden change in mood?”

“Rumor of Princess Celestia’s announcement today got out to the public. No actual information on its contents, but the parties all called off their rallies. They’re probably hoping the announcement will benefit them and don’t want it to be disrupted.”

“That’s actually surprisingly good news. Guess we’ll have an easy walk to the castle then.” They made their way through the streets, where evidence of the last six months’ disruptions was still quite clear. Discarded signs littered the ground, graffitied slogans appeared on walls and sidewalks, and the occasional pamphlet blew by in the breeze. It would take weeks to clean this mess up, but as the guard had said, there was no sign of any public actions today. Before long they reached the castle, and the Pegasus guard showed them to where the transitional government would be quartered.

“We’ve refurbished the South Tower for your use.” She gestured to the tower entrance, “There’s two sets of living quarters on each floor. Princess Twilight, Ms. Glimmer, and Mr. Spike all have offices located here, by the nearest conference room,” She gestured down the hallway that ran to the left of the tower entrance, “And all the ministers have offices in their respective ministry buildings.”

“Have the other ministers arrived yet?” Twilight asked.

“They have, the others came in over the last couple days.”

“Good, thank you for- I’m sorry, I never asked you your name.”

“Schiltron, Princess,” She bowed again, “Corporal Schiltron.”

“Thank you for all your help, Corporal Schiltron. How long until Princess Celestia gives her announcement?”

“About four hours. It’s set for one in the afternoon.”

“Alright, we’ll be ready. We’ll let you know if we need anything else.” Twilight returned the guardsmare’s dignified bow, and the corporal departed. The group made their way up the spiraling tower stairs, checking the rooms on each floor to see who’s belongings the movers had already placed there, with a pair then splitting off to see to their own quarters. First went Applejack and Pinkie Pie, then Rarity, who was next to Fund Raiser, then Spitfire and Neighsay, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, and, finally, Starlight, who shared a floor with Court Order. None of the other ministers were present in their rooms, but their things were unpacked and there was clear evidence they had been there. Due to a quirk in the tower’s design the very top was somewhat smaller than the floors below it, so Twilight and Spike would be sharing a single room, but this was an arrangement they had already had for most of their shared lives. As Twilight pushed open the door and entered their new space, Spike slid from her back and ran to inspect his boxes.

“I’ve gotta make sure they didn’t mess anything up.”

“Oh come on, Spike, I’m sure they did a great job.” Twilight dropped her saddlebags onto her bed.

“This is the moving company that once hired Derpy, remember?” Spike continued to rummage through his boxes. Twilight refrained from commenting and instead set about exploring the room. It was, due to the slant in the tower walls, small, but cozy rather than cramped. It almost reminded her of her childhood bedroom. The stone walls were pleasantly cool to the touch, the carpet soft and warm, together achieving a temperate equilibrium that she believed would remain nice through all the seasons. The larger bed, hers, was up against the wall right next to the window. A set of shallow shelves, perfect for the selection of books she had brought, had been cut into the wall just beside the headboard. On the other side of the bed was a plain wooden table, and on the other side of that was a smaller bed, just right for Spike. The room’s other decor was fairly standard as well, plain, well suited for her tastes, just a wardrobe and some drawers for what few articles of clothing they’d brought with them for formal occasions or inclement weather. Besides the room’s entrance, there were two other doors set into the walls at an irregular interval. One, made of solid wood, led to a small but well furnished bathroom, and the other, two large glass panes set vertically in a steel frame, to an airy balcony that overlooked the city. As Twilight looked out from it, she realized she could see all the ministry buildings, clustered as they were near the castle, from here. It would be little trouble to fly to any of them from the top of the tower, which would make any necessary sudden visits much more efficient; she wouldn’t even have to use the stairs. She went back into the room, closing the door behind her, and began to unpack her things. She kept a close eye on the clock as she worked, and by the time she’d mostly finished they had about half an hour left. Time to go, they should get there early. Pulling Spike away from his comics, which had once again distracted him, she trotted down the stairs with the others joining her along the way, until they had all congregated in the hall outside the tower. Schiltron was waiting there for them, and greeted the group with another bow.

“If you’ll all follow me, ministers.” She began to lead the way, “Princess Celestia will make her announcement from the balcony overlooking the castle’s central courtyard. Princess Twilight will then make her own speech, a sort of first impression for the transitional government, if you will. A sizable crowd has been allowed in, including representatives of all the major political parties, to hear both first hoof. They will also be recorded and printed in all regional and local newspapers to inform the country of this momentous occasion.”

They arrived in the hallway leading up to the balcony in question. The door at its end was shut at the moment, but they could still faintly hear the noises of the crowd outside and feel their vibrations through the stone. There were already a few other ponies in the hall: Princesses Celestia and Luna were standing at the far end, near the door, talking in hushed tones, a number of guards were posted around, and four ponies standing near the back greeted the group as they walked in.

“Good afternoon, Princess Twilight.” The gruff, authoritative voice came from an imposing older Unicorn stallion in the simple robe of a judge. His coat was light gray, his short-cropped mane a shade darker, but still lined with faded streaks of the maroon that must have once been its dominant color, and he wore a bushy, similarly streaked mustache.

“It is pleasant to see you, Princess.” The other Unicorn stallion next to him was of taller stature but much thinner, with an off-white coat, a black, slicked back mane, and a short goatee; he seemed almost menacing, despite his friendly outward demeanor. He wore a maroon robe, on which was pinned the symbol of the old EEA. Evidently he still had pride in his former line of work, which would hopefully make him a more effective administrator.

“Minister Order, Minister Neighsay, it’s great to see both of you. I’m very much looking forward to working with you.” Twilight gave them her friendliest smile.

“Can’t wait to get down to business!” They all recognized Spitfire as the flame colored Pegasus mare sauntered up beside Court and Neighsay, even without the Wonderbolts flight suit, which she’d traded for a thick brown jacket lined with white faux fur. A pair of gold Wonderbolts wings were pinned to its collar.

“Indeed.” An Earth Pony stallion followed her. He was a light tan color, with a medium length cut blue and white striped mane, and he wore a pair of thin, circle-rimmed glasses. Unlike the other two stallions, they could see his cutie mark, which was a box full of bits. “I’m looking forward to a prosperous and harmonious administration.”

“We all are, Minister Raiser, and we will do everything we can to achieve that.” Twilight gestured to her friends, “I’d like you to meet the other members of the new government: Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer, and Spike. You all get to know each other, there’s something I need to do.” Twilight cast an anxious look in the direction of the two Alicorn sisters, then started to make her way towards them. Some formal smalltalk couldn’t hurt, could it? She dropped into a low bow as she reached them.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna.”

“Princess Twilight.” They said in unison as they dipped their heads.

“It is good to see you.” Princess Luna looked characteristically stern, her ice cold royal demeanor in full effect, “I hope you are prepared to rise to this occasion. It will, without a doubt, be a most difficult task.”

“If I may ask, where is Princess Cadance? I would have expected her to be here for this.”

“Princess Cadance thought it was best to remain in the Empire for now, in order to manage whatever reaction to this announcement occurs there.” Princess Celestia explained, “As you know, the Empire was gone for a thousand years. They are very set in their ways, and their love for the Crystal monarchy is strong. She must assure them that changes to Equestria will not mean changes to our north.”

“Of course, we must respect their wishes.” Twilight nodded, “The Crystal Empire is not Equestria, after all.”

“Do you think you are ready, my most faithful student?” Celestia’s words were their kind old selves, but her voice had an edge to it, a flatness, that Twilight did not like hearing.

“I am, Princesses, and so is everypony else. We will not fail you or Equestria.”

“Good. Then let us begin.” Celestia nodded to the nearby guards, and the door leading to the balcony was opened. The Princesses and the ministers stepped out into the sunlight, and after the spots in her vision faded Twilight beheld the crowd in the courtyard below. There were hundreds of ponies gathered there, a hush falling over them, looking up at the Princesses. She saw the pink, white, and blue cockades of the EDU, the red bands of the AFL, and the sun and moon badges of the APP; they were all here. She hoped they would take this news well. Celestia stepped forward, to the edge of the balcony, taking center place, and began to speak.

“Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies. Loyal subjects of the Principality of Equestria. I, Princess Celestia, stand before you today to address the unrest that has recently become so prevalent in our nation. I assure you, your concerns have been heard, and are taken very seriously. Though we, the Princesses of Equestria, believe we have always done the best we could for our country and its ponies, we understand that many of you think otherwise, and we consider the opinions of our citizens to be of the utmost severity. I have been across the length and breadth of this land, and I have seen the scale of your movement. The facts are clear; we have lost the confidence of those we have tried so hard to protect. To show you how great our care for you is, we will open ourselves up to change. Therefore, I would like to announce that Princess Luna and I will be relinquishing our active roles in governance. We will continue with some of our royal duties, those no other pony can do. We will continue to raise the sun and moon, to watch over the world of dreams, and to care for Canterlot Castle, but the administration of Equestria is hereby given over to the new Equestrian Transitional Council. In this time of change, let those who believe they have a better way come forward, and we will welcome them with open hearts and honest discussion. We will build a better Equestria by working together, as we always have. Now, I would like to invite Interim President Twilight Sparkle, head of the Equestrian Transitional Council, to speak.” Princess Celestia moved to the back of the balcony, making eye contact with Twilight as she stepped forward. The crowd was murmuring and jostling, looks ranging from disbelief to joy flashed throughout the audience.

“Ahem.” Twilight cleared her throat to quiet them, “Citizens of Equestria. Your voices have rung loud and clear, and you have been heard. As I watched the last six months unfold, I was overcome by worry and fear; fear that the worst emotions in us all, anger and hate, might take hold. I saw so many young, brave, dedicated ponies, the flowers of our nation, taking to the streets out of a firm dedication to make their country better, and the last thing I wanted was to see them spill each other’s blood. Talking will always be better than fighting. Talking has permanence. It brings solutions that last. Fighting breeds vengeance, and a cycle of chaos that benefits nopony. So let’s talk. One of the first acts of the Equestrian Transitional Council will be the formation of a constitutional committee, which will write the foundations of a new Equestria. As Princess Celestia said, let all those who believe they have a better way come forward. The constitutional committee will be open to all political parties who wish to say their piece and leave their mark. The resulting document, a product of reasoned discussion and compromise, will then be put to a nationwide vote for ratification. In the meantime, the Equestrian Transitional Council will ensure the smooth continuation of day to day life and governance. The Elements of Harmony, other excellent ministers, and our eternally dedicated civil servants will not fail in our custodianship of Equestria. What we ask from you now is calm, and patience. We are emerging from a terrible storm, and the sun is just beginning to come out from behind the dark clouds. If we all work together, and remain at peace with one another, we can banish those clouds forever. Thank you.”

More murmurs ran through the crowd. Twilight stood there holding her breath, a lump in her throat, anxiety coursing through her like electricity. A single pony began to applaud. Twilight looked down into the crowd, squinting at the distance, and could just barely make out a green Earth Pony mare with a brown mane; she wore a tri-color cockade in her hair and was standing in the middle of the EDU cluster. It was, Twilight realized with a start, Grassroots, the EDU’s leader, come all the way from Fillydelphia. As soon as her followers noticed her response to the speech they all joined in as well, their hooves pounding the ground as they cheered the announcement. After a moment’s hesitation the AFL began to applaud and cheer as well, but with some reservation. Twilight looked at the APP crowd with apprehension and saw a small number of them giving some hesitant applause. Well, at least they didn’t appear to be angry, just cagey with their reaction. It would be okay, she would bring them around during the constitutional negotiations. The other members of the crowd, those not affiliated with one of the parties, were already loudly joining in the cheers and applause. Letting out her breath, Twilight stepped back as the opening notes of Equestria, My Home filled the air. The other members of the new Council, and even Princess Luna, were applauding as well, beating their hooves on the stone of the balcony. She caught Princess Celestia’s eye.

“An excellent speech, Madame President.” Celestia gave a slight smile, and Twilight’s heart soared.

Author's Note

Edit 5/25/2021: My eternal struggle with whether or not to capitalize certain words continues, as does my war against my own excessive comma usage.

4: Seeds of the Future

“I’d like to take this moment to formally welcome you all to the Equestrian Transitional Council.” Twilight sat at the head of the long table in the conference room just down the hall from the South Tower. It was time for their preliminary work to begin. “This’ll be a very short meeting, I just want to give you your marching orders for the next couple days. As I told some of you on the train, your first order of business will be getting to know your ministries. I want you all to spend today and tomorrow on that, paying particular attention to what the current situation of your ministry is. The day after tomorrow, Starlight, Spike, and I will meet with all of you and you’ll give us your reports, which will tell us the gist of the national situation.”

She passed around some small notecards, on which she’d written times for each of the upcoming meetings. First, an economy meeting with Applejack, Fluttershy, and Fund Raiser. Second, public services with Fund Raiser, Rarity, and Neighsay. Third, security and law with Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, and Court Order. Fourth, foreign policy and defense with Spitfire and Pinkie Pie. Good, everything was sorted.

"Princess Twilight," Neighsay spoke up, "May I just say what an honor it is to be able to serve Equestria in these uncertain times." Court nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Minister. It is an honor for us all." Twilight nodded back "And please, the use of my royal title will no longer be necessary."

"Ah, yes, um-" Neighsay momentarily tripped over his words, "Madame President."

“Any further questions or contributions?” The ministers all shook their heads. She dismissed them to their tasks, and then it was just her, Spike, and Starlight in the conference room as the hoofsteps and chatter faded down the hallway.

“That was all,” Twilight let out a long breath, “A lot.”

“Good speeches though.” Starlight smiled.

“Yeah, you and Princess Celestia both did amazing!” Spike held up a roll of parchment, “I wrote both down exactly, so they can be reprinted tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Spike, great work.” Twilight sank down in her chair, “I’m so tired.”

“So,” Spike hopped down from his chair, a grin on his face, “Schiltron said something about an office for ‘Mr. Spike’. I’m gonna go check it out.”

“Good idea, I should have a look at mine too, see how much sunlight the room gets. I’ve been thinking of getting a plant.” Starlight got up as well. “You coming, Twilight?”

“In a minute, you two go ahead.”

“Okay, see you in a bit.” The others left Twilight alone in the conference room. For a few minutes she just sat there, enjoying the silence. There was a pitcher of water and some cups in the middle of the table, left there for Council meetings. Some pleasant looking condensation had formed on the pitcher’s silver surface and was slowly dripping down the sides. She felt she’d been doing a lot of talking today, and her throat was starting to hurt a bit, so she slid the water over to herself and poured herself a cup. She took a sip, and stared at the wall opposite her. Her eyes caught a little streak of paint that was slightly thicker than the rest and focused on it. She took another sip of water as the ticking of the clock above the door started to echo in her head. She wanted nothing more than to be still and empty her mind, to just shrug off all her stresses and worries for a moment, but even as she stared at the paint on the wall her imagination worked at a feverish pace, showing her all the things she had ever done wrong and every little thing that could go wrong from this point forward. Her imagination was full of eyes staring at her and judging her, blaming her for their misfortunes; her friends’ eyes, her family’s eyes, her student’s eyes, her mentor’s eyes. All of them were filled with hate. Closing her own as tight as she could, she drained the rest of the water from the cup and set it on the table, then stood and headed out to the hallway to see her new office.

Coming up to the doorway with her name next to it, which was just to the left of Starlight’s, she realized that she and Spike were almost occupying the same space. His office was first, directly connected to the hall, and only by passing through it could somepony reach her. It made sense, it was the primary job of the Chief of Staff to be a sort of liaison between an authority and the outside world. She entered to find Spike standing on his chair, arranging some standard office decor on his desk; he must have seen a photo in an issue of Manehattan Business Quarterly or something and decided that was the epitome of style and professionalism. He even had a Newton’s Cradle sitting in one corner. Her face couldn’t help but light up watching him put everything together just right. Whatever made him happy, she thought. He turned around at the sound of her hoofsteps.

“Oh, hey, Twilight!” He hopped up on top of the desk now, “Come to check out our sweet new digs?”

“Yeah, thought I should have a look too.” She glanced around the room. Spike’s office was a moderate size, larger than she would have thought a little dragon like him would need, but as she noticed the chairs by the wall she realized it served a dual purpose; those who wanted to meet with her would queue in here, waiting for their turns. The walls were white stone, like the rest of the castle, and a window behind the desk let in some nice natural light. The desk and chair themselves were fairly small, but they would suit Spike well, and he had already amassed an impressive armada of quills, ink, and parchment, anticipating the work to come. Walking past his desk, she stuck her head through the doorway to her own office. It was much the same but felt smaller, probably owing to a sizable portion of one wall being taken up by a large bookcase. She didn’t know the identity of this office’s previous inhabitant, but they had left a substantial collection of reading material as their legacy, and from what she could see they had pretty damn good taste. I mean, Starswirl’s Living Magic: Risks and Rewards and Gratius Magnus’ Autocracy on the same shelf? Score! She pulled them both down from the shelf and placed them on her desk, which, she noticed, was the same as Spike’s, for later. She drew back the curtains hanging from the back wall, revealing a floor to ceiling, wall to wall window that looked over the castle gardens; very nice indeed.

“So, what do you think?” Spike appeared in the doorway.

“I love it, this is incredible.”

“Yeah, I can see you’re already drooling over the books.” He smirked, “Wasn’t expecting this kinda setup in particular though. What am I, your secretary?”

“I guess that’s one way to think of it, but the Chief of Staff position is so much more. It’s not like you’ll just be making me coffee or anything like that.” Twilight recalled her earlier thoughts, “You’re the link between me and the outside world. Ponies come to you with issues, and you decide what needs my attention. You help me with communications, organization, administration, all sorts of things! It’s a huge responsibility.”

“Wow, it almost sounds… important.” His expression gradually shifted from awe to excitement, “I get to do something important!”

“Yes, very important. Just don’t, y’know, do anything like you did at the Grand Equestria Pony Summit, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I learned my lesson. I won’t let you down!” He gave her a snappy salute.

“Thank you, Spike. That’s why you’ll always be my number one assistant.”

“Got any work for me to do?”

“Have you sent out your copy of the speeches for reprinting?”

“Yep, already done!”

“Alright, then for now all I need you to do is keep an eye out for letters from the political parties. They’ll probably be sending them anytime now, requesting to be part of the constitutional committee.”

“Got it, I’ll let you know when they show up.”

“Thank you.” She gave him a gentle pat on the head, “I’m gonna go check on Starlight, I’ll see you a bit later.”

“Okay, I’ll just finish getting all my professional business things in order.” He returned to his desk with an exaggerated swagger as Twilight left the room and walked the few steps to the office next door.

“Hi, Starlight!” She knocked on the doorway. The room was much the same as hers, but the desk was in a different place and a painting of kites hung from the wall opposite it.

“Hey,” Her student-turned-Vice President was standing by the window, working on positioning a small table, “What do you think of a plant, say, right here?” She nudged the table a quarter-inch to the left.

“I think that’s a great idea, it’ll really bring some lovely natural feel to the room. Why not on your desk though?”

“Well, I didn’t want the desk to have its back to the window,” Starlight gestured to her desk, which had its back to the right wall of the room and was now perpendicular to the window, “Because then anypony I was talking to would have the sun in their eyes.”

“Oh, right.” Twilight considered moving her own desk.

“But then I was worried that if I put a plant on it the poor thing wouldn’t get enough sunlight, so I brought the nightstand down from my room to put by the window.”

“So where is your lucky chlorophyll filled friend?”

“Oh, I don’t have it yet, I just wanted to make sure everything was ready. I’m so excited! Having another living thing to take care of, so small, so cute, so defenseless, it really makes you feel like you’ve got your life together, y’know?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess.” She wondered if Spike counted.

“I wonder if this is how parents feel. I’m gonna name her Phyllis.” Starlight beamed.

“Riiiiight. Have you ever thought about getting a pet?”

“Yeah, but I don’t know if I trust myself that much, I feel like I’d mess it up somehow. Better to start off safe.”

“Hey, you know what they say, always know your limits.”

“Mhm.” Starlight took a seat on top of her desk, “Got any work for me?”

“Not at the moment. Just keep an eye on the others, make sure they’re adapting okay, and let me know if you think anypony needs any help.”

“Alright, if I notice anything you’ll be the first to know.”

“Good, thank you.” Twilight turned to go, then looked back, “Oh, and Starlight?”

“Yeah?”

“Let me know if you need anything too, okay? I’m here for you.”

“Right back ‘atcha, Madame President.” Her student gave her a smile as she left the room.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. She spent most of it in her office, finishing getting all her things together and in their proper places, and then reading Living Magic. She’d been intending to read Autocracy first, but the lure of one of Starswirl’s classics was too strong to ignore, and it hadn’t been entirely irrelevant to her new position. There were several fascinating chapters on the Equestrian legal code, which, she learned, was not simply a document but a powerful living spell which enforced itself by influencing ponies’ minds. Creepy, certainly, but also apparently effective, though not without its limitations. The intense magic involved in holding the whole thing together greatly limited its scope and meant it was more a short set of commandments than an extensive anthology of law; don’t harm, don’t steal, etc. The other issue was that if a violator felt strongly enough that their actions were justified, the spell would have no effect on them. Hardly an effective manner of enforcement, she thought, but it seemed to have been enough to maintain basic harmony until recently. That was why, she supposed, there was no substantial Equestrian state security sector.

Twilight lifted a nearby mug to her lips and swallowed a mouthful of warm, unsweetened Earl Gray. The drawbacks of the living magic legal code were certainly problematic. Why had Celestia never devised a more extensive set of laws that could be more widely or conventionally enforced? She made a mental note to ask the princess about that sometime. Obviously the code was of no use in cases of civil unrest, the wild protests had been enough evidence of that. She would need to work with Court and Rainbow to see if there were better options. It was during this momentary pause in her ferocious consumption of knowledge that the exhaustion began to set in again. It was late, and she’d barely eaten a thing all day, but she wasn’t really that hungry anyway; just tired. Should she go to bed? Maybe after a few more pages. As she looked back down at the book, her vision blurred and she swayed a little in her chair. Nope, time for bed. With a yawn, a stretch, and some cracking of joints, she stood and made her way up the stairs of the South Tower. When she reached the top she saw the door to the balcony was open, and found Spike sitting outside.

“Hey Spike, whatcha doing?” She sat down next to him.

“Just stargazing.” His gaze was fixed upwards, “They look different here, you ever notice that? They’re dimmer than the ones in Ponyville, like that was always meant to be our real home; our real night sky.”

“Light pollution.” Twilight yawned again.

“What?”

“It’s light pollution. Canterlot produces more artificial light during nighttime, so it makes the stars look dimmer.”

“You're no fun.” He crossed his arms and scowled at her, and she giggled guiltily and gave him a sheepish look.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”

“It’s okay.” He sighed, “It’s just weird being back in Canterlot. It doesn’t feel the same as before, and I miss Ponyville.”

“Me too.” She reached out and put a foreleg around Spike, pulling him close to her, “We may have been born here, but Ponyville’s our home. It’ll be okay, we’ll be back there before we know it, and then we can be in Ponyville as long as we want. The length of time we’ll be here is a small fraction of the rest of our lives.”

“I guess that’s a good way of looking at it.” Spike leaned into Twilight’s fur, “Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

“Are we always gonna be together?”

“Of course we are. I’ll always be there to take care of you, Spike.”

“I wanna do the same for you.”

“You already do, you do so much for me. I have no idea what I would do without you.” She hugged him tightly, “You’re part of my family, Spike. You always have been; I hope you know that.”

“Don’t worry, I know.” He hugged her back. They sat there for a few minutes in silence, just looking up at the night sky.

“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” Twilight said without looking down.

“Yeah. I can’t wait for the rest of it.”

“Me neither.” Her assistant let out a loud yawn. “Tired?”

“Uh huh. I’m gonna go get some sleep.”

“Alright, see you in the morning, Spike. Sleep well.”

“You too.” He headed back inside and shut the door behind him. Twilight stayed out on the balcony, enjoying the cool air, breathing deeply and letting it fill her lungs. She laid her chin on the railing and rested her head there, then shut her eyes, just listening to the sounds of the city at night. She sniffed a little, thinking there was something off about what she was smelling. An acrid scent drifted up from below and began to fill her nostrils. Twilight’s eyes opened slowly, and she beheld a city in flames. Fire poured from the broken windows of looted homes and shops, battered and splintered barricades could be seen at doorways and intersections, and the streets ran red. She could hear the sounds of shouting and fighting from a ways off, and see shadowy figures moving in the flickering firelight, some of which appeared to be armed with various improvised weapons. She looked up, and saw a tattered tri-color flag flying from the top of the castle’s tallest tower. There was a feeling lingering in her, creeping around the edges of her mind, that this was all her fault, all because she had failed. Yet she felt oddly at peace with the world.

“A dismal sight, is it not?” Luna’s voice came from her right. The Princess of the Night was sitting beside her, also looking over Equestria’s burning capital.

“Princess Luna? Oh,” Twilight quickly realized the circumstances, “I’m asleep. This isn’t real.”

“Indeed. But it is quite the nightmare.”

“It’s just a dream.”

“Some say the seeds of the future can be found in dreams.”

“This will never happen in Equestria. Not on my watch.”

“So confident. You must be on guard. Our land is under constant threat, and only unerring vigilance can protect it.”

“Threats from where? The Changelings are no longer our enemies, Tirek is imprisoned, Discord is reformed-”

“The greatest danger always comes from within.”

“Do you mean the reformists, or something else?”

“Perhaps both. Certainly those rabble rousers are dangerous, but I would also be wary of my sister if I were you.”

“Princess Celestia would never do anything to hurt her ponies.”

“Not if she was in her right mind, no.”

“Wait, what do you know? What’s wrong with her?”

“She has taken the displeasure of our subjects quite personally, I am afraid. She does not discuss it with me, but after all the long years we have spent together I know her better than anypony, and I can read her well. She feels neglected, disrespected, unloved, thankless… it reminds me all too much of myself, before my fall to evil and disharmony.”

“You think the same might happen to her? That she could become like Nightmare Moon?”

“Perhaps, if something is not done to arrest her descent. You should be cautious in her presence, and mind what you say and do.”

“I will. Thank you for the warn-”

“That is not all. You wield a great deal of power now, especially for one so young and inexperienced. You will be tested, frustrated, time and time again. You will long for an easy path, to simply force aside those who oppose you with the vast strength of the state. I understand that desire quite well. Take care to not become dangerous yourself. Sometimes the greatest threats to a nation are those who seek to protect it.”

“Princess Luna, anything I do, I will do for the good of Equestria. That is a promise.”

“The road to Tartarus is paved with good intentions, Twilight Sparkle. Know this; I may have failed my land and subjects in the past, but,” Luna fixed her eyes on Twilight’s, the deepest reaches of them burning like cold, black fires, “I will not allow anything or anypony to threaten Equestria again while I live. Not outsiders, not traitors, not my sister, and not you.”

At Luna’s last words of warning, Twilight’s eyes snapped open. She was still on the balcony, her chin resting on the railing, and Canterlot spread below her like a vast tapestry of brick and mortar. There were, she noted with relief, no fires, no rioters, no barricades, and no revolutionary tri-color flying over the castle. Luna’s threat echoed in her head; not outsiders, not traitors, not my sister, and not you. She would need to tread carefully around both sisters, it would seem, and she urgently needed to talk to Celestia. If Luna was right, and Celestia really was taking things so badly, she had to do something to help her teacher, and not just to stop her going down the same dark path as her sister. Celestia had given her everything she had, and she would return that same kindness tenfold, even if it took her whole life. Besides, she thought with a sinking heart, she was the one who told Celestia to give in to the protesters; maybe it was her fault in the first place. Maybe she’d already totally screwed something up. A feeling of anxiety still gnawing at her chest, she silently crept back into the room, so as not to wake Spike, and lay down. She tossed and turned, but sleep wouldn’t come; all there was was the monotonous ticking of the clock as she ran through every single disaster scenario her imagination could conjure, over and over again, until the early hours of the morning.

Author's Note

Edit 5/25/2021: Just a few minor changes.

5: Gratius Magnus

Unable to sleep, Twilight rose before dawn and headed down the tower stairs. There was a little common area off of the hall near the conference room, with tables, chairs, a kettle, and a stove, where she and her friends would be able to meet, take their meals from the castle kitchens, and spend time together outside of official government business; she made her way there now, sluggish and bleary eyed. It wasn’t the homely kitchen space she was used to, but she would take what she could get. The castle staff had already laid out some breakfast on the countertops, in the Trottingham style that some referred to as “Continental”. Just the basics: some breads, assorted plain and sweet cereals, a few different kinds of spreads, juice, milk, coffee. She sleepily put one end of a croissant in her mouth and just sort of held it there, chewing at it dully. Ugh. The kettle clanked against the burner, she lit the little flame, and she waited until the steam began to sing so she could start waking herself up a bit. Gradually light began to fill the kitchen, making its way through the window and spreading across the walls and floor, and Twilight stood by the window and watched the sunrise. She could see Princess Celestia a ways away, standing on the balcony of the sisters’ own tower, beginning the day for all of Equestria. She needed to talk to her, Twilight thought, as soon as possible.

Twilight made her way across the castle, through the white stone maze of hallways and chambers, passing guardsponies changing shifts and castle staff scurrying from task to task as she headed towards the throne room. She’d forgotten the sheer enormous scale of the place, enough to marvel any visitor. As she entered the center of the Equestrian monarchy she saw no sign of Celestia, but Raven Inkwell was there, passing through with a saddlebag stuffed with papers.

“Good morning, Ms. Inkwell.” Twilight dipped her head slightly in formal greeting.

“Good morning, Princ- President Sparkle.” Raven dipped her head back, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“I was looking for Princess Celestia, do you know where I could find her?”

“Ah, she’s in the castle gallery at the moment, I believe. I was just on my way there with these.” Raven lifted the flap of one of her saddlebags so Twilight could get a better look at its contents. The papers appeared to be reports on the condition of the castle, its staff, and lands owned by the crown.

“Mind if I come with you?”

“Not at all, I’m sure she will be delighted to see you.”

“Yes, uh, quite.” Twilight smiled awkwardly, her anxiety spiking. She began to walk beside Raven in the direction of the gallery.

“So, Madame President,” Raven began to make smalltalk as they walked, “How are you finding the castle so far? I hope everything is to your satisfaction.”

“It’s wonderful, as always, I couldn’t ask for better hospitality during my time here.”

“Well, if there is anything at all you or your ministers require, please let myself or Mr. Kibitz know immediately. We will have any problem resolved at once.”

“Thank you, Ms. Inkwell, we really appreciate it. How have you been lately?”

“Oh, I cannot complain. Work is work, but it is always such a pleasure to be here. My family is doing well, my parents just came from Manehattan last week to visit. How about yourself, ma’am?”

“Oh, you know… hectic. But it’s certainly been worse before. This is nothing I can’t handle.”

“Are your parents still living in Canterlot?”

“They are, I wrote them to tell them I would be moving back to the capital for a while, but I haven’t been able to see them yet with how busy it’s been. I’ll have to drop by and see them soon.”

“And are you excited to be seeing your brother again as well?”

“Shining Armor? He’s in the Crystal Empire with Princess Cadance, and he hasn’t told me anything about coming to visit.”

“Oh, my apologies, I assumed he had contacted you. I have only heard rumors.”

“What rumors?”

“I am sorry, ma’am, it is not polite to gossip…”

“Oh come on, you can tell me.” Twilight fixed Raven with her best smile, and after a moment’s hesitation the secretary gave up the information.

“Well, I had heard Princess Cadance intended to send your brother to represent the Crystal Empire at the constitutional negotiations. Apparently there is some concern amongst our northern kin that the new government will attempt to bring an end to the Empire.”

“That’s ridiculous, Equestria would never force itself on another country like that.”

“Of course, Madame President, ponies such as ourselves firmly agree on that, but I have heard there are others who would have Equestria rule the entire continent, and maybe even beyond.”

“Honestly, the things that go through some ponies’ heads.” Twilight rolled her eyes, “Even if the Crystal Ponies’ distrust is concerning, I guess it’ll be nice to see Shining Armor again. I’ll have to see if a letter from the Empire arrives soon.”

“Indeed. I wish you the best of luck with the negotiations, ma’am. Ah look, we’re here!” They passed through an arched doorway and entered the castle gallery, home of the great repository of Equestrian history and culture the royal sisters had collected over the ages. “Princess Celestia?” Raven called out, her voice echoing a little.

“Over here, Raven.” The voice came from deeper into the gallery, and Raven and Twilight went in pursuit of it. They found Celestia in a plain, slightly dusty, almost forgotten looking alcove, staring at the single painting at the end of it. It was a portrait, large and masterfully done, but worn at by age and neglect. It depicted a dull red-orange Pegasus stallion, the color of dry, clay-filled soil, with a short black mane and piercing yellow eyes. He looked young, but with the kind of premature aging brought on by excessive stress, demonstrated by the streaks of gray in his hair and bags under his eyes, and he wore the ancient armor of the Pegasi.

“I brought you the weekly reports, Princess.” Raven stood at a respectful distance.

“Thank you, Raven, you may leave them there. I will attend to them soon.” Celestia did not look away from the portrait on the wall. Raven nodded and slipped off her saddlebags, leaving them up against the wall, and left the gallery. Twilight remained at the end of the alcove, fidgeting uncomfortably, until Celestia broke the silence. “Come sit with me, if you would, my most faithful student.”

“Yes, Princess.” Twilight walked over and sat beside her, in front of the painting.

“Do you know who this is?” Her teacher asked. Twilight did not immediately recognize the painting’s subject, but as she looked closer at the plaque beside it she felt a sense of familiarity. It read “Gratius Magnus, Protector of Equestria”.

“Gratius Magnus?” She raised an eyebrow in disbelief, “The ancient political theorist? Author of Autocracy?”

“Indeed it is. That is how those who record our past have chosen to preserve him. Is there anything else you know about him?”

“Not really,” Twilight wracked her brain, “I’ve never seen anything about him in any of my history books. Even his own work has almost no information about him personally in it. Why do you ask?”

“To make a point.”

“What do you know about him?”

“I know he was, in many ways, a great pony,” The Sun Princess sighed, “And a terrible one: scholar, leader, savior, butcher, all at the same time.” Twilight remained quiet.

“You are, of course, familiar with the story of Equestria’s founding.” Celestia continued, “Millenia ago the Three Tribes lived in the north, but their disunity drew the attention of the Windigos and forced them to leave their home. Only by joining together as one, in harmony, could the Tribes force back the endless winter, survive, and make Equestria their new homeland. Yet the unification of the Tribes, so different in character and so long at odds with one another, could never have been as easy as it seems in the tales we tell our children. In the time immediately after its founding, before even the rule of Discord, Equestria was as weak as a newborn foal, and the circling predators began to descend in haste. The Changelings, the Griffons, the Dragons, all struck against us for reasons of their own, but still the Tribes quarreled among themselves as their new land burned; and then, there was Gratius Magnus. He gathered an army of followers and visited each of the Tribes, delivering a simple message; they would join him against the invaders, and pledge never to raise a weapon against one another again, or they would die where they stood. Most accepted, some out of conviction, others to save their own skins. The rest perished. Gratius’ armies drove the invaders from our lands and pursued them to their own, destroying and massacring all they could in revenge. I once heard that, before the war, a hundredth of all the land’s Changelings could blot out the sun when they swarmed together, but afterwards it was forty years before even a single Changeling showed their face near the Equestrian border. Gratius was no less brutal with his own kind; if he could not make the Tribes love each other, he would make them fear him instead. He built the dungeons of this very castle, actually. I’ve always hated them, and I’ve never sent a single pony to them, but I think they are a poignant reminder to any who would lead this country of what they could become. Regardless, Gratius saved us from what would have surely been our extinction. Equestria would not be here without him. What should we make of that?”

“Princess,” Twilight’s brain felt dangerously close to overloading with new information, “You know I trust you implicitly, but how could this not be recorded anywhere? How can Gratius’ work sit on the shelves of our libraries but there not be a word about the rest of his life?”

“History is a tricky thing, Twilight. It is, after all, only what we choose to make of it. Things we would rather not remember are quite easily forgotten, and it is hard to reconcile such a dark period of time with the harmony Equestria is known for today, or to reconcile Gratius’ crimes with the fact he saved us from total destruction. I suppose it was easier, and more pleasant, to remember him as a scholar, with his books and quills, than face the complicated truth of the stallion. And so,” Celestia gestured towards the plaque, “The stallion is lost to time, replaced by a faux model we can all safely dismiss, and we do not have to face the ghosts of our past.”

“Were you there when he ruled Equestria? Did you know him?”

“No, fortunately I was not alive at the time, but my grandfather was. He worked for Gratius, actually, at the tail end of the Protector’s life, and probably knew him better than most did in the end. He would tell Luna and I stories from those days sometimes, long after Gratius’ death, though he never said much about who the Protector was as a pony; I think he preferred to use those days as a cautionary tale of desperation and ruthlessness. I always wished he had told us a bit more, but nevertheless, his stories have stayed with me for all of my life, and I returned to them more and more frequently once my sister and I achieved our ascension. Gratius Magnus, Protector of Equestria, became everything I strived to avoid as a ruler; to inflict fear, to inflict pain, to prize order and security over the happiness of my subjects. Most of all I just didn’t want any more creatures to die. I disbanded the bulk of our armies, I tore down our walls and prisons, and I resolved to make no more wars upon our neighbors. There was, I thought, no problem that kindness and goodwill could not overcome.” She sighed, “But it seems I was wrong.”

“No, Princess, you weren’t-”

“Equestria became weak under my guidance. I realize that now. Perhaps I should have had a little more Gratius in me.”

“But nothing is worth inflicting that kind of pain...” Twilight looked at the floor, wide-eyed, imagining the Protector’s reign of terror.

“Have you read Autocracy, Twilight?”

“Just the first couple pages.”

“Do you remember the opening lines?”

“Mhm.” Twilight closed her eyes and let the words float to the surface of her mind, “Leadership is a great trap. To be a good leader, you must love your subjects. To be a good leader, you must also protect your subjects. Oftentimes, to keep the rest safe, you must order the destruction of some of those you love. That is the trap. Though it may hurt you deeply, you must hold nothing back in either war or repression. A million dead is nothing compared to the survival of the nation.”

“And what do you think of that, my faithful student?” Celestia’s gaze was intense.

“I-” Twilight struggled to gather her thoughts, her voice tinged with desperation, “I don’t think you were wrong. You wanted nothing but happiness and prosperity for your subjects. How could that be wrong? And though you've made mistakes, there isn't a ruler anywhere, at any time, who hasn't. You never failed us, really. Equestria has never been better than it is now. It might not seem like ponies believe that, but I doubt there's a single one who would disagree, and that's all down to you. There are other Princesses, yes, there are the Elements of Harmony, but none of our contributions can hold a candle to yours. You have to understand, Princess, the desire for change was never because your rule was bad. Ponies want change because Equestria has the ability to be better. One pony, one vision, can only take us so far; it's time the rest of Equestria picked up the torch and carried this country forward. You've brought us to this point and given us everything we have. You've planted the seeds of Equestria's success and greatness, like a mother raising millions of children till they're ready to fly the nest, and it's finally time to let us spread our wings. As you’ve labored and sacrificed for Equestria and for us, let us do the same. I promise you, your ponies are ready. You don't have to stand alone anymore!"

"And what of those who would have me go the way of Gratius, and fade quietly into history?"

"They’re wrong, and the rest of Equestria knows it. We want you where you've always been, we just want to be there beside you. Every pony, alone, makes mistakes. When you're by yourself at the top it's hard to see clearly. It's easy to tell yourself there's no flaws in your plans and it's harder to see what could go wrong, but we still need you. We still need you and Luna and Cadance, and we still need the Elements. It’s true that there are dangers not anypony can face, but there are some things everypony can give to Equestria: blood, sweat, tears, and never-ending vigilance.” Twilight paused and took a breath, “Princess, please, you have to understand that this is no fault of your own, but Equestria has run out of goodwill and pleasant thoughts. When your safety, your livelihood, your life, and the lives of those you love depend on a few select beings put so high on a pedestal it seems like nothing can touch them, and then those guardians fail, how can you help but lose faith? The average pony has no stake in the fight itself, which they can scarcely comprehend, but only in its outcome. To them the struggle may as well be between gods. They can only pray that we, these almighty heroes, will keep them safe, and if we can’t then what good are we to them? Thinking happy thoughts and singing about sunshine and rainbows won’t save their lives.”

“What do you think we should do?” Celestia looked at the floor.

“Raise the stakes. Lower the pedestal. Let all of Equestria see that we’re just ponies too, that we’re just like them. Let them step up, instead of cowering behind goddesses and heroes just waiting for our latest fuckup to finally end it all for them, and we’ll all defend our country together. No more titanic struggles between paragons of good and evil; let each and every pony fight for our survival to the very last ragged breath, so when they’re old and gray they can look back on their lives, remember the names of those who gave even more, and take pride in knowing their home is safe because of them. I-” Twilight’s voice caught as she realized she was losing control of her emotions, “I’m sorry, Princess, I- I shouldn’t speak to you like that, I’m sorry-”

“Do not apologize, my faithful student.” Celestia’s voice sounded a bit hoarse, and when Twilight looked over she saw her eyes were shut tight and her head bowed. A tear slipped down her teacher’s cheek, “You’re right, and I know you are, it’s just… hard. Asking ponies to kill and die for Equestria has always been unthinkable to me. I’ve always believed I should be paying those costs instead, so they could all just live their lives and be happy; I sent my own beloved sister to the moon for a thousand years, for sun’s sake... How would we be any different from Gratius if we asked our subjects to pay Equestria in blood, as if it was just some other kind of tax?”

“Gratius didn’t ask for sacrifices, he forced them, it isn’t the same. Princess, please,” Twilight reached out to place a comforting hoof on her mentor’s side, “You can talk to me. You’ve supported me, mentored me, educated me, you’ve let me confide in you; now let me give just the smallest bit of that back to you. Let me share all your fears and worries.”

“Twilight, I-” For a moment Celestia’s expression softened, and Twilight could see all the roiling emotions hidden behind her carefully designed demeanor: regret, fear, sadness, and anger all rushed across her face as they competed to dominate her mind. Then, just as quickly, her look hardened again. She reached a hoof up and placed it over Twilight’s, “I appreciate your care for me, but I think I would rather not talk about it at the moment. Perhaps another time. I’m sure you understand.”

“Oh, of course.” Twilight’s voice wavered. She lowered her hoof as a sense of crushing defeat washed over her, “Maybe another time. I’m sorry for prying.”

“Don’t be. I know you have only my best interests at heart. Was there anything else?”

“Um, no, I don’t think so.” Twilight nervously chewed at her inner lip.

“Very well. Have a pleasant day, my most faithful student.” Celestia’s face was once again a stone mask as she stared at the portrait of Gratius Magnus.

“You too, Princess.” Twilight stood and, after a moment’s hesitation, walked away. Just before she left the alcove she turned and looked back, in case the Sun Princess changed her mind, but Celestia continued to look straight ahead as if in a deep haze. Twilight sighed and left the gallery, heading back towards the South Tower. Even if she hadn’t been able to get Celestia to open up to her this time, she would try again. Hopefully at least her point had gotten across, but even if it hadn’t, she didn’t need the other Princesses for this. She had the power to act alone now, and she would use it if she had to. She reached her office and pulled a quill and sheet of parchment from her desk, hastily scratching out a letter. No need to be too formal, it was for an old friend.

Dear Furlong,

I know it’s been a while since you heard from me, but truth be told I was never quite sure how to reach you after you disappeared. I don’t want you to feel like I’m only sending this because I want something, though you were probably never too put out about me not writing anyway. We were all supposed to think you were dead, but it always seemed suspicious to me. I’m glad I finally got to find out what happened to you; perks of being royalty, I guess. I know I’m not supposed to talk about it, but don’t worry, I won’t be sending this letter by normal means. No one will ever see it except you and me. That is, if it can even get to you. I’m still not sure this will work, but I hope it does. You must have heard about the transitional government by now, and I have to tell you, we could really use your talents. I have a plan to make Equestria a safer place for us all, but I need somepony with the knowledge and experience to pull it off. Simply put, I think you’re the stallion for the job. If you get this, I’d love for you to come see me in Canterlot. Even if you don’t want to work with us, it’ll at least be nice to see you again. It’s been too long.

Your Friend,
Twilight Sparkle

She rolled up the scroll and sealed it in red wax stamped with the image of her cutie mark, then took another sheet of parchment from her desk. There was only one way she could think of to get the letter to Furlong, wherever he was: Spike. Even if she still wasn’t quite sure how his manner of sending letters worked, he’d never failed before; as far as she knew he just needed a face and a name. Spike had known Furlong too, but it was so long ago she thought maybe a memory jog would help, even if she wasn’t much of an artist. The quill scratched along the parchment as she sketched her friend’s face in rough strokes and scribbled his name under it before adding a note instructing Spike on what to do with the letter and dropping both off on his desk. Now she just had to hope Furlong was willing to hear her out. As she reentered her office her eye caught the copy of Autocracy laying on top of her desk. She sat down, flicked the worn book open, and began to take in Gratius Magnus’ words.

“A million dead is nothing compared to the survival of the nation.” She whispered to herself, “The survival of the nation…” How far was she willing to go?

Author's Note

Boy that took forever. Finals are certainly giving me a lot to do, so I probably won't be able to work much on this for a bit, but in just over a week I'll be free from academia for the foreseeable future and can maybe get some regular updates going. This chapter gave me a lot of trouble. It has, I think, more dialogue, and more important dialogue, than the ones that come before it, and dialogue has always been something I struggle with. I want it to be natural, but not boring, entertaining and to the point, but not feel overly scripted, detailed and informative, but not feel like an exposition dump. I realize these are high standards for an amateur writer, but I'm gonna try my best, dammit. Of course, when a character is essentially giving a lecture on history it can't help but be a bit of an exposition dump. I've had plenty of presentations like that, but Gratius is important. Maybe not Gratius as a pony, but more the idea of Gratius; he's like a leadership boogeyman, haunting Twilight's decision making. The line about Gratius and Celestia's granddad might seem like just a throwaway, but I've thought a lot about those two over the last week. Maybe I'll do some kind of interlude with them in the future. Also, the quotation from Autocracy is a Gettysburg reference; awesome movie, highly recommend if you like war films. I'm not entirely sure why I felt compelled to add author's notes to this chapter and not the other ones. Maybe I felt like I owed some kind of explanation for how long it took, or maybe I wanted to explain my struggles with dialogue in the hope of getting some kind of mercy. Maybe I just wanted to complain about school a bit. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this one. Especially you Pete100, you're pretty cool.

Edit 5/25/2021: You: Wow, Rhed re-edited all these chapters in record time. He must be laser focused, the only thing on his mind must be this fic! Me: ~Life is like a hurricane, here in, Duckburg.~

6: Setting the Stage

As midafternoon rolled around Twilight was still sitting at her desk, leaning on one hoof and absentmindedly turning the pages of Gratius Magnus’ legacy. Forgetting the speed of her own reading, she was almost surprised when her eyes caught the book’s end, where the text cut off mid page and transitioned to plain white paper. She shut it, stuck it in a desk drawer, and spent a moment ruminating on the words. A knock at her office door startled her from her stupor.

“Hey, Twilight, I’ve got some letters for you.” It was Spike.

“Come on in.” She opened the door with her magic, and her assistant entered carrying an assortment of envelopes and scrolls. He hopped up onto one of the two chairs facing her and deposited the messages onto her desk.

“From the parties, like you were expecting.” He said.

“Perfect. Could you run and get Starlight for me? We should all have a look at these.”

“Yeah, sure.” Spike exited the room.

While he was gone Twilight carefully slit the seals of each of the letters and read over them. They were all quite unique, and she was willing to bet they represented their authors well. Not as good a measure as meeting the party leaders in person would be, but definitely a place to start. Grassroots’ letter was fairly simple, just plain black ink on thick cream paper that looked like it was her official stationary. There was a winged torch, the EDU crest, embossed as a watermark in the top right corner. The motto of the party was underneath it in small text; “Freedom comes to those who seek it.” Grassroots’ name was embossed on the left of the header, next to an image of a sunflower. The EDU’s leader expressed her gratitude at the government’s willingness to consider change, and praised the Transitional Council for taking on such a difficult responsibility. Her words seemed warm, very friendly and open, and she expressed an earnest desire for reason, patience, and cooperation. She addressed Twilight individually and personally, taking a step back from the expected formalities and almost extending a hoof in friendship, hoping they would be able to meet and get to know one another before the committee began its work. Lastly, there was a short postscript; “For you. A token of my appreciation.” Pinned next to it, at the bottom of the letter, was a small tri-color cockade made from pressed flowers. Cute, Twilight thought. Maybe not something she could wear in any official capacity, but cute. Twilight put it aside on her desk for later and turned to the letter from Legacy.

This one was more formal, more prim and proper, with a distinct royal flair. It was written on party stationery similar to the EDU’s; the crest, printed large on the left side of the header, was a sun with a crescent moon layered over and inside the right of its circumference, surrounded by branches of oak, ash, and thorn entwined in a tight ring. The motto to the right of it read “Defending the right to rule.” In contrast with Grassroots, Legacy’s words were honey-coated, overly formal and laced with flattery. He spoke kindly and well, but Twilight sensed no genuine feeling behind them. This was a pony who knew the game of politics inside and out, and played it like a natural. He held nothing back in his praises of her and the other Princesses, nor in the scathing jabs and accusations of treason and sedition he directed at the Reformists. His party was concerned, it seemed, at even just her willingness to work with the others; nevertheless, he said, they had faith in her. Some faith, she thought with a chuckle, if they still felt they had to watch her and dog her steps. Maybe it wasn't her they distrusted but the rest of her government. Her friends weren't steadfast, dyed-in-the-wool monarchists, she knew that; many of them had their own sympathies and doubts, but she at least trusted them. They would be true to her, they had to be, she couldn't even comprehend any other possibility. The parties could put their faith where they liked, but she would place hers with her friends.

The third letter was from Starry Plough. Twilight had gone into this process with few expectations, and yet in some intangible way the letter was something less than she had been anticipating. Maybe it was the AFL’s reputation, but she’d been expecting something a little more intimidating from the Red Menace; something with lots of stars, hammers, and sickles on it, perhaps written in red ink or accompanying a package with a businesspony’s severed hoof in it. It wasn’t even on stationary, just plain parchment. Many ponies called the AFL traitors, terrorists even, but the letter in front of her had energy closer to a beleaguered office worker than an existential threat to the Equestrian way of life. The writing was poor, barely legible in some places, and with a not inconsiderable number of misspellings and other assorted errors. It was clearly written by a pony without the benefits of formal education and who was, quite possibly, holding the pen in their mouth; evidently Starry Plough was too proud to have somepony transcribe his letters for him. No amount of surface clumsiness really mattered though, it was the content that was important. Starry tread an intriguing line. He expressed the same desire for cooperation as Grassroots, but backed it with the same militant attitude that underlined Legacy’s letter. He had very strong opinions, a lot of anger at a system he saw as unjust, and he was willing to fight against that injustice with all of his energy and strength. The thing that struck her most, though it may seem quite small, was that he addressed her only as Interim President and made no mention of her royal title as the previous two had. There was something in that, a strong mental commitment to change. Starry would either be a powerful ally or a determined enemy; there would be no in between. He’d signed the letter “In Solidarity,” next to a little doodle of two stars, one with six points and one with five. She put the parchment aside.

The fourth letter was not marked with a party seal but with a personal one, depicting a cactus. It was from somepony named Sprout, a landholder and farmer out in one of Equestria’s far off colonies, who said he spoke on behalf of the ‘Frontier Party.’ Like Starry, he seemed a bit lacking in education compared to the other party leaders, but he had also clearly dictated the letter rather than writing it himself. It was the shortest so far, very plainspoken, no frills or pleasantries like the others. Just a simple personal introduction, followed by a statement of the FP’s nature, purpose, and goals; a party, in Sprout’s words, to speak for the colonies and advocate measures to their benefit. It’s primary focuses seemed to be lower taxes and further expansion which, Twilight thought, didn’t exactly seem relevant to a constitutional debate. She wasn’t about to turn a party away though, they might still have some useful ideas.

The next one initially caught her eye just by its envelope, which had been dusted with what looked like fine-grain purple glitter. The seal had no personal or party imagery, instead being imprinted with the symbol of the Las Pegasus municipal post office, but whoever had sent this was important enough to have their own stamps; she’d never seen any like these before. The letter was, oddly enough, from a Thestral. Twilight had met a few in her time, but none she was very close to or knew particularly well. The Batponies, as most others called them, had always tended to keep to the fringes of Equestrian society, but this one, who introduced herself as Cold Open and represented the Party for Thestral Rights, seemed intent on changing that. There were no demands or grand statements in the letter, just a general wish for greater integration of Thestrals into Equestria, which Cold hinted could perhaps be included in the constitution. She finished it by wishing Twilight well and expressing high hopes for their work together. Cold Open… why did that name seem familiar? Twilight made a mental note to bring it up when Spike got back with Starlight.

The last letter, the one she was most anticipating, she’d saved on purpose. The seal was an image of the Crystal Heart, which meant only one possible sender. Though the message was certainly for business, Cadance did not address Twilight as a royal or a leader, but as family. She asked how her sister-in-law was doing, how Twilight was taking to her new role, how Canterlot had changed in the few years she'd spent in the far north, and so on, while updating Twilight on all that had been going on with their family in the Empire and giving her all the information on little Flurry Heart a loving aunt could ever want. Cadance kept the official business portion short, but thanks to Raven Inkwell there wasn’t much there that Twilight didn’t already know. Some of the talk of an “Equestrian Empire'' spanning the continent had made it all the way up north and was making the Crystal Ponies antsy, so Cadance wanted Shining Armor on the constitutional committee as some kind of observer. In an effort to stop any possible complaints from the other parties, she’d set up the Crystal Party with its headquarters in the Empire; granted, she and Shining Armor were its only members, but that was something to be conveniently ignored. Twilight didn’t see anything wrong with the Crystal Empire having a face at the negotiations, especially if it meant she got to see her brother again. Spike returned with the Vice President in tow as Twilight finished reading the letter from Cadance.

“Afternoon, Twilight.” Starlight said as she sat in the other chair, next to Spike, “The parties work fast, don’t they?”

“Sure do. There’s a few more than we were expecting.”

“Oh?” Starlight looked at the pile of opened letters on the desk. “Who all wants in?”

“Well, there’s the big three, of course.” Twilight shifted three of the letters aside, “Then two of these are from smaller organizations that have mostly gone under the radar: the Frontier Party, which claims to represent Equestria’s outer provinces and colonies, and the Party for Thestral Rights.”

“Thestral rights? What’s a Thestral?” Spike scratched his head.

“Can’t say I’m familiar either, though it is ringing some kind of bell.” Starlight said.

“Not many ponies actually use that name for them,” Twilight said, “You’ve probably even met one and just not realized it. You know Batponies, right?”

“Oh yeah, like the ones who serve as Princess Luna’s guards!” Spike said.

“Right,” Starlight began to recall her classes on Equestrian history, “The Fourth Tribe. Didn’t they side with Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago?”

“There isn’t actually any substantive evidence to prove that.” Twilight said, “Hasn’t stopped most ponies from believing it though. That rumor and the mistrust it’s caused have kept Thestrals separated from the rest of Equestrian society for centuries.”

“I think I can guess what the PTR wants then.” Starlight said, “Some kind of integration encoded in the constitution, right? Maybe an official government or royal statement that the rumor about them and Nightmare Moon is false?”

“Probably something along those lines, but they don’t really go into specifics in the letter. I imagine they’ll want to test the waters first before making any kind of demands.”

“Who’s their leader?”

“A Thestral named,” Twilight looked back at the bottom of the parchment, “Cold Open.”

“The comedian?” Spike said.

“Huh?”

“There’s a Thestral comedian named Cold Open. I’ve seen her before, she usually performs in Las Pegasus. She’s really good.”

“So that’s why the name sounded familiar… How the hell did a Las Pegasus comedian end up leading the Thestral rights movement?”

“Rallying behind a famous figure is a common tactic for marginalized groups.” Starlight said, “Having a group member break into mainstream culture as a recognizable and familiar figure can be a good step towards full acceptance, especially if the discrimination comes from fear or suspicion. A friendly leading personality like Cold can help break the ice and reduce tensions.”

“Well I’m excited to meet her.” Twilight said, “It’ll be nice to have somepony else on the committee who isn’t a career politician.”

“What about the Frontier Party, what’s their deal?” Starlight picked up the other letter from the desk.

“They seem like a loose coalition of settlers from the outer colonies down south, near Buffalo and Dragon territory, led by a pony named Sprout. Mostly local landowners from the sound of it, wanting lower taxes and more colonial expansion.”

“Doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that belongs in a constitution.”

“I had the same thought.” Twilight chewed the end of a quill, “Maybe they just want to get their name out by having a seat at the table. Y’know, drum up some support, make ponies feel like they’ve got some influence. Regardless, they can attend and make themselves heard. We won’t turn anypony away.” The other two nodded in agreement.

“And the last letter?” Spike pointed to the remaining scroll, “Don’t think I didn’t notice the crest on the seal.”

“Yeah, it’s from Princess Cadance. She’s formed her own party to represent the interests of the Empire, and she wants my brother to be its face at the negotiations.”

“The Empire’s an independent state,” Starlight said, “What would they want with our constitution?”

“I think they’re afraid.” Twilight said, “I was talking to Raven Inkwell earlier, Celestia’s secretary, and she told me she’s been hearing rumors that some ponies want Equestria flexing its muscles more on the international stage. Evidently those same rumors made their way to our northern kin. The ‘Crystal Empire’ might have a grand sound to it, but they’re little more than a city-state; we have a lot of influence over them.”

“An Equestrian Empire; I guess it does have a ring to it. They must think the imperialist politicians will try to get territorial claims included in the constitution,” Starlight folded her forelegs and leaned back in her chair, “Or a clause about how Crystal Ponies are a ‘Fifth Tribe’ and should rightfully be part of Equestria, something along those lines.”

“Exactly. I do think we have a lot in common with the Crystal Ponies, and that we’d both benefit from them joining us, but they’re still adjusting to the Empire’s return. This isn’t the time to push for unification, and we definitely shouldn’t force it on them. If they want to join us in the future, they’ll ask.”

“At least we’ll get to see Shining Armor again!” Spike’s face lit up.

“Yeah, it’ll be a bit of relief.” Twilight smiled, “I miss him a lot.”

“Me too, I’ll have to plan some stuff for us three to do.”

“I think a bit of diversion will be good for all of you.” Starlight said, “I’m sure we’ll be very tired of politics sooner than later.”

“I’m expecting the same.” Twilight sighed, “Anyway, if you two could draft a letter to each of the parties accepting their requests to participate in the constitutional committee that would be excellent, and ask each of their leaders to meet with me before the negotiations start. I’d like to get a measure of who we’ll be dealing with. I’ll respond to Cadance’s letter personally, so don’t worry about that one.” Spike and Starlight nodded their assent and left to start their work.

Barring writing her letter to Cadance, which took almost no time, the next couple hours were interminably boring. With the transitional government still getting up on its hooves and her friends still getting to know their ministries, there was little for Twilight to do at the moment as Interim President. That wouldn’t last for much longer, after the introductory situation reports tomorrow the real work would begin at a feverish pace, but for now the position felt quite useless. Growing tired of tapping her hooves on her desk, she glanced at the clock and saw it was drawing close to evening. It could be her last free and quiet evening for some time. Her thoughts wandered to her parents; she saw them now and then, but it’d been a long time since she’d actually been home, been in that house, felt the warmth and the love and all the memories that lingered there. She should go now, while there was still time, and take Spike with her too. With a sudden start, she left her desk and trotted into Spike’s office, just in time to see him send off a roll of parchment with a puff of smoke and green flame.

“Hey.” He said, “Slow day, huh?”

“Yeah, tell me about it. Probably the last one like this for awhile though. You and Starlight get those letters done?”

“Yep! Just sent the last one off. Do you have Cadance’s?”

“Mhm.” Twilight passed the letter to her assistant, who immediately sent it as well, “I was thinking of going to see the parents tonight, y’know, spend some quality time with them before things get busy. Wanna come?”

“Of course! You know I can’t get enough of your parents, and their cooking.” He licked his lips.

“I know.” Twilight laughed, “Come on, let’s go.” Spike hopped onto Twilight’s back and they stepped out into the hall, just as Starlight was closing up her office. The Vice President turned to face them as she shut her door behind her.

“I never thought I’d get tired of having almost no work to do.” She said with a wry smile, “Where are you off to?”

“Just going to visit my parents.” Twilight said.

“Aw, sweet. Have fun, I’ll see you tomorrow at the situation meetings.”

“Thanks, have a good night, Starlight.” They went their separate ways, Starlight disappearing into the South Tower while Twilight and Spike headed for the castle gates.

Canterlot’s streets had grown quiet and largely empty as the sun started to sink down in the sky. Twilight walked down the street with Spike on her back, making idle conversation, listening to the sound of her hooves on the paving stones as the shadows pooled like liquid in the corners and the alleyways.

“You excited for tomorrow?” Spike asked.

“I guess. Excited and nervous, really, but working is better than waiting.”

“It’ll be okay. We can do it.”

“Yeah. We can do it.”

“You think your parents will mind us just dropping in like this?”

“Nah, never. I’m so spacey they’ll be glad I remembered to visit at all.”

“True, you’ve got a head like a dusty old library; there’s more knowledge in it than a pony could ever need, but good luck making sense of it all.”

“I’ll choose to take that positively. This is why I have you write everything, you know. You’ve got a bit of a way with words.”

“Heh, thanks. Now that you mention it, I-” Spike trailed off.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight looked back at him and saw he was pointing at one of the alleyways running off the street. It was completely shadowed, but dragons could see better in the dark than ponies could. “Is there something there?”

“I think I see something on the wall. It’s weird, I don’t know what it is.”

“Come on, let’s have a look.” Twilight cast a faint purple light from her horn and stepped to the edge of the shadows, letting the magic glow drive them away before walking farther. It didn’t take her long to spot what Spike had been pointing at. “Woah. That’s new.”

“What do you think it is?” Spike moved farther up her back to get a closer look. The subject of their interest was a large symbol painted in white on the brick wall of the alley. It was a simple design, just three circles joined together in an almost triangular pattern. Twilight shrugged.

“Just looks like graffiti to me. Probably some foals with too much time on their hooves and unobservant parents. Stuff like that’s been popping up all over Canterlot since the protests started.”

“Yeah, but that graffiti is all political. What does this even mean?”

“I don’t know. Does it have to mean something? Maybe it doesn’t matter.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good way of looking at it.”

“It’s just some kids, Spike. Don’t get worked up about it.”

“If you say so…”

“Come on, let’s get back on our way.” Twilight’s thoughts turned inwards as they left the alleyway to darken again behind them. She didn’t blame Spike for sounding unconvinced. There was something about the graffiti that made her uneasy too, though she wasn’t sure why. It was a new phenomenon in Equestria, maybe that was the reason. Until recently ponies hadn’t gone around scrawling things on walls and sidewalks. Until recently ponies hadn’t done a lot of things that seemed to be the norm now. She shook her head a little; she was sounding old. What was she going to complain about next, scooters? Trains? The cotton gin? Times changed. She was an Alicorn now, immortal and constant, and there would be a lot of change for her to see. She would have to learn to accept it, to flow with it like a river, instead of trying to endure it like stone; stone cracks and breaks before such an irresistible, immeasurable force as time. The pain the future held for her was too great to simply resist. That was something she already knew with cold, agonizing certainty. She was eternal and most of those she loved were not. Someday they would leave her, and when that day came she knew she must not break. She would find a way to see eternity through.

“Twilight?” Spike’s voice cut through her malaise, “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Twilight looked up from the paving stones in front of her hooves and saw lights shining from the windows of her childhood home, “Oh, we’re here.” She walked up the steps and knocked a few times. There was shuffling of hooves on the other side, and then the door was opened by her mother, Twilight Velvet.

“Hello? Who’s there?” The older mare glanced around the porch, her eyes quickly coming to rest on her daughter, “Oh, Twilight! Spike!”

“Hey, mom.” Twilight forced an uneasy smile, “Is this a good time for a visit? We can always come back later if-”

“Of course! It’s always a good time!” She grabbed Twilight and pulled her close, into a warm embrace of fur and parental love, and Twilight felt all her worries and dark, intrusive thoughts melt away. “Welcome home, dear.”

Author's Note

I swear every single one of these I do takes longer than the last one... Anyway, I had fun. It's good to finally be out of college, there's a lot more time for me to do stuff I enjoy, including working on this. Of course soon I'll be rejoining the workforce and then everything'll be busy again, but that's a problem for Future Rhed. It almost feels like it lines up with this chapter; the calm before the storm. I think the next item on the agenda for A&C is going to be running through chapters 0-5 and editing them again, cause I always feel like there's something that could be better. Then I'll get started on chapter 7. I hope you all enjoyed chapter 6, and thank you for reading A&C. It's very much appreciated.

Edit 5/27/2021: Edited some slightly confusing wording pointed out by Pete100, thanks mate.