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.