Cry for Eternity

by asylum1388

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Sad, Princess Luna, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 163454

After Celestia's death, Twilight must take on a role she is woefully underprepared for.

A terrible new day rises when a tragedy, foreseen only by Celestia but preventable by none, occurs right in the middle of Canterlot, turning Twilight Sparkle's world upside-down. Now, all of Equestria is looking to her to hold the broken nation together, all while she tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.

Coverart used with permission from: metalpandora

Old coverart may be found here.

A/N: Yes, the title was based of the Dragonforce song of the same name, you may stop postulating about it now.

Published 2012-09-11 21:34:04 UTC
Last updated 2016-02-27 20:58:07 UTC

Chapter 1 (rewritten)

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 2

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the earlier screw-up. My bad. This update's real.

Also, I screwed around with my style a bit, though I'm not sure how noticeable it is.

Tell me what you think.

"Lady Twilight?"

...

"Lady Twilight Sparkle!"

That night had been dreamless for Twilight, almost mercifully so. It had allowed her a peaceful, uninterrupted rest. This morning, however, didn't seem ready to give her the same courtesy.

"Grmph. Who are you and what do you waaa- What in the name of-" Twilight unleashed an uncharacteristic string of obscenities as the unknown name-caller ripped open a pair of drapes, flooding the room with bright morning sunlight.

"Princess Luna may have ordered me to let you sleep in, but enough is enough, Lady Sparkle. You missed breakfast, you're late for your next appointment, and the Princess even raised the sun for you today!"

Twilight rolled over to glare at the clock on the wall; it was barely 9. This mare was already getting on her last nerve. "Fifteen hours ago I was in the hospital."

"A princess does not make excuses, Lady Sparkle. If you are to be a Princess, you should begin acting like one immediately."

"Who are you again?"

"My name, Lady Sparkle, is Sound Mind, I am-"

"The Deputy Minister of the Interior, I know the name. Why did you wake me up?"

"You are to be coronated tomorrow afternoon! Do you realize how much we need to do before then?"

"Oh right..." The still groggy Twilight rolled out of bed and immediately began walking towards her private bathroom.

"Lady Sparkle?"

"Ugh, why do you keep calling me that? I'm not Princess yet! I'm not even royalty!" Twilight spun around, growling at her

"I know that! If you were I would be addressing you as Princess Sparkle," the lime-green unicorn snapped back. "But as I remember, when your older brother married Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, he was elevated to the status of Royalty, thus you are a Lady."

"Right." Twilight turned back around towards her bathroom.

"Lady Sparkle, where are you going?"

She is really asking for it. Twilight stopped walking, but didn't bother turning around this time. "I haven't taken a bath in a week, so that's what I'm going to do."

"Lady Sparkle, your laziness has made us late enough already! If you had wanted to bathe, you should've gotten up earlier. We do not have time for this!"

"And this is not negotiable," Twilight shouted back, slamming the bathroom door shut before placing several complex locking spells on it. Unsure of Sound Mind's magical prowess, she checked her work over before turning around. She felt her jaw immediately drop.

It's as big as my bedroom in the library!

As Celestia's student, she had been in the Princess' personal chambers hundreds of times over the years, but the bathroom was a different story. The entire thing was crafted out of a flawless white marble, every fixture plated with gold.

Twilight inspected a nearby towel rack, tapping it with her hoof. Correction, the fixtures are solid gold.

She walked over to examine a highly-detailed mosaic depicting the celestial sisters that covered an entire wall. The piece captured Celestia's elegance perfectly, placing her before a brightly-colored sunrise, an equally vibrant rainbow arcing overhead. Luna, on the other-hoof was placed ardently against a starry night sky, in no less detail. Twilight gently touched a hoof to the mural, struck speechless at what she saw.

"These are real rubies! And sapphires! And Celestia is made of pearls! Is this whole thing made of gemstones? I have got to show this to Rarity." She trotted down to the other end and ran her hoof over the midnight tourmaline that was Luna. "This was done way before Luna came back... Celestia, did you make this yourself?"

She wiped a tear from her cheek and turned around, electing to admire it more later when she had the time. Next stop was the window.

"Facing west? I could watch the sunset from here," she giggled to herself before realizing that that was probably the entire point of placing the window there in the first place. Something was bugging her about it though. She scanned it with her magic quickly. "Enchanted so that you can see out, but not in. Very nice, Princess..."

She sighed to herself and turned to the bathtub. She really wanted to just spend the entire day in here just admiring the craftsponyship of the room, but Sound Mind was probably angry enough with her already. She used her magic to spin the faucets on and started to inspect the tub itself as it filled. Like everything else in the room, it too was solid gold, encrusted with gems of every shape and color. Its most striking feature, however, was its sheer size.

My friends and I could all fit in here with room to spare! Giggling at the thought, she poked her head over the rim and looked inside. Several hooves deep in the center, it could almost be described as a miniature pool. A bench-like shelf ran around the outside, providing a seat where a normal-sized pony could sit comfortably with their head and shoulders just above the water.

She reached in and prodded an odd fixture she guessed was a water jet. "Its almost like a hot-tub," she muttered to herself. She pictured in her mind Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie splashing around in the deep center while Rarity, Fluttershy, and herself gossiped along the edges. "Heh, maybe someday. Oh wow, that filled quickly."

She turned the water off again, and deciding that she had waited long enough, jumped right in. A shiver ran up her spine as the hot water released all the tension she hadn't realized she had built up and she let herself sink into the liquid with a content sigh.

Then she heard a knock on the door.

She let loose a loud, frustrated groan, knowing full well that only she could hear it and magiced a nearby brush and bottle of soap over to her. She squirted a generous portion of soap onto her back and scrubbed herself vigorously, making a mental note to ask Rainbow exactly how she should be caring for her new wings.

Actually, scratch that, ask Fluttershy. Dash isn't exactly the cleanest pony I know.

Honestly, Twilight wanted to spend the rest of the morning in the bath, but the annoying mare on the other side of the door had a point; there was a lot to get done today. Still, feeling clean again had done wonders for her mood. Maybe she'd take a longer bath before bed...

She opened the drain to let the water out of the tub and climbed out, making for a cabinet with a large selection of towels. She picked a fluffy pink one and began drying herself off when she tripped on it. "What in the world?" She used her magic to spread it out and held it up to its full height. "It's as big as a quilt! This was definitely Celestia's."

She quickly finished drying and steeled herself to face Sound Mind. She thoroughly expected the unicorn to be angry and she was thoroughly not disappointed. She pulled open the bathroom door to find that Sound Mind was scowling derisively at her through her pair of black horn-rimmed glasses. "Well, it took me the entire time you were in there to reorganize your schedule, but I was able to do it. I hope you're quite happy."

"I am, thank you. So, what's first on the list?"

She continued to glare at Twilight as the future Princess trotted past. "Well, first things first, we're heading down to meet your new personal trainer. A Princess must lead by example, thus keeping in shape is a must. Due to the late hour, we will be skipping breakfast to make up for lost- Or we could pick something up from the kitchens to go!"

Twilight continued to give Sound Mind the most menacing glare she could muster for a couple seconds to drive her point home, then turned back around towards the door. "Yes, let's do that."

Five minutes later, she pranced behind of the Deputy Minister, happily munching on a blueberry bagel, listening intently to the slightly older pony drone on about the day.

"Alright, now that we have that out of the way, we can get started. Like I said before, the first order of business is to meet with your new trainer so that we may set up a satisfactory exercise routine. That was supposed to be be from approximately 9:45 to 10:50, however we're five minutes late, so it will be a bit shorter than planned. After that, we are to meet with the kitchen staff at 11:00 to inform them of your culinary preferences. That will-"

"Skip that."

"What? But what about-?"

Twilight rolled her eyes and interrupted the vexing mare for a second time. "I used to live here! The head chef's daughter used to foalsit me when Cadance was busy! They already know what I like."

"Fine," Sound Mind groaned, "instead we will go over this year's budget. Don't groan at me! Managing the national finances is an integral part of the duties of a Princess. Now, at noon we will break for a quick lunch in the Royal Dining Hall. At 12:30, we will be meeting with the Head Royal Librarian who would like a word with you about an overdue book. Once we're finished there, we must meet with the Royal Decorators to discuss updating the palace's upholstery and such at 1:00. For 4:00, I have scheduled a meeting with Guard-Captain Bladewing to-"

"Guard-Captain who?"

Sound Mind stopped in her tracks and wheeled around on Twilight. "The more you interrupt me, the longer this all will take, Lady Sparkle! You will be meeting Guard-Captain Bladewing, who as of tomorrow morning will be replacing Shining Armor."

"On whose orders?"

"Mine," Sound Mind proclaimed haughtily. "I understand that you might prefer your brother remain in his position, but allowing such a thing creates a conflict of interest. Should his performance slip, you might turn a blind eye to his negligence, thus creating an atmosphere of nepotism!"

Deep breaths, Twilight. Just take deep breaths and don't think about banishing her to the moon. Just deal with this rationally and she can't touch you. "You may have a point, but the Ministry of the Interior has no, I repeat, absolutely no authority over the Royal Guard. If you have a problem with the way the Guard is run, talk to the Minister of the Army."

"I did," Sound Mind sniffed, "but he dismissed me offhoofedly. He told me to 'just drop it.'"

"I see," Twilight muttered, holding back a smirk. "Then I suggest you do just that, unless of course you think you can convince Luna to come over to your point of view before tomorrow afternoon." Sound Mind looked at her and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Because, frankly, once I've been coronated, you have no chance of removing Shining Armor from office."

The Deputy Minister glared at Twilight for a moment, her face scrunched up in a scowl. "Fine, I will re-schedule your appointment to be with Guard-Captain Shining Armor. That will be from 4:00 to 6:00, after which you will be attending a reception in the West Courtyard with several high-ranking government officials for the rest of the night. Any questions, your highness?"

"No questions, but if you don't keep that tone in check then I might have a few for your boss," Twilight grumbled back.

"Yes, Lady Sparkle."

Really, Twilight? You're pulling rank already? Sure she's a pain in the flank who woke you up early and hasn't stopped whining at you since, but be more patient. Like Celestia was.

Twilight continued to follow her in silence, hoping that doing so would also keep Sound Mind quiet. Thankfully, it did just that; Sound Mind didn't speak again until they emerged into one of the castle's many courtyards.

"This trainer comes highly recommended. When I contacted him, he accepted the position immediately and actually refused any offered payment. As such, I would consider it a personal favor it if you treated him with respect," she whispered to Twilight, for once speaking with an air of sincerity.

No snark? Maybe I was wrong about her...

"At least as much respect as is befitting for a Princess to show somepony of his position. It wouldn't do for someone of your future stature to go treating a common laypony as an equal."

There it is.

"Alright, Sound Mind. I'll make sure not to make a fool of either of us," Twilight replied, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. Glad to leave behind her guide, she entered the courtyard and approached the pair of pegasi standing in the courtyard chatting amongst themselves. "Ummm, hi? I'm Twilight Sparkle, I take it you-"

"HA! I knew it was you!" the mare shouted out when she heard Twilight speak.

"Wait, you're... Spitfire, right?" Twilight asked, taken slightly aback. "The Wonderbolt?"

"That I am! Nice to meet you again!"

"You remember me?"

"Of course!" Spitfire chuckled with a bravado that strongly reminded Twilight of another pegasus she knew. "You impressed me when you were helping Rainbow Dash get Ponyville's water up to Cloudsdale. Not too many unicorns even understand the importance of getting the water up there, let alone how to do it."

Twilight could feel herself blushing at the praise. "Well, it wasn't really that hard to understand. I'm- that is, I used to be Ponyville's librarian, so all I had to do was read up on how weather is created and maintained."

"Exactly!" Spitfire exclaimed as she clapped Twilight on the back. "We would all be so much better off if more ponies would just sit down and learn something every now and then. What's that look for? Just because I'm an athlete doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good book, you know!"

"That's not it," Twilight replied with a giggle. "Its just that somehow I'm actually not surprised that you read a lot. Still, I can appreciate that."

"Anyway, point is that if somepony has to take over for Celestia, I'm glad it's a bookworm like you. Equestria needs somepony knowledgeable about everything and anything to lead it, so for what it's worth, I had the word sent out that the Wonderbolts officially endorse you. That being said, the whole team wanted to do something real, so we're lending you our ground trainer."

"Your ground trainer?"

"Yeah, some of the stunts we do require more than just strong wings, so we do a lot of earth pony exercises to keep our legs and core strong. Stormrider here was planning on retiring in a couple months anyway so he offered to retire early and spend his time here!"

"Oh, wow! Thank you, Stormrider! That's really generous!"

"Just call me Storm, ma'am," the older, graying pegasus replied with a gravelly voice. "I used to be a guard, so it's actually really nice to be back at the palace. Sort of like a vacation for me."

"Well, I'll let the two of you get to it," Spitfire said with a wide grin. "Let me know if there's anything else we can do for you, Princess. And don't you be a stranger Stormy!"

Twilight craned her neck to watch Spitfire as the Wonderbolt took off like a rocket. A tap on her shoulder brought her back down to Equestria. "So, Twilight, is it? I know you're technically not Princess yet, but I always give my people nicknames anyway. So I'm just gonna start calling you 'Princess,' if that's alright with you."

"Sure. So what's on the agenda for today, Storm?"

"Since our goal is mainly to keep you in shape, we'll be focusing on cardio and endurance training, as opposed to strength and agility. I'm guessing you've already bathed today, yes?" He smiled to Twilight as she nodded. "Well, then there's no point in getting you all sweaty. We'll just go over the basics today and get to the hard stuff tomorrow. How's evening workouts sound? Get you all nice and exhausted so you can just jump in the bath then hop right into bed?"

"Sounds good to me!"

The pair spent the next hour going over various stretches and workouts before Sound Mind finally dragged a now unhappy Twilight away to the treasury office to discuss Equestria's finances.

"You know, I was actually enjoying myself out there."

"Well that's nice, Lady Sparkle, but you of all ponies must know the importance of sticking to a strict schedule."

"Well, yeah, but I also know the importance of having fun."

"You may have all the 'fun' you want to later, for now, we must bring you up to date on our great nation's monetary concerns. Now, the most important thing to remember is that we must always keep the budget balanced. This means avoiding frivolous spending whenever possible and raising taxes when necessary..."

When she was a filly, Twilight disliked accounting. The math she didn't mind, in fact she even enjoyed it somewhat, but for some reason when it came to checks and balances, it suddenly just became mind-numbingly dull. She also honestly believed that she could bring herself to be able to at least bear it now, had she been required to do it on her own. The way Sound Mind presented it, however, made it worse than ever before. An hour later, she left the office at a full gallop, more eager to just get away from her lesson than to actually get to lunch.

Wanting to dodge Sound Mind for at least a few minutes, she skipped the Dining Hall and went directly to the kitchen, sneaking up on a familiar earth pony stallion hovering over a large pot of soup.

"Hey, Simmer Steam! What've you got this time?"

"Oh! Twilight, I told you a long time ago not to surprise me like that!" the sous-chef grumbled, holding a hoof to his chest. Chuckling, he continued, "and wipe that smirk off your face, one of these days you'll give me a heart attack! Then what'll you do?"

"I'll just use your cooking to revive you! The amount of garlic you use could wake the dead!" she replied with a teasing grin.

"Oh, ha-ha. Nopony ever said you had to eat my food. The soup's not ready anyhow."

"Oh, really?" Twilight whined back. For all her goading, she really did like Simmer's cooking. The simpleness of everything he created was elegant in his own way and had quickly elevated him to his lofty position. Even so, he had always refused the post of Head Chef, preferring to be able to just focus on his cuisine rather than run the kitchen. "Well in that case, can I get a daisy sandwich?"

"The usual, then? Coming right up!" With nearly blinding speed, he whipped up a sandwich, plated it, and slid it down the counter to her with a wink.

"Hey! You always make them too thick for me!" she giggled, lifting the plate with her magic.

"Yet you keep coming back."

"Thank you."

"Any time. I'll let the boss know you stopped by."

She trotted back out to the Dining Hall and plopped down in the nearest seat, immediately filling her mouth with her prize. It had been far too long since she had last done this. In fact, the last time had been the day before Celestia had sent her to Ponyville for the first time. She was so deep in her nostalgia that even the reappearance of Sound Mind couldn't spoil her mood.

"The Princess should be sitting at the head of the table."

"We're the only ponies here."

"And just what are you eating? Is your palette really that unrefined?"

"Apparently."

"Your sarcasm is unbecoming."

"It never bothered Celestia."

Sound Mind flinched as if Twilight had struck her. "Fine. If you're going to be like that, I'll just stay silent."

Twilight suppressed a giggle at the irony of the situation. If Sound Mind thought that being quiet was punishing Twilight, she wasn't going to correct the mare. Instead, she finished her sandwich in peace, taking the time to relax and unwind. Unfortunately, as soon as she had swallowed the last bite, Sound Mind was up and dragging her to the library where the head librarian spent the full half hour lecturing her in no uncertain terms that the rules would not be changing for her after the coronation.

"Alright, Lady Sparkle, next we're reviewing the castle decor with a Mr. Hoity-Toity in the Throne Room. Or at least you're reviewing the decor, I have some paperwork that needs filing, so I'll be back at around 4 to take you to your next appointment. Again, please be on your best behavior."

"Right." Twilight rolled her eyes as soon as Sound Mind turned her back and continued into the Throne Room to meet with the fashion designer. She took a few cautious steps into the throne room, expecting a passionate verbal assault from Hoity-Toity. Yet again, she was not disappointed.

"AH! And this is the Princess-to-be? The Miss Twilight Sparkle?" The earth pony designer appeared next to her as if he had teleported.

"Uhh, yes?"

"Indeed! You are every bit as lovely as the newspapers describe." He started to inspect every inch of her with a speed and enthusiasm reminiscent of Pinkie Pie. "Such a gorgeous coat, I love the color! Wings, absolutely sumptuous! Mane, very simple, inelegant, and unassuming yet it suits you perfectly! And the way you hold yourself! Well, I've never seen anything like it!"

"Errr... That's all good, right?"

"Oh, absolutely!" He stomped a hoof on the floor and a half-dozen assistants materialized. "Now, to discuss the adornment of this place! Celestia will be missed, but a new Princess means new furnishings."

"Actually, Mr. Hoity-Toity, I did give that a little thought."

"Oh, marvelous!" he lauded. With a wave of a hoof, yet another assistant appeared next to him brandishing a clipboard. "Do tell!"

"Well, I kinda like things the way they are."

Hoity-Toity visibly wilted. "Oh, no, what won't do at all!" His assistants disappeared and reappeared, each bearing a different outfit with a different color scheme. "Now, take your time and appreciate each arrangement!"

"Ummm... well..."

"Don't like them? I don't blame you, none of these are even remotely acceptable!" He turned to his assistants and waved them off. "Just like we discussed, everypony! No mistakes!"

Suddenly, Twilight's world was awash in a veritable rainbow of colors and patterns. Every design she could imagine (and quite a few she couldn't) danced before her eyes!

For three long, excruciating hours.

Twilight's eyes hurt, her head ached and every trace of patience she had was gone by the time Hoity-Toity finally said the magic words.

"And that's a wrap!" He turned to Twilight, grinning from ear-to-ear. "And that is what I have for you! Please, tell me what you think!"

She lifted her head up from the floor where she lay. "Well, I've made my decision," she murmured.

"Yes, and?"

"I'd like to keep the decor as it is."

Hoity-Toity fell over.

"What do you mean!? How can-" he caught himself mid shout and took a deep breath. "I apologize, shouting at a pony of your standing is just criminal." He rubbed his chin with a hoof. "Why don't we do this: rather than replacing anything, we'll simply add a few banners! We'll match them to the color of your coat and emblazon them with that gorgeous Cutie Mark of yours!"

"Were you even listen- Actually I like that idea."

"Truly?"

"Yeah," Twilight chirped, actually smiling. "As long as you leave everything else, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to put up a few extra decorations."

"Finally! Brazen? Oh where is that mare?" A pegasus appeared at his side before he had even finished speaking. "Ah, there you are! Please run over to Silky Thread's place and order two hundred yards of his violet #26, sixty yards of his violet #43 and fifteen yards of the purest white he has!" He glanced back towards Twilight, then turned to his assistant again. "Also: ten yards of his best pink #5! All to be delivered immediately! Chop chop!"

The pegasus was off like a shot. Hoity-Toity gave the rest of his assistants a single glare and they too left, just as quickly. He turned back to Twilight, took her hoof in his and gently brushed his lips against it. "The pleasure has been entirely mine! I'd love to stay and chat, but there is so much work to be done!"

He made to leave, but before Twilight could word a farewell, was back in her face. "Wait! One more thing, an idea I had while we were showing you the wares! A dress collection inspired by the dusk! An assemblage of garments celebrating that special hour after the sun sets but before the moon rises! I would call it 'the Twilight Collection,' and base it off of your own fabulous natural color scheme! What say you?"

Honestly, that wasn't really Twilight's thing, but how could she say no? "That sounds nice! Go right ahead!"

"Excellent! Now I just need to find the perfect designer..."

"How about Rarity?"

"OH YES! How did I not think of her first? Her designs always have such poise! Such grace! This will be the best collection yet! Why I think it would surpass..." he continued to mutter to himself as he trotted out of the palace, lost in his dreams.

"Rarity is going to freak," Twilight giggled to herself. She left through the side door she came in through, actually pleased to see Sound Mind waiting there to take her to the one meeting of the day that she was looking forward to. Knowing exactly where to go this time, she cantered ahead of her guide, ignoring whatever words of reprehension Sound Mind threw her way. She bounded into her big brother's office, leaping over the desk to give him a hug before he had even realized she had arrived.

"Lady Sparkle! This meeting was scheduled to discuss security concerns, not for personal business!"

"Hey, Twiley!" Shining Armor chuckled, returning his sister's hug. "Deputy Minister, you are dismissed for the moment, you can come pick up Twilight at the end of the meeting."

"With all due, respect, Guard-Captain, you have no authority over me!" Sound Mind replied with her nose in the air.

"You are in my office, in a meeting that does not involve you. Now, please leave so I can talk to my sister."

"Fine," the mare replied with an over-inflated air of indignation. She turned around and left, nose still high in the air.

The pair watched her leave, then turned back to each other.

"You look much better than you did last night, sis. How're you feeling?"

"Pretty good, actually. Even better now that we get a chance to catch up. Luna told me that things have been hectic around here. What kind of things have been happening?"

"Where do I start?" he groaned, taking a seat and motioning for her to join him. "Well, thankfully, all the problems have been domestic. No foreign disputes... yet. That being said, the nobles have been worse than I ever imagined they would be."

"How so?"

"Well, almost as soon as Celestia's death was announced, every noble house in existence lost it. Each one accused every other one of assassinating her, completely ignoring the fact that every source stated that she died of 'natural causes.' Next they filed to have every member of Celestia's cabinet fired, along with every high-ranking official."

"Oh, yeah, about that: sorry about Sound Mind. She completely crossed the line."

"Somepony tries to get me fired every week, Twilight. Usually some noble who crossed the line, got caught, and I had to lock up. Way I figure, if they don't hate me then I'm not doing my job right."

"That sounds awful!"

"Yeah, but it keeps the peace. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah after the succession announcement, things only went downhill. Instead of their normal skullduggery, the nobles practically rioted! Even worse, a few of the ministers joined them! Prime Minister included"

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was. They started protesting outside of the palace. Most of them were angry that somepony they saw as a commoner was being made Princess. Others were accusing Celestia of nepotism, which is ironic considering how they'd like things to be. Blueblood even went so far as to start spreading rumors that you had poisoned Celestia, thankfully nopony believed any of those. I still had him arrested for slander though."

"Well, what happened?"

"Luna happened. She just stood out on the balcony and just shouted them all down. She threatened sanctions on any noble house who didn't shape up. After that, the protesting ministers threatened to resign and she just called their bluffs without batting an eye! Told them to send her their resignations immediately. They all took back their threats, but Luna forced the Prime Minister to resign anyway. I think she just wanted to make an example of him though, she was furious!"

"That's just crazy! What about everpony else? The non-nobles?"

Shining Armor perked up at the slight change of subject. "They were easier to handle. The fact that Celestia had hoof-picked you was good enough for most of them. As for the rest, well, let's just say I love my wife."

"Cadance?"

"Yeah. She went to some of the nearby towns and villages and spoke on your behalf. She's one of the most well-loved nobleponies in Equestria, so her reassurances brought over almost all of the detractors. And this being Equestria, word of her outreach spread like a wildfire. Long story short, everypony but the nobles support you. The endorsement from the Wonderbolts didn't hurt either. You were still in that coma when that came in! How'd you pull that off?"

"Oh, you know. I have my ways."

"Right. Oh, you'll get a kick out of this! Those same nobles who were rioting about you have also been asking dad for your hoof in marriage."

"They... You mean... What?!"

"Yeah. Twelve stallions and, well, two mares."

"They asked dad to marry me?"

He nodded gravely. "I think they were hoping they could convince him to accept an arranged marriage, but he told them to ask you about it. That stopped most of them in their tracks, but I'd expect one or two to approach you anyway."

"That's... I don't even... ugh!" she stuttered with a grimace.

"Don't worry too much about it," he chuckled, "they're all wimps when it really comes down to it. Now, on a brighter note." With his magic, he procured a bottle and a pair of glasses from his desk. "Some Sweet Apple Acres cider. I bought it a while ago and was saving it for a special occasion. I think this qualifies." He poured her a glass and floated it over to her. "To you, sis. I know it'll probably be rough going, but I also know that you're going to give it your best shot. I believe in you."

She took the glass in her own magic and gingerly 'clinked' it against his. "Thanks. At least you'll be here for me."

"Nervous?"

"You don't know the half of it."

They shared a laugh and sat in silence with their drinks for a few minutes.

"So, am I going to be an aunt soon?"

"I can't believe you just asked me that!"

"Don't avoid the question!"

"Am I going to be a brother-in-law soon?"

"...Okay, point taken."

More silence, broken only be the sound of occasional sipping.

"Twilight, listen, I'm worried about you. I think you might be getting in over your head."

Twilight turned to look at her brother and noticed that his expression was every bit as troubled as his voice.

"You're probably one of the smartest ponies alive and I don't doubt you'll be a great leader, but you're still too empathetic and naive to be a good politician. I don't want to see everypony walk all over you."

"Hey! Celestia was probably the most empathetic pony in history!"

"Yes, but she wasn't naive, she had thousands of years of experience ruling a country. You, on the otherhoof, are my little sister who didn't even have friends until two years ago!" he replied, barely below shouting. He went to continue his tirade, but stopped himself when he noticed tears in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, Twiley, I shouldn't be yelling. I just don't want to see you miserable or hurt and my guards and I can't protect you from everything, as much as I'd like to."

"I know..."

"Please, just promise me you'll be careful. And that you'll stand up for yourself. You know how it works, there's going to be a lot of ponies telling you to do a lot of different things."

"I know, and most of them will be trying to get me to do something that'll make them happy at the expense of somepony else. I'll be careful, Shining. I'll do what I think is right, even if it makes everypony hate me. I promise."

"That's what I wanted to hear," he whispered, breaking into a broad grin and pulling her into another hug. "There's one more thing though. Something we have to do before the horn-rimmed hardflank drags you off." This time, he produced an aging chessboard from behind his desk.

"Seriously? You never beat me. There was that one time when you were teaching me how to play, but you haven't won since!"

"That doesn't mean I can't keep trying!"

Four victories for Twilight later, the 'horn-rimmed hardflank' showed up with almost nauseating punctuality, demanding Twilight leave for her next appointment. After extracting a promise from her BBBFF to come see her as soon as the coronation ended, Twilight relented and followed Sound Mind out. The pair had barely stepped into the corridor outside of the Guard-Captain's office when they were stopped by one of Luna's personal guards.

"The Princess wishes for Twilight Sparkle to join her for dinner. There are things she would like to discuss," he said, his speech as crisp and clean as his armor.

Before Twilight could speak up, Sound Mind jumped in, "Well Twilight is quite busy this evening. I am afraid she'll have to decline. We have a formal gathering to attend."

Not at all happy about being spoken for, Twilight scowled at Sound Mind. The guard, however, seemed completely unfazed. "The Princess has also stated that this is not a request and that Twilight Sparkle is to come alone."

"Fine," Sound Mind sniffed. "Lady Sparkle, I will leave you for now, but I implore you not to arrive at the reception any later than 7. An open invitation was sent out to every Minister and noblepony in Canterlot, skipping this event or even arriving any later than that would be very unwise."

"I'll be there," Twilight sighed, trotting after Luna's messenger. Something felt wrong to Twilight. What was this about?

Instead of taking her to the large Dining Hall, he led her to a much smaller room that she had always vastly preferred: the Princess' private dining room. Barely the size of her bedroom, the private dining room was largely unfurnished, with only a small round table and a half-dozen chairs. It didn't even have a door leading to the kitchen, having only one entrance, but was still one of the most comfortable rooms in the palace. At least among the rooms Twilight had been in, that is. Which, now that she thought about it, was nearly all of them.

She entered to see Luna sitting at the other size of the table, facing the doorway and sipping from a glass of water. The Night Princess gave Twilight a small smile and motioned for her to take the seat to her right.

"Good evening, Twilight. I'm glad to see you up and about."

"Hi Luna," Twilight replied tepidly, "what did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing actually," Luna said back with a mischievous smirk. "Knowing you and knowing the Deputy Minister, I just thought you might desire what you'd call 'a break.'"

"Oh!" Twilight let out the breath she had been holding and frowned at the giggling Luna. "I thought something was wrong!"

"I apologize, Twilight. It was a little joke."

"Yeah, I get it. 'Make Twilight worry then laugh at her'," she grumbled, her face giving away the fact that she wasn't actually angry with Luna. "And, well, I just kinda had a break. My last meeting was with my brother. But then again, I wouldn't mind taking one with you, especially if it means getting away from Sound Mind again."

"I'll admit that she is aggravating, but she's one of the best at what she does. No pony would be willing to keep her around, otherwise."

"I'll take your word for it."

"And about your brother. While Sound Mind's concerns are certainly valid, you are the last pony I think we'd have to worry about engaging in 'nepotism.' Besides, guarding 'his sister, the Princess,' as opposed to just guarding 'the Princess' makes things far more personal for him. I know your brother- he'd die a thousand times for you. He is hooves-down the best pony for the job"

"Well, thank you! So, what's on the menu for tonight?"

"I felt like something simple, so carrot soup and a small salad," Luna murmured, motioning for the food to be brought in.

"So, Luna," Twilight muttered as she dug in to her salad, "with Celestia watching over the day and you watching over the night, I'm guessing breakfast and dinner were the only times you two had to bond?"

"Unfortunately so. And while I would most enjoy spending time with you, duty says that I must guard the night, so after presiding over your coronation tomorrow, I shall be returning to my normal schedule."

"Oh." Twilight murmured, hanging her head slightly. She knew very well that it had to be done, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"But that doesn't mean we can't continue the tradition!" Luna said back quickly, seeing Twilight's distress. "I would love for you to join me for meals! If you wish it."

"Every day that I can," Twilight replied, perking up a little. She took a bite of her salad and decided that it'd be best to change the subject. "So I heard you yelled at some of the nobles."

"Oh, do not get me started on those cretins, Twilight Sparkle," the Princess growled. "'Tis one thing to insult me, but to insult Celestia? To insult you? That is another matter entirely. A matter I take very personally."

"Well, they couldn't of been that bad, Luna."

"They plainly stated that you were unworthy of the throne, as if they, themselves, were! The mare that my sister preened for years to take her place was not good enough for them, simply because of her lineage? If you were even just 'good enough' for Celestia, then they should be scrambling to bow before you! But you were not 'just good enough' for her, you were her favorite student! Her favorite student ever! They should be treating you as a goddess!"

Twilight heard Luna's tirade, but only retained one piece of it. "I was really her favorite student? Out of everypony she ever taught, I was her favorite?"

"What?" Luna stuttered, slightly taken aback. "Well, yes, of course! She may have had plenty of students, but you were the youngest she took on. Young enough where you became more like a daughter to her than a student. At least that's what she told me."

"I... I did always sort of see her as a second mom, but I didn't know she felt the same way."

"So, do you see now why their actions made me so upset?"

"I guess so."

"I just find it insulting. It's as if they are insinuating that they all should get some form of promotion just because my sister died. They barely gave me time to grieve."

"About that, Luna. We've talked about how I am, but what about you? How are you handling all this?"

"I am fine," Luna said with a sigh, "just exhausted. I'll feel better when I get back to my normal routine."

"Luna..."

"I'm serious, Twilight. I miss my sister, but I can't let my grief control me. I owe it to her to press on."

"...Alright, Luna. I trust you."

"Should you not be eating, Twilight? It is my understanding that you have somewhere to be."

"Yeah," Twilight groaned, "and I really want to go! These things were awesome when I was just the bookish little filly that never left the Princess' side, but now I get to be the center of attention!" she proclaimed, dripping with sarcasm.

"I know what you mean," Luna chuckled, "but think about it this way: come tomorrow, you can simply reschedule such events at your leisure. Being the Princess means that everypony has to do things at your convenience."

"I suppose," Twilight snickered back. "That seems like an abuse of power though."

"Being the Princess is probably the most stressful job in Equestria. Nopony can blame you for making full use of the privileges that come with it. After all, even royalty must... 'unwind' every so often. Tia did it all the time!"

"I get it," she muttered back, "if I'm having a rough day, no use in making it any rougher. Still, I don't think I'll be doing that too often."

"Admirable. However, you are not Princess yet, so this one you must attend. Besides, the sooner you get there, the sooner you can shake everypony's hoof and leave."

"I guess that's true as well," she giggled, picking up the pace of her eating. She did want to spend more time with Luna, but she couldn't deny that her friend was right. She finished her meal, said goodbye and left, eager to finish her last chore for the day.

She made for the West Courtyard, but had only made it halfway there when a sharp throbbing in the back of her head made her double over.

A burning sensation in the back of her mind was pulling at her consciousness, trying to draw her in. She started to fight it, but quickly relented when she realized the futility of it. She felt herself partially ripped from her body and for the second time, found herself floating before the sun.

Oh... Errr, hi? You didn't have to be so aggressive, I would have come if you'd had just asked nicely.

The sun burned. It had provided Equestria with a balmy spring day and it was ready to be put to rest.

Seriously? Yesterday you all but refused to set, now you want to go down early? The sunset isn't supposed to happen for another half hour!

...

You are a real hoof-full, you know.

...

Fine, but you owe me for this one!

She slowly reached out with her spirit and nudged the fiery orb. With almost unexpected ease, she felt it slip below the horizon, making way for Luna's night. As she felt herself being pulled fully back into her body, she felt a small sting on her flank. "He just zapped me! Again! Ungrateful little..."

She continued grumbling to herself all the way to the courtyard, remembering to put a smile on just as she arrived on the scene. All-in-all, about two dozen smartly-dressed ponies milled about in groups. Far less than Sound Mind had described, but still far more than Twilight had hoped for. "Might as well get this over with."

The instant she stepped out into the courtyard proper, everypony there turned to look at her. "Um, hello?" When she spoke, most of the ponies reacted by turning back towards whoever they had been speaking to before. "Well that's weird."

"Believe it or not, it's a measure of respect," said a voice from over to her right. "They're not supposed to approach you, you're supposed to approach them.

"Quill-Pen?" she gasped, recognizing the voice. She turned to the older unicorn mare and gave a hug to Celestia's old seneschal. "I didn't know you would be here! Didn't your job end when Celestia died?"

"Well, I've still got a few things to take care of before I head off into parts unknown. As the Princess' right hoof, I'm supposed to make sure her Will is followed down to the last word. First bit of which is finding and training you a seneschal of your own! Given it any thought?"

"Actually," Twilight replied sheepishly, "I had kinda been hoping you would stay. I mean the seneschal is supposed to be a pony that the Princess trusts more than anypony and you were always so nice to me..."

"Ah! Say no more, kiddo. I'll stick around for ya!"

"Wait, really? Weren't you going to retire?"

"I'm only fifty-three, Twilight!" Quill-Pen said with a boisterous chuckle. "I can stay here to make sure things go smoothly for the next few years and will still have plenty of time after that to train my own replacement!" She put a hoof around Twilight's shoulders and continued in a quieter voice. "Now, I want you to relax while you're here. You know Ironside? The Minister of the Army? He and I let it slip that anypony who came here to harass you would find their lives becoming very difficult for a very long time, so the only ponies here are your supporters!"

"That can't have gone over well."

"No, it didn't, but I learned a long time ago that my job wasn't going to make me any friends. As for Ironside, well that old horse has never cared what anypony thinks of him."

"The way Shining and Luna put it, I didn't think I had any support among the nobles or ministers."

"Well, most of them are being foals about everything that's happened, but there are still some of us who remember you as little Twilight, the filly with a million questions who wanted to know everything about everything. You're young, but you're a good kid, with a little coaching you'll do just fine." The amused look on Quill-Pen's face quickly snapped to a startled realization. "Oh! Speaking of the ancient hard-head, he wanted to attend tonight, but had a few 'fires to put out,' as he put it. He told me to give you his regards and his regrets."

"Really?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. "I always thought he didn't like me."

"He doesn't, but then I don't think he likes anypony. He does, however, think you're the best pony for the job. Don't ask me why he does though. I may agree with him, but he has his own reasons for everything and he doesn't share them with anypony."

"I guess I should still thank him."

"Yes you should. Now, I should probably tell you who's here so you know who exactly you need to speak to. First off, the four ponies I was chatting with are all professors at Celestia's school. You might know a few of them, but you don't really need to chat with them tonight. Next up," she quipped, steering Twilight around to face the largest group, "that big gaggle over there has some of Equestria's ambassadors and ministers, as well as a visiting foreign dignitary. If you do nothing else tonight, speak to our guest. Last thing we need is to kick off your reign with an international dispute because you ignored somepony important."

"Got it."

"Now, over there," she continued, pointing at a group of five or so ponies, "are some nobles. Now I know I said there are only supporters here, but they still might give you some trouble just because they can. Lastly, those two over in the corner there are the former Deputy Prime Minister and his Chief of Staff, who as of three days ago became the new Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, respectively. Speak to them if you can."

"Anything else?"

"No, that's it. Try to relax and at least look like you're having a good time though. Remember, while you're here you're a star among cheap gems.".

"Uhhh, speaking of cheap gems, where's Sound Mind?"

"The Minister of the Interior conveniently 'forgot' to file a very important report and he sent her off to do so, if you get what I mean. She'll be gone the rest of the night," Quill-Pen said with a wink.

Twilight gave a nervous giggle and made her way over to the largest group. Might as well get the important stuff out of the way first.

As she approached, the group opened up, allowing her a path right to the center. What she saw astounded her. Most of the ponies around her wore sincere smiles, each one greeting her with a bow and a chorus of "Lady Twilight." She in turn smiled back and nodded her appreciation at them. She made it to the center of the gathering and found herself face-to-face with something even more unexpected.

"A zebra?"

"Ah, Miss Twilight Sparkle. I am Chief Elder Abebe. The honor is mine," the striped stallion said to her in a deep voice.

He's almost as big as Big Mac... She returned the bow of his head and greeted him, "It's always nice to have visitors. I wasn't aware that your people had sent anypony to us."

"When news of the late Princess' death reached our lands, the Elders gathered in council. Princess Celestia was a friend of the zebra. Her replacement, however was an unknown entity to us. We had originally decided to wait and watch. Shortly after, I received a missive from a mutual friend of ours explaining who you were and what this meant."

"Zecora?"

"Indeed," he replied with a nod. Using his teeth, he pulled a scroll from his cloak and allowed Twilight to take it in her magic. "It was then that we realized what we must do. The Elder Council of the Zebra people have officially endorsed you as the new Princess of the Sun. I realize that domestically it is mostly a symbolic gesture that does little beyond provide moral support, but hopefully it will shout a message to the other nations that Equestria does not stand alone and is not to be trifled with. I hope you will take it as a gesture of friendship between our peoples."

"Of course I will! This is perfect! I really appreciate this." She rolled the scroll up again and tucked it under one of her wings for safekeeping, like she had seen Fluttershy do in the past. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Zecora?"

"Zecora is my daughter," Abebe said with a proud smile. "Thus why the Elders support you. A friend of Zecora's is a friend of all zebra."

"Alright, I've got one more question. Sorry about that, it's just that Zecora is the only other zebra I've met. Anyway, why does she speak in rhymes, but you don't?"

"Zecora has written to me of your inquisitive nature and mind like a dry sponge. Such admirable traits are nothing to apologize for!" the zebra chuckled. "But Zecora speaks in rhymes because she is one of the few zebra shamans. Their ways are strange, even among zebras. Even so, their odd speech endears them to us and has become as much a part of our culture as their herbalism has."

"Oh! I never knew that! Thank you!"

"Teaching is its own reward, child. But alas, I will not keep you. You have many ponies to see tonight and little time to see them in. But before you go, I wish to state that the Elders are currently in the process of appointing Zecora as our people's first ever official Ambassador to Equestria."

"That's great! If there's anything you or the zebras need before you head back home, please come see me right away!"

He gave a grateful bow of his head. She said her goodbyes and trotted over to the next group, the nobles. She could tell right away that none of their smiles were genuine.

"Hello, everypony," she called out, hoping that they'd keep their charade going at least until she could get away from them.

"Princess!" a lithe, greenish unicorn mare half-shouted, sauntering over to Twilight with a wine glass aloft in her magic.

"I'm actually not the Princess yet."

"You are closer than any of us have ever been!" she said, gesturing to the rest of the group. "But where are my manners? I am Golden Plains. My family owns most of the land between Appleoosa and the Everfree Forest. Charmed."

"Pleased to meet you as well," Twilight replied as she shook the mare's hoof. "What Noble house are you from?"

"Well, actually I'm not a member of a Noble House. However, my family is wealthier than most of the real Houses, so we are hoping for that to change very soon," she stated almost dismissively. She took a sip of her wine then looked at Twilight. "Now, my Lady Twilight, as to why I am here. I would like to ask for your hoof in sacred matrimony."

Internally, Twilight slapped a hoof to her forehead. Externally, she did nothing of the sort, but only for appearance's sake. "On behalf of whom? Your son?"

"No! On behalf of myself, of course!" she exclaimed, giving Twilight a look that Twilight suspected Golden Plains thought was an alluring manner.

Is she serious? She's almost old enough to be my mother! "Uhh, thank you, but I'm going to have to decline."

"Oh, come now," Golden Plains whined, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Surely you can see the benefits of counting a family such as mine among your allies."

Twilight shrugged the mare's hoof off of her. "It's not happening."

"Well. I can see that my time here was wasted tonight!"

"Apparently."

Golden Plains finished the rest of her drink in one gulp, then stormed off, nose in the air. Twilight turned to the rest of the assembled nobleponies. "Alright, I'm saying this once. If any of you are planning on asking me that same thing, don't. I'm only going to end up giving you the same answer I gave her. Understood?"

There was a grumbling of agreement, so she decided to leave the nobles to their own twisted devices before more damage could be done. The final group among the gathered ponies, the last ponies she had to speak to before she could have some 'me time,' were the new Prime Minister and his Deputy. This time around, she decided to just throw routine to the wind and just greet him like she would her friends.

"Hi! I hear congratulations are in order?"

The Prime Minister, a proud, blue earth pony stallion turned to greet her with a smile. "Twilight Sparkle! Thank you for your words, though it's my understanding that I should be the pony congratulating you. I take it you remember me?"

"I do, Sterling Sea. You were always in the library when I was a filly and I always thought it was weird because you had graduated before I even started school. You were always studying law, if I remember correctly."

"You do! I was hoping that it would help me advance in the government. I'd say it worked."

"It did."

"Now, on to business. I would like to personally apologize for the actions of my predecessor."

"What? Why apologize? You didn't have anything to do with that," Twilight replied with a confused frown.

"True, but his actions were extremely shameful. It may be the Prime Minister's job to privately butt-heads, so to speak, with the Princesses now and again, but to openly defy her? To commit seditious acts? It's a disgrace to the Office, for which I deeply apologize."

"Oh, I get it. Well, apology accepted then."

"Well, I've got to run. There's still a lot to get done before tomorrow, but I wanted to at least say 'hello' now that you are awake. I'll let you get yourself acquainted with Scrolls here," he said, gesturing to the tan unicorn mare next to him. He then gave a quick bow and trotted off.

Twilight noticed that 'Scrolls' had been staring at her with an appraising eye the whole time. "Hi! Scrolls, he said?"

"My name is actually 'Edifying Scroll.' He calls me 'Scrolls' to annoy me," the mare said gruffly in a deep, yet still feminine voice. "If I may speak openly?"

"Sure! Go ahead!"

"I don't like you, Twilight Sparkle," Edifying Scroll said plainly, much to Twilight's bewilderment. "I never have. Your first year at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns was the year I graduated, so you probably don't remember me, but I remember you. Back then you were aloof, unattached, and smug to everypony but the Princess. Frankly, you don't seem to have changed much." Edifying Scroll let out a frustrated sigh. "Honestly, I don't think you're ready for this. But all that being said, I did trust Celestia and she trusted you, so I'm willing to give you a shot."

It took Twilight a few seconds to find her voice again, but she decided that if the Deputy Prime Minister was going to keep it somewhat cordial, so would she. "I can't say I like you very much either, if that's the way you're going to introduce yourself to me. You seem like a smart pony though, so if you're willing to be a bit more tactful and give me advice instead of just criticism, I think we'll be able to get along well enough."

Twilight extended her hoof to Edifying Scroll. The older mare stared at it for a few seconds before taking it with a smirk crossing her features. "I think I can live with that. Who knows? Maybe I'll find out that you're not so bad when somepony just sits down and talks to you."

Twilight felt herself smiling back. She may not have been in the best situation of her life, but she believed that she had made the most of it. "Well, thank you. I'd love to stay and get to know you, but I've had a really long day. I'm really sorry, but I sort of want to make my way to bed. Anytime you want to talk though, just let me know. If you're going to be helping Luna and I lead the country, then I can definitely make time for you."

"Even princesses need sleep, eh? Alright, I'll take over from here, this party's about run its course anyway. You sneak out the side door there and head up to bed, I'll get Quill-Pen and we'll send the rabble home."

Hoping that this was the start of a new, if strange and somewhat confrontational, friendship, Twilight followed Edifying Scroll's advice and made her way back to her chambers at a full canter, stopping only to politely greet the guards standing outside her door. She burst in and immediately flopped down on the bed. Several minutes later, she sat back up and scanned the room.

"I wonder if Celestia kept any wine in here... I'll look later, I think it's time for another bath."

A/N: Writing... writing... writing... finish, check word count, facedesk.

Sad thing is that in my outline, this chapter was originally supposed to include the coronation. So much for that.

~~Also, I don't really believe my newest pre-reader is up for the job, so I recently let him go. If anyone is interested in taking up the role (mainly helping to spot my spelling/grammar screw-ups), send me a private message, or e-mail me at asylum1388@gmail.com (don't just post it in the comments please) but be warned:~~

~~I will~~ not ~~hesitate to fire your ass if you prove unsatisfactory and I will not give second chances. Just sayin'.~~

Chapter 4

Rewrote the last scene about five times, didn't like any of them. Screw it, we're doing this live!

On an unrelated note, one of my pre-readers, PiquoPie voiced a concern that he had. I listed him as pre-reader for Chapter 2, but not Chapter 3 and stated that I fired my pre-reader. It wasn't he who I fired. He wasn't mentioned in Chapter 3 because I didn't have him pre-read Chapter 3. Sorry for the error, Piquo!

Anyway, for this chapter:
Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie, f0xhole, and Nanomight.

The soft prodding of a hoof on her side slowly pulled Twilight out of her slumber. She was awake and she was not happy about it. She waved off the offending pony and rolled over.

A soft and comfortably familiar voice whispered softly into her ear, "Come on, Twilight. Time to get up, it's your big day!"

Big day or not, Twilight's head was pounding, her body was aching and her eyes refused to open. She felt like an absolute train wreck. She rolled over and pulled her covers over her head. Maybe the intruder would go away if she ignored them.

"I thought you'd be excited! What's wrong with- Oh, I see..."

Whoever it was, they fell silent as the clopping of hooves reached Twilight's ears, fading off into another room. A couple minutes later, they returned, grabbed one of Twilight's forelegs and pulled her off of her vastly over-sized bed, causing her to land roughly on her hooves. Leaning against her waker, she felt herself being guided somewhere. Where didn't exactly matter, as long as she didn't have to wake up completely.

"Alright, Twilight, climb in here," her guide whispered to her, directing Twilight's hooves to a smooth, hard object.

The bath? Yes a nice hot bath would be perfect. She could climb in, get nice and warm, and just drift back off- "WHAT IN THE NAME OF- WHO THE- OH MY STARS THAT'S COLD!"

Fully alert and squealing loudly, Twilight hurled herself over the edge of the tub, landing on the floor in a crumpled shivering heap.

"Oh, good, you're awake," a grinning Quill-Pen chuckled down at Twilight.

"Bite me."

"Charming. Here I'll draw you a warm one this time." Twilight glared spitefully at Quill-Pen as her future seneschal drew a second bath before helping Twilight back into the golden cistern, a mischievous smile on the older mare’s face the entire time. "So, how're you feeling?"

"Awful. I feel like I just got bucked in the forehead by Applejack."

"I think I may know why," Quill-Pen replied. Snorting as she tried to hold back her laughter, she levitated an empty wine bottle over to Twilight.

"You've got to me kidding me. Did I really drink that whole thing?"

"So it would seem," Quill-Pen murmured as she set the bottle down on the floor. She floated a bottle of shampoo over to Twilight and continued, "Care to tell me why you did this to yourself?"

"I didn't mean to," Twilight whined, "it just sorta happened. That wine is... was Princess Celestia's favorite and I found the bottle last night in her old wardrobe. It actually hurt. I think I even started crying again, so I decided to have a glass in her honor, but that only made me feel worse, so I had a second one. Then one thing led to another and I guess I drank the whole thing. I don't remember much after the second glass."

"I'm not surprised, she did like her drink a little stronger than most ponies. That was probably equal to a bottle-and-a-half of normal wine. Maybe in a thousand years when you're as big as she was you'll be able to handle that, but for the moment you're the same size as you were before all this," the old mare said tenderly. "What I'm more concerned about, however, is not how much you drank, but why you'd drink that much in the first place."

"I know, I know, that was pretty stupid. I just miss her. I admit that I've wanted to be a princess since before she even took me as her student, but I wanted to be a princess with her, not instead of her."

"I understand, Twilight, but all the same I'm removing all of the alcohol the Princess had stashed for herself in there. If you would like some wine, you'll have to ask the kitchens so that I can monitor your intake. I'll let you keep your own when I'm sure that this won't be a problem."

"Wait a minute," Twilight muttered back with a hint of a glare, "I'm going to become princess in a few hours and you're going to treat me like a little filly?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

"Well thanks, that's definitely for the better," Twilight giggled, bringing her headache roaring back. "Seriously, though, I don't think I'll be drinking anything again anytime soon.

"Anything?" Quill-Pen replied in a teasing tone, waving a crystal chalice of water in front of Twilight's nose.

"You know what I meant, smartmule," Twilight grumbled back as she swiped the cup out of the air and sucked the cool liquid down.

"You honestly didn't think I'd let you get away with this, did you? I'll make sure you don't live this down for a while," Quill-Pen chucked, trotting over to the sink to refill the glass. "Now, I hate to hassle you in this state, but its my job and you did re-hire me after all. Sunrise is in about five minutes, you know what to do there. The ceremony starts at noon sharp and I'd like at least two hours of time to get you ready just to make sure we have time to deal with any snags. Until then, I'll let you do whatever you want, even take a nap to sleep off that hangover."

"Alright, thanks. Will you come and get me when its time to go?" Twilight murmured in reply, taking the glass back and sipping from it slowly this time around.

"I'll do that. Enjoy your morning, lightweight," Quill-Pen said with a short nod before turning and leaving Twilight alone with her bath.

Twilight finished washing out her mane and sat back in the warm water, taking the time to stare out the window and enjoy the last moments of the night sky. A short time later, she felt something buzz in her head, like some form of alarm clock. She closed her eyes and expanded her thoughts, the strange catharsis coming much easier this time. She quickly found herself floating before the sun for the third time and could tell that it wasn't happy to see her in the least.

Before you do whatever childish thing you're about to, listen. I had an awful night and feel just as awful, so I would really, really appreciate it if you didn't give me any fuss this morning. Also, you owe me for yesterday, remember?

She felt the sun ready some form of rebuke, a rebuke that never came. Maybe the solar orb sensed her distress, or perhaps there just wasn't any fun in throwing a fit if she wasn't going to argue back, but it allowed her to push it up towards the horizon without a fight. Twilight hadn't honestly expected reasoning with it to work, but wasn't going to complain that it did.

With little else to do, she slid her consciousness back into her body and climbed out of the bathtub, stopping only to let out the water and collect her cup, before making her way back to Celestia's- rather, her- room. After glancing around for a few moments, she trotted out to the balcony and sat down in the cool morning air. Within minutes, she had dropped down to her stomach, laying with one flank resting against the cool marble.

She must've dozed off at some point, because it seemed like only a minute or two before Quill-Pen returned with a stack of toast and dragged her off to whatever preparations needed to be done. Before she knew it, Twilight was sitting in a dressing room in what amounted to a glorified salon chair as a half-dozen ponies tugged on her mane and covered her with more makeup than she had ever seen in her life.

"So when you said preparations..."

"Twilight, did you honestly think you'd be the one organizing these events anymore?"

"I had hoped."

"Well that's just too bad," Quill-Pen teased. "I realize you don't care for all this pomp, but the ponies of Equestria do. Such is the sacrifice you must make for your ponies."

Twilight opened her mouth to form a rebuttal, but was cut off as the room's door slammed open, an ecstatic Rarity trotting in with Fluttershy close behind.

"Twilight! How are youuuu- just what do you ruffians think you are doing to her?"

"Pardon me?" one of the stylists gasped at the outburst.

"This is all wrong! Twilight doesn't need even half that much makeup! And are those hairclips? What in Celestia's name are you thinking?"

"I'll have you know that I have been Canterlot's top makeup arteest for well over a decade!"

"And you have learned nothing! You can't just primp Twilight up like some run-of-the-mill noblepony! Hers is a much more subtle beauty that must be coaxed out gently by a practiced hoof, not covered up in powder and poise! Get out! I will not have you ruining her special day! OUT I SAID!"

Despite their protests, the Royal Stylists were all tossed out of the room in an ungraceful pile, then had the door slammed and locked shut in their snouts.

"That wasn't very nice, Rarity. They were just trying to make Twilight look pretty," Fluttershy grumbled.

"There is no 'trying' with Twilight, dear. I'm sure Quill-Pen would agree with me that Twilight is gorgeous enough on her own."

"You're the expert," the gray mare chuckled.

"Well, thanks I guess, Rarity," Twilight grumbled.

"Now now, I know you'd prefer if we just let you go 'as is’," Rarity cooed as she brought a wet cloth up to Twilight's face. "Oh, hold still, I need to get that abominable eye shadow off... There! Where was I? Oh, yes! Every single pony in Equestria will be looking up to you now, and while it’s true that one does not need be beautiful to be a good role-model, you are going to be the new face of Equestria! It's only prudent that we accentuate your natural beauty for all to see! Besides, I want my work to last and I suspect your mane will eventually turn into something like Celestia's and Luna's, so I’d like to find a workable style that won’t require any extra... attachments."

It must have made sense to Rarity, but Twilight had bigger things on her mind. Luckily a distraction came in the form of a light tugging on one of her wings, so she turned to see Fluttershy gently running a hoof through her feathers. She wasn’t quite sure what the pegasus was doing, but it was relieving the tension in her back. A little.

"So, Rarity, where is Spike? You said you were going to bring him here when he woke up and I know that even he wouldn't sleep this long. Though I wouldn't put it past him to try," Twilight quipped with a smirk, drawing a soft giggle from both of her friends.

"Yes, I'm sorry for that, but the poor little guy stayed up so long that it made him rather sick, so I forced him to stay in bed yesterday. My parents were caring for him, but I sent Rainbow Dash to go retrieve him this morning and she should be back within the hour. Ill or not, I wouldn't let him be absent on a day like today." The fashionista finished up with Twilight's mane and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Yes, much better. As much as I love to experiment with your looks, no matter what I do it always seems to end up better when I take a minimalist approach."

"Thanks, really. I think this has been the longest I've ever gone without seeing him." Rarity spun the chair around so that Twilight was looking in the mirror. Twilight half-groaned as she turned her head to inspect her friend's work. "Alright, I'll admit it. You were right this time, Rarity."

"It was my pleasure and, honestly, was there ever any doubt? Next, up!" With her magic, Rarity lifted the immaculate centerpiece of the Royal Regalia that Celestia always wore around her neck and slipped it over Twilight's head. "Fits perfectly! Ah, the wonders of magic. Now for the shoes. Lovely. And where's the tiara?"

"It's part of the ceremony, so Luna has it at the moment."

"Oh, of course! Then in that case we'll head out as soon as Fluttershy has finished preening those lovely wings. I'm ashamed to say that those particular limbs are something I just can't seem to get the hang of."

"Oh! I wasn't actually preening her, her feathers really didn't need it. It's just that Twilight looks a little nervous and having my wings stroked has always helped me relax. I thought it might help."

Fluttershy let the feathered appendage fall from her grasp and Twilight stretched it out with a pleasured moan. "Actually, I think it did, Fluttershy. Thank you."

"Alright!" Quill-Pen shouted, causing everypony to jump at the unexpected outburst. "Now that we're done here, first things first, Twilight, we must go see if the reckless wonder has come back with the reptile. As for you two, Princess Luna had front-row seats reserved for you and the other three. I'd suggest you go fill them ASAP."

With surprising efficiency, Quill-Pen pushed them all out of the room and directed Rarity and Fluttershy in the direction of the Throne Room. She then mentioned for Twilight to follow her. She led Twilight to a narrow hallway that ran between the inner castle and the back of the Throne Room, one of the halls through which Celestia would often disappear into after a difficult court session to avoid having to deal with anypony on the way to her chambers.

"Long story short, we wait here until you're announced, then you enter and essentially just follow the Princess' lead. Got your speech ready?"

"MY WHAT?!"

"Joking. You'll be expected to say a few words, but it really doesn't have to be anything beyond the standard 'I'm honored'. Any questions?"

"Just one: was scaring me like that really necessary?"

"Yes. Yes it was. I was hoping it would loosen you up. Did it work?"

"No."

"Oh well, can't blame me for trying."

Twilight sat down and closed her eyes, trying to settle the parasprites in her stomach. She hadn't noticed how nervous she was when she had been getting made-up by that group of ponies nor while she was being groomed by Rarity and Fluttershy, but now it was all starting to hit her.

She wasn't ready for this. She was too young, too inexperienced. She still had so much to see, so many things to learn before she would even be close to prepared to even teach a class at her old school, let alone run a country. This was all happening way too fast!

She had begun to hyperventilate and was seriously thinking of just teleporting out of there when a familiar voice brought her back to reality. "Twilight!"

"Spike?" Her number-one assistant, eyes full of tears, ran over to her as quickly as his stubby legs could carry him and threw his arms around her neck. She sat in shock for a few seconds before pulling him closer with one of her hooves. "Thanks, Rainbow," she mused as she saw the pegasus posing in the doorway behind them.

"I wouldn't leave ya hangin', Twi."

"Let's leave them alone, shall we?" Quill-Pen muttered as she walked by Rainbow Dash, nudging her back towards the Throne Room. "Come on, I'll show you where you're sitting."

"Lead the way!"

Twilight ignored the back-and-forth, instead letting the calming effect of Spike's company wash over her.

After holding her silently for nearly a minute, he finally burst out. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"I'm sorry, Spike," she murmured back, "it's just-"

"I know why you did it. Just don't do it again," Spike interrupted, burying his face into Twilight’s chest as he spoke.

The pair sat in silence for a few more minutes, content to just be in the other's presence.

"...Thanks, Spike."

"For what?"

"For reminding me that I'm not alone," Twilight whispered to him. She gave him one last squeeze then pulled away. "Why don't you go sit down? I'm sure the girls saved you a seat right next to Rarity!" His eyes lit up as he ran off, leaving Twilight alone.

She closed her eyes again and raised her head to the ceiling, taking a deep breath. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready, but that didn't matter. She had been taught to be the best, by the best. Sure, she was nervous- no terrified- of this burden fate placed upon her, but there were hundreds- thousands, even- of ponies depending on her to step up. Celestia had trusted that she could do this, so she had to trust that she could as well, as hard as it may be. Sure, she'd make mistakes, but that's how you learned.

Trumpets sounded from the throne room. It was starting.

Everything's fine. Everything'll go fine.

The flowing, masculine voice of Prime Minister Sterling Sea permeated the air. "Mares and Gentlecolts, today we are gathered to bear witness to an event none of us had ever thought we'd see. Today, a new princess will ascend to the throne of Equestria to lead us into a new era full of peace and prosperity."

"The pony we speak of," Luna's voice chimed in, "was discovered by the late Princess Celestia in a most unusual fashion. At the center of one of the most powerful magical flares ever recorded, Celestia found a small filly we all know as Twilight Sparkle and took the young pony under her wing as her protégé and apprentice. In Twilight Sparkle, Celestia found not just a powerful magician, but a kind, affectionate, curious, and very intelligent pony. She found a pony who deeply reminded her of, more than anything else, herself."

Twilight felt a wet drop running down her cheek. Luna, this is too much.

"Since becoming the late Princess' student," Sterling Sea continued on, "Twilight Sparkle has gained the respect and admiration of nearly every professor at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, earning record-breaking marks in every class she took. She even took the initiative to sit in on hundreds of sessions of Royal Court."

"But that is not all she accomplished under my sister's tutelage. Two years ago she was sent to Ponyville, where she learned the true value of friendship. With these new friends, she has saved Equestria from catastrophe multiple times," a low murmur ran through the crowd, "and in the process changed from a secluded scholar to a true social butterfly and has become one of Ponyville's most beloved citizens." Another excited murmur. Nearly all of Equestria knew of Twilight the heroine, but it had never occurred to Twilight that she was practically a legend. Nopony knew of the simple facets of her life that made her, well, her! "She has even shown unheard-of compassion, going so far as to extend a hoof in friendship to me when nopony else would and has since become my dearest friend. As such, I beseech you to love her as you loved my sister. Now, Twilight Sparkle, step forward!"

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Oh please let me be able to do this.

She felt her hooves moving, though she wasn't actually sure she was the one controlling them. Her vision narrowed. She was acutely aware of the crowd’s judging gaze, but she could only see Luna's face. The Princess wore a stern, emotionless expression, though her eyes were filled with an overwhelming medley of feelings. Twilight found herself standing face-to-face with the regal mare, heart racing, mind numb. The crowd was deathly silent, nopony willing to break the sacred silence.

"Twilight Sparkle. You have been named by my sister, Celestia, Princess of the Sun, as sole heir to her throne. Do you accept the burden laid before you?"

"Yes," Twilight’s voice announced. Was somepony speaking in her voice? No, it was Twilight herself speaking. She was doing this. She wasn't ready for this, nor was she sure she wanted it, but she had made her decision. There was nopony here who could force her to go through with this, not Luna, not even Celestia.

With a renewed confidence, she stared straight into Luna's eyes and said with more force, "Yes I do."

"Do you vow, for the rest of your days, to serve the ponies of Equestria as they will serve you? To lead them through suffering and prosperity? To commit yourself, body, mind, and spirit to ensuring a brighter future for all?"

This is it, no turning back now. "I do."

"Then kneel," Luna proclaimed, levitating a heart-wrenchingly familiar headpiece towards Twilight.

Twilight did as Luna said, kneeling on her forelegs, bowing her head reverently.

"With the power granted to me by the Creator and the ponies of Equestria, I crown thee Twilight Sparkle, Princess of the Sun and of Equestria." Twilight gasped softly as a light weight was placed gently just behind her horn. "Rise, Princess Twilight Sparkle and present yourself to our subjects."

A cacophony of cheers erupted, as if all of Canterlot- all of Equestria- was voicing their joy at the moment. One ancient monarch had passed on, yet a fresh-faced young mare stood up to the challenge before her and took the reins.

A new princess has been crowned.

Twilight pushed herself back to her hooves and smiled out at the roaring sea of faces staring back at her. There were so many things she wanted to be feeling. She wanted to be humbled by the opportunity before her or to be nervous at the task she had accepted. What she wanted most was to be sad at the terrible way fate had given her this gift; but to be completely and brutally honest with herself, she really felt like she had just got her cutie mark all over again.

Chapter 5

Let's play 'Find the Easter Egg!'

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie, f0xhole, and Nanomight.

Nineteen hours after the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle

Twilight was nestled in the steaming water, relaxing in her bath, when Quill-Pen burst into the bathroom. “You’re awake?” the older mare gasped overenthusiastically.

“The sun rising without you having to remind me didn’t clue you in? How long is it going to be before you let me forget about yesterday morning?” Twilight groaned.

“Probably until you bury me,” Quill-Pen quipped with a mischievous smirk.

“Great,” Twilight muttered while working the last bit of suds from her mane.

“I’ll admit you do look better than you did yesterday. Sound better too,” Quill-Pen murmured with an air of sincerity. She sauntered over to the side of the bathtub and sat down. “So are you feeling any better?”

Twilight hung her head and started making circles on the surface of the water with her hoof. “I'm not hung over if that’s what you mean. Whether I feel better about Celestia... Well, it seems to change every couple of hours. I’ll feel fine one moment, then the next I miss her so much that I want to cry.”

“That’s called a ‘mood swing’; it happens when you lose somepony you love.”

Twilight’s eyes flickered over towards her new assistant with a glare. “I know.”

“Well, don’t make open-ended statements if you don’t want an answer,” Quill-Pen shot back, sticking out her tongue. “So, how does it feel being princess now?”

“I don’t think it’s actually hit me yet... that I’m a princess, I mean. I still feel the same as always and yesterday felt more like a graduation than anything else, what with everypony congratulating me,” Twilight whispered. “Maybe I’m just in shock...”

“Or maybe it feels right. Like this was the way it was always meant to be,” Quill-Pen mused reassuringly.

“Maybe... So, I take it you’re here to tell me about my day?” Twilight chirped, hoping the change of subject might lift her mood.

“If you like.”

“Lay it on me,” Twilight replied while feeling around the bottom of the tub for the drain’s plug. She found it and kicked it open with her back hoof, letting the water out.

“Alright. First off, your friends are heading back to Ponyville today, so I organized a nice breakfast for all of you in the private dining room. Princess Luna, on the other hoof, will be unable to attend. She sent her regrets.”

“Oh, really? Why?” Twilight moaned as she finished drying herself off.

“I’m not sure, actually. She never said,” Quill-Pen replied, following Twilight out of the bathroom. “Regardless, she won’t be there. Once we see your friends off, you will have a meeting with the cabinet for about three hours, after which we will break for an hour-long lunch at noon. Then, you’ll be holding a question-and-answer session in the Throne Room for the nobility and some of Equestria’s more well-off commonponies for the rest of the afternoon.”

“WHAT? What could have possibly possessed you to schedule something like that on my first day?” Twilight moaned, struggling to slip into the last of her jeweled shoes.

Quill-Pen levitated Twilight’s golden tiara onto Twilight’s head to complete the Royal Attire before continuing. “More often than not, the nobles are more trouble than they’re worth, but many of them aren’t willing to test their luck harassing their princess and have what they consider to be legitimate concerns. It’ll be easier just to play ‘Twenty Questions’ with them now than for your schedule to be cluttered with all of their individual petitions later. You’ll get plenty of stupid questions, sure, but simply answering said questions will do wonders towards staving off later problems.”

“Alright, I guess that makes sense,” Twilight replied with a hint of a groan. “Will I at least have you there to give me a hoof?”

“Yes. I’ll be right at your side to keep them from getting too unruly and I’ve made sure that each Minister in your cabinet will either be attending or sending their Deputy to help answer the tougher questions. You’ll be covered,” Quill-Pen said with a grin. She opened the bedroom door for Twilight and followed her princess out. The pair trotted down several flights of stairs before finding Fluttershy waiting for them outside of the dining room.

“Twilight! You’re here!” the yellow pegasus exclaimed in what amounted to a murmur from anypony else.

“Good morning, Fluttershy. How’s Spike?” Twilight replied back after giving her friend a quick hug.

“Oh, he’s much better now. I’m sorry for taking him away last night. I know you wanted him to stay with you, but I really wanted to keep him with me for observation,” Fluttershy squeaked apologetically. “You know, just to make sure he wasn’t still sick.”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy. I actually really appreciate you taking care of him like that. Thank you,” Twilight replied with a grin. She then continued in a jokingly serious voice, “So, Dr. Fluttershy, what’s the diagnosis?”

“He’s okay,” Fluttershy giggled, “just make sure he goes to bed early tonight.”

“I’ll do that. Is everypony already inside?”

“Oh! Yes. We were all waiting for you,” Fluttershy gasped. She pushed the door open to let Twilight in. She found all four of her other friends, along with Spike, seated around the table with a printed banner that said ‘Congratulations Princess Twilight!’ hanging overhead. Fluttershy frowned at the new addition to the room before speaking. “Pinkie, I was out there for three minutes. Where did you-”

“Ya know better than to ask, sugarcube.”

“Oh, right,” Fluttershy muttered as she and Twilight took their seats at the table.

The waitstaff brought out the food and the breakfast conversations commenced much like they always did. AJ and Rainbow began shouting over which one of them was better at some arbitrary task, Rarity berated Pinkie Pie on her lack of table manners, Spike, as always, took Rarity’s side and joined in the lecture, and Fluttershy flitted between the two arguments, trying to calm both situations.

Twilight, however, just ate silently with a content smile on her face. She knew in her heart that this was probably the last time she would be able to join them like this for a while, but she wasn’t going to let that ruin it for her. She knew that even if her friends weren’t going to be in Canterlot with her, they were still her friends and were only a short train ride away. So she sat, taking it all in.

It seemed to be over all too soon when Quill-Pen announced that it was time to start wrapping things up.

“Hold on a second!” Rainbow blurted out, cutting off the older pony. “Spike said he needed to talk to Twilight, in private, before we left.”

“What?” Twilight asked, completely bewildered. “Spike’s staying here, why would he have to talk with me before you guys left?”

“Well, he said it was important...” Rainbow trailed off when she noticed the dragon glaring at her. “Actually, I’ll just let him tell you.”

“Alright,” Twilight muttered, “come on, Spike, we can talk in the hall.” She stood up and led her number-one assistant out of the room. They walked a short distance before she turned to face him, frowning inwardly at the grave expression on his face. “So, what’s wrong, Spike?”

“I just gotta know, Twilight,” he snarled, not looking her in the eye. “You knew when you agreed to be princess that we’d have to move back to Canterlot, and you were okay with that, but did you ever stop to ask yourself whether I’d be okay with it?”

“What do you mean, Spike?”

“All of my friends are in Ponyville, Twilight! All of our friends are in Ponyville,” he said, raising his voice slightly. “What if I didn’t want to move back to Canterlot? Why didn’t you ask me? Did you even care?”

“Of course I did, Spike!” she replied guiltily. “There were just other things I had to-”

“Don’t give me that!” he interrupted, fully shouting now. “Tell me the truth! Did you think about what I might’ve wanted? Even once?”

“...No, Spike. I guess I didn’t,” she murmured tearfully. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you so mad at me all of a sudden?” Twilight whined to him. “Yesterday you were so happy to see me!”

“Yesterday I was just happy to see you alive,” he replied, seething with frustration. Twilight could feel a tightness growing in her chest when she noticed the tears in the corners of his eyes.

“I’m really sorry, Spike...”

“So, what now?” he growled, no longer shouting, but obviously not yet calm.

Twilight was silent for what seemed to her like an eternity. “Well, I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to, Spike,” she replied softly. “I guess the best thing I can do is let you choose where you want to stay.”

“So that’s it, huh?”

“What?” she squealed, reeling at the venom in his voice.

“Your first big decision as princess, and you can’t even be bothered to make it yourself? You’re going to just pass the responsibility off?” he snarled, his face contorting viciously.

“What? Spike, no, that’s not what I-”

“You’re not going to ask me to stay with you, or something? I guess that shows just how much I mean to you. You don’t need me anymore now that you’ve got Quill-Pen,” he interrupted, his claws balled into fists.

“That’s not it! You’re still my number-one assistant! The seneschal’s just a big job and-”

“And what? You can’t have me get in the way?”

“Spike, I don’t understand why you’re so angry! Please-” Twilight cried, desperately searching for some clue as to why he would be so angry with her.

“That’s just it, you don’t understand!” he screamed, a small jet of flames slipping from his mouth. “After all we’ve been through together, you couldn’t be bothered to even tell me what Celestia asked you to do? Then I had to find out from Luna that I might lose you? What would’ve happened if you died? You never even gave me the chance to say goodbye!”

“Spike...”

“I’ve had enough of this, Princess.” At that, he spun around and ran back to the dining room, leaving the confused and shell shocked Twilight sitting alone in the hallway. “I’m going to go see if one of the girls will let me stay with them. At least they still care about me!”

Thirty minutes later, Twilight sat in what was officially called ‘the War Room’, though it had not been used for that particular purpose for centuries. Now, it was simply the mid-sized meeting room where Cabinet meetings were held. The full Cabinet had been assembled; every Minister and Deputy Minister now sat at the large circular table, chatting amongst themselves as they waited for the meeting to commence.

The girls, having realized the gravity of what had transpired between Spike and Twilight from the expressions the pair wore, had given her simple, worried goodbyes before leaving the palace towards home, leaving Twilight feeling alone and empty inside.

“Twilight, listen,” Quill-Pen whispered to her from her side, “I know you’re hurting, but I — we — need you to be strong right now. This meeting is more important than I can say, and you can’t afford to make a bad impression.” Quill-Pen put a hoof on Twilight’s cheek and turned her Princess’ head so that they were eye-to-eye. “We can do something about Spike later, but for now you have an entire nation still reeling from the loss of its beloved leader. Its ponies need their new princess to step up and guide them.”

“I know, I know...” Twilight muttered sadly. “It’s just that we’ve fought before, but nothing like this. I’ve never seen him so upset before. I really don’t know what to do!”

“Would you like my advice?”

“Please.”

“Just let him be for the moment,” Quill-Pen replied. When Twilight opened her mouth to retort, she shook her head and continued. ”Give him some time to cool off, and trust in your friends, they won’t let anything happen to him. If you want, we can take some time over lunch to write each of them a letter explaining everything.

“I think I’d like that,” Twilight whispered, smiling for the first time since before the argument.

“Good. Now, before we begin, take a look at this,” Quill-Pen snickered as she slid a sheet of paper over to Twilight. “Before you ask, it’s a list of which cabinet members are from noble families and which aren’t. When they’re sworn in, they’re all required to take oaths to not use their position to advance the interests of their Houses, but you know as well as I do that they don’t always follow that oath.”

“Why give me this, though?” Twilight muttered, eyeing the list suspiciously. “And aren’t you a noble yourself?”

“My House disowned me long before Celestia asked me to be her seneschal. They’ve been kicking themselves ever since, but I wouldn’t have helped them get ahead anyway,” Quill-Pen chuckled. “As to why: I figure it’ll be helpful to know who you’re dealing with. Even the most honest among your Cabinet have ulterior motives, knowing which are nobles and from which House they are gives you a leg-up. Lets you nip any power plays they may try to make in the bud, so to speak.”

Twilight scanned the list carefully, taking in every detail.

Prime Minister Sterling Sea- Earth Pony Stallion- Born to an affluent non-noble family.

Deputy Prime Minister Edifying Scrolls- Unicorn Mare- Disowned noble of House Huffy, married into House Frazzleberry.

Minister of the Army Gen. Ironside- Unicorn Stallion- Member of House Dawnhammer, was in line to become House Dawnhammer’s next patriarch, but gave up the honor to become a Minister.

Deputy Minister of the Army Maj. Gen. Flitwing- Pegasus Mare- Commoner.

Minister of the Interior Open Plains- Unicorn Mare- Commoner.

Deputy Minister of the Interior Sound Mind- Unicorn Mare- Noble of House Highbrow.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharp Tongue- Unicorn Stallion- Noble of House Two-Bent

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Silverhoof- Earth Pony Mare- Noble of House Bullion

Minister of Justice Heavy Hoof- Earth Pony Stallion- Born to an affluent non-noble family.

Deputy Minister of Justice Quick Wit- Pegasus Mare- Disowned member of House Blueblood.

Minister of Agriculture Nourishing Hoard- Earth Pony Mare- Noble of House Farsight

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Orange Peel- Earth Pony Stallion- Commoner.

Minister of the Weather Windweaver- Pegasus Mare- Noble of House Skydancer.

Deputy Minister of the Weather Cloud Gazer- Unicorn Stallion- Self-made affluent non-noble.

“Wow, this is great,” Twilight squealed, barely managing to keep her voice at a whisper. “I think this’ll really come in handy.”

“I thought so too. Now, let’s get on with this.” The seneschal caught Prime Minister Sterling Sea’s attention and gave him a nod. He responded by loudly banging a gavel on the table.

“I call this meeting to order!” he bellowed, causing almost everypony to jump in their seats. “Before we begin, I’d like to note that this gathering was called to bring Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle, up to speed on the more important events in Equestria. As such, the only policy discussions that are to take place are those I personally approved last night.” He glanced around at each member of the Cabinet sternly before turning to Twilight and addressing her with a softer expression. “Because this meeting will be less consequential than most others, I would like to, with Your Highness’ permission, take things along a little less formally than usual. Skipping role-call, neglecting the usual time structure, not taking minutes, and such.”

Twilight gave him a quick smile and nodded her assent.

“Perfect. First order of business-”

“Are we just going to ignore the pink minotaur in the room?” Every head in the room turned towards the source of the annoyed voice, Minister Sharp Tongue. “Are we just going to pretend that we are all fine with working for this overcredulous little filly? This is outrageous!”

“Minister, that is completely unfair!” Edifying Scrolls bellowed back, standing up with her front hooves on the table. “Whether we think she’s qualified or not, she is now our princess. If you think she’s unfit for the job, then perhaps you should work to make her fit, rather than whine like a schoolcolt!”

“How dare you! I will not abide by this-”

“ENOUGH!” Sterling Sea shouted with enough force to shake several of the paintings hanging on the wall. “Minister Sharp Tongue, I believe that Princess Luna said that anypony who objected to the ascension of Princess Twilight was free to resign with no consequences, so if you believe yourself unable to fulfill your duties to the crown then leave now. Otherwise, I’ll remind you that any attempts to subvert the authority of the Princesses, including deliberately halting the functioning of the government, is considered treason, a crime which is handled not by the Equestrian Law Enforcement Agency, but by the Royal Guard. In other words, if you are arrested for such a thing, you won’t be sitting in one of your friend Heavy Hoof’s cushy jail cells, but one of General Ironside’s dungeons!”

Sharp Tongue gaped at the Prime Minister for several seconds, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water, before his eyes flickered over to Ironside. The old soldier responded by giving the younger stallion a grin that radiated malicious intent. It was more than enough to cow Sharp Tongue into submission. “...Objection withdrawn.”

“Do some of them really hate me that badly?” Twilight whispered aside to Quill-Pen.

“Well, no, not exactly,” the seneschal whispered back. “Some of them really dislike you, but for the most part any arguments are simply old rivalries flaring up. What you just saw was normal in meetings Celestia didn’t attend in pony. They tended to forget their manners when she wasn’t watching them.”

“Now, as I was saying before the interruption, the first order of business is discussion of the budget. Minister Open Plains?”

“Thank you, Prime Minister,” an off-white unicorn voiced, “but Miss Sound Mind went over the budget with the Princess the day before yesterday, and as you said policy changes and proposals are not in the scope of this meeting. Thus, unless Her Highness has any questions for the two us, we’ve nothing to discuss for the moment.” She gave Twilight an expectant smile and nodded politely.

“I think I’m alright for now,” Twilight chirped back, glad for the distraction from her thoughts of Spike. “Just let me know when you-” She was interrupted by the sound of somepony clearing their throat. “Oh, right! Let Quill-Pen know when you want to talk about specifics. I keep forgetting that I’m not allowed to make my own schedule anymore,” she quipped sarcastically.

“Very well,” Sterling Sea stated plainly with a somewhat surprised look on his face. He continued with the tone of a news anchor announcing the next segment. “Moving on then, the weather report! Windweaver?”

“That stopped being funny years ago, Sterling,” a petite, forest-green pegasus grumbled before turning to Twilight. “With all due respect, Your Highness, don’t expect me to fawn over you the way the rest of my kind have just because the Wonderbolts said you were satisfactory. I wouldn’t expect somepony who was a unicorn less than a month ago to understand how our work is done, so just let my ponies do their jobs. WHAT IS IT CLOUD GAZER?” She wheeled around on her Deputy who had been prodding her in the side.

“Well, ma’am, if you had read the transcript of Spitfire’s speech, like I asked you to, you’d know that the Wonderbolts endorsed her because Spitfire saw Princess Twilight Sparkle demonstrate that she possesses impressive meteorological knowledge firsthoof.”

Twilight found herself hypnotized by the vein pulsing in the angry pegasus’ temple, but was snapped back to attention by Ironside’s rumbling voice. “Don’t forget, missy, that just because we have neglected recently to enforce the laws about speaking to the Princesses with respect doesn’t mean they are not still on the books. Address Her Highness like that again and I might let it slip to Shining Armor that you’re bullying his little sister. I’m sure he’d have no problem reinstating the enforcement of that piece of legislation.”

The humiliated mare sputtered at Ironside incomprehensibly, then sat down, front legs crossed and an angry pout plastered across her face.

“Okay... Well now that we’ve got that settled, I think we should change the subject,” Sterling Sea said exasperatedly. “Let’s see... Princess, how much do you know about Equestrian Criminal Law and the functioning of the Ministry of Justice?”

Not used to being addressed by the title she had used affectionately as a nickname for her mentor not more than a month ago, it took a moment for Twilight to realize she was the one being spoken to. Caught off-guard, her librarian side kicked in and she began rapidly quoting one of the many, many books she had read on the subject. “The Royal Codex of Equestrian Law is five-hundred thirty-two pages long and encompasses the descriptions of, and punishments for, every manner of crime in Equestria from simple criminal mischief to more serious-”

“Good! Thank you, Your Highness,” the Prime Minister interrupted apologetically. “I take it this means we won’t have to listen to Heavy Hoof ramble on about the ‘graceful complexities’ of the courts. Let’s skip on to Foreign Affairs.”

Twilight let her gaze linger on Minister Heavy Hoof, who was glaring at Sterling Sea with the utmost contempt for a couple seconds, before turning towards Sharp Tongue. The salmon-colored unicorn turned to her and spoke in a voice dripping with false sincerity. “Very well. There is nothing to report on an international scale, Your Highness. Over the past week we have received messages from every nation expressing their condolences for the loss of Princess Celestia and their prayers for the future of our nation, but nothing of importance has occurred. I’ll let you know right away should something come up.”

“...Wait, that’s it?” Twilight asked, completely bewildered. “I’m not going to be meeting with any envoys or anything like that?”

“Such things are not really necessary, Your Highness,” Deputy Minister Silverhoof replied dismissively. “A couple of the nations have requested audiences, but there is no reason that you-”

“Necessary or not, I’d like to speak with the ambassadors from the other nations,” Twilight interrupted. “If I’m going to be negotiating with our neighbors, I’d like to get off on the right hoof with them, and snubbing their representatives is not the way to do that!”

The pair of Foreign Affairs ponies seemed completely taken aback by Twilight’s sudden assertiveness and simply stared at her. Sharp Tongue spoke up first, “I assure you, Princess, that it is nothing that-”

“I don’t think I’m hearing you right,” Quill-Pen cut in with a blatantly fake expression of confusion on her face. “I just heard our new Princess ask something of you, but my ears must be tricking me! It almost sounds like you are refusing a perfectly reasonable, and easy to fulfill, request! I just know that you wouldn’t do such a thing!”

Sharp Tongue could only gape as he was blindsided by this new line of attack. Silently admitting defeat, he responded with a barely-hidden sneer. “I will immediately send word to the other nations that Your Highness wishes to entertain foreign envoys to discuss the future of our international relationships. Requests for audiences will be forwarded to Quill-Pen as they come in. Is that satisfactory?”

“Erm, yes,” Twilight muttered just loudly enough for everypony assembled to hear. She definitely didn’t like the amount of arguing that had taken place already, but from what Quill-Pen had said, it was almost unavoidable. I’d better get this moving so I can get out of here. “So, who’s next?” she asked Sterling Sea.

“I am, Your Highness,” Ironside called from across the table. “In the past two weeks we’ve increased the troop levels posted at our border and the number of patrols around Canterlot. Short story even shorter, we’ve got Equestria locked down pretty tight, so we should be able to resolve any security problems that might arise fairly quickly. Our citizens may feel a bit lost without Princess Celestia, but that’s no reason for them to act like a pack of drunken fratcolts. You worry about settling into your new job and keeping things running smoothly, Princess; I promise to keep your ponies safe. That being said, I appointed Shining Armor as the official Royal Liaison, so feel free to talk to him about military concerns if you don’t want to talk to me.”

“Oh,” Twilight squeaked. “Okay, then. I appreciate that.”

“Just a minute! Why is it perfectly fine for him to tell you to stay out of his business, but it’s a crime when I do it?” Windweaver screeched. “That’s awful hypocritical!”

Twilight looked between the two Ministers, her mind churning for a tactful way to defuse the situation. “Well, when I was Celestia’s student, I was always afraid of him because of how strict he always was. No matter what he wouldn’t accept anything but perfection from me, or anypony else for that matter. That and I really don’t know anything about the army aside from what my brother’s told me, so I really don’t think I should interfere with it at all... I guess I just trust him to do his best for me and for Equestria.” Twilight looked Ironside in the eyes and gave him a timid grin. “If he’s going to give me his word that he’ll keep Equestria safe and sound, then I believe him.”

“It’s a soldier’s oath, Your Highness. I’ll keep your forces running as efficiently as they always have, and if something goes wrong, you and Princess Luna will be the first to know.”

“Okay!” Twilight quipped. “I leave all matters pertaining to the military in General Ironside’s hooves.” She again turned to Sterling Sea, “What’s next?”

“Well, the last thing we have is actually a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, jointly authored by the Ministry of the Weather. I believe Deputy Minister Orange Peel will be giving the presentation?”

“Yep. If I can have your collective attention,” a bright orange stallion exclaimed in what was a more refined version of Applejack’s accent. He slid a stack of papers across the table to Twilight, who picked it up with her magic and placed it neatly in front of herself. “Mares and gentlecolts, esteemed Princess Twilight Sparkle, over this past winter some strange weather patterns did quite a bit of damage to various pieces of farmland across Equestria. Now, we were able to overcome most of it, but our weather researchers noticed a few strange occurrences and a rather odd and lucrative opportunity has been revealed as a result. By making minor adjustments to our climate, we currently have the ability to permanently increase the output of Equestria’s largest crop, wheat, by 4%, at the cost of a decrease of our apple output by 5%.”

“Wait! Say that again,” Twilight interrupted, knowing full well that she heard him correctly the first time.

“4% more wheat, Your Highness, 5% fewer apples,” he explained with a smile.

“And why would we want that?”

“I realize that the percentages may sound bad,” he replied, “but I assure you that in terms of weight, the increase in wheat production would more than make up for the loss in apple production. In the end, Equestria would produce more food overall by accepting this proposal.”

“But a lot of families depend on their apple crops for their income!”

“And even more families depend on the wheat crop to feed their families, Your Highness. Increased wheat production would do much to combat hunger and poverty across Equestria.”

“Oh, right...” Twilight grumbled. He was right, of course, but the Apple family was always succeeding by the skin of their teeth. Losing even a fraction of their harvest would really hurt them financially and how many other families would feel the same pain from such a large change? “Orange Peel, you said that wheat is Equestria’s largest crop, what’s our second largest?”

“Apples, ma’am.”

Darn. She looked down at the stack of papers in front of her. “These documents... Is this the description of the proposal? With all the related charts and tables?” He nodded to her with a proud smile. “Alright, let me go over this first. Ummm, everypony who’s not involved in this can leave.”

Ironside, Sharp Tongue, Heavy Hoof, and their respective Deputies all stood up, gave short bows and left, as Twilight began to scan the pages. Forty-five minutes later, she felt no closer to making a decision than she had been when she had started reading.

“Orange Peel, increasing the wheat yield will make the prices of all wheat-derived products go down, correct?”

“In theory, Your Highness.”

“What do you mean ‘in theory’?”

“Market forces would have the largest factor. The only thing I can guarantee is that prices won’t rise.”

“But apple prices’ll go up?”

“Most definitely.”

Twilight groaned and glanced back down at the graphs she had laid out in front of her. “But rising apple prices would hurt thousands of ponies and I don’t want to force that on them without giving them something back! Uhhh, Minister Open Plains, is it possible to ensure that wheat prices drop if this plan is enacted?”

Open Plain’s head snapped up from the book she had been reading and her eyes fluttered to meet Twilight’s. “Errr, yes? I mean it is possible, but we’d have to force the price to drop considerably and the wheat farmers would take a sizable hit to their profits...”

“No, no, that’s no good. I can’t punish the wheat farmers for doing a good job. How about a slight drop in prices?”

“Well, even if prices were to drop slightly, most wheat farmers would still see an increase in revenue from last year solely from the increased output,” Sound Mind muttered from Open Plains’ side, “but consumers would see little change. But if Your Highness really has her heart set on appeasing the plebeians, you can cut the amount of money that the retailers are allowed to take by instituting a penalty tax when they charge more than a certain amount.”

“Well, maybe...” Twilight thought about the suggestion. At first it seemed like a good one, but then the image of a bouncy pink pony holding a pair of foals forced its way into her mind. The Cakes’ twins would be having their first birthday soon. What kind of birthday present is making their parents worry about their futures? And there was Pinkie Pie; would the Cakes be able to afford keeping her around?

Her thoughts then floated to another pony: Mr. Filthy Rich. His grandfather had helped build Ponyville by being the middlestallion between the Apples and the rest of Equestria. How many new towns would fail if she told ponies like him that they weren’t allowed to do what they do?

“No. No, that wouldn’t be right either,” Twilight grunted, pounding her hoof on the table. “Can either of you two think of a way where everypony benefits? From the farmers to the consumers?”

Open Plains and Sound Mind stared at each other for a few seconds before turning back to Twilight.

“Well, it would require quite a bit of extra work from all three of us,” Sound Mind mused, “but with proper levies, we should be able to cause the retail price of wheat products to fall by several bits while still allowing our retailers and farmers to see a marginal increase in profit. However, doing so will make a lot of business ponies very unhappy with our interference. They don’t take kindly to us telling them how much they can buy and sell for.”

“Can it be done, though?”

“Yes, Princess, so long as you’re willing to make the extra effort to see it through with us,” Open Plains replied with a nod. “Keep in mind though that this is one of the few times this would work and everypony might expect you to enact something like this more often, even when doing so would be disastrous.”

“Well, I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it,” Twilight proclaimed with more confidence than she felt.

“...That still leaves the apple shortage,” Minister Nourishing Hoard murmured, speaking up for the first time that day.

“I know,” Twilight groaned. She shuffled through the papers yet again, hoping to see something, anything, that would change the situation. She found nothing. Here was her first policy decision, forcing her to choose between keeping her friends happy, or making thousands of ponies across Equestria happy. She felt stuck.

…

I’m so, so, sorry, Applejack... “Do it,” she muttered.

“Come again?” Sound Mind’s voice floated from across the table.

“Do it. Equestria needs this. Just please, please do everything you can to minimize the damage to the apple farms. It wouldn’t be fair to ask them to sacrifice themselves for everypony else.”

“We don’t have quite enough money to pay for the entirely of their losses, but I suppose we could siphon some bits from other parts of the budget to increase subsidies to apple farmers,” Sound Mind offered. “Again, it won’t completely cover the damage, but it’ll help ease the burden.”

“We could also apply the extra tax revenue generated by the increased wheat production towards researching a way to restore apple production to its current levels,” Orange Peel said thoughtfully.

“Can we do both?” Twilight asked nopony in particular. She was met with a chorus of affirmative answers from everypony assembled. “Then I’d like to do that. If everypony could start on those two things immediately, I’d really appreciate it. The sooner we get to work, the quicker we’ll be able to help the apple farmers when things start to go bad for them.”

She was met with another round of approval and turned to Sterling Sea, who had been silently watching the whole discussion intently. “Very well,” he said with a grin. “Does anypony have anything else they’d like to bring up? ...No? Good! Meeting adjourned!” He banged his gavel down and everypony stood up to leave.

Twilight looked down to the papers on the table and began to reorganize them in an order she liked when Edifying Scrolls’ voice floated over to her, just loud enough for her to hear, “Not bad, Princess. Not bad at all.”

Encouraged, she stood up and turned to a smiling Quill-Pen.

“Ready to go to lunch, Princess?” the seneschal quipped.

“Yes. Yes I am,” Twilight said with a small grin. That morning had been the toughest in as long as she could remember, but as far as she was concerned, she had done just fine.

A/N: To those of you who submitted questions to be asked, due to RL time constraints, said questions will be used in the next chapter.

Chapter 7

A/N: Nanomight has decided to retire due to time constraints. I appreciate the effort he put in and wish him the best.

If you're reading this Nano, thanks for the help!

And: Five points to anyone who can correctly identify what type of economic philosophy and government the Gryphon Empire has. Negative five points to anyone who identifies it as its polar opposite.

Also: The delay was due to a combination of familial obligations and poor time management, the next one shouldn't take as long.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie and f0xhole.

Five days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“It was nice to see you, Zecora! Come visit again soon!” Twilight said to her friend as the zebra led her out the door.

“I must say, Twilight Sparkle, our meeting was quite fine! I assure you, the pleasure was entirely mine!” the zebra called back over her shoulder in her signature rhyme.

That went well, for once, Twilight mused to herself. Zecora had shown up several minutes early, bearing a letter confirming her appointment as Ambassador, as well as a large stack of paperwork containing everything from new trade proposals to military treaties. With each new proposal, Twilight felt her confidence grow; each one had been well-written, respectful, and most importantly, beneficial to both nations.

She stepped into the hallway outside the meeting room and stretched out with a pleasurable groan, contemplating taking a brisk walk before her next audience.

“I take it you had a nice time?” a male voice asked softly from somewhere to her left.

“Dad!” she squealed, turning around to face the stallion. She bounded over to him and pulled him into a tight hug. “What’re you doing here?”

“I meant to come see you earlier in the week, but I never got the chance,” he murmured to her as he returned her affectionate nuzzle. “So, what did the zebras want from us?”

“They just want to start trading with us more,” she explained after she released him. “They’ve planted a lot of new farmland recently and now have more food than they need, but since they live on a savannah, there’s a lot of things they can’t get for themselves and want to trade us their extra food for the things they need. It was actually a really easy negotiation since the vegetables they grow don’t go bad quickly, so we can use it to build up Equestria’s emergency stockpile, and they’re mostly asking for things like extra building materials and farm equipment, but that’s not the point. I actually feel like I’m getting something done for a change!”

“For a change? How bad could it be?”

“Ugh, you don’t know the half of it!” she groaned back. “Yesterday morning, I was forced to spend three hours listening to the heads of two noble houses argue over which one of their families had the mineral rights to some mountain up north that nopony’s ever heard of, then we took a break for lunch, then they argued for five more!”

“They wasted eight hours of your time?” he asked incredulously. “Isn’t that something the courts are supposed to handle?”

“Normally yes, but since they donate to the treasury regularly, they get to bring it to me instead!” she snapped with more than a bit of false enthusiasm. “The worst part about it was that in the end, neither of them owned the rights! After all that somepony went to the archives and found out that the mountain and all the land surrounding it is owned by Pinkie Pie!”

“Your friend from Ponyville? What’s a baker doing owning a whole mountain?” he chuckled, shaking his head.

“I don’t know, and I don’t really want to know,” she replied exasperatedly. “You’d think that that would be the end of it, but when Court resumes on Monday, I’m going to have to listen to petitions from every single noble house demanding that I seize the land from Pinkie since she’s not using it, and turn it over to them for development. I’ve already announced that I’ll be denying all of them, but I’m still required by law to listen to every single one.”

“Thank Celestia it’s Friday?” he snickered.

“Normally, yes, but princesses don’t even get weekend off. My schedule is completely full from now until next month!” she moaned, before taking a few calming breaths.

“Well, hang in there. Princess Celestia trained you well; you’ll do fine,” he responded with an encouraging smile.

“I know, it’s just frustrating,” she sighed. “Anyway... How’s mom?”

“She’s doing well! She just got recommended for a promotion at work, so she’s been skipping around the house for the past couple days,” he said with a smirk.

“Is she... still mad at me?” Twilight whispered, almost afraid of the answer.

“She was never mad, Twilight,” he replied, hugging her again. “She’s just hurt that you did something so risky without talking to her first.”

“...I really screwed up this time, didn’t I?”

“Yes and no,” he replied after a few thoughtful seconds. “You should’ve talked to her, even if it was to just say ‘I’m doing this no matter what you say about it’, but she’s still proud of you. We’re both proud of you,” he murmured to her.

A gruff masculine voice interrupted the pair with an angry shout. “Are you done wasting our time?” Twilight and her father looked down to hallway to see the gryphon ambassador and his entourage, beaks held arrogantly in the air.

“Looks like I better go,” Twilight’s father muttered, rolling his eyes. “I’ll visit again as soon as possible. I’ll even make sure to drag mom along next time.” He gave her one last hug and trotted off, leaving Twilight alone with her guests.

Twilight watched her father go before turning towards the ambassador. He approached her with his eyes narrowed derisively. “To think we would be meeting with you after the zebras of all nations! This will not be forgotten,” he growled to her.

“But there’s still five minutes left before I’m supposed to meet with you...” Twilight said. She didn’t appreciate his tone in the least, but she more so didn’t want to start the meeting off on the wrong hoof. “And you requested this time specifically.”

“You are new, so I’ll explain this once: the gryphons go second to none,” he snarled. Turning away, he sauntered past her into the meeting room without another word.

Oh this is going to be fun... She followed the grumpy creature in, trotted to the other side of the table and sat down across from him. “Since you’re here, we’ll start as soon as my seneschal gets here.”

“You mean to tell me—” he began indignantly

“Aaaand here she is!” Twilight interrupted. “Right on cue!” Twilight grinned nervously at Quill-Pen when she entered and waved her over. The older mare glanced between Twilight and the ambassador before shaking her head and moving silently to Twilight’s side.

The ambassador glared at the two of them distastefully for a few seconds before waving a talon to his entourage. The subordinate gryphons scrambled to place several unrolled scrolls in front of him. “Fine.” His eyes flicked down towards the scroll and back up to Twilight, then he spoke again. “The Empire is quite unhappy, to say the least. We have no less than thirty-one individual problems to address, however this meeting will only encompass three. I am to have dinner with the minotaur ambassador at quarter-after-six and will not be late; you may deal with the rest of the matters on your own time.”

“Wait, you’re going to-” Twilight began before she was interrupted by Quill-Pen nudging her in the side. She turned to Quill-Pen and raised a questioning eyebrow. Quill-Pen just shook her head, again, and motioned for Twilight to continue the meeting. “Alright,” she sighed. “What’s first?”

“Were you aware that the Empire has been in an economic low point for the past several years? No, of course you haven’t; the flow of information from within our borders is well-controlled,” he chuckled haughtily. “Regardless, Equestria must lower its tariffs and regulations for Gryphon businesses so that we may bring more money into the Empire.”

“Well, our regulations on foreign businesses are already rather lax, while it’s nearly impossible for Equestrians to profitably do business in the Empire,” Twilight replied quickly. “Things haven’t exactly been going bad around here, but losing Princess Celestia really damaged our economy. If we make things friendlier for you, we’re going to need something in return so that we don’t end up in the same situation.”

“Impossible,” he muttered dismissively. “Gryphon law is very clear on the matter: foreign businesses may only operate in Imperial territory under tight watch to prevent the subversion of our culture.”

“...We’ll see what we can do,” Twilight muttered unenthusiastically.

“I will not leave without a commitment,” he growled arrogantly.

“And I can’t promise anything without consulting my Ministers, who’ve all gone home for the day,” Twilight sneered back. “Again, we’ll see what we can do. Now you said you were in a hurry, so what’s next?”

“Yes, I am,” he grumbled in return. “The next concern the Empire has is with the recent activity of patrols near our common border. The Empire views any increase of troop strength near our land as a threat and will not treat this matter lightly. We expect some form of compensation.”

“Well, the only reason they’re there is because everypony got nervous when Princess Celestia died. If it makes you feel any better, we increased the number of patrols along every one of our borders, not just the one we share with you,” Twilight replied hopefully. The ambassador’s expression didn’t change. “But we’ll be returning the number of border guards we keep back to their normal levels over the next week or so.”

“And..?” he responded coldly.

“And I’ll let Minister Ironside know to give the Empire notice the next time he plans to increase border security? There’s not much else I can offer.”

“I can see that you won’t be offering any apology of physical substance,” the ambassador sighed. He lowered his head to check over his scroll and continued without looking up. “Very well, this brings us to our final issue, for tonight at least. The succession announcement stated that you inherited not only the throne, but control over the sun as well, correct?”

“Yes, Princess Celestia passed her ability to raise and lower the sun to me.”

“Indeed,” he stated matter-of-factly. “The Empire has determined this outcome unacceptable and requires that you relinquish control of the sun and moon immediately.”

“WHAT?” Twilight and Quill-Pen shouted in unison.

“I’m- I can’t do that, I’m sorry,” Twilight stuttered to him.

“Ah, see you misunderstand me,” he declared with a chuckle. “You seem to be under the assumption that this is a request. This is not a request, this is an order. The Empire believes that allowing control of the sun to remain in the hooves of a chick, or foal, or whatever you call your young to be a foolish action.”

“So, what? You want me to give the sun over to Princess Luna? I suppose that it’s possible for me to pass the sun to whomever I wish,” Twilight growled, praying to herself that she was mistaken about his motives.

“No, we will not see the sun leave the care of a child only be placed into the care of a psychopath,” he responded, still not looking up from his scroll. “You will turn over the sun and moon to the Empire as quickly as time allows.”

“Well, how about this: I’ll form a council of representatives from all of the nations to govern the way the sun is wielded,” Twilight offered, knowing full well that she was only grasping at straws.

“No!” he screeched, looking up again and slamming a fist into the table. “The Emperor demands that you allow him to take control of the sun, and you will do it.”

“This isn’t a negotiation, this is a shakedown,” Quill-Pen snarled. “It’s not happening.”

“I suspected that you would refuse to listen to reason,” the ambassador murmured threateningly. “You should know that the Empire is truly concerned about this. We are more than willing to use force if necessary.”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight stuttered incredulously. “You’re threatening me?”

“No, no... The Empire is aware of your magical talents, and I am no fool. However our armies stand ready to act, if necessary,” he responded smugly. “You see-”

“You’re threatening an invasion, aren’t you?” Quill-Pen interjected. The ambassador’s silence was more than enough to confirm her fears. ”The Empire has never won a war with Equestria! You’d never be able to gain the support of Imperial citizens!”

“Yes, well remember those economic problems I mentioned earlier? They stem from a food shortage,” he retorted with a blatantly fake sigh. “You may not have noticed, but many of your outlying villages are poorly-defended. The Emperor’s subjects may not wish for war with Equestria, but a full stomach is a powerful motivator. Even if you are sure to win the war, are you willing to sacrifice so many of your own subjects?”

“You’re suggesting... Oh, that’s vile!” Quill-Pen snarled.

“To you, maybe...” he grinned sadistically at Twilight and took another scroll from one of his aides. He pretended to glance over it before looking directly at Twilight and speaking again. “Now, we’ve received news that your older brother recently married Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, who now rules the Crystal Empire. Were you aware that the train between Canterlot and the Crystal City travels within viewing distance of gryphon land? It would be such a shame for such a lovely creature to be stranded in the middle of a warzone...”

Twilight felt her blood run cold at the threat. No, Cadance! They wouldn’t!

“And you are friends with a Miss Rarity, yes? Did you know her parents rent a summer cottage near our territory? They visit with that young filly of theirs several times a year. Quite risky, if you ask me,” he said in a low, quiet voice, licking the tip of his beak as if thinking about a rich banquet. “So you see, Princess, you are-”

He stopped mid-sentence as a cloud of red-violet energy snaked its way around his throat. His aides all gave enraged shouts, before falling silent as the ambassador was lifted from his chair.

“You did not just say that,” Twilight whispered, her eyes blazing with fury. “Threatening me is one thing, but threatening the ponies that Princess Celestia trusted me to care for? Threatening my family? Threatening my friends? That I take very personally.” She released him, dropping the choking gryphon back into his seat.

“You— assailing a foreign dignitary is a grave breach of international etiquette!” he coughed. “You should begin to consider how you will apologize for this transgression, simply turning over the sun will not be suff—”

“WHAT I SHOULD DO IS HAVE YOU THROWN IN A DUNGEON FOR THE REST OF YOUR NATURAL LIFE!” she bellowed at him in her best imitation of the Royal Canterlot Voice, leaping onto the table and stomping across. Snout-to-beak with him, she continued, this time in a very low and hostile tone. “But what I’m going to do is simply kick you out of my country. You go back to your Emperor and tell him that if he ever tries something like this again, if a single Imperial soldier sets so much as one claw on Equestrian soil, I will personally fly right up to that capital of yours and pluck every single feather off of that inflated head of his. Got it?"

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good! Now. Get. Out. Of. My. Palace!”

Without missing a beat, the entire gryphon delegation was up and out the door, tails between their legs. As she watched them leave, Twilight felt her rage slowly subside, only to be replaced by a rapidly growing feeling of panic. “Oh no...”

“What is it, Twilight?” Quill-Pen asked, finally pulling her gaze away from the door the gryphons retreated through.

“I just started a war, didn’t I?” Twilight whispered heavily, her breathing becoming labored. “I’ve been a princess for less than a week and I’ve already started a war.”

“Relax, Twilight, you didn’t start a war,” Quill-Pen groaned. Having seen the signals countless times this week alone, she recognized that Twilight was about to lose her head.

“But I just threatened the Emperor himself! There’s no possible way that this won’t end without bloodshed! How can you be so calm?” Twilight shrieked, now fully hyperventilating.

“Because as tough as the gryphons act, they’re not as brave as they seem,” Quill-Pen explained, guiding Twilight off the table. “Princess Celestia may be gone, but her power still lives on through you, and that power was what usually kept them in line. They didn’t bow to the Princess and treat her ponies fairly out of respect, but because they were terrified of what she could do.”

“I know my history, Quill-Pen. The Empire has gone to war with Equestria seven times in the past thousand years, so don’t tell me that the gryphons were scared witless of Celestia,” Twilight snapped back.

“That’s because Princess Celestia made a point of not involving herself directly in international conflicts. You just made a promise to personally step in. That alone changes everything.”

“What?” Twilight gasped. “Wait, so you’re telling me that Princess Celestia could’ve stopped every one of the Gryphon Wars just by showing up? But thousands of ponies and gryphons died! Why would she just sit on the side and let it happen?”

“I don’t rightly know,” Quill-Pen murmured. “The past was always a bit of a sore spot for her, so I never asked her about it.”

“Okay...” Twilight sighed. “I still don’t know how you can be so calm about this! Everything I’ve ever read and seen about the gryphons told me that their pride is more important to them than anything, and I just stepped all over it. I might as well have wiped my feet on their flag and blew my nose on the Emperor’s robes!”

“Twilight, I’ve met the Emperor, and let me tell you that he is an absolute coward,” Quill-Pen responded, her frustration leaking into her voice. “He cares more about his own hide than he does about his people or his reputation, so as long as he believes you capable of carrying out the threat you just sent him, which you are, he’s not going to test you. I’d stake my life on it.”

“I still don’t know,” Twilight whined back, hanging her head. “What if-”

“I’ll tell you what,” Quill-Pen interrupted. “You go to dinner. You’re probably hungry, even if you don’t realize it, and some time to relax will do wonders for your state-of-mind. I’ll go have a word with our Foreign Affairs ponies and get them on standby to do some damage control in the event that I am for once, wrong, and this actually does get worse. How’s that?”

“Fine,” Twilight sighed. Knowing that Quill-Pen wasn’t actually planning on giving her the option of doing otherwise, she wandered out into the hallway. Moping lethargically, she dragged her hooves along the floor all the way to the dining room. Upon reaching her destination, she dragged herself over to the table, plopped down between the two ponies seated there, and rested her forehead against the table’s wooden surface, feeling completely pathetic.

“Rough day, dear?”

“It was awful, Rarity! The gryphons came in threatening war if I didn’t agree to turn the sun over to them. They even-” she stopped herself mid-sentence as her mind processed what she had just seen, heard and said. “Rarity? How..? What’re you doing here?” she squealed as she leapt up to hug her friend.

“Yes, it’s good to see you too!” the alabaster unicorn giggled. “But I think I’ll allow Princess Luna to explain why I’m here.”

“Luna?” Twilight sputtered as she turned to her fellow princess with a questioning expression. “You invited her here?”

“I did,” Luna murmured, a slight, pink tinge sneaking its way onto her cheeks.

“Not that I don’t appreciate it, but why?” Twilight asked, unable to hold back her grin.

“Well, to make a long story short, I’ve noticed over the past week that you’ve been rather miserable every time I’ve seen you, and Quill-Pen mentioned to me that you were having trouble adjusting to your new life,” Luna replied with a smirk. “I thought that the transition might go along a little... smoother if you had your friends around, so I sent an invitation for Miss Rarity to come to Canterlot.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Princess!” Rarity snickered softly. “Twilight, she came to Ponyville the night before last, gathered the five of us together, and told us that she was worried about you. She then practically begged for one us to come here and spend some time with you.”

“That is a rather embarrassing way to put it,” Luna groaned. “Though I suppose it’s the most accurate retelling.”

“Well, thank you! Thank you both!” Twilight responded happily. “One more thing, Rarity, how did you convince Dash to let you come instead of her? She was already pretty mad that she didn’t have a chance to give me those flying lessons she promised me when you girls went back to Ponyville on Monday; I can’t imagine she’d let you come to Canterlot instead without a fight.”

“I already had to come here tomorrow morning on a business trip anyway and was going to drop in for a surprise visit,” Rarity stated in her usual manner as she took a short sip of a black, strong-smelling tea. “It was just a matter of extending a weekend visit into a weeklong vacation. No trouble, really.”

“No trouble?!” Twilight stuttered. “Rarity, how is taking an unexpected vacation ‘no trouble’? Your shop already has a two-week waiting list!”

“Oh, Twilight, you’d be surprised how easy it is to find somepony to fill-in for you when the Princess asks for you to accompany her to Canterlot!” Rarity chuckled. “Aloe from the spa immediately offered to stay there by day to take orders and Fluttershy offered to do any emergency repair work that came in. Both of them told me flat-out that they would refuse payment, but I think we all know that I’m not going to let that happen.”

“Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense,” Twilight muttered. “So the others were alright with you coming here while they didn’t get to?”

“Well, funny story, that,” Rarity quipped. “Originally I was just going to stay until next Saturday morning, then Rainbow Dash would come out the following night to stay for a week of her own; probably to give you those flying lessons you mentioned. Do be careful with those, by the way. I know she means well, but considering how often she injures herself, I’d be lying to say I wasn’t nervous. Anyway, where was I... Oh yes! It was just going to be the two of us. Pinkie Pie, however, wasn’t too keen on that particular plan. She said something about it not being right, but I think she just misses you. So of course, she’s going to have her week as well.”

“So you, then Dash, then Pinkie. I like it! It’ll be nice to have somepony to talk to!” Twilight chirped. “Errr, aside from Luna, I mean. I love talking to you Luna, but you’re usually asleep all day,” Twilight added quickly, realizing the clumsiness of her initial statement.

“I understand, Twilight,” Luna said back with a sad sigh. “I truly wish I was able to spend more time with you as well, but since I cannot, I had hoped that this would suffice. It pleases me to see your spirits lifted so.”

“Continuing on... After Pinkie decided that she was going regardless of what anypony else had to say about it, she convinced Fluttershy into wanting to come for a week herself. After that, it wasn’t difficult to guilt-trip Applejack into agreeing to join in the fun, though she did make a fuss about ‘being forced to leave her farm’ in the middle of planting season,” Rarity snickered. “So there you have it! We’re all coming to visit you for a week, and you have Luna to thank for it!”

“That’s... I really don’t know what to say!” Twilight replied. “You two have just made me happier than I’ve been in... well I don’t know how long!”

“My pleasure, dear. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be heading to bed now. I must get up early tomorrow for breakfast with Hoity-Toity. He said he had something important to discuss with me, but refused to elaborate further,” Rarity grumbled with a frown. ”In the meantime, I’ve set up a meeting for you, Twilight, with a friend of mine who I think you’ll find most helpful. He’d like for you to meet him at the Highbrow Café in an hour, though he’s probably there now so feel free to show up early.”

With one last smile, Rarity stood up and sauntered out the door, leaving Twilight alone with Luna in silence. “Luna—”

“You do not need to continue thanking me, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna giggled softly. “I much prefer seeing you happy to the melancholy you’ve been wallowing in this past week.”

“Okay... But still, thank you,” Twilight murmured. The pair sat in silence for a few seconds, simply smiling sheepishly at each other. “Well, since it sounds like I’ll be meeting Rarity’s friend over dinner and I’m sort of hungry, I’m going to go now.”

“Ah, not quite yet,” Luna replied sternly. “First you will tell me of your meeting with the ambassador. The gryphons tend to make empty threats, but usually don’t act without provocation. You didn’t do anything to arouse their ire, did you?”

“Oh...” Twilight gulped. “Well, um...”

After a very long, and very uncomfortable, discussion with Luna, Twilight found herself strolling through the streets of Canterlot towards the establishment Rarity had instructed her to. Though she could have easily teleported to her destination, she felt that walking there would give her a much needed chance to clear her head. She resisted glaring upward at the pegasus member of the Royal Guard trying (and failing) to keep himself hidden in a cloud. When she had told the guards on duty that she was going out, they had insisted that a squad be allowed to accompany her. She had refused, but she knew that they had no intention of obeying that particular order; so for now, she pretended she didn’t notice.

And I thought it was bad when Princess Celestia was disappointed with me. Luna could’ve taught her a thing or two about making somepony feel ashamed... Come to think of it, she probably did.

She rounded the last corner before the Café, painfully aware that the eyes of everypony on the street were locked firmly on her. Gritting her teeth and bristling under the attention, she pushed her way through the Café’s front door and steeled herself for whatever disaster she was getting herself into this time.

She had barely made it past the threshold when a pained gasp rang out like a shot. “Oh my! Your Highness! I had been told, but I never actually thought— Right this way, Princess!” the crisply-dressed maître d' stuttered as he gave a deep bow. He spun around and quickly made his way towards the back of the restaurant.

Wow, this place is deserted. Twilight thought darkly to herself. “I expected there to be more ponies here.”

“Normally we are the busiest place in Canterlot at this hour, but our current patron rented out the entire place to meet with you,” the stallion explained. “Normally we refuse such requests, as ‘I have a meeting with the Princess’ is one of the most common excuses ponies use to attempt to clear a dining establishment, but he offered the bits up-front, and unlike every other pony who uses the excuse, actually had the money on him. The owner would have been quite displeased if we refused such easy revenue.” He led her to a private room and bowed once more as he let her through. Twilight stepped through the door and sat at the table across from a tall unicorn stallion that she quickly recognized.

“Your Highness! I am Fancypants and I must say that it is a great honor to meet you at last!” he proclaimed loudly.

At last? He must not remember last time. I should— Actually, it’d probably be better to just go with it for formality's sake. “It’s nice to meet you too! So, what’s this all about?”

“Well, I’ve been in Manehattan for the past month, so I haven’t had the chance to attend any of the meet-and-greet events that were set up, though to be honest I’m not quite sure I would’ve attended at the time anyway,” he said with a small hint of embarrassment in his voice. “Like the rest of the nobles, I was rather skeptical about you when I heard the news. I was originally going to sit back and watch what you did. But that was then.”

“Okay... so what changed?” Twilight replied quizzically. A slight movement at the edges of her vision caught her eye and she looked down, only to gasp when she realized that one of the waiters had set several plates of food in front of her without her notice.

“I received a letter from Miss Rarity yesterday morning explaining several very important matters,” he stated nonchalantly, tapping a hoof on the table. "First and foremost, she told me that you were not only Princess Celestia’s personal student, but her friend and confidante. While all of Equestria may have been saddened by her passing, Rarity explained to me that there were none who were as devastated as yourself.”

“That’s true, but I was told that Luna explained all of that herself,” Twilight muttered, staring at the table as the wait staff brought out more and more delicacy-laden dishes.

“Much of the nobility distrusts Princess Luna,” he replied. "Myself included. I believe that her heart’s in the right place and do not despise her the way most of the others do, but I can’t say that I trust her. I thought that it may simply be propaganda, an attempt to drum up support for your ascension. Rarity, however, assured me that it was all completely true and told me that you were, by leaps and bounds, the most intelligent pony she has ever met. I trust Rarity, and so I wish to offer you my unbridled support.”

“Wait, really?” Twilight squeaked, immediately giving Fancy Pants her full attention. “What’s that going to cost me?”

“Ah, you’re learning the game already,” he chuckled. “Always assuming that a noblepony wants something in return for whatever they’re offering is a wise move, but in this case incorrect. Miss Rarity said that you were the single best pony to become our new princess, and she stated it with such passion that I am inclined to believe her. I do this not for favors, but out of patriotism. I won’t say that I like what I was told you said in court this past Monday, but if you are what’s right for our country, then it is my duty to stand behind you.”

“Oh, well I appreciate that nonetheless,” Twilight responded with a smile. She wasn’t too sure about this development, but she knew not to look a gift-pony in the mouth. “So how exactly can you help me, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Not at all, Your Highness!” he declared exuberantly. “I am actually one of the most influential aristocrats in Equestria. I also pride myself on my debate skills, which were, and still are, legendary among my classmates at Manehattan University. When I start arguing for or against a matter, ponies listen, and listen well. Pardon my bragging, but I am a powerful political weapon.”

“No kidding,” Twilight chuckled. “You make it sound like dealing with the nobility is more like a war than like politics.”

“Well, that’s putting it a little strongly, Your Highness,” he replied thoughtfully. “Think of it more like a game.”

“A game...” Twilight muttered incredulously.

“Yes, a game,” he snickered. “Imagine it as a chess game, where your side is white and your opponents are represented by black, except that each piece is controlled by a different player with different motives, and each piece can change color at will. You can influence the game by influencing the players, but you have no direct control.”

“Okay, so I’m essentially just whispering into the players’ ears and hoping that they listen.”

“Yes!” he exclaimed, happy that she was playing along with his analogy. “It is always better for you for white to be in the better position, so it’s always good to give the white players superior advice. However, it is much better to have a piece of your own on the board, is it not?”

Before Twilight could reply, one of the waiters burst into the room in a near-panic. “Monsieur Fancypants! We’ve a problem!”

“Oh, dear. What is it?” he asked, an unnerving calm in his voice.

“A crowd ‘as gathered around ze restaurant! We are surrounded!”

“I see,” he muttered turning to Twilight. “It would appear that you are more popular than you realize.”

“I’m sorry! I know I should’ve been more discreet but-” Twilight began, before he cut her off by shaking his head.

“Do not apologize, Your Highness, it is no problem at all!” he chuckled. “Such is the life we live. I have heard rumors that you are quite gifted in the art of teleportation, yes?”

Twilight nodded.

“Good. Teleport back to the Castle, and we’ll cover your escape!” he instructed. After a short pause, he gave a startled gasp as he remembered just who he was talking to. “That is, if it pleases you, Your Highness.”

“Sounds good to me,” Twilight replied quickly, as she heard several shouts from the lobby. “Let me know when you want to go over everything in a bit more detail and I’ll arrange somewhere a little less public.”

Using the familiar spell to slip between the threads of time and space, she instantly appeared in Canterlot Castle’s now-empty throne room, safe and sound. I wish I could’ve talked to him a little longer, but it’ll still be real nice to have him as a friend. If he was being honest that is... I should really thank Rarity.

She sighed to herself; it had been a slightly better day than most of the other days that week, but it had been no less long. Silently, she turned and trotted towards the Castle’s guest suites, where her friends had always been roomed when they visited Canterlot in the past. She wandered her way through the corridors until she arrived at Rarity’s bedroom, knocked on the door and entered. Instead of Rarity, she found a very familiar unicorn filly sitting on the bed hunched over a crude drawing, crayon in hoof, humming a song to which only she knew the tune to.

“Sweetie Belle is that you?” she asked, though she already knew the answer. “Hi! How’ve you been?”

“Oh, I’m good,” she mumbled softly, eyes locked firmly on the bed sheet.

“Okay...” Twilight muttered, perplexed at Sweetie’s behavior. “Where’s Rarity?”

The filly jumped with a surprised squeak and tumbled over herself trying to stand up and bow at the same time. When she finally got her hooves back underneath her, she answered Twilight timidly. “Somepony brought her a letter and she got all angry and left. She told me to go to bed soon, but she didn’t say when she’d be back. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay, I just wanted to thank her for something. It can wait until morning,” Twilight replied softly, moving to the side of the bed. “What about you though? I didn’t know you came with her.”

“She was supposed to watch me next week because our parents are going on a trip, but since she’s staying for a week instead of just the weekend, she had to take me with her,” Sweetie mumbled. “I’m sorry!”

“Why are you apologizing for that? You’ve done nothing wrong,” Twilight said, careful to keep a giggle out of her voice.

“But this was supposed to be your special week with Rarity!” Sweetie Belle wailed. “Now I’m here and it ruins everything!”

“What? Don’t be silly!” Twilight laughed. “That just means you get to join us. Nothing’s ‘ruined’ by you being here. Why would you think that?”

Sweetie hung her head in silence for a few moments. “Well at my age you were being taught by Princess Celestia and now you are the princess. I can’t even do any magic.”

“Oh, Sweetie Belle, were your classmates teasing you again?” Twilight asked, gently putting a hoof on the filly’s shoulder.

“...Yes.”

“Why do you listen to them? You know they just want you to feel bad.”

“I don’t know,” Sweetie whined. “They say mean things so much that sometimes I guess I start to believe it.” She paused for a few seconds and looked up at Twilight, still not lifting her head. “I still don’t understand why you’d actually want me here though. You were the best unicorn ever, I can’t even cast a single spell.”

“So? My special talent is magic, so it’s natural that I can cast a lot of spells easy,” Twilight murmured as comfortingly as she could manage. “You’ve got a different special talent that you don’t really need magic for.”

“...Wait, you know what my special talent is?” Sweetie squealed, perking up instantly for a moment before frowning suspiciously at Twilight. “You’re not going to tell me what it is.”

“No. No I’m not. You have to figure it out all on your own, Sweetie,” Twilight giggled.

“I bet you’re not telling me ‘cause it’s dumb,” Sweetie grumbled back.

If it were it anypony else, I’d think she was trying to trick me into telling her. “No, it’s not. I think that your talent is very special. It’s one that’ll make a lot of ponies very happy someday, I promise,” Twilight cooed, hoping to lift Sweetie Belle’s spirits. When it didn’t she decided to pry further. “Is there anything else bothering you?”

“Yes!” Sweetie burst out, surprising Twilight with her forwardness. “When mom and dad found out that I was going to be here with you they told me to always bow and to call you ‘Princess’ and to not look you in the eyes, but on the way here, Rarity told me not to treat you any different than I always do!”

“And now you’re confused as to whom you should listen to?” Twilight said, finishing Sweetie’s thought.

“Well, yeah!” she moaned back.

“Okay, well let’s think about this for a bit,” Twilight murmured, climbing onto the bed and lying down so she was nearly eye-to-eye with the filly. “When you look at me, who do you see? Do you see the Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Equestria, or Twilight Sparkle the librarian?”

“I see Twilight the librarian,” Sweetie whispered. “I know you’re the princess now, but when I look at you I just see the same pony I’ve always known you as. The pony who always had some story that Scootaloo said was boring, or a helpful book for my friends and I to get new ideas from.”

“That’s because I am the same pony, Sweetie Belle,” Twilight murmured enthusiastically. “I just... have a bigger job now. But I’m still the same pony inside. And that pony’s happy to see you and doesn’t want you to call her ‘Princess’ unless you really want to.”

“Okay,” Sweetie sighed back. “Well, if you’re okay with it, then I think I’d rather just keep calling you Twilight. As long as you don’t tell my parents.”

“Deal,” Twilight replied with a grin. “So, Sweetie Belle, how jealous do you think your friends will be when you get back to Ponyville and tell them that the new Princess told you a bedtime story?”

The sight of Sweetie Belle frowning as the gears turned in her head was enough to force Twilight to put a hoof to her mouth to stifle her laughter. The excited glow that came over Sweetie’s face when she finally put the pieces of Twilight’s words together was more than enough to wash away the stress of the day. “Really? You mean it?”

“Of course,” Twilight chirped back. “I’m still the same old librarian I always was. So, what story do you want to hear?”

“Ummm, well what’s your favorite? Can I hear that one?” Sweetie asked innocently.

Not expecting that answer, Twilight had to think for a few seconds. “Well, I guess I can... Yeah! I’ll tell you the story that Princess Celestia told me the first night I stayed here in the castle with her,” Twilight giggled, gesturing to the spot on the bed next to her.

Grinning broadly, Sweetie Belle shuffled over to Twilight’s side and snuggled close, ready for her story.

A/N: Sorry, no TwiLuna here, have some Sweetie Belle instead.

Chapter 8

A/N:Because I know that Pissfer's going to say it if I don't, I might as well admit it: I forgot to include "Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs..." in the original writing.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-reader: PiquoPie.

f0xhole was MIA for the writing of this chapter. He will hopefully return for the next. In the meantime, if you find any spelling or grammatical errors, please point them out either in a note or the comments and they will be fixed.

Eight days after the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Twilight!” Rarity chided jokingly as the brisk mountain air blew through her mane. “If I had known exactly why Hoity-Toity had asked me to meet him, I would’ve come much more prepared!” she squealed excitedly, looking off of the balcony over the city of Canterlot.

“Well, at first I wanted it to be a surprise,” Twilight replied with a broad grin, “but then I sort of forgot about it.”

“I suppose that’s forgivable,” Rarity responded, lifting a teacup to her lips. “You don’t get quite as excited about these things as I do, and you have been busy lately. Elbows off the table, Sweetie Belle!”

“Awww...” the filly pouted.

“So... you got the job?" Twilight asked, despite already knowing the answer.

“He wants me to start as soon as I get back to Ponyville!” Rarity squealed. “Making a dress line inspired by a princess! Oh, this’ll be my big break, Twilight!”

“Rarity, you’ve had at least a dozen ‘big breaks’ since I’ve met you,” Twilight snickered blandly.

“Yes, but this one’s real,” the fashionista replied, nearly out of breath. “Oh, I’ll need to buy more equipment and get a larger supplier! Oh, I’ll even need to hire a few extra hooves! Just think about it, Twilight! My own employees!”

Knowing exactly what was about to happen, Sweetie Belle pulled the seat cushion out from underneath herself and tossed it to the ground. It hit with a soft ‘thump’, right where Rarity landed in her exaggerated faint.

“You’re really moving up in the world!” Twilight giggled downward.

“I suppose I am. I won’t be leaving Ponyville though,” Rarity replied proudly from the ground before allowing Twilight to pull her back up. “Even if I get a dozen mansions all around Equestria, I couldn’t bring myself to leave Ponyville behind forever. It’s odd, I used to dream about moving away, but now I honestly can’t see myself living anywhere else.”

“I know what you mean. It wasn’t that long ago when I planned on never leaving Canterlot, but now I’d give almost anything to live in Ponyville again,” Twilight sighed nostalgically. “And speaking of Ponyville... how’s Spike?” she asked tepidly.

Rarity froze, eyes wide. “He’s... good,” she murmured.

“Is he still angry?”

“...yes,” Rarity whispered. “I’m afraid so.”

“I really miss him,” Twilight mumbled, hanging her head.

“I know, Twilight, I know,” Rarity cooed. “But I also know that he loves you and that he doesn’t want to be angry with you. He’ll be ready to forgive you eventually, and when he does you just need to be ready with your apology.”

“I know, I’m just a little frustrated,” Twilight grumbled. “I know why he’s mad, he thought I didn’t care about him. What I don’t understand is why he got as angry as he did. He could’ve just talked to me!”

“Well, Twilight... Oh, how should I put this,” Rarity sighed. “Let’s think about it this way: back at the Crystal City, when you two looked into that awful door that made you think you were living out your greatest fear, what was his?”

“He was afraid that I’d stop needing him and send him away,” Twilight replied quickly. “But if his greatest fear was being sent away, why would he leave? It doesn’t make sen-”

“I’m not done yet, Twilight,” Rarity interrupted. “Now, what was yours?”

“I was afraid that Princess Celestia wouldn’t want me around anymore,” Twilight whispered, shuddering at the memory. “I was afraid that if I failed, she’d stop wanting to be my teacher and send me... away...”

“You weren’t afraid of making her angry or disappointing her. You were afraid of being neglected,” Rarity murmured, leaning in closer to Twilight. “You worshipped everything about Princess Celestia. She was everything to you, and the very worst thing you could possibly imagine was for her to stop caring about you. Think about it, Twilight.

“You’re Spike’s Celestia.”

“So when he thought that I might send him away, he sent himself away so that I couldn’t hurt him. Just like I would’ve done,” Twilight finished softly. “If I had ever thought that Princess Celestia was going to revoke my apprenticeship, I would’ve done the same thing just so I wouldn’t have had to face her.”

“Which is exactly what Spike felt he was doing,” Rarity replied with a slow nod.

“Oh, I’m so stupid!” Twilight growled, resting her head in her hooves.

“You’re not stupid, Twilight,” Sweetie Belle, chimed. “You just didn’t realize that you were going to hurt Spike’s feelings until it was too late.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Thanks Sweetie Belle,” Twilight smiled at her. “I still feel stupid though. ”

“You’re welcome,” Sweetie Belle chirped. “Can I have another piece of cake, Rarity?”

“But you just finished one!” the older unicorn scolded. “Don’t you dare give me that look!”

“Please,” Sweetie Belle whined, a practiced pout adorning her face.

“Oh, why did I ever teach you how to do that? Fine,” Rarity groaned, caving to her sister’s request. “But I expect you to finish your dinner tonight anyway, otherwise no dessert later. Deal?”

“Deal!” Sweetie Belle squealed victoriously. Suddenly she pointed off into the sky, bouncing in her seat. “Oh, oh! Is that Princess Cadence?”

“...Yes, yes it is. Good eye, Sweetie,” Twilight chuckled after staring at the distant shape. “I was wondering where she was.”

The trio watched the pink princess’ approach, Rarity and Sweetie Belle gave their greetings in unison as Cadence pointedly landed right in front of Twilight.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

The pair broke out into a fit of giggles as Cadence nestled herself down between Twilight and Sweetie. “Hello, everypony, sorry I’m late! Something important came up.”

“We’ll forgive you for being late if you forgive us for starting without you,” Rarity replied with a wink.

“Easy enough,” Cadence giggled. “Now I hate to spoil our teatime by bringing business into it, but this the two of you need to hear.” She procured a scroll from her saddlebags and gently set it between Rarity and Twilight. “It turns out that the Crystal Empire has a law— a very old law— that states that if the dual thrones of Equestria should ever be occupied by anypony other than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the Empire would hold a vote to reconsider its relationship with Equestria.”

“Uh-oh... I don’t think I like where this is going,” Rarity whimpered.

“Well this past Friday they voted over four options,” Cadence explained. “There was a 100% voter turnout and they all voted for the same thing: they want me to ask that the Crystal Empire be allowed to fully integrate itself into Equestria.”

“What?” Twilight and Rarity shrieked simultaneously.

“When they found out who Aunt Celestia’s heir was, they decided to officially dissolve the Crystal Empire and to become an official province of Equestria!” Cadence gasped excitedly. “It all has to go through the Canterlot system first, but they want the Crystal City to be just like Manehattan or Fillydelphia!”

“Y-you’re kidding...” Twilight stuttered.

“Nope!” Cadence squealed. “There is one condition though.”

“Oh well that figures,” Rarity grumbled. “News that good always comes with strings attached.”

“They only ask that you visit often, Twilight,” Cadence responded with a mischievous smirk.

“Oh! Of course!” Rarity groaned, smacking her forehead with a hoof. “Why must I be so cynical?”

“Yeah, is that all they’re asking?” Twilight snickered. “I’ll come visit whenever I get the chance if it’ll make them happy. So I suppose I’ll be getting an invitation to the next Crystal Fair?”

“As far as I know, you’re invited to every Crystal Fair from now until the end of time,” Cadence giggled. “All six of you,” she added, noticing Rarity’s expression.

“Can I go with you to the next Crystal Fair, Rarity?”

“We’ll have to ask mom and dad, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity answered thoughtfully. “Though I do believe you’d love it. Perhaps we can ask Twilight to convince them that it’s for educational purposes.”

“Hey, leave me out of this!” Twilight replied quickly with a snicker, causing the other three ponies to burst into laughter, with Twilight joining in soon after.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Cadence gasped. She rustled through her saddlebag and produced a framed photograph and pushed it across the table to Rarity. “I didn’t know if any of you ever brought back any pictures from the Fair, and I remember how much you loved being... ‘crystallized’, Rarity, so I found a picture taken of the six of you a couple hours after we took down Sombra.”

“Oh wow! You were all so pretty!” Sweetie Belle gasped, eyes alight with wonder.

“Weren’t we? Oh, that settles it. You’re going to the next Fair, Sweetie, I don’t care what I need to do to make it happen!”

“Really? Oh, I want to hear about it again!”

Sweetie’s exuberance brought the group to laughter once again, as tales of the Crystal Fair began to be spun through the afternoon air.

Ten days after the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“I still can’t take my eyes off of that mosaic,” Rarity breathed. “It’s just... indescribable! The value of those gems alone is greater than everything I’ve ever dug up put together, but when they’re put together like that? I can’t even... Oh I want to stare at it forever!”

“I thought you’d like it,” Twilight giggled, splashing her friend playfully with the steaming water the pair lounged in. “But don’t you have anything to say about the fact that you’re sitting in a solid gold bathtub?”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, in any other situation I’d simply be drooling over that,” Rarity mused, “but compared to the view, the tub just seems... ordinary.”

“Rarity, you’re the only pony I’ve ever met that could call this ordinary.”

“I know, I know, it’s a gift,” Rarity replied dismissively, eliciting a laugh from Twilight. They continued to gaze at the mural for a few moments before turning to each other.

“So how was your day?” both of them managed to ask at the same time.

“You first,” Twilight interjected quickly.

“Oh, very well,” Rarity pouted. “It was quite nice, actually. This is the first time Sweetie has been to Canterlot for a regular visit instead of for school or for an event like the Wedding, and she wanted to see the city. I took her on a walk down Main Street and we visited every shop along the way.”

“Every shop?” Twilight gasped incredulously. “Rarity, there’s nearly two dozen clothing stores alone! Not to mention all the cafes and tourist stops!”

“I know,” Rarity replied smugly.

“Well, that certainly explains why she fell asleep at dinner,” Twilight muttered dryly. “Did you buy anything?”

“Naturally!” Rarity smirked back. “I got myself a lovely blouse, though I doubt it’ll last long. The design was something I haven’t seen before and I’ll probably have to dismantle it to figure out the nuances completely. It’d be a pity to ruin such an exquisite garment, but I’ll just make myself a new one if worse comes to worst. I also bought Sweetie Belle a new outfit at the same shop. It’s about two sizes too big for her, but I couldn’t help myself; she looks absolutely adorable in it!”

“Better it be too big for her than too small,” Twilight snickered, letting more steaming water into the tub with the twist of a knob. “At least she can grow into it that way.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Rarity sighed, the rapidly increasing temperature of the water pulling the tension from her body. “How was your day? You sound well, but you were distant at breakfast.”

“Oh, you know, it was nothing special,” Twilight muttered dismissively.

“Twilight, I know that something was bothering you this morning,” Rarity replied sternly. “And you know that you’re going to tell me what it was before either of us head to bed. Why not just make this easy on us both and tell me now, as opposed to making me pry it out of you?”

“Fine,” Twilight grumbled. After a few seconds, she continued. “I ended up crying myself to sleep again last night.”

“You did what?” Rarity yelped. “But you were in such a good mood yesterday! What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight moaned, slapping the water in frustration. “Whenever I catch myself thinking about Celestia lately, I immediately turn my thoughts to all the great times I spent with her, but last night— when the sad thoughts came— I just couldn’t stop them.” She paused, feeling the awfully familiar lump in her throat beginning to form. “It just seems that every time I get a handle on things, I just lose it.”

“Why didn’t you come talk to me?” Rarity replied with an annoyed groan.

“It was really late, I didn’t want to bother you,” Twilight mumbled sheepishly.

“But that’s the entire reason I’m here in the first place!” Rarity scolded. “You’re supposed to come ‘bother’ me when you feel yourself getting mopey.”

“I know, but you and the rest of the girls won’t be around forever. If I’m ever going to live up to Celestia, I’ve got to learn to keep my emotions in check,” Twilight sighed.

“But you’re not Celestia, you’re Twilight Sparkle,” Rarity cooed softly, placing a hoof under Twilight’s chin and lifting her head so that Twilight had no choice but to look her in the eyes. “I know she was your role model, but you’re different ponies. It’s great that you’re trying to be like her, but don’t try to be her.” She waited for a response from Twilight, but when the alicorn didn’t speak, she continued. “Don’t be so stubborn. Listen, if you won’t come bug me next time for your own sake, will you at least do it for me? Or for Luna? She went through all this trouble to bring me here just to make you happy, the least you could do is let me help!”

“Yeah, I guess I do kinda owe it to her, don’t I?” Twilight murmured. “She’s a good friend.”

“Is that all?”

“Huh?”

“Nevermind,” Rarity sighed. “Alright, so we’ve got an understanding? Next time the tears start, you’ll come see me? Or whomever else is here at the time?”

“I promise,” Twilight grumbled.

“Good. Now, about tomorrow...”

Eleven days after the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

"Don't give me that, you know why I'm here!" Twilight scolded her charge hotly.

...

"You put three pegasi in the hospital with heat stroke! What possessed you to get so bucking hot? It's the middle of spring!"

...

"Why am I so— I'm so angry because I'm the one who gets blamed when something like this happens!" she bellowed; the angry, accusing voices of the victims' families still ringing vividly in her ears.

...

"Well next time you want to put on a solar storm, tell me a few days beforehoof so I can make sure the weather team doesn't have a rainstorm planned for the same day!"

...

"I don't care if your feelings were hurt, you almost killed somepony! If you want to play artist, that's fine, but you can't go hurting somepony just for not noticing! So are you going to apologize or not?"

...

"Oh, close enough," Twilight sighed, pulling herself back into her body. She felt a pulse strike the magical shield she had prepared for the inevitable zap that the sun would send her way. "Ha! Missed me this ti- OW!"

Rubbing her smouldering flank with an agitated groan, she trotted off towards the dining room to continue her day.

Thirteen days after the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“You really want to come with me, Luna?” Twilight asked tenderly as the pair trotted down one of Canterlot’s many side streets.

“I do, Twilight,” Luna murmured. “I haven’t had the chance to get out of the castle for leisure in quite some time.”

“Are you really sure this is a good idea though? You’ve been awake since five o’clock last night!”

“For the last time, Twilight, I am almost twenty-two hundred years old! I think I can handle staying up a little longer than usual to have brunch with my best friend,” Luna groaned.

“Alright, but I’m not carrying you back if you fall asleep,” Twilight teased. She snorted, attempting to suppress a chuckle as she caught Luna sticking her tongue out at her.

“So, where did you say we were going?”

“Right before I went to Ponyville for the first time, one of the professors at Celestia’s school announced that he was resigning his post so that he could open a restaurant. I kept hearing that the food was amazing and I really wanted to check the place out, but never got the chance to. Since I wasn’t doing anything this morning after taking Rarity to the train station, I thought that now’s as good a time as any,” Twilight replied cheerfully.

“I see,” Luna muttered. “I still must question the wisdom of the pair of us dining anywhere but the palace. ‘tis tiring enough to be fawned over every moment while we’re there, but I’ve noticed that it only tends to get worse outside the castle walls.”

“I know, but don’t you get tired of eating food prepared by the same ponies in the same room day after day?”

“I suppose. Still, I can’t say this’ll be much different,” Luna sighed as the pair entered the restaurant.

Twilight approached the hostess, who looked to be studying a chart of some kind and gently tapped on the stand to attract the young mare’s attention. “Hello?”

The hostess started at the sudden noise and blinked at Twilight several times before all color drained from her face. She made a choked gargle before sprinting towards the back of the establishment, nearly knocking over several patrons along the way.

“‘twas a strange reaction,” Luna muttered.

“It’ll be fine, Luna,” Twilight whispered as a much older stallion charged up to the pair.

“Your Highnesses! We-we were never told you were coming!” he stuttered. “Clear the restaurant! EVERYPONY OUT!”

“You were saying?” Luna grumbled aside to Twilight as members of the wait staff began to scatter in every direction.

“Oh for the love of... hey!” Twilight growled, attempting to get the host’s attention. “Hey!”

“ENOUGH!”

The sheer volume of the Royal Canterlot Voice was enough to freeze everypony in the room as they all turned to Luna in awe.

Twilight shook her head at Luna and trotted over to the host. “Listen, you don’t need to kick everypony out just because we’re here. If you could just seat us like normal, everyday customers, we’d really appreciate it. Maybe at that table in the corner of the patio so that we’ll be mostly out of sight so we don’t cause further commotion?”

“But, Your Highness, that table is so small. All of the tables on the patio are! Wouldn’t you like one of our private rooms? Our grandest is currently occupied by the Duke of Trottingham, but I can always have him-”

“No!” Twilight interjected. “A nice sunny spot on the patio is all we want. We’d rather you didn’t make a big fuss over us.”

“Erm... Very well... Right this way, Your Highnesses,” he stuttered, beckoning towards a side door with a deep bow. He followed the pair out to the patio before leading them to a table partially hidden behind a large potted plant. Twilight and Luna sat down, gratefully accepting the offered menus.

“Ummm, one more thing?” Twilight murmured to the stallion.

“Yes, Your highness?”

“Could you, well, not hover over us?” Twilight asked carefully.

“But, Princess, I am here to serve you!”

“I know, but it’s a little unnerving; and there are other patrons waiting. We came here to get away from that kind of treatment,” she said with a comforting smile.

“Oh!” he gasped. “Yes, of course! Shall I leave the two of you for a few minutes?”

Both Twilight and Luna nodded and he trotted off, leaving them alone.

“That was easier than I thought, Twilight,” Luna muttered, taking in the list of cuisine offered.

“I told you it would be,” Twilight giggled, looking over the menu herself.

“‘tis almost enough for me to be able to ignore the fact that he’s watching us through the window,” Luna whispered across the table.

“He’s what? Oh come on!” Twilight groaned, turning around and glaring at the waiter. Realizing he had been caught, he stumbled backwards out of view. “Sorry, Luna!”

“It’s nothing, Twilight,” Luna giggled. “You’re trying to show me a new side of Equestria, I appreciate the effort regardless of the results.”

“Well, you’re welcome, but I just wish they would actually listen,” she grumbled.

“Twilight, you know very well that the palace is somewhat of a gilded cage. I have never been treated as a normal pony, and now, neither will you,” Luna muttered sadly.

“I know... I was just sort of hoping they’d do what their Princesses told them to, even if it was something they felt that they shouldn’t do.”

“Twilight, if Celestia had ever asked you to address or treat her as an equal, would you have done it?” Luna asked slowly. She leaned closer before continuing, “Would you have even been able to do it?”

“Yes! Well, maybe...” Twilight stammered defensively. Luna raised a questioning eyebrow at her. “Oh, who am I kidding? No, I couldn’t have. But that’s different, I was Celestia’s student, it was sort of my job to make her happy!”

“If anything, that would have made it easier for you to treat her the way she wished,” Luna explained. “It’s much more difficult for ponies who don’t know us personally to do so.”

“Umm, how do you figure?” Twilight replied skeptically.

“Because you knew Celestia. You knew that, beneath all the decorum, there was a pony who had wants, needs, and emotions, same as everypony else,” Luna murmured. “Our waiter, who has probably never spoken to a princess before, has never gotten that chance. More than likely, he subconsciously sees the two of us as pair of a sacred relics to be polished and worshipped. He has spent his entire life seeing Celestia propped up on a pedestal. He might want to do as you asked him, but doing so would be against everything he has ever learned. Does that make sense?”

“I guess so,” Twilight muttered. “It’s still uncomfortable though.”

“And so we must put on happy smiles and gratefully accept what they offer. Because we are the ones who understand, it must be our burden to bear. Though we may be the princesses, his feelings are the ones that matter. Our reputations can make our lives either blissfully easy, or crushingly difficult. If he goes home and tells his friends that he was unable to please us no matter how hard he tried, they’ll interpret it as meaning that we are ungrateful and stuck-up. ‘tis unfortunate, but unavoidable,” Luna whispered as the waiter once again approached the table.

“D-do Your Highnesses know what they’d wish to order?”

“Yes! At least I do,” Twilight replied, handing him her menu. “May I please have a muffin? Whatever type came out of the oven most recently.”

“Y-yes. Very good,” he stuttered with a bow of his head. “And for Princess Luna?”

“The fare looks lovely, but I am afraid that I haven’t an appetite this morning, thank you,” Luna smiled to him. Regarded her with a perplexed expression for a couple seconds before bowing and trotting off.

“Luna, if you weren’t hungry, why did you want to come so badly,” Twilight whispered aside, watching the stallion leave.

“I-I don’t know,” Luna responded, a little too quickly. “I just did.”

“Luna, you can just say that you wanted to chat with me, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Twilight giggled.

“Errr, yes. I suppose so,” Luna stammered, looking away.

“Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost,” Twilight stated, leaning to get a better view of Luna’s face.

“I’m fine!” Luna snapped.

“Okay... Maybe you’re just tired?” Twilight suggested, nodding gratefully to the waiter as he returned with her muffin.

“Yes, that’s probably it,” Luna sighed. “Perhaps I should make my way to bed when we return to the palace.”

“Okay. We can head back now. I’ll just eat on the way,” Twilight replied with a smile.

“That’s not nec-” Luna began, but she was cut off by a loud squeal from across the patio.

“MOMMY, LOOK! IT’S THE PRINCESS!”

“What? Oh, come back! Please!”

“Oh wow! They’re both here!” Twilight and Luna both turned to see a brass-colored pegasus filly, much younger than even Applebloom, scamper up to Twilight. “Ohmygosh, you’re really here! I come here with mommy every week, but I’ve never seen you here before!”

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness!” a yellow-green earth pony mare sobbed as she approached close behind. “I tried to hold her but she got away! Please-”

“No, it’s okay,” Twilight interrupted. Ignoring the stifled laughter coming from Luna, Twilight slid out of her chair and knelt down so she was at eye-level with the foal. “And what’s your name, little one?”

“I’m Sunshower!” she chirped. “My mom says it’s because when I was born, it was raining, but the sun was out!”

“I can’t say I’ve heard of that happening. Well, actually I did see that happen once, but that’s... a long story,” Twilight giggled. “Do you have your Cutie Mark yet?”

“Oh! Yeah I do!” she gasped, turning to the side to reveal an image adorning her flank of the sun peeking out from behind a cloud. “But my talent’s not really that special...”

“Really? What is your talent?” Twilight asked, smiling sincerely.

“My mom says that my talent is to find the good parts of bad things,” Sunshower moped. “I wish I had a real talent like her. Her talent is making bok- bouq- ...she’s a florist.”

“Actually, I think your talent might be one of the most special I’ve ever heard of,” Twilight murmured softly.

“Really?” she gasped. “But why?”

“Well, why don’t we use your talent to figure out why?” Twilight smirked. “Think about it for a second.”

Sunshower sat down and scratched her head. “Umm... Is it because it gave me my Cutie Mark?”

“No, try again.”

“Okay,” the filly muttered, furling her brow. “Because I’ll always be happy because of it?”

“Well yes,” Twilight cooed. “But that’s not quite the answer I was thinking of. You’re on the right track though!”

“Because... because... because no matter what happens, no matter how bad, I’ll always be able to make everypony happy by finding something good for them to be happy about?”

“Very good!” Twilight chuckled. “Your talent is something that you’ll always be able to use, and that makes it very special.” Twilight was cut off by the echoing clamor of a nearby clock tower. Eleven? Is it really that late in the day? She turned to look at Luna, who was watching her intently. “I’m so sorry, Sunshower, but I need to go. I have to get back to the palace.”

“Oh! But I only just met you! I have so many things I wanna ask!” Sunshower whined, her eyes watering up.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Twilight murmured. “Didn’t you say that you and your mom come here every week?”

“Yes! We come here every Saturday!”

“Well, why don’t I try to come back next week? I’ll make sure I have some extra time so you can ask me all the questions you want!” Twilight offered, hoping to cheer the filly up.

“I guess that’s okay,” she pouted. Twilight picked up her muffin, tossed a hooffull of bits on the table, and turned to leave, but stopped dead at Sunshower’s next sentence. “Princess Twilight, mommy told me that Princess Celestia is gone and isn’t ever coming back. Is that true?”

“Oh... I’m-I’m sorry, my little pony, but your mom’s right,” Twilight stammered, each word a colossal struggle.

“Oh, but she was my favorite princess ever! She was always so pretty!” Sunshower whined. “It’s okay though, you’re my new favorite princess!”

It took every last ounce of Twilight’s willpower to not look at Luna. Instead, she simply smiled at the filly. “Well thank you! I’ll see you next week.”

Luna at her side, Twilight wordlessly trotted away, turning down the street leading towards the castle. Her mind was buzzing like an angry beehive, trying to think of someway to apologize to Luna on Sunshower’s behalf. Her thoughts approached a panicked pace, but were quickly silenced by the words she least expected.

“Somepony has a faaaaaan,” Luna giggled to her in a singsong voice, leaving Twilight speechless.

“...What? You’re not offended?” Twilight replied when she found her voice.

“No, why would I be?”

“Well, she said that right in front of you!” Twilight replied. “It was very disrespectful!”

“Twilight, she can’t be more than six,” Luna chuckled. “I thought she was adorable.”

“Well, yeah, she was. I just didn’t think you’d be so calm about this.”

“...You thought I’d get angry and bitter didn’t you,” Luna murmured softly. “Twilight how could you think that? Do you really think that little of me?”

“I’m so sorry, Luna! It just happened, I didn’t-” Twilight burst out, but stopped herself when she noticed a mischievous twinkle in Luna’s eyes. “...That was mean! You made me think I had actually hurt your feelings!”

Luna snorted as she tried to suppress a giggle, but only ended up making herself laugh harder. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but you made it far too easy that time. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Twilight grumbled, smirking in spite of herself.

When Luna finally got her laughter under control, she glanced at Twilight’s expression, only to burst out in a fit of giggles once again. Twilight, in turn, was unable to resist snickering herself. It wasn’t long before both of them were doubled over laughing in the street.

“Oh, I needed that,” Twilight muttered when they finally calmed down.

“As did I.”

“For what it’s worth, I really am sorry,” Twilight sighed. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that. I know you’re not that pony anymore.”

“Well, to be fair, I do have a history, so I can’t truly blame you for worrying,” Luna grumbled. “Still, apology accepted. Now, back to being serious, I’m going to tell you something that Tia told me the day after I celebrated Nightmare Night with you in Ponyville.”

“Okay, I’m listening,” Twilight replied.

“As the Princesses of Equestria, everypony is supposed to love the two of us equally, but such a thing is impossible,” Luna said with a quick smile. “To the regular pony, you and I are seen more like celebrities than the benevolent rulers we’d prefer they see us as. ‘tis only natural for each of them to prefer one of us over the other. Nothing can change that, so there’s no use fretting over it.”

“Celestia said that?”

“Well, I paraphrased a bit, but yes,” Luna murmured with a nod. “The truth is that there will always be ponies who like you better than they like me, and the opposite is also true. Such is a lesson I wish I had learned long, long ago.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Twilight sighed.

“So, how long of a lecture do you think Miss Sound Mind will give us when she finds out that the two of us were sighted giggling like schoolfillies in the middle of Canterlot?” Luna snickered.

“Half an hour, maybe?”

“That short?”

“I’m being optimistic.”

Chapter 9

A/N: Nothing from me for now.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie and f0xhole.

Fourteen days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle

“No... No... What the... Definitely no!” Twilight grumbled, magically hurling the offending sheet of paper across her sunlit office. She shook her head, trying to comprehend the utter ridiculousness of what she had just read before glancing back to the next sheet in the pile. “Can’t do that one, don’t have the bits for this one. That’s physically impossible... This one wants me to do what?” she squeaked, reading the latest proposal over again to make sure her eyes hadn’t played a trick on her. Unfortunately they hadn’t, so she took what she felt was the most appropriate path of action when dealing with such an inappropriate request: she incinerated it.

“Remind me not to give you bad news anymore,” a gravelly voice chuckled from the doorway, startling Twilight.

“Rainbow?” she gasped, jumping out of her chair. She trotted around her desk, gesturing for Rainbow to actually come into the office and gently closed the door behind the mare. “But you’re not supposed to be here for another couple of hours!”

“Yeah, well I decided to fly instead of taking the train. Got a workout and got here earlier and stuff,” the pegasus replied dismissively.

“At your normal speed, you would’ve had to get up with the sun to get here this early! Are you okay?” Twilight gasped incredulously.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Casting an eye at the seemingly bottomless pile of crumpled papers littering the floor, she continued. “So, what’s all this? It looks like the Running of the Leaves in here.”

“These are all different proposals for this year’s Grand Galloping Gala,” Twilight sighed. “Every year, they let any pony who wants to submit ideas for ‘new and exciting’ things to be included. Apparently, as much as she hated the Gala itself, Princess Celestia used to really like reading all of these, so she made a law saying that she was the one who had to go through them all.”

“And now you’re stuck doing it,” Rainbow snickered. “That’s awful.”

“Yeah, it’s just how I want to spend a Sunday afternoon,” Twilight muttered back sarcastically. “It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the fact that just about every one of them is either too expensive to do, or just an awful idea in the first place. Anyway, what’s up with you?”

“Oh... Nothing much.”

“Nothing on your mind? Nothing at all that you want to talk to me about?” Twilight prodded.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow retorted defensively.

“I know something’s bothering you, Dash. You never get up that early unless there’s something you really need to do,” Twilight replied softly. “Besides, it’s written all over your face.”

Rainbow wheeled around on her angrily; her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Finally, after a few seconds of stuttering, she hung her head, defeated. “Fine, you got me.”

“Okay. Did you want to talk about it?” Twilight murmured tenderly, taking a careful step towards her friend.

“Yeah, I came here early because I was kinda hoping to,” Rainbow grumbled. “But you know how it is: it’s easier to want to talk about it when there’s nopony around to talk to.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Twilight replied. Using her magic, she levitated her chair around the desk and set it down gently next to the guest chair. She climbed in and gestured for Rainbow to take the other seat. “I’m here for you though, so take your time.”

Dash hopped into the second chair and gave a content sigh. “Wow, this is great! I knew the palace had nice furniture, but not like this!”

“Okay, now you’re stalling. I know I said to take your time, but talking about the furniture isn’t helping anypony,” Twilight sighed.

“Okay, okay... Ahhh, this was so much easier in my head!” she growled, tapping her forehead with a hoof. “Okay, I’ll just come out and say it: I’m seeing Big Mac.”

“You’re... Rainbow, that’s wonderful!” Twilight squealed. “How’d it happen?”

“Remember when those two jerks came to Ponyville with their weird cider machine?” Rainbow said through a furious blush. “Well when you had me work the press with him, we sorta bonded, I guess. The way he looked at me while we were running just did something to me that I never felt before. Then he came up to me after it was all over and told me how awesome I was, and I guess we just hit it off. We’ve kinda been keeping it a secret though...”

“Oh, that’s so adorable!” Twilight giggled before a thought struck her. “But what about Ms. Cheerilee?”

“What about her?” Rainbow muttered, raising an eyebrow. “Oh! You mean what happened on Hearts and Hooves day? He said that Applebloom slipped him a love poison!”

“Well, she did, but I thought Big Mac and Cheerilee kept dating afterwards?” Twilight murmured.

“Nah, they just acted like they were to prank Applebloom and her friends,” Rainbow chuckled. “Kinda funny actually.”

“Yeah, but didn’t that bother you at all?” Twilight asked. “I’m surprised you didn’t jump in!”

“I was in the hospital, remember? Broke my wing, got stuck in that room?”

“Oh yeah,” Twilight groaned, smacking herself on the forehead. “Still, you weren’t upset about it?”

“Twilight, with all the other weird and crazy stuff I’ve seen since you came to Ponyville, why would I be mad at Mac for being poisoned?” Rainbow snickered. “I mean, come on! I’ve had my wings turned upside-down.”

“Okay, good point... What about Soarin’ though? I saw you dancing with him at my brother’s wedding.”

“Oh, yeah, he’s great!” Rainbow grinned. “But that’s different. He’s one my idols and everything, but I don’t really think I could be in a relationship with him, y’know? Even if he’s the one who asks me out, I don’t think I’d ever be able to just relax, I’d always be trying to impress him; it just wouldn’t work.”

“You’re settling for Big Mac because you can’t be with Soarin’?” Twilight muttered.

“What? No! Is that how that came out?” Rainbow gasped.

“No, I'm teasing you. Lighten up a bit,” Twilight cackled. She affixed Rainbow with a softer smile. "So, you really care about him?"

“Well, yeah!” Rainbow replied both confidently and guiltily.

“Okay, so if everything’s so great, what’s the problem? I know you wouldn’t cheat on him and he wouldn’t cheat on you, so the problem has to be something with —” Twilight cut herself off as a terrible thought wormed its way into her head. “You two haven’t told Applejack, have you?”

Twilight didn’t want that to be the case. In fact, she desperately hoped it wasn’t. Unfortunately, the pained look of Rainbow’s face was all the confirmation she needed. “Rainbow Dash, cider season was six months ago. You’ve been keeping this a secret from her for that long? How could you possibly do that to her?”

“Well, we didn’t actually start dating until a couple weeks after that—”

“Don’t argue semantics with me, Dash!” Twilight snarled. “You’ve been keeping a very important secret from our friend, who deserves to know. That’s a terrible thing to do, no matter how long!”

“I can explain!” Rainbow murmured timidly, tears forming in her eyes.

“You had better be able to!” Twilight scolded. “I’d really like to hear it!”

“You don’t have to yell at me!” Rainbow sobbed. “I know that I did something awful and I really feel bad about it. I’m trying to ask for help!”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Twilight sighed, taking a few deep breaths to calm her temper. “You’re right, I shouldn’t have yelled. Now please, tell me how this happened.”

“...Okay it’s like this: at first we weren’t sure if it was going to work out. We knew AJ was going to be upset and we didn’t think we could actually stay together if she was mad at us all the time. That and if it didn’t actually work out, we didn’t want to have her stuck between us. It would’ve been way too awkward!” she explained rapidly

“That’s understandable, but doesn’t explain why you still haven’t told her!” Twilight growled.

“It’s because we’re afraid,” Rainbow sighed, hanging her head. “Both of us are. We know that she’s going to be furious when she finds out and we don’t want that...”

“But the longer the two of you wait, the angrier she’s going to be with you,” Twilight warned.

“I know... I’m just really nervous about it,” Rainbow groaned. “It’s strange, I’m more afraid of my friends being upset with me than I was of facing a dragon.”

“Take it from me, admitting you’re wrong is one of the hardest things anypony can do,” Twilight sighed. “I’m proud of you for admitting that, but don’t go thinking that that’s the end of it! Applejack’s going to be really hurt when you tell her and you’ll have to make it up to her.”

“I know.”

“And like I said, the longer you wait, the angrier she’s going to be,” Twilight added.

“I know...”

“So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get back to Ponyville?” Twilight asked, eyeing Rainbow intently.

“Tell her... Well, after I talk to Big Mac about it,” Rainbow sighed with a grimace.

“Of course,” Twilight said with a nod. “Feel better?”

“A little.... Thanks, Twilight,” Rainbow murmured, the shadow of a smile crossing her face.

“Well, this was more for Applejack than it was for you,” Twilight replied. “I’m always happy to help, but you really messed up this time.”

“I know, but even though my problems are all my fault, you’re still worried about my feelings,” Rainbow giggled. “You’re just an awesome pony like that! I knew that no matter how mad or disappointed you were, you’d still help me! That’s why you’re my best friend!”

“I thought Applejack was your best friend?” Twilight quipped.

“Well, yeah, she is my best friend, but you’re my best friend! Get it?”

“Not one bit.”

“Oh fine,” Rainbow moped.

Twilight let her gaze linger on Rainbow’s face. She was still more than a little disappointed with the pegasus, but she had gotten her point across, and she could tell that Rainbow regretted this mistake probably more than anything else she had ever done.

Alright, Applejack may be the victim here, but she’s not here and Rainbow is, she sighed to herself. Rainbow’s sorry and nopony deserves to sit wallowing in self-pity while something like this eats them up inside. Time to take one for the team...

“Hey, Rainbow, now that we’ve got that all sorted out, I know a way to lift your spirits,” Twilight cooed.

“Yeah, right,” Rainbow spouted skeptically.

“Think about it, why were you coming to Canterlot in the first place?” Twilight offered, hoping Rainbow would catch on. “Something about learning..?”

“Oh, yeah! We’ve gotta get you flying,” Rainbow squealed, perking up immediately. “But what about your paperwork here?”

“That can wait. To the courtyard!” Twilight proclaimed, layering on extra bravado.

“Sweet. Race ya there!” Rainbow shouted over her shoulder as she burst through the door, Twilight hot on her heels. The pair galloped through the castle’s winding corridors, eventually bursting into the cool April air of the courtyard with Rainbow Dash firmly in the lead.

Grinning broadly, Rainbow spun around and immediately began speaking. “Alright, listen up! We’re going to start with something nice and simple: the standard barrel roll!”

“Uhhh, Rainbow?”

“Now the thing to remember here is to keep your legs tucked in.”

“Rainbow Dash...”

“If you don’t, you could—”

“DASH!”

“What?” Rainbow groaned irritably. “You’re not supposed you interrupt your teacher! Aren’t you, like, Equestria’s best student? You should know that already!”

“I was trying to say that I’m not going to be able to do that,” Twilight retorted. “I haven’t flown at all yet!”

“WHAT?” Rainbow screamed, falling to the ground at the shock. “You’ve had wings for two whole weeks and you haven’t flown yet?”

“Well, yeah! You said that you wanted to teach me how to fly, so I didn’t take any lessons,” Twilight explained softly.

“I meant that I wanted to teach you the cool stuff, not how to hover!” Rainbow groaned, her face contorted with disappointment.

“Then you should’ve been more specific,” Twilight muttered audibly.

“Alright, fine. Hovering 101 it is,” Rainbow sighed. “Now, it’s not as simple as it looks. You can’t just flap your wings and expect to get off the ground. Same thing with moving, you’ve actually gotta move your wings a certain way to do it. Now I’m not gonna bother going over that with you because I know you already know all that.”

“And what if I don’t?” Twilight asked, letting her annoyance slip into her voice.

“Oh, come on, Egghead! You can’t tell me that you haven’t already read ten books on the subject!”

“Three actually, but fine, I read about it,” Twilight groaned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’ll make this faster,” Rainbow replied. “Now since you already know how it works, just do it.”

“...Right now?”

“No, next week,” Rainbow sighed. “Yes, right now!”

Twilight swallowed nervously. “Okay, I can do that...”

“What’s the matter? Scared?” Rainbow teased.

“No... Yes... A little bit,” Twilight whimpered. She spread her wings and gave a single flap, lifting herself off the ground for less than a second. “See? I can do it.”

“Right,” the unamused Rainbow muttered. “Now do it again, but this time stay up. And no magic!”

“No magic? But what if I fall?”

“Falling and getting all bruised up is how you learn,” Rainbow explained. “So no using magic to help you fly until you can fly on your own. Promise me!”

“O-okay, I won’t use magic to help me fly,” Twilight stuttered. Spreading her wings again, she flapped; harder this time. She managed to stay up for three seconds this time before falling back to her hooves.

“Alright, new plan,” Rainbow sighed.

“New plan? Whaaaaaaaaaa—” Twilight screeched as Rainbow leapt over to her, hooked her around her front legs and lifted her into the air. “What in pony’s name are you doing?”

“Teaching,” Rainbow snickered, dragging Twilight up almost ten meters before letting go. “Think fast! And remember: no magic! You promised!”

Twilight screamed all the way down, desperately flapping her wings against the wind. She was going to die; there was no way around it. Her life began to flash before her eyes. Starting with her earliest memory, playing with her brother on their parent’s bed, progressing to more recent ones, like earning her cutie mark and—

“Twilight? TWILIGHT!” Rainbow bellowed into her ear, snapping her out of her flashback. “You’re flying.”

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open and she dared a downward glance to see that she was indeed hovering half a meter off the ground.

“Am I a great teacher or what?” Rainbow cheered. “We keep going like this and— uh-oh!”

“GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!” Twilight screamed as she lunged in Rainbow’s direction.

“Or what? You’ll lecture me— woah!” Rainbow twisted out of the way as Twilight dove past. “Okay, I’ll admit it, that was a really mean thing for me to do!” she called out nervously, flying backwards away from the angry princess.

“YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HOOVES ON YOU!”

“Let’s be reasonable about this, Twilight! I’m apologizing! Think about it this way: you’ll never be able to catch me... Oh crud!” Rainbow turned around and sped off as Twilight started to gain on her. She felt a pinch on the tip of her tail and turned around to see a familiar violet glow surrounding it. Suddenly, she felt a strong force pulling her backwards towards her pursuer. “Oh, great...” She let her body go limp as she was flung towards Twilight, who immediately tackled her to the ground.

Twilight, however, wasn’t content with just knocking her friend out of the air. With a second spell, she willed the grass the pair had crashed into to grow longer. It bounded Rainbow’s hooves together, and tightly wound its way around her midsection, pinning her to the ground.

“Hey! You promised you wouldn’t use magic,” Rainbow whined.

“I promised I wouldn’t use magic to help me fly, I never said anything about not using it to catch a certain blue pain-in-the-flank,” Twilight growled menacingly.

“Well ya got me,” Rainbow sighed. “So now what? Gonna make me do lines on a chalkboard?” she grumbled sarcastically.

“No, no... I have something much worse planned for you,” Twilight murmured, plucking out one of her own feathers and pointing it threateningly at Rainbow’s throat.

“W-what are you going to do with that?” Rainbow stuttered, attempting, and failing, to sound brave.

Rather than replying, Twilight just grinned as the feather rotated downwards. Rainbow’s eyes followed it’s tip, gasping when she realized what it was being aimed at.

“N-no! You wouldn’t! That’s just—” Twilight never found out how Rainbow was going to finish her sentence. Instead of listening, she forcefully jabbed the feather into the pegasus’ hoof and began dragging it along the bottom, immediately eliciting a loud, rambunctious laugh from her victim.

“Nooooo! No, pleeeease!” Rainbow gasped through her loud, lung-emptying guffaws.

“Say it!”

“No, no stop! I’ll do anything!”

“SAY IT!”

“Alright, alright! You’re cooler than I am!”

“And don’t you forget it!” Twilight giggled. Tossing the feather aside and returning the grass back to its natural length, she held out a hoof to Rainbow, who gratefully accepted it and pulled herself back to a standing position. “But seriously, Dash, don’t you ever do that again.”

“I won’t!”

“So what’s the next lesson?”

Over the next three days, Twilight practiced with Rainbow every chance she got, while Rainbow, having learned her feathery lesson, avoided taking any more shortcuts. If Twilight could have had things her way, she would have spent all day, every day in her lessons until she had completely mastered the art of flying; unfortunately she was still a princess, and thus still had obligations to fulfill. The current of which involved sitting in court, arguing with a deranged earth pony that opened his presentation by stating, rather loudly, that he ‘in no way recognized the authority of the central government of Equestria’.

“I said no,” Twilight groaned for the fifth time.

“You can’t just refuse me!” the angry petitioner screeched as he once again attempted to get around the guard separating him from Twilight.

“I’m pretty sure I just did,” she growled sarcastically. “I’m not letting you plant poison joke in your flower garden; the law stands as written.”

“This is a breach of my rights and my freedom! I demand that you-”

“You’re free to be as stupid as you want, but only if you’re the only pony that’ll be hurt by it. I’m not going to let you do anything to endanger anypony else just because you think you have a right to do whatever you want!” Twilight shouted over his ranting as he was dragged towards the door. “If I hear that you went ahead and planted some anyway, I’ll personally make sure that you don’t get off with just a warning!”

She glared at the group of ponies standing in on the session as observers, silencing their snickering, before nodding to Quill-Pen. “Bring in the next petitioner!” the older mare shouted to the guards near the door. They opened it to allow a pair of mares through, an earth pony and a unicorn.

Twilight put on a welcoming smile for the pair, but it quickly died when she realized that the two were in the midst of a heated argument.

“How did I ever let you talk me into this? This is an awful idea!” the earth pony snarled to her companion.

“I didn’t even think we’d get this far! You were the one who kept bugging the clerk to get us an audience! It’s your fault that we’re here!”

“Hello?” Twilight called out, hoping to draw their attention to herself and away from each other.

“My fault? I was trying to be helpful!”

“If we get arrested for insulting-”

“That’s quite enough!” Quill-Pen barked, causing the pair to jump. “Do you two have something you wish to ask of the Princess, or would you prefer to waste such an opportunity squabbling with each other?”

Having been so engrossed in their shouting that they hadn’t realized they were standing in front of the throne, the pair turned to give each other terrified expressions. “Umm, yes we do,” the earth pony stuttered. “Or rather she does, I’m just here for moral support.”

The unicorn shot her friend a scathing look before turning back to Twilight. “Y-your Highness, w-we were t-talking the other day...” she began before stopping to gulp nervously. “And we got around to talking about the Summer Sun Celebration.”

Twilight’s ears perked up at the mention of the subject. Somehow, she had completely forgotten about the holiday. “Yes, go on...”

“So we were thinking,” the unicorn continued, visibly trembling now, her voice notably higher, “could the Summer Sun Celebration be canceled this year? We just thought-” Twilight strained her ears to hear whatever it was the unicorn was trying to say next, but was unable to make it out over the deafening uproar that filled the throne room.

“I’m sorry, what was that last bit?” Twilight asked, nearly unable to hear her own voice, not that it would’ve mattered. Both petitioners were cowering on the floor with their hooves over their heads, being screamed at from every different angle. “Hey, that’s enough! Stop yelling! Would everypony please...” she called out, hoping that somepony would listen. Finally, she gave in and, for the first time since she had become Princess, magically amplified her voice.

“EVERYPONY, SHUT UP!”

All other noise died as her first use of the Royal Canterlot Voice blasted through the vast chamber, leaving a deathly silence.

“Thank you,” Twilight sighed before looking back down at the petitioners. “Now, I didn’t hear that last part. Would you mind repeating it for me?”

“I-I’d like to have this year’s celebration set aside as a day of mourning,” she squeaked, her voice barely audible.

“Never!” Quill-Pen bellowed from Twilight’s side.

“Actually, I think I like that idea,” Twilight replied softly.

“What? But Twi— Your Highness, the Summer Sun Celebration is one of our most sacred traditions! How can you possibly consider this?”

“The first Summer Sun Celebration was put together by Princess Celestia to raise the spirit of the ponies whose lives had been turned upside-down by Nightmare Moon’s appearance,” Twilight retorted, quoting one of her favorite books. “This’ll be Equestria’s first Summer Sun Celebration without Princess Celestia; I personally think it’s very appropriate that we spend the day in mourning.”

“But-”

“But nothing, Quill-Pen! Authority over the celebration rests solely with the Princess of the Sun, so it’s my decision alone!” Twilight snapped. She turned back to the petitioners and made her proclamation to the court. “The festivities for this year’s Summer Sun Celebration are to be canceled, and the date is to be set aside as a day of remembrance! If anypony would like to set up some form of event, they may do so, but it must be dedicated to our late Princess.”

The unicorn simply gaped up at her, frozen stiff, as a buzz of frantic conversation filled the throne room once again. Her companion prodded her in the side several times, to no avail, before turning back to Twilight. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. After struggling over her words to a few seconds, she simply smiled, bowed, then lifted her friend onto her back and made her way to the door.

Twilight waited for the door to close behind the mares before turning to Quill-Pen. “Hey, I’m sorry. It was wrong of my to belittle you like that.”

“To be honest, I shouldn’t have questioned you so blatantly in front of your subjects. It sends the wrong message,” Quill-Pen sighed. “It’s just... the Summer Sun Celebration has always been my favorite holiday, so I guess I took what they were trying to do personally.”

“It’s okay, you were just standing up for what you believe in,” Twilight murmured.

“Regardless, you were right. The decision is yours alone.”

“That doesn’t mean I should just ignore what you have to say,” Twilight said apologetically. “But if you’re willing to put it behind you, then I will too. What’s next?”

“Those were the last petitioners for the day,” Quill-Pen remarked with a mischievous smile.

“Oh no...”

“Which means that it’s time for you to give that speech I had you prepare!” Quill-Pen chuckled. She turned towards the door and nodded to the guards. “Let them in!”

“Remind me again, how did you convince me to do this?” Twilight whined through a forced grin, quiet enough for only Quill-Pen to hear.

“By showing you the number of petitions this group has submitted. It’ll be a lot quicker and easier to just speak to them all at once,” Quill-Pen murmured, levitating a stack of documents over to Twilight.

“Quicker, sure. Easier? I doubt it,” she sighed, grudgingly accepting the papers. “It’s easier to convince nobles to be reasonable one-on-one, if only because they’re afraid of me, but they’re much braver in groups. They’re like seagulls...”

“Well put your best smile on and your best hoof forward. If you do well enough here, I promise not to schedule anything like this for at least another month,“ Quill-Pen smirked. “Unless it’s something really important, of course.”

“You think everything’s important, Quill-Pen.”

“Good, you’re learning,” she snickered. “Well, I’d give an introduction, but you’re a big pony now, I think you can handle yourself.”

“I’m going to get you back for this,” Twilight muttered.

“I’ll check my breakfast for hot sauce tomorrow. Start whenever you’re ready.”

“Right,” she sighed, flicking her eyes across the assembled crowd. Unfortunately, she recognized most of them, they were the loudest complainers among the aristocracy.

“Thank you for coming, everypony,” she began, magically holding the stack of stationery at the bottom of her field of vision. Not that she needed it, of course; she had her speech completely memorized from beginning to end. “I understand that many of you have concerns about where a number of proposed budget cuts will be falling, and so I have invited you all here to address the ten most common complaints, hopefully in a manner you will all find satisfying.

“Now, from what I’ve been told, the proposal that the most ponies have an issue with is the one that would completely cut funding to the Canterlot Botanical Gardens. I personally like the Gardens and visited them with Princess Celestia numerous times during my apprenticeship. That being said, the Gardens are owned entirely by a small group of Noble Houses and access is restricted to very few ponies, every one of them a member of the nobility.

“I cannot in good conscience allow tax bits to go towards maintaining a private facility that exists only for the entertainment of a few very wealthy ponies. However, if the rules were changed to allow the public entry to the Gardens, then not only would I be willing to restore funding, but I might even consider expand-”

She was cut off by a loud scream from her audience. Confused, she glared down at the crowd, only to notice that they all seemed to be staring at something near the ceiling. She followed their line of vision up to the top of one of the room’s many pillars, but was tackled to the ground. She struggled briefly with the tangled limbs of her assailant, but was forced onto her back as the larger pony gained the upper hand. She looked up into the face of her attacker and gasped as she realized that it was one of her own guards.

She charged her magic, thoroughly intending to blast the triumphant grin off of his face, but her instincts were screaming at her. Something was wrong. She let the spell fizzle out as a crimson droplet leaked out between his teeth. The feathered shaft of a bolt protruded from his neck. Her stomach churned as she felt her fur grow wet with a warm, thick liquid.

Angry shouts and fearful screams pressed against her ears, but she couldn’t hear them. She was pulled out from under the body. A kind voice whispered into her ear, assuring her that the shooter had been caught.

None of it mattered. Everything had gone wrong. How could everything be so wrong?

“Oh, I should’ve been there! How is she, Quill-Pen?” Rainbow asked, unsure if she wanted an honest answer or not.

“Asleep, finally,” the seneschal sighed.

“Really? The nurse told me that they couldn’t get her to sleep. They said she was having non-stop panic attacks!”

“Well, I may have drugged her juice,” Quill-Pen murmured guiltily.

“You what?” Rainbow snarled, taking a couple threatening steps toward Quill-Pen. “Why would you do that? She trusts you!”

“I know, and I feel awful about it, but she’s better off this way,” Quill-Pen whispered. “I would’ve used a sleep spell if I could, but she’s as powerful now as Princess Celestia ever was. The only pony who could hope to cast a sleep spell strong enough to affect her is Princess Luna, and, at the moment, she’s in a terrible state herself!”

“She is?” Rainbow replied, completely bewildered. “Why? She was asleep when all this happened.”

“Some genius decided to inform her of the situation by barging into her room and waking her up by shouting ‘Princess Twilight’s been shot!’” Quill-Pen sighed. “Her Highness didn’t take it well. She had a panic attack herself.”

“Oh... Yeah, that’s not cool,” Rainbow grimaced. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the clamor of hooves hitting the floor.

“Where is she?” Shining Armor’s voice echoed down the corridor as he rounded a nearby corner.

“Sleeping, Guard-Captain. Please keep it down,” Quill-Pen scolded.

“I want to see her!”

“I know you do. Trust me, I know; but there’s more important things at hoof,” Quill-Pen stated tactfully. “The would-be assassin was caught immediately, but we don’t know if he was acting alone. A team was sent to his residence to search for anything to clue us into any backup plans he may have had and we need to get the investigation underway immediately. Normally I’d prefer not to have family members involved in an investigation, but this one is entirely too important to place under anypony but the best we have, and you’re it.”

“You have the shooter? Who was it?” Shining screamed.

“A disgraced noble looking for revenge,” Quill-Pen explained, hoping that offering more information might placate the enraged sibling. “Five years ago he invested his entire fortune in a company that was manufacturing some strange new product. Not long after it hit the shelves, Twilight began to perform experiments on it as a science project and ended up proving that it didn’t work. He lost everything.

“However, that doesn’t change the fact that he may not be the only pony involved. There are dozens of ponies who would like to see Twilight hurt or dead, and any one of them could have aided him.”

“I-I’ll get right to it, Seneschal!” Shining Armor stuttered, unable to keep himself from glancing at the door to the room his sister lay in.

“And Guard-Captain? You are never to be in the same room as the shooter,” Quill-Pen growled threateningly. “The same goes for anyone arrested or questioned. You are to organize the investigation only. Understood?”

“But-”

“I will get Minister Ironside to give you these orders himself, if I must! You will keep your revenge in check and allow our legal system to do its job. Are we clear?”

“...Crystal.”

“Good. I appreciate your cooperation,” Quill-Pen replied professionally. “I’ll send for you as soon as she wakes up.” The two mares watched Shining Armor stomp away before turning back to each other. “And now, I must ask something of you, Rainbow Dash.”

“Umm, okay... What do you need?” Rainbow muttered, lacking her usual confidence.

“I’d like you to stay here. I’d prefer there was a friendly face waiting for her when she wakes up.”

“Oh, is that it?” Rainbow asked. “I was planning on doing that anyway!”

“Thank you,” Quill-Pen replied with a relieved sigh. “I know that you’re doing it for her and not for me, but I appreciate it anyway. You’re a good pony and a good friend to her.”

“Well duh! Don’t you know who you’re talking to?” Rainbow grinned over her shoulder as she pushed open the door to Twilight’s room.

Chapter 10

A/N: One last chapter before the holidays. Due to the fact that this tends to be my busiest time of year, the next chapter will probably have a small delay

In the meantime, I'd like to give another thanks to Pissfer, f0x, and Piquo for taking time out of their holiday preparations to get this ready to release right when I wanted it to be, a Christmas/Hanukkah/Dongzhi (or whatever else you may celebrate) gift from us to the readers.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: Piquo+Pie and f0xhole.

Twenty days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle

“Come on, Twilight! All you’d have to do is talk to Spitfire, it’d take five seconds,” Rainbow whined, hovering in the center of Twilight’s office. “It’s not like she’d say no; you’re the princess!”

“It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s that I won’t,” Twilight grumbled.

“Well why not?”

“Because, Dash, if I force Spitfire to make you a Wonderbolt, you’ll be happy for a little while, then you’ll start to wonder if you ever would’ve made it on your own,” Twilight explained for what seemed like the hundredth time. “Then you’ll get depressed and you’ll spend the rest of your life doubting yourself. Eventually you’d probably start to hate me for not talking you out of it. You’ll just have to finish the Academy like everypony else.”

“But— If— I...” she stuttered angrily. “Sometimes I hate it when you make sense.”

“Yeah I know, but what would you do without me?” Twilight giggled.

“Live a calm and peaceful life without having to help deal with major disasters every few weeks?” Rainbow replied teasingly. “Actually that would be totally boring! We better not stop having adventures just because you’re stuck here.”

“Just make sure to write to me about it,” Twilight murmured wistfully.

“Oh, don’t worry; I will,” Rainbow snickered, her eyes flicked up to the clock on the wall and she gave a disappointed sigh. “I should probably get ready to leave or I’ll miss the train. I was sore enough after flying here and that was while flying with the wind currents. Flying back would be torture!”

“Awww, okay,” Twilight sighed. “But before you go, I have a present for you. I’ve had these all week, but I wanted to wait until just before you left,” she said mischievously, pulling a pair of booklets out of the top drawer of her desk and pushed them over to Rainbow for her to inspect.

“What are these? Passports?” Rainbow muttered, looking up at Twilight.

“No, of course not,” Twilight chirped excitedly. “Look again!”

“Okay...” Rainbow muttered, looking back down at the tickets. “Hold on, these are your lifetime passes to the Princess’ box! These can get anypony into every Wonderbolts show ever! You can’t just give these away.”

“One of the good things about being a Princess, Dash, is that I’m allowed to do whatever I want with things like these,” she chuckled with a smug grin. “I don’t really enjoy airshows, but I don’t want the box to just sit there empty and I knew you’d love to go. Unless you don’t want them?”

“No, no! I want them,” Rainbow gasped desperately. She glanced back town at the passes she held in her hooves. “Twilight... I... I don’t know how to...”

“It’s okay, Dash. A simple ‘thank you’ will be more than enough,” Twilight giggled.

“Okay, thanks!” Rainbow said happily. “Who am I gonna take though? ‘shy’s the only one who can go without one of your cloudwalking spells, and she doesn’t like airshows either...”

“How about Scootaloo?”

“Oh, duh!” Rainbow groaned, slapping her head with a hoof. “The little squirt’s gonna flip! I probably should’ve thought of her right away, come to think of it... You’ve gotta let me take you to at least one show a year though, Twi. It just wouldn’t feel right not to take you with me every now and then.”

“Okay, I’ll go if it’ll make you happy,” Twilight said with a smile.

“Great! I’ll make sure to get you a schedule so you can let me know when you wanna go,” Rainbow exclaimed excitedly. “What do you want me to do with them when I graduate from the academy though? I won’t really need them after that.”

“Pass them on, I guess,” Twilight murmured thoughtfully. “You could give them to Scoot, or you can hang onto them to give to your foals if you ever have some. They’re yours.”

“Wow, that’s, this is... You’re amazing, Twilight,” she grinned before her eyes caught a second glimpse at the clock. “But I really need to leave.”

“Alright, if you say so,” Twilight sighed. “Would you like to at least say goodbye to Luna first? She should be awake by now.”

“Yeah, I’d like that!” Rainbow grinned, leading the way out of the office.

The pair trotted quietly for several minutes before Twilight broke the silence. “Rainbow? Thanks for... you know, being there for me this week.”

“Hey, don’t mention it,” Rainbow murmured softly. “I wouldn’t let any of my friends go through all that alone. Or anypony really, no matter who they are.”

“Still, thank you. I don’t think I could have—” Twilight began, but was cut off by Luna’s loud voice echoing down the hallway.

“I AM ENDING THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE YOU RUIN EVERYTHING!’

“That doesn’t sound good,” Rainbow muttered. The two picked up their pace and stopped just outside of Luna’s bedroom door.

“How will I ruin anything? You’re the one keeping secrets that shouldn’t be kept!” a second voice retorted angrily.

“That’s Quill-Pen,” Twilight muttered.

“And this is my choice! I will not let you destroy what I have!” Luna screamed, causing the door to shake.

“Uhhh, Twilight, you might want to put a stop to this,” Rainbow whispered to her.

“Yeah...” Twilight moaned, pushing open the door.

“You don’t have anything at the moment aside from your self-inflicted misery! Trust me, you’d be a lot happier if you’d just sit her down and—” Quill-Pen snarled before catching sight of Twilight and gasping.

“That’s enough, you two! I don’t know what this is about, but the last thing I need right now is you two yelling at each other,” Twilight scolded. After a short pause, she continued. “So are you two going to tell me what this is all about or not?”

“I was just trying to talk some sense into Princess Luna,” Quill-Pen grumbled, making her way to the door.

“Umm, okay...” Twilight mumbled, turning to Luna. “What happened?”

“Your seneschal was just poking her nose where it doesn’t belong. She will also make sure to keep silent unless she wishes to find out firsthoof how cold the moon is!” Luna called towards the door, obviously intending for Quill-Pen to hear the threat.

“Okay. So, you don’t want to talk about it?” Twilight asked, slightly disappointed.

“I do not,” Luna murmured.

“Okay, well if that’s the way you want it...” Twilight said uncertainly. “We just stopped by so Rainbow could say goodbye; she’s heading back to Ponyville soon.”

“Oh, yes, I suppose she is,” Luna murmured. She sauntered over to Rainbow and extended a hoof. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash, for coming. I understand that leaving your home and job for a week on short notice is anything but easy, and we appreciate what you’ve done.”

“You don’t have to be so formal, Luna,” Rainbow snickered. “Anytime you need me for something like this, just let me know. Besides, I couldn’t let Twilight live all mopey and stuff. I would’ve come up here whether you asked me to or not after you told us how bad things were.”

“Thank you nonetheless,” Luna replied. “Though shouldn’t you have left by now? Your train is scheduled to leave in a mere five minutes.”

“Oh crud, I’m late!” Rainbow exclaimed with a gasp. “Mind if I just fly to the train station from your balcony?” Luna nodded and Rainbow bolted out of the door, stopping only to hoofbump Twilight on the way out.

“You will not be accompanying her?” Luna muttered aside to Twilight.

“No. I want to, but I have two whole mountains of paperwork that I need to finish before court on Monday,” Twilight groaned.

“Very well,” Luna said with a nod. She paused, a worried expression leaking into her eyes. “Do you at least have a few minutes to spare to speak with me?”

“Of course, Luna! What’s up?”

“I just haven’t had the chance to speak to you at length since, well, you know...” Luna murmured sadly. “I feel as if I should at least try to comfort you... and check on your wellbeing.”

“Oh,” Twilight winced. “Yeah, I’m still not sure how I feel.”

“I assume you attended the funeral?” Luna asked cautiously.

“Of course! He was buried with full military honors and posthumously awarded three different medals. Then, afterwards, everypony went about their business like nothing happened! Like he never even existed...” Twilight muttered sadly.

“Such is the life of a Royal Guard. They are expected to surrender their lives, without hesitation, at any given moment,” Luna murmured. “I am sorry that you had to learn this horrible truth in such a gruesome manner.”

“You know what the worst part is?” Twilight asked angrily. “It wasn’t watching him get shot or waking up with his blood in my fur. It wasn’t even having to tell his parents that he was gone. It was that I didn’t even know his name until after he was gone. I never even thought to thank him for protecting me until after it was too late!”

“Please, Twilight, don’t be angry with yourself. He sacrificed himself so that you could continue leading Equestria to prosperity, not so you could hate yourself,” Luna replied softly.

“Right, like I believe that, Luna,” Twilight growled. “Has this type of thing ever happened to you?”

“Yes, actually. It used to happen quite often,” Luna replied calmly. “Even before my banishment, there were many ponies who despised me. There was a period where I lost six of my closest guards in as many months.”

“Oh, right,” Twilight replied guiltily. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No need to apologize, Twilight,” Luna said tenderly. “When it comes to taking out on others the anger you feel towards yourself, I am one of the worst offenders.”

“How do you deal with it though?” Twilight whispered. “Does it ever stop hurting?”

Luna winced at the question and opened her mouth to respond, but choked on her answer. She hung her head with a melancholy sigh before continuing. “No. Even after all this time, I still see their faces when I close my eyes. None of them blamed me; one even went so far as to tell me so before he... expired, but I’ve never been able to stop blaming myself. Celestia was the same way,” Luna murmured, a pained look shadowing her features. “I can’t imagine how many ghosts haunted her dreams.”

“So... How am I supposed to feel better about all of this? How are we supposed to handle the guilt?” Twilight cried softly.

“We vow to do better next time,” Luna said, wiping a tear from Twilight’s cheek. “And we promise that we will continue on. No matter what happens, we continue doing what we believe is best. If we can do that, then they will not have died in vain.”

“I guess... Maybe it’s one of those things that I’ll be able to handle a little better as I get older.”

“A fine thought,” Luna replied with a comforting smile. “Now, I must get ready for my night and you have work to do. Think about what I said.”

“Alright,” Twilight groaned. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” She turned around and trotted out the door, almost colliding with somepony on the way out.

“Beg your pardon, Your Highness!”

“Sound Mind? Sorry about that,” Twilight replied, rubbing her forehead. “Here to see Luna?”

“No, actually, I went to find you at your office and one of the guards told me you came here,” Sound Mind sighed.

“Lovely,” Twilight muttered, wondering what she had done to deserve this particular visit. “So what do you need?”

“I am just informing you that today I took the liberty of reviewing the Gala proposals that Your Highness hasn’t gotten to yet and removed any that were either illegal or outside of our budgetary constraints,” she explained formally, gesturing towards her ever-present clipboard. “You’ll find that only about 30% of the proposals you had yet to cover remain.”

“You did that for me?” Twilight gasped. “But today’s your day off. Why would you spend it at work?”

“Because, Your Highness, I want your reign to be successful, believe it or not,” Sound Mind huffed. “I may disagree with nearly every one of your policies and viewpoints, but I am not so petty as to want to see you fail. If you proved to be a poor enough Princess that the populace were to forcefully remove you from your throne, the amount of damage that would be done to Equestria and its reputation, both at home and abroad, would be catastrophic! I’d rather work with you and risk the chance of being proven wrong than work against you and see Equestria destroyed.”

“Wow. That’s... really profound,” Twilight stuttered. “Still, thank you.”

“It was my pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Your Highness,” Sound Mind said with a bow before trotting off.

Twilight watched her leave, then turned around to walk in the opposite direction and sighed to herself. “One mountain of paperwork down, one to go.”

“A comet that hit a star?” Twilight asked desperately, knowing she was wrong.

...

“Didn’t think so... Alright, I give up. What’s blue and white and hotter than flame?” she asked, sensing the sun’s glee at having stumped her.

…

“Hey, I guessed that!” she snapped.

…

She slapped a hoof to her forehead at her charge’s absentmindedness before replying. “Yes I did! It was my second guess!”

…

“Well that’s just rude...” she grumbled.

...

“I am not!”

…

“Hey! Now you’re just being mean,” she scolded.

…

“Where am I going? I’m leaving. I’ll be back when you’re not acting like a spoiled foal,” she retorted, pulling herself back into her body.

Approving various government-funded construction projects was easily the last thing Twilight wanted to do with her Sunday night, but if she didn’t finish it now, it would raise dozens of problems in the morning. Signing her name on the one she had just finished with, she gently placed it on top of the pile of other approved proposals. Taking another from the rapidly shrinking pile of unsigned measures, she glanced up at the clock on the wall.

“Eight-thirty already?” she mumbled to herself. “Now the last train got here at twenty after, so given the level of traffic in the city at this time of day, she should be getting here in three... two... one...”

A loud bang echoed throughout the palace, followed by an angry shout. “WHERE IS SHE?”

“Right on time,” Twilight giggled, letting her eyes sink back down to the papers in front of her.

“Ah don’t need no appointment! Now unless you want me to buck you crosseyed, you’ll get outta my way!”

Twilight rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, waiting for the inevitable storm. Sure enough, the sound of stomping hooves could be heard approaching and it wasn’t long before her door was kicked open with a loud bang.

“Hey, Applejack! I’m glad you came. Everything okay? You seem upset,” Twilight said nonchalantly.

“Don’t give me that! Ah know you had something to do with this,” Applejack screamed, pointing an accusing hoof at her.

“Something to do with what? I’ve been busy lately, AJ,” Twilight replied cooly.

“You know darned well what Ah mean!” the angry earth pony bellowed, stamping the floor aggressively. “Last week Rainbow Dash was acting all strange before she left, then Ah get a letter from you asking me to switch weeks with Pinkie Pie and come this week instead! Now Ah thought that y’all had somethin’ important to talk to me about, so Ah stupidly accepted. Then right before Ah get on the train today, the day after Dash gets back from seeing you, she ‘n’ my brother come tell me that they’ve been sneaking around behind my back for half-a-year! Don’t you dare play innocent!”

“I never said I was innocent. I’ll freely admit that I did a few things to you that I’m not proud of,” Twilight said apologetically. “But I had a good reason for each of them, and I promise you’ll understand if you’d just let me explain.”

“You’d better explain,” Applejack hissed. “I thought you were my friend!”

“I am your friend,” Twilight murmured, hoping that her calm demeanor might cool her friend’s temper. “But you have to tell me what exactly has you so worked up, or I can’t help fix it.”

“Ah’ve been lied to, and y’all had a part in it! How long have ya known and why did ya help them?” she screamed. “Why would ya help them lie to me like that?”

“I only found out last week, but you’re right, AJ. I knew that Dash was going to come clean with you, in fact, I was the one who convinced her to tell you, and then I asked you to come to Canterlot, knowing full well what was going to happen,” Twilight replied softly. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for deceiving you, but I only did what I thought was best.”

“Ah knew it,” Applejack screeched. “You did this on purpose to protect Rainbow ‘n’ Mac. Why? You’re supposed to protect the one who’s been wronged, not the ponies doin’ the wrongin’!”

“Because, I knew you’d be angry and I didn’t want you to do something you’d regret,” Twilight said. “You have every right to be angry at them, but trust me when I say that Dash feels awful about it and Big Mac probably does too.”

“Oh that’s just great,” Applejack groaned. “So now Ah’m stuck here while I’ve got a complete disaster goin’ on back home!”

“So having your best friend happily dating your older brother is a disaster?”

“Ye— no! Oh don’t you go puttin’ words in my mouth!” Applejack growled threateningly.

“I didn’t put anything in your mouth, you’re the one who said it,” Twilight murmured, sliding out of her chair and rounding her desk. “Again, you have every right to be angry with them for keeping their being together a secret from you, but you shouldn’t be angry at them for seeing each other.”

“What? Now you’re making me out to be the bad guy!” Applejack retorted, raising her voice again.

“You’re only the ‘bad guy’ if you resent them for being together. I’m not saying they weren’t wrong for not telling you, but they didn’t want to have you stuck in the middle if it didn’t work out,” Twilight replied, doing her best to keep from yelling back. “Listen, AJ, I talked with Dash about it every single day last week, and she really cares a lot about him, and I imagine he probably feels the same way in return. Even if you feel it’s a mistake, I’m asking you, as a friend, to just give them a chance.”

Shaking with rage, Applejack gnashed her teeth at Twilight, looking for a new route of attack. When she found none, she hung her head, defeated. “Twilight, Ah know what you’re saying makes sense. Ah know that... But right now, Ah’m so mad at you Ah can’t even stand to look at ya let alone listen to a word you say. Can we— can we just talk about this later? Ah really want to just go to bed.”

“I’d be happy to, Applejack,” Twilight murmured, allowing herself a mental sigh of relief. “We can talk all you want tomorrow. Or you can talk and I’ll just listen, if you’d prefer.”

“Yeah, Ah’ve heard that before,” Applejack muttered under her breath. She turned around and left, calling over her shoulder. “See y’all in the mornin’.”

Twilight watched Applejack leave and waited a full thirty seconds to make sure she wasn’t going to return before allowing herself to collapse to the floor. The conversation had left her completely drained mentally. It had gone exactly as she had envisioned it, yet it had been possibly the hardest thing she had done since being crowned.

She flicked her eyes to the stack of papers on her desk and grimaced. She knew that there’d be Tartarus to pay if she didn’t complete it by morning, but she just didn’t have the energy. Resigning herself to the fact that she wasn’t going to get anything else done that night, she pushed herself to her hooves and crawled out of her office, locking the door behind her. She made her way to her bedroom at a leisurely pace, flopping down on the bed when she got there, and stared at the ceiling.

Exhausted, but not sleepy, she glanced around her bedroom, trying to decide how best to spend her restless evening. With Luna busy, Applejack not up for conversation, and the rest of Equestria spending the night peacefully at home, there was little for her to do. That’s when her eyes landed on a roll of blank parchment she had stashed on her bookshelf.

She rolled over to her stomach as an idea crossed her mind and reached out with her magic to levitate the roll over to her, along with a jar of ink and a quill. She stared at it for several seconds before touching the tip of the quill to it, and began to write.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I had a bit of an argument with my friend Applejack, and I think I learned an important lesson in the process...

Chapter 11

The holidays (and the week and a half immediately following them) are the busiest time of the year for me, so thank you for your patience. Also, I suggest you thank Pissfer for keeping me on track with this chapter, or it might've been delayed a week or two more.

Secondly, this chapter contains a possibly origin story for Luna and Celestia. If for some reason you take issue with it, that's fine, but raging in the comments isn't going to change anything.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: Piquo+Pie and f0xhole.

Twenty-three days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Next, we have this,” Twilight muttered, pushing a stack of papers to the mare seated next to her. “I’m really not sure how they think it’ll help, but both the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Agriculture endorsed this plan. The problem is that only a couple of them have even been to a farm, let alone actually worked one. Actually, I think only three of the ponies on staff in either one have ever worked on a farm and it’s probably been years. I wanted to hear from somepony who had their hooves on the ground, so to speak, before I signed off on it.”

Applejack briefly scanned the top page before shaking her head. “Nah, this’ll never work. Sure, it’ll help ponies with huge farms like me ‘n’ the family, but a lot of smaller farms do everything by hoof and are proud of that. Ah’ve seen one that doesn’t even use plows.” She flipped to the second page, read the first sentence, then pushed the stack away. “Buying everypony new equipment would be nice, but it wouldn’t solve the problem, Ah don’t care what your bureaucrats say. Tools make things easier, sure, but they don’t make the crops grow better. It’d be a waste of money.”

“Good enough for me,” Twilight replied, shoving the stack into the waste bin that sat between them. She reached across the table and pulled another pile towards herself. “This one would eliminate the sales tax on any apple-based products. Whoever wrote it suggested that eliminating the tax would encourage ponies to buy more—”

“Wouldn’t work,” Applejack interrupted with a frustrated sigh. “There isn’t much made from apples that isn’t food, and y’all don’t tax food anyway.”

“Okay, but what if instead of eliminating the tax, we instead redirected some of it to farm subsidies?” Twilight offered.

“We’re ya even listenin’? There’s so little taxable things made from apples that even redirectin’ all of it wouldn’t even make a dent!” Applejack snapped.

“Alright, alright, you don’t have to get snippy with me, AJ,” Twilight sighed, shoving the new proposal into the overflowing bin.

“Sorry, Ah didn’t mean to say it like that. Just not used to bein’ up this late and we just seem ta be goin’ in circles,” Applejack grumbled.

“I know, but this is the last one,“ Twilight murmured, levitating a final stack of papers off of the floor and gently dropping it in front of her friend. “The ponies who submitted this one actually consulted me when they were writing it, so I can promise you that the science is sound.”

Applejack pulled it closer to her and began to read, but quickly stopped and turned to Twilight incredulously. “Magic? You want to use magic to grow apples? Have ya lost yer mind?”

“What? No! That’s not what it says,” Twilight gasped, leaning over and pulling several sheets from the center of the pile. “We’re putting aside thousands of bits to research ways to keep apple crops healthy by combating diseases and making the trees more resistant to bad weather. Most of them do involve magic, true, but I promise that you won’t have to change the way you do things.”

“I... don’t know, Twilight,” Applejack murmured after a short pause. “It still seems wrong. Takin’ shortcuts never works when it comes to apples, Ah taught you that myself.”

“I know, but this is different,” Twilight cooed. “If this gets passed, I’m going to be watching it closely. If they invented a medicine that could eliminate that disease you were complaining about a while ago- I think you called it flame blight? If they made a medicine that was completely safe and would completely cure it, wouldn’t you use it?”

“It was fire blight; and yeah, Ah guess Ah would,” Applejack muttered. “But what if they don’t come up with anything, or it takes them five years to find something? What then? The problems will be starting this season. We’re gonna get fewer apples from the same amount of work, and the apples we do get will be smaller. This isn’t just about sellin’ less apples; we’ll have to cut back durin’ cider season, and even the little problems we have all the time will be bigger than normal!”

“Well, that’s what this is for!” Twilight said quickly, pulling out the bottom page and holding it out for Applejack to read.

“Ya want to do what to my taxes?” she gaped. “You can’t cut our taxes by that much! Ye’ll have everypony who’s not an apple farmer riotin’ in the streets!”

“No we won’t. Don’t be so dramatic, you’re starting to sound like Rarity,” Twilight prodded with a teasing grin.

“Okay, fine it won’t be that bad,” Applejack muttered. “But tax cuts ain’t cheap, how exactly do you expect to pay for this if you’re already sendin’ so much money to those scientists?”

“You let me worry about that. I’m sure there’s somepony in a nice condo in Manehattan or Fillydelphia who’s been underpaying on their taxes for years that I can squeeze,” Twilight replied with a wink. “Probably a bunch of other subsidies I can cut too. The mining industry’s been reporting record profits for a long time; I don’t think they need help anymore.”

Applejack opened her mouth to respond, but shut it when nothing came out. She then closed her eyes and hung her head, deep in thought, before speaking again. “Alright, Ah’m gonna trust you. All things consider’d Ah probably shouldn’t, but Ah am,” Twilight flinched at her words and she trailed off, her eyes wide, shocked at what had just come out of her mouth. “Ah’m sorry, I shouldn’ta said that.”

“No, no, I deserved that,” Twilight murmured sadly, blinking away the tears that had begun to form.

“No you didn’t, Twilight. Ah just—”

“Applejack, I abused your trust and deceived you. That’s an awful thing to do to anypony and it’s even worse to do that to a friend,” Twilight murmured. “I did deserve that; at least a little bit.”

“You’re a good friend, Twilight,” Applejack replied softly. “If Ah had stayed in Ponyville, Ah probably would’ve said somethin’ dumb, then Dash ‘n’ Mac would’ve probably started arguin’ with me, poor Applebloom would be stuck in the middle, ‘n’ who knows what Granny’d say? Ah really appreciate you pullin’ me outta there, Ah just wish you would’ve found a less deceptive way to do it.”

“I know. I wish I had too. I just got scared and acted too quickly,” Twilight sighed.

“What’dya mean ‘got scared’? Ah fight with Dash all the time, it doesn’t mean nothin’,” Applejack said, bewildered.

“For the past couple weeks, I’ve been afraid of something happening in Ponyville to cause you girls to start fighting with each other, and I wouldn’t be there to calm everypony down. The thought terrifies me,” Twilight confessed. “I know it’s silly, but if anything broke up the friendships between you, I don’t know what I’d do... When Rainbow told me about what she had done, it started to look like that might actually happen. I guess I just panicked. I’m really sorry.”

“Stop apologizin’, Twilight. Ah’ve forgivin you, Ah’m just still a little sore is all. Ah’ll get over it, but Ah don’t want you hatin’ yourself in the meantime. What’s that all about anyhow? You’ve been mopin’ around ever since Ah got here and there’s more to it then y’all feelin’ guilty.”

Twilight hung her head at Applejack’s words. After an uncomfortably long silence, she spoke. “I’m... not happy here,” she whispered audibly, pursing her lips. “I’ve been working ever since they put this stupid crown on my head. Sure, I’m allowed to have an hour or two to myself here and there, but for the most part, if I’m not sleeping or eating, I’m doing paperwork or arguing with somepony over some little detail. I don’t even get a chance to do the kind of work I like to do anymore; no more experiments or reading books, just politics, debates, and more politics,” she moaned, sniffing back tears. “Sometimes I don’t even get time to eat or sleep. I can’t count how many times I’ve had to spend my lunch hour with a stack of papers sitting next to my food!”

“Woah... Ah don’t think any of us realized how rough it was up here, sugarcube. We were all sittin’ in Ponyville thinkin’ you were enjoyin’ yerself,” Applejack replied softly.

“Well I’m not! Everypony here has their own agenda that goes against everpony else’s, and they’re all working against each other to keep anything from getting done. Half of them sandbag anything that gets proposed, the other half tries to bribe everypony in sight. They all keep filling my mailbox with useless petitions that would give them more money or power at the expense of everypony else, and nopony, and I mean nopony even bothers to listen to anything I have to say,” Twilight snarled in one breath before gasping for air. “I’m sick and tired of this, and I want to go back to my library. But I can’t... I can’t because if I don’t stay here and take all this abuse, nopony will.”

“Well what about Luna? Can’t she help you?”

“No. She has her own problems to deal with, and the last thing she needs right now is for me to pile it on,” Twilight sighed.

“Is it really all that bad though?” Applejack asked, placing a concerned hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “There has to be some good parts...”

“I know you heard about what happened last week,” Twilight grumbled. “It’s hard to see anything in a positive light with something like that weighing on me.”

“Well, have ya ever tried to think of Princess Celestia?” Applejack offered. “You know, when y’all are feelin’ down, think of her and how happy she’d be that y’all are tryin’ so hard.”

“Well, I do do that, but sometimes it backfires and I start thinking about how much I miss her,” Twilight sighed. “It doesn’t help that every time I think I’ve finally got my emotions under control, I’ll find something she left for me.”

“‘Left for ya’? Like she left presents for ya?””

“Presents, reminders, letters... you name it. On my third night after I was crowned, I found a picture of Cadence pushing me on a swingset stuck in my pillowcase, and just last week I was going through the bookshelf in my room, opened a book that I thought looked interesting, and found that she had written a note to me on the inside of the front cover that said that she thought I’d really enjoy it.”

“She probably just didn’t think it’d upset y’all as much as it did. Ah can’t see her wantin’ to make ya feel any worse’n you already do,” Applejack replied.

“Actually, I think there was more to it than that,” Twilight said softly. “She knew for a long time that this was going to happen. I think she was afraid, and this was her way of reaching out to me. It probably made her feel a little better. Considering how long she had, I’ll probably still be finding little gifts from her years from now”

“That almost makes her sound sorta selfish. Makin’ herself feel better at yer expense...”

“Not exactly, AJ. Even if she was doing it to make herself feel better, I think she knew that I’d enjoy finding little gifts from her. It may hurt to find something from her, but it only hurts for a little while; then I look back and smile. The small reminder that she cared about me is more than worth the pain of missing her.”

“Well that makes sense,” Applejack muttered thoughtfully. “It actually sounds kinda exciting, not knowin’ where the next one will come from.”

“Well, I have an idea. She put a locking spell on her nightstand and nopony’s opened it since she died. It’s probably in there, so I’ve been slowly unraveling the spell,” Twilight explained. “Luna told me that she’s always kept whatever she considered her most treasured possession in there so it would we nearby when she went to sleep.”

“Her most valuable... Twilight, Ah donno if y’all should be doin’ that. If she locked it, then she might not want y’all snoopin’ around in there,” Applejack warned.

“Well, I thought that initially, but when I was inspecting it, I noticed something odd. The spell she used was a more powerful version of the one that I invented as a school project years ago. I can name at least a dozen easier, more secure spells she could’ve used, but instead she used mine!” Twilight replied excitedly. “No, whatever is in there, she wanted me to have it. She just wanted to make me work for it first.”

“So how close’re ya to openin’ it?”

“Not close at all. There hasn’t been much time lately to work on it either,” Twilight grumbled.

“Dang, that’s rough... Well, ya know what Ah think?” Applejack murmured. “Ah think we both need to go to bed. Maybe after we’ve had some rest we’ll be able to figure out how to solve both our problems.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Twilight replied, smiling for the first time that night. She gestured to the door. “After you!”

Using her magic, Twilight extinguished the candles lighting the room as she followed Applejack out, and the pair made their way towards the castle’s apartments.

“... Twilight, Ah know that Ah haven’t actually said it, but thank you for bringin’ me up here,” Applejack said suddenly. “Even if ya went about it the wrong way, y’all probably saved my family a lot of grief, and Ah’m thankful for that.”

“You’re welcome. I’m just happy to see that everything’s going to turn out well,” Twilight murmured.

“Well, Ah didn’t say that... Dash, Mac, ‘n’ Ah are gonna have a looooong talk when Ah get back; it’ll just involve a lot less yellin’ than it would’ve,” Applejack sighed. “That bein’ said, next time somethin’ like this happens, Ah’d prefer you just come back to Ponyville and talk with us yerself. No more sneaky Canterlot tricks, okay?”

“I promise, AJ. No more Canterlot tricks,” Twilight giggled as they reached Applejack’s door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

It was deep into the night when Twilight was woken by a sharp tapping, which she promptly began to ignore. She rolled over and jammed a pillow over her ears, hoping that immediately falling back to sleep would send her right back into her interrupted dream.

It had been an amazing dream. She had been trapped, alone, in the Royal Library with no way out, and, more importantly, no way in. Left with only the library’s books- and nopony to bother her- she would have been able to read to her heart’s content. The infernal noise stole that from her. It stole that from her and if it didn’t stop, she was going to lose her mind. She sat up in bed and swiveled her ears, trying to identify the source of her annoyance without opening her eyes. Not that she could’ve used her eyes effectively; she was fairly certain that they were glued shut.

Fortunately, her hearing was all she needed to identify that the sound was somepony tapping on her balcony door.

Unfortunately, this meant that she would have to get out of bed to find out who would dare risk waking her at this awful hour.

After lighting a candle, she grudgingly pushed her way out from under her warm covers and landed on the floor roughly. Next, she dragged herself over to the balcony door, ready to lay into her waker. She tore open the portal, but her angry words died in her throat when she saw Luna’s face staring back at her.

“Oh, Twilight, ‘tis good to see you!” Luna chirped, trotting through the door without bothering to wait for an invitation.

“What in the name of... Luna, why did you wake me up?”

“I was in the mood for a visit, so I flew up. How are you?” Luna asked, seemingly ignorant to Twilight’s frustration.

“Luna, it’s not that I’m unhappy to see you, but do you have any idea what time it is?” Twilight groaned as she slammed the door shut.

“Approximately nine-after-two,” Luna replied, glancing around the room. She walked over to the bookshelf and picked up a weighty tome, inspecting it in her hoof.

“That’s not what I meant,” Twilight moaned as she trotted to Luna’s side. “I meant why are you...” she trailed off when she gazed upon Luna’s face. From the late hour, to the distant expression in her eyes, to the way she seemed to be staring past the book instead of at it, everything about her screamed to Twilight that something wasn’t right. “Luna, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Twilight. Why do you ask?” Luna replied softly, a flicker of misery sneaking across her face.

“Because you’re obviously not ‘fine’,” Twilight growled, eliciting a second flinch from the Night Princess. Whatever it is, it must be really bothering her. Just one more push might convince her to tell me what it is so I can get back to bed. “Why don’t you make this easier on both of us and just tell me what’s wrong?”

Twilight immediately realized that she had gone entirely too far as a pained grimace crossed her friend's face. “Luna, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to—”

“I can’t do this anymore, Twilight,” Luna whispered as several tears began trickling down her cheeks.

“What do you mean?”

“For a month now I’ve been putting on a happy face and smiling to my subjects,” Luna croaked, her voice trembling. “It’s a lie. All of it a lie! I’m not brave like Celestia was.”

“Luna...”

“She was in pain for so long and never showed it. She was so strong, but I’m weak and helpless. I’ve tried to hide it like she did, but I can’t do it any longer. I’ll never be able to do what she did and I don’t care anymore,” Luna sobbed, collapsing into Twilight in a fit of wails. “I miss her so much. I just want my sister back!”

Frozen in shock, Twilight found herself unable to do anything beyond awkwardly cradling the larger mare in her hooves. “Luna, I... Why—” Twilight murmured, more to herself than to her friend. She gently laid Luna down on the floor and ran to her bedroom door, flinging it open with enough force to cause the guard standing outside to jump.

“What in..? Your Highness, are you alright?” He asked quickly, raising his weapon and glancing over Twilight’s shoulder, attempting to identify the source of the racket emanating from Twilight’s room.

“I’m fine, but listen up, this is important,” Twilight instructed. “Go find Dusk Flower—”

“I beg your pardon, Princess, but Lady Dusk Flower resigned the night before last.”

“Oh, great,” Twilight sighed sarcastically. “In that case, go find whomever Luna has as her personal assistant for this week and inform them that Luna is feeling under the weather and that I’m ordering that the Night Court be canceled. Tell them that they can move some of the workload to the Day Court if need be, then go wake up Quill-Pen and ask her to handle everything; she won’t refuse if you tell her that I’m the one asking.”

“Right away, Your Highness,” the guard replied immediately with a sharp salute.

“After that, go down to the kitchens and have them send up the biggest tea kettle they have with every type of herbal tea they can get their hooves on,” Twilight instructed. She looked over her shoulder, then turned back to the guard and continued. “And a pot of strong coffee for me. This is going to be a long night...”

Twilight sat by Luna’s side for nearly half an hour, waiting for the distraught mare to cry herself out. When the wailing finally died down into sniffles, Twilight began coaxing Luna into speaking. Her efforts seemed to be in vain, but she waited patiently; her friend needed her, and she would walk to the ends of the world to help.

She pushed a cup of strong-smelling tea into Luna’s hooves. “Please talk to me, Luna... What’s all this about? These thoughts couldn’t have just suddenly come to you.”

“It was... I’ve been trying—” Luna choked, coughing several times as she tried to sniff back another round of tears. “I’ve been trying to put on a strong face, you know? Trying to show everypony that everything’s going to be okay and that there’s nothing to worry about. I-it was hard, but I thought I was doing well. Then I passed a portrait of her on my way to lunch tonight and I paused... I looked at it for only a second. I don’t know what happened, but I just couldn’t hold it...”

“But why were you holding it in the first place?” Twilight asked tenderly.

“Because Equestria needs a strong leader, not a simpering mess,” Luna grumbled.

“Is that why you’ve been tormenting yourself?” Twilight groaned. “Luna, if anypony sees you crying, they won’t think that you’re weak, they’ll see a pony who loved her sister, and misses her. If anything, it’ll probably confort them to know that you cared about her so much.”

“Perhaps,” Luna mumbled.

“No, not ‘perhaps’! Nopony in their right mind is going to think worse of you for caring. Why would you—” Twilight stopped herself as she realized something awful. “...You were gone for far too long, weren’t you? When you were banished, there was nopony there to comfort you; you were all alone with your thoughts. These past few weeks, you weren’t trying to be strong for everypony else, you were keeping everything bottled up because you didn’t know how else to handle it,” she whispered, just loud enough for Luna to hear. A few quiet sobs was all the confirmation she needed.

“Luna, you’re not alone anymore,” She cooed, pulling Luna in for a hug. “You have friends now, friends who care about you. I promise that I’ll be here whenever you need a shoulder to cry on. I...” she trailed off again as the implications of her words, the weight of reality hit her.

“Y-you what?” Luna pressed, desperately clinging to Twilight’s words.

“We’re going to be ruling Equestria together for probably thousands of years,” she sighed, trembling slightly. “I guess it only hit me just now. It’s funny. Here I am, trying to comfort you, but now I feel like I’m the one who needs comforting.”

“What a pair we are. All this misery, and it’s all my fault,” Luna replied sadly.

“No it’s—”

“It is my fault Twilight. If I had not given in to my anger all those years ago, if I had not...” Luna interrupted angrily. “If I had not been such a fool, none of this would’ve happened.”

“Celestia told you, she told both of us, that she never blamed you,” Twilight retorted. “What happened back then to make you still hate yourself this much?”

“I-I can’t...” she stuttered. “Maybe someday I’ll be ready to talk with you about that, Twilight, but not now.”

“Okay, then let’s go back to talking about Celestia,” Twilight replied quickly, racking her brains for a way to lift Luna’s sunken spirits. “Let’s think for a moment. You’ve been alive for a very long time, so you have to have lost somepony you cared about before. What did you do then to cope?”

“That was different, Twilight” Luna sighed. “I know, I always have known, that I was going to vastly outlive anypony I met, and I was prepared for that. Celestia though... I always thought she would be around for a lot longer. For everypony else I had years— decades even— to prepare myself for the loss, but I only had a month with Tia...”

“Oh...” Twilight murmured with a wince, briefly returning to her thoughts. “Hey, you know what? When my grandma died a few years ago, we made ourselves feel better by spending the night after it happened talking about our favorite memories of her. Would you like to try that with Celestia?”

“I... I don’t know,” Luna muttered, more to herself than Twilight. “Maybe if you went first?”

“Of course!” Twilight chirped, scratching her head as she searched her memories for one that she could call ‘a favorite’. “Oh! I know! It happened during my first couple of weeks studying under her, and I had something I really wanted to show her. It was kind of late, so I went to see her in her room, but she wasn’t there. So I started waiting, but since I was still a little filly, I got bored and started poking around and ended up knocking over a vase and shattering it.” Twilight paused and glanced at Luna, pleased to see that her friend was watching her intently, rather than staring sadly at the floor the way she had been. “Being young, I thought she might banish me over that, so I panicked, cleaned it up, left, and tried to avoid talking to her for a couple days.”

“Knowing her, I can guess how well that worked out,” Luna mumbled.

“Not very well,” Twilight giggled. “Three days after it happened, she confronted me, asking why I was acting so strangely. Now, I was afraid of what she’d do when she found out that I broke the vase, but I was more afraid of what she’d do if I lied to her, so I told her the truth. Do you know what she did then?”

“No... What did she do?”

“She laughed! She laughed and said ‘Twilight, is that why you’ve been hiding from me? I’d never send you away for something so trivial as a vase’,” she finished with a broad smile. “I feel like that’s the point when I really opened up to her and started seeing her as a mother-figure instead of just a teacher. So there you have it: my favorite memory of Celestia.” Twilight glanced at Luna’s face just in time to catch a smile on the mare’s face. “Now, tell me yours!”

“I could do that,” Luna murmured softly, “but I think I’d rather just show you.”

“What to do you mean by ‘show me’? Are you like some pony projector now?”

“There’s an old spell that allows me to... actually, why don’t I just demonstrate?” Luna giggled. “Come closer, please. And close your eyes.”

Nervous, but curious, Twilight did so, then she jammed her eyes shut and waited. She resisted pulling away as she felt Luna’s breath tickle her nose and flinched slightly as Luna gently tapped their horns together. Nothing happened. Confused she opened her eyes. “Luna, is something supposed to—” she began, but was cut off as her senses exploded into a medley of colors and sounds.

The wind whipped through her blue mane, roaring in her ears and filling her nostrils with the crisp scent of the warm afternoon air as she fled down the alleyway. She agilely dove under a cart, then charged around the nearby corner, satisfied to hear a sudden yelp as one of her pursuers collided with the obstacle. It was a welcome reprieve, but it would not last long. She was the youngest of the foals; she would be caught if she didn’t come up with a plan.

She only had one chance. Hoping that what she sought was where she thought it would be, she bolted around another corner and into the street. She whipped her head around, looking for her target. Briefly catching the mass out of the corner of her eye, she turned on the spot, and threw herself forward. Diving in, she buried herself in the pink fluff.

“Hey! What is go—” a voice began, but she silenced it with a loud “Shhh!”

She peeked out of her hiding place just in time to watch the other foals run by. She waited for a few seconds until their excited squeals faded off into the distance before sitting up.

“Playing tag again, Lulu?”

She turned around and gave a grin to her reclining sister, who seemed to be struggling to keep herself from bursting into laughter. “Yes!”

“Well, it looks like you’ve lost them. Can I have my tail back now?” Celestia giggled, closing her book.

She nodded and jumped out onto the street with a flutter of her still undeveloped wings.

“Thank you. Now you better go catch up to them or they might start the next game without you,” Celestia gasped, faking a worried expression.

“Okay,” she chirped, turning around and running off after her friends. “Thank you, Tia!”

“Anytime you need it. And make sure to be home in time for supper, or you’ll make mother very grumpy again!”

Twilight gasped as the memory ended and she found herself back inside of her own body. “That was... She was so young!”

“I believe she was your age, or possibly slightly older,” Luna replied with a smirk. “Back in those days, she was my best friend, despite our age difference.”

“How old were you when that happened? I couldn’t exactly tell since I was looking through your eyes,” Twilight inquired, shaking herself off when she realized that she hadn’t moved since regaining her senses.

“I would say nearly Sweetie Belle’s age, though probably younger,” Luna said hesitantly. “It was a long time ago, thus my memory of the specifics is somewhat blurry.”

“Yeah I think I noticed that,” Twilight muttered, “along with something else: those were all alicorns! That whole town was full of them.”

“Yes. Yes we once existed as a separate race amongst ourselves,” Luna mumbled sadly. “We existed in isolation, living only slightly longer than the ‘lesser’ races, but rarely interacting with them. Lesser... I never liked that term. The only ‘lesser’ parts of them was their fortunes. If we truly were a greater race, we would’ve helped the other races, not ignored them.”

“You said ‘existed’, as in once, but no longer. What happened to them? The rest of you, that is,” Twilight asked cautiously.

“We were attacked. Assailed by a foul spirit who sought our demise,” Luna said distastefully.

“Discord!”

“Precisely,” Luna muttered. “As you know he once ruled the world, but the alicorns established our own peaceful, ignorant bubble. He prodded at our borders and defenses, but was never able to breach them, and thus was never able to reach us. He was clever though. The strife he caused between the three pony tribes fed his power, so he waited, gaining strength over centuries. Finally, when the chaos between the tribes reached a head, during the time leading up to the first Hearth’s Warming Eve, he attacked.”

“Oh no,” Twilight whispered. “How... how bad was it?”

“I don’t remember exactly, but it did not turn out well. He created divisions among our defenders. It was not long before our ideal little world was nearly destroyed. Finally, our people decided on what was quite possibly the most difficult decision ever made: they sacrificed themselves. At the populace’s urging, our King cast a spell that destroyed every alicorn but two, and imbued the pair with near immortality and the magical might of our entire race. He saw the love his daughters had for each other and hoped that nothing would ever come between us, so he gave Celestia and I the power to fight Discord, at great cost.”

“Your father? You and Celestia were the alicorns’ princesses?” Twilight asked, eyes alight with wonder.

“Yes, we were. And everypony we had ever loved and cared about had just been wiped from existence. We were alone and afraid, but we fought. Or Tia fought, I was still just a filly,” Luna said with a sigh. “Finally, after nearly a week, something miraculous happened: the Elements of Harmony revealed themselves to me. We wouldn’t find out until later that they did so at the exact moment that the three tribes resolved their differences. But regardless of the reason for their appearance, I seized them, brought them to Celestia, and together we sealed away Discord.”

“Luna, I’m so sorry,” Twilight whimpered. “You lost your entire race because of our selfishness. I don’t—”

“Stop it, Twilight. I do not blame you, nor do I blame your ancestors. The power of Discord is circular. The stronger he gets, the worse the world becomes, and the worse the world becomes, the stronger he gets. Besides, after it had all happened, the three unified tribes— or as they preferred at the time, the Equestrians— more than made up for it. Clover the Clever came to our land to inform us of the union and found Celestia and I laying in the dilapidated ruins of our once-thriving civilization. Celestia explained what had happened, though neither she nor I knew where Discord had gotten his sudden power. Clover, however, lived up to her title and connected the dots almost immediately. She apologized profusely, then invited us to come back to Equestria with her.”

“Well that was nice of her,” Twilight interjected.

“Indeed. With little other choice, Celestia accepted and I followed her example. When we got back to Equestria, the former leaders of the three tribes asked for Celestia to take control of the sun, become their queen and lead them into a new era of prosperity. She refused, stating that she would much rather keep the title of ‘Princess’ and rule alongside me. And so it was,” Luna finished with a nod.

“That’s a beautiful story Luna,” Twilight murmured, trying to think of a way to keep Luna talking. Even with a subject as mournful as this, Luna’s mood seemed to have picked up, and the last thing Twilight wanted at that moment was to allow her to slip back into her depression. “Can you tell me about the alicorns, then? What were they like? I’d like to know all about their laws and history.”

“Alas, I wish I could tell you,” Luna sighed, “but I am afraid that my sister took that knowledge to the grave with her. As I said, I was still very young when this all happened, so I hadn’t started my schooling yet. I did ask Tia about such things when I had become a little older, but she said that it was better that such things be forgotten. Something about ‘leaving the dead to their rest’.”

“Oh, darn,” Twilight grumbled, but a thought struck her. “Could that be why Celestia never involved herself in international matters? I remember Quill-Pen told me that Celestia always refused to step in whenever Equestria was threatened by war, but would never say why.”

“That is possible,” Luna replied slowly. “The alicorns’ policy of noninterference was legendary. It was said around the world that it had been followed with an almost religious fervor. I think—” Luna began, but was interrupted with a nervous knocking at the door.

“Come in!” Twilight called, not wanting to be disturbed, but knowing that it was probably important.

The guard she had sent away earlier stuck his head in. “Your Highnesses, despite my efforts, word of Princess Luna’s... breakdown have spread. Apparently several members of the castle’s staff spotted her on her way to these chambers. The Royal Cabinet has been in council discussing this night’s events and their implications. I’ve been informed that they intend to pass a binding resolution in the next few hours. They humbly request that Your Highnesses join them as they read their verdict at precisely ten o’clock.”

“Thank you,” Twilight replied. She waited for the door to close behind him before turning to Luna with a distressed look in her eyes.

“That cannot be good,” Luna murmured.

“‘Cannot be good’? Luna, this is awful!” Twilight retorted, on the verge of shouting.

“Be calm Twilight, we must keep our heads.”

“You’re right, you’re right,” she sighed, taking a deep breath. “Let’s just try to get some sleep. Go ahead and take the bed for now, I’ll take the couch.”

Twilight was awakened a couple of hours later by a burning sensation somewhere behind her eyes. After raising the sun, who was unusually glib about rising that day, she took a quick bath before rousing Luna and trotting off to retrieve Applejack while Luna bathed.

Now all three stood before the massive ebony doors of the War Room, waiting for a silent trigger to open the ominous guardians and release the storm within. The Royal Cabinet sat inside, and what their final decision would be was anypony’s guess.

“They can’t really do anything to ya, can they?” Applejack muttered nervously. “I mean y’all are the Princess and everything.”

“I am afraid they can, in a sense,” Luna sighed, her eyes following Twilight as the younger princess paced back and forth across the floor. “While neither Twilight, nor myself are legally required to follow any resolutions the Cabinet might pass, ignoring them would not be wise. They have the power to make both of our lives, well, extremely difficult.”

“But what if they want you to do somethin’ unreasonable? Y’all can’t honestly be considerin’ just doin’ whatever they tell you to just because you... had a bad night!”

“Of course not. I intend to do what they tell me to do because I trust most of them to do what is best for Equestria,” Luna said softly.

“I just don’t understand how you can be the only one so calm about this,” Twilight grumbled. “I know that a few of them don’t like me very much, but a couple of them absolutely hate you. They could be in there right now drafting a document that calls for you to be committed for the next thousand years!”

“If they wish to see me check myself into an institution, then I will do so,” Luna replied emotionlessly, giggling slightly at her companions’ gasps. “I refused to seek help when I truly needed it, and given my position and my past, the results could’ve been disastrous. No matter what is asked of me, I will pay the price of my stubbornness without complaint.”

Any further discussion was cut off by a thundering creak as one of the doors was pulled open from the inside and a pony stuck their head out. “The Cabinet is requesting your presence,” she murmured timidly before pulling her head back in.

“So, the wait ends,” Luna muttered with a sigh. Turning to Twilight and Applejack with a sad smile on her face. “Time to discover my fate.”

With Twilight and Applejack hot on her fetlocks, Luna stepped through the doorway into the dimly lit chamber. Then, with a stiff confidence that Twilight suspected was merely a mask for her true emotions, the Princess of the Night slowly walked to the center of the chamber and directed her gaze to the assembled politicians. Twilight watched Applejack trot over to a secluded corner before seating herself a short distance behind Luna.

“Please be seated, Your Highness,” Prime Minister Sterling Sea announced somberly.

“I would much prefer to stand.”

“Oh, um... Very well,” The Minister replied, slightly taken aback. “Princess Luna, at approximately three o’clock this morning, this Cabinet received troubling news. News that calls into question your state of mind, and thus your competence and ability to rule. We have been told that, last night, you suffered a nervous breakdown. One strong enough to leave you unable to perform your duties as the Princess of the Night. Do you deny these allegations?”

“...I do not.”

“In that case, do you have anything to say to defend yourself?” he replied slowly.

“No.”

The Prime Minister only blinked at her and frowned before continuing, his voice bewildered and tense. “Very well... Your Highness, over the past few hours, this Cabinet has debated over two resolutions; each of which, if enacted and followed, would likely prevent this type of thing from ever happening again and thus ensure the safety of our nation and its ponies.” He paused for a moment, pulling one of the many scrolls that lay on his desk towards himself.

“The first resolution, proposed by a member of the castle’s staff, whom we interviewed following the incident and will remain anonymous, calls for Your Highness to completely abdicate the throne,” he loudly stated. “If it were to be followed to the letter, a successor would be chosen by vote of this Cabinet and the Noble Houses. Your Highness would then be required to pass along thy power using whatever means necessary, then be placed into the care of one of Equestria’s finest mental facilities until such time as you are no longer deemed a danger to yourself and others.”

To Twilight’s surprise, and more than likely, everypony else’s, Luna didn’t so much as flinch. She just continued to stare at the Prime Minister, waiting for him to continue.

Seemingly confused by her complete lack of a reaction, he picked up a second scroll and resumed speaking. “Yes... Well the next proposal is a little less radical, and we, this Cabinet, voted unanimously—”

He was loudly interrupted by a cough from Sharp Tongue, the Minister of Foreign affairs, who Twilight only just noticed was sporting a very swollen black eye. He opened his mouth to speak before falling silent; intimidated by the angry glares from several of the ponies assembled. “Erm... yes, unanimously.”

The Prime Minister gave an annoyed shake of his head before continuing. “As I was saying, the second proposal was unanimously voted for and this has been adopted. It reads as follows:

“FACED WITH the deterioration of the mental state of Her Royal Highness, Luna, Princess of the Moon and Stars,

“WHEREAS this Cabinet acknowledges the fact that Princess Luna was not allowed sufficient time to grieve following the death of her older sister, the late Princess Celestia,

“ADMITTING that grief does not excuse reckless behavior,

“REMEMBERING that Equestria was ruled admirably for nearly one thousand years without a Night Court or a Princess to watch over the night hours,

“ENCOURAGED by the fact that Princess Luna sought consolation from Her Royal Highness, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of the Sun, before anything disastrous occurred,

“UPON LEARNING that Her Royal Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle, is currently unhappy herself,” As this most recent line was read, Twilight shot an angry glare in Applejack’s direction. The earth pony swallowed guiltily and responded with an embarrassed, apologetic grin.

“And lastly, UNDERSTANDING that the mood of Princess Twilight Sparkle tends to be raised when Her Highness is in the company of one or more ponies whom she considers a friend or friends, of which we believe Luna is among, this Cabinet enacts the following resolution:

“We hereby demand that Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna, abandon her current nocturnal lifestyle and adopt a diurnal sleep pattern; we firmly believe that the ability to interact with each other more frequently, whether socially or in official collaboration, would be vastly beneficial to the respective mental states of both of our regents.”

Twilight was too busy gaping at the speaker to notice Luna collapse to her haunches, both equally taken by the unexpected proclamation.

The Prime Minister rolled up the scroll. “Your Highnesses, we are willing to enact whatever reforms are needed, and once again take up the responsibilities we were forced to endure when we only had one Princess, however we would much prefer that things change as little from their current state as possible. Perhaps holding two simultaneous court sessions when necessary, with one of you presiding over each one.”

“W-what?” Luna stuttered. “You ponies can’t seriously think I would abide by that! I am the Princess of the Night, I can’t just—”

“Hold on,” Twilight interjected stepping to Luna’s side.

“Twilight, are they serious? Asking me to step down is one thing, but this? They are asking me to change who I am! They can’t honestly think—”

“Under Section twelve, Paragraph C, of the Equestrian Royal Cabinet Procedures, the princess is allowed to vote on or against any resolution that does not directly appertain her,” Twilight interrupted. “I realize that it’s entirely symbolic at this point, but I would like to add my vote for the second measure.”

“You what?” Luna gasped. “Twilight, how could you?”

“Because I care about you, Luna!” Twilight snarled, wheeling around on the older princess. “If spending more time with you will stop this type of thing from ever happening again, and I really think it will, then I’m all for it.”

“B-but...” Luna mewed, tears once again forming in her eyes as a betrayed expression found its way onto her face.

“But nothing! Think about this logically for a second; when you couldn’t handle your emotions anymore, you came to me, so wouldn’t it be better if you were able to see me more than just a few minutes twice a day?” Twilight snapped, prodding Luna in the chest with a hoof. “And don’t give me that junk about you needing to be awake at night. Honestly, which do you think our ponies would rather have: the knowledge that their Princess of the Night was awake at night, or the knowledge that she is healthy and happy?”

“Well when you put it that way...” Luna muttered, hanging her head.

“So..?” Twilight murmured, hoping to push Luna along.

“... I accept the wisdom of the Cabinet. I will change my sleeping habits, if that is what’s required of me.”

“Very well,” the Prime Minister grunted. “Then I order this meeting adjourned; we have much work to do and it would be best to see it done in as little time as possible. Princess Twilight, you have shown yourself more than capable of taking care of Princess Luna when she needs it most, so I leave her in your hooves for the time being. We humbly request that Your Highnesses take the rest of this day to yourselves before resuming your responsibilities tomorrow.”

“Will do!” Twilight chirped. She watched the Cabinet file out, leaving her and Luna alone with Applejack, before turning back to Luna. “Listen, I’m sorry for getting snippy with you back there, but you really had me worried earlier. I still am worried.”

“Ah have to agree with Twilight,” Applejack said strongly as she approached the pair. “And let me tell ya this: Ah may not know anything about bein’ a princess, but Ah know a lot about bein’ a big sister, and Ah know Princess Celestia wouldn’t like seein’ ya like this. Ah’m sure she’d have thrown her vote in too if she could’ve.”

“You’re probably right, Applejack,” Luna sighed, the ghost of a smile crossing her lips.

“She’s not probably right, she is right,” Twilight asserted.

“You have truly amazing friends, Twilight,“ Luna chuckled softly.

“Beggin’ yer pardon, but Ah’m yer friend too, Princess. Any friend of Twilight’s is a friend of ours, and even if y’all weren’t friends with Twilight, Ah’d be proud to call you my friend anyway,” Applejack inserted. “How many times are we gonna hafta explain that to ya?”

“... I am grateful, Applejack, for your kindness,” Luna replied, her smile staying on her face this time.

“Aw, don’t mention it. That’s what friends are for,” Applejack giggled. “Now let’s get outta here. Ah haven’t eaten yet today and Ah’ve been tryin’ to teach that stick-in-the-mud y’all call a chef how to cook real food. Ah wanna see if he’s actually listenin'.”

Chapter 12

A/N: The name of "Ivy Touch" was decided on after no small amount of help from dmwcool1, who's BraeDash fic, Enceinte, is among my personal favorites. That being said, you're much more likely to get ahold of her on her dA account.

I'd also like to apologize for the delay, f0x lost power and his workload got massively backed up. He's alright though; he jumped right back into things and we're back on track. In the meantime, we picked up Reignbow before we knew what was going on with f0x, just in case we weren't able to get ahold of him. We're still discussing the future, so I'll keep you updated about that.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie, f0xhole, and Reignbow.

Twenty-six days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Luna!”

“Mmm?”

“Wake up!”

“Sorry, Applejack!” the sleepy princess gasped as her once drooping eyelids snapped open.

“Much better,” Twilight giggled. “So you’re absolutely sure that you have enough cider left over for the gala?”

“Positive, we stored a few extra last year. Normally we finish off the last barrel the week before Winter Wrap-Up, but we weren’t able to polish off all of it this year. We’ve still got a few sittin in the cellar, ‘n’ it’s a might bit warmer down there now than it’s supposed to be when yer storing cider,” Applejack chuckled. “Honestly, I would’ve dumped them out, but the thought of servin’ it to some unexpectin’ nobles is too funny. I wonder if they’ll still act all proper and stuck-up when they’re so sloshed that they can’t see straight.”

“I never would’ve thought I’d see you pulling pranks, AJ. Sounds like Rainbow’s starting to rub off on you,” Twilight teased.

“Yeah, yeah... I’d prefer you didn’t tell her that,” the earth pony snickered back. “To be honest, Ah don’t think they’ll drink any of it. Remember what they thought of my pies?”

“They’ll drink it if nopony tells them what it is. They may act like they have really refined palates, but I’m pretty sure that most of them will think it’s some new kind of champagne,” Twilight murmured mischievously, eliciting a snort from Applejack as she burst into a fit of giggles.

“Anyway, if you think that somepony will enjoy some extra-hard cider, Ah can oblige,” Applejack replied confidently.

“I do. Just make sure to mark the barrels. It’s fun to laugh about getting them all drunk, but the last thing I want to do is have to send anypony to the hospital because they didn’t know how strong it really was,” Twilight grumbled.

“Agreed. Better be safe than sorry,” Applejack grunted with a nod. “Luna!”

“Sorry.”

“Dangit, if you fall asleep one more time, Ah’m not gonna be so polite about how I wake you,” Applejack scolded jokingly.

“I’m trying! If you were to suddenly attempt to adopt a nocturnal lifestyle, I doubt you would do as well as I am now,” Luna complained.

“Well maybe you should start contributing to the conversation. It might help keep you stimulated,” Twilight snickered.

“A fair point, what were we talking about?” Luna yawned.

“The Gala.”

Luna took a moment to shoot an unamused glare at Applejack before addressing Twilight again. “What part of the Gala specifically were we discussing?”

“Well, Applejack and I were talking about that ‘special’ cider she’s been holding on to, but we’ve pretty much exhausted that topic,” Twilight recounted. “The only thing that’s left is to finally decide which one of us is going to greet the guests.”

“Oh, not this again!” Luna moaned. “I already told you that I wasn’t doing it. That was always Celestia’s thing. You’re her successor, you should do it.”

“And I already told you no!” Twilight snapped. “This past month has been the worst of my life, and I refuse to spend a potentially relaxing evening saying ‘It’s lovely to see you’ to the same ponies who’ve been making me so miserable.”

At this point, Applejack, who had been glancing between the two as if following a rapid tennis match, leaned in between them. “What if both of y’all greeted them? Like make two separate lines so ya can just get it over ‘n’ done with.”

“That wouldn’t help,” Luna mumbled. “I saw the line last year, we could have two lines going constantly all night and still not make it through them all... What if we stood together? At least we’d have time to socialize.”

“No, that’s what I tried with Celestia last time. We barely got the chance to say two words to each other,” Twilight moped. “What if... what if we didn’t do it at all?”

“What?” Luna stammered, frowning at Twilight questioningly. “That wouldn’t go over well. There will be some very important guests there whose only purpose for attending will be to see us. If we—”

“Just hear me out,” Twilight said, cutting Luna off. “What if we just gave a general greeting at the beginning, then after that, we went over to the VIP section and greeted anypony— errr, any guest, rather, since I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a few dignitaries there... Anyway, we greet the important guests, then we... I don’t know... mingle?”

“That’s it? We just mingle?” Luna muttered hesitantly.

“Well, yeah!” Twilight chirped. “After everything that’s happened, I figure we both deserve some time to enjoy ourselves.” She smiled encouragingly, pleased to see a tiny smirk cross Luna’s lips in return.

“I suppose...”

“Hey! We could even invite my— our friends,” Twilight added excitedly.

“Woah there, Twilight. Hold on a second. Ah said Ah’d provide the cider, but showin’ up is a different story,” Applejack interjected. “Especially considering how last time turned out.”

“Okay, yes last time was awful, but we learned our lesson,” Twilight retorted. “If all of you come, and we spend the night together, I think we’ll actually have fun. I’ll even make sure to get you VIP tickets so that you can go anywhere you want if the group splits up for a bit.”

“Okay, that does sound better, but that raises another problem,” Applejack sighed. “Only a certain number of those VIP tickets are made, so if you give ‘em to us, some primpy rich pony won’t get them. And before y’all go sayin’ ‘who cares what they think’, keep in mind that y’all were just complainin’ about how miserable they were makin’ ya. If ya annoy them, they’ll probably just get worse.”

“It’s all in how you spin it, AJ!” Twilight giggled dismissively. “As long as the tickets go to somepony important, then they can’t get angry without looking selfish. So instead of presenting you as ‘my friend, Applejack the farmpony’, we present you as ‘my friend, Applejack, manager and co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres’.”

“Okay, well that’d work for me. But what about Pinkie Pie? Or Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asserted. “Dash’s position at the academy isn’t exactly prominent enough to warrant her being made a VIP, and Pinkie doesn’t even have that!”

“Oh, yeah... And after the ruckus she caused last time, they’ll want something a little more solid than ‘she’s my friend’ for me to justify giving her a VIP ticket,” Twilight grumbled, quietly cursing the judgemental wretches. “Wait a minute... what if we made the five of you the guests of honor?”

Applejack gaped at her for a moment before speaking. “Okay, this Ah gotta hear. How in the world would you pull that off?”

“Easily, I think,” Twilight murmured thoughtfully. “We make the whole theme of the Gala to be the Elements of Harmony! It’s perfect. How many times have we used them to save Equestria?”

“Only twice, actually,” Applejack quipped. “And Ah’m not comfortable makin’ all of us the centerpieces of the Gala; you’ll just end up with a bunch of ponies jealous of the attention we’re getting.”

“That’s not what I meant. On either account,” Twilight groaned. “I was referring to the number of times our friendships have helped us to save Equestria. Our friendships are all based on the concepts behind the Elements, not the Elements themselves. And it was those friendships, our loyalty to each other, our honesty with each other, and such that allowed us to pull together in the worst of times to overcome whatever got thrown at us.”

“Ah get what you’re saying,” Applejack grinned. “Since Equestria’s still a little shaken up from losin’ Celestia, you wanta use the Gala to remind everypony to be kind, generous, ‘n’ such.”

“Exactly!” Twilight squealed. “By showcasing the Elements, not only will we be putting on an example for the rest of Equestria, but it gives me a reason to invite all five of you!”

“Ye’ll be clearin’ two trees with one buck!”

“Err, yeah. If that’s the way you want to look at it,” Twilight chuckled. “I’ll have Quill-Pen get six tickets for you before you go back. That way you can go home with good news and presents for everypony!”

“Ah like the sound of that!” Applejack laughed. “Wait, six? ...Oh right, Spike.”

“Well yeah,” Twilight muttered, suddenly unsure of her decision. “I figure that way he can, well, you know...”

“Go if he decides to forgive ya?”

“Yeah,” Twilight murmured. “So can you..?”

“Hold onto his ticket so that he doesn’t do somethin’ stupid like rip it up? Yeah, Ah’ve gotcha covered,” Applejack affirmed proudly.

“Thanks. I owe you one,” Twilight replied with a grin. The pair smiled at each other in silence for a moment. “One more thing, though,” she chuckled, pointing to the snoozing Luna.

Applejack stared at the former Night Princess incredulously before reaching across the table for a pitcher of water.

“Woah, that’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” Twilight snickered.

Applejack shook her head as she hefted the overflowing vessel above her head. “Nah. Ah warned ‘er fair ‘n’ square.”

The next morning, Twilight stood in the palace gardens as the pleasantly tepid spring air of the cloudless Saturday morning blew through her mane. Unfortunately, despite her serene surroundings, Twilight could only think of one thing; she was nervous.

One week ago, she had, as promised, visited little Sunshower at the Cafe in downtown Canterlot. She had spent most of the morning answering every question the excited little filly could come up with. Twilight had enjoyed herself so much that she had, on a whim, invited her young new friend up to the castle, instead of meeting her in the Cafe. Now, she was regretting her decision.

“Your tremulousness does you no credit, Twilight,” Luna sighed.

“But what if she’s so overwhelmed by the castle that she can’t even talk to me?” Twilight moaned. “If she’s too scared to do anything, then she won’t enjoy herself here; and if she doesn’t enjoy herself here, she might not want to see me again.”

“So, let me get this straight: you are nervous that she’ll be nervous?” Luna snickered.

“It sounds stupid, when you put it that way,” Twilight grumbled.

“Because it is stupid. If I am to understand the stories correctly, being invited up to a castle by a princess is any young filly’s dream come true,” Luna responded. “And from what you’ve told me about your previous visit, I would think that she will simply be overjoyed to see you again.”

“I guess so... It looks like we’re about to find out though,” Twilight giggled as she spotted a familiar yellow-orange blur appear on the far end of the garden, closely followed by a breathless earth pony.

Sunshower skidded to a stop right in front of Twilight, copper eyes alight with wonder. “It’s so big! Princess, you have a garden that’s bigger than my house! I think it’s bigger than all the houses on my street put together!” she squealed, bouncing in place.

“Princess, she trampled your lisianthus and I’m so sorry!” her mother wheezed. “I tried to stop her, but she was too far ahead of me. Please accept my apologies and please understand that she’s just a filly—”

“She trampled what?” Twilight interrupted, completely clueless as to what the mare was talking about.

“Your lisianthus! It’s a grasslands flower that grows in subtropical regions. I will gladly pay for the damage, but it may take me a few months to come up with the money.”

“Errr, no, that’s okay...” Twilight muttered. “I didn’t even know we had, umm... that. I’ll just have the gardener fix it later.” Snickering to herself, she tapped on Sunshower’s shoulder, redirecting the filly’s attention from one of the garden’s giant willow trees. “So, would you like a tour?”

“Yes! Yesyesyesyes!”

“Okay, okay! Follow me,” Twilight giggled, leading her exuberant companion deeper into the garden.

Luna cautiously stepped up to Sunshower’s mother and cleared her throat to catch the mare’s attention. “You are a florist down in the city, are you not?” she murmured as they watched the younger pair disappear around a nearby hedgerow.

“I-I... Yes, Y-Your Highness. How did you know?” she whimpered, trembling visibly.

“I believe your daughter stated as such last we met,” Luna stated plainly. “I am surprised that you are not more excited. I would imagine that spending even the shortest time in the Canterlot Gardens would be the greatest moment in any florist’s life.”

“Yes, Your Highness, I suppose it would be, but it’s a bit hard for me to enjoy myself at the moment. There’s something on my mind,” she stuttered.

“You are worried,” Luna asserted. “It seems to me that you are confused about your daughter’s strange new friendship, this bewilderment is making you afraid, and that fear is preventing you from enjoying what would otherwise be a truly memorable day.”

“That’s... yes... yes, Your Highness.”

“Walk with me,” Luna replied. “I feel as if some explaining is in order, so let us start with your name.”

“What? Oh, my name is Ivy Touch.”

“Ivy Touch. It is a pleasure to meet you,” Luna replied cheerfully. “You may call me ‘Luna’. Or, if you are uncomfortable with that, simply ‘Princess’ will do. The title, ‘Your Highness’ is a bit cumbersome for idle conversation, is it not?”

“Erm, very well, Princess.”

“Now, onto business. I am interested to know the basis for your fear,” Luna proclaimed pointedly. “And before we begin, know that you need not be afraid. Nothing you say to me will reach Princess Twilight, and neither will I punish you for mere words, especially when I am directly asking for them.”

Ivy glanced at Luna hesitantly, but wouldn’t meet the Princess’ gaze. “It’s... I’m just afraid for my daughter. I’ve heard about all the apprentices that Princess Celestia took during her lifetime, but Sunshower’s not a unicorn. I’m just concerned for her well-being. What if—”

“Let me ask you something,” Luna interrupted softly. “Have you noticed any changes in your daughter since she first spoke with Twilight?”

“Well, yes. Before we ran into Your Highnesses at that restaurant, she was shy and a bit antisocial. She would usually come right home from school and help me in the shop,” Ivy sighed as she admired a neatly-trimmed shrub. “Now she’s acting much differently. Her grades have picked up, she smiles more often, and her teacher has told me that she’s actually socializing with the other foals.”

“So it would seem that her behavior, and indeed her general ‘well-being’ has actually benefited from meeting her ‘favorite’ princess,” Luna chuckled, moving past a bed overflowing with tall orange flowers. “So, where is this anxiety of yours coming from?”

“I don’t understand why a Princess would be so interested in a pegasus, and I can’t stop wondering what Princess Twilight hopes to gain from her. I just find it difficult to believe that a princess would spend time with a young filly out of the goodness of her heart,” Ivy explained, stumbling over her words. “Sunshower’s all I have. I can’t lose her.”

“Hmmm... While Twilight Sparkle is undoubtedly among the kindest, and most generous, ponies I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, I do not think that her interest in Sunshower is entirely selfless,” Luna murmured. She glanced at her companion and quickly continued when she noticed the horrified expression crossing the mare’s face. “Twilight’s motives are entirely benign, I assure you; I just do not think that she is doing this entirely for Sunshower’s benefit. Besides, I doubt she’s ready to take on an apprentice yet anyway.”

“Then why?” Ivy whined exasperatedly, more to herself than Luna.

“I cannot say for certain, but I do have a theory,” Luna replied quietly. “If you are willing to hear it.”

“Please. I haven’t slept in days,” she groaned, before remembering who she was speaking to. “Umm, Your Hig— err, Princess.”

Luna giggled at the mare’s stuttering before speaking. “Before I start, tell me how much you know about Twilight. What kind of things are they saying about her out in the city?”

“Well... I’ve heard a lot of things from a lot of ponies, both good and bad. It’s hard to sort through what’s real and what’s just propaganda,” Ivy confessed, pawing tepidly at the ground.

“I see. In that case let me clear things up for you,” Luna stated with a righteous nod. “While everything the palace has released so far has been spun to display Twilight in a positive light, I have seen to it that they are all factually accurate, down to the last detail. Twilight was Celestia’s star pupil, she and her friends have saved Equestria multiple times, and Celestia did ask to see Twilight in her final moments... Twilight Sparkle was the last pony Celestia saw before passing away, as Celestia had wanted it to be.”

“Okay... Well, what about everything else? The things the papers and magazines all say? Or the things you hear on the street?” Ivy muttered anxiously, obviously having a few specific examples in mind.

“From what I have seen, they are mostly either incorrect, or outright lies meant to slander,” Luna growled menacingly. “However, because some do contain slivers of truth, such things must be evaluated on an individual basis. If there are any rumors that you hold a particular concern for, I will gladly discuss them.”

“I-I appreciate that, Princess! I am honored that you—” Ivy began, but stopped herself when Luna gave her an annoyed frown. “Erm, yes... One thing that has been troubling me is how she ascended to the throne. She was the last pony to see Celestia alive, then we find out that Celestia declared her to be her successor? I don’t believe any of the filthy rumors saying that she was behind Princess Celestia’s passing, but I admit that it it does seem a bit, well... convenient?”

“This happenstance has been causing no small amount of trouble, and your doubts are understandable,” Luna sighed with a shake of her head. “Fortunately for us all, they are also unfounded. Celestia told me of her choice of heir directly and left a myriad of documents outlining said choice. And to tell a state secret: Twilight did not want to become princess. I feel she only accepted out of a desire to see Celestia’s dying wishes fulfilled, and perhaps a small sense of duty to Equestria.”

“I see,” Ivy muttered, frowning thoughtfully at the new information. “That is... comforting, I suppose. I have also been told that she’s a recluse. Several ponies have come forward saying that she doesn’t care about anything beyond whatever book she is reading.”

“That was true at one time, but no longer. I would also state that that is a rather-mean spirited assessment of the situation,” Luna replied softly, stopping to inspect a large rhododendron bush.

“I didn’t really believe that one, actually,” Ivy nodded. “I confess that I only asked about that one because I had no idea where something like that could come from. On the other hoof, one that actually concerns me are the rumors that she may be, umm, crazy? No! Wait, that’s not what I meant! I meant there are stories of her reacting irrationally when things don’t go her way. Oh no...”

“Cease your panicking, and I will answer you,” Luna grumbled, quickly tiring of the mare’s tiptoeing. “Those rumors are true, but only in the sense that both Twilight and I are, despite all of our power, still ponies. We make mistakes, and when we do, we get scared and panic, just like everypony else. The only difference is that our mistakes are magnified. I very much doubt that I need to tell you the story of Nightmare Moon.”

“No, no you don’t...” Ivy cringed, perking up as they rounded the next hedgerow to see Twilight and Sunshower reclining under a large oak tree, both giggling loudly. “So were they really that close? Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia, I mean.”

“They were. Twilight stood at Celestia’s side for well over half of her life, and I can state with complete certainty that she would have continued to do so until her own dying day if she could have,” Luna remarked proudly.

“So was she really—”

“Twilight is not, and never was Celestia’s illegitimate daughter!” Luna snapped, causing her guest to recoil. “I apologize for my outburst, but I have long regretted not having that pitiful excuse for a ‘reporter’ arrested for his claim.”

“I-I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said... I—” Ivy stammered, bowing as low as she could manage.

“Be calm. You have nothing to fear here. I am still adjusting to my new lifestyle, and I let my exhaustion get the best of me. I apologize,” Luna cooed, mentally berating herself for losing her temper. “But to continue, if I had to put a label on their relationship, I would put Twilight’s place in Celestia’s heart somewhere between a personal student, a best friend, and an adopted daughter.”

“I... That’s... Why are you telling me all this?” Ivy simpered. “I still don’t understand what this has to do with Sunshower.”

“I simply would like you to understand Twilight Sparkle the pony, instead of Twilight Sparkle the Princess, so that you can understand why she’s taken a liking to your daughter,” Luna replied carefully. “The only way I can think of to describe Twilight in the days immediately following Celestia’s passing is that she was a broken pony. The pony who she cared about most, the pony whom she spent her every waking hour trying to please, was suddenly gone. She was lost, frightened and terribly confused. Despite her outward appearance, these feelings extended long after she was crowned. I believe that little Sunshower is helping her find her old self.”

“You—you’re saying that my daughter is helping the Princess of Equestria? My daughter who I was scolding yesterday for eating paste, is ... I have a hard time believing that.”

“I have been the recipient of the unbounded admiration of a foal, and I can tell you that it is a truly powerful thing,” Luna smirked. “Days, or even weeks, of tirelessly working with the most abusive, most frustrating ponies in Equestria on some inconsequential piece of legislation can be made all worthwhile by a single word. The expression of awe and adoration that a filly wears when meeting her favorite princess for the first, second, or even hundredth time can wash away even the sharpest despair.”

Ivy stared at Luna quizzically for a moment before speaking slowly and deliberately. “So what you’re saying is that I, for the good of Equestria—”

“I am not saying anything,” Luna inserted. “You are trying to decide whether to allow your daughter to continue spending time with Twilight, this much is obvious to me. I am simply giving you all of the information, so that you may make your decision armed with facts, instead of rumors and fear.” Luna turned to the mare and leaned in close, whispering. “I will not ask you to allow them to continue, as I cannot in good faith ask anypony to put their foal in what they believe is harm’s way. I can promise you, however, that you have nothing to fear, no matter your choice.”

Luna glanced towards the subjects of their conversation before continuing. “The improvements to your daughter’s behavior that you have professed to are all signs of an increase in her level of self-confidence. It is no stretch to believe that her newfound spirit is directly related to meeting and gaining the friendship of an idol. If you allow her to continue her friendship with Twilight, I can almost guarantee that she will continue to improve. However, if, after this conversation, you are still uncomfortable with the idea, you have nothing to fear from that decision either.”

“I... I don’t?” Ivy stuttered, dumbstruck by Luna’s words.

“You don’t. In addition to all of the other things I’ve told you, Twilight is among the most intelligent ponies in history. If you request that she not see your daughter again, she will understand your reasoning and respect your decision,” Luna replied gravely. “I swear it.”

“The way you talk about her... It’s almost as if...”

“Almost as if what?” Luna growled.

“Nothing!” she replied quickly. As the wind carried a high-pitched laugh over to the pair, they turned to look back at the oak tree where Twilight and Sunshower still sat. “I... Thank you, Princess, for speaking to me. I think I’ll be able to rest easy tonight.”

“In that case, I take it you’ve made a decision?” Luna snickered.

“I think so... I admit I’m still a bit skeptical, but I can’t deny that Sunshower is much happier now than she was two weeks ago.” She turned to Luna with a nervous smile on her face. “If spending time with a princess is what makes her happy, who am I to say no?”

Fluttershy felt awful for her tardiness, but it couldn’t have been helped. Angel had gotten into a disagreement with Mr. Bear, and she had to sort everything out before she left. Unfortunately Angel was being particularly stubborn today, which actually wasn’t any different than any other day, come to think of it. Still, calming things down had taken a little longer than normal, so she had missed her train and had had to take the next one.

Now she was running late. She hoped that Twilight wouldn’t be too angry with her. Well, she knew that Twilight wouldn’t actually be angry, just maybe a little worried...

She quickened her pace as the thought crossed her mind. She didn’t want to make Twilight any more upset than she already had, and reaching her as soon as possible would definitely help with that.

She lowered her head slightly as she trotted past yet another pair of stone-faced guards, entering the corridor that lead to Twilight’s bedroom. She was almost there. Finally she reached Twilight’s door, slightly perplexed by the lack of guards standing watch over their princess. She lifted a hoof to push the door open when she was stopped dead by a loud sob echoing from within.

Oh no...

She slowly pushed the door open and peeked in. “Twilight..? Twilight, I’m sorry for being late.”

No response... More worried than ever before, she slowly pushed through the door. Twilight was facing away from the door, face down in her bed sheets. As a fresh wave of wails permeated the room, Fluttershy took a few careful steps forward, only to leap backwards as she felt something crumble beneath her hoof.

She glanced down at the unfurled scroll carefully before stepping towards it. The floor was littered with them. “Twilight? What are all these?” She leaned down and picked up the nearest one, reading it over carefully.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and that it was my good friend, Fluttershy, who convinced him to go....

“Twilight, this is the letter you wrote Princess Celestia after we climbed that mountain to get rid of that dragon,” she gasped. She turned to the next closest one, scooped it up, and began reading aloud:

“Dear Princess Celestia,

When you first sent me to Ponyville, I didn't know anything about friendship. I met somepony tonight who was having the same problem - your sister, Princess Luna!”

Mystified, she glanced around. Every one of the scrolls was made of the same material, and each bore an identical seal. “Twilight are these all...? What happened?”

“Luna s-said she kept her favorite heirloom, h-her most treasured p-possession, in her nightstand,” Twilight cried. “She kept them right where she could read them as she was falling asleep. Right where they could comfort her when the pain got too much to handle...”

As Fluttershy realized the source of Twilight’s distress, the weight of her friend’s misery hit her. Not knowing what else to do, she climbed onto Twilight’s bed and tenderly hugged the crying princess.

“Why did she have to leave me, Fluttershy? I wasn’t ready for her to go! I still need her here...”

“Oh, Twilight...”

Chapter 13

A/N: To be honest, this chapter was just about done before the last was released, but one of the guys needed a week off, so it didn't go out until a few days ago. Also, I screwed up a rather important part due to my complete lack of knowledge in child psychology. Piquo had to boot my ass back into shape with that.

Secondly, Reignbow is now with us full-time!

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie, f0xhole, and Reignbow.

Twenty-nine days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“We’re getting closer,” Twilight giggled as she dragged Fluttershy out of a large stack of pillows by the tail. “She almost let you touch her that time. You just need to be patient.” She glanced across her candlelit bedroom and gave Luna an apologetic smile.

“I would like to believe that I am being patient,” the other princess grumbled, shooting an annoyed stare at the pegasus who had just buried her face in her forelegs.

“Yes, yes you are, but she’s always been skittish,” Twilight replied affirmatively. “I’m sure that the two of you will get along perfectly, once she gets used to you.”

“I’m sorry, Twilight. I’m trying! I really am,” Fluttershy squealed through her hooves.

“Don’t apologize to me; apologize to Luna,” Twilight instructed comfortingly.

“...I’m sorry, Princess Luna, I’m trying.”

“I can see that, Fluttershy, and I truly appreciate your efforts. I understand how difficult it can be to overcome one’s nature,” Luna murmured in what she hoped was a reassuring fashion.

“Okay, that’s good. Much better,” Twilight replied, feigning enthusiasm. She got behind Fluttershy and pushed the trembling pony so that she was sitting just across from Luna. “Let’s try something a little simpler this time. Maybe you two could just touch hooves?”

“That seems like a fine idea,” Luna nodded, carefully offering Fluttershy her jeweled hoof.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but all that came out was a breathless ‘squeak’ as she raised a shaking hoof in kind. The pair gently reached towards each other, but the instant before they touched, a blinding flash sent Fluttershy diving for cover once more.

“Oh for the love of... what was that?” Luna groaned, glaring at nothing in particular as she watched Twilight trot over to one of the room’s massive windows.

“It’s a sonic rainboom,” Twilight muttered. “What the hay has got Dash worked up so much that she'd be making one, much less at this hour?”

“She seems to be the common denominator when it comes to myself being unable to not frighten your friends,” Luna growled stomping the floor angrily.

“At least she didn’t do it on purpose this time,” Twilight sighed. She turned around and let her gaze linger on the quivering bundle of pillows and blankets that hid her yellow friend. “Maybe we should take a break? Let me think about this for a bit...” Without waiting for an answer, she trotted out and closed the door behind her before screaming in frustration.

Twilight loved Fluttershy, but sometimes her timidness was just too much to handle. Sure, she had gotten much better at standing up for herself, but sometimes she slipped back into her old habits — giving into her fears — no matter how unreasonable. Twilight honestly couldn’t understand why Fluttershy was still so afraid, especially since Luna had willingly reformed herself, unlike some of their other former enemies.

Maybe she was going about this the wrong way. Encouragement wasn’t working, so maybe what Fluttershy needed was a lecture...

Turning around, she shoved through the door with an air of command and confidence. “Alright, new plan,” she asserted. She stomped over to Fluttershy’s hiding place, magically flung the pillows into the far corner, and sat down pointedly in front of the wide-eyed mare. “Alright, Fluttershy, listen up. I don’t think you’re being very fair to Luna. First off, Nightmare Moon and Luna are two diff—”

“Twilight?”

“Not now, Luna,” Twilight sighed. “Anyway, as I was saying, they’re not the same pony. And even if they were, Luna has more than made up for her sins—”

“Twilight!”

“Hold on, Luna, I’m almost done! Now where was I..? Oh yes—”

“Twilight, the window!”

The panicked tone of Luna’s voice was enough to make Twilight whip her head around, and she felt her heart skip a beat at the sight. She reached out magically and tugged the window open just in time for a chromatic blur to streak through and crash into the stack of pillows.

“What the..? Rainbow, are you okay?” she screamed, bounding to the fallen pegasus.

Rainbow spat a scroll out of her mouth and coughed several times before wheezing out a few words. “Ugh... Message... Rarity... important...”

“Did you seriously just fly all the way from Ponyville at rainboom speed?” Twilight choked incredulously. “How are you..? We need to get you to a doctor, you probably hurt something!”

“...Be okay... read the stinkin’ letter,” Rainbow groaned. She rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. “Using these pillows. Thanks.”

Twilight opened her mouth again, but was cut off by a loud snore from the stubborn mare. “Oh, fine. I guess I had better find out what’s so darn important,” she sneered, picking up and unfurling the scroll with her magic.

As she read it, her expression quickly changed from one of annoyance to one of uncertainty and worry. She glanced once at Luna, then at Fluttershy before trying to speak, but only gagged on her words. She spun around and threw herself out of the open window, taking flight, before teleporting with a ‘pop’ and a flash.

Luna stared at the spot from which she disappeared for a moment before seizing the offending missive in her own magic and holding it up to inspect. The Princess was barely able to register the presence of Fluttershy looking over her shoulder as she read the words for herself:

Twilight, we found Spike in the library. Get here NOW.

Twilight landed hard on her side. Bouncing off the ground, her momentum carried her a short distance before she slid to a stop in front of the Golden Oaks Library. Lacking the time to berate herself for not teleporting with more control and precision, she stood up, ignoring the sharp pain in her ankle, and galloped towards the door; half-heartedly shaking the dust from her feathers along the way.

She barreled through the doorway, her panicked eyes flicking upward to the second-floor landing, where a sliver of light shone through the darkness. She staggered over to the stairway, climbing it three steps at a time. Upon reaching the top, she wrenched open the door and stumbled into her former bedroom, only then stopping to catch her breath.

Gulping down air, she looked up from the floor and suppressed a gasp when she noticed four pairs of eyes locked on her. She noticed four, but only cared about one. The pair staring at her from the room’s only bed.

“Spike...”

“What do you want?”

Twilight took a quivering step forward, hoping to look more confident than she felt. “I-I came for you. I wanted to talk to you...”

“Well you can just go back to Canterlot, because I’ve got nothing to say to you,” the dragon snarled, turning his back to the target of his anger.

Twilight flinched at the venom in his tone. She tried to blink the tears from her eyes, hanging her head guiltily. She felt a gentle touch on her shoulder and turned, finding Rarity’s concerned gaze.

“We’ll wait outside,” she whispered, motioning for Pinkie Pie and Applejack to follow her out.

Twilight waited for her friends to leave before turning back to Spike and stepping forward carefully.

Spike didn’t turn around, but still slid away at the sound of her approach. “Go away! I told you that I’m not talking to you.”

“T-then don’t talk, Spike. I just want you to listen,” Twilight stammered. She had no plan. She had thought of a thousand different things to say while brooding up in Canterlot, but now that she was here, she couldn’t remember any of them. Still, here she was, and there was no turning back now. “I-I miss you, Spike. I want you back.”

“Oh, yeah... Like I believe that,” he growled sarcastically. “You didn’t want me around before, why would you want me now?”

“But I-I did want you around Spike!” Twilight sobbed. “I really did!” Twilight felt a fleeting moment of encouragement when she noticed Spike tremble slightly. “ I still do...”

“No you didn’t. First, you ‘forgot’ to ask me if I was okay with you becoming a Princess and moving back to Canterlot; then you didn’t even bother to ask me to move back with you!”

“No, Spike, that’s not how it happened! Well, not exactly,” she moaned, trying to regain even a small piece of her lost composure.

“Yes it is! You abandoned me!”

“Abandoned..?” she whispered, falling to her haunches as the full magnitude of her mistake washed over her. “No! Spike, please, just hear me out. I’m begging you...” As Spike went rigid — folding his arms in front of him, and pointedly ignoring her— Twilight felt her heart breaking. “Please..?”

“No. Go away!”

“I-If you won’t do it for me, would you at least do it for our friends?”

He coughed and sputtered as his body shook with fury, before taking a deep breath to calm down. “That’s low, Twilight... Fine. You win, like always.”

“No, that’s—” she cut herself off, desperate to stay on track. She paused for a moment before continuing quietly, just loud enough for him to hear. “Spike, I did a horrible thing to you... I didn’t mean to, but you’re right, I guess did abandon you, in a sense. You needed me, but I was only thinking about how much I needed you.”

She paused again, hoping for a response. When she didn’t get one, she pushed herself to her hooves and began speaking again. “Before Princess Celestia died, you had been acting so responsible, so mature, that I forgot that you were still technically a baby. You looked up to me, and I completely failed you.

“After she died, you were so good. You helped take care of me when I was at my worst and didn’t once complain. When you confronted me after the coronation, I didn’t understand why you were so angry. I thought you were upset that you’d have to leave Ponyville, so I tried to give you a little independance; but all I ended up doing was pushing you further away.”

She sighed, letting her regret fuel her words. “I should have realized that I hurt you by not talking to you before I agreed to take Celestia’s place. If there’s one creature in the world that deserved to have a say in the matter, it was you. I know that I don’t really deserve your forgiveness, but I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry.” She paused once more, cringing at the deafening silence. “I-I guess that’s it. I’ll just... go, I guess...”

Defeated, she slowly turned around, dragging her hooves across the floor as she made her way towards the door. “Twilight, wait...” She froze as he spoke, swiveling her ears around, but not daring to look. “If you really mean all that, then why didn’t you want me to stay with you?”

“I always wanted you to stay in Canterlot with me. I-I just wanted to give you the chance to make your own decision. I’d never try to send you away,” she murmured, struggling to keep her voice steady. “Never...”

“Then... why didn’t you say that?” he sniffed, his voice weak and heavy. “If you wanted me to stay with you, why didn’t you ask?”

“Because I didn’t want to make you feel pressured,” Twilight burst. “I-I didn’t want to force you to come to Canterlot if you really wanted to stay in Ponyville, and I was afraid that if I asked you to come with me, you’d feel like you had to. I know you’d probably rather that we both stay in Ponyville, but that just isn’t feasible.”

Carefully crossing the room so she was directly behind him, Twilight gently laid a hoof on his back, feeling much of the weight lift from her heart when he turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. “I just don’t know what to do, Twilight. I want to stay with you, but all my friends are here...”

“There’s nopony saying you have to choose one over the other,” she replied desperately. “If you want to jump between Ponyville and Canterlot every week, we can do that. If I need to pay for a carriage with my own money, or even if I have to fly you back and forth myself, I-I’ll find a way to make it work! I promise!” She leaned in as close as she dared. “I just want my little brother back... I love you, Spike.”

Twilight caught the shimmer of a tear in his eye as he shuddered for a brief moment. Then, with a loud sob, he spun around and threw his arms around her midriff. “I love you too, Twilight! I’m sorry for acting like such a jerk.”

“I’m sorry too, Spike,” Twilight replied, grinning through her tears and throwing her hooves around him, pulling him in tight. “I rushed into this without thinking about the consequences, and I didn’t even consider asking you how you felt about it. That was wrong of me, and I’m really sorry. I promise I’ll make this up to you, even if I have to spend the rest of our lives doing it.”

He gave her one last squeeze and pulled away. “I really missed you,” he murmured. “I haven’t been happy here. Ponyville isn’t the same without you...” He gave one last shuddering sigh and glanced around the room awkwardly. “Twilight, I’m really sorry. I know I was mad, but I shouldn’t have flipped out on you like that. You taught me better than that. And I’m sorry for making you worry about me.”

“Stop apologizing, Spike. You had every right to be angry with me. Sure, you may have overreacted a bit, but you’re still a baby, and this was all my fault to begin with. I neglected you, and I’m sorry,” Twilight smiled, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Though I’ll admit that I wasn’t too worried. We have really great friends, and I knew that they wouldn’t let anything happen to you; no matter what.”

”Yeah, they really took care of me,” Spike sighed, cracking a smile of his own. “And speaking of our friends, we might want to go out and let them know that we’re okay now; they were really worried before you showed up.”

“So we’re ‘okay’ now?” Twilight murmured hopefully.

“Well, yeah; I think so,” Spike replied thoughtfully. “I mean, I guess we still have some stuff to talk about, but I think we’re okay.”

“Well, okay then,” she giggled. She gently dropped him onto her back, before trotting to the door and sticking her head out. She found her friends sitting on the ground floor, whispering amongst themselves, all three heads swung her way as the door opened, eyes overflowing with trepidation.

She smiled and stepped out onto the landing in full, breaking into a fit of giggles as her friends were immediately upon her, enveloping Spike and herself in a group hug.

“This is great! Everypony’s happy again and... Oh no!” Pinkie squealed, leaping out of the pile.

“Alright, Pinkie Pie, Ah’ll bite,” Applejack sighed. “After not seein’ each other for weeks, Twilight and Spike’ve made up, which is exactly what we’ve all been wantin’. What could you possibly find to say ‘oh no’ about?”

“If Spike goes back to Canterlot with Twilight, then she won’t be lonely and sad anymore, and then she won’t need us to come keep her company, and then I WON’T GET TO VISIT HER!” Pinkie screamed dramatically.

Applejack opened her mouth with a retort ready, but Twilight cut her off with a shake of her head and a wave of her hoof before turning back towards Pinkie Pie. “Hey Pinkie? Would you like to come visit me in Canterlot next week?”

Pinkie lept into the air, releasing one of her signature gasps. “WOULD I EVER?! Oh, I better go let the Cakes know! They’ll need to find somepony to fill in for me! And what am I still doing here? I need to go pack!” At that, she was off like a shot, through the front door and outside before anypony even realized that she had finished speaking.

“Ah better go calm her down,” Applejack sighed. “‘fore she figures out some way to cram all’f Sugarcube Corner inta a suitcase...”

“I should go, too,” Rarity murmured. “I think you two have a lot of catching up to do.”

Twilight and Spike watched the two ponies leave before turning back to each other, smiling sheepishly as a silence took over.

“Twilight, can we go home now?”

“Actually, why don’t we stay here tonight? For old times sake.”

“Yeah... I’d like that.”

Chapter 14

A/N: One more chapter down, two to go.

That's right, two more chapters left in this story arc; after that it's back to the drawing board to plan out the last half of the fic. The more perceptive of you have probably noticed that I've been systematically wrapping up most of the outstanding plot points over the past couple chapters, and now you know why.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: Piquo+Pie, and f0xhole

Couldn't get ahold of Reignbow, he'll likely be returning for next chapter.

Thirty-four days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Bye, Twilight. I’ll see you at the Gala. And don’t forget that you can write to me whenever you need to,” Fluttershy whispered as she returned Twilight’s hug.

“Don’t worry, I will. And apologize to Angel for me; I doubt he’s too happy with me for stealing you away from him for a week,” Twilight giggled as she released Fluttershy, allowing the pegasus to throw her hooves around Luna’s neck.

“Bye Luna. You can write to me too, when you need it. Or, just if you want to... if that’s alright...” Fluttershy mumbled before pulling away.

“Thank you Fluttershy, it would be my privilege to write to you,” Luna replied with a wide and sincere smile. Leaning closer as the train shook into motion, she whispered, “However, you may wish to cut your farewells short, lest your train leave without you.”

With a startled squeak, Fluttershy scrambled onto her ride, leaving the pair of snickering princesses waving to her until the train made it’s way around the bend and out of sight. They continued to chuckle at each other as they turned around to head back to the castle.

“I will miss her,” Luna pouted, as they trotted along the open street, the crowd parting around them. “I know that I’m not supposed to play favorites, but I think I will look forward to seeing her most at the Gala.”

“You never did tell me exactly how you got her to warm up to you so quickly,” Twilight stated, smiling a greeting at a bowing subject. “She was scared stiff of you when I left, but when Spike and I got back, she was treating you like you’ve been friends for years.”

“Funny story, that,” Luna replied mirthfully. “When you didn’t return that night, I began to get worried, and eventually, afraid. And, well, let us just say that Fluttershy’s innate need to comfort anypony in distress seems to far outweigh her fear of Nightmare Moon. Equestria would be much better off, if only 'twere that more ponies like her existed.”

“You were worried about me?” Twilight cackled. “Awww, that’s so adorable!”

“What? Of course I was worried! You left in a panic. Neither of us knew whether you—”

“Oh, relax, Luna. I was just teasing you,” Twilight groaned. “No need to get so flustered. Sheesh.”

“You were being cruel,” Luna pouted.

“I was not. Stop being overly dramatic,” Twilight sighed dismissively, allowing a smile to play across her face. She used her magic to pull a small daily planner out from where she had stashed it beneath her wing and let it hover in front of them. “Alright, we got Spike all set up, and we saw Fluttershy off. The next thing you have scheduled is Saturday Court, but that’s not for another few hours. Thanks for suggesting that, by the way. Just how I wanted to spend my weekend,” she grumbled sarcastically, eliciting a sheepish grin from Luna. “In the meantime I’m going to lunch with my parents. You’re still welcome to come if you want.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose...”

“I already said that it’s not imposing if I invited you,” Twilight retorted with a roll of her eyes. “That settles it, you’re coming.”

Luna turned to her defensively, but lacking any logical response, only nodded defeatedly. “Very well. You win again, Twilight.” She silently fell into step beside Twilight, following the younger Princess to their now mutual destination; leaving Twilight to find some way to remove the pall that had befallen their conversation.

“So Luna; have you had the chance to visit the Royal Library lately? There’s a few new books there that I think you’d like.”

“I have not.”

“Okay...” Twilight murmured, feeling slightly dejected. “Do you have any ideas for the night sky? Maybe new stars, or changing the positions of a few of the old ones?”

“You know as well as I do that there are now laws against making sudden changes to the sky. It would take months, maybe years, for anything I propose to be even considered.”

Twilight flinched at Luna’s tone, but resisted hanging her head. Well I tried doing things the nice way, but desperate times call for desperate measures. “Hey, why don’t we stop at Donut Joe’s after lunch on our way back to the castle? I’ve heard that the special this week is on Moon Pies.” Though Twilight caught the slight twitch of Luna’s eye, there’s no way she could’ve overlooked the Princess stopping mid-stride. Got ya.

Luna glared at Twilight for a few seconds before speaking. “How dare you use confections against me, Twilight Sparkle. That is hardly a fair tactic,” Luna proclaimed, full of faux indignation.

“It put you in a better mood, didn’t it?” Twilight chuckled over her shoulder as she continued on their way, slowly at first to allow Luna to catch up.

“Yes, I suppose it did. Heavens forbid I be allowed to enjoy a good mope,” Luna replied grudgingly. “Though truth be told, we probably shouldn’t. As I’ve explained before, the palace rules limiting the amount of sweets the reigning princesses are allowed to be served were put into place for very good reasons.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. They couldn’t have little Lulu spoiling her dinner by demanding cake every hour of every day,” Twilight snickered, nudging Luna’s side.

“And I told you, Celestia could be just as bad as I was when she was having a bad year,” Luna grumbled back.

“I still have a hard time believing that the two of you used to gamble with your desserts,” Twilight replied, stifling her laughter.

“‘Tis true! And Tia almost always won,” Luna groaned. “More often than not I owed her at least a week’s worth.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Well how else would you account for my flank becoming a little rounder these past few weeks? Or have you not noticed?” Luna laughed, wiggling the mentioned body part at Twilight.

“I figured it was just due to stress eating,” Twilight giggled before noticing the horrified and hurt expression on Luna’s face. “Oh, come on, I was kidding!”

“You are being mean today. What is wrong with you?”

“You left that one wide open, I had to say it,” Twilight replied apologetically. “So have you actually put on weight, or were you just joking?”

“A little, though I hadn’t noticed it becoming visible at all,” Luna responded with gruff annoyance. “Regardless, you didn’t need to prod fun at me so mercilessly.”

“I couldn’t help it. You set yourself up so perfectly that it just came out,” Twilight moaned. “I’m sorry for saying it, but it was sorta your own fault.”

“I cannot argue that, I suppose. Celestia never let me off easily either, so I don’t know why I expected you to,” Luna grumbled.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re saying that I act like Celestia?” Twilight asked skeptically.

“Errr, yes and no,” Luna murmured, her cheeks flushing as she realized the implications of what she had just said. “All I was saying is that you have very similar senses of humor. Truth be told, the Celestia you knew was a far different pony than the one I grew up with.”

Twilight turned to her, ready to inquire further, but paused when she glimpsed familiar shades of white and blue at the edge of her vision. Grinning broadly, she trotted over to the restaurant to give her mom and dad a hug.

“Twilight, honey, you said that you invited a ‘special guest’, but didn’t say that it was Princess Luna!” her mom stated nervously.

“Inviting Luna was a last-minute thing,” Twilight replied reassuringly. “She didn’t have anything else to do, so I invited her along. Luna’s special, but she’s not who I was talking about.”

“So who were you talking about? You know how much your mother just loves surprises,” her dad chuckled sarcastically, earning himself a swat from his wife.

“She’s always late to these types of things, but she’ll be here,” Twilight asserted. “Is our table ready?”

“It’s been ready. Shall we go sit down?”

“Sure, dad. That’d be nice.” Twilight motioned for him to lead the way and the three mares followed him into the establishment.

They made their way to the table and sat down, where Twilight’s mother wasted no time in grilling the two alicorns. “So, how are things up at the castle?”

“Not bad. Maybe not ideal — okay, definitely not ideal — but not bad,” Twilight mumbled, admiring her mother's restraint to wait until they'd reached the table. “My first week was far worse than this past one.”

“I’m going to order the party platter. It feeds six, so there should be plenty for all of us,” Twilight’s father interjected, knowing that nopony was listening to him.

“Are you sure, honey? You look exhausted. Are you eating enough?”

“I’m fine, mom. Really,” Twilight started, hoping, in vain, that her reassurances might pacify her mother. “I’m actually better than usual, I’ve made up with Spike, and Fluttershy was here all week to keep my spirits up. Things are just hectic.”

“I’m sorry for hovering, Twilight,” the older mare replied sheepishly. “You were just so miserable the last time we talked, and that was almost two weeks ago.”

“You may blame me for that,” Luna mumbled, the color in her cheeks deepening.

“But Princess, I would never dream—”

“Whether you want to blame me or not, the truth is that Twilight has spent the past week-and-a-half cleaning up a mess of my own making,” Luna interrupted, hanging her head slightly. “Twilight has been working tirelessly to save myself and my reputation, and she has completed both her own workload as well as part of mine, all while finding the time to socialize with the friends who came to visit her.”

“Speaking of Spike, where is he?” her father asked. “It’s been a while, I’d have thought he’d want to come see us.”

“He’s been acting really grown-up lately, and I figured he deserves to be treated as such, so I gave him the bedroom Celestia had me stay in. His stuff arrived from Ponyville this morning, so he’s currently setting everything up for the hundredth time. He’s never had his own room before,” Twilight giggled. “Don’t take it personally, he’s been trying to act more mature than ever since we got back to Canterlot. I’m sure he’d love to see you if you came to the palace for a visit.” A movement on the other side of the restaurant caught her eye and she motioned for her guest to come over. “In the meantime, I’d like to introduce you to—”

“The Deputy Prime Minister?” her mother gasped. “Both her and Princess Luna, Twilight are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“And here I thought that I was going to be the center of attention today,” Edifying Scroll proclaimed in her deep voice with a mix of haughtiness and mischievousness. She sauntered up to the table and nudged Luna gently before sitting down. “So much for that.”

“I am sorry. Upstaging you was not my intention,” Luna replied apologetically. “Twilight decided that I must be dragged along.”

“Eh, don’t worry so much about it,” Edifying Scroll snickered. “If I had wanted all eyes on me all the time, I would’ve became a singer instead of a politician.”

“Back on topic,” Twilight interjected, “Edifying Scroll, these are my parents. Mom, Dad, this is the Deputy Prime Minister.”

“A pleasure...” Edifying Scroll purred. She then pulled a folded sheet of paper from her saddlebag and slid it across the table towards Twilight. “I have something you’ve been wanting, Princess. A list of every single pony who usually purchases a VIP ticket to the Gala, but was unable to this year.”

Luna frowned at the document before turning to Twilight, a glimmer of comprehension in her eyes. “You are trying to find out who may be angered by your giving those tickets to your — or rather, our — friends. Thus you will be prepared to stave off any retaliation from them or their families. Clever, you’re learning the game quite quickly.”

Twilight reached for the paper, but Edifying Scroll slammed her hoof down on the parchment. “Clever indeed, but this isn’t free, Princess.”

Twilight leaned back in her chair, suppressing a smirk. “Alright, I’ll play your game. What’re your terms?”

“There’s a new professor at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. He’s cute, and I want to meet him.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the demand. “Why can’t you just go talk to him yourself? You’re the second most powerful pony in the country! Not counting Luna and myself, of course.”

“Nah, if I do that I’ll look desperate and I’ll scare him off. You’ve gotta introduce us. That’s my offer.”

“Begging your pardon, ma’am,” Twilight’s mother replied carefully. “But aren’t you married?”

“Yeah, but things aren’t going so well,” Edifying Scroll murmured sadly. “I mean it’s been shaky for years, but it’s gotten really bad lately. Honestly, I don’t think we’ll make it through another month.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” Luna replied. “Mayhaps you might return to speaking terms with your family?”

“Not likely. I’d have to return begging on my knees, but that’s not going to happen,” Edifying Scroll snarled. “If they’re going to disown me just for marrying a pony from a family they hate, I’m going to leave them behind.”

“Yet you’re about to divorce the same pony they were angry at you for marrying,” Twilight stated sarcastically.

“It’s the principle of the matter! If they’re that petty, then I don’t need them,” Edifying Scroll retorted. “So do we have a deal or not?”

“...Alright. Deal,” Twilight grinned, pulling the sheet out from underneath Edifying Scroll’s hoof and tucking it under her wing. “If worst comes to worst and he kicks you out, you can always stay in the palace apartments until you get a place of your own.”

“I’d rather sleep on the street,” Edifying Scroll chuckled. “...Okay, that was more negative than I thought it would be. It was meant to be a joke. A rather insulting joke, come to think of it. Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. Twilight’s got thick skin as is. You could probably jab her with a needle and she wouldn’t feel it,” Twilight’s father laughed, earning himself a glare from his daughter and another swat from his wife. “Anyway, food’s coming. Tuck in.”

“Ah... Citrus orzo, good choice,” Edifying Scroll whistled, helping herself to a large portion.

“So, Miss Scroll, I heard something interesting yesterday,” Luna stated, suspiciously eying the food she held on her fork.

“Oh yeah? What’s that, Princess?” she asked, watching Luna gently sniff at the morsel and nibble it tepidly.

“Hmmm, better than I thought it would be,” Luna muttered to herself, slipping the entire bite into her mouth. “Anyway, I was informed that the mayor of Stalliongrad would be attending my Court this afternoon. Something about ‘a grievous insult to his family’.”

“Oh not this again,” Edifying Scroll groaned, angrily tossing her fork onto her plate. “His daughter came to my office and tried to bribe me into getting her a position in the Ministry of the Interior, so I had her thrown out of the palace.”

“That’s all?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. “That doesn’t seem like ‘a grievous insult’.”

“...I may have had her thrown out during a downpour without her coat,” Edifying Scroll muttered sheepishly. “The guards may also have dropped her into a mud puddle...”

“I see,” Luna snickered. “You don’t think that your actions were a little extreme?”

“Well I could’ve had her arrested. Bribing a public official is illegal, after all. I’ll take care of it myself, though. I’ve dealt with him before...” she trailed off as a pegasus approached her, slipped her a sealed envelope, and hurriedly whispered into her ear. “You— How much?”

“What’s the matter?” Twilight asked worriedly. “Is there a problem at the castle?”

“No, not at all! Just something I wasn’t quite expecting,” Edifying Scroll snickered. She held up the envelope and grinned at Twilight mischievously. “I’ve got another present for you, and this one’s free. Actually, it’s the whole reason I wanted to meet with you.”

“Okay... Well what is it?” Twilight inquired as she reached across the table and snatched the envelope from the Deputy Minister’s hoof.

“Princess Celestia had a lot of holdings. A lot,” she began to explain. “Countless artefacts — both magical and mundane — books, treasures, properties all over Equestria... you get the picture. Before she passed away, she outlined whom she wished to get what in dozens of legal documents, but that, naturally, didn’t stop everypony and their mothers from laying claim to everything and anything that she possessed.

“Sound Mind and I have spent the past month going through all the paperwork to make sure that everything goes to its proper place. This is what she left you.”

“Having me take her place and leaving me her personal library wasn’t enough?” Twilight muttered, opening the envelope and pulling a single sheet of paper out. “So what exactly— woah, that’s a lot of money...”

“What do you mean, honey?” her mother cooed as she took the paper for herself. “What’s a lot of— Oh, my...”

“I knew that Celestia was wealthy, it sort of comes with being a Princess, but I never realized she had that much,” Twilight gasped.

“A few thousand years of collecting stipends will do that,” Edifying Scroll chuckled. “You’ll see.”

“Stipend? We get a stipend?” Twilight asked bewilderedly, raising an eyebrow at Luna. “I didn’t think that this was a salaried position.”

“Errr, well, yes. The rulers of Equestria always have,” Luna explained. “I suggested it myself. It exists so that the Princess — or Princesses, as the case may be —would be able to purchase items they desired while limiting their ability to do so as to not drain the treasury. It’s less of a ‘salary’ and more of an ‘allowance’, if you wish to oversimplify it.”

“And why am I just hearing about this now?” Twilight grumbled irritably.

“It’s dispensed semi-annually at the beginning of the summer and winter, so you just haven’t gotten yours yet,” Edifying Scroll explained. “I would’ve told you myself, but I figured that somepony else did. I guess everypony thought that somepony else did.”

“I see... Well, it’s nice to know that I’ll at least be compensated for running myself ragged day in and day out.”

“Yeah, but it’s not that much,” Edifying Scroll chuckled. “Princess Celestia was saving that up for a while.”

“Indeed? That is odd. Tia was always a big spender. She always went on a spending spree whenever we received our stipend, and usually ran out of bits a month or two before our next one came. Let me see that,” Luna murmured, using her magic to pull the document over to her. “Huh. I guess she really did learn to be frugal. Assuming she placed her entire stipend into a bank account with a standard amount of interest, she had been saving this money for twelve point five years.”

The sound of Twilight’s head hitting the table echoed throughout the restaurant, causing the other four ponies at the table to jump in their seats. “She started saving when I became her apprentice. Great, this is just the pick-me-up I needed today,” Twilight whined.

“What do you mean, honey? I’d have thought you would be happy about this.”

“I just can’t get a break,” Twilight sighed. “Every time something good happens, every time I start to feel good about my life, something else comes to remind me exactly why I’m here. I was having a great week, then I get a reminder of just how much I took Celestia’s presence for granted.”

“Took her for granted...? Twilight, if anything this should serve as a reminder of how much she loved you,” Luna said with a frown.

“Yes it does, but I never sat down and appreciated that,” Twilight grumbled. “When I was her student, I assumed that she’d always be there. I never had a chance to tell her just how much she meant to me, and now that I want to, I can’t. I’ll never get the chance to thank her for everything she did for me...”

“She knew, Twilight. I promise you that. Even if you never told her, she knew that you loved her,” Luna replied softly, laying a wing over Twilight’s shoulder. “And besides, I’ve already told you that you’ve done more for she and I than we could ever repay.”

“But—”

“Stop it, Twilight,” her mother scolded. “Princess Luna is right, and you know it. I know that you miss Princess Celestia, but you can’t keep letting that control you.” She wrapped a hoof around her daughter, pulling her close. “Please? It hurts me to see you hurting like this.”

Twilight slowly lifted her head off the table to look her mother in the eyes. “I... I’m sorry mom. It’s just hard, you know? So much has happened over the past month, and it gets difficult to handle at times.”

“Well that’s why you’ve got your friends and family to back you up,” Edifying Scroll interjected tenderly, scooping a second portion of orzo onto her plate. “And to be honest, you’ve done a lot better than I expected you to. Sure, there’ve been some problems along the way, but Equestria’s citizens are happy and its government is running relatively smoothly.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Twilight replied, offering Edifying Scroll a grateful smile. “The gryphons erupt into civil war almost every time their emperor dies, and that happens every couple decades. Equestria just lost the pony who ruled it for several thousand years and it’s still about as peaceful as ever.”

“Exactly! You should be proud,” her mother squealed, playfully shaking her daughter. “I know we all are.”

“I know. I suppose that adage about being your own biggest critic is true,” Twilight giggled half-heartedly. “Sorry for ruining the mood, everypony.”

“Oh, you didn’t ruin the mood, honey,” her mother cooed. “We love spending time with you.”

“Yeah. Besides, everypony ruins the mood at times,” her father chuckled.

“Dear, that’s not exactly the message I was trying to convey,” his wife growled, shooting him a stern glare.

“Well, it’s true! You yell at me all the time for it. And besides, it got her laughing,” he snickered, ignoring the frustrated sigh from his spouse. “So... anypony up for dessert?”

“I truly regret the idea of Saturday Court,” Luna moaned loudly as she ambled slowly over to Twilight several hours later. “It seems like our ponies get even less amiable over the weekend than they are during the week.”

“I can’t blame them; I hate spending my weekend here too,” Twilight muttered aside to her. “And at least you’re done. I’ve still got four more appointments.”

Luna dragged herself up the stairs to the shared throne before plopping down next to Twilight. “That is true. I’d still prefer the Throne Room; sitting in the War Room for too long grates on one’s nerves.”

“Why not switch over to the Reception Hall? It’s not like we’re holding a wedding there every day,” Twilight snickered. “More often than not it just sits there empty for weeks on end.”

“That is an excellent idea, I’ll implement the change immediately. In the meantime, would you mind if I sat with you? I’d rather not go to supper by myself.”

“Sure, I’d like some company,” Twilight replied with a smile before turning to Quill-Pen. “What’s next?”

“Baron Slimtail is here about something,” the seneschal muttered. “I don’t know exactly what.”

“Oh. He’s here to complain, yet again, about my denying his request to allow him to fill in Froggy Bottom Bog and build over it,” Twilight grumbled, gently massaging one of her temples. “He’s going to give me an aneurysm if he keeps this up... Alright, let him in.” The Throne Room doors opened, allowing a haughty earth pony to stride in, and Twilight faked a smile. “Welcome, Baron. What can I do for you today?”

“I am not happy, Princess. You are standing in the way of economic prosperity, and I will not stand for it,” the noble snarled, emphasising his point with a stomp of his hoof.

“I’d say that that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Twilight sighed, “but I suppose I owe you an explanation. Froggy Bottom Bog is an important part of Equestria’s ecosystem, thus I would be skeptical about turning it into a farm, or factory, or... something else that actually benefits a lot of ponies. Turning it into a shopping mall only benefits you, and I will not permit the destruction of something so vital to our nation just so you can turn a profit.”

“Princess, you cannot seriously—” he began, but was cut off as the room’s double doors slammed open once again and a fluffy pink pony bounced through, closely followed by a very nervous Royal Guard.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but she refused to wait.”

“It’s okay, you can go back to your post,” Twilight said to the guard, giving him a comforting smile. “Actually, why don’t you take the rest of the night off? You look tired.” She watched the grateful guard trot away before enveloping her friend in a hug. “I didn’t expect you to get here for another half hour, Pinkie! How are you?”

“Great! There was a lot of traffic in the city but I snuck around it by—”

“Princess, I—”

“My word is final, Baron,” Twilight growled, interrupting his interruption as Pinkie bounded over to Luna. “Froggy Bottom Bog will stay as it is, and with that, our business is concluded. Please leave.” Without waiting to see if he complied with her order, she turned towards Quill-Pen and asked, “Tell me, among the rest of the petitioners, is there anypony who actually works for a living?”

A smirk playing on her lips, Quill-Pen glanced over her clipboard before replying. “Two nobles and an investment banker. So no.”

“Good. Move all three of them to Monday morning,” Twilight chirped. “I’ve got plans tonight that are a little more important than whatever they want.”

“Already done,” Quill-Pen remarked wryly. “Alright, you all heard the Princess. Clear out. Court’s over!”

Twilight giggled to herself as everypony save for Luna, Pinkie Pie, and herself quickly made their way out, leaving the three ponies alone. Pinkie released Luna from a hug and sprung to Twilight. “Plans? We’ve got plans already? Cool! So what are we gonna do first? Make a pillow fort? Go camping in the Royal Gardens? Eat every cookie in the kitchens?”

“We can do all of that, but first you have a job to do,” Twilight chuckled, deflating Pinkie’s exuberance mid-bounce.

“Awww, that’s no fun,” Pinkie whined. “I thought we were supposed to hang out!”

“I know, but the sooner you get to work, the sooner we can play,” Twilight replied encouragingly.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Pinkie sighed. “So what’s the mission, Sergeant Sparkle?” she asked, snapping to a sharp salute.

Twilight heard Luna snort as she suppressed her laughter and couldn’t help but grin herself. “Alright, Private Pinkie, here’s the situation. Lieutenant Luna and I are doing something a little different for the Grand Galloping Gala this year. The two of us are not going to be greeting a long line of guests, and there will be more ponies than usual mingling about because of that. You mission is to come up with ways to entertain the excess guests!”

“Is that all? I can do that with one hoof tied behind my back!”

“Not so fast, Private! Remember, most of the guests will be stuffy nobleponies” Twilight said, faking seriousness. You need to think of things that they’d enjoy. That means no loud music, no pin-the-tail-on-the-pony, and no pranks.”

“Ohh... That’s a tough one,” Pinkie muttered, scratching her chin. “I’ll have to dig really, really far into my party cannon for this one...”

“I know that it’ll be hard, but I wouldn’t think to ask anypony else,” Twilight proclaimed loudly. “So, do you think you’re up for it?”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” Pinkie shouted, snapping to a second salute. “I’ll get on it right away, ma’am!” At that, she was off; rocketing through the door to accomplish her mission.

Smiling cheerfully to herself, Twilight turned to Luna. “Ready for dinner?”

Without replying, the darker Princess stood up and started making her way towards the Royal Dining Room, grumbling to herself, “My friends are weird...”

Alright, what’s your angle?

...

You’re being nice to me today. You’re never nice! You always act like a brat, then you zap my flank when I leave.

...

Exactly! So, what do you want this time?

...

A break? I guess we can do that... I’ll let the weather teams know that it’ll be a little cooler than usual tomorrow. Don’t overdo it though, the last thing anypony needs is a mid-spring freeze.

...

You’re welcome. I’ll see you in the morning.

Twilight slipped back into her body with a content sigh. Laying down on her balcony, she breathed deeply, savoring the scent of the night air. Overall, it had been a pleasant day. Everything from raising the sun to Pinkie’s arrival had gone smoothly. She couldn’t exactly say that it was a perfect day, but it was far better than most she had had recently. She hadn’t seen Pinkie all evening, but that was fine. The party pony was just doing whatever Pinkie Pie does when she’s planning something big.

She stretched out, half-heartedly trying to choose whether she’d rather spend the last hour or two before bed reading, or just laying where she was. Before she could make a decision, the soft sound of flapping wings broke through her daze.

She turned to see who was approaching and smiled. “Hey, Luna.”

Luna landed next to her with a large goofy grin on her face, eyes alight with excitement. “Twilight, come with me!” she squealed before taking flight.

“...What?”

“Come on!”

Twilight frowned before standing back up, and took off after Luna. She followed the mare higher and higher until the older Princess landed atop the highest tower. Luna trotted to the center of the platform, turned to face east, and sat on her haunches. When Twilight raised a questioning eyebrow at her, she responded by giggling and patting the floor next to her.

Twilight sauntered over and sat down beside Luna. “Okay... what now?”

“Just follow me,” Luna cooed as she closed her eyes. Twilight felt the subtle buzz of magic fill the air as Luna’s horn lit up, and lit her own horn in turn, feeling out the intricacies of Luna’s spell. Feeling a familiar pull on her consciousness, Twilight let go of her body and found herself floating in the void. If she had had a body at that point, what she saw would have taken her breath away.

It’s so... so...

She’s beautiful, is she not? Luna’s voice floated through her being.

The moon floated before her, a massive luminescent pearl in the sky. Beautiful? Luna, beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe her. In fact, I don’t think a word to accurately describe her even exists!

It’s time for the moon to rise. Would you like to do the honors, Twilight?, Luna’s mirthful giggle rang out from all directions. Smiling inwardly, Twilight expanded her consciousness and reached out towards the moon, only for the great celestial body to shrink away from her touch.

Oh, Twilight, I’m sorry about that! She’s a bit skittish. Try approaching her a bit slower.

Feeling a little flustered, Twilight reached out again, more carefully this time. It’s okay... I’m a friend, she cooed. She felt the moon shudder under her touch, but it didn’t retreat this time. Instead, a soft warmth spread over her. A gentle serenity, as if the moon was nuzzling her, embracing her. Cautiously, she applied a bit of pressure and felt the moon begin to rise.

She watched for a moment before sliding back into her body for the second time that night. She quickly turned to her side and locked eyes with her companion. “Luna... Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure, Twilight,” Luna giggled, standing up with a stretch and a groan. “And again I apologize for her initial behavior. The Moon has always been shy, that’s partially why I became the Princess of the Night. When Celestia and I were first given control over the Sun and Moon, Celestia was much more brazen than she was more recently, and the Moon responded much better to my softer touch.” Twilight stood and followed Luna to the edge of the platform, where Luna lay down and Twilight followed suit.

“Luna, it’s lovely up here, but I think we should head back down,” Twilight murmured hesitantly. “Pinkie won’t be able to get up here if she wants to talk to us.”

“Oh, I don’t think she’ll be joining us tonight,” Luna snickered mischievously.

“And why is that?” Twilight replied skeptically.

“I... may have let it slip to her that we have a cocoa tree in the Royal Gardens,” Luna said innocently.

“But, Luna, we don’t have a cocoa tree in the gardens.”

“I know.”

“Oh, that’s just evil.”

“You were the one who told me that she always enjoyed a good prank,” Luna retorted with a knowing smirk. “I was just partaking.”

“Okay, you’ve got me there,” Twilight chuckled before turning her head skyward. “So, which one is next?”

“Ummm, which one did we go over last time?” Luna asked, following Twilight’s gaze.

“Crustulum Magnum. And I still think that you’re pulling my leg when you say that you made a star to commemorate the invention of the cookie.”

“I was still a filly! And you cannot deny that it was a glorious day in Equestrian history,” Luna moaned defensively. “Regardless, the next one is Frater Bonus, the Good Brother. Celestia and I crafted it together after Equestria first made contact with the zebra.”

“Now that is what I call a good reason to make a star,” Twilight grinned.

“Yes, yes it was,” Luna murmured thoughtfully. “But before I tell you the whole story, there’s something else... Something I need to get off my chest before my courage fails me.”

“I hate to cut you off, Luna, but I can see Pinkie Pie from here,” Twilight muttered, squinting at the pony far below her.

“So?’

“It looks like she’s talking to the Royal Gardener.”

Luna simply stared at Twilight, waiting for an elaboration. When none came, she cleared her throat. “Yes, well I still fail to see the problem.”

It was then that an angry squawk echoed its way up the mountainside. “NO CHOCOLATE?! THIS MEANS WAR!”

“Oh... Yes I see the problem now,” Luna muttered, leaning over the edge to get a better view. “I’m assuming that she’ll be getting me— Twilight, where are you going?”

“I’m going to bed,” Twilight snickered, spreading her wings.

“What? Why? We were having such a pleasant night.”

“I’ve seen what happens to ponies who prank Pinkie Pie, and unless your name is Rainbow Dash, it’s not pretty,” Twilight replied with a wry smirk. “You started this, so you’re on your own this time.”

And with that she leapt from the roof, gliding into the night.

Chapter 15

A/N: Writing this one was a long and painful process, but I think it was worth it. One more to go after this, then we'll have an intermission, where I'll take the time to create an outline for the rest of this fic and probably release a few side-stories.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: Piquo+Pie, and f0xhole.

Reignbow has chosen to retire for personal reasons. I'm not looking to replace him immediately, but possibly in the future. I'll put out a journal post if/when the need arises.

Forty-seven days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Luna frowned as she cast a critical eye over the image of herself in the mirror, inspecting herself head to hoof. She turned slightly to get a better view of her flank, carefully scrutinizing the way her current attire perfectly hugged her waist, leaving nothing to the imagination. “I had not expected Rarity to create a gown for me, Twilight, and normally I harbor a most intense distaste for clothing, but this is indubitably the most comfortable gown I have ever worn. Quite exquisite, yet pleasantly simple as well. She is an amazing mare.”

“...Yeah, isn’t she?”

“Darn it, Spike, hold still! Your tie is crooked and I’m not letting you go out there like that!” Twilight groaned, pulling the dragon over so she could adjust it. “Anyway, Luna, I agree. She managed to match the color of your coat perfectly. I can’t say I’m a big fan of the lace, though,” she snickered, gesturing at Luna’s neck.

“I like it. And I really like the silver trim,” Luna replied as she sauntered over to Spike and Twilight, a broad smile lighting up her face. “I suppose I should make sure to inform everypony as to who created my wares; it would be the least I could do for her.”

“You can if you want to, but trust me when I say that all she needs is to see you wearing it. That alone will make it all worthwhile for her.”

“I do like your dress too, even if it lacks the lace,” Luna sniggered. “And for an outfit inspired by my sister’s appearance, it does have a few design oversights.”

Twilight frowned at Luna before looking down at herself. “...Like what?”

“Well for one thing, the white of her coat did not shimmer nearly that much! For another, her tail did not start at her waist; having the hues of her tail begin there is anatomically inaccurate.”

“Oh, now you’re just being nitpicky! It’s not as if I’m supposed to be dressed up as her, it’s not a costume,” Twilight groaned. “And by not having lace on my dress, I can wear all of my regalia. You can only wear your tiara and shoes.”

Luna replied by sticking out her tongue before bursting into a fit of giggles. “So, are you nervous?”

“Very. This is only the second time I’ve ever attended the Gala, and given how the first one turned out, I can’t believe that I’m hosting this one,” Twilight shuddered. “I’m also really excited though.”

“And you’ll do fine, Twilight. Or rather, we’ll do fine,” Luna replied reassuringly. “You’ve spent the past two weeks making sure everything is perfect, and our friends are here to help us.”

“I know, but I’m still nervous,” Twilight muttered. She finished adjusting Spike’s tie and sighed to herself. “Well, I guess there’s no point in stalling. Shall we?”

“After you.”

Twilight smiled, levitating Spike onto her back. She glanced at the mirror, checking herself one last time and took a deep, calming breath, before trotting out the door. She and Luna proceeded wordlessly to the dressing room that she had reserved for her friends. Twilight lifted a hoof to push the door open only for it to be wrenched open before could touch it and was beset upon by Pinkie Pie.

“Twilight, I’m so so so so so so excited! This is gonna be the most awesome awesomest day EVER!”

Twilight wormed her way out of the earth pony’s bone-crushing hug. “I sure hope so.”

“Oh, don’t worry silly. You and me? We thought of everything. Everypony’s going to go home tonight saying that this was the best Gala ever, I Pinkie promise. No, I Super Pinkie promise!” Pinkie shrieked, vibrating with enthusiasm.

“Easy there, Pinkie, Rare’ll kill ya if you ruin Twilight’s dress,” Applejack chuckled as she led the rest of the group out of the room.

“I would indeed, I spent days on it,” Rarity added, playfully ruffling Pinkie’s mane. She gave Twilight and Luna a proud smile that quickly melted into a confused frown. “Luna, dear, you’re missing something.”

“What? Oh, yes I am. I was unable to fit my harness over the lace,” Luna muttered. “This dress is lovely though, I don’t think—”

“No! Nononono, this isn’t right,” Rarity moaned anxiously. “I can’t believe I forgot about such an integral piece of your outfit! Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Before anypony could get another word in, she had disappeared.

“Okay... Bye, Rarity,” Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “Right, while we’re waiting for her, let’s go over the rules again. Rule number one, Applejack?”

“Since we’re the guests of honor, there’s gonna be a lot of ponies who want to talk to us, and it’s our job to answer any questions they have. Also, we need to be courteous and polite to everypony,” Applejack replied proudly with an affirmative nod. “Don’t worry, Twi, we won’t let y’all down!”

“I know, Applejack. We’re all in this together,” Twilight grinned. “Speaking of that, next is rule number two. Pinkie Pie?”

“Have fun!”

“Erm, no; that was rule number four, Pinkie,” Twilight muttered disconcertedly.

“I know, but that’s my favorite rule!”

“Right... Okay, well that can be rule number two from now on,” Twilight sighed. “Which makes the old rule two into the new rule number three. Fluttershy?”

“Oh! Ummm, except for you, Luna and Applejack, nopony is supposed to go off on their own. Stay in pairs so that we can support each other,” Fluttershy said with a start.

“Good!” Twilight chirped. “And lastly, the new rule number four?” She threw a stern glance at the only pony she hadn’t yet addressed. “Dash?”

Rainbow Dash gave a loud frustrated sigh before grumbling, “If anypony tries to start trouble, don’t handle it ourselves, signal the guards.”

“Rainbow, I know that you’re not exactly thrilled about that, but remember that it’s for the best,” Twilight cooed. “The Royal Guards can’t get in trouble for throwing somepony out of the palace; you, however, can. It’s for your own protection.”

“I know, I know. I just don’t like not being allowed to defend myself— or you guys,” the pegasus mumbled. “Oh well, at least I’ll get a chance to hang with the Wonderbolts this time!” A chorus of agreement arose from the group as the rapid clattering of hooves alerted them to Rarity’s return and they all turned to watch the unicorn as she galloped up to Luna, her harness and several pieces of gray-blue ribbon floating behind her.

“I’m back! Hold still, Luna.”

“Very well, but why—” she began, but was cut off as Rarity tore the lace off of the Princess’ dress with a loud ‘rip’. “Rarity! Y-you destroyed it!”

“No, no, hold on, Princess, I’m not finished,” Rarity breathed, gently slipping Luna’s jet-black harness over the Princess’ neck. Working carefully, she tucked the stray threads underneath the accessory before backing away to give Luna the once-over. “There, much better... I’ll fix the damage to the gown later, but the royal vestments should hide it well enough for tonight.”

“O-okay, if you say so...”

“Now, one more thing; give me your hoof for a moment,” Rarity demanded. Luna frowned at her questioningly, but complied. Rarity took the Princess’ hoof in her own and floated the ribbons down, letting them hover near Luna’s jeweled shoe. She appraised them carefully for a moment before selecting one and tossing the rest aside. “This one is just about perfect. Now, Luna, take a deep breath.”

“I beg your pardon?” Luna retorted indignantly.

“Just trust me,” Rarity replied, trotting around to Luna’s side.

“Fine,” Luna groaned, breathing deeply.

“Oh, yes! Now hold that for a bit,” Rarity squealed excitedly, slipping the ribbon around Luna’s waist. The unicorn snugged it carefully and tied it into a large bow, resting it symmetrically in the center of Luna’s back. “There! Well, what do you think?”

“Wow,” Fluttershy gasped, lightly stepping over to Luna. “That’s really nice. You look really pretty like that, Luna!”

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Luna giggled. “And thank you as well, Rarity. Remind me never again to doubt your vision.”

“Think nothing of it! I could never allow myself to let you pass as anything less than perfect!” Rarity purred. “So, are we ready?”

“Looks like it,” Spike observed. “Twilight has her speech all set and everything.”

“Okay; let’s do this,” Twilight shuddered. “Follow us, everypony!” She turned and trotted away, Luna at her side, her friends close behind. They reached the palace’s foyer When Twilight stopped suddenly in front of the massive double doors.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Spike asked worriedly.

“I-I’m just nervous,” Twilight muttered. “I know it’s silly, considering that I’ve been giving speeches for the past month and a half, b-but—”

“It’s going to be alright, Twilight. We’re here for you,” Luna murmured with a comforting smile. “After all, we—”

She was choked off as Pinkie Pie yanked the entire group into a bone-crushing hug. “Yeah! We’re ready if you’re ready, Twilight! Let’s start the show!”

“Y-yeah, okay!” she stuttered. She swallowed the lump in her throat, then turned to the guards posted at the doors and nodded confidently. “Let’s do this!”

The guards pulled the doors open and they trotted out to the palace’s front steps, finding themselves in front of a massive roaring crowd. Twilight took another deep breath, steeling herself for the task ahead of her. She scanned the crowd, putting on her best smile before beginning to speak.

“Welcome, everypony, to this year’s Grand Galloping Gala! As you all know, I am Princess Twilight Sparkle; Princess Luna and I would like to thank you all for coming. Now we’re going to do something slightly different this year than what has been done in years past. Neither Princess Luna, nor myself, are going to stand atop the stairs to greet our guests one pony at a time; instead, we’re going to spend the night walking among you. Instead of waiting in line to greet one of us, we’d like you to enjoy the night and either spend time with your friends, or make new friends entirely.

“And on the subject of friends, I would like to remind everypony of five very important words: kindness, loyalty, generosity, honesty, laughter. Many of you will recognize these as the Elements of Harmony; the concepts that have governed us and protected us since the founding of our nation. Two months ago, Equestria lost our guiding light, Princess Celestia, the pony who had watched over us as a loving mother for countless generations. She was a pony whom we all looked up to; our leader, our mentor, and — to a lucky number of us — our friend.

“Since then, we have put our best hooves forward, persevering through one of the most tumultuous times in Equestria’s history, and I would like to say that I am very proud of each and every one of you for not allowing this tragedy to tear this nation apart. I also wish to extend my sincerest gratitude to those who are aiding in keeping Equestria peaceful and prosperous. Most of all, however, I implore you to keep the Elements of Harmony close to your hearts. Only by following the spirit embodied by the Elements can we continue to thrive and grow in peace; thus I would ask you to take a moment, sometime tonight, to reflect on each of them. Reflect on how each has affected your life, and how you may still yet improve yourself by adhering to them.”

Twilight paused to allow the heavy note of her words time to sink in and gazed over the crowd once more. She found that many of those in the courtyard had contemplative looks on their faces and her heart soared, pleased that her words had struck their mark. Smiling broadly, she continued, “But I have taken enough of your time for tonight. Thus, it is my honor to declare this year’s Grand Galloping Gala commenced. Have a wonderful night!”

As the crowd began slowly moving forward, she turned and faced her friends once more. “Okay, places everypony! As planned, Luna and I are going to head into the back for a little while so that everypony doesn’t just crowd around us, then slip back in here once the party’s in full swing and find the ponies we need to see. You girls all know your jobs, and I’m counting on you. When you’re finished, head to the VIP section like we planned. Spike... I guess you’re with Rarity.”

Like troops inspired by their brave leader, Twilight’s friends gave a loud cheer and proceeded into the ballroom to perform their assigned tasks while Twilight teleported herself and Luna to their private dining room.

“Well? How did it go?” Quill-Pen’s voice asked as the pair regained their bearings.

“Very well, I think,” Luna murmured with a serene smirk. “Twilight spoke eloquently and the crowd hung onto her every word.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but yes, it went well,” Twilight giggled. “But as nervous as I am, I’m actually really confident that this night will go along smoothly.”

“Maybe, but every time you say that, something goes wrong,” Quill-Pen replied wryly, earning herself a sharp glare from Twilight. “Coffee? Whether tonight goes perfectly or poorly, it’s still going to be long, so I had some made.”

“Oh! Thank you so much,” Twilight lauded, smiling again as she accepted a cup.

“You’re very welcome,” Quill-Pen replied with a grin before turning to Luna and offering her a mug. “And you?”

“I think that I will politely pass,” Luna said, wrinkling her nose at the brew. “It was first introduced to Equestria during my banishment, and I have sadly not yet acquired a taste for it.”

“Suit yourself,” Quill-Pen murmured, pouring cream into the offered drink and taking it for herself. “So, have you two got everything all planned out?”

“Indeed,” Luna said confidently. “We have decided that Twilight shall seek out and welcome all the foreign dignitaries, while my own duty will be to do the same for the most important among Equestria’s citizens. We both agreed that it would be far more desirable than to have it the other way around.”

“How do you figure?”

“Well, we made a few lists of the pros and cons of each option, and this came out to be the best,” Twilight smiled. “Having the older and more experienced Princess greet the guests from other nations would show that we take them seriously, but allowing the younger and ‘more energetic’ Princess would make Equestria seem more eager to reach out to them.”

“That and our own citizens tend to misbehave less around myself than they do around Twilight. I dislike taking advantage of their fear of me, but sometimes it is better than the alternative,” Luna sighed. “Having the nobles disrespect Twilight in her Court is bad enough, but allowing them the chance to disrespect her at the Gala? Out of the question.”

“You’re leaving as little to chance as possible? Makes sense to me,” Quill-Pen nodded. “And can I just say that I’m proud of you both? The two of you have been working hard, not just in putting the Gala together, but in everything. Enjoy yourselves tonight, you’ve earned it.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Quill-Pen, but we couldn’t have done it without the support of you and the rest of the castle staff,” Luna replied, breaking into a smile.

“Be that as it may, the two of you deserve most of the credit,” Quill-Pen snickered. “Now get back out there. No point wasting any more time back here!” Using her magic, she pulled the coffee mug out of Twilight’s grasp and shoved the pair of giggling Princesses out the door.

The pair continued laughing as they proceeded to the reception hall where most of the guests would be congregated, pausing to compose themselves before entering. “Alright, Luna, I’m going to look around and check up on our friends before I jump into any conversations. You know, to make sure everything’s going well and all.”

“A good plan from a good mind,” Luna said with a wink. “Please don’t take too long, the sooner we finish with our obligations, the sooner we can proceed to leisure.”

“Agreed. I’ll see you soon!” Twilight turned on the spot and began weaving her way through the crowd towards a large orange banner emblazoned with a single red apple, offering smiles and polite nods to everypony who even so much as glanced in her direction. However, it was not long before she was stopped by an ivory unicorn with a curly pink mane in a flowing red gown.

“Hey, Twilight! Or, as I should say, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight gaped at the pony incredulously for a moment before speaking. “Twinkleshine? Ohmygosh, I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“I know, it’s been way too long!” Twinkleshine squealed. “Hold on, Minuette’s here somewhere... Hey, Minney! Come over here and see who I found!”

A blue unicorn emerged from the crowd and emitted a loud gasp as she locked eyes with Twilight. “Twilight! I was hoping we’d find you. There’s so much we need to catch up on. How’s life as royalty treating you?”

“Ugh, it’s hard. There’s always more work to be done. Still, there are times when I’m happy with it,” Twilight laughed for a few seconds before falling gravely silent. “Hey girls? I... I want to apologize.”

“For what?” Twinkleshine asked, giving Twilight a confused frown.

“For the way I used to act. Back before Celestia sent me to Ponyville,” Twilight said softly. “I was stuck-up and unsociable. Despite that, you girls still always tried to include me in your activities, but I always pushed you away, and I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Twinkleshine replied dismissively. “Everypony has something they’re not good at, for you it was socializing. I can’t hold that against you. That’d be like Minuette being angry with me for not being very good at singing.”

“Not very good? Try awful.”

Twinkleshine shot a dirty look at Minuette before turning back to Twilight. “The point is that we never got mad at you for that. A little disappointed that you wouldn’t ever join us, but never mad.”

“Oh, well thank you,” Twilight murmured with a smile. “Is Moondancer here?”

“No. She was supposed to come with us, but she came down with a cold this morning. Such a pity,” Minuette said, shaking her head sadly.

“Oh...” Twilight replied, slightly dejected. “Well apologize to her from me for never attending her parties. And tell her that I really appreciate her always inviting me, even if I never came.”

“We can do that,” the pair said in unison.

“Thanks. Well, there’s a ton of ponies — and other things — that I need to say ‘Hi’ to, so I need to go,” Twilight added apologetically, gently throwing a hoof around each of them to pull them in for a quick hug. “But I’d love to hang out with you girls sometime!”

“That’d be great. We’ll get in touch with you soon,” Minuette chirped as Twilight released them.

As Twilight disappeared into the crowd with one last nod, she couldn't help but grin to herself as she overheard Twinkleshine. "I like the new Twilight.” She slid her way through the guests yet again and approached a large group of ponies huddled in a corner, and found a large enough gap where she could see the pony speaking in the center.

“Howdy, y’all! My name’s Applejack, and Princess Twilight asked me to come here ‘n’ lead all ’f ya in an exercise in honesty,” the farmpony said, doffing her hat to the guests. “Now, what we’re gonna do is play a variation of Truth ‘r Dare, ‘n’ Ah only have two rules. One: no mean questions; embarrassin’ is alright, but nothin’ cruel; we’re all here to have fun. Rule two: if y’all ’re watchin’, yer playin’; ain’t fair otherwise.” She paused, waiting for the buzz of agreement from the crowd to die down before continuing.

“Right, now the way this works is that whoever’s turn it is asks somepony else a question, ‘n’ they have to answer. Thing is, this crystal right here,” she stated, patting a large green orb resting on the ground next to her, “was enchanted by the Princesses to start glowin’ when somepony lies. If y’all get caught lyin’ then ya hafta do one of the dares written on these cards. Oh, and can everypony see that pony over there? The pink one who hasn’t stopped bouncing since the Gala started? She wrote every one of ‘em,” Applejack remarked with an evil grin. “So unless y’all want to be seen serenadin’ the dessert table with a lampshade on yer head, I suggest ya be truthful.”

Knowing that Applejack had everything under control, Twilight slipped away, trotting off towards the large gem-studded fountain in the center of the room, expecting to find Rarity nearby. Sure enough, she stood proudly beside Fluttershy, speaking to a pair of ponies whom Twilight didn’t recognize. Twilight snuck closer to listen in.

“Yes, Princess Twilight has been my friend for a while now,” Rarity proclaimed proudly, “and I would never hesitate to say that my life has been made infinitely better since she walked into it.”

“Indeed? I have heard mostly positive things about her, so I suppose that isn’t much of a surprise,” one of the other ponies smiled. “And you... you are Fluttershy, correct?”

“Oh... Umm, yes.”

“I thought so. It is a pleas—” he began before being cut off by the fourth pony in the group.

“Wait! You’re the Fluttershy?” the mare squealed excitedly, causing Fluttershy to shrink away.

“Yes.”

“What happened to you? You were on top of Equestria! You were the best model ever and you just vanished!” the pony exclaimed.

“Well, miss,” Rarity explained, stepping forward protectively, ”Fluttershy is, as her name suggests, quite shy. She dislikes being the center of attention, so she retired from the business.”

“Oh. That’s understandable, but it must be awful to be unable to use your special talent due to stage fright!”

“What do you mean by that?” Rarity asked. “She can utilize her special talent just fine.”

“But isn’t her special talent her gracefulness? If she’s unable to be a model, then how would she use it?” the mare replied questioningly.

“No, no, no! Her poise is one of her talents, sure, but it’s not her special talent!” Rarity laughed, turning to Fluttershy. “Why don’t you tell her, dear?”

“I-I, umm... I take care of animals,” Fluttershy whispered, hoofing at the floor nervously.

“Really? You see to animals? That’s wonderful!” the mare gasped. “My husband — he’s not here tonight, but he is the administrator of the new animal hospital that just opened up in Manehattan. I wonder, would you be willing to pose in a few promotional advertisements for us?”

Rarity frowned and took a step towards the mare. “Did I not just tell you that she dislikes the spotlight? Why would you ask—”

“Umm, actually, Rarity, I’d like that,” Fluttershy interrupted softly.

“Y-you would?” Rarity stammered, raising an eyebrow at Fluttershy. “Well, far be it from me to stop you, dear.”

“There’s one thing though; can I pose with some of the animals?”

“But of course!” the mare replied cheerfully. “You may pose with as many of the patients as you want!”

Twilight waved, catching Fluttershy’s eye and gave her a wink before trotting off, with one last target in mind. She slipped over to the VIP section and spotted the conspicuous hues of Rainbow Dash’s tail. She snuck closer to see whom her friend was speaking with and broke out in a grin as Spitfire’s flaming mane came into view.

Happy in the knowledge that each of her friends were enjoying themselves, she continued on. Now it was time to get to work. Spotting a large bovine figure towering above the crowd, she changed direction, head held high as the mass of ponies parted for her.

She stepped up to the minotaur and cleared her throat, “Good evening, Ambassador.”

The massive creature’s horned head swung about for a moment, before looking down and smiling. “Princess! You snuck up on me. You need to gain a few inches.”

“So I’ve been told,” Twilight giggled. “Enjoying your night so far?”

“Yes. It’s a little boring, but that’s nothing new; the Gala usually is,” he sighed, draining a full pitcher of wine.

“Yeah, I know; that’s partly why we decided to mix things up a bit this year. In fact, we hired a few comedians for the Laughter station,” Twilight replied, putting on an air of serenity to hide her excitement.

“That actually might be worth checking out...” he muttered, scratching his chin. “Where is this?”

“The east courtyard. Just follow the balloons. It’s decorated in a lot of pink, so you really can’t miss it.”

“Perfect, I’m going to head over there. Have a good night, Princess,” he rumbled, bowing his head politely.

“Have a good night, Ambassador,” Twilight said, returning his nod. She watched him lumber away, then left to find her next target. It took but a moment for her eyes to pick out the telltale black and white from the crowd, and she quickly moved towards the end of the room where Zecora stood, nearly hidden behind one of the room’s pillars. “Hey, Zecora!”

“Ah, Twilight! Good evening! To what do I owe this greeting?”

“I’m just saying ‘Hello’ to all of the dignitaries,” Twilight chirped, walking behind the pillar to see who Zecora had been speaking with. “Oh, Ambassador Sandstrider! I guess this makes things easier.”

“Yes, my friend, being able to greet two of us at once must be quite a boon,” the tall mare giggled. “Ambassador Zecora and I were just discussing the future of our nations. The relationship between Saddle Arabia and Zebrica has always been rocky at best and downright hostile at worst. After seeing Equestria go through a rebirth, we are now hoping for our nations to experience rebirths of their own. The two of us have thus decided that now would be an optimal time to put our awful past behind us.”

“Really? That’s great!” Twilight gasped.

“Indeed, we hope our means make for good ends, for if they do, our peoples may yet become friends!”

“If you two need anything, anything at all, let me know right away! A mediator, a neutral meeting place, or even just public support, I’ll supply anything,” Twilight offered. “Equestria will stand behind this the whole way!”

“R-really?” Sandstrider stuttered. “T-thank you, Your Highness!”

“It’s my pleasure. It’d be an honor to play even a small part in your nations making peace.” Twilight looked over her shoulder at the crowd. “Listen, I have a lot of others that I have to talk to tonight, and I’d like to get something to drink before I have to speak with any of the others, so I’m going to go for now. Keep me posted though!”

“Hold, Twilight! Before you bid us adieu, there is a question that I must ask of you,” Zecora chimed. When Twilight stopped to look at her, the zebra shot a mischievous smile at Sandstrider.“Next week, when we meet for lunch? I would very much like to add a third to our bunch!”

“You are asking me to join you?” Sandstrider asked, blinking at Zecora incredulously.

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Twilight nodded. “You’re welcome to come if you like.”

“I think I would like that, Zecora. We are likely going to be spending much time together in the coming months building the friendship between our peoples, so building our own friendship sooner is much more desirable than later,” Sandstrider giggled. She turned to Twilight and bowed her head politely. “Thank you, Princess, for bringing us together. I wish you the best of nights.”

Twilight returned her nod and trotted over to the refreshments table, picking up a glass of punch and sipping it tepidly. She gave a content sigh and mentally prepared herself for the next round of greetings, but a tap on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts.

Confused, she turned to face whoever was attempting to get her attention and smiled. “Hello? Oh, Luna! Hi. How’re things going?”

“Well, Twilight; things are going well. I have greeted everypony on my list,” Luna murmured. “I wonder though about your progress. Whom have you managed to locate thus far?”

“I found Ambassador Stoneshatter of the Minotaur right off the bat, then I found Zecora and Sandstrider together and spoke to them. I’m afraid that’s as far as I got, though,” Twilight replied apologetically.

“Perfect,” Luna asserted. “During my own rounds, I stumbled across the other three on your list conversing with the governor of Cloudsdale and greeted them accordingly. Which, I believe, means that we have finished our obligations for this night.”

“Really? That’s great!” Twilight grinned, eyes lighting up with the news. “Should we go find our friends?”

“I should think so,” Luna smirked. “I passed Rainbow Dash on my way over here, so perhaps we should start there?”

“Luna, when you’re just hanging out with your friends, you don’t need to ‘start’ anywhere! You just do it,” Twilight snickered, walking in the direction Luna indicated.

“Don’t poke fun at me unless you can honestly say that you yourself didn’t need anypony to teach you that lesson as well,” Luna grumbled, gently prodding Twilight’s side.

“Alright, alright, you have me there,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes. The two shared a giggle and continued through the crowd towards the VIP section, where the group had all agreed to meet. Rainbow was already there waiting; she grinned as she spotted them coming and waved.

“Hey! You two done?” the blue pegasus asked excitedly.

“We are indeed,” Luna said with a nod. “I see you found Captain Spitfire right away.”

“She did,” the Wonderbolt replied with a wink. “Your friend Pinkie Pie was here too, but she ran off. Haven’t seen her since.”

“That’s normal. She’ll probably show up out of the blue, dragging along the rest of the gang,” Twilight giggled. “So, how are you two doing?”

“Great. Rainbow here was just telling me about how she taught you to fly,” Spitfire said with a coy smirk. She playfully nudged Rainbow and continued. “Not every day that you meet somepony who can boast about tutoring a princess.”

“She told you that, did she?” Twilight snickered, shooting a glance at the rapidly reddening Rainbow Dash. “What exactly did she say?”

“I’m more interested in what you have to say about it, Princess,” Spitfire replied. “So why don’t you tell me the story?”

Taken aback, Twilight looked at Rainbow again, surprised to see a nauseous grimace on the normally rambunctious pony’s face. “Well, she wasn’t the best teacher I’ve ever had. But she tried as hard as she could!” Twilight backpedalled at the horrified expression on Rainbow’s face. “She was patient with me, even though she normally has trouble being patient. She let me learn at my own pace and did her best to make me feel comfortable in the sky. I used to get panic attacks when we first started, but now I can make it all the way up to the top of the castle towers.”

Spitfire frowned at her for a moment. “So, you’re saying that she got better as time went on, but she still has some areas she needs to work on?” she murmured, slowly and deliberately.

“Ummm, yes? I guess so...”

“Glad to hear it!” Spitfire chuckled, clapping Rainbow on the back.

“Wha-what?” Rainbow stuttered.

“Part of being a Wonderbolt is training the younger generations. Believe it or not, I do plan on retiring someday, and I need to be sure that the fliers I leave behind are up to the task,” the golden pegasus said with a grin. “I really don’t care if you started out as a good teacher; Princess Twilight said that you did your best to become a better teacher, and being an athlete is all about improvement. I’d always take a pony who’s not very good at something, but tries to get better every day before I’d take a naturally talented pony who doesn’t practice at all.”

“That’s... awesome!” Rainbow squealed, her body shaking excitedly in place for a few seconds before she regained her senses. ”I can just have Twilight teach me how to teach, she’s a great teacher. I won’t let you down, Ma’am, I’ll be ready to be a Wonderbolt before you know it!”

“Actually, to tell you a secret,” Spitfire muttered, motioning for everypony to come closer. "You are ready to be a Wonderbolt. You’ve been ready.”

“What? Then why—”

“Because you’re still young. You still have a lot to see and do before you get yourself bogged down in a career. You’ll make it soon enough, I promise,” Spitfire started. “Now, I should go find Soarin’ before he gets himself into trouble. You kids have fun.” With that, the Wonderbolt took off, shooting above the crowd to find her teammate. The three mares watched her leave before Twilight turned to Rainbow.

“Hey, Dash? I’m sorry for that. I didn’t think before I spoke. I really could’ve got you in trouble there,” Twilight murmured.

“Seriously, Twilight?” Rainbow squawked incredulously. “That was exactly what she wanted to hear! If that was the worst mistake you make all night, then we’re going to have an awesome time.”

“See? I told you they were here!” a familiar voice chirped as a pink blur bounded over.

“Fine, you were right, sugarcube. Happy now?”

“Girls? How’d you find us so quickly?” Twilight asked happily, stepping back to allow her friends to form a circle as Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy appeared from an entirely different direction.

“We followed Spitfire, dear. When we saw her fly overhead, Spike pointed out that we’d likely find Rainbow Dash where she emerged from.”

“Am I really that predictable, Rarity?” Rainbow groaned.

“I’m afraid so, but we love you anyway,” Rarity giggled.

“If I may, while we are all here?” Luna called out loudly. Everypony immediately fell silent to watch her and she recoiled slightly. “Erm, sorry, I’m rather used to having to shout several times to get everypony’s attention... Regardless, I would like to say a few words, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, Luna! If y’all have somethin’ you’d like to talk about, we’re here for ya!” Applejack replied with a grin, quickly being backed up by the rest.

“Well, thank you,” Luna said softly. She opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing. Instead, she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “I wanted to express how I feel about all of you.” She paused, offering a smile to the group. “You all have done so much for me, much of it without even realizing it. You have accepted me, comforted me, and provided me with companionship during a time as dark as any I can remember. I could spend the rest of the night listing every individual thing each of you has performed for me, and still not cover everything, so instead, I just wish to say thank you. Thank you, all of you, for being my friends.”

The group stared at Luna silently, everypony afraid to be the one to break the silence. “Luna,” Rarity murmured, stepping forward, “we were happy to oblige. We care for our friends.”

“All the same, I feel privileged to know each of you, and am honored to have been accepted into your group.”

“It’s your group too, silly filly, so you should be calling it ‘our group’,” Pinkie chirped. “But I have just one eensy-bitsy question: are we all done being serious for now? Because it’s PARTY TIME!”

“Yes, Pinkie, I’m done with the seriousness,” Luna laughed. “I just wanted to say that while we were all together. And since you were so patient, why don’t you go cut the cake? I had it saved for you.”

Pinkie unleashed an unintelligible stream of squeals and bolted off to the dessert table, leaving her friends giggling knowingly as they strolled in her wake. She hopped over the table, snatched up a serving knife, and bellowed, “WHO WANTS CAKE!?”

Reveling in the spotlight of her own making, she lowered the knife to the sweet mass, only for it to shoot upward into her face, splattering over the area as the surrounding ponies erupted into angry shouts.

Rainbow Dash bolted forward to Pinkie’s side and gave her a worried shake. “Pinkie, what the hay just happened? Are you alright?”

“It looks like... It looks like the cake was spring-loaded to do that when somepony touched it!” Rarity snarled, leaning as close to the table as she could without crossing over the cake-stained section of floor.

“Oh, wow...” the frosting-covered mare gasped, wiping the sugary goo from her eyes, as Luna began to emanate hearty chuckles. “That was a good one, Luna! Never saw it coming!”

“What? You did this?” Rarity screamed, wheeling around on Luna.

“Come on, Pinkie. Ah’ll help ya get cleaned up,” Applejack snorted, unable to contain her own laughter.

“That was cruel, Luna!” Rarity scolded, angrily prodding her in the chest. “I know Pinkie loves pranks, but embarrassing her in public like that?”

“Embarrassing her in public? When she was here two weeks ago, she put dye in my tea!” Luna hissed.

“It’s true. Luna’s teeth were bright pink for six days. We had to bring in a specialist from Manhattan to whiten them again before the Gala,” Twilight replied, giggling at the memory. “Besides, I’m not entirely sure Pinkie even can get embarrassed!”

“Exactly,” Rainbow chuckled. “You know she loved it.”

“Yeah, that was great!” Pinkie shrieked, bouncing back up to them, both her and her gown sparkling clean.

“Wha— Pinkie? How did... You were just...” Luna stuttered, gaping at the pony. “Applejack, what just happened?”

“Ah don’t have any idea. She was covered in cake one moment, then Ah turned around for one measly second to get something to wipe her off, then when Ah turned around again she was clean, ‘n’ Ah don’t wanna know. Ah need a drink...” Applejack grumbled, approaching the group only to walk completely past them.

“Oh cheer up, Applejackey!” Pinkie called after her. “The night’s young and the music’s roarin’! Let’s dance!” She skittered over to an open patch of floor and broke into a jig that was many times too fast for the classical tune the orchestra was playing.

“Well, I’m not going to be making a spectacle of myself like she is, but dancing does sound like fun,” Rarity exclaimed, stepping out onto Pinkie’s newly-christened dance floor and motioning for the others to follow her. Luna, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Spike all trotted over to join her, where Spike sheepishly offered a claw to Rarity, who giggled knowingly and accepted his offer, while Fluttershy and Rainbow began swaying in a slow rhythm.

“You are not going to join us?” Luna quietly asked when she realized that Twilight had remained in place.

“I’m not very good at dancing,” Twilight muttered. “I’d rather not go out there and embarrass myself.

“From the stories I’ve heard, I find that quite difficult to believe,” Luna retorted, walking back over to Twilight.

“Yeah, well, I’m a Princess now. Making a fool of myself would make my life a lot harder,” Twilight sighed. She glanced around Luna to where her friends were enjoying themselves and continued softly, “You know... Celestia kept trying to convince me to take a class in ballroom dancing, but I never listened to her. I always thought that it was a waste of time. I’m really starting to wish that I had listened.”

“It’s not too late to learn, Twilight. Come, I’ll show you,” Luna smiled, offering her hoof.

“A-are you sure? Right now?”

“Of course! Come.”

Twilight nervously followed Luna to an open area of floor where the elder Princess turned to her deliberately and confidently. “As you’d expect, dancing is an art as old as ponykind itself. The style of dancing you see at formal events such as this was developed when Equestria was still young and is actually based on an old gryphon style; though I use the term ‘developed’ loosely.” Luna waved her hoof to where a pair of nobles rotated fluidly nearby. “I have noticed many changes to the style since my return. I would not be so bold as to say the changes were for the worse, but they added unrequired complexity to the art, and thus I believe that they were certainly not for the better. I can only surmise that they were created over the years by so-called ‘masters’ of the art to add their own personal flair to history.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Twilight murmured, staring at the ponies Luna pointed out, hoping to spot whatever ‘changes’ Luna was referring to.

Luna stepped to Twilight’s opposite side and smirked. “Indeed. This particular style was created with a dual purpose: to be elegant and beautiful, yet easy enough to learn so as to not discourage newcomers. The methods I would like to teach you are simple, but will look complex and august to all but the best-trained eye. That is, if you wish to learn.”

“O-okay. I’d like that,” Twilight simpered, trying to sound more confident than she was.

“Good! We begin with the simple embrace,” Luna chirped, moving in close and wrapping her neck around Twilight’s. She gently pressed against Twilight’s body and whispered, “You need only remember to continue moving. The motion should be fluid and unhesitant. Do not worry so much about putting your hooves in the right place for now, just allow your body to balance itself; thinking too much will cause you to stumble.”

Luna stepped back and gently pulled Twilight with her. “We’ll take it slow. Just move in whatever direction I lead you in, and you’ll do fine. I promise.”

Twilight felt a soft nudge on the side of her neck and started, allowing Luna to direct her motions. It wasn’t long before she felt herself pulling away from her partner. Realizing that she was stepping too quickly for the song, she stopped to allow Luna to catch up, but simply collided with the mare instead. “No, no, keep moving!” Luna hissed. “If you go too fast, just slow down slightly. Never stop moving.”

Twilight shook her head, trying to calm her breathing as Luna swung her in a pivot. “Much better.” Luna continued to slowly guide Twilight around the dance floor for a few moments before humming thoughtfully. “Hmmm... If I remember this song correctly, there will be a minor change in direction coming up. Take it easily, no sudden moves. Ready?”

Twilight closed her eyes and allowed Luna to sweep her in another direction, and laughed nervously. “I-I’m doing it!”

“Yes, you are indeed. Let us try something a bit more complex, but still basic. On my count, step back, bow, then step back in. Ready? And one... two... three!” Luna gently pushed her back and Twilight stumbled momentarily as she dipped her head to the floor. Even so, she kept her eyes on Luna throughout the entire motion, noting how the darker alicorn fluidly rocked her weight from her back legs to her front as she bowed gracefully before stepping back in.

“You are performing marvelously, Twilight,” Luna cooed into Twilight’s ear, spinning her back around. “Would you perhaps like to perform some two-legged maneuvers?”

“Err, no! I-I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

“Very well, I have a different idea. Get ready to step quickly!” Luna giggled. Before Twilight could ask what she meant, Luna placed a hoof on her back and pressed down. Buckling under the pressure, she felt Luna sweep over her and gasped as she was shoved and spun away, finding herself facing Luna across the floor. Soundless but for a giggle, Luna crossed the distance and wrapped Twilight in an embrace once more.

“Good Twilight. Now, the song is coming to an end,” Luna breathed. “When I move to the side, take five steps forward in time with the music, turn, then finish.” Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Luna stepped to her right, and lightly nudged Twilight over.

For the first time since the song had begun, Twilight was confident about what she had to do next. With her head held high, she strode forward and spun around, grinning broadly, and bowed to match Luna’s pose. Before she could make another move, a roar of applause erupted around her and she glanced around to see a circle of ponies gathered around Luna and herself, all stomping the floor loudly.

Blushing furiously, she trotted over to Luna, who led her out of the circle to where their friends stood gaping.

“Bravo, you two! Very impressive,” Rarity purred. “I didn’t think anypony would be able to help Twilight. Normally she has four left hooves.”

Twilight stuck her tongue out at Rarity before turning back to Luna. “Thank you. That was actually a lot of fun.”

“Oh, well I’m glad you thought so,” Luna replied. She smiled at Twilight momentarily, the color rising in her cheeks. “You know... we could continue the lesson some other time. I wouldn’t mind teaching you more.”

“I’d like that. Especially since it’ll mean that I’ll be able to participate from now on,” Twilight snickered.

“Umm, Luna? If you don’t mind me asking, who taught you how to dance like that?”

“No one actually taught me, Fluttershy,” Luna replied thoughtfully. “I took it up as a hobby when ponies started adapting the style for their own.”

“Oh, so I’ll be learning from one of the old masters who helped pioneer the art,” Twilight chuckled teasingly.

“Ah, errr, I never quite saw it that way. I suppose so,” stammered the flustered Luna. “...You’re teasing me again. One of these days I’ll catch on and you won’t have your laugh.”

“I know, but I wouldn’t tease you if I didn’t like you,” Twilight smirked, giving Luna a patronizing pat on the shoulder.

“You’d best be careful, lest one of these days I start to enjoy it,” Luna replied coyly. “In the meantime, I think I need something to drink after that. Care to join me?”

“I think I’m okay for now. You go ahead,” Twilight said with a smile.

“Oh. I see,” Luna replied, dejected. “Very well. I shall return shortly.”

Twilight watched her leave before turning back to the rest of her friends. “You know, I’d say that tonight— Why are you looking at me like that, Rarity?”

“Twilight Sparkle, you are completely hopeless!” the white unicorn huffed, glaring daggers at Twilight. “Come, Fluttershy, I think I’d rather be elsewhere.”

“Erm, okay...?” Twilight stuttered as she watched Rarity leave. Fluttershy gave her an apologetic shrug and trotted off after the unicorn, with Spike close behind. Bewildered, Twilight turned to the pair of ponies who remained and asked, “What the hay was that all about?”

“Why are you asking me? I don’t ever understand her,” Rainbow muttered blandly.

“Okay, good point,” Twilight chuckled. “As I was saying, with the exception of what just happened, I’d say that tonight was a huge success! We’ve had fun so far and nopony on the staff has come to me to report any major problems. You should be proud of yourself, Pinkie, you did a wonderful job.”

“Oh yeah! Everything’s great!” Pinkie shrieked exuberantly, earning confused glances from nearby guests. “You know, it’s too bad that the castle isn’t bigger so we could invite everypony in Canterlot!”

“Wait, Pinkie, say all that again.”

“All that again!”

“No, I meant— oh, nevermind!” Twilight groaned. “I’ll be right back.”

Twilight shot through the crowd in the direction of the refreshments table. “Luna. Luna!” She caught up to the mare and shook her excitedly.

“Twilight? What’s wrong?”

“Luna, I know what I want to do with my inheritance!”

Chapter 16 (Final Version)

A/N: Aaaaand here we are; the conclusion of the first story arc.

Over the next few weeks, three things will be happening; first, I will be releasing a series of side-stories to fill in some of the blanks between the chapters. Some will be scenes that were rejected from the main story for the sake of improving the flow, others will be written solely as side-stories.

Second, my crew and I will be re-writing the Prologue and Chapter 1 to bring them up to par with the rest of the fic and fix their awful pacing.

Lastly, I will be drafting an outline for the second (and final) story arc of this fic. After that, we will resume as normal. I will likely be making a blog post sometime over the next month asking for opinions and ideas from the readers. I cannot promise that anything from it will be utilized, but at the very least it should help the through process.

Wrong version of the chapter was in place for the initial release. The current version is the correct one. Sorry!

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: Piquo+Pie, and f0xhole.

Three months since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Twilight, I must confess that I very much doubted that you would succeed in putting together such an ambitious project at such short notice, but never have I been more happy to be proven wrong,” Luna muttered, gaping at the sea of lights and sounds before her that was Canterlot. She slowly stepped forward, smiling at the massive banner that fluttered in the evening air and read aloud, “The First Annual Celestial Summer Carnival. Twilight, I cannot express how impressed I am.”

“Thanks,” Twilight smirked, sauntering to Luna’s side. “To be honest, I spent a lot of time just coming up with the name. I wanted to make sure that everypony knew that this was planned in remembrance of Celestia, but I didn’t want to accidentally turn it into a melancholy occasion.” She turned her gaze down the street and smiled broadly. “I’d like to think I pulled it off.”

“I am inclined to agree,” Luna said with an affirmative nod. “And I know for a fact that Tia would much rather see you honoring her memory by planning a joyous carnival than commissioning a boring statue of her. I know that I don’t really need to say this, but you have done her proud today.”

“Yeah, I thought so too. It’s still very nice to hear, though. Thank you, Luna,” Twilight sighed contently, before putting on a serious face and holding up her clipboard. “Okay, we took care of the sun and moon early, all the vendors are set up for the dinner rush, and I’ve ordered the Royal Guard to—”

“Twilight, you’ve gone over everything more times than I care to count, and there are dozens of other ponies working on this,” Luna giggled, gently pulling the clipboard from Twilight’s grasp. “Take the rest of the night off. You’ve earned a rest and I would feel awful if you didn’t get the chance to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

“I-I guess I can...” Twilight replied uncertainly. “But what if something goes wrong? I want to make sure that everypony’s having a good time, and I can’t really do that if I’m gallivanting about.”

“Twilight, I’ve been wandering the streets since this morning when you declared the event open, and I have yet to come across anypony not enjoying themselves, aside from you. You’ve spent nearly every moment of your free time since the Gala making sure that this day would be perfect, and have done marvelously,” Luna cooed reassuringly. “That being said, I will be unable to rest easy tonight knowing that you were the only pony who didn’t have an enjoyable day.”

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but only succeeded in giving Luna a guilty grin before the older pony cut her off again.

“And besides, your working constantly has severely reduced the amount of time we have been able to spend together over this past month and I am feeling quite neglected! Accompanying me for the rest of the night would be the least you could do,” Luna continued, turning her back to Twilight with a sarcastic ‘humph’.

Twilight tried to look indignant at Luna’s words, but was unable to hold back her laughter. “Okay, okay, you win.”

“So we will commence with the hanging out?” Luna replied, turning back to Twilight excitedly.

“Sure,” Twilight giggled. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for ‘neglecting’ you.”

“Do not apologize; I was turning the tables and teasing you for a change,” Luna retorted aggressively. “Besides, you were just doing something you were passionate about, and that passion is one of the things I like most about you.”

“Oh. Well, thanks for being understanding,” Twilight smiled. “So, what do you want to do first?”

“Well, you mentioned the dinner rush earlier, which reminds me that it is almost suppertime. Perhaps we should get something to eat?” Luna replied with a coy wink.

Before Twilight could reply, her stomach growled loudly, as if agreeing with Luna’s words. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Twilight remarked sheepishly. “Donut Joe is having a special right now; why don’t we head over there?”

Luna nodded and motioned for Twilight to lead the way, and the pair fell in step aside one another. They made their way down the street and turned the corner, but stopped in their tracks as they saw the massive line in front of Donut Joe’s.

“Oh... I suppose everypony else had the same idea,” Luna grumbled.

“I guess so,” Twilight exclaimed, surprised by the number of ponies waiting. “Unless you want to wait in line for an hour, we should probably go somewhere else, though I don’t really know what else there is. I was more concerned with make sure there’d be enough vendors than I was with checking who—”

“Princess! Princess Twilight!”

Twilight stopped speaking and glanced around, searching for the source of the familiar voice, and she quickly spotting the pony skittering up to her. “Hey, Sunshower! How’s your day been so far?”

“Great! This is the best day ever,” the little filly squeaked. “I just came over here to— Hey! Where’d they go?”

“What? Where’d who go?” Twilight asked, trying to follow Sunshower’s gaze as the excitable pony started to look around in every direction.

“My friends! They’re— Oh! There they are!” she giggled, pointing back in the direction she had come from. Twilight glanced over to see a trio of fillies gawking at her and Luna.

“Are they okay, Sunshower? They look to be afraid,” Luna murmured, taking care to look as if she had not noticed the foals.

“I think they’re just nervous; I don’t think any of them ever met a Princess before!” Sunshower chirped. “They said they didn’t believe that I was friends with you, so I wanted you to meet them!” She beckoned her friends to come closer, but was only met with disbelieving stares. “So, do you want to play with us, Princesses?”

“You know, Sunshower, I’d love to, but I think your friends need some time to adjust,” Twilight snickered. “You should go play with them for tonight.”

“Oh, but I wanted to play with you too!” Sunshower pleaded. “And you don’t have anyone to play with tonight! What if you get lonely?”

“I’m spending time with Princess Luna tonight,” Twilight smiled. She glanced down at the filly thoughtfully and grinned as an idea formed in her head. She leaned down to Sunshower and said, just loud enough for the filly’s friends to hear, “I’ll tell you what. Go hang out with your friends for now, but come find me right before the fireworks start. I’ll buy the six of us some ice cream and we can all watch the fireworks together. Deal?”

Sunshower’s eyes lit with excitement and she gasped excitedly. “Really? You mean it? Deal!” She hugged Twilight’s leg, then bolted off towards her friends, shouting, “See? I told you she was really nice!”

“You have a way with foals,” Luna snickered, nudging Twilight teasingly, “but our bellies are still empty, and this mention of ice cream has done nothing to alleviate the problem.”

“I know! Sorry,” Twilight quickly glanced around at the surrounding stalls before locking her gaze on one that caught her eye. “Okay, this way.” She trotted over to a nearby display with Luna close behind and gestured a greeting to the stallion behind it. She wordlessly traded a hoofful of bits for two cylindrical parcels, and walked a short distance away before sitting on her haunches and passing one to Luna.

Confused, Luna unwrapped it, only to find herself even more bewildered at what lay within. “This is... food?”

“Yeah, it’s called a ‘wrap’,” Twilight grinned, biting a large chunk off of hers. “They’re a type of sandwich, but they use a single piece of flatbread instead of two pieces of normal bread. Try it! I promise you’ll like it.”

“Very well,” Luna murmured, taking a tiny bite from the end of hers. She chewed slowly and swallowed, pondering it for a moment. “I... I like it!” she said with a grin, looking up just in time to see Twilight swallow the last bite of hers. “And here I thought I was hungry. Did you even taste that?”

“Sorry, I was hungrier than I thought,” Twilight smirked. “That hit the spot though. We can wait here while you eat yours at your own pace though, there’s no rush.”

“Twilight, I am perfectly capable of eating while I walk,” Luna stated blandly.

“Oh, yeah,” Twilight giggled. “So where to first...? Ummm, how about we check out some of the games?”

“I will follow you, Twilight. I am still somewhat unfamiliar with this,” Luna muttered in between bites.

“You didn’t have carnivals before your banishment?”

“No, we did. However, it was seen as unbecoming to mingle with the commoners, so instead of having any fun, Celestia and I were forced to sit with the intolerable nobles and preside over the festivities. The only other engagement like this that I’ve been to was Nightmare Night in Ponyville, and that was far smaller,” Luna grumbled, allowing Twilight to lead her away. “The rules of social etiquette used to be so silly. I am glad that most have fallen out of use.”

“Well, in another thousand years, the things we do today will probably seem silly,” Twilight remarked. She spotted the booth she was looking for and pointed at it. “Ah, here we are! This one’s my favorite.”

She galloped over to the booth and smiled at the mare running it. “Hello! May I purchase two games?”

“Uh- err- Of-of course, Your Highness!” the carney stammered, seemingly in a trance as she accepted Twilight’s bits and placed six wooden balls of the counter. “Erm... You have fun, Pr- Your Highness.”

Twilight smiled at her reassuringly before turning to Luna. “Okay, see those cups stacked over there? The object is to knock them down by throwing these balls, and if you get them all down you win a prize.”

Luna slipped the last piece of her sandwich in her mouth and licked her lips as she glared skeptically at the stuffed animals lining the booth’s interior. “Seems trivial. And these ‘prizes’ look as if they could fall apart at any moment.” The carney smiled guiltily and stepped aside so the pair could get a better look.

“That’s not the idea though, it’s supposed to be fun!” Twilight snickered dismissively. “It’s no different than shooting pumpkins from catapults.”

“You make a fair point. Very well, let us play,” Luna said, picking up a ball in her hoof.

“Great. Now, the only rule is that you can’t use magic. My brother used to win at these every time, but I never could get the hang of it. I think I figured out the trick though,” Twilight explained, picking up a ball of her own and aiming. “...There! I got it!” The hurled the ball downrange, only for it to sail completely over the pile and bounce off the back wall. “Darn.”

“Allow me,” Luna chuckled. She swung her hoof a few times, testing the weight of the ball, before lobbing it towards the stacked cups, only for it to fall short. “Oh ponyfeathers. This is much more difficult than throwing plush spiders at webs.”

“So why don’t we make this interesting?” Twilight smirked smugly. “First one to win a prize gets treated to a funnel cake by the loser.”

“Betting over desserts? Twilight, you know me too well,” Luna cackled. “Very well. Prepare to taste defeat!”

The pair turned back to their game and began tossing for all they were worth, giggling the entire time. Ten games later, neither of them had succeeded in knocking down any more than three of the six cups.

“Twilight? I daresay that we are awful at this,” Luna snorted as Twilight’s final ball ricocheted off the back wall, causing the carney to dive for cover.

“No kidding. I guess it’s a tie,” Twilight laughed. “Since we both lost, should be buy each other cake?”

“I believe that would be acceptable under the terms of our wager. Perhaps we may visit the gardens when we have obtained our treats? I haven’t had the chance to see it, or your work within, as of yet,” Luna commented hopefully, following Twilight back towards the food vendors.

“A relaxing walk in the park would be nice,” Twilight sighed contently. She took a deep sniff at the air and turned back to Luna with a goofy grin on her face. “Over here!” The pair cantered over to one of the largest booths in the area, and the ponies waiting in line allowed them to pass to the front with sincere smiles.

The old mare who sat behind the counter grinned widely. “Evenin’, Your Highnesses! You here to try the wares?”

“Yes. Two funnel cakes, please!” Twilight chirped as she and Luna each placed a few bits on the counter.

The owner took the money and replaced it with a pair of large pastries. Twilight thanked her and snatched them up with her magic, passed one to Luna, and trotted away. She galloped to the park with Luna hot on her heels before stopping to admire her snack. Bringing it to her nose, she breathed deeply of its sweet scent before taking a large bite.

“...Hey, Twilight?”

“Hmmm?”

“This is not cake.”

Twilight swallowed her bite and snickered. “Yes it is. It’s deep fried cake batter. Try it!”

Luna looked at her skeptically, then nodded. “You were right about the sandwich...” She leaned forward and took a small bite off of the crunchy treat and chewed it tepidly. She swallowed and simply gaped at the cake.

“So, do you like it?” Twilight asked exuberantly.

“...I am quite unhappy with the Royal Chefs, Twilight.”

“What?”

“Ever since I returned from the moon, they assured me that but a few worthwhile dishes had been introduced since my removal from society; in my naivety, I believed them,” Luna grumbled. “Meanwhile, you have proved them incorrect twice in one night! I have a thousand years of culinary innovations I could be catching up on, and if even a fraction of them taste even a fraction as good as this, then I have truly — as you would say — been ‘missing out’ on something wonderful.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Twilight giggled. “What about the park, though?”

“Oh. Yes, that’s nice too,” Luna murmured, flicking her eyes to her surroundings before returning to the cake and chomping off a large piece.

“Well, thank you. I guess,” Twilight replied laughing inwardly at Luna's antics. "I’m hoping that next year we’ll be able to get an orchestra or a band to play here"

“Why din’t oo gut un ths yer?” Luna asked through another mouthful.

“I couldn’t get anything on such short notice. Actually, there were a lot of things I couldn’t get done,” Twilight muttered.

Luna licked the empty paper plate that had held her dessert and groaned. “Ugh... After finishing that, I feel as if I should skip dessert for the next month...”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“Oh, very funny.” She stretched out and turned to Twilight. "And now without the food distracting me, I can honestly say that the park looks more than nice. I would go so far as to say it is awe-inspiring."

"That's overstating it a bit, don't you think?" Twilight replied, giving Luna a confused glance.

"Not at all! The silver banners in the trees reflect the moonlight gorgeously, replacing the normal lanterns with candles have done wonders for the ambiance, and the incense is simply divine!" Luna acclaimed excitedly. "It's actually rather roman— errr... lovely."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"It is lovely Twilight," Luna stated quickly, looking away.

"No, before that. You said something else," Twilight prodded.

"I did not. You are simply imagining things," Luna replied haughtily.

"I'm pretty sure that I'm not," Twilight giggled. "Oh, don't look at me like that! I was just teasing, you don't have to get so flustered. If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to."

"So we shall consider the matter dropped?"

"Sure, if you want to," Twilight chuckled, shaking her head. “Anyway, back on topic, next year’s carnival will be a lot bigger.”

“You don’t sound entirely excited about that,” Luna muttered, the concern showing in her voice.

“Well, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to keep this going,” she sighed, popping the last piece of her funnel cake into her mouth. “As is, I only inherited enough money to fund this for five years. If I add everything that I wanted to for this year, but wasn’t able to, then that five years gets cut down to three. A lot of things pay for themselves, like the vendors and such; but other things — like the decorations and hiring entertainers — have to come right out of my pocket.”

“I had actually been wondering about that. Do you have any ideas for ways to raise funds?” Luna asked.

“No good ones,” Twilight grumbled. “I thought of raising the price of Gala tickets, or increasing a tax or two, but there’s no way that’d go over well unless it’s very gradual. The problem is, that won’t raise the money fast enough. I could always charge an admission fee, but that would defeat the purpose of having this.”

“Actually, Twilight, I think I may—”

“THERE YOU ARE!” an angry voice called across the park.

“Oh no. Not her. Not now...” Twilight groaned, turned towards the source of the voice, desperately hoping she was wrong. “Hi, Trixie.”

“Twilight Sparkle! How dare you! Trixie is quite disappointed; she thought you were better than this,” the showmare snarled as she stomped up to Twilight.

“Pardon me?” Twilight recoiled.

“You did not think the Great and Powerful Trixie wouldn’t find out, did you? Trixie is insulted!” she screamed, getting nose-to-nose with the Princess.

“Trixie, I’d love to apologize, but I’m not really sure what you’re angry about,” Twilight murmured, giving a nervous smile.

“You don’t know?!” Trixie gasped. “When Trixie heard that the Wise and Beautiful Princess Celestia had passed away, she was devastated, but soon after news arrived so wonderful as to banish the sadness from her heart. Trixie was informed that her friend, the Skilled and Benevolent Twilight Sparkle, would be ascending to the throne to take Princess Celestia’s place!

“When Trixie heard this, she was delighted; she was sure that she’d be asked to attend Twilight Sparkle’s coronation, so she waited for her invitation. She waited and waited, but it never came! How could you be so cruel as to not invite Trixie?” she whined, pouting at Twilight.

“Oh. I’m sorry, Trixie,” Twilight murmured. “To be honest, I actually didn’t even have a hoof in who was invited to that. If I had known you wanted to come so badly, I would’ve told them to invite you.” She took a step towards Trixie and gently lay a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry.”

“Hmph. Trixie doesn’t know if she wants to accept your apology. Understand, Twilight Sparkle, that Trixie was certain that there was nothing in Equestria capable of wounding her, but somehow she was still hurt by your thoughtlessness,” Trixie grumbled, turning away.

Twilight heard Luna suppress a chuckle at Trixie’s antics, and a wonderful idea exploded into her head. “Why don’t I try to make it up to you, Trixie?”

Trixie didn’t turn around, but her ears swiveled towards Twilight. “...And how would you plan on doing that?”

“Well, I was planning on making this carnival even bigger next year. I want to add a main stage and need a headline act,” Twilight replied tantalizingly.

“T-the main stage? Y-you’d put me on the main stage?” Trixie stuttered as she spun around, before realizing what she said. “Err, I mean, you’d place Trixie on the main stage? Well, she does belong there anyway... Trixie deems your attempt to make amends acceptable. She accepts your apology.”

“I appreciate that, Trixie,” Twilight smiled. “There’s just one thing.”

Trixie frowned at her. “Trixie is listening, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I’d like you to keep practicing your act. If you do that, then I’ll try to put you on the main stage every year.”

“Improve?” Trixie squealed indignantly. “Trixie is the greatest magician in Equestria! Why should she need to ‘improve’?”

“Of course not, but if you perform the same show every year, then the audience might get bored,” Twilight responded coyly.

“Yes, audiences are fickle, aren’t they?” Trixie muttered, scratching her chin. “And if they were to get bored of Trixie, they might choose instead to give their attention to an amateur!” she gasped, staring at Twilight in horror. “We can not allow that, Twilight Sparkle! Trixie will return to Canterlot every year with an act more wonderful and awe-inspiring than the year before, and you will in turn put her on the main stage.”

“So, I’m forgiven?” Twilight asked with a giggle.

“Yes, Trixie forgives you. She has one final request, however. When she arrives in Canterlot to perform, she will require the most luxurious accommodations. She humbly requests to stay in the castle,” Trixie started with the air of a seasoned negotiator.

“Of course! I’ll make sure to have one of the suites reserved just for you,” Twilight smirked.

“And also whenever else Trixie arrives in Canterlot! She will require lodgings those times as well. Will she be allowed to stay in the castle?”

“If we have space, I’d love to have you. Try to send word beforehoof so I can have a room made up for you.”

“It seems that an accord has been reached,” Trixie stated smugly. “Trixie will leave you now. She has much that she would like to do tonight. She bids farewell to Princess Twilight and Princess Luna.”

“Okay. Bye, Trixie.”

The pair of Princesses recoiled as a cloud of smoke burst into the area, dissipating just in time for them to catch sight of the hem of Trixie’s cape disappearing around a corner.

“Twilight, when you first told me the story of her time in Ponyville, I had believed you to be exaggerating how strange she was. Now I see that you were understating it,” Luna sniggered. “She is truly one of the oddest ponies I have ever met.”

“Oh, she’s not that bad,” Twilight scolded playfully. “I think that deep down she just wants everypony to like her.”

“I will defer to your judgement,” Luna snickered.

“I believe I may have a solution to your funding problem.” Luna lifted one of her wings and a scroll floated out, suspended in her magic. “You see, when I first returned from my... you know... my banishment, one of the first things I did was take inventory. I checked to see what possessions I had left over; things that I had stored in places other than the old castle, or that Tia rescued from the rubble, and such. While browsing my old bank accounts, I noticed a rather startling anomaly.”

Luna paused and just stared at Twilight. The younger Princess took the hint and sighed with a roll of her eyes, “...And? What was this ‘anomaly?”

“Well, as expected, my money had accumulated a large amount of interest over the thousand years I was gone, but there was still more than there should have been. A lot more,” Luna replied cryptically. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that Celestia had somehow ensured that I would continue to receive my stipend, even while I was absent.”

“Luna, that’s... If that’s true, you’re the richest pony in Equestria!” Twilight stammered, jaw dropping open.

“Ten times wealthier than the next wealthiest,” Luna muttered distastefully. “The problem is, that I hated it. I did not deserve that money and I did not want it. I still don’t. Over the past two years I have been systematically giving away as much of it as I safely could without damaging the economy; donating most of it to charities.”

She turned to Twilight and offered the scroll. “A few days ago, Quill-Pen told me of your financial concerns and the idea struck me. I placed all of the money — every last bit — into a special account labeled ‘The Carnival Fund’ and named you the sole controller. I’d much rather see my undeserved wealth be applied to something positive than to see it sit and gather dust.”

Quivering, Twilight took the scroll, unfurled it, and began to read it over. “Luna, I- We- This’ll let us incorporate everything into the Carnival that I wanted to and still be able to fund it for the next... three hundred years!” Twilight gasped, ticking off the numbers in her head.

“Three hundred, forty-two, by my count. Assuming we don’t add any more funds from our own personal accounts,” Luna murmured, staring pensively off into the distance. “Plenty of time to come up with a more permanent solution for funding this extravaganza, no?”

“Y-yes; I should think so,” Twilight croaked. She took her eyes off the scroll and stepped up to Luna. “Why are you doing this? You’re trying to tell me that it’s about redemption, but there’s more to it than that. I know there is.”

“I... I like seeing you smile, Twilight. That’s all. That’s the only reason,” Luna murmured sheepishly.

“Luna, you’re an awful liar,” Twilight sighed. “Can you please just tell me the truth? ...Please?”

“I-I...” Luna stuttered, hanging her head. She took a deep, defeated breath and looked up again, staring Twilight in the eyes. “It is because I have fallen for you, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot say exactly when it happened, but I have.”

Twilight recoiled, eyes wide and stammering incomprehensibly. “You... What?”

“I have fallen for you,” Luna said, barely louder than a whisper, cautiously glancing around to make sure that they were still alone. “I am smitten; enamoured. You are all I find myself able to think about. Every hour of every day I wonder what you are feeling; every night you haunt my dreams.” She sat on her haunches and hung her head again, looking thoroughly miserable. “But I am not blind. You hold me close, but you do not feel the same way I do. You look at me and see a friend; nothing more.”

“Luna... Wh-why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Twilight asked tenderly, taking a cautious step closer.

“I lacked the courage. Of course, now it feels good to have it off my chest,” Luna sighed. “I am sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Twilight giggled. “You’ve done nothing wrong!”

“I feel as if I have been deceiving you. I have felt this way for quite some time now, and everything I’ve done for you over these past few months? Inviting your friends to Canterlot and comforting you whenever I was able? Attempts to win your affection,” Luna simpered apologetically. “Seeing how happy they made you was on its own enough to make my efforts all worth my while, but I had always hoped for more. I apologize for attempting to manipulate your emotions.”

“Oh, Luna...” Twilight breathed. She stepped up to Luna and pulled her into a tight hug. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I appreciate everything you’ve done, I really do!”

“B-but...”

“Luna, you did those things because you care about me!” Twilight laughed. “That’s all that matters.”

“T-then you are not angry with me? This does not make you feel awkward?”

“Love is what friendship is all about, Luna” Twilight murmured. “You’re my friend; the best friend I’ve ever had. How could I be mad at you for something like this?”

“Then- then you feel...?”

“Well, no. I’m not attracted to you like that, at least not physically, but you’ve still become my closest friend over the past few months, and I couldn’t ask for a better one,” Twilight replied, releasing Luna from the hug and sitting down next to the mare.

“I see...” Luna mumbled. “So where does this leave us?”

“I suppose this does change things,” Twilight sighed. She thought for a moment and put a gentle hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “Luna, I care about you. I care about you a lot. You matter to me and your feelings matter to me. I want us to be close.”

“That is nice to know,” Luna smiled.

“I... I’m going to need to think about this, but I usually try to stay open-minded about... umm, this stuff,” Twilight said hesitantly. “I-I don’t mind if you want to be affectionate though. I mean, we already hug each other often enough and things like that, so I don’t think that would be a big change.”

“R-really? You’d let me court you?”

“C-court me?!” Twilight choked, the weight of the situation crashing into her like a train. “I-I don’t know. That’s not really what I meant”

“Oh... But I... I thought...”

“Luna... No! Just hold on, let me think,” Twilight groaned, turning away.

“Twilight? I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“No, it’s o— gah! Why is this happening? Why now?” Twilight whined. “Luna, why are you dumping this on me so suddenly? We were having such a nice night and now I’m just stressed out!”

“I-I’m so sorry, Twilight. That was not my intent,” Luna breathed.

“...Then what was your intent?”

“I-I needed to confess. I have been holding onto that for quite some time, and it was getting harder to bear. I had hoped that it would make you happy,” Luna murmured, silently allowing her tears to flow.

Twilight remained silent and the expression on Luna’s face quickly went from a tepid hopefulness, to a hurt frown, and finally to a grimace of complete despair. She turned away. “I suppose that you would rather be alone right now. I will leave you be.”

“No, Luna, wait,” Twilight sighed. “I don’t want you to go and I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I’m just confused, you know?”

“Confused about how you feel towards me?” Luna asked worriedly.

“No, not really,” Twilight muttered. “I do love you, Luna, but as a sister. You’re like my BSBFF now,” Twilight heaved a sigh and raised her head, looking at Luna with a sad glimmer in her eyes. “I’m confused about what I want to do.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“I care about you. I want you to be happy. I want to be able to give you what makes you happy. But I don’t know if I can,” Twilight explained sadly. “I’d really like to, but I don’t know.”

“What if... what if we allow you some time?” Luna said slowly. “We are going to be living for several thousand more years. Perhaps my feelings will pass.” She nudged Twilight playfully with a hoof. “Or perhaps I will get lucky and you might one day return my feelings.”

“Yeah, maybe...” Twilight replied, smiling slightly in spite of herself. She bowed her head and though for a moment before looking up at Luna again. “How about this: we’ll continue on as normal, but you can be more affectionate than normal if you really want to. If you promise not to abuse the privilege, then I’ll promise not to get creeped out when you feel the need to be affectionate.”

“R-really? You’d allow that?”

“Well, yeah... I mean, you’ve done a lot for me, and I’ve always known that you really cared about me. I feel that you deserve a chance at the very least,” Twilight murmured. “But I’d like to take some time to establish some rules. Maybe tomorrow?”

“O-of course! Any restrictions you want!” Luna gasped excitedly.

“And you’ll be sleeping in your own bed.”

“Goes without saying!”

The pair sat for a moment, smiling sheepishly at each other before Luna leaned in and planted her lips firmly on Twilight’s.

Twilight went numb. Her senses were overwhelmed with Luna’s scent and the subtly sweet taste of the older mare’s lips against her own; but before she could process what was happening, Luna pulled away.

She sat staring at Luna, breathing heavily as her mind creaked back into motion. “...Luna!”

“I apologize, Twilight. I could no longer help myself,” Luna giggled, blushing lightly.

“No, it’s okay. I think. I just... Just warn me next time!” Twilight stammered, shaking her head.

“If you insist. However, I do not hear you actively complaining. Could it be that you enjoyed my kiss?” Luna teased with a mischievous grin.

“What? That’s... Oh, come on!” Twilight stuttered, rapidly turning beet-red, as Luna roared with laughter.

“...Hey, Luna? I’m sorry that I can’t give you exactly what you want. Rarity’s told me how hard it is to fall in love with a friend who doesn’t feel the same way. She said that it’s one of the worst feelings in the world.”

“You need not apologize. You cannot change your emotions any more than I can,” Luna smiled.

“I know, but I don’t want to lead you on,” Twilight murmured. “I know it may not be the perfect situation, but I... I really want to try.”

“Twilight, I can live with imperfect, as you have given me more than I dared hope for,” Luna said happily, standing up and stretching out. “I must say though, this is by leaps and bounds the best walk I have ever indulged in.”

“I’d imagine,” Twilight snickered, following Luna out of the park.

“You have a large grin on your face, Twilight. Is there something you’d care to add?” Luna asked coyly.

“No... I was just thinking,” Twilight mumbled.

“About...?”

“Just how things have gotten better,” Twilight said with a reassuring smile. “I still miss Celestia, but it’s not completely debilitating anymore; the nobles are still a pain, but I’ve learned how to work around them; I miss seeing my friends every day, but I know that they’re never more than a letter away. And now my best friend just told me that she loved me.”

“I see. You have matured in these three short months,” Luna said affirmatively.

“I suppose I have. And it looks like things are only going to get better,” Twilight snickered as happy giggles reached her ears. She turned down the street and grinned broadly at the group of fillies galloping towards her.

End of Part 1.

Chapter 17

I meant to have this out two weeks ago, but shit happened.

Nothing else to say for now.

Pre-readers: Piquo+Pie, and f0xhole.

Hearth’s Warming Eve; eight months since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Everything is on schedule, Your Highness!” a brown Unicorn stallion asserted breathlessly as he galloped up to Twilight, his hoofbeats echoing down one of Canterlot Castle’s many back hallways. “No issues to report; at least none that require your attention.”

Twilight glanced towards him and smiled quickly before fixing her gaze back on her clipboard. “Seriously, Stalwart? With everything that could go wrong tonight, you have nothing pressing to report?”

“As far as I know,” the pony said tepidly, “but if you’d prefer, we can go over everything.”

“I think that might calm me down a bit,” Twilight nodded. “Any news from the cast?”

“They claim to be ready to perform. The pageant is ready to begin at your leisure,” Stalwart started confidently.

“Have the guards started allowing the crowd in yet?” Twilight asked, tossing aside her clipboard and locking her eyes on the stallion appraisingly.

“The Auditorium is filling up as we speak. Your box is ready and all of your V.I.P.s should already be there,” he replied with a grin.

“The Castle—”

“Adorned with the best Hearth’s Warming decorations we could find,” Stalwart interrupted with brash confidence before remembering himself and blushing. “I-I’m sorry, Princess, I didn’t mean to—”

“No, it’s alright; you’re just trying to be efficient,” Twilight giggled, turning towards him with a smug smirk. “The kitchens...?”

“Errr... They’ve finished cooking the feast you had them prepare for the pageant’s cast and their families. I had the sous-chefs set the fare out in warming trays and dismissed most of the kitchen staff, as per your orders. A few went home, but most seem to have met up with their families to watch the pageant,” Stalwart reported carefully. “The gryphon twins and the zebra have stayed behind to clean up after the feast. They didn’t mind staying since they don’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming, just as you said they wouldn’t. I slipped some extra bits into their bonuses anyway, just as a ‘thank you’. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“Good thinking. The Castle staff...?” Twilight asked with playful coyness.

“All dismissed for the night, again as you ordered,” Stalwart replied a little more confidently, beginning to understand the game his Princess was playing. “Their Hearth’s Warming bonuses were issued to them as they left the Castle and they were all given explicit instructions to stay home tomorrow.”

“The Castle’s bells?”

“Enchanted to ring at exactly midnight, then again at dawn tomorrow.”

“The annual snowstorm?”

“Ummm... The weather team is reporting no problems,” Stalwart reported, checking his own clipboard. “Barring any serious magical abnormalities it should dissipate an hour or two after midnight.”

“And the Royal Guard—”

“Scheduled perfectly so that nopony will be on duty for more than a total of six hours until Hearth’s Warming is over!” Stalwart exclaimed excitedly. “That task was tricky, but I am proud to say it was accomplished with time to spare.”

“Well done!” Twilight chirped. “Well, let’s go give the actors some encouragement, then find our seats!”

Twilight trotted over to the nearest door and slipped through, emerging backstage. The chatter filling the room died down almost immediately as everypony turned to stare at her. After a momentary stunned silence, the entire room sunk into a synchronized bow and a pony Twilight recognized as the director of this year’s pageant slowly stepped up to her.

“P-princess Twilight! I didn’t realize that you were coming to visit us! We would have prepared—” the nervous mare began before Twilight cut her off.

“Please don’t fret, I just wanted to talk to the performers before the show,” Twilight said with a good-natured smile. The director nodded and led her over to the performers.

“Hello everypony, I just wanted to speak to all of you before you went onstage,” she explained happily, pausing for a moment to look at each actor in turn. “I... I love Hearth’s Warming Eve. It’s my favorite time of year, always has been. It’s the one day of the year we set aside everything else and remember the ponies who make our lives worth living.” She paused, giggling to herself as she realized how ‘official’ her speech was sounding. “Sorry, I think I’ve gotten a little too used to giving speeches...”

A few of the actors snickered softly as she continued, “But like I said, this is my favorite time of year, and I’d like to thank you for helping to make it even more special. I think that sometimes we need things like the pageant to remind us just what this season is all about. I know that everypony’s probably been telling you what an honor it is for you to perform here in Canterlot, but honestly, I’m honored to have you here.”

She looked around again at the smiling faces of the performers. “Well, there isn’t really anything else I can think of to say, so... break a leg?”

The actors all nodded enthusiastically and went back to their preparations, except for one unicorn who approached Twilight timidly as she made to leave. “Umm... Princess Twilight? C-can I ask you something?” she stammered nervously.

“Oh, sure!” Twilight replied, slightly taken aback and turning back around to face the young mare. “What can I do for you?”

“I-I’m just a big fan,” the pony said, positively beaming. “I’m attending Celestia’s School for gifted unicorns and have heard so much about you; you’ve been my idol for years! I-I’ve read all your papers and studies, and am even doing my thesis on several of the experiments you designed. In fact, I decided to take up acting after seeing you in last year’s Hearth’s Warming pageant.”

“I see... but you know that I did that with my friends, right? I’m not really an actress,” Twilight said, slightly bemused.

“I know, but you made it look so fun,” the mare said sheepishly. A bell rang out, causing them to both jump. “Oh! I have to go, but can I have your autograph first?”

“My autograph?” Twilight asked, bewildered. “I guess so. Nopony’s ever asked me that before.” Twilight trotted over to a nearby desk and quickly signed a piece of paper before levitating it over to the unicorn. The young mare took it in her hooves and stared at it, mesmerized. She grinned at Twilight and squealed happily before galloping over to join the rest of the actors.

Twilight snickered and nodded towards Stalwart, leading him back out into the hallway. “Alright, Stalwart, thanks for all your help tonight. I apologize that I couldn’t get you a seat in the V.I.P. box, but there wasn’t enough room for your wife and children to accompany us.”

“It’s quite alright, Your Highness, it was my pleasure to fill-in while Seneschal Quill-Pen is on vacation,” the Unicorn said, bowing his head respectfully.

“I still appreciate it. Now, you’re dismissed; go find your family and enjoy the pageant.”

“Thank you, I’ll come find you again when it’s over,” Stalwart affirmed, turning to leave.

“No you won’t,” Twilight said authoritatively. “You’ll return home with your family and spend the rest of your holiday with them.”

“I... Have I displeased you?” he stuttered, horrified.

“No! On the contrary, I’m planning on telling Quill-Pen that she left me in good hooves, but Hearth’s Warming is supposed to be spent with your loved ones, not at work,” Twilight replied with a wink.

“You-you are sure?” he asked slowly.

“Positive. We took care of all of the big things, so I think I’ll be able to handle anything else that comes up on my own,” Twilight smirked. “Have a nice holiday!”

“Th-thank you, Princess!’ Stalwart gasped, bowing quickly before trotting away.

Twilight giggled to herself as she made her way to the Castle’s Theater and entered the crowded Princess’ Box, sitting down next to Edifying Scroll, who gave her a smug grin. “Hey, Scroll. Am I late?”

A loud, magically-enhanced voice boomed across the Auditorium, “Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia, and before ponies discovered our beautiful land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony...”

“What do you think?” Edifying Scroll muttered aside.

“I think I’m just in time.”

“During this frightful age, each of the three tribes – the Pegasi, the Unicorns, and the Earth Ponies – cared not for what befell the other tribes”

“So, how have things gone today?” Edifying Scroll asked.

“Almost perfectly. There’s a few things I’d change, but there’s nothing I can do about any of it,” Twilight grumbled.

“Such as Luna still being in Stalliongrad?”

“Yeah, like that. I have half a mind to strip the Count of his title,” Twilight growled. She paused for a long moment, grinding her teeth. “What kind of spoiled foal tries to declare independance just because an election didn’t go the way he wanted? I’d be furious if he had tried to pull a stunt like that on a normal week; but to force Luna to skip Hearth’s Warming to sort out his mess? That’s just adding insult to injury.”

“Each tribe sent their leaders: daughter of the Unicorn King, Princess Platinum; ruler of the Pegasi, Commander Hurricane; and lastly leader of the Earth Ponies, Chancellor Puddinghead. Perhaps the three tribes could finally settle their differences, and agree on a way to get through this disaster.”

“Stripping him of his title might create more problems than it solves, but under the current law, his actions are technically an attempted revolt, so you’re well within your rights to do so,” Edifying Scroll mused. “I’ll support you either way; the heavens know the Count didn’t exactly endear himself to me. What was the phrase he used? A ‘sycophantic, hoof-licking little ditz’? I can’t even give him credit for creativity.”

“The summit of the tribes did not turn out as well as hoped, and the three leaders returned home to lick their wounds, and the blizzard raged on!”

“On a different subject, weren’t your parents and Spike supposed to be joining us tonight?” Edifying Scroll asked, giving Twilight a concerned glance.

“They were, but they can’t. The three of them are stuck in the Crystal Empire,” Twilight grumbled.

“Stuck in the... How in the hells did that happen?” Edifying Scroll asked loudly before slapping her hooves over her mouth. She grinned sheepishly at the pony in front of her who turned around to glare at her foul language angrily, then turned back to Twilight. “How’d that happen?” she whispered.

“Yeah about that...” Twilight sighed. “Alright, as you know, this is the first Hearth’s Warming since the Crystal Empire returned, correct?”

“Yes...”

“Well, because of that, the crystal ponies understandably want to do something really special, and they want their Prince and Princess to preside over the celebration, so Shining Armor and Cadance are staying up there,” Twilight explained.

“That makes sense,” Edifying Scroll murmured with an affirmative nod.

“Fine, then we'll have to go somewhere new where we can grow some new food. And with me as our fearless leader, what could go wrong?”

“It does. I really can’t tell you how happy I am to see how well the Empire is faring,” Twilight chirped. “Anyway, since this’ll be the first year that my whole family can’t be in Canterlot, my parents had to compromise. The original plan was for them to spend the week before Hearth’s Warming in the Crystal City, then take the last train back and spend tonight and tomorrow with me.”

Edifying Scroll let out a low whistle. “Seems like a sound plan.”

“We all thought so,” Twilight grumbled. “Unfortunately I got a letter from Spike this morning saying that a surprise blizzard hit the Empire and that the crystal ponies couldn’t clear off the train tracks in time. Long story short, now they’re going to have to stay up there for a couple more days.”

“Oh... I’m sorry about that,” Edifying Scroll sighed. “But what of your friends from Ponyville? I recall Spike telling me a while ago that they were going to come to Canterlot as well.”

“They were. They and their families were all going to come to Canterlot for a big get-together like we did last year when we did the pageant, but two weeks ago Pinkie Pie got news that her dad was sick with something. Apparently it was really bad, because not only was he unable to make the trip here, but her family actually asked her to go home to see him,” Twilight said sadly.

“I see... That’s a real shame,” Edifying Scroll whispered. “Have you heard anything from her since then?”

“Just that she’s trying to keep her family in good spirits. I had the kitchens send her family a gift basket of all her favorites,” Twilight mumbled, shaking her head.

“I’m sure she’ll like that...”

“I refuse to get my gown wet. I have no intention of arriving at my new land looking like a bedraggled Earth Pony, or worse yet a rough-and-tumble Pegasus. I, for one, have no intention of stooping down to their level...

“Yeah, you know how much she loves her sweets,” Twilight snickered. “...So, after that we decided to get together to discuss what we were going to do, but then Applejack’s grandmother slipped on some ice and broke her hip, so AJ couldn’t come either. Then the rest of us decided that it just wouldn’t be the same without them, so we abandoned the idea altogether. Rarity’s staying in Ponyville with her parents and sister, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash went back to Cloudsdale.”

“And so, each leader encountered obstacles along the way, but eventually, they all arrived in a new and wondrous land; a paradise nopony had ever seen before.”

Twilight fell silent. She could feel Edifying Scroll’s burning stare on her, but continued to watch the play. “So, Princess, what you’re saying is that you’re going to be spending tonight alone.”

“Yeah... sort of.”

“There’s no ‘sort of’ about it,” Edifying Scroll snarled. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“It’s not that important,” Twilight started dismissively.

“Maybe not, but what is important is that you, once again, have been so engrossed in making sure that everypony else was happy that you forgot about yourself.”

“And so the paradise that the ponies had found was soon lost, buried beneath a thick blanket of snow.”

“Isn’t that, you know, my job?” Twilight asked sarcastically.

“Well yeah, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break now and then,” Edifying Scroll grunted. She glared at the stage for a few seconds before again turning back to Twilight. “Would you like to spend the evening with Booksmart and I? We’re just going to go visit his parents for a few hours.”

“No, that’s okay. Thank you though,” Twilight said dismissively.

Edifying Scroll frowned and leaned towards her. “You sure? He has a lot of respect for you; I’m positive that he won’t mind.”

“I know, but this is going to be your first Hearth’s Warming as a couple. It wouldn’t be right for me to intrude on that, even if you invited me,” Twilight replied, forcing a smile.

“If you say so,” Edifying Scroll muttered with a frustrated groan.

“My mentor Star Swirl the Bearded taught me about them. They're winter spirits that feed off fighting and hatred. The more hate the spirit feels, the colder things become!”

“They’re good,” Twilight mumbled in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

“Agreed. By far the best pageant in years,” Edifying Scroll said teasingly.

“Hey!” Twilight whined, twisting around with a scowl.

“Well it’s true,” the unicorn laughed, nudging Twilight with her elbow. “You girls were good, but these guys are better.”

“Yeah, I guess... You still didn’t have to say it like that,” Twilight pouted.

“And you don’t have to pretend to be offended; I know you well enough to see through that particular act,” Edifying Scroll chuckled.

Twilight snickered softly and gazed back down at the stage. “Darn. Well, it was fun while it lasted.”

“The three leaders agreed to share the beautiful land, and live in harmony ever afterwards. And together, they named their new land... Equestria!”

Twilight joined in singing the carol and stood up to applaud the actors and actresses as they took a bow. Smiling, she left the box, nodding gratefully to the ponies who let her leave first and stood in the hallway to wait for Edifying Scroll.

“Well, that was nice, thanks for sitting with me,” Twilight chirped, suppressing a yawn.

“My pleasure. I always enjoy our get-togethers,” Edifying Scroll sighed. She looked away stiffly before continuing, “Are you sure you don’t want to spend the evening with us? Even if it’s just for a nightcap? I mean, it’s Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

“No, that’s okay; it’s just one night,” Twilight replied, trying to sound reassuring. “I’ll be fine.”

Edifying Scroll stared at her appraisingly for a moment, then smiled and gave a defeated sigh. “You, Twilight Sparkle, are a terrible liar, but have it your way. I’ll see you when court is back in session.” She bowed her head respectfully and trotted away, leaving Twilight to head back to her room alone.

Dragging her hooves, Twilight retired to her room. She locked the door behind her and collapsed in front of the fireplace. Sighing sadly, she curled up in a ball and moped.

“Way to go, Twilight. You should have accepted that invitation. It’d have meant at least another hour before you ended up here,” she muttered to herself angrily.

Several hours later, Twilight was woken by a loud crash out on her balcony. Confused, she groggily stood up and stumbled her way towards the door. She reached towards the handle with a hoof and shrieked when it crashed open.

Trying to catch her breath, she shook her head and glanced out the door, perplexed by what she saw.

“H-hi, T-t-twilight. M-may I c-c-come in?” an icicle-covered Luna stammered through chattering teeth.

“Luna? What in Tartarus are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Stalliongrad!” She looked over Luna again and mentally slapped herself. “Forget that for the moment; come inside, we need to get you warm.” She took Luna's hoof and lead the frozen alicorn to the fire, where she laid her down before gently draped a blanket over her shivering form. “Better?”

“Y-y-yes, thank you.”

“So, what happened? How did you get here and why are you nearly frozen solid?” Twilight asked, crawling under the blanket and cuddling up to Luna, trying to warm the older Princess with her body heat. “When you feel well enough, of course.”

“I-I f-flew here, Twi-twilight,” Luna gasped, beginning to shiver.

“YOU WHAT?” Twilight screeched. ”That was incredibly reckless! What were you thinking?”

“S-spike sent m-m-me a letter this aft-afternoon and told me that th-they had been unable to leave the C-Crystal City. I-I didn’t want you t-to be alone on Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Luna murmured guiltily.

“But... you... Luna you are so stupid!” Twilight snarled, jumping slightly and causing Luna to recoil. “You could’ve been seriously hurt!”

“It is not as if my l-life was in danger. Alicorns are inc-capable of freezing to death,” Luna muttered defensively.

“It can still put you in bed for a month with pneumonia!” Twilight groaned. “Or, what if you got lost in the storm and got frozen solid? You’d be stuck there until you either thawed out or somepony stumbled across you; meanwhile I’d be here, worried sick! Our friends would be worried sick!”

Luna grimaced, tearing up at Twilight’s words. “But... but...”

Twilight sighed, internally berating herself, and lay back down next to Luna. “Luna... Listen, it means a lot to me that you’d be willing to brave a storm just to make me happy, but you shouldn’t have taken such a risk. It’s not worth turning yourself into a ponycicle to keep me from having a single bad night.”

“I think you’re worth it,” Luna whispered.

“I know you do, but I’d rather have a miserable Hearth’s Warming Eve than risk losing you for that long,” Twilight whispered back.

“Is one month really so long compared to a millenium or two?” Luna snickered mischievously.

“Is one night?”

“A fair point...” Luna grumbled. “Very well, I shall not risk my health in the future for something so trivial, lest I be forced to suffer through yet another one of your lectures.” Managing to get a giggle out of Twilight, she smiled and nuzzled the younger Princess’ cheek.

“You know... I’m still not sure whether I’m more flattered at how much you care about me or ticked about how dumb you can be; you might not want to push your luck,” Twilight warned half-heartedly.

“You will not stay mad at me. You are incapable of it,” Luna chuckled smugly.

“Yeah I suppose that’s true, but—” Twilight muttered, being cut off by the ringing of the Castle’s bells. She looked in the direction of the bell tower, then turned to Luna with a smile. “You know that I meant everything I said, but still, thanks for being here, Luna.”

Luna grinned and gently kissed Twilight’s forehead. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Twilight.”

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Luna.”

Chapter 18

Author's Note

Before we go anywhere, I'd like to point everyone in the direction of Literature Pie, a youtube channel run by one of my editors, PiquoPie. He and a few other writers have been posting videos on the subject of writing fanfiction and writing in general. I strongly recommend that you check it out, whether you're a newbie in need of tips to get started, a veteran just looking to brush up on your skills, or someone in the middle seeking that extra bit that'll push your fics to the next level.

Pre-readers: PiquoPie, and f0xhole.

Chapter 18

One year since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“I have returned, Darling,” Luna called out as she trotted into Twilight’s bedroom, a white box floating in behind her. “And before you ask, yes. I have retrieved it.” The box floated over to where Twilight sat in front of a vanity mirror; and Luna gently set it down in front of Twilight.

“Thanks. You’re the best,” Twilight replied with a smile, “and ‘Darling’ doesn’t work for you. Rarity, maybe.” She opened the box and reached inside, gingerly taking the contents in her hooves. She held the Tiara of Magic in front of her and smiled nervously. “D-do you really think this is a good idea? I can’t imagine much of the nobility will like this. Or anypony else, for that matter.”

“They will hate it, without a doubt,” Luna smirked, pulling Celestia’s old tiara off Twilight’s head and rubbing it reminiscently, “but that doesn’t matter. Since the moment you took the throne everypony has treated you simply as ‘Celestia’s replacement’, expecting you to act as Celestia did, and all many of them have tried to do is to manipulate your desire to see everypony happy, as they did to her.” She set the golden crown down on the vanity and took the starred tiara from Twilight’s hooves, placing it on Twilight’s head. “But you are not Celestia, you are Twilight Sparkle; a proud, intelligent pony with ideas of her own. If my sister had intended for you to be a mere extension of herself, she would have molded you as such, but she did not.”

Luna backed away and cast a mirthful eye over Twilight. “She wanted you to dream grand dreams and find your own path; to guide Equestria with your own wisdom. I believe it is time to remind everypony of that. What better way than by wearing a crown of your own? And what better time than the first anniversary of the day you took the throne?”

Twilight stared at Luna, grinning sheepishly. “You rehearsed that, didn’t you?”

“Perhaps,” Luna giggled. “Did it have the desired effect?”

“Yes,” Twilight said, faking an exaggerated groan. “You know... you could teach Spitfire a thing or two about giving a pep talk.”

“Then maybe I will offer her some advice,” Luna said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “The real question, however, is have you rehearsed your speech?”

“Yes I have. I’m not making that mistake again,” Twilight retorted. “I doubt Ambassador Stoneshatter will ever let me live that down. How was I supposed to know that the minotaur phrase for ‘I am honored’ sounds similar to the phrase for ‘I am foolish’?”

“A little research could have told you that, and rehearsing your speech could have prevented you from finding out the hard way,” Luna teased. “Still, what better crowd to make such a mistake in front of than one that will laugh with you rather than at you, such as the minotaurs?”

“That’s true; they even took me out for drinks afterwards,” Twilight chuckled, straightening her tiara in the mirror. “Well, I think I’m ready. Shall we head down?”

“I think that would be wise,” Luna nodded, motioning for Twilight to lead the way. “Oh! One last thing!” Luna exclaimed, stopping Twilight with a hoof. She leaned down and gave Twilight a quick peck on the cheek. “For luck.”

Grinning, Twilight trotted off in the direction of the Throne Room with Luna close behind. As she rounded the first corner, she collided with a much smaller, clipboard-wielding creature who stumbled back. “Oops! Sorry, Spike!”

“Twilight? Where have you been? You were supposed to be downstairs ten minutes ago!” he shouted. “This is awful. You can’t be late for this!”

“Oh, relax, Spike. These things never start on time anyway,” she giggled, scooping him up and placing him on her back. She began moving again at a quicker pace. “Alright, hit me with it.”

The dragon quickly looked at her, then to Luna, and back to Twilight again. She shook his head and glanced down at his clipboard. “Umm, okay! Quill-Pen told me that everything’s all set up and that she’s going to start letting ponies into the throne room in ten minutes, but that was fifteen minutes ago, so the Throne Room’s probably full. She also said that she prepared a few index cards, just in case you need them for your speech,” he shot rapidly.

“Spike, please slow down. There is no need to tax yourself,” Luna interrupted sternly, yet gently.

“O-okay.” He nodded to her gratefully. “Anyway, Edifying Scroll’s going to introduce you since the Prime Minister’s still in Trottingham; he sent a note saying he’s sorry by the way. And the Royal Kitchens reported that everything was ready for the reception.”

“Perfect!” Twilight chirped. “And thanks, by the way. Quill-Pen told me that her life’s been a lot easier since you started giving her a hoof- err, claw.”

“It’s nothing. Really,” Spike muttered, blushing a bright red.

“It’s not nothing,” Twilight giggled, turning her head around to nuzzle him. “You could’ve gotten jealous and tried to compete with her to show everypony that you’re still my number one assistant, but instead you’re co-operating with her. That makes all the difference, and that’s why you’re still my number one assistant.”

“I hate to break up the moment, but we have arrived,” Luna snickered.

Spike jumped down from Twilight’s back and scurried towards the doors leading to the Throne Room. “Okay, I’ll let them know you’re here. Wait for your cue, then come in!”

Twilight took a deep breath and smiled at Luna. The pair stood in silence for only a moment before a magically-amplified voice echoed throughout the castle, “Fillies and Gentlecolts; all rise for Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria.”

Twilight put on a serene face and trotted into the Throne Room, her hoofbeats echoing through the eerily silent hall. She nuzzled Spike and stepped up to the podium, glancing around the hall at the intent stares of the ponies in attendance as Luna sat down behind her.

“Good afternoon, everypony. Thank you, all, for coming,” she proclaimed as majestically as she could. “One year ago, I was crowned Princess of Equestria after the passing of Princess Celestia. This past year has been a difficult one, from the terrible toll that her death took on us. From our emotions, to the damage that the sudden lack of her leadership did to our economy, to the Stalliongrad crisis, as it’s now being called. Yet despite all this, we have managed to endure.

“As of now, our nation is stable, with Stalliongrad currently in the charge of ponies who understand the value of cooperation. In addition, the economy has made a moderate recovery; and while it will likely take years — or even decades — to reach the prosperity we were once at, we have managed to avoid a full crash and will be able to continue to provide for all of our citizens for the foreseeable future.”

She paused as a wave of applause shook the hall as her audience stomped their hooves against the polished marble.

“More importantly, however, is the spirit of our citizens. By remembering the tenets of the Elements of Harmony, we pulled together to comfort one another during our time of mourning, and came out stronger as a result. To honor this spirit, Princess Luna and I have created the Royal Medal of Grace, to be awarded to any Equestrian citizen who displays the utmost leadership and self-sacrifice during a time of national crisis. It will be the third-highest medal to be available to a citizen outside of military service, just below the Moon’s Tear and just above the Solar Diamond.

“Next Friday we will have a banquet, here at the castle, where this new award will be given to four ponies and a zebra, all of whom set aside their own lives and gave most of their time, energy, and money to help ease our nation through this terrible ordeal. Nothing we can say or do will ever adequately express the extent of our gratitude, and so we — that is, Luna and I — hope that this small token of thanks will forever remind them of how much they have done for us.”

Applause once again resonated through the hall as the ponies in attendance thundered their approval, but Twilight held up a hoof to silence them.

“There is another pony who we must honor. Shortly after I was crowned, an attempt was made on my life, but I was saved by a brave member of the Royal Guard, who lost his life while protecting me. With the Royal Guard and the Ministry of Justice having closed their respective investigations into the incident, I have been given permission to publicly honor my rescuer. Therefore, next Saturday, an assembly will be held where Lance Corporal Bright Eye will be posthumously awarded with the Equestrian Star — our nations highest military award — and promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant. The Lance Corporal’s wife and son will be in attendance to accept the award, and I urge all to attend. After the ceremony, his name will be inscribed in the Hall of Grief with the names of all other recipients of the Star.”

Another round of thunderous applause arose; one that Twilight allowed to run its full course.

“While we remember those who gave much, or in the case of Lance Corporal Bright Eye, gave everything, to ensure a better future for all of us, I feel it wouldn’t be fair to let their sacrifices be wasted, therefore I would like to dedicate the rest of this speech to announcing a five-point plan to ensure Equestria’s prosperity,” Twilight exclaimed with a genuine smile. She paused to shuffle her notes a bit, but didn’t bother to read them. She knew her speech word-for-word.

“First and foremost: agriculture. The tumult that Equestria experienced last Spring affected every aspect of our lives, and as a result less food was produced during last year’s growing season; while it’s true that we never experienced even a vague threat of a food shortage this past winter, we came closer than we have in the past seventy years. I, personally, find the idea of anypony in Equestria going hungry to be abhorrent, so I find this unacceptable and have been working with my Cabinet to find a solution. After studying the causes of the problem, we have come up with two.”

To illustrate her point, Twilight levitated two packets of papers, allowing one to hover on each side of her. “Both of these proposals are designed to increase the number of farm workers in our country, which — according to the statistics available to us — would generate a substantial increase in farm productivity.” She gestured to the one on her right and continued, “The first will provide financial incentives for farm owners to raise the wages they offer their employees. We believe that increasing the pay of farm workers in this way and making them more able to provide for their families will make it a more desirable career choice, and thus a more popular career choice.”

“The second,” Twilight said, motioning towards the packet on her left, “will relax our immigration laws, specifically to Zebrica. Zebrica has been experiencing a population boom lately and its younger generations have been leaving in droves to explore the world. Given the fact that most zebras have a natural talent in caring for plant life, it makes sense to welcome them. As such, several members of my Cabinet pieced together this proposal with the help of Ambassador Zecora. Next month, each of these proposals will be put up for a general referendum for all citizens to vote on, and will be adopted by a simple majority vote. You may vote for one, both, or neither, though it is my sincere hope that both are passed.”

Twilight couldn’t suppress a proud grin as another round of applause rang out.

“The next thing I would like to focus on is education. While most of Equestria’s schools are performing better than ever, I have received a few letters from concerned parents about Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. For those of you who don’t know, as Princess Celestia’s heir, I am officially the Headmistress of the School, but I have been... ‘neglecting’ would be the word, I suppose, my duties as Headmistress; deferring to the Vice-Headmaster to run the place.”

She paused for a few seconds and sighed, hanging her head slightly, “The truth is that I personally don’t feel ready to take the responsibilities of Headmistress. One day I will proudly take up the mantle of teaching the youth of Equestria, but for now I feel as if I’m neither experienced enough, nor have enough time to devote to such an important task. If anypony has any additional concerns—”

“I do!” an unseen member of the audience called out. “Do we get our tuition money back if our foals turn into complete eggheads like you?”

Twilight could only stare dumbfounded at the crowd, unable to believe her ears. “Ex-excuse me? Could you—”

Luna, however was far less forgiving. She snarled and stepped in front of Twilight protectively. “Where are you hiding? Get out here, wretch!” she screamed at nothing in particular. “I knew I caught your foul stench when I entered.”

“No need to shout, my dear Luna,” a voice echoed. A voice that grated on Twilight’s last nerve.

“Discord...”

“In the flesh!” the draconequus exclaimed, rising out of the crowd.

“Why are you here?” Twilight growled, her fur bristling as she stepped down from the podium. “What do you want?”

“So hostile! I thought you were supposed to be a benevolent ruler,” he sighed, leaning back to recline across the heads of the ponies in the crowd.

Twilight’s eyes flicked between Discord the entranced crowd. “You hypnotized them. If you’re here to cause trouble, then so help me—”

“Nothing of the sort. I actually came to congratulate you!” he chuckled.

“Con-congratulate me? For what?” Twilight stammered incredulously.

“I had fully expected for Equestria to collapse into all manner of chaos and strife within a week of your taking power, yet here you are, a year later and still free and prosperous,” Discord proclaimed with a flourishing gesture.

“Expected, or hoped?” Luna hissed.

“Both, of course, but seeing as it didn’t happen, that hardly matters,” Discord sighed wistfully, turning over to lay on his belly. “Somehow the unsociable bookworm succeeded in uniting a grieving country. As disappointed as I am, I must admit that I’m impressed.”

“So why wait until now to come bother me?” Twilight sneered. “Any threats of civil war were over months ago.”

“I had to finish the tasks Celestia left for me first,” Discord started matter-of-factly. “Quite an extensive list she gave me, but I did all of it to the letter.”

“And what tasks did she give you?”

“You mean she didn’t tell you? Either of you?” Discord asked skeptically glancing between the two alicorns before rolling onto his back, cackling wildly. “Oh this is rich! Well, if she didn’t see fit to tell you, than why should I?”

Twilight let out a frustrated groan. “Well, in that case, hold still so I can turn you back into a statue.”

“For what? I haven’t done anything yet,” he wheezed teasingly. “I doubt Fluttershy would be too pleased.”

“You... How dare you use her against us! I SWEAR I WILL—” Luna shrieked angrily before being cut off by Twilight.

“Fluttershy won’t be around forever,” Twilight interrupted coldly, barely above a whisper. “Why shouldn’t I just take care of you now and spare myself the strife later? Fluttershy might be angry with me for a while, but she’d understand.”

“And what makes you think that I’ll cause you strife later,” Discord scoffed, pulling the helmet off of a nearby guard and inspecting it in his claw. “A few hundred headaches maybe, but as much as I like getting under your skin, I like not being a statue even more.”

“You’re not known to be a creature of your word,” Twilight started pointedly. “How can I be sure that you’re not just biding your time and gathering your power?”

“Fine, let me spell it out for you in nerdeese,” he sighed, reaching into the helmet and pulling out a massive chalkboard that spanned the length of the room, covered with complex mathematical equations. “Now if you look at the top left of the board, you’ll see that as you continue to grow your power will continue to increase according to equation 34a. At the same time, my power will actually decrease at the rate shown by equation 5f. Now if we multiply the inverse of equation 25c with the derivative of equation 10, and solve for z where z is the lowest estimate of Fluttershy’s lifespan, assuming she dies a natural death, you’ll see that your power will nearly triple mine by the time we have to worry about her passing.” He snapped his claws and the board disappeared, leaving a thick cloud of dust. “And that’s without accounting for Luna’s power.”

“And..?”

“And I’m not stupid enough to hurt anypony when I’m at that much of a disadvantage,” Discord griped.

“I see,” Twilight muttered. “So is this supposed to be your way of bribing me? ‘I won’t cause trouble if you don’t turn me into stone’?”

“Pretty much,” Discord nodded.

Twilight glanced at Luna with a frown before turning back to Discord. “...It’s against my better judgement, but I’m going to trust you. This is only for Fluttershy’s sake though! If you make me regret this, I’ll let Luna do whatever she wants to you.”

Luna grimaced at Twilight. “What? But he— you... fine. We will discuss this later,” Luna grumbled before turning to Discord. “As for you. If you breach Twilight’s trust, you’ll spend five hundred years in the moon, followed by five hundred years in the sun, then, for good measure, I’ll cast you into the deepest pit of Tartarus, where you’ll remain until the end of time.”

“That seems excessive, but I suppose that I don’t have a choice,” Discord muttered.

“Good,” Twilight said forcefully. “Just tell me where in my speech you hypnotized my audience, then you can leave.”

“I believe the last thing you said was ‘Good afternoon, everypony,’ so I’d start there.”

“The beginning? Are you kidding me?” Twilight groaned.

“Not even a bit,” Discord chuckled, disappearing in a flash.

“I really hate him,” Twilight snarled as she stomped into Luna’s room later that night, a tray laden with tea and various pastries floating in behind her. “Though not as much as you, obviously,” she continued when she saw the skeptical expression on Luna’s face. She trotted over to Luna and joined her laying down on the bed, carefully placing the tray in between them. “When did Spike fall asleep? I brought him one of those ruby danishes he’s taken a liking to.”

“Shortly after you left,” Luna replied softly, pouring tea for herself and Twilight. “I decided that it would probably be best to just let him rest.”

“Yeah, he’s had a long day. Thanks for putting a blanket over him at least,” Twilight murmured, picking up a nearby deck of cards with her magic, shuffling it, and dealing herself and Luna ten cards each and placing the deck on the bed between them..

“You are most welcome; it was a long day indeed,” Luna started plainly, taking her cards and drawing one. “I must say, however, that I question your judgement in trusting Discord.”

“Honestly, so do I. But I trusted Celestia and she’s the one who let him go in the first place,” Twilight sighed. “I also trust Fluttershy. Besides, he was legitimately worried when I threatened to turn him into stone; I think he was being truthful today.”

“I got the same feeling. Gin.”

“What? Already?” Twilight exclaimed. “Fine, next round. You said that you had played this before, not that you were good at this.”

“I never said that I was bad, either,” Luna giggled. “Now, where were we?”

“Memoria Tristia,” Twilight muttered, re-dealing the cards.

“Ah, yes. The Solemn Memory, which, despite its name, I made to commemorate a happy event.”

“...Which was?”

“The first Alicorn born to non-Alicorn parents after Celestia and I took our respective thrones; six hundred, twenty-two years after, to be precise,” Luna said with a smile.

“You mean pegacorn?” Twilight asked skeptically.

“I am aware of the common nomenclature for such a being, but the truth is that they are Alicorns,” Luna corrected.

“How is that possible?” Twilight stammered, glancing up from her cards.

“Long ago, that is centuries before my parents were even born, it was a relatively common for Alicorns to... ‘mingle’ with the other three pony races, so most ponies nowadays would be able to claim trace amount of Alicorn ancestry. Not that any of them would be able to prove it. And not that any of them would know. To be honest, not even Celestia or I could tell,” Luna muttered thoughtfully. “By the time I was born the practice had become taboo, but that didn’t change the past. Gin.”

“Again?” Twilight whined exasperatedly, scooping up the cards to re-deal.

“On the rare occasion though it is possible to point one out. A pegasus with pointed wings, or a unicorn with a longer than normal horn, or particularly large, yet slender earth pony,” Luna continued. “However, once in every few hundred years, when bloodlines mingle in just the right way and the flow of magic runs perfectly, an alicorn is born. Not like you, Celestia, or I, mind you, with a lifespan measured in millennia and god-like power, but a true alicorn. They’ll be bigger than most Earth Ponies and more powerful than most Unicorns, with uncanny resistance to disease and a lifespan several decades longer than normal ponies.”

“Like Cadance!” Twilight chirped, understanding what Luna was hinting at. “And I’m going to go down with this hand.” She placed her cards down on the bed with a confident smirk that melted away the instant Luna did the same. “You still outscored me! How..? Here, you deal. Maybe I’ll have better luck that way.”

“Exactly like Cadance,” Luna chuckled, picking up the deck herself. “The pony I made the star for was named Skystrider, and was born to a pair of Earth Ponies.” She dealt the cards and gave Twilight a twisted smile. “Earth Pony peasants. You can imagine how thrilled the nobility of the time was.”

“Did they revolt?” Twilight asked nervously.

“No. They insisted that he was demonspawn and demanded that he be hanged,” Luna grumbled distastefully. “As you can imagine Celestia and I intervened. She made a public declaration that he wasn’t demonspawn, but a gift from the heavens. I crowned him a Prince and gave him permission to found his own noble House.”

“Which house did he found?”

“House Glimmer of Wheatsdale. You wouldn’t have heard of them, they died out 1,100 years ago,” Luna sighed shaking her head. “I don’t doubt that Skystrider still has some descendants around, but I couldn’t even begin to tell you who they were. But to continue, Celestia and I have done the same for every Alicorn born since. The lastest, as you know, being Cadance. She happened to be born into nobility, but all of her children will be of House Cadenza instead of the House she was born into.”

“That’s really amazing,” Twilight purred with a grin that quickly turned into a frown. “Why is Blueblood called a ‘Prince’ than? Please tell me —”

“Blueblood is not descended from any alicorn born after Celestia and I. His only claim to fame is the one he is always touting: having Princess Platinum as an ancestor,” Luna interrupted reassuringly. “Besides, the children of alicorns are only granted the title of ‘Duke’ or ‘Duchess’. ‘Tia and I had no idea how frequently new alicorns would be born and we both agreed that having dozens of princes and princesses around would be... problematic.”

“That’s good. The last thing anypony needs is for his head to get any bigger and being related to an Alicorn would do just that,” Twilight grunted.

“Indeed. ‘Tis a pity that some ponies believe that they are better than others simply because of something their ancestors did,” Luna spat.

Twilight nodded and made to place a card into the discard pile, but stopped to glare suspiciously at the innocent smile adorning Luna’s face; she smirked confidently and placed an entirely different card down. Luna responded by immediately scooping it up and placing all of her cards on the bed. “Gin.”

Twilight gaped at the cards Luna lay on the bedspread before groaning loudly. “Alright, forget this. We’re playing something else.”

Chapter 19

Author's Note

Once again, I'd like to point everyone in the direction of Literature Pie, a youtube channel run by one of my editors, PiquoPie. He and a few other writers have been posting videos on the subject of writing fanfiction and writing in general. I strongly recommend that you check it out, whether you're a newbie in need of tips to get started, a veteran just looking to brush up on your skills, or someone in the middle seeking that extra bit that'll push your fics to the next level.

Pre-readers: PiquoPie, and f0xhole.

Chapter 19

Nineteen months since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“I’m here!” Twilight shouted breathlessly, bursting through a pair of stark-white tent flaps, finding herself in an ornate enclosed canopy.

“Finally! Being fashionably late is one thing, but you were starting to worry us, darling!” Rarity called from the other side of the tent. “Oh, would you hold still, Rainbow?”

“Yeah, sorry about that. We got held up just as we were leaving,” Twilight sighed. “Something about Trottingham’s building codes. Some ponies just don’t understand the meaning of ‘later.’”

“What about Lun— Ow! Rarity, would you watch where you’re sticking those?” Rainbow hissed, pulling away from the dressmaker.

“Well, if you would stop moving, you wouldn’t get stuck by any pins!”

“Luna’s here. We ran into the Crusaders right after we landed. Scoot had some questions about dreams, so Luna’s indulging her, and Spike got voluntold by Sweetie to help them guide ponies to their seats,” Twilight stated, stepping around so that Rainbow could see her without having to turn around. “What about you? Excited?”

“Yes,” Rainbow muttered quickly.

“You sure? You sound like you’re nauseous,” Twilight said, full of concern.

“I’m not nauseous! Well not that nauseous, just a bit nervous, I guess,” Rainbow stammered softly.

“Pre-wedding nerves are normal, Rain— I told you to hold still!” Rarity growled, yanking one of the pegasus’ wings back down to her side. “As I was saying, it’s normal to be nervous. Believe me when I say that Mac is probably just as antsy as you are... Though he’s probably not squirming about it as much and I swear that I’ll start prodding you intentionally if you don’t stop moving!”

“Might want to do it anyway, Rare,” Applejack called as she entered the tent, grinning at Twilight. “Ah thought Ah saw you come in here. This is perfect; y’all were the last ones to arrive so everypony’s here. And don’t worry, Dash. Ah had a talk with Granny ‘n she’s gonna behave herself. She’ll be officiatin’ this right, no speeches about how badly she wants great-grandfoals.”

Twilight wheeled around towards Applejack, walking towards the farmpony pointedly. “Well, that’s fine and all, but since you’re here, maybe you could tell me why I never received an invitation to Applebloom’s cute-ceañera?”

”For pony’s sake, Rarity, are you almost done?”

“I’d have been done already if you had stayed still!”

Applejack shrugged, “We didn’t have one. We were too busy with plannin’ this and ‘Bloom said it was too much trouble. She’s been real excited about this ‘n she ‘n the Crusaders have been spendin’ all their time lately helpin’ out.”

“I figured it was something like that,” Twilight snickered, greeting Applejack with a hug. “So, interior design, huh? Seems rather strange for an Apple.”

“Yeah. Ah’ll admit that Ah was a bit disappointed at first, but that’s a line of thinkin’ that made me want to buck myself into next month. Disappointed! Ah was raised better than that!” Applejack spat. “‘Sides, she really likes it. As soon as her cutie mark appeared she began rearrangin’ all the furniture ‘n even convinced Granny to buy some new curtains ‘n stuff. The house looks amazing now, ‘n she barely changed anything. Don’t understand how it works one bit, but Ah suppose that Ah don’t have to long as she’s around.”

“Well, I’m glad she finally found her calling; I know how frustrated she was, being the only Crusader without her mark,” Twilight replied with a smile. “Maybe someday I’ll have her work on the castle.”

”Ow! My leg!”

“I haven’t touched that pin in nearly five minutes; you poked yourself with all your squirming!”

“Yeah, maybe! First though, she’s gotta decorate the house we’re building for Mac ‘n Dash. ‘Course the way Dash is we’ll have to send Bloom over every week to fix the place,” Applejack called towards the pegasus teasingly.

Rainbow tried to whip her head around angrily, but stopped with a gasp as a pin jabbed her in the neck. She grumbled to herself for a moment before calling out, “Hey, AJ, why don’t you introduce Twilight to Rockhammer?”

“Rockhammer? Who’s that?” Twilight asked aloud, frowning at Rainbow before turning back to Applejack. “Are... Are you blushing?”

“Uhh... Well...”

Smirking mischievously, Twilight advanced on her friend. “Applejack? Who’s Rockhammer?”

“He’s, uhhh... just a stallion,” Applejack simpered, her face growing redder.

“I gathered that,” Twilight laughed teasingly. “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”

“Ah’ve, uh, been seein’ him,” Applejack stammered.

“I gathered that as well,” Twilight smirked. “What I don’t get is, why you seem so embarrassed.”

“Because of what he does for a living,” Rarity explained, not even bothering to take her eyes off of Rainbow.

“Is that all?” Twilight snickered. “So what if he’s not a farmer? If you like him then it shouldn’t matter. So what is he? A miner? A stonemason?”

“A geologist,” Applejack mumbled.

“A geolo— Wait, wait, wait... You, Applejack, are dating an academic?” Twilight snorted.

“Yeah, yeah... laugh it up,” Applejack grumbled.

“I just never would’ve expected that,” Twilight sniggered. “So, tell me about him.”

“Well, he’s a really nice colt. Smart too. Not as smart as you, Ah don’t think, but still smart,” Applejack said wistfully. “Not much else to tell.”

“Oh stop being so modest, Applejack!” Rarity scolded, looking away from Rainbow for the first time since Twilight had arrived. “He’s a gorgeous chestnut roan with the biggest blue eyes I’ve ever seen!”

“Oh... Sounds like somepony might be a bit jealous of you, Applejack,” Twilight chuckled, giving her friend a playful nudge.

“Maybe a little,” Rarity giggled, “but to be completely honest, he’s not really my type.”

“By that she means he spends more time covered in dirt than not,” Rainbow teased, earning herself a sharp jab to the flank from one of Rarity’s needles. “Ouch! Hey, I didn’t deserve that!”

Twilight snickered at the two before turning back to Applejack. “How’d you meet him?”

“The mayor hired him to do some erosion survey about a month ago and Ah ran into him taking samples out near the tomato field. He said that he noticed the soil was low in iron and recommended some powder that Ah was supposed to sprinkle all over the ground ‘fore it rained,” Applejack explained. “Well, Ah blew him off at first, but then Ah remembered some of our customers were sayin’ that the tomatoes didn’t taste quite right this year; so Ah bought some of that stuff and had Dash spread it around for me. Within a week everypony was sayin’ that it was the best crop in years!”

“So he knows what he’s doing. I can see why you’d like him,” Twilight said with a nod, “He’d be really helpful to have around.”

“It’s more than just that, though,” Applejack exclaimed. “A couple days after that Ah invited him over fer dinner with the family as a ‘thank you’, and we just hit it off. Ah mean we don’t have a heck of a lot in common, but we just get along so well. We started seein’ each other more often and last week he asked me to be his marefriend. Ah couldn’t help but say yes.”

“Awww, that’s adorable!” Twilight giggled. “I’m so happy you found somepony. Though I always thought you’d end up with Caramel.”

“Like that’d ever happen,” Rainbow snickered loudly.

“What? Why?”

“Uhhh, how should Ah put this...” Applejack muttered. “Let’s just say that Caramel’s never had a crush on Dash, but was still very disappointed when Mac proposed to her.”

“What’s that supposed to— Oh!” Twilight murmured, cutting herself off as she realized what Applejack was insinuating. “You could’ve just said that he was homosexual; unless you have a prob—”

“Oh gosh no, Twilight! He sits next to me at the dinner table for heaven’s sake!” Applejack hissed. “Ah just don’t like the way that word feels in my mouth.”

“And we are finished!” Rarity chirped proudly, backing away from Rainbow and adjusting the nearby mirrors for the pegasus to get a better look at herself.

“Yuck...” Rainbow grumbled, frowning at her wedding dress. “Do I really have to wear this? It’s so froofy!”

“That’s the point! You’re supposed to be eye-catching. Everypony is supposed to be stricken breathless when you enter a room!” Rarity protested.

“You look great, Dash!” Twilight squealed as she trotted over to Rainbow’s side. “I don’t know what you’re so huffy about.”

“I don’t look ‘great’, I look cute. I’m supposed to be cool, not cute!” Rainbow groaned.

“It’s just for one day, Rainbow,” Rarity said reassuringly. “Believe me, one day you’ll look back and be glad that you looked your best.”

“Ah dunno, Dash, Ah think that’s a good look for you!” Applejack cackled.

“I’m glad you think so, Applejack,” Rarity said with a smirk, “because you’re next.”

“Wait, what?” Applejack stammered. “B-but you already fitted me!”

“I did, three months ago. Now I need to fit you again,” Rarity said turning around to face Applejack.

“Y’all said it fitted me perfectly!”

“Three months ago. You’ve lost a bit of weight since then, as you always do during the harvest season, so I need to make a few adjustments,” Rarity retorted mischievously, approaching Applejack with her pins and needles raised.

“B-but what about Pinkie? Or Fluttershy? Or Twilight? She’s not even wearin’ her dress yet!”

“I have already fitted Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, and Twilight will be wearing her regalia. Now are you going to make this easy, or are you going to be difficult?”

Applejack’s eyes flicked rapidly between Rarity and the needles for a moment before she turned around and bolted out of the tent, with Rarity close behind.

“Ten bits says Rarity wins this one,” Rainbow chuckled.

Twilight glanced at her, then back towards the tent flaps before laughing and trotting over to the pegasus. “I’d sooner place money on Luna and Discord getting along than take that bet.”

“Darn, I was hoping for some easy bits.” Rainbow feigned a sigh before sitting down on her haunches and stared at herself in a nearby mirror.

“I know I already sort of asked this, but are you okay?” Twilight asked softly, sitting down next to Rainbow. “You’re not acting like your usual self.”

“I’m okay, Twilight. I’m just sort of scared, I guess,” Rainbow murmured. “Nothing’s ever going to be the same after this.”

“You’re not getting cold hooves, are you?”

“No! No, I want this,” Rainbow asserted. “I just...” She sighed and glanced at Twilight before looking away. “Everything’s changing so fast. I’m getting married, Rarity’s taking business trips more often, ponies are coming from as far away as the Crystal City to have Fluttershy care for their pets. Even you’ve grown!”

“I had to. Being Princess is a bigger responsibility than I ever thought it would be,” Twilight mused. “If I didn’t grow up a little, Canterlot politics would have eaten me alive.”

“No, I mean you’ve literally gotten bigger,” Rainbow said, pointing at Twilight. “We used to be the same height.”

“Oh, wow! I can’t believe that I never noticed that. I guess I did get a bit taller,” Twilight mumbled, glancing between Rainbow and her own body. “But things change all the time and you handle them just fine. Let me help. Please? I’ve never seen you this down before.”

Rainbow sighed and hung her head, struggling with her words. After a few seconds she spoke. “Spitfire showed up at my house last week with a contract. I’m going to be training with the Wonderbolts over the winter, then I’ll be in the first show of the spring season. I’m officially a Wonderbolt now.”

“That’s wonderful!” Twilight squealed. “Why would you be scared of that?”

“It’s just that everything’s happening all at once. I guess I’m just... I don’t know.”

“You’re feeling overwhelmed,” Twilight breathed, gently laying her hoof on one of Rainbow’s.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s it. That’s exactly it.”

“Well, I’m here for you, Dash,” Twilight cooed. “I know you don’t really care for discussing your feelings, but it might help to put things into perspective. Start with how it began; you were preparing for the wedding and Spitfire showed up.”

“Actually, I was napping to take a break from getting ready for the wedding,” Rainbow giggled sheepishly.

“Whatever,” Twilight grumbled, rolling her eyes.

“She started by apologizing for keeping me in the Academy for so long. She said that I was such a good influence on the other students that everypony wanted to keep me there,” Rainbow started proudly.

“Wait. ‘A good influence’? You?” Twilight teased.

“I know, right?” Rainbow snickered back. “Anyway, Rocket Tail announced last week that he was retiring; I guess he had a really close call during their last show of the year and he decided that he was getting too old to keep performing. He was their lead speed flier and they needed somepony fast to replace him. Spitfire picked me. Well, obviously.”

“Okay. So far so good,” Twilight mused. “What was in the contract?”

“Heh, you should’ve seen it! There was no legal mumbo-jumbo at all, just regular words,” Rainbow snickered. “That’s not even the best part though; she said she had it specially written up for me. I’ll be required to participate in their winter training camp and go on their summer tour every year, but I’ll be allowed to pick and choose what shows I want to do in the spring and fall so that I can help out here when Mac and AJ are planting and harvesting.”

“Wow, that’s really generous. You won’t have to choose between your career and your new family,” Twilight squeaked. “Dash, you have no reason to be nervous.”

“I know that, but I am anyway. I mean, what if I get hurt at a show and can’t help out here? Or what if I get hurt here and can’t perform?” Rainbow whined, cringing at the thought.

“Don’t the Wonderbolts pay well? Very well? As long as you don’t go on a spending spree every time you get paid, you’ll have enough money that the Apples will never have to worry about losing the farm,” Twilight said encouragingly.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Rainbow sighed. “But what about—”

“Spitfire cares about you, Dash. I know she does. Your career won’t be in jeopardy if you get hurt helping your family, and if you get seriously hurt, she’s not just going to toss you out. Heck even if, stars forbid, you end up with an injury bad enough where you’ll never be able to compete again, she’ll probably make you a coach at the academy. She did say you were a good influence,” Twilight giggled, giving Rainbow’s hoof a squeeze. “You have nothing to worry about!”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right,” Rainbow exclaimed as she cracked a grin.

“So, is there anything else that’s bothering you?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Rainbow muttered, uncharacteristically timid. “You know how you’re supposed to be my Mare of Honor?”

“You want to have somepony else do it. That’s fine, Dash. I have no problem with that,” Twilight smiled.

“R-really? Just like that?” Rainbow asked.

“I’d like to know who and why, but it’s your wedding. I want it to be perfect for you, like my coronation was to me,” Twilight replied, turning towards the pegasus.

“I... I want Pinkie to do it. She’s been sort of mopey lately and—”

“Wait,” Twilight interrupted, utterly horrified, “she’s been mopey and this is the first I’m hearing about it? This is serious, Dash!”

“No! Nothing like that. I haven’t found her talking to rocks or anything. Well, no more than usual,” Rainbow chuckled nervously. “She just hasn’t been as perky lately as she normally is and I’m really getting worried about her. We’ve all been so busy setting this up that we haven’t had much time to hang out, and I think it’s been getting to her. I think that asking her to be my Mare of Honor is the kind of pick-me-up she needs right now.”

“That’s a great idea, Dash. In fact, I’ll go with you when you ask her so she knows that we didn’t have a fight or anything and you’re not only asking her because we’re angry at each other or something,” Twilight nodded thoughtfully. “You know what else? I’ll start asking her to visit me in Canterlot more often. That should keep her happy.”

“That’d be great, Twi!” Rainbow squealed, leaping up and pulling Twilight into a hug. “I-I know I don’t ever say it, but I’m really glad I have you in my life. You’re a great friend.”

Twilight laughed and returned the hug. “Me too. I wouldn’t trade your friendship for anything.”

Rainbow pulled back and smiled at Twilight, face reddening. “Can you, you know...”

“Not tell anypony that you got all mushy with me?” Twilight finished her sentence. “Don’t worry, from now on, it’s classified information. Only top-level Equestrian officials will be in the know”

“Heh, thanks.”

“So, ready to get out of here?” Twilight asked with a broad grin. “There’s a handsome stallion out there waiting for his bride, and a whole wedding party waiting for their hostess.”

“Yeah. Yeah I am,” Rainbow proclaimed, once again full of her usual confidence. “Let’s go!”

Chapter 20

Twenty-seven months since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this excited,” Twilight grinned, only half-heartedly stifling her laughter. “Especially over something this mundane.”

“Mundane?” Luna howled incredulously. “It has been nearly thirteen hundred years since I have been to the ocean. This is hardly ‘mundane’! At least not to me.” She stuck her head out of the window of the carriage the two rode in, staring ahead and bouncing with anticipation.

“Oh, settle down, you’re acting like a foal!” Twilight scolded, pulling Luna back into the carriage by a yank on her wings. “Besides we’re almost...” she began, only to trail off as the carriage came to a halt. “Correction: we’re here.”

Luna gave her an excited grin and lept from the carriage, galloping up and over the nearest dune. Twilight shook her head and laughed before slipping out of the carriage herself, making sure to thank the guards pulling it on her way. She followed a path around the dune and was greeted by a pristine shoreline and the sight of Luna trotting over to a an umbrella providing shade to a pair of ponies laying on a large blanket.

Approaching the blanket herself she called out a greeting to her friends. “Hi, Rarity! Fluttershy!”

“Twilight! I’m glad you two finally showed up,” Rarity squealed, gently setting her book and stylish sun hat aside. “This place is amazing, I can’t believe that I’ve never heard of it!”

“It is protected to ensure it remains clean and unspoiled. Trespassing here is an offense against the crown,” Luna replied proudly. “Buuuut seeing as Twilight and I are the crown, we are allowed to bend the rules, so long as we clean up after ourselves.”

She glanced down to the water where Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie were all wrestling in the waves. “I am just happy to see that everypony is having fun.”

“Oh, yes, without a doubt,” Rarity giggled, before sinking into a frown. “Where’s Spike? I figured that he’d be coming with you.”

“He stayed behind with Cadance, Mom and Dad. He’s supposed to send me a letter if something happens that I need to be there for,” Twilight explained, sitting down on the blanket next to her.

“Well, that was sweet of him.”

“Sort of. He actually hates the beach; the sand gets under his scales and it’s almost impossible to get back out. He’s usually itchy for days afterwards,” Twilight snickered.

“Ah. Yes I can understand that. It’s too bad though,” Rarity giggled sympathetically. “This may be about the only place in the world where I am comfortable being covered in earth. Well, aside from the spa, of course.”

“Of course,” Twilight chuckled. She turned to Fluttershy’s napping form and gently poked her with a hoof. “You seem to be enjoying yourself too.”

Fluttershy let out a content sigh and rolled onto her side, snuggling deeper into the blanket. “Mmmm... nice...”

“Now she has the right idea,” Luna stated as if asserting a well-known fact. She sauntered a few steps away from the umbrella, spread out a blanket of her own, and flopped down in the sunlight, stretching languidly.

“Thirteen centuries since you’ve been to a beach, and you’re not even going to go in the water?” Twilight asked teasingly.

“I have found sunning oneself in the warm ocean air to be one of the most relaxing things I have ever done, and thus it is and always has been my favorite part of coming to the ocean,” Luna said with a curt nod.

“That’s a rather odd thing for the Princess of the Night to say,” Rarity sniggered.

“Perhaps, but if anypony were to criticize me for it, all I would say to them is to try it for themselves, and only then may they tell me I’m wrong,” Luna retorted haughtily before laughing at herself. “Of course if they did, they would most certainly be lying.”

“I can’t argue against that. As for you, Twilight, Fancy Pants has told me that things have been a bit rough for you up at the castle,” Rarity stated, a smug smirk crossing her face at the thought of tantalizing gossip.

“Yeah, Luna can tell you all about that,” Twilight snorted, causing Rarity to turn back to the older Princess.

“I have been reworking which one of us performs which duty required of us. I have been assigning Twilight to duties that she is not yet proficient in, while taking those she has an understanding of for myself,” Luna said with an affirmative nod. “It is important that Twilight be able to perform all royal duties, instead of just the ones she’s good at, so I have been removing her from her comfort zone, so to speak. She’s been attending almost entirely to military matters lately, being tutored by some of the world’s best military minds and sitting in on all military events. Meanwhile I’ve taken over civic, diplomatic, and budgetary matters, except for the pet projects Twilight has started.

“I wish I could cancel court for her since that tends to be the biggest time sink, but everypony likes her too much; it would not be fair to the common ponies who would be unable to see her otherwise.”

“Hmm. That makes sense,” Rarity muttered.

“It makes sense, but it doesn’t make things any easier,” Twilight grumbled.

“Don’t fret, Twilight. I will not let you make any serious mistakes, and should something occur that requires military action, I will step in for you,” Luna replied encouragingly.

“I don’t mean to tell you how to do your job, Luna, but wouldn’t it be better to let Minister Ironside handle that?” Rarity asked concernedly.

“I happen to be an effective unit leader and an exceptional duelist,” Luna retorted defensively. “I have simply not had a reason to show such skills off lately, and for that I am thankful.”

“So you’re a dancing dueling diplomat?” Rarity asked, snorting with laughter.

Luna stared at her quizzically for a moment. “Yes... Yes I suppose I am,” she giggled softly. “There was a time when the nobility judged somepony based on their aptitude in those three skills rather than any more relevant abilities. Of course nowadays they judge other ponies based on their wealth and ancestry. I can’t say that’s an improvement. But enough of this; I came here for enjoyment, not to speak of politics! Where is the cooling chest?”

“Uhhh, you mean the ‘cooler’?” Twilight asked bewilderedly.

“Yes! I want a drink and if I know Rainbow Dash, she would never come to a place like this without bringing some,” Luna stated, standing up and emphasizing her point with a stomp of her hoof.

“You do know Rainbow Dash,” Rarity smirked. She pointed to a spot several yards away. “It’s right there. She and Pinkie Pie half-buried it in the sand for some reason.”

Luna gave Rarity an appreciative grunt and took a step towards it before stopping and turning back to her. “Would you like anything while I’m there? How about yourself, Twilight?”

“Yeah, but I think I’ll come with you. I don’t really know what I want,” Twilight mused, standing up and starting to walk towards the cooler. She only made it three steps before a voice from the water stopped her.

“Wait, Twilight! I gotta ask you something.” Twilight turned and saw Pinkie bouncing towards her.

She turned to Luna and smiled. “I’ll catch up.” She trotted down to meet Pinkie and greeted her with a hug. “Oh, you’re soaked... Anyway, what’s up?”

“Nothing!” Pinkie grinned. “I just didn’t want you to get too close.”

“Too close to—”

An ear-shattering blast shook the ground and Twilight wheeled around towards it source to see Luna standing motionless by the cooler, covered horn to hoof in pink glitter.

“That.”

“Pinkie!”

“Oop! Gotta go!” At that, Pinkie took off towards the water with Luna barreling after her with the fury of a freight train.

Twilight shook her head and continued on to the cooler. She inspected its contents, which were somehow glitter-free, extracted a bottle of water and returned to the blanket, nestling down next to Rarity.

“How Fluttershy slept through that racket, I’ll never know,” Rarity muttered.

“I didn’t. I’m just too comfortable to move,” the pegasus murmured.

“I don’t blame you,” Twilight said with a content sigh before turning to Rarity. “So, anything particularly interesting happen around Ponyville lately?”

“Yes. Well, no. Just something I’ve noticed recently,” Rarity whispered, motioning for Twilight to come closer. “Look at Rainbow Dash for a moment.”

“Okay...”

“Notice anything about her? Anything different? Anything odd?” Rarity asked, pointing towards her.

“Not really,” Twilight muttered, slightly confused.

“How she’s a little wider around the middle than she used to be? Like she’s gained some weight?” Rarity asked, her voice rising a bit. “It’s very, very slight. Most ponies would never notice it. Heck, the only reason I do is because I’ve memorized all of our measurements.”

“Ooohhh... I think I see what you mean,” Twilight muttered, squinting at the pegasus for a better look. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at though, ponies gain and lose weight all the time.”

“Yes, but Rainbow Dash is a professional athlete, and a highly active mare. Keeping that in mind. Why do you think she’d be putting on any weight?” Rarity squealed excitedly.

“I don’t know; you tell m—” Twilight stopped speaking as the meaning of Rarity’s words hit her. “You don’t think? No!”

“She’s a married mare, Twilight. Even if she and Macintosh weren’t trying, it’s quite possible,” Rarity replied with a mischievous grin.

“Do you think she knows?”

“I doubt it. To be honest, there’s many reasons to think I’m wrong,” Rarity breathed. “But I have a hunch that I’m not. A strong hunch.”

“What do you have a ‘Rarity Sense’ or some—” She ceased speaking again as a trail of smoke descended from the sky.

Everypony stopped. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash; even Pinkie and Luna halted their playful attempts to drown each other to stare at the smoke as it began to form into a scroll in front of Twilight.

But she was gone before it hit the ground.

Twilight appeared in the central square of the Crystal City and launched herself into the air, flying higher and higher. Gazing around, she spotted the City’s medical clinic and charged her magic again, teleporting to the building’s doors and barging in.

A crystal pony in the lobby galloped up to her, speaking quickly. “Second floor, right at the top of the stairs, third door on the left!”

“Thank you!” Twilight gasped, immediately making for the nearest staircase. With a hard flap of her wings, she threw herself up to the top, landing on the wall and pushing off so that she rocketed through the door and into the hallway. She galloped down to the third door and stopped, gently pushing it open.

She stepped into the room and her eyes were immediately drawn to the hospital bed, where Princess Cadance lay. She glanced from the alicorn, to her parents, to her brother, and then to Spike. “Am-am I too late?”

“By about five minutes,” Spike muttered. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I told you that the scroll would take a while to get to you once I sent it.”

“I know, Spike. It’s okay,” She breathed, her legs mindlessly carrying her forward. Her pulse quickened and her breathing became shallow as she found herself unable to take her eyes off of the small bundle of cloth in her brother’s hooves.

He turned to her, an expression of pure disbelief, pure joy in his eyes. “Twiley... It- it’s a colt.”

“A c-colt? It’s a colt?” she stammered, her entire body shuddering. “Oh my gosh...” She stopped next to him and glanced into the blanket. “He looks like dad... Does he have wings?”

“No, just a horn. He has his mother’s eyes though,” Shining Armor whispered.

“He opened his eyes? Already?” Twilight gasped.

“Yes he did,” Cadance said with an exhausted sigh. “We named him Dusk Shine; after his Aunt.”

“You named him Dusk Shine...” Twilight murmured, her mind overloaded with a whirlwind of emotions.

Cadance giggled at her softly. “So, would you like to hold him?”

Twilight glanced at her excitedly and nodded vigorously, sitting down on her haunches and holding her front hooves out. Shining smiled at her and gently shifted the foal’s weight into her chest.

Twilight tried to speak; tried to say something, anything to express how she felt, but she couldn’t. Her entire being was just too preoccupied, staring happily at the newest member of her family.

Chapter 21

Thirty-five months since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight stood on the platform of Canterlot’s train station, giving her best smile to yet another group of passerbys that had stopped to greet her. There was a time when she would’ve hated all the attention, but that time was long past. In fact, with all the time she had been spending in the palace lately, she was positively enjoying it; it had been weeks since the last time she had walked around the city.

A young colt scampered up to her with a big grin plastered on his face and asked if he could take a picture with her. She giggled, pulled him into a hug, and let his mother take a photo. She had just stood up and ruffled his mane when she heard the low rumble of an approaching train. She gave the colt one a last smile and trotted down the platform to meet it.

The engine rumbled to the stop and ponies started filing out. It wasn’t long before she saw a familiar stetson above the crowd.

“Applejack! Applejack, I’m over here!” She saw the hat turn in her direction and began moving through the parting crowd towards her friend.

Applejack glanced around for a moment before she found Twilight and cracked a grin. “There ya are! Ah knew Ah heard ya,” the farmpony said as she approached. “How’d you spot me so quick?”

“Your hat,” Twilight giggled.

“Oh yeah, that’d do it,” Applejack snickered.

“So where’s Rain— Woah! Dash, you’ve gotten... wide,” Twilight stammered, gaping at the pegasus.

“Tell me about it,” she grumbled. “It’s exhausting.”

“I can imagine. You sure that there’s just one in there?” Twilight asked teasingly.

“Yeah. Every doctor I’ve talked to said there’s just one foal. It’s just really big,” Rainbow replied with a shrug.

“No surprise there,” Applejack chucked, gently elbowing the pregnant mare in the ribs. “Ah told you from day one: no foal of Mac’s is gonna be small.”

“Yeah, yeah...” Rainbow sighed, failing to hide a smile. The smile waned slightly as she looked back towards Twilight and pointed to the folder she had tucked under her wing. “Is that what you need our help with?”

“Oh! Yes, yes it is,” Twilight muttered. “But it’s a very sensitive subject and the fewer ponies that know about it, the better; so, I’d really prefer if we wait until we get to the restaurant before we start. I’ve reserved a private booth and cast a few soundproofing spells on it, so we won’t have to worry.”

She turned around and beckoned for them to follow her, but Applejack shook her head.

“Before we go, sugarcube, there’s somethin’ Ah need ta tell ya,” she said with a coy smile.

“Okay, I’m listening,” Twilight replied, turning back around to face Applejack with a confused frown.

“Well, you see...” Applejack said softly, gesturing downwards with her eyes.

Twilight followed her gaze and felt her jaw drop at the sight of a beautiful emerald-inlaid gold bracelet adorning the Earth Pony’s hoof. “H-he proposed? Oh my gosh!” She quickly closed the distance between them and seized Applejack’s hoof in her own. “This is amazing! The gems even match your eyes perfectly!”

“Ah know. He said it took him weeks to find enough that were just the right shade,” Applejack smirked proudly.

“When did he ask?” Twilight said breathlessly.

“About a week and a half ago. Ah’m sorry that Ah didn’t write to you about it, but Ah wanted ta tell ya face-to-face,” Applejack said happily.

“Oh, don’t apologize, AJ. I completely understand,” Twilight giggled.

“She’s not the only one with news either,” Rainbow snickered, causing Twilight to whip her head towards the pegasus.

“What?”

“Well, from what Ah can tell, last night Fancy Pants stopped by the Boutique with a big envelope fulla’ designs he wanted to have Rarity look at...” Applejack started.

“...But when she opened it, a ring fell out,” Rainbow finished.

“No. Way. Seriously?” Twilight squealed.

“Seriously,” Applejack nodded. “‘Least that’s what we think happened. Rare was still speakin’ in excited squeaks when we left this mornin’.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow chuckled. “You shouldda seen the ring though! Biggest diamond I’ve ever seen. Of course he probably bought it, I can’t see him digging one up like Rockhammer.”

“Well I guess we’ve got two more weddings to plan now!” Twilight said with a huge grin that faded almost immediately. “Oh, no...”

“What’s wrong?” Rainbow asked, taking a heavy step forward.

“How am I going to tell Spike?” Twilight murmured.

“Don’t,” Applejack inserted, shaking her head. “Ah asked Rarity about that. She told me to tell you that she wanted to tell him herself. She said that he deserves to hear it directly from her, ‘n that it’ll soften the blow a bit.”

“She did? I guess that’s a bit of a relief,” Twilight sighed. She stared at nothing in particular for a short moment before shaking her head. “I guess there’s no use worrying about it now. We should probably start walking, the restaurant has got to be wondering where we are. Besides, I haven’t eaten all day, and Dash is eating for two.”

“Oh, you’ve got that right,” Rainbow muttered.

She turned around and began walking; slowly enough at first for the other two to catch up to her, and then at a mildly faster pace.

“So, what’s been happenin’ here lately?” Applejack asked her tepidly. “All the newspapers mentioned some kinda hullabaloo last week, but none of ‘em would say what.”

“Oh, that. We just narrowly avoided a civil war, nothing major,” Twilight grumbled sarcastically. “First Blueblood got himself banned from the castle, then thrown in prison. After that I had five noble houses at my throat with the Royal Guard ready to attack said houses against my direct orders. All in the span of about six hours.”

“Okay; this I’ve gotta hear,” Rainbow said with a deadpan sigh.

“I was holding a budgetary meeting last Wednesday to discuss building a new rail line between Manehattan and Trottingham when Blueblood got into an argument with my Deputy Minister of Agriculture over... something— I don’t really know or care what— anyway, he said some really nasty things to her. Now, I told everypony on my first day in office that anypony who spoke like that around me would be banned from the castle, so I told a few of the nearby guards to throw him out.”

“Okay...” Rainbow mumbled.

Twilight nodded and continued, “That's nothing new, but he started to struggle as they were carrying him to the door and ended up kicking one of them in the face. It was an accident, but striking a guard is a Class D felony with a minimum seven year sentence, and he kicked her so hard that he broke her nose, so there wasn’t much I could do to de-escalate the situation.”

“Oh, that’s awful,” Applejack winced. “Is the guard okay? Ah broke my nose when Ah was a filly, ‘n it was one of the most painful things that’s ever happened to me.”

“She’s okay, just very angry. I actually saw her this morning,” Twilight said reassuringly. “As for Blueblood, I was afraid of what the other guards would do to him, so I had Minister Ironside send a few regular soldiers to take custody of him. Unfortunately, Blueblood’s family and their political allies showed up at the castle a few hours later demanding that I let him go.”

“And Ah’m guessin’ the guards demanded otherwise.”

“Yeah. They demanded that I let them arrest all of the protesters,” Twilight grumbled. “Luna and I had to do some delicate negotiating to keep a riot from breaking out. We managed to talk everypony down, but things are still a bit tense.”

“If nothing else, at least Blueblood will be out of your mane for a while,” Rainbow replied with a shrug.

“You’d think that, but he’s a bigger pain in the flank when he’s behind bars than when he isn’t,” Twilight sighed. “He may be almost universally disliked, but his House is very wealthy, very powerful, and he, himself, is very shrewd. Most interhouse political maneuvers go through him at some point, so having him imprisoned has put a lot of plots and schemes on hold. The nobles don’t like that and they take it out on me.”

“All this because he was mean to somepony,” Applejack grunted, rolling her eyes. “Couldn’t ya convince the judge to give him probation or somethin’? He may be an idiot, but the kick was an accident and nopony deserves to be thrown in the dungeon just for insultin’ somepony.”

“I could, but what I can’t do is figure out a faster way to turn the entire Royal Guard against me,” Twilight said.

“What could he have said that was so bad?” Rainbow asked.

“He uhh... well...” Twilight stopped in the street and glanced around. She frowned and beckoned for them to come closer. “He called her a mud-dweller,” she whispered.

Rainbow snarled angrily and flapped her wings, trying half-heartedly to take off against the weight in her belly. “No!”

“Oh that just low. Even Earth Ponies don’t call each other that. Ya know what? Forget what I said; leave ‘im in jail fer a while,” Applejack spat. She turned to continue along the road but stopped dead. “This the place? Twilight, you can’t be serious.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Twilight asked defensively.

“Y’all told me that they put the restaraunt in a barn. That’s no barn, that’s what ponies who’ve never seen a barn think one looks like!” Applejack exclaimed, pointing a hoof at the offending structure.

“We’re in Canterlot, what did you expect? Besides, the food’s excellent. You’ll love it, I promise,” Twilight retorted smugly, leading the way into the building. The trio was immediately set upon by a smartly dressed Unicorn hostess.

“Princess Twilight! Welcome. We have your table prepared for you,” the hostess gasped, shaking with excitement. “Please follow me.” She turned and began leading the three of them towards the back of the building, with the eyes of nearly every patron following.

“Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash!” a voice shouted from across the restaurant, causing all three of them to turn in its direction. “It‘s really you!”

“I guess we ran into a few of your fans,” Twilight giggled.

“Yep, I guess so,” Rainbow chuckled. “Well, duty calls. I’ll catch up to you two.”

She sauntered off towards a large group of ponies as Twilight and Applejack continued to the back where the hostess beckoned them into a room and closed the door behind them, leaving them alone with a sharply-dressed pegasus. “Hello, Princess and guest! My name is Pumpernickel, and I’ll be your waiter today. I have been assigned to this table only. If you need my service, simply pull the rope by the door and I will be alerted immediately. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” He pulled out a pair of chairs for them to sit down and began pouring water into a few glasses. “Shall I bring you some menus or would you prefer to hear our specials?”

“Actually, I have a special request, if you don’t mind,” Twilight replied softly.

“Of course!” he said with a nod, pulling a quill and notepad from his apron.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you have the head chef prepare whatever he considers his absolute best meal? Even if it’s not on the menu?” Twilight asked hopefully.

He quickly jotted her request down and spat out the quill. “No trouble at all. Especially for a Princess,” he grinned smugly.

“Oh! One more thing: nothing with apples unless he wants the most brutally honest review he’s ever gotten,” Twilight snickered.

Pumpernickel frowned and glanced from Twilight to Applejack— who gave him a mischievous wink— and back to Twilight. “Okay... I’ll be sure to inform him.” He bowed and turned to the door. “I’ll go place your order. Again, I’ll be right outside if you need anything.” He reached for the handle only for it to open on its own as Rainbow Dash entered. The two exchanged smiles and he left.

“So, Dash, what did they want?” Twilight asked as she pulled her folder from beneath her wing and placed it on the table.

“Autographs,” Rainbow said with a proud smile. She climbed into the nearest chair and leaned back with a groan. “And to ask about the foal. A couple of the mares also wanted me to ask AJ if she had any brothers that nopony knew about.”

“Ya told them who Ah was?”

“No, they already knew,” Rainbow chuckled.

“B-but how?” Applejack stammered.

“Applejack, your sister-in-law is a Wonderbolt, you’re close personal friends with all three of Equestria’s princesses and a bearer of an Element of Harmony,” Twilight explained. “You’re much more famous than you realize, whether you like it or not. Now, can we get to business?”

Applejack and Rainbow glanced at each other for a moment before nodding to Twilight.

“Good. I take it the both of you remember the project I set up to help increase apple production?” Twilight asked, spreading the contents of the folder across the table.

“The one that hasn’t done anything yet? Yeah, Ah remember,” Applejack grumbled.

“Errr, yes. That one,” Twilight mumbled sheepishly. “Well, while it hasn’t produced anything workable, there have been some results. For instance...” She glanced over the countless papers she had brought and selected a tiny stack, passing it to Applejack with her magic. “Last month a pair of the scientists— an Earth Pony and a Unicorn— were messing around during a break and had an accidental breakthrough.”

Applejack stared at the top page of the stack and frowned. “Ah’m not quite sure what this says.”

“Well, the Unicorn cast a tracing spell on the Earth Pony and ended up accidentally tracing the magical link between the Earth Pony and a nearby apple tree.”

“WHAT?” Applejack yelled. “That’s huge! Why haven’t Ah heard about this? Why hasn’t everypony heard about this?”

“Because they haven’t been able to replicate it, and that’s everything in science,” Twilight said with a disappointed sigh. “Like I said, they were just messing around, so they didn’t write down what they were doing and when they tried to do it again, they couldn’t pull it off. I’ve known the two who did it for years and I believe them when they say they did it, but unless they can replicate the results, it doesn’t matter.”

“I’m missing something. What’s the big deal?” Rainbow asked, reading the page over Applejack’s shoulder.

“This proves that Earth Ponies use magic too. Or at least it would’ve,” Applejack grumbled.

“Exactly,” Twilight replied with a nod. “It might not be useful in a practical sense, but it would do wonders for relations between the different types of ponies. Everypony knows that Pegasi and Unicorns use magic; Pegasi use it subconsciously to walk on and manipulate clouds, and Unicorns with their horns, but Earth Ponies? If we had solid proof that Earth Ponies were magical as well, it would be a massive blow to racism in Equestria.”

“Oh, I get it now,” Rainbow exclaimed. “Yeah, that really stinks that they can’t get it to work again.”

“That’s not all!” Twilight said excitedly, sliding another stack of papers to her friends. “This is a research paper on Unicorn magic written by an Earth Pony. It describes how a spell could be stored in a single-use crystal.”

“Woah! That’d be awesome,” Rainbow squealed, reaching across the table and dragging the document towards her. “I don’t think there’s a weather pony alive who wouldn’t love to be able to carry a warming spell around on blizzard duty!”

“True, but that’s not the impressive part. Figuring all that out required a complete understanding of how Unicorn magic works, where it comes from, and where it goes after it’s used. Most Unicorns don’t understand magic that well and we’re the ones who use it!” Twilight said excitedly. “This project has done more to advance racial understanding in the past two years than anything else has in the past two hundred!”

“Okay, so what d’ya need our help with?” Applejack asked.

“I’d like to expand the program,” Twilight nodded, pushing the largest stack of papers to them. “Right now it’s just a collaboration between Earth Pony agricultural scientists and Unicorn magical scientists, and they’re focusing only on studying apple trees. I want to expand it so that they not only study every aspect of agriculture, but I also want to include every industry dominated by Earth Ponies, have them study how Unicorn magic could be used to improve quality-of-life everywhere, and I want to add Pegasi to the program.” She leaned across the table and stared directly into Applejack’s eyes to emphasise her point. “I want to include every single aspect of life in Equestria. If we can get all three types of ponies sharing their secrets and co-operating for the common good, not only could we create a modern renaissance, but we could— quite possibly— eliminate racial tension in Equestria forever.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash both gaped at her for a few seconds before lowering their eyes to the proposal and beginning to read. Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat and sat back, allowing them to take in the document. The silence in the room was suffocating, punctuated only by the occasional turning of a page, for nearly twenty minutes.

“Twilight, this is impressive, but...” Rainbow Dash said in a low murmur.

“But what?”

Rainbow struggled to find her words for a moment before continuing. “It’s just that—” She was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Hold that thought,” Twilight sighed before using her magic to swing the door open.

Pumpernickel entered with a large grin, bearing a tray laden with bowls of various sizes. “I think I’ve got a real treat for you!” He set the tray down in the center of the table and began to ladle a thick orange liquid out of the largest bown into a few smaller ones. “This is squash soup. It’s actually on our menu at the moment as an autumn specialty. It’s a bisque made of three different types of squashes and a few types of fruits and vegetables blended with vegetable stock and spices. Full disclosure: there are apples in it, but I don’t think you’ll be able to taste them.”

He passed the soup around and pointed to a trio of three covered ceramic bowls. “That’s some kind of root vegetable stew. It has... Well, it has basically everything that grows underground except for carrots.”

“So turnips, potatoes, rutabagas, parsnips, ‘n sweet potatoes,” Applejack muttered.

“Errr... yes. You know your produce. There’s also a tiny bit of radish and dandelion for flavor,” Pumpernickel replied with an affirmative nod. “Enjoy. I’ll be back shortly to check on everything.”

Twilight used her magic to pass out bowls of stew and turned back to Rainbow as the other two dug in. “Okay, what were you saying?”

“I don’t think it’ll work,” Rainbow muttered sheepishly. “You know how secretive we Pegasi are about our work on the weather, especially towards unicorns.”

“That’s why I need you two,” Twilight asserted. “The two of you have a lot of pull in your communities and you could convince them to go along with this.”

“Uhhh, Twi, don’t take this the wrong way, and Ah can’t say that enough, but Ah don’t think you’re seeing the entire problem,” Applejack said apologetically.

“Meaning?”

“Well, most Unicorns aren’t exactly known for being open with their magic. You’re one of the best ponies Ah know ‘n Ah don’t want to offend ya, but shouldn’t y’all be more worried about gettin’ the Unicorns to co-operate?” Applejack asked tepidly, to ashamed to look Twilight in the eye.

“Oh, Applejack, look at me,” Twilight giggled. “I’m under no illusion that the Unicorns will be far more difficult that the Earth ponies and the Pegasi combined. We— or they since I’m not really a Unicorn anymore— can be arrogant and self-absorbed. I remember how bad I was when I first went to Ponyville. The thing is that I can handle them. I have a lot of credibility among Unicorn scientists and enough political pull to shut up the ones who start to cause trouble.”

She sat back in her chair again and shook her head. “But I need help with the Pegasi and Earth Ponies. Maybe if I waited a decade or two they’d be willing to listen to me directly, but I don’t want to wait that long. Equestria needs this now.”

Applejack sighed and nodded when another knock came and Pumpernickel entered. “How is everything?”

“Well, it’s interestin’ to say the least,” Applejack snickered. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s really good, but Ah’m not used to food this, uhhh, rich.”

“I actually asked the chef about that,” Pumpernickel stated. “He comes from the mountains north of Manehattan, and he said that these dishes are what he grew up on. Apparently the winters there are particularly brutal, so they eat heavy food like this to stay warm.”

“It’d certainly do the trick,” Applejack snickered. “Tell ‘im it has mah approval.”

He nodded and turned to Rainbow, who had taken to just poking at her soup. “If you don’t like it, I can bring you something else.”

“Oh! Nah, I love it!” Rainbow asserted and then pointed to her belly “This one, however, not so much.”

“Oh, I see. One moment.” Without another word, he disappeared out the door and appeared thirty seconds later and placed a massive slice of cake in front of her. “Double-layer chocolate fudge with vanilla glaze and raspberry filling.”

Rainbow gaped at the dessert before slowly turning to him. “How did you know?”

“My cousin just had a foal. During her last few weeks, she could eat three of these and not break a sweat.” He gave her a wink and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Anyway, Twilight, here’s the problem,” Applejack inserted. “This project would require all three types of ponies to tell their deepest trade secrets. Now that wouldn’t be a problem if we had some guarantee that we’d be better off for it, but we don’t. Ah mean you’re basin’ it on a project that’s been runnin’ three years ‘n hasn’t posted any results. Y’all are askin’ us to just accept it because it’ll work in theory. Ya know how much respect Earth Ponies have for theories.”

“Yeah, I’m sort of in the same situation,” Rainbow muttered, wiping chocolate from her muzzle. “If I had something to show everypony, it’d be a lot easier. Something I could point at and say ‘look what they did for them, imagine what they could do for us!’”

“That’s fair,” Twilight said softly. “So I guess the success of this proposal hinges on the success of the base project.”

“Yep.”

“Pretty much.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do.”

Chapter 22

Forty-two months since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“That. Is. My. Nose. Let go!” Luna squealed as she tried to pull away from the unicorn colt on the bed. She pulled upwards as he hung off of her snout for a second or two before dropping to the comforter with a soft ‘plop’. She gave the foal a vexed smile, rubbing her muzzle gingerly. “Your nephew is too adorable for his own good, Twilight.”

“I know, isn’t he!” Twilight gushed, cuddling Dusk Shine to her chest. She leaned down and blew a raspberry into his belly, causing him to screech with laughter.

“I am rather surprised that Cadence and Shining Armor would ask you to foalsit though. Planning for Hearth’s Warming doesn’t leave either of us with much time for ourselves, let alone for a foal. We haven’t had the chance to dine out in well over a month and I miss watching the stars with you,” Luna mused, gently stroking Twilight’s hoof. “As much as I enjoy having him around, I miss our alone time.”

“Well, they didn’t really ask,” Twilight snickered with a slight blush. “It was closer to me begging. And how could I not? He’s so cute!” She gave him a quick squeeze before giving Luna an apologetic glance. “Though for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that I took away our evenings. I should’ve asked first.”

“I don’t mind so much. We don’t get to see them, and thus Dusk Shine, as often as we used to. It’s nice to be able to bond with him like this, with you,” Luna smiled. “Besides, the only time I ever get to interact with foals is to kiss them for cameras. This is far more preferable.”

“I can understand that,” Twilight chuckled, glancing back down at her nephew with a grin. With a mischievous smirk, Luna, leaned in, nipping the corner of Twilight’s jaw with her lips. “Luna... Not now!”

“Oh, relax, love. It’s nothing he has not seen his parents do before,” Luna snickered, working her way down Twilight’s jawline towards her lips when a frantic knocking at the door caused the pair to jump. They exchanged a pair of confused glances and Luna grumbled, “One week. Is one. Single. Week of having our evenings go uninterrupted too much to ask?”

“Apparently,” Twilight muttered before calling out. “It’s unlocked, come in.”

A Unicorn burst through the door with a massive grin on his face, “Princess Twilight, we did it!” He stopped dead when he saw Dusk Shine and began to blush. “A-am I interrupting something?”

“Well, sort of, but that goes along with being a Princess,” Twilight said, awkwardly shifting herself away from Luna awkwardly. She pointed at a nearby spot on the floor, “Calm down, have a seat, and tell me what’s going on. Who are you, and what exactly have you ‘done?’”

He stared at the spot she pointed at incredulously for a moment, but sat down anyway. “Sorry, Your Highness. I am an assistant for Professor Plowshare. He’s—”

“One of the scientists I have working on the apple project,” Twilight nodded unenthusiastically. “I just spoke to him just last week and he said he had nothing substantial on any of his projects.”

“Well, at the time, he didn’t but the we ran some tests that produced some astounding results a few hours ago and just finished crunching the numbers. He didn’t say anything because this project was just a shot in the dark. We didn’t expect to get results at all, let alone good ones,” the assistant explained with a guilty frown.

Intrigued, she turned her body to face him, gently shifting Dusk Shine to a more comfortable position. “Tell me everything.”

”It’s actually pretty simple,” he shrugged. “We created a... I suppose ‘cover crop’ would be the most accurate term for it, but it’s really a type of grass designed to be planted in orchards. Actually, that’s not accurate, it’s two types of grass that, when permanently planted in the same area, would increase output by at least 10%.”

“So this would work for all orchards, not just apples?” Luna asked tentatively.

“Yes, Your Highness, though it’s optimized for apples,” he said with a nod.

“Would it work as a normal cover crop?” Twilight asked. “If we were to plant it over, say, a carrot field and then just plow it into the soil when it’s time for planting.”

“No. It takes too long to achieve its desired effect. Though we could use some of the data to improve on other cover crops though.”

Satisfied, Twilight gave a quick nod and continued her questioning, “So, what do these grasses do?”

“Well, the first one has a very thick root system that hinders water evaporation to counter Equestria’s new weather patterns,” he explained. “The second we magically crossbred with a type of clover; it self-fertilizes the soil and—”

“Stop. Right. There,” Twilight growled. “You magically crossbred two types of plants? That’s illlegal! There’s thirty-seven different regulations against that and I could have you all arrested for any single one of them.”

“Please don’t! We were careful, I promise,” he pleaded. “We went over each regulation and stayed within their bounds. We may not have followed the spirit of the law, but we followed the letter!”

“That’s not the point! Using magic to manipulate living things like that can be very dangerous!” she snarled. “You could’ve put all of Equestria in danger by being so reckless. What if—”

“Twilight, these are practiced and esteemed scientists, whom you hoof-picked for this project,” Luna interrupted calmly, gently stroking Twilight’s shoulder. “Not some random unicorns trying to beat their neighbors in a gardening contest. I have no doubt that they knew what they were doing and considered all the risks before proceeding.”

Twilight glared between the two of them for a moment before sighing. “Fine... but I’m going to be personally checking over your work and I’m going to do some tests of my own on the finished product. I’ll also be speaking to Plowshare about hoofing the line so blatantly.”

Luna placed a hoof on one of Twilight’s with a stern glare “May we continue? I still have questions I’d like to ask, and an assistant shouldn’t be made to answer for his boss’ crimes.”

Twilight flinched guiltily and nodded. “Errr... yes. Sorry.”

Luna fixed her gaze back on the assistant. “Adverse effects. Surely, such a change to an organism cannot be without some. What are they?”

“Well, they’re not toxic, but they are indigestible; you’d get quite a stomachache. That could have an effect on rabbits and such in the area it’s planted in, but I doubt they’d eat much of it anyway; it tastes disgusting. Luckily it doesn’t spread easily; it mostly just stays where it was planted.”

Luna nodded. “Good to know. Anything else?”

“Well, it’s not really an adverse effect, but it’s not cheap. One hundred fifty bits per acre,” he muttered. “After it’s planted though, it seems to take care of itself.”

Twilight gave a low whistle. “Not cheap is right... I’d like to know more about how this stuff ‘self-fertilizes’ the soil.”

”Well, ummm, as you know, there are certain plants that take nitrogen from the air and turn it into fertilizer. We crossbred grass with a few of those plants, then made the process more efficient so that it produces so much that it has to release some into the soil, instead of just using it for itself. It also helps to balance the acidity of the soil it’s planted in; with some more work we could create different breeds of grass to match different breeds of apples,” he explained. “I-if you allow us to continue, that is.”

“I might consider it. Anything else?” Twilight asked firmly.

“Nothing specific.”

“Now, I have some instructions for you, and I want them followed to the letter. Got it?” Twilight said firmly. “First things first, go back to Plowshare, have him collect all of the relevant research material and make one copy of each and every piece of it. One and only one. I want him to keep the copies under lock-and-key and send all of the original pieces directly to me, and I want it done immediately. Understood?”

“Yes’m,” he replied nervously. “Originals to you, copies locked up.”

“Next, I want him to write up a brief summary of what you created. No specifics, and absolutely no mention of magical manipulation. I want a copy of the summary written for the Minister of Agriculture, one written for the Minister of the Interior, and one written for the Deputy Prime Minister. I also want these sent to me,” Twilight continued. “I’ll take care of things from there, and under no circumstances is anypony outside of the project to find out about any of this; not until I’ve made sure that I’ve taken care of all the legal stuff.”

He stood up and bowed to her. “Anything else, Princess?”

“No, not at the moment,” Twilight sighed. He bowed again, turned around and left. Twilight magically locked the door behind him and turned to Luna. “How are we going to fund this? Even if it passes every test I throw at it, next year’s budget is already finalized, our stipends won’t cover it, and there’s absolutely no chance that anypony in the apple industry could afford it.”

“Well, I have an idea,” Luna muttered, “but you’re not going to like it.”

“You know how much I hate it when you say that,” Twilight whined. “Just tell me what you’re thinking, I’m not in the mood for games tonight.”

“We could issue bonds—” Luna began.

“No!” Twilight snarled. “Every time we ask to borrow money, it comes with strings attached. The nobles always end up demanding something we’re not willing to give them.”

“There are ways around the noble blockade, Twilight. We could, for instance, issue personal bonds,” Luna replied with a smug smirk.

“Personal bonds? As in you and I issue bonds ourselves?” Twilight asked. “Are we even allowed to do that?”

“We are. There is a little-known law that allows both you and I to issue bonds to fund personal projects,” Luna explained. “If the two of us each issued a few million bits worth, it would go a long way to covering what the apple farmers themselves are unable to.”

Twilight stared at her for a moment, going over the numbers in her head before giving a frustrated sigh. “But how do we pay the bonds back? Even if we issue twenty-year bonds our stipends won’t completely cover it.”

“Creative legislation,” Luna replied. “The tax cut you secured for the apple industry expires at the end next year, and if your scientists have indeed been successful, then there will be no need to extend it for any longer than a couple more years.”

She stood up and stretched out. “So here’s what we do: rather than just give the apple farmers the money, we offer it to them in the form of minimal interest loans. Loans that we will fund by selling said bonds.”

“Okay... I’m with you so far,” Twilight muttered.

“At the same time, we get the council to pass a tax credit covering the money they repay us equal to the amount that their taxes would have gone up at the end of the exemption, and set their repayments equal to the amount of the tax credit,” Luna grinned. “We then save the repayments and use the money to buy back the bonds. The apple farmers would essentially pay the same amount in taxes that they have been for the past few years, but with higher production. And the bonds would be covered!”

“And if the council refuses to pass the tax credit?” Twilight asked unenthusiastically. “Like I said before, they’re not just going to give us money because we ask.”

“They will have no choice. As royalty, out debts are covered by the faith of the treasury. If we were to default on the bonds, the treasury would be forced to pick up the bill and likely just recover the funds from any future payments to the two of us,” Luna said with a mischievous grin. “In the end, it would be far cheaper to just do as we ask than it would be to refuse us.”

“Luna... That’s a very bad plan that will make a lot of ponies very angry,” Twilight snarled. “You’re asking me to practically spit in the faces of ponies who can make everything we try to do extremely difficult.”

Luna frowned at her indignantly. “I must say, I am rather disappointed in you, Twilight.”

“W-what? What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight squeaked angrily.

“Since when have you been concerned with things being ‘extremely difficult?” Luna scolded. “We have a solution in front of us, and though not ideal, you refuse to take hold of it, simply because it’s too hard.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it! You—” she screeched back, only to stop herself when Dusk Shine let out a frightened yelp. She snuggled him closer and continued more quietly. “You come up with one idea. One bad idea, and expect me to just go with it?”

“Come up with? Twilight, do you seriously think that this is a brand new idea? This exact political maneuver is something Celestia came up with centuries ago, and is based heavily off of an entirely different maneuver that I, myself, invented and successfully implemented many, many times before my banishment,” Luna explained calmly with a roll of her eyes. “And do you know why ‘Tia and I used it so frequently? Because it works.”

“And how frequently did it cause you problems with angry nobles?” Twilight hissed defiantly.

“Every single time; but as you, yourself, have said before, it is our job to take the nobles’ abuse so that the rest of Equestria does not have to. All we receive in return is the satisfaction of knowing we did the right thing.”

“But—”

“No ‘buts’, Twilight. You know as well as I do that the nobles are angered by nearly everything we do and nothing will change that. However, if you have an idea for obtaining funds without arousing their ire, please tell,” Luna replied sarcastically with a hint of annoyance. “I would love to hear it.”

Twilight frowned at her for a moment, then hung her head.

“As I thought,” Luna snorted. “Now, I am going to the library. I am going to go prepare the paperwork we will need to issue the bonds and research the legal measures needed to enact our repayment plan.”

“Fine,” Twilight grunted, giving Luna a glare.

Luna moved in for a kiss and Twilight turned her cheek. “Well, if that’s the way you wish to be,” Luna glowered. “Dusk Shine will at least give me a kiss, won’t you?” She knelt down and nuzzled the giggling colt and gave him a peck on the cheek. She turned around and trotted to the door before stopping to look towards Twilight.

“It will work, Twilight, one way or another. Worst comes to worst, we will go without our stipends for a decade or two. But we will have our apple industry back, I swear it.”

Chapter 23

Five years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Then it’s settled,” Twilight proclaimed, stamping the scroll in front of her. “Starting next fiscal year, Equestria’s tariffs will be increased by an additional two-percent and all additional funds generated will be applied to making badly-needed upgrades to our ports.”

A murmur of agreement rang through the hall and Twilight glanced at the massive clock hanging behind her. “Well, it’s getting late, everypony. Is there anything else anypony would like to discuss before the budget is finalized?”

“I have something!” a unicorn mare shouted from next to the podium.

“Fiscal Fanatic... what a surprise,” Twilight groaned. “Would this have anything to do with restoring the revoked mining subsidies? The ones that I mathematically proved were actually doing more to damage the economy than to benefit it?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Request denied,” Twilight said blandly. “Inevitable objection overruled. I’ll hear no more of it.”

“B-but, Princess, I—”

Twilight slapped a hoof on the podium. “You’ve been pestering me about that for months, and I’m tired of hearing it. One more word and I’ll have you held in contempt.”

“You can’t—”

“Bailiff?” Twilight interrupted. A burly Earth Pony guard approached and gave her a quick bow. “Lady Fiscal here is in contempt of this council. Please escort her off of the castle grounds. If, however, she says another word while still on the property, you are to take her into custody and hold her overnight.”

Fiscal Fanatic mouthed angrily at her for a moment, then shot the bailiff a nervous glance before quickly trotting away. Twilight glanced around again. “Anypony have something reasonable?”

She glanced around slowly, looking at each pony assembled. “No? In that case, I declare this meeting adjourned. Let the record show 8:45 PM.” She banged a gavel on the podium and trotted away through a small door at the back of a hall, where she was quickly joined by Quill-Pen.

“I’d say that went well. They even passed that tax credit you and Luna wanted, and all you had to do was give up a small chunk of your stipend,” the aging unicorn started happily.

“A twenty-five percent cut is small? Remind me of that next time we’re discussing your pay,” Twilight grumbled.

“You wouldn’t dare. You need me too much,” Quill-Pen giggled, eliciting an eyeroll from Twilight.

“All jokes aside, I can’t tell you how relieved I am,” Twilight sighed. “Though I’m not looking forward to Luna gloating about it.”

“I do have a question though, how’d you end up running the budget council two years in a row?” Quill-Pen asked. “I figured the two of you would take turns.”

“Because the bit came up heads,” Twilight grumbled.

“Seriously? You two flipped a coin over it?” Quill-Pen gasped incredulously.

“Yep. I wanted to play chess over it, but Luna wouldn’t fall for that,” Twilight snickered.

Quill-Pen shook her head as they came to a side hallway. “I can’t say I approve, but as long as one of you shows up every year, I suppose I shouldn’t complain.” She glanced down the side hall and gave Twilight a bow. “Well, I better go file the minutes. Enjoy your night.”

Twilight returned her bow with a nod and trotted away to her chambers.

Twilight pushed open the door and smiled. “How’d I know you’d be waiting for me here?”

Luna whipped her head around with a gasp and gave Twilight her largest grin. “Twilight! Finally!” She leapt off of the bed and quickly crossed the room, grabbing Twilight by the hoof.

“They agreed to follow your plan, just like you said they would,” she said with an exaggerated sigh. “I’m guessing you’re so excited because now’s the part where you say ‘I told you so’?”

“No. Well, yes I did tell you, but that’s not it! I have something to show you,” Luna replied rapidly. Panting excitedly she dragged Twilight across the room and shoved her out onto the balcony, shutting the curtains before closing the door behind them. She sat down next to Twilight and pointed towards the sky. “Thirty degrees, ten minutes east. Altitude, twenty-five degrees.”

Twilight gave her a questioning glance before looking into the sky herself. “Thirty east, twenty-five up... Oh my!” She gasped, her jaw dropping at the new star shimmering brightly in the heavens. “Luna, that- when did you put that one in there?”

“Regulae Flebitae, The Sovereign's Lament. I’ve been working on it for years, but tonight is its first,” Luna said proudly. “It is, without the shadow of a doubt, my greatest work.”

“It’s certainly one of the brightest,” Twilight mused. She lay down on the balcony and got comfortable, motioning for Luna to join her. “So, are you going to tell me the story behind this one? That is, if you don’t mind skipping over the rest for now.”

“I think I would actually prefer to tell you of the star itself,” Luna giggled, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Twilight raised a questioning eyebrow at her, but she simply turned her gaze back towards the sky. “Right now, it is, as you can see, the purest white, but it will not remain so. It will slowly, over the next two months, dull into a soft yellow, and then over the next two, into a fiery orange. From there, it will shift once again, intensifying into a heated pink, its heat slowly increasing until finally it burns its brightest at a bold blue. Finally, on the eve of the summer solstice, it will fade into a beautiful shade of violet— again, for two months, before shifting to white once more. And the cycle will continue year after year, until the sun dies and the stars shine no more.”

“Y-you made it for me. For our friends and I,” Twilight choked. Trembling, she turned to Luna and gave her a quick squeeze,

“I did,” Luna breathed. “You— all of you— have changed not just my life, but me, myself. If I were to meet the pony I was before my banishment, she would hardly recognize me. If even one of you had been around back then, things likely would have turned out much differently— much better.”

Twilight smiled at her sympathetically at her, struggling to find adequate words. “Better late than never?”

“Yes, yes I suppose,” Luna chuckled softly. She glanced towards the sky again sighing heavily. “You know, the night it happened was not unlike this one. Warm and balmy, with not a cloud in sight. In fact, it was quite pleasant.”

“Luna...” Twilight breathed, her heart sinking. Nothing good could come from Luna’s thoughts turning down this road.

“Equestria, however was not so pleasant. We had entered the twenty-fourth year of a terrible famine, and we were clueless as to why. The weather hadn’t changed, there was no blight or plague; the crops just would not grow.” She paused, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “We were— Celestia and I, that is— losing hope, and we were each handling it in our own way. I spent nearly all of my time among the populace; trying to keep spirits up and provide aid in whatever ways I could. ‘Tia, on the other hoof threw herself snout-first into trying to find a solution.”

“L-luna, you don’t have to do this,” Twilight said softly, pleadingly, but Luna only gave her a patronizing smile, turned away, and continued.

“There were times where I would go weeks without seeing her. I missed her terribly, but I managed by reminding myself that Equestria needed me,” she whispered with another sigh. “Then, all of a sudden, things changed. A rumor had begun in a small village in an isolated province.”

“What were they saying?” Twilight asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

“They were saying that the reason for the crop failures was because they weren’t getting enough sun. They somehow came to the conclusion that if the night were to be abolished, it would end the famine,” Luna murmured. She glanced back at Twilight and snorted at the bewildered and horrified expression on the younger princess’ face. “A preposterous idea, I know, but to angry and frightened ponies seeking someone to blame, it made perfect sense. Within a week, the idea had taken root among my courtiers.”

“What did they do?” Twilight whispered. “D-did they attack you?”

“Not physically,” she mumbled slowly. “They began much more subtly, not bowing or addressing me by name instead of by my title. Things that seem little now, but back then they were akin to a slap in the face. Of course, I knew why they were insulting me so; I had heard of the rumor myself, but that didn’t make it any easier.”

She raised her head, locking her eyes on the moon. “After putting up with it for a few days, I went to Celestia. I knocked on the door of her... study? I don’t actually know what she had in there, but she stuck her head out and asked me why I was bothering her. When I explained my predicament, she told me that I was making a big deal of nothing and that things would get better. I believed her.”

Twilight put a hoof around Luna’s withers as a tear formed in the corner of the moon princess’ eye.

“But things did not get better,” Luna sniffed. “Things progressed from mere snubs to outright hostility. The nobles would interrupt me when I was speaking and the servants would ignore my requests. Whenever I went to visit a town, I was met with sneers and even had things thrown at me on one occasion.”

Twilight stammered, struck speechless. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t. She shook her head and pulled Luna in, cuddling the crying mare to her chest.

“A-after a new more weeks, things finally came to a head on that awful night. A sizable group of ponies arrived at Night Court to present a petition. They... they demanded that I step down, and that the day be made eternal,” Luna wheezed.

“L-luna, I...”

“They didn’t even have the decency to be cowardly about it by presenting it to my sister,” she choked out. “They walked right into my court, heads held high, and presented it to me. I was livid. I screamed at them and ordered the guards to arrest them. As the group was being dragged out, their leader yelled that my moon and I were ‘Equestria’s nightmare.’”

“Oh no. Luna,” Twilight whispered, covering her mouth with her hoof.

“Yes,” Luna whispered with a nod. “After they were arrested, I retired to my chambers and tore them apart. I seethed, and raged, and screamed for hours, a-and something finally snapped. I-I emerged, went down into the dungeons and found the mob’s leader...”

A feeling of dread rapidly grew in Twilight chest. “Y-you...”

“I greeted him, introducing myself as Nightmare Moon, then I pulled him out of his cell, dragged him up to the Throne Room and I-I...” she cut herself off with a sob, her tears flowing freely now. “I hurt him, Twilight. Celestia... she felt the dark magic flowing from me and came as quick as she could, b-but she got there too late. H-he was gone.”

Twilight flinched at the revelation, gibbering for a moment before stuttering, “L-luna, I don’t know what to say...”

“Do you know what the worst part is? I don’t even remember him. I don’t remember his name, or even what he looked like,” she whimpered. “For all I know, one of his descendants could be the one serving me tea every morning, completely unaware of what I did to their ancestor.”

Twilight closed her eyes, trying in vain to ward off the burning sensation. She pulled Luna in closer, resting her chin on Luna’s head. Luna gave a hard sob and buried her face in Twilight’s neck before finally breaking down.

After several agonizing minutes, Luna began wearing down; her sobs becoming softer. Before long, she stopped completely and lay trembling in Twilight’s embrace.

“It’s okay, Luna. I’m here for you,” Twilight murmured, giving Luna a reassuring squeeze.

“I know. Thank you,” Luna sighed, sniffing back more tears. She paused, staring off into space for a few seconds and continued, “Y-you know the rest of the story. When Celestia entered the throne room, I attacked her despite her attempts to reason with me. In my rage I was able to overpower her and she was forced to harness the elements, and I was banished as a result.” She stopped, looking up at Twilight with a sad smile. “S-so there you have it. The whole story.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Twilight murmured.

“No, no, I did. As awful as reliving those events is, it feels good to have finally opened up,” Luna replied with a hiccup.

“What was it like? Being banished?” Twilight wondered softly, not daring to look Luna in the eye as she asked.

“Cold,” Luna whispered, hanging her head and staring into the distance. “Cold and dark; but far worse than either was the solitude. I was completely alone with my thoughts. I-I turned to anger almost immediately, for it was far easier to live with than was remorse, but I wish I hadn’t. I wish I had been stronger, for the hate chipped away at my very soul and I fell into madness.”

“So when you said you lost control of yourself, you meant it literally?”

“Yes. I had no control, or awareness even, of the actions I took against you. During my banishment, the insanity brought on by my loneliness combined with my rage to take on a life of its own. I had no way of sensing the passage of time, so I cannot tell you how long it took, but at some point, I ceased to be and the monster you fought arose in my stead,” Luna sighed. “I don’t really remember much beyond that. Everything is just a blur of anger and darkness.”

“I can’t imagine how that’d feel. A thousand years just gone from my memory?” Twilight whimpered. “L-luna, I’m so sorry. I don’t care what you did, nopony deserves that.”

“Maybe, but perhaps it is also a mercy. For the first thing that I remember clearly is lying on the cold floor of my destroyed castle; you were standing over me, and the darkness was gone,” Luna murmured, glancing at Twilight with a thankful smile.

“Well, I had help...” Twilight whispered sheepishly.

“You did, but in the end, it was still you who led your friends,” Luna nodded. She glanced back up towards her newest star, “And there is nothing that I can do to fully repay all of you.”

Twilight stared at Luna for a moment before putting a hoof below Luna’s chin, turning Luna’s head towards her, and pressing her lips firmly against the elder princess’. She pulled away with a satisfied smirk, but her elation waned when she saw the stunned expression on Luna’s face. “Luna? Luna, what’s wrong?”

Luna gaped, eyes unfocused, into space for a few seconds before shaking herself out of her stupor. “N-nothing! Nothing is wrong, Twilight. You have never initiated a kiss like that before. You just surprised me.”

“Well, I... I know how awful reliving that night is for you, and opening up the way you did, trusting me like that... It really means a lot to me and I just couldn’t think of any other way to show my appreciation.”

“I see...” Luna murmured, looking away for a second. “To be honest, it was never about you, Twilight. It was about me; my shame. I have always trusted you enough to tell you, I was just always too humiliated by my past to share it.”

Twilight smiled at her and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “That doesn’t change anything.”

Luna closed her eyes and sighed contently, savoring the fleeting touch. “I love you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight recoiled, choking on her words. “I... I’m trying, Luna.”

Luna stared quizzically at her reaction for a moment before giggling softly. “You do not need to try, Twilight, I am perfectly happy the way things are.”

“But sometimes I feel like I’m leading you on. I—” Twilight began to ramble before Luna stopped her by gently pressing her hoof to Twilight’s lips.

“The act of ‘leading me on’, as you call it, requires deception. I am under no illusions about our relationship, therefore you have not deceived me,” Luna cooed. She snickered at the skeptical frown Twilight gave her and continued, “Let’s approach this from a different angle. You may not harbor strong romantic feelings towards me the way I do for you, but you do love me, don’t you?”

“Of course I do! You know that,” Twilight said confidently.

“Well that is enough,” Luna replied with a nod. “Despite our busy schedules, you make time for me whenever possible; and despite feeling no sexual attraction towards me, you cuddle with me regularly and allow me to plaster you with my affections whenever the desire strikes me.” She smiled sincerely at Twilight. “What more can I reasonably ask of you?”

“Well, when you put it that way...” Twilight mumbled sheepishly, glancing away with a blush.

“Twilight, you invest a massive amount of time and effort into making me happy,” Luna continued, leaning forward and placing her hoof on Twilight’s. “The least I can do to repay your efforts is to actually be happy.”

Tears began welling up in Twilight’s eyes. She opened her mouth to reply, but her words failed her. Instead, she pulled Luna into a deep kiss, firmly pressing their lips together. Luna gave a surprised squeal and tensed for the briefest moment before releasing it with a soft sigh. Moaning contently, Luna put her hooves around Twilight’s neck and pulled her closer. With a giggle, Twilight shoved Luna onto her back, jumped on top of her, and pulled her in for another long kiss before standing back up, leaving Luna panting on the floor.

The Night Princess stared up at her bewilderedly. “T-twilight, I did not ex— Eep!” She was cut off as Twilight grabbed her hoof and pulled her into a standing position, leading her back inside. She climbed up onto her bed and plopped down, giving Luna a smile.

Luna was awestruck. She slowly stepped up to the bed and climbed on, lying several hoof-lengths away from Twilight. “T-twilight, are you sure? You really wish to lay with me?”

Twilight didn’t speak, just responding with a nod.

Luna hung her head, staring down at the bedsheets with a frown. “No.”

“What?” Twilight stammered, completely dumbfounded by Luna’s answer. She scooted closer, desperately grabbing at Luna’s hoof.

“I said no. I am not going through with this; not tonight,” Luna stated firmly with a shake of her head.

“B-b-but why?” Twilight whined, blinking back tears. “I thought you wanted this...”

“Because I want— I need you to understand how I feel,” Luna sighed. “I do want you, more than I can express, but not because I lust for you. I want you because I love you with every fiber of my being. And when I bed you, I want it to be because you want me to, not because you know I want to. I am willing to wait however long that takes.”

“B-but I—”

“Twilight, I don’t want you to pretend to like mares just to satisfy my desires. If we were to make love, I would want you to enjoy yourself as much as I do; not for it to be a chore.,” Luna cooed with a smile. “Understand?”

“I-I guess,” Twilight muttered with a hint of disappointment. “I’m sorry I ruined things like this. I took a wonderful night and just made it awkward.”

“‘Tis nothing I've not done before,” Luna giggled. “Now dry your tears; I will not have you crying on the first night we spend together like this.”

“F-first night?” Twilight stammered. “But I thought you said—”

Luna quieted her again by placing a hoof over Twilight’s mouth. “I said that I was not going to have sex with you tonight.” She leaned forward and touched her nose to Twilight's, mischievously flicking her tongue across Twilight’s lips. “I never said that I was leaving.”

Chapter 24

Seven years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“This is incredible,” Twilight muttered, inspecting a wall of granite bricks. “No mortar or cement, yet it’s completely airtight. The Lupines are smarter than any history books give them credit for.”

“We’re further away from Equestria than any pony has been in hundreds of years, and you’re impressed by masonry?” a nearby Earth Pony stallion asked incredulously.

“It’s a coping mechanism, Copper Trot,“ Luna muttered, gently polishing her tiara with a silk cloth. “When she’s nervous, she starts inspecting things.”

“O-oh... That makes sense, I’m nervous too,” Copper Trot sighed. “I can’t believe Silverhoof came down with ponypox now of all times.”

“And I can’t believe how lucky we were that your sister invited you to come on this trip, even if it was just so you could get a better grasp of international economics,” Twilight snickered. “We can’t thank you enough for agreeing to fill in for her, especially at the last minute. Re-establishing contact with the other races is difficult enough on its own, let alone without my Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

A snort drew their eyes to Luna and she glanced up at them after noticing the awkward silence. “Apologies. I am grateful that you are here, Copper, but I cannot help but continue to think about the fact that we would not be in this mess if Celestia hadn’t decided to cut off relations with every nation but our immediate neighbors. I argued it with her for centuries but she would not budge! ‘There are better ways to protect our ponies from carnivores,’ I told her,” Luna grumbled. “I told her it was a stupid plan when she first came up with it, and I told her it was a stupid plan after I returned from banishment. I loved my sister, but she was a very stubborn mare. I mean, it took me well over a year after my return to convince her to establish relations with the Arabians, and they’re practically ponies!”

“Well, it makes sense in theory,” Twilight replied with a hint of defensiveness. “By only keeping contact and trading with with nations we shared a border with, other species would have no reason to visit us except for leisure, and sea travel was too dangerous for that to be viable until rather recently.”

“Yes, but there were better ways,” Luna retorted insistently. “By isolating ourselves, we lost much and gained so little. Besides, borders change. I explained to her that we might end up sharing a border with carnivores one day; lo and behold we now share one with the gryphons. I imagine the irony wasn’t lost on her when that happened.”

“Speaking of the gryphons, Emperor Blackbeak is here,” Shining Armor growled as he trotted up to them.

Twilight, Luna, and Copper Trot all grimaced.

“We were bound to meet him eventually,” Luna grumbled. She stood up stretched out and stomped a hoof on the ground. “Alright, everypony, I’d like to go over everything one last time.”

Copper Trot, Twilight, and Shining armor sat down in a circle and waited as Luna stepped up to them with the air of a General addressing her troops. “We are attending a gala to celebrate the coronation of the new High Chief of the lupine packs. While I would certainly have preferred to first establish relations with a... less aggressive species, we were too slow with our actions and fate deigned to act in our stead. We were invited to attend this event, and it wouldn’t do to insult the lupines by refusing.” She paused, pursing her lips. “While we may not be in an explicitly ideal situation, this still gives us the opportunity to speak with diplomats of races we have long ignored.”

She gave Twilight an inquiring glance and the younger princess nodded. “We can’t afford to squander this. We have a chance to make friends here, if we’re careful.”

“Exactly,” Luna smiled. “Now, I know we went over everything on the boat, but I’d like to discuss it one last time so that we can ensure that Copper Trot is prepared.” She sat down in front of the group and took a deep breath. “On that note, Copper, what is the most important thing to remember?”

“In Lupine culture, it is extremely disrespectful to approach somepo- errr... someone of a higher station than yourself, and a request to speak with one’s superior is relayed via eye-contact,” Copper Trot rattled off. “We’re likely to get a lot of stares, but we should be able to tell if they’re just curious, or if they actually want to speak to us. If we catch them staring and they look away, then they were just curious; but if they keep looking or if you notice them seeming to follow you, then they want to talk.”

Luna nodded and looked to Twilight. “And how should we act when speaking to them?”

“We need to act almost arrogant,” Twilight muttered distastefully. “Speaking down to a lupine of lower station isn’t a sign of disrespect like it is in Equestria, but a sign of dominance, and we would be best served by displaying dominance.”

Luna nodded. “It may be a bit counterintuitive, but it is necessary nonetheless. And finally, Shining Armor?”

“Immediately and aggressively respond to any disrespect they show us. Lupines have a tendency to push their boundaries to see how far we’ll let them go. It’s nothing personal, it’s just their culture,” Shining muttered stoically. “Normally lupines would settle such things with a show of violence, but since none of them will be stupid enough to try something like that here with the High Chief’s reputation on the line, berating them should be enough. If not, that’s what magic’s for.”

Luna gave another sigh and another nod. “Indeed. Now, I think we are ready. Or rather, as ready as we can be.”

Copper Trot stood up and trotted past her, sticking his head through a nearby curtain and calling out “We’re ready!” and quickly withdrew as a lupine burst through, an annoyed grimace on his wolven features.

“It has taken you long enough,” he snarled, brushing past Copper Trot gruffly and stomping up to Twilight and Luna. “You and your guests will wait at the top of the stairs until the herald announces you. At that point, you will make your entrance, descend the stairs and join the rest of the crowd. Have I made myself clear?”

Twilight and Luna only responded with vexed, hostile glares and their host took an unnerved step back. “I shall take that as a yes...” He glanced away nervously for a moment. “Yes, well, I am unfamiliar with the customs you ponies have, but in our country, the elder always enters first.”

The two princesses rolled their eyes in unison and nodded. “That will be fine,” Luna grunted. “We are in your nation, so we will follow your ways.”

Without another word, the lupine left and the four ponies followed him out, trotting down the hallway after him and stopping at the top of the stairs. Luna took a deep breath and nodded to her companions with a smile.

Copper Trot smiled at her and stepped to her side, with Twilight and Shining Armor lining up behind them as the deep rumble of a horn echoed from the other side of a heavy violet curtain and a sharp howl announced the arrival of new attendees.

“Presenting: Her Royal Highness, Luna, Princess of the Moon and Stars, Princess of Equestria, Countess of Everfree; as well as her esteemed guest, Sir Copper Trot, Secondary Heir to House Bullion.” Luna looked back and gave Twilight an encouraging smile before descending the stairs and disappearing around the corner.

Shining Armor glanced at Twilight and she gave him a timid smile. “R-ready B.B.B.F.F?”

“I’m not so big, anymore, Twiley,” he chuckled, pulling her head down to give her a kiss on her forehead.

“Well, here goes nothing!”

“Presenting: Her Royal Highness, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of the Sun, Princess of Equestria, Duchess of Central Equestria, Countess of Canterlot; as well as her esteemed guest, Major Shining Armor, Prince-Consort of House Cadenza, Major of the Army of Equestria, High Legionare of the Crystal Guard.”

Twilight held her breath as she stepped onto the stairs and began her descent, glancing over the hundreds-strong crowd assembled. Most of the guests seemed to be lupines, but a significant number were made up of creatures of all shapes and sizes. “Ummm, Shining?”

“Yes, Twilight?” he muttered softly through gritted teeth.

“I-I don’t recognize some of these species, and I’ve read every book I could find on the subject before we left Canterlot,” she breathed nervously.

“We need to just take it all in stride and do whatever Luna tells us to,” Shining said confidently, though Twilight could hear the anxiety behind his words. They continued to the bottom of the staircase, rejoining Luna and Copper Trot.

“I have not heard my proper title used in quite some time; I had forgotten how formal the lupine are,” Luna mused. “Hmmm... Pecorae, ursine, leporids; many of the old races are here. Is that an anurid? I thought they were extinct!”

“I hate to interrupt your trip down memory lane, Luna, but shouldn’t we start mingling?” Twilight asked.

“Oop! Sorry,” Luna grimaced. She glanced around quickly with only her eyes, taking in her surroundings with minimal motion. “As I’ve said before, in events like these, the guests are segregated by station, with the higher-ranking ones standing further from the stairs. This way the higher nobility — if they so choose — are able to avoid the lower after their initial entrance. Logic would dictate that we should now find an appropriate place to loiter.”

“Okay... So where do we stand?” Copper Trot asked, frowning at one of the nearby groups of lupines.

“On the far side of the room, of course!” Luna chirped with a slow, pointed nod. “Twilight and I are not only royalty, but also the wardens of the Sun and Moon; I think we have earned the right to stand in the position of highest honor, and I dare any creature to say otherwise.” She glanced towards the others and grinned. “Of course, we can socialize while we make our way over as well.”

As they slowly walked away away from the stairs, Twilight made sure to scan the crowd. Sure enough, nearly every pair of eyes she saw was watching her, but most of them quickly snapped away. While she was admittedly relieved, she was also slightly disappointed, so she continued to make her way through the parting crowd, wandering slightly away from Luna with Shining at her side.

She had made it a full quarter of the way through the room when it happened; full, unblinking eye-contact. She nudged Shining, and gestured towards the interested lupine with her head, giving her brother a nauseous smile. He glanced over and nodded to her, “Let’s go.”

They walked over slowly and many of the nearby lupine backed away, leaving her target standing alone. She approached slowly, reciting her greeting in her head.

“Greetings lupine,” she stated with practiced poise. “I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle, and I’m assuming that you wanted to talk to me. That’s what eye-contact means, correct? What’s your name?”

“I am Lady Sureer, Your Highness. A-and yes, that is indeed what eye-contact means,” the lupine muttered. “But I was not asking to converse. I am acting the part of a waitress tonight, and I was wondering if you would like anything.”

Twilight began to respond when a thought hit her, and was out of her mouth before she could stop it. “What’s a noble doing as a waiter?”

She resisted the urge to slap a hoof over her mouth, but Sureer seemed to take it all in stride. “Normally the peasants would take care of it, but any lupine not of noble blood is forbidden from attending such an important event. Thus it falls to those of us who are unlanded to take up the task.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’m okay for the moment,” she muttered mentally filing away the new information for later. She turned to look at Shining and he shook his head. “We don’t want anything right now. Thank you for your consideration, Lady Sureer.”

As she turned to leave, Luna trotted up to her, seeming to be quite annoyed. “Don’t look now, but Ambassador Izel is here.”

“Aww, really?” Twilight whined, following Luna’s gaze. “Well, maybe we can slip away before he... nevermind he saw us looking. We better go say hi.”

They each beckoned for their partners to follow and slowly, begrudgingly, sauntered over to him. “Izel... Just the primate I was hoping not to see today,” Luna grumbled, giving him a blatantly begrudged smile.

“Ponies... I thought the air seemed a little rancid,” Izel muttered, sipping from the glass of crimson wine he held at the end of his tail.

“What you smell is that awful cologne you drown yourself in,” Twilight sneered.

“You ponies just don’t appreciate true luxury,” he retorted turning slowly to Twilight, staring down his nose at her with a leer. He then sighed and shook his head regretfully. “Vice-President Stoneshatter wishes for me to extend you his apologies, but he could not make it. Something about having to deal with rioting in the Federation’s capital; you know how minotaurs are.”

“Oh no! I told him to give the goats more representatives,” Twilight groaned, slapping her forehead with a hoof. “I told him that this exact scenario was going to happen.”

“You did; several times I might add. One would think he’d have learned to listen to you by now; you’re by far the smartest one to come to our little meetups,” Izel chuckled with a resigned shrug. “So, have the two of you considered my request to return the Eye of Tlaloc?”

“I’m not sure. Has the Assembly considered my request to extradite Ahuizotl?” Twilight replied with a disgustingly smug smirk.

“No! You know very well that the Confederacy does not extradite our own citizens,” he snarled back, leaning toward her aggressively.

Twilight, however, wasn’t cowed in the least bit and simply smirked at him. “Then you’ll just have to go without your relic for a while longer. Don’t worry, we’re keeping it safe.”

“Bah! You and your museums!”

“Ambassador, if I may have a moment? My sister, Minister Silverhoof, asked me to discuss something with you if I got the chance,” Copper Trot interjected, as if Izel and Twilight hadn’t just been arguing. “Demand for mangoes in Equestria is up 30 percent from this time last year, and all of our reputable economic models predict the trend to continue to at least another 40 percent by the end of the year. We would like to negotiate a new trade deal to secure an adequate supply.”

“70 percent? Yeesh, I don’t think it can be done,” Izel muttered apologetically, scratching the back of his head. “Our plantations are already at maximum capacity, and those environmental engineers you lent us last year told us point-blank that we’d face ecological disaster if we cut down any more forests. So unless you’ve finished adjusting some of that magical grass of yours for mangoes, you’re out of luck.”

“We are still working the kinks out of that project and our scientists have given us an estimate of two years before it is ready for deployment. In the meantime we are willing to offer a price more favorable to the Confederacy than our current deal grants. We are running enough of a surplus this year to subsidize such a deal so retail prices will only experience a marginal increase and given the extra revenue it will generate, I doubt anypony will complain about such a minor strain on our extra savings,” Luna replied with a firm, but amiable nod. “Our ponies want their exotic fruits and we are willing to outbid your other trade partners to get them.”

“I see,” Izel sighed. “Well, if there’s one thing the Assembly can agree on, it’s that they all like money. I’ll bring them your offer, but it might take a month or two for them to get up off of their rears to organize a delegation.”

“We can send one to you if it would be easier,” Copper Trot said warmly.

“It would,” Izel grunted. “Now, don’t let me keep you. I’m looking forward to being able to breathe again. Also, avoid the mead; it tastes like lye.”

“Then take a bath,” Luna sniggered, trotting away with her companions in tow. “And duly noted.”

“That was the single weirdest conversation I’ve ever heard,” Shining Armor muttered.

“That was actually pretty standard,” Copper Trot mused. “The Confederacy can’t stand us, and the feeling is mutual. That doesn’t mean we don’t cooperate when we can both benefit from it.”

“It’s still wei—” he was cut off as Luna stopped the group by holding a hoof out.

She turned around with an apprehensive smile. “Copper Trot, would you be so kind as to explain to Shining Armor the intricacies of our relationship with the Confederacy? And proceed to the far corner? There is someone I would like Twilight to meet.”

They nodded and Luna led Twilight through the crowd, lithely slipping around and through various groups of creatures, hardly bothering to contain her excitement. She pulled Twilight up to a large, aging, antlered creature and tapped on its back. “Excuse me, Elder? Your people still use the term, yes?”

He turned around slowly, eyes soft, but unblinking as he gazed upon them. “Yes. Elder it is,” he wheezed out in a raspy voice with a stiff bow. “I am most surprised that Your Highnesses would deign to speak to me. Pleasantly surprised, of course.”

Luna bowed her head at him and turned to Twilight with an elegant flourish. “Twilight, this magnificent being is an Elder of the Cervi people. In ages past, they were Equestria’s closest friends.”

“Indeed, once upon a time. Dozens of generations before I was born, of course, but we have never forgotten our ancient friends. Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, I am Elder File,” he said with a smile and offered Twilight a cloven hoof. She took it and shook gingerly.

“Pleased to meet you,” she replied carefully, smiling and trying to avoid examining the hoof she held.

“Charming young thing,” he mused to Luna. “I am pleased to see that the late Celestia took great care in choosing her successor.”

“She did indeed,” Luna nodded curtly. “But enough about that, how fare the Cervi these days?”

“Just fine, thank you. In fact, we just passed a population milestone, 500,000!” he said proudly. “Doesn’t pass muster to Equestria, but we are still quite pleased with ourselves.”

“I-if you don’t mind me asking, what happened?” Twilight interjected softly. File and Luna both gave her questioning glances and she continued, “Between us, I mean. I’ve read dozens of books about your people, but all any of them said could be summed up as ‘the Cervi suddenly disappeared’.”

File’s face fell and he looked away. “Scrios Mór.”

“The Great Sundering,” Luna sighed. “A little under 1,100 years ago, a geological cataclysm rendered their homeland uninhabitable and they were forced to flee. We lost contact with them, and were never able to re-establish it.”

“And by the time the land was survivable once again — several centuries later — the minotaurs had moved in, being better able to weather the harshness,” File finished. “But we do not begrudge them that, good land was hard to come about in those days and it was uninhabited. To their credit, they have proven to be ample caretakers of our motherland and allow us unrestricted access.”

“And it is the Scrios that I wish to speak to you about, Elder,” Luna stated. She glanced around at the watching crowd and took a deep breath. She then bowed low, nearly touching her horn to the floor. “Elder File, I wish to apologize — on behalf of myself, my sister, and my country — for not helping your people in their time of need. The Cervi were our truest companions, and we allowed a catastrophe to occur without so much as offering to take you in. It is something that we have regretted ever since.”

File flinched, taken aback at being bowed to by a being of such a high station. “P-princess Luna, please, my people have never been angry with you. Equestria was in its own crisis at the time and had not the means to handle both.”

“Regardless, inaction on our part was inexcusable,” she lamented. She rose again to her full height to address him as peers. “If the Cervi can find it in themselves to forgive us, we would very much like to re-establish relations. Friends are — as Princess Twilight can tell you, and as she has taught me — the single most valuable thing in the world. And we... I would like my old friends back.”

Elder File grinned warmly and gently placed a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “There is nothing to forgive, and we would like nothing more. For over a thousand years, we have dreamed of standing besides ponies once again.”

Luna leaned forward and hugged him, much to his surprise. “I will sent emissaries as soon as I get back to Canterlot. I promise.”

After being momentarily stunned, File returned her hug briefly. “Thank you, Your Highness. I will relay this news to my people.” He turned to Twilight and again offered her his hoof. “And you, Princess Twilight. The Cervi had heard of your ascension, and have hoped for the chance to work alongside you since. I have not many years left in this world, but I hope you might accomplish great things with my sons and daughters.”

“I’ll do my best,” Twilight replied, shaking his hoof again.

With one last exchange of smiles, Luna and Twilight trotted off, following the direction that Shining Armor and Copper Trot had gone in.

“Luna, you’re crying,” Twilight muttered aside.

Luna stopped quickly and brushed her hoof against her cheek. “Oh... So I am.”

“Is everything alright?” Twilight asked concernedly. “Did speaking with him bring up sad memories?”

“Memories both sad and happy at once,” Luna sighed. “My-my first love was a young Cervi buck. Not my first crush, mind you, but the first being I truly loved.”

“Maybe later you can tell me about him,” Twilight cooed, stroking Luna’s back comfortingly with a wing.

“I-I’d like that,” Luna murmured, nodding to Shining Armor and Copper Trot as they came into sight. The two alicorns strode up to them and the group huddled in the corner.

“Okay, Luna, we’re here, now how do we proceed?”

“Well, if memory serves, and I believe it does, we — you and I, that is — should just stand here, side-by-side, looking haughty and intimidating and wait for others who wish to speak with us to line up,” Luna recounted. “Our partners on the other hoof, should stand at our sides and present themselves as respectable, yet mostly silent companions.”

“We came here to show the world that Equestria is warm and inviting, not cold and arrogant,” Twilight grumbled.

“We did indeed. However, that comes when we are speaking with others. This type of diplomacy is a very delicate game, and very different than what you are used to,” Luna explained, turning around so her back was to the corner. “We wish to show kindness and sympathy, and we will do so, but we also show that we command respect. It’s not enough to just demand respect, we must show them that we expect respect. As if we’ve never known what it’s like to not be respected, let alone disrespected. Then, once someone approaches and shows us our due, we show them why it is Equestria that holds the Elements of Harmony.”

“I think I understand. We need to display power so that we can display our willingness to not abuse that power,” Copper Trot replied, moving to Luna’s side. “So, how do we do that?”

“Simple, we hold our heads high, look down our noses at those around us, and wear expressions of dismissive boredom,” Luna snickered. “Observe.” She rolled her shoulders once, pulled them back and stood to her full height, chest held out and her chin slightly inclined. “Then, when we are speaking to someone, we stand much the same way, only change our expressions to warm and slightly amused. This way, we seem regal and intimidating, yet not terrifying.”

“Alright, let me try,” Twilight muttered, stepping to Luna’s side and attempting to mimic her posture.

“Good. Now we wait,” Luna said affirmatively. They stood silently for a few minutes, scanning the crowd carefully.

"It looks like we have our first visitor," Luna muttered, gesturing to their left with her head. A younger lupine male stood a few meters away, eyeing them nervously. Luna nodded to him and pointed sharply to the ground in front of her with a hoof. He jumped slightly and glanced around nervously, as if checking to be sure that Luna actually was looking at him. Finding no one else around he grimaced, slunk over to her, and sat before the princesses with his head bowed.

"G-greetings, exalted ones. Thank you for seeing me. I would ask for your help, if you would be so kind to aid one such as me," he stammered, face flushed and embarrassed.

Luna didn't respond and Twilight resisted the urge to fidget nervously for a few seconds before glancing at the elder princess to find Luna staring at her expectantly. "Oh! Let's start with your name," she asked quickly.

"I am Sir Amelus Belgaarde, fourth and youngest son of Lord Prentus Belgaarde. My father owns the largest jewelry empire in these lands; our family has for generations prided ourselves on owning and operating every part of the business from the time the ore is mined, to the time the final product is sold," he replied with restrained pride. “Yet that is now all threatened and my father and brothers are all too proud to seek help; thus they sent me.”

“Pleased to meet you, Sir Belgaarde,” Twilight replied fluidly with a polite nod. “There is no shame in asking for help. How can Equestria help you? What exactly is threatening your livelihood?“

“Simply put, our mines are drying up and due to some rather foolish financial decisions on my father’s part, nearly all of our wealth is tied up in the business, leaving us nothing in the way of liquid assets,” Amelus grumbled distastefully. “Without a quick change of fortune, our business will die and we will lose everything. To make things worse, due to the size of our share in our country’s market, if our business goes, the entire industry could collapse. Thousands of lupine would be out of work overnight.”

“That is serious,” Luna muttered, “even if such a thing wouldn’t affect us in the slightest, we would be remiss to simply ignore your situation. What would you ask of us?”

"Equestria's mines are things of legends," Amelus replied with surprising intensity. "It is said that you build houses of gold and use diamonds as mere cobblestone."

"That's... more than a bit exaggerated, but I suppose we do have more than our fair share of mineral wealth," Twilight said with a nervous chuckle.

"If there is even a grain of truth behind the rumors, then I would ask for a piece of it," Amelus replied, both hopeful and pleading. "While my family may not have money on paw we are certainly not broke yet and would love to trade. If we cannot mine precious things, then perhaps we can import them and keep the rest of the industry intact."

"That's certainly possible; of course we'll have to meet more officially before we agree to anything," Twilight said, giving him a smile that grew into a broad grin when all the tension visibly left his body. "In fact... if you have time now, you can discuss things in-depth with Copper Trot tonight. His family runs a few of Equestria's own mines."

"Indeed!" Copper Trot interjected proudly, clearly in his element for the first time that night. "We own and operate three; two gold mines and an amethyst quarry. We also manage over a dozen other mines on their owners' behalfs, have invested in nearly a half-dozen fledgling mining operations in the past decade alone — all of which have gone on to pay us back and now exist as friendly competition — and are one of Equestria’s biggest contributors of start-up funds for new jewelers. If there’s a mutually beneficial way to save your family’s empire, my House and I will find it."

"I-I would be honored to speak with you, good Sir," he sputtered, giving her a quick bow before turning back to Twilight. "But before that, I have another request. A more personal one. If you'd be willing to hear it.”

"Okay, we're listening," Twilight replied, suppressing a giggle. Much to her surprise, she had actually been enjoying herself thus far. In fact, she found the cautious curiosity of the ball's other guest somewhat endearing.

"You see, as my father's youngest, the say I have in how the business is actually run is, well, nonexistent. As a pup, I coped with being the odd-wolf-out by taking jewelcrafting as a hobby," Amelus explained, a glimmer of nostalgia flashing through his eyes. "I was wondering if I may come to Equestria to study your methods. I'm hoping that with proper training I could turn my hobby into something more."

"If you don't mind me asking, why not train closer to home with a lupine jeweler?" Luna asked, legitimately curious.

"Because Equestria offers something different," he replied excitedly. "By training here, I would be just another jeweler; one of hundreds. If I study the craft in Equestria, then return here, I will be one of a kind. I would be creating pieces of art in styles most of my people have never seen before; showing them things they never dreamed of!”

“I for one fully support the spread of art and culture,” Luna smirked proudly. “I believe we can grant this request, assuming that it would not cause some form of political incident.”

Without another word, Amelus bent down and kissed Luna’s silver shoe, followed by Twilight’s golden one. “Thank you. Both of you,” he stood back up, trying to blink away happy tears and nodded to Copper Trot. “Sir Copper Trot, I am yours.”

The two trotted away and Twilight waited until they were out of earshot before turning to Luna. “That actually went pretty well. Though next time some warning would be nice.”

“I wanted to see how you’d react. You’ve learned to think on your hooves at home, I wanted to see how quickly you’d adapt. You did admirably,” Luna replied calmly. “Now look sharp, a line has already formed for us!”

Twilight covered a smile with her hoof and beckoned for the next petitioner to come forward, an older female lupine who only wanted to see Luna’s starry mane up-close. She was followed by a pair of large bipedal rabbits who Luna called ‘leporids’ wanting help solving a minor dispute between them. After them, a group of young, toad-like beings Twilight recognized as anurids who simply wanted autographs. After they left, Twilight’s face fell as she spotted a gryphon walking arrogantly up to them next.

“Oh, joy. To what do we owe this pleasure?” she asked him sarcastically.

“The Emperor would speak with you. Both of you,” he grunted.

Twilight and Luna exchanged skeptical glances before glancing towards the near corner where the Gryphon Emperor stood with his entourage. “Fine. We’ll talk.”

“Good,” the gryphon snorted smugly, turning to leave. “Follow me.”

“I most certainly will not!” Twilight retorted quickly. “If Blackbeak wants to talk to us, he can come over here.”

The gryphon stopped and whipped back around. “The Emperor does not come to anyone; others come to him!”

“Then I guess whatever he wants to say will go unsaid,” Twilight said with an apathetic shrug.

“This was not a req—” the gryphon began aggressively before Shining Armor cut him off by lunging forward and pressing the point of his horn to the gryphon’s feathered throat.

“If you even so much as twitch in her direction, I’ll leave you as a smear across the ceiling!”

The gryphon sputtered angrily before spinning around and striding off back to the Emperor. Twilight and Luna watched him all the way back and sniggered to themselves as he leaned in to whisper something to Blackbeak. Finally, they burst with laughter when the Emperor’s face flashed with anger and he shot an indignant glare in their direction.

"Ha, good show! I knew yeh ponies weren't as soft 's yeh looked," a large, burly bear cackled as he slapped his massive paw down on Shining Armor's back.

"Greetings, ursine," Luna exclaimed, snickering at the agonized grimace on Shining's face. "What can we do for you?"

"Nuttun', I'm here for 'im," the creature grinned, slapping Shining on the back again, causing the stallion's legs to buckle under the blow. "Me 'n me mates 've bin lookin' ter share war stories wit' a pony fer years!"

"Equestria hasn't been to war in eighty years, I don't have any war stories!" Shining Armor groaned, trying in vain to shake off the weight.

"Then come'n listen! Yer might learn somin'," the ursine insisted, tugging him away.

"B-b-but I have to stay here to protect the Princesses!"

"Nah, nuffin' gon' try anyting wif me 'n me mates around," the ursine chuckled. "Not 'less they want to get their legs pulled off!"

"He's right Shining; go have fun," Twilight said mischievously, grinning at the expression of shock and betrayal on her brother's face as he was carried away. "That was worth the tongue-lashing I'm going to get from him later," she giggled aside to Luna.

"He may not be able to give you one, Twilight," Luna shrugged. "Ursine love displays of bravado and never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Now that they've seen your brother's tougher side, they are liabel to start pouring ale into him until he begins to regale them with exaggerated stories of his exploits."

"At least he'll enjoy himself," Twilight giggled. "Now who's next? Elder File? You need something else?"

"No, I merely wanted to make an introduction. This is Averdein," File wheezed, gesturing to a small fuzzy creature next to him.

Twilight leaned forward to get a better look at it. Whatever it was, it walked on two stubby legs and vaguely canine features poked out of its puffy mass of white fur. "Ummm, hello?"

The creature remained still as a statue and continued to stare at her through its beady eyes.

“Does he... speak?” Luna asked hesitantly.

“Yes, normally he is quite the chatterbox,” File muttered, bending down to examine his companion. “Oh dear, I seem to have broke him.”

“How’d you pull that off?” Twilight asked, waving a hoof in front of Averdein’s face.

“His people hail from a terribly cold land so they hold a special reverence for the warmth the sun brings,” File sighed. “So much so that their sun god is the chief god of their pantheon. As far as he’s concerned, he’s standing in the presence of a myth come to life. That’s enough to render anything speechless.”

Twilight gave File a confused frown and gently placed a hoof on Averdein’s tiny shoulder, causing the creature to jump. “Oops! Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she giggled, giving him a warm smile and laying down so she was closer to his eye level. “So, your name is Averdein?”

The small creature nodded vigorously, trembling violently.

"And your people worship the sun?" Twilight asked softly.

"Y-yes! No. Sort of..." Averdein stammered, his eyes flicking back and forth between Twilight and Luna. "We used to."

He fell silent, staring at the floor guiltily. Twilight used a hoof to raise his eyes to hers and gave him an encouraging smile. "Go on. You don't have to be afraid."

"We stopped reading the scriptures literally a long time ago. We still revere the Warmth-Giver and follow the old traditions, we just don't actually worship her as we used to," he whimpered. "But we do love her. Her and her nocturnal sister, whose soft glow guides weary travelers through the cold might."

"He," Twilight murmured in reply.

"W-what?"

"He. The sun is a 'he'," Twilight explained softly.

"T-t-the sun is alive? And a male?" Averdein gasped.

"I don't know if he's 'alive' per se, but he does have some form of consciousness and considers himself male," Twilight shrugged. "To be honest, he's a bit of a brat."

Averdein staggered for a moment before collapsing to his rump. "T-this is amazing... The scriptures will need to be rewritten," he said to himself breathlessly. Suddenly, he snapped back to his senses and stared at Luna intensely. "And the moon?"

"The moon is female," she giggled, eyes twinkling with amusement at the tiny creature's antics. "And while I would not go so far as to call her brother a 'brat', she is by far the better mannered of the two."

"Definitely," Twilight nodded. She stood back up and smiled down at him. "So, is there anything you'd like to ask us while you have our attention? Any questions we can answer or requests we can grant?"

Averdein shot to his feet and whipped his head in File's direction. "You never said anything about a request, just that you were taking me to meet them!"

"I did say that, and that is all I intended," File chuckled. "But they, in their grace, have chosen to offer you a most generous gesture of friendship."

Averdein turned slowly back to Twilight, babbling incoherently for a minute. “C-can you two come and visit us? Maybe during our holy week?”

“I’m not sure they can do that,” File murmured, bending down towards him. “It would take nearly a month to fly from their nation to yours. I doubt they can leave Equestria untended for that long.”

Twilight and Luna exchanged doleful stares before Luna spoke. “Elder File is correct; it would be wildly irresponsible for us to leave Equestria for that long. However, I don’t see why one of us wouldn’t be able to visit.”

“Really?” Averdein gasped, his face lighting up.

“I suppose that could happen,” Twilight mused. She thought for a moment about the logistics of the situation and snickered. “Sure, why not? Write us a letter with the details — where we’d need to go, when your holy week is, and anything we’d need to bring. We’ll make sure that everything at home is set so one of us can govern alone, and within the next few years, you’ll have your royal visit!”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Averdein squealed, bouncing around in place.

“Okay, little one. I think that’s enough excitement for you,” File chuckled. “Come, I’ll take you back to your room.” He led Averdein away, giving Twilight and Luna one last wink before he departed.

“And I think that will be all for the moment, the High Chief has arrived,” Luna muttered to Twilight, nodding towards the large, raised alcove on the near wall.

There the High Chief — a large, grey male wearing only a long flowing cloak of crimson silk — stood, glaring derisively over the crowd. It took less than a minute for the room to fall silent, cowed by his presence.

“Welcome all,” he proclaimed, both his voice and expression relaying an air of disinterest. “Or rather, welcome to my foreign guests; you honor me with your presence. As to my lessers, I commend you for fulfilling your obligation and would like to assure you that those who refused to attend this event have been punished.” He sat, his nose held arrogantly in the air and shifted his gaze across the room, his eyes settling on Twilight and Luna for an instant longer than the rest of his guests. “Before we go any further I would like to introduce my friend and ally, Arcshaman Ssythert.”

A lithe, bipedal, scaled being slunk out from deeper in the alcove. Its skin was a deep grey-brown, and its front limbs ended in black, three-fingered talons. As it joined the High Chief, it let out a reptilian hiss that made Twilight’s skin crawl.

“Luna, what in the hells is that?” Twilight whispered. She glanced at Luna and was disturbed to see her marefriend glaring at the odd creature with deep loathing, her eyes shining with hate and rage.

“Varanid. The bane of the alicorns and ancient enemy of ponykind,” she growled. “They believed themselves to be descended from dragons, and that such ancestry entitled them to take whatever they wanted. Bloodthirsty. Ravenous. Evil. They were the one species that my ancestors fought gleefully rather than with remorse.”

Before Luna could explain further, the High Chief continued his speech. “Ten years ago, my uncle stood in this spot to announce the formation of an alliance between our two species. Today, I stand before you to announce the formation of a new three-race Syndicate; for as of last week, Emperor Blackbeak has agreed to join us.”

Luna’s jaw dropped at the revelation. “Oh f—”

“We hope that this addition to our alliance will bring prosperity to our peoples and balance to the world! Thank you,” the High Chief finished. He stepped down from his podium and immediately strode over to Blackbeak, Ssythert in tow. Luna beckoned to Twilight and they retreated back into their corner.

“Luna, what are we going to do?” Twilight breathed.

“We will do nothing for the moment. Acting rashly before they declare their intent would be a diplomatic disaster for us. We will wait and act as appropriate; and it seems we will not have to wait long,” she nodded towards the other corner and Twilight followed her gaze. The High Chief and Arcshaman were marching confidently towards them, Emperor Blackbeak at their side with a triumphant sneer on his face.

“Greetings, Highnesses,” the High Chief said with a threatening softness. “I am most pleased that you were able to attend today.”

“As are we, your people have been lovely hosts,” Luna replied in the same tone. Twilight wanted to say something, but just couldn’t bring herself to do it. She didn’t trust herself to say the right thing, but she trusted Luna to wheedle their way through this. “And we would like to offer congratulations.”

“Thank you,” the High Chief replied with a smirk and polite nod. “Now, enough with the pleasantries, we are here to talk business. The gryphons demand the return of the Beyaz Highlands. As former gryphon territ—”

“Out of the question,” Luna retorted shortly. “The Highlands were never settled by the gryphons and were seized from them in our counterattack to an unprovoked invasion. They have been part of Equestria for three centuries and, on top of that, have since been settled by ponies. We did not accept his father’s offer to purchase them from us, and we will certainly not grant his request to gift them to him.”

“And you are willing to hold the land with military force?” the High Chief asked disinterestedly.

“Of course not! I intend to hold the land by personally reducing any invaders to a cinder,” Luna sighed with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “Be them gryphon, lupine, or murderous lizard.”

“Thought~you might~say that,” Ssythert hissed slowly, stumbling over every word, his species clearly not accustomed to normal speech. He waved his claw and a pair of Varanid trundled over bearing a heavy stone tablet covered in odd symbols. Twilight couldn’t understand any of them, except for one: a name etched into the rock towards the bottom of the tablet in ancient Equestrian script.

“What’s this?” Twilight asked, approaching the stone with Luna to inspect it more closely.

“A compact,” the High Chief started. “An agreement between the Alicorns and the Varanid signed many thousands of years ago by the ancestors of Princess Luna.”

“And what was this agreement?” Twilight asked, unnerved by Luna’s sudden silence.

“The outline for and agreement to follow the rules of war,” Blackbeak cackled with malicious glee. “The alicorns and their kingdom would refrain from using their magics to defend the pony nations under their protection, and the Varanid would not call upon their dragon allies. The alicorns would let the battles go on and allow fate to decide the victor. As the descendant of the signer, Luna and Celestia are still bound to its terms.”

“T-this can’t be real!” Twilight stammered, squinting at the stone for some sign of forgery.

“It’s real, Twilight,” Luna murmured, running her hoof gently over her ancestor’s signature. “I can understand why my predecessors would do it; they had the power to defend the pony tribes even against the full might of the dragons, but the devastation that would have been wrought would have been too terrible to make it worthwhile.”

She backed away from the tablet and shook her head. “But that was a long time ago. The Varanid had a falling-out with the dragons long before I was born, and many reliable sources have told me that the rift never healed. You have no way to enforce your treaty.”

“Are you saying that you will not honor your agreements?” the High Chief replied loudly with a twisted smirk.

Twilight’s face fell and she glanced around at the large crowd gathered to watch. That had been their plan all along. They never intended to invade Equestria, but coerce Luna into surrendering peacefully via threats of diplomatic embarrassment. “Luna may be bound to it, but I’m not! I’m not descended from the Alicorn royal line.”

“Not by blood, but you are Celestia’s chosen successor. Thank makes you heir to her agreements,” Blackbeak replied teasingly. “You were bound to this the moment you put on the crown.”

Twilight recoiled from him, nearly ready to panic. She turned to Luna, but the elder Princess remained silent, simply staring pensively at the mark left by her ancestor. “B-but, let me think!”

She fell to her haunches and closed her eyes, trying to think of a way out of this. They couldn’t back out of this, but neither could they just surrender the Highlands and the ponies who dwelt there. There had to be some legal technicality that she could exploit; some loophole that she could — “Wait a minute. Were the Alicorns allowed to protect themselves with their magic? Their own kingdom?”

“Yes,” Ssythert rumbled, shaking his head at Twilight derisively. “Foolish notion. Would not sign treaty otherwise.”

“T-then we can use our magic to protect Equestria,” Twilight stammered. She withered a bit as four confused pairs of eyes all locked on her. “I-I was born in Equestria; it’s always been my country, and now it’s my kingdom. As for Luna, she’s a citizen of Equestria too, and has lived there for over 99 percent of her life. So, if the Alicorns were allowed to protect their own kingdom with their magic, then Luna and I can protect Equestria without breaking the treaty.”

The expression on Luna’s face quickly flashed from bewilderment to shock, and then slowly shifted to a malicious grin. “I do believe that Princess Twilight is right. So, as I said before, any who invade Equestria forfeit their lives.”

Twilight quickly glanced around to see that many members of the surrounding crowd here giving resigned nods and quickly noticed that the High Chief was doing the same. He locked eyes first with Twilight, then with Luna. "We withdraw our demand," he muttered angrily.

"What?" The Emperor screeched. "You can't possibly be giving up that easily! You said we would-"

"It seems that I was wrong and that they are far better at this game then we are," the High Chief sighed. "Face it, Blackbeak, we overplayed our cards." He strode away, Blackbeak following at his heel cursing and sputtering.

Before Twilight could do anything, Luna yanked her into a tight one-hoofed hug and nuzzled Twilight behind the ear. "That. Was. Wonderful! Just when I thought we had lost, you come out with that. I am so proud of you," she whispered.

"Well I've had two amazing teachers," Twilight mumbled.

"When we get back to the suite, I am kissing your entire body!" At that, Twilight pulled away slightly with a questioning frown. "Okay, well maybe not your entire body, but certainly most of it."

"Just make sure the other two aren't in the room," Twilight laughed.

"Ahem!"

They both turned to see the High Chief sneering at them from only a meter or so away. "I hate to interrupt... whatever this is, but I have more to discuss with you that doesn't involve my colleagues."

"We are listening, but only for the moment," Luna growled.

He stepped forward, head still held high. "You two just humiliated me in front of my own court without even batting an eye. I'm not sure whether I should be humbled or outraged, so I'll settle for impressed." When neither Twilight or Luna responded, he winced slightly and took a single step forward. That's when Twilight caught it. The momentary grimace; the hesitance in his step; the nervous gleam that shone in his eye for a mere instant.

In that brief moment, the High Chief's confidence had waned. "As such, I am naming Equestria as my sanctuary."

"Your what?" Twilight asked, her confusion causing her to drop her hostility.

"Lupine dynasties have a horrible tendency to get overthrown," he muttered nonchalantly. "It's become common practice for Chiefs to set up a place to flee to should a successful coup occur. A sanctuary."

“I don’t suppose we have a choice in this?” Twilight grumbled.

“Not if Ferrow Fields has anything to say about it,” the High Chief said with a smirk.

“Gahh! What is it today with millenia-old treaties?” Luna groaned.

“Luna, what does that even mean?” Twilight asked, frustrated and confused.

“It means, Twilight, that we indeed do not have a choice,” Luna replied with a fake smile. She wheeled around on the High Chief and snarled, “If you would invoke Ferrow Fields, then I expect you to sign it.”

The High Chief recoiled from the angry mare. “That is... fair. But I want an embassy. In Equestria, that is.”

“That can be arranged,” Luna grumbled.

“In Canterlot.”

Luna nodded affirmatively, “Goes without saying.”

“And I want Equestria to fund its construction,” the High Chief said, a small tone of hopefulness seeping into his voice.

“Absolutely not. You may fund it yourself, or you may take the gryphons’ old embassy; they abandoned it and it’s in pristine condition,” Luna countered rapidly.

“I’ll take it. We have an accord,” the High Chief breathed, glancing around at those watching. “I am pleased we could come to this arrangement. I would now bid you good night.” Barely able to hide his desire to get away from the Princess, he spun around with a swish of his cloak and strode off.

“Luna?”

“Yes?” Luna growled, wheeling around on Twilight. She realized almost immediately what she had just done and backed away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take that out on you.”

“It’s fine,” Twilight shook her head. “Now, Ferrow Fields. Explain.”

“It is an ancient treaty signed between Equestria and two long-dead nations. Quite possibly the first Equestria ever signed after the unification of the three tribes,” Luna sighed. “The terms are simple, Equestria would never deny asylum to those in need of it, and the other signatories would use their militaries to protect us from any repercussions. It had provisions for what Equestria’s exact obligation was and procedures for extraditing war criminals, but that’s the jist of it.”

“That’s... I can understand the sentiment, but that could put Equestria in a bad situation really fast!” Twilight groused. “Why would you sign such a thing.”

“I didn’t. I was still a young filly at the time; the treaty was Celestia’s doing. I don’t know the exact details, but she had a good reason for it,” Luna muttered.

“You don’t know at all?”

“Just what ‘Tia told me later on as a bedtime story, thus I cannot vouch for its accuracy,” Luna shrugged.

“That’s good enough for me,” Twilight said with a small smile, taking a seat in front of Luna.

“Very well, I shall try to tell it as she did. Let’s see, how did it go..? It was a long time ago; a very long time ago, when Equestra was only a few dozen years old. At that time, we shared our southern border with two nations: the Tigris Empire, and the Grand Duchy of Ariradan,” Luna began, bowing her head. She hesitated somewhat at first, but closed her eyes her voice grew more mellow with every word, eventually becoming an almost hypnotic resonance in the air. “All three of us lived in peace as friends, for we all cooperated for the betterment of all of us.”

Her eyes shot open, a dark shadow shifting deep within them as the air grew thicker and menacing. “That peace, however, was not to last. One day, several of the Grand Duke of Ariradan’s trusted advisors seized power, and he and his family were forced to flee for their lives. As it stood, his castle was closer to Equestria than it was to Tigris, so he made for our border. We, however, turned him away; we maintained a policy of strict neutrality and didn’t want to get involved. He and his loved ones began their journey towards the Tigris border, but disappeared.”

The fur on the back of Twilight’s neck stood on end with the electric tingle of anticipation and dread as Luna hung her head and continued grimly, “A few days later, they were all found with their throats cut out. The effect was immediate. What began as a simple coup turned into a full-scale civil war. After much bloodshed that spilled over all of Ariradan’s borders, the Tigris had enough and marched in to restore order. As one can imagine, they were furious with us, but that was nothing compared to the anger we felt towards ourselves. We had denied innocents safe harbor when they begged for it, and thousands died as a result.”

Luna raised her head, clearing the thick tension with a serene smile. “So we three peoples — the Kingdom of Equestria, the Tigris Empire, and the newly-formed Republic of Ariradan — made a pact. The terms were simple: Equestria would never turn away those in need of shelter, and they would shelter us, in turn, from the repercussions of our kindness. To honor the slain Duke, we met in the fields he was found in, Ferrow Fields, and signed the agreement so that never again would an innocent suffer so needlessly.

“Since then, nations have risen and fallen,” she murmured, lowering her voice. ”Many peoples have signed the treaty, only to be removed when they disappeared, but Equestria has never wavered. We never have, and so long as we stand proud, we never shall. ‘Til the sun dies, and the stars fade.”

The surrounding area erupted with applause and cheers. Twilight and Luna glanced around, astonished to find that a large crowd had assembled to hear Luna’s tale. When she snapped out of the initial shock, Luna gave them a sheepish grin and a flourished bow. At that the crowd began to disperse, with more than a few approaching to thank Luna for the story.

“Long have my people spoke of you,” an aged anurid croaked, bowing to her. “We tell many tales of the Mistress of the Night — Queen of all Bards — and her legendary voice. We were saddened by your disappearance, but even after news spread of your return, I dared not hope... Thank you.” Blushing furiously, Luna gave him a nod and, seemingly satisfied, he walked away.

“‘Queen of all Bards’?” Twilight asked skeptically.

“I admit that I was a somewhat renowned storyteller back in the day, but that is a new one,” Luna said with an embarrassed giggle. “Then again, stories do tend to be exaggerated over the years.”

“I don’t know, Luna; from their reaction it seems like the real thing lived up to the hype,” Twilight snickered, with a teasing nudge. Luna looked away and pursed her lips in a failed attempt to hide a smile. “So, you’re a dancer, fencer, negotiator, minstrel, poet, glass-stainer, weaver, and now you’re a bard, too?”

“Yes, well, when one lives as long as I have, they tend to pick up a veritable myriad of hobbies. Celestia was no less talented than I,” Luna murmured modestly.

“Let’s put it this way: what don’t you do?” Twilight chuckled.

“I... am incapable of gardening,” Luna muttered after a thoughtful pause. “Nothing I have ever tried to grow has lived past a few days. Also, all of my attempts at sculpting have been laughable at best; painting less so, but not by much... And I can’t cook, though not for lack of trying. I have tried it many times over the centuries, but each attempt ended more disastrous than the last. There’s al—”

“Woah, woah, wait! This I’ve got to hear!” Twilight cackled.

“My cooking attempts? It’s nothing too exciting,” Luna mumbled, nervousness crossing her face.

“No, no; you’re not getting away that easily,” Twilight said with a mischievous grin. She stepped up to Luna and put a hoof on her back. “Come on, we’re going to get you some brandy and you’re going to tell me alllll about it.”

Chapter 25b

Four days later...

The castle’s staff labored throughout the next few days, changing the Throne Room from a mostly empty hall to a massive meeting room. The throne itself had been removed and replaced with a massive plush cushion along with a desk, both of them large enough to comfortably seat Twilight and Luna side-by-side. The rest of the hall had been filled with dozens of smaller desks, each long enough to fit ten ponies. Hundreds of quills, bottles of ink, and pads of paper had been set out, ready for use.

Meanwhile, the kitchen staff had brought in help from the best restaurants in Canterlot and was hard at work preparing enough food for the delegates to debate non-stop for days on end. And to top it all off, the invitees had traveled overnight, fetched by the Royal Guard in a fleet of carriages borrowed from Canterlot’s wealthy elite.

For better or for worse, Twilight’s summit was about to begin.

She and Luna rose at the crack of dawn, met up with Spike who was just arriving from his week in Ponyville, and dined together in a silence broken only with a few sparse encouraging words from Luna. Afterwards, they arrived at the throne room and the Princesses took their seats while Spike stood by the main door to check in ponies as they arrived.

Fortunately, it wasn’t very long before the first delegates appeared. A small group of Unicorns Twilight recognized wandered in, professors at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. A few of them waved to Twilight as they strode towards the front of the room and sat at one of the desks in the front-left. Twilight waved back and smiled to herself. She knew these ponies well, a few of them had been her teachers at one point. She knew that no matter what happened, she could count on them to be amiable to any reasonable solution.

The next group of ponies to enter was a group of younger Pegasi who glanced at the Unicorns wearily before sitting on the opposite side of the hall. They were followed by a foursome of Unicorn nobles who sat down at desk near the professors, but didn’t say a word to them.

Twilight was in the midst of exchanging glares with one of the nobles when Luna nudged her side and nodded towards the door. Entering was Fancy Pants, side-by-side with Rarity. It took a conscious effort on Twilight’s part not to leave her seat and fly over to her friend, but she managed to stay put as Rarity made her way to the front of the room. The Unicorn approached Twilight with her head held high and bowed formally. Twilight gave her a formal nod, but as soon as Rarity stood back up, Twilight lept up and pulled her into a tight hug causing Rarity to yelp in surprise.

“I can’t believe you’re here! I didn’t know you were attending!” she squealed.

“But of course! I’m married to the most influential Unicorn in Equestria. How could I not be here?” Rarity snickered.

“Do not discount your own level of influence, Rarity, I am well-versed into today’s gossip. You have become the biggest name in Equestrian fashion,” Luna laughed, hugging the fashionista herself. She turned to Fancy Pants afterwards and nodded to him politely. “Still, I am glad you both are here. It’s good to know that there will be at least a few friendly faces out there.”

“We left Unique with Fleur for the week and made arrangements to stay at the Castle and help whenever and however we can. We may be here to represent the Unicorns, but we support you two,” Fancy Pants said quietly, so only the four of them could hear. “If you need anything from us, just let us know.”

“Thank you. That’s really helpful,” Twilight smiled.

“What are friends for?” Rarity replied with a dismissal wave of her hoof. “Now we should probably find our seats before we get accused to trying to butter you up.”

At that, the couple sat down at the closest table as more ponies walked in, ignoring the dirty looks they were receiving from Pegasus and Unicorn alike. Twilight and Luna returned to their cushion and waited silently as the hall continued to fill up.

“No Earth Ponies yet. This is troubling,” Luna muttered aside.

“I know!” Twilight groaned. “We need all thr-”

She was interrupted as a loud rumble shook the hall. The doors exploded open as a blur shot through and collided with Twilight, sending her tumbling backwards. She landed hard on her back, finding her vision filled with a pair of fuschia eyes and an obnoxious grin.

“Darn it, Rainbow!”

“Sorry, Twilight. I haven’t done that in so long that I couldn’t resist,” Rainbow chuckled. She helped Twilight to her hooves and gave her a quick hug.

“So I take the Wonderbolts were invited?” Twilight asked with a smirk, gesturing to Rainbow’s uniform.

“You know it!” Rainbow said before flipping her mane back striking a pose. “Spitfire wasn’t too happy. She wants the Wonderbolts to stay out of politics. Normally she goes to this type of thing herself and stays quiet, but she decided I should go instead. She said that sending me in her place is supposed to send a message.”

“By sending you, she’s telling all of Equestria in no uncertain terms that the Wonderbolts support Luna and I above all else,” Twilight stated.

Rainbow grinned and winked. “That’s the idea.”

“So is AJ coming too?” Twilight asked hopefully. “We have you and Rarity already, and she’s pretty important in the Earth Pony community.”

“Nah, she’s too fat to travel right now,” Rainbow chortled. “Turns out she’s having twins this time. She’s in Ponyville watching the foals, Mac came in her place.”

“Eeyup.”

He walked up behind her and brushed his lips against Rainbow’s cheek before turning to Twilight with a smile. “Mornin’ Miss Twilight. Miss Luna.”

“Did I hear you right?” Luna interjected. “Applejack is not only pregnant with twins and caring for her own foals, but also foalsitting your three? Eight foals against one very pregnant mare. Were it anypony else, I’d say she was in over her head.”

“She’ll be fine, but Ah’ve got news. ‘M not sure if it’s good though,” Big Mac muttered. “I guess there’ve been problems between Earth Ponies ‘n Zebras on a lot of other farms, so Ah guess a few Zebras got invited.”

Twilight and Luna exchanged frowns quickly before turning back to their two friends. “Well, if the Zebras want to come, I’m certainly not going to say no, but this is supposed to be a national summit. If they show up to negotiate, they’ll have to do it as Equestrians, not as Zebrican immigrants. This is too important to allow international politics to leak in.”

“That sounds fair to me,” Mac said with a shrug. He glanced suspiciously over his shoulder for a moment before leaning in closer and whispering, “To be honest, Ah’m ashamed it’s come to this. Earth ponies ‘n Zebras aren’t all that different, ‘n Earth Ponies are supposed to be known for our hospitality. Whatever the problem is, it shouldn’t have come up in the first place, let alone require official action to resolve.”

“Regardless, Twilight and I will try to resolve it in a manner that allows all parties to leave with their honor intact,” Luna said assuringly.

“Thanks,” Mac said, bowing his head to Luna. At that, he and Rainbow Dash descended the staircase separating separating the Princesses from the rest of the hall and sat down with Rarity and Fancy Pants.

Finally, just minutes before the scheduled start, the doors flew open and a large group of Earth Ponies entered, followed by a dozen or so Zebra. Most immediately found their seats while a few of each approached Twilight and Luna with Spike in tow.

“Your highnesses, I understand if may be confused as to why we might be here,” one of the Zebras started.

“We’ve been told. You’re welcome to stay, but keep in mind that there might not be much we can do about the problems your people are having,” Twilight said apologetically. “There’s a lot of Earth Ponies in Equestria and nowhere near as many Zebra. You’ll be allowed to make your case and we’ll do everything we can to treat you fairly, but we must take care of our citizens first.”

“I understand,” the Zebra grumbled. “I suppose that’s fair.”

“Even so, we will not be able to discuss the issues you bring just yet. The first item of business must be what brought us together in the first place, thus the Unicorns and Pegasi will command our attention first,” Luna said firmly. The small group bowed and found their own seats in the full hall.

As soon as they left, Spike sidled up to Twilight and leaned in to speak quietly. “Okay, I’ve got a list of everypony here and even managed to find out who’s going to be negotiating for each, uh, faction.”

“Well done, Spike!” Luna said. She beckoned for them to follow and led them a short distance away so the three could huddle together. “So who are the leaders?”

“First off, the Unicorns are being represented by Vice Headmaster Booklearn from Celestia’s School and Mayor Blue Moon from Manehattan,” he read from his list. “I guess Countess Fireblossom was supposed to represent them instead of Blue Moon, but somepony figured that wouldn’t be a good idea after that argument you two had with her last month.”

“I’d hardly call my screaming at her after she publicly disparaged my sister ‘an argument’, but yes, replacing her was a good plan on the Unicorns part,” Luna grumbled.

“Yeah... anyway, the Earth Ponies are being represented by Chancellor Brighteye and Lady Saffron Orange,” Spike continued before being interrupted again.

“Orange? One of Applejack and Big Mac’s relatives?” Twilight asked, leaning towards him to read over his shoulder.

“Sort of,” Spike grunted pushing her back to her original seated position with a glare. “She married into the Oranges. Still, she’s got enough political clout where she was able to convince plenty of ponies to nominate her for the job.”

"Okay, and for the Pegasi we have Cumulus, he's COO for the Cloudsdale weather factory. We also have Serpent's Wit, chairpony of the Feathered Freedom Society," Spike grunted.

"Wait, what?" Twilight squeaked, snatching the list away from Spike to read it for herself.

"Why are separatists negotiating for the Pegasi?" Luna asked, reading over Twilight's shoulder.

"The Cloudsdale Post ran a rather hyperbolic article earlier this week discussing possible outcomes of this gathering," a voice said from behind them. The three turned around as Edifying Scroll sauntered up to their desk with a very large coffee dispenser and a stack of mugs and plopped down next to where Luna had been sitting. She helped herself to the first cup and sighed. "As you'd expect from them, it presented the opinions of their editors as objective facts and outlined the worst-case scenarios as the most likely ones."

"And I take it that our aggravating little friend then used the panic it incited to worm his way into the position of negotiator," Luna grumbled, receiving an affirmative nod from Edifying Scroll.

"I won't say that we shouldn't be worried, but he'll likely behave himself unless he wishes to lose the few moderates in his support base," Edifying Scroll muttered.

Luna glared into the far corner of the room where Serpent's Wit sat along with a few other separatists. "Even so, I expect him to make some form of power grab over the next few days. We should be careful not to give him anything to use against us."

“Agreed.”

“You know, I’m sort of surprised to see you here, Scroll,” Twilight murmured, trotting up to her and pouring her own mug. “I heard you were making a lot of money in Manehattan as a consultant.”

“I don’t have very many friends, and right now two of them are struggling to keep my country together. I’m here to help them do that,” Edifying Scroll grunted. “The bits will be there when I get back.”

“Well, we are certainly glad to have you,” Luna replied with a respectful nod. “Shall we begin?”

“I think so,” Twilight muttered. She gave a nod to the guards as she and Luna took their seats; The Throne Room doors were closed and the hall fell silent.

“Welcome, everypony,” Twilight proclaimed, standing up and spreading her wings for her oration. “I’m fairly certain you all know why we’re here, so I will keep this brief. We have come down with three rules for this summit, which will be followed. Rule number one: while the castle has the facilities to feed all of you for weeks, we’re not going to lock you in here. Provided you are not needed at the time, you may enter and leave the castle at your leisure. That being said, you are forbidden from disclosing any ongoing negotiations until after a deal has been reached or the negotiations have been permanently abandoned. We will be assigning Royal Guards to any who wish to leave. They will be there for both your protection, and to enforce this rule. Failure to comply will have consequences.”

Twilight paused to allow the crowd to react. As she expected, most of those assembled burst into whispers that died down momentarily.

“I feel as if rule number two goes without saying, but there will be no violence, nor instigations of violence tolerated,” Luna said curtly. “Instigators will be arrested and given the maximum punishment allowed by law. Rule three is simple as well; any backroom-deals are prohibited. This is not the time to advance your personal interests, you are here to represent your people.”

“And at that, I’d like to get started,” Twilight said with a short nod.

“Princess Twilight, there has been a troubling development that I believe changes the tone of these negotiations, giving our opponents an unfair advantage,” an older Pegasus mare called out.

“They’re not your ‘opponents’, they’re your countryponies, Sprinkle. Please remember that we’re here to better Equestria, not to compete with each other,” Twilight sighed, gazing down at her. “But I’m listening.”

“It’s come to my attention that Skystreaker offered his atmospheric research to Moonbeam yesterday. He is giving away the only bit of leverage we had! I deman-”

“No. If Skystreaker wants to give Moonbeam his data, that’s his right. I’m sure the Unicorns will be fair; they know how important it is that we all get along,” Twilight sighed, hoping that time would prove her correct. “Now, can we get started or does somepony have something else to complain about?”

Before anypony could say anything else, Luna cleared her throat loudly and glared down at the assembled crowd. “Now, as I’m sure Princess Twilight was trying to say before she was so rudely interrupted, the first issue on our agenda is the situation revolving around Moonbeam’s invention. For those of you who don’t know, Ms. Moonbeam lost her husband a few years ago to an out-of-control blizzard. Since then she has been working to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again by inventing a machine capable of allowing a Unicorn to break up blizzards remotely. As you can imagine, the Pegasus community is quite concerned about this device and the detrimental effect it could have on employment in the weather industry. We’ve asked the involved parties to draft possible solutions to ensure that the much-needed machine gets developed without placing too much burden on the Pegasi.”

“Since the Pegasi have the most to lose, I think it’s only fair that we let one of them go first,” Twilight said next. “Any volunteers?”

“I’ll go!” a Pegasus that Twilight didn’t recognize shouted quickly. He lept into the air with a thick scroll in his hooves and flew towards Twilight with a few flaps of his wings, landing in front of the Princesses with a bow. He quickly unraveled the scroll, spreading it across the ground and began to read.

“We, the Pegasus community, must commend Moonbeam on her potentially lifesaving efforts, but cannot abide the damage it may cause to us and our foals. As such, we call on her to modify her device so that it may be used by Pegasi and would like to add the following sugg-”

“Impossible,” a gruff male voice interrupted from the back of the hall. Every head in the hall turned to look at the Earth Pony who didn’t even bother glancing up from the book he was reading. “I’ve done some work on Moonbeam’s project. It requires very precise magic to function. Only a Unicorn could operate it.”

“Well that’s not true, Solid Stone!” another Pegasus bellowed at him. “What about Grey Matter and Emerald Green’s project? If they could store the right spells to use the machines in gemstones, then a Pegasus could operate the machine!”

“No that-”

“That might work,” Grey Matter replied from across the room. “Can I see some of the data?”

A nearby Pegasus held up a ledger and Grey Matter levitated it over to himself. He scanned the first few pages and began jotting down calculations on a sheet of paper. A few minutes later he gave a satisfied nod. “Okay, I’ll need some time to get the exact numbers, but the associated cost to provide the crystals should be somewhere in the neighborhood of... Oh...” His face fell as he plugged the final numbers into his formulae and he glanced up sheepishly from his work. “F-four million bits a year per weather team.”

The room was silent for nearly a full minute before anypony spoke. “Unacceptable. We don’t have that kind of money to spare and I doubt the national budget can spare enough to outfit even half of Equestria’s weather teams,” an elderly Pegasus grumbled.

“It doesn’t-”

“Well maybe we can set up a taskforce that can quickly respond to such events!” Sprinkle Medley yelled out. “That way we won’t need to outfit each weather team. We could just-”

“No!” Solid Stone screamed, slamming his hoof down on the table in front of him. “You aren’t listening, it’s flat-out impossible. The magic these machines use is very complex. You couldn’t just have any old Unicorn step in and operate it, they’d need to be very skilled with magic, have months of training with the machine, and have intricate knowledge of how weather functions. The idea that anypony could just walk in off the street and be able to operate one of Moonbeam’s devices with stored spells is nothing short of ludicrous! It’d be like a foal trying to pick a lock with a hammer.”

The room went completely silent as Solid Stone’s shout echoed throughout the hall. Many of the assembled ponies shifted uncomfortably in their seats, gazing up at their Princesses for guidance.

“I suppose that that settles the matter,” Luna stated just loud enough for everypony in the hall to hear. She glanced down at the young Pegasus who had put forward the idea and smiled at the furiously blushing stallion. “Do not be discouraged. Yours was a clever plan and not without merit. It is that type of creative thinking this summit needs.”

He nodded gloomily and backed away just as another Pegasus stepped forward. Twilight nodded for the newcomer to speak.

“Your Highnesses, I am Bean Counter, the head accountant for the Maredrid weather team, and I am concerned about what I just heard. My team is already struggling to work within our budget constraints and I know that we’re not the only ones. Even if we were to team up with some of our neighboring teams, there’s no way we could afford to maintain one of these machines and hire a trained Unicorn to operate it,” he said curtly. “If it were just a matter of scraping together the money for the device, that’d be one thing, but this is an entirely different problem.”

“What is it you are proposing?” Luna asked when he finished speaking.

“I really hate to say this, and I mean I really hate it, but we’re going to need more money from the Royal budget,” he grumbled.

“That isn’t really within the scope of this summit, I think,” Edifying Scroll replied quickly, “but if you wouldn’t mind getting together with Moonbeam and getting me some concrete numbers, I’ll gladly look it over, see where we can pull some funds from the budget, and make sure it gets to the right ponies.”

“That- I would really appreciate that,” Bean Counter stammered. “Thank you, ma’am.”

As he found his way back to his seat, Edifying Scroll sat back and shot Twilight a satisfied smirk. Barely resisting the urge to laugh, Twilight waited a few minutes for the discussions that had popped up to die down, then called out for the next speaker. A young Unicorn stood up, levitating a thin packet of papers over her head. Twilight gave her a nod and she stepped forward.

“Good morning, everypony. My name is High Hopes. I’m a senior at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and I have a really simple idea, but I think it will work,” she said cheerfully. “What we need to do is increase the money available to Pegasi through Equestria’s low-income assistance prog-”

“No! Absolutely not. That’s your solution to everything, just throw resources at it!” a middle-aged Unicorn stallion interrupted loudly. “I’m sick of watching Equestria’s budget get wasted on worthless causes!”

“You’re a selfish little rat, Trigger, you know that?” an elderly Unicorn mare bellowed back as dozens of ponies raised their voices in protest. “Whenever somepony needs help it’s always ‘too expensive’ or ‘not worth it’, but you’re always the first one in line when we’re handing out investments. Your mother taught you better than that. She’d be ashamed of you!”

“Well excuse me if I’m just trying to keep our treasury from being drained by those feathered leeches-”

A blast of thunder shook the hall, silencing the brewing riot, and all eyes turned to its source: Luna. She held a passive expression, but her eyes betrayed her fury. She opened her mouth and spoke threateningly slow. “Guards, please remove Trigger from the castle, and escort him from the city. As of now, he is banished from my presence and my home for the rest of his miserable life. If he ever sets foot in Canterlot again, he and his racist mouth are to be imprisoned. Abuela Brown, while I appreciate your sentiments, please refrain from interrupting in the future and allow myself or Twilight to handle any outbursts.”

Nopony spoke as Trigger was dragged out of the hall for fear of further raising Luna’s ire, and she allowed the silence to hang for a minute before glancing down at the young mare whose proposal had started the incident. “Your initiative is commendable, but a bit... lacking.”

“L-lacking?” the young pony stammered, seemingly hurt by Luna’s words.

“What she means is that it’s a good idea, and we’re probably going to implement it, but it’s not enough. We can’t just put most of the Pegasus population on welfare and say we’re done,” Twilight explained quickly, shooting Luna a quick glare.

“Yes, that is indeed what I meant. I apologize for my poor choice of words,” Luna continued when she got the hint. Lighting up her horn, she pulled the papers away from High Hopes and levitated them up to herself to read them over. “These numbers are... sound. You have certainly done your research. May I keep this? I would like to use it as a base for future legislation, if you don’t mind.”

“Y-yes. Of course, Your Highness.”

She passed them over to Spike and said, “Would you mind having somepony write a copy or two of this for me? Please and thank you?”

“Sure thing!” he exclaimed, snatching the papers out of the air and trotting off.

Luna smiled and turned back to the conference. “Who is next?”

“Us, Your Highness! Give us a moment,” a Unicorn called out from the center of the room before dropping back into the heated discussion she was having with the Pegasus across from her. Twilight let them continue their hushed back-and-forth for several minutes before clearing her throat, causing them to both jump and glance up at her. They exchanged a pair of nervous stared before the Pegasus stood up and took a deep breath.

“Greetings, everypony. I am Raincaller, and before I begin, I’d like to mention that I am a weather pony, as were my parents and their parents, as far back as I can trace; at least nine generations. I’m telling all of you this so you understand how serious I am,” the Pegasus said somberly. She paused, grinding her teeth for a moment and took another deep breath. “The problem is our education system. Since we first started using the system of organized schools, a good portion of the time have Pegasi spent in class has been geared towards preparing them to work in the weather industry. It’s caused no shortage of problems, but we’ve been stubbornly holding onto the old educational model for decades.”

She paused again, blinking back tears and glancing around the deathly silent room guiltily. “I-I think it’s time we changed that. I think it’s time we admit to ourselves that this and other new technologies are making the old ways no longer viable. We need to reform our education system. We need to end this focus on the weather, and encourage our foals to refocus their efforts into other industries.”

She was barely able to get her full speech out before the hall exploded into angry shouts and the arguments began again. Twilight covered her ears, and sure enough, an ear-shattering thundercrack rattled the hall again.

“Enough! If you don’t like an idea, then ask to speak and offer a rebuttal,” Twilight scolded as soon as the echoes died.

“Princess, the Pegasi have maintained the weather all on our own for thousands of years!” an older Pegasus called out. “You can’t be suggesting we just spit in the face of all of our traditions.”

“As I have said many times before, traditions are a valuable part of our culture, but we cannot allow them to hold us back,” Luna interrupted. “At one time it was tradition for nobles to act as judge and jury for criminal matters in their lands, now we have the courts for that and they have proven to be far more fair. Let us be honest with ourselves, some traditions are not worth keeping.”

Nopony dared respond to her, but the tension in the room was palpable as most of the assembled Pegasi glared at her. One of the few who weren’t stood up, wringing her hooves nervously. “B-but, Princess Luna, what are we supposed to do?”

“Anything we want!” Rainbow Dash responded quickly. She took off into the air and spun around, hovering at the front of the hall to address the entire assembly. “Raincaller is right; we’re going to have to change, there’s no way around it, but taking care of Equestria’s weather isn’t what makes the pegasi great. We are! There’s already a lot of other things that we can do better than Unicorns or Earth Ponies just because we have wings. Imagine what we could do if we were given the opportunity and education to branch out!“

“Like what?” a stallion’s voice grumbled from somewhere in the crowd.

“A lot of stuff. You all know how I work with my husband during the off season and let me tell you that there’s a ton of jobs I can get done faster than any Earth Pony could. In the time it takes one of the others to water a field by hoof, I can water twelve with a cloud and still have time for a nap. And it’s not like the whole weather industry’s going to change overnight. Clouds and rainbows will still need to be made, and no machine’s going to be able to do everything we do,” she retorted. Her attempt at a rousing speech received only empty stares and she groaned loudly. “We can do this, everypony! We just have to get creative.”

“Well maybe you’re content working in the dirt,” a voice came from the back corner, “but the rest of us real Pegasi aren’t going to settle for such ‘lofty’ dreams.”

“‘Real’ Pegasi? Just what the heck is that supposed to mean?” Rainbow snarled, glaring in the direction of the voice.

A stallion rose out of the group of separatists and sneered at her. “I mean that you’re a fake! You just love to sit in the admiration of your fans and like to present yourself as a Pegasus, but did you even bother to sit with us today? No! You spurned your people to sit with that Canterlot hussy!”

Rainbow shot in his direction and arrived an instant before a group of Royal Guards. Nearby ponies fled from the melee as tables were knocked over and chairs broken before the guards managed to pull the two angry Pegasi apart. They quickly escorted Rainbow back to her seat while dragging the offender out.

“I want to thank you Princess!” Serpent's Wit cackled. “Allowing Rainbow Dash to stay when she has blatantly broken your rules, while throwing out my compatriot for merely speaking his mind? I couldn’t invent a story this good. In fact, one of my assistants is writing to Quick Quill as we speak! This’ll be on the front page of the Cloudsdale Post for a week.”

“Is that what you think? Tell me, didn’t Quick Quill promote his daughter, Firebrand, to assistant head editor last week?” Rarity asked him suddenly. “Don’t answer. The question was rhetorical and your voice grates on my last nerve. My point is that she comes into my Canterlot store once a week to browse my newest items. Even when she doesn’t buy anything, she usually stays for hours just to trade gossip with my employees. I very much doubt she’ll be too happy when she hears the vile thing that was just said about me.”

Serpent's Wit choked on his laughter and grimaced as if he had just tasted something horrible. “S-she and her father are loyal patriots. They will-”

“Patriots? Firebrand is a patriot, certainly, however, both you and her father are weasely little nationalists,” Rarity scoffed. “And while we’re on the subject, did you know she came into my shop the very day that my Rainbow Wonder collection came out? Did you know she not only bought one of everything, but actually bought two headpieces because she wanted to have Rainbow Dash sign one? I’m sure she’ll be very shocked to find out that her favorite athlete isn’t a ‘real’ Pegasus.”

“Rarity, enough,” Luna scolded. She glared down at Serpent's Wit and sneered. “Your friend made a completely uncalled for verbal attack against one of Equestria’s most esteemed citizens, and he did so knowing full well how Rainbow Dash would react to such a blatant attack on one of her closest friends. I am not going to punish her for reacting to a deliberate provocation that I suspect you were behind.”

Serpent's Wit glared at her, stammering angrily before turning around and stomping out of the hall. The rest of the separatists exchanged uncertain glances and most of them stood up, following him out. Twilight watched them go helplessly, but held her composure.

“Maybe we should take a break?” Spike asked worriedly.

“Yeah. I’ll go talk to the separatists. You three head out back and take a breather,” Edifying Scroll sighed, standing up and trotting off after Raincaller.

“Okay, we’re breaking for fifteen minutes!” Twilight yelled to the hall, not bothering to see who was listening. She immediately stood up and dragged herself out to one of the secluded hallways leading out from the back of the Throne Room with Spike and Luna close behind. As soon as they sat down, Twilight leaned against Luna and let out a frustrated groan. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke. “Two ponies dragged away by guards, a hooffight, and a mass walk-out. This isn’t going well.”

“It isn’t going poorly either. We’ve had several legitimate discussions, one of which included enthusiastic participation from all three types of pony,” Luna replied, resting her chin on Twilight’s head and putting a hoof around her withers. “Though I admit that even I did not think Serpent's Wit would make his move this early.”

“Yeah, and we’ve only been at this for like an hour!” Spike said. “We’ve still got a few days left. We’ve got plenty of time.”

“I know, I can’t help but feel stressed,” Twilight whined. “After all these years, I should be used to this kind of pressure, but I hate it!”

“One can be used to something and still hate it. I feel that way about ponies still being afraid to look me in the eye,” Luna murmured. She was pensively silent for a moment, then chuckled and nuzzled Twilight’s ear before standing up with a smile. “Come on. We have work to do.”

Twilight moaned and frowned at Luna, but got up anyway. She heaved a resigned sigh and leaned into the elder Princess, lips puckered. Luna let out a single snort of laughter, gave Twilight the kiss she sought, then ushered her and Spike back out to the Throne Room. They sat down and before long, Edifying Scroll led a small group of Pegasi in. They returned to their seats as Scroll made a beeline to the Princesses and sat down.

“Well, I got about half of them back,” she said smugly.

“How?” Spike asked. “They were really mad!”

“Simple: I showed them the door. I reminded them that these talks would continue with or without them and that the only thing they’d accomplish by leaving is to surrender their say. That was enough to make some of them break ranks,” she sniggered with an innocent shrug. “Apparently many of them felt that bad-mouthing a Wonderbolt was going too far. All it took was a little extra push for the cracks in their armor to split wide open.”

“You are devious,” Luna muttered.

“Thank you!” Edifying Scroll quipped with a twisted smirk. “Now can we get back to this? You know how much I hate waiting around.”

“Yeah I do,” Twilight muttered. She raised a hoof in the hair and discussion in the hall stopped.

“As Rainbow Dash was saying before she was so rudely interrupted,” Luna started, “one machine will not render the pegasi obsolete. There are still plenty of functions that our technology is nowhere near capable of doing; creating structures from clouds, for instance, or mixing a perfect rainbow. The only thing at stake are jobs, not the cultural identity of the pegasi.”

“Well spoken, Princess Luna,” Twilight said with a nod. “Let us continue looking for a solution. We were discussing revamping Pegasi education, and I would like to share my thoughts.” She stood up, spreading her wings for maximum effect, and allowed herself a deep breath, putting on the display of the confident, sanguine royal she had gotten so good at.

“At the moment, I am confident in saying that the education system in place in Unicorn-majority towns is one of the best in the world. Even ignoring magical studies, students in cities like Manehattan, Canterlot, and Pranceton enjoy a much more balanced education than that in other cities. I think the best path forward from here would be to nationalize a similar system. Provinces with Earth Pony majorities have been moving in this direction for years, and the results have been promising so far.”

“And just how do you plan on doing that, Princess?” Edifying Scroll said loudly.

Twilight pursed her lips to keep from giggling at the blatant support she was being given and continued. “I have one main idea: to redirect teaching incentives. Many of you probably remember that I implemented a program shortly after I became Princess that offered financial incentives to teachers who were willing to move to low-income areas to help boost impoverished foals. While it’s worked marvelously, much of the programs funding went to towns with a lot of Earth Ponies as they tended to be the poorest. With the success of the program, I’d like to restructure it slightly so a bit more funding goes to the Pegasi. Hopefully this’ll enable the next generation of Pegasi to find more opportunities outside of the weather industry.”

She paused and gave a slight nod to indicate that she was finished speaking and the buzz of side conversations started up again. Within thirty seconds an Earth Pony stood up excitedly. “Your Highness, why not take it farther?”

Twilight frowned slightly, unsure of what he meant. “Go on.”

“Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns is the top university in Equestria, and it’s Unicorn-only, and two of the next three have more Unicorn students than anything else. That needs to change,” he explained.

“Are you suggesting that I open Celestia’s school to the public?” Twilight asked slowly.

“Of course not!” he groaned, shaking his head vigorously. “The entire point of that school is to train powerful Unicorns, and we got you from it, so it obviously works. But Pranceton and Manehattan Uni aren’t like that. They’re just regular schools that have a lot of Unicorns. If you leaned on them a bit to offer scholarships to Pegasi who wanted to major in something that wasn’t weather-related, a lot more of them could afford to go. If that works, you could convince more colleges to do it.”

“That might work,” Twilight muttered, more to herself than to the speaker.

“Why stop there?” a Pegasus from the back of the room interjected. “Canterlot College isn’t even a mile from the School for Gifted Unicorns, and it’s widely considered to be second-rate. Why not have the two schools form a partnership where their professors teach at both? That way Celestia’s School could keep its focus on magic, while the general education it provides would be available to anypony!”

The room went silent as Twilight turned the Pegasus’ idea over in her head. She glanced over at the Vice Headmaster and he met her gaze, immediately understanding her unspoken question.

“I’m... not explicitly against the idea, but there would be a lot of resistance among the staff. Even if you could get them all on board, it wouldn’t be a seamless transition,” he said slowly.

“But it can be done?”

He nodded. “Yes, but that would leave the school with a staffing shortage. Without hiring additional personnel we would be completely unable to handle the sudden influx of students in addition to our current pupils. In fact, that can be said about Manehattan, Pranceton and just about any university.”

“So you’ll need more teachers available?” Twilight asked.

“And more money to pay them, yes,” he said with another nod. “I would gladly work towards this initiative and I’ll try to convince the other schools to do so as well, but I have to look out for my current students before I worry about hypothetical ones.”

“That’s great and all, but what about Pegasi currently employed in the industry?” Cumulus interrupted. “I fully support caring for the next generation of Pegasi, but Moonbeam’s device is threatening livelihoods now! Unemployment among weather ponies is already near ten percent. We literally can’t afford any more layoffs.”

“That’s not entirely true,” a Unicorn called from across the room. She stood up so all could see her and continued, “The device won’t be ready for use for another two to four years, and it’ll probably take another ten to see widespread use after that. You do make a good point though, unless a lot of Pegasi retire in the next ten years, there could be problems.”

“I think we’re all forgetting something,” Edifying Scroll said loudly. “This device won’t be replacing very many Pegasi. A few dozen at most.”

“Yeah, but trust me, once we can break up blizzards, it won’t be much of a jump to a machine that can break up any type of storm, and it’ll just keep going from there,” Booklearn replied. “Then we’ll just be right back here having this same conversation.”

“Could we possibly do something similar to what you plan to do with the schools, but with jobs?” Cumulus asked hopefully. “Mayor Blue Moon, could that be done? Provide incentives to hire Pegasi who lose their jobs in the weather industry?”

“I really don’t know,” Blue Moon muttered after a short, thoughtful silence. “That’s asking for a lot. Even if I supported that, which I’m not sure I do, I can’t think of a way to implement it.”

“I think we have reached a good point to break up into groups!” Luna announced with a smile. She glanced to the pair of Unicorn negotiators and the remaining Pegasus representative in turn. “You all know what you want, and now you all know what the others want. This is the perfect time to discuss amongst yourselves alternative solutions and what you would consider acceptable ways forward.”

“I agree,” Edifying Scroll grunted. “We should break again so the negotiators can discuss the options with those they are representing. Unicorns, discuss what you would need in exchange for your aid, Pegasi, decide on what concessions you are willing to make. Once everypony is ready, you can state your requests and we can figure out how we’re going to move forward.”

The assembled Unicorn and Pegasi all stood up and separated to opposite ends of the room, gathering around their respective negotiators. Rainbow Dash hung near the back of the Pegasus group while Rarity glided through the crowd of Unicorns to seat herself right next to Mayor Blue Moon. The Earth Ponies and Zebra sat in their small crowds scattered around the hall for a short while before slowly congregating into a group of their own. Twilight reached under her desk, found Luna’s hoof, and grabbed it, squeezing nervously as the delegates talked.

The Princesses sat in silence. Twenty minutes passed before the crowd of Pegasi broke up and they spread throughout the hall once more, drifting into smaller groups that talked quietly among themselves, yet conspicuously avoiding the group of Unicorns. The Earth Ponies broke up not long after, distributing themselves amongst the Pegasi. Twilight managed to sit still for another two minutes before standing up and starting to head towards the Unicorns, but was stopped by Luna.

“No, Twilight, let them be,” she murmured.

“But-”

“Now is not the time. They need to work this out themselves,” Luna said softly, but firmly. “Even if you don’t speak a word, your listening in could make them feel as if they are backed into a corner and they may lash out.”

Twilight opened her mouth, but couldn’t find an argument and sat back down. She continued waiting silently, not hearing the quiet conversations Luna, Spike, and Edifying Scroll held and barely acknowledging the courtier who brought the four of them soup.

Finally, after two and a half hours, the Unicorns separated, and the Mayor nodded to Twilight.

“What did you decide on?” she asked, unable to keep her trepidation from her voice.

“Princess, we want to help, we really do, but you’re asking too much of us,” Blue Moon said, glancing at Rarity with a wince. “Taking more Pegasi into our schools is something we can deal with, but asking us to pass over qualified Unicorns in favor of under-qualified, or even unqualified Pegasi is further than we’re willing to go. It’ll raise unemployment among Unicorns and kill productivity in our companies while we retrain the Pegasi.”

“Okay, we’ll go back to that then, but you’re willing to go through with the education plan?” Twilight asked.

“If you secure us additional funding so we’re not left out to dry,” Professor Booklearn replied. “We’d also like legal protections against lawsuits resulting from us revoking scholarships we grant to Pegasi. We currently hold scholarship students to the highest standard and don’t hesitate to revoke the scholarships of Unicorns who fail to meet those standards. If Pegasi want scholarships, then it’s only fair that we hold them to the same standard and the last thing we need is to get sued over it.”

“I would have to object to that. Pegasus student will be coming in at a disadvantage. You can’t hold them to the same standards as Unicorn students!” a Pegasus mare yelled.

“We can and we will,” Booklearn growled. “We provide our students will all the resources they need to succeed, including unlimited access to tutoring. If you want to include such things as a requirement we must fulfill to receive the extra funding, then go right ahead, but we will not allow lazy students to continue receiving what is essentially a gift. We will not lower our standards. Not for you, not for anypony.”

“We shall see some appropriate legislation drafted,” Luna interjected quickly. “Funding will be allocated to Unicorn-run universities, but will come with conditions. The funding must be used only to expand their facilities to accommodate a higher number of students and to offer scholarships to Pegasi. To ensure that the funding is being properly used, they must submit to yearly audits. In return, their right to expel Pegasi students who don’t put in the effort required of them will be protected by law. I would also put forward that universities be required to offer remedial courses to incoming Pegasi so they may start school on even footing with their Unicorn peers. Does this sound fair to everypony?”

She was met with a few discontent murmurs of agreement and smiled, bowing her head. “Thank you. I realize that it may not be an ideal situation for either side, but if things were ideal, then we would not need to be here in the first place.”

“Hold, there’s more,” Booklearn said quickly. “If this is going to work, then the pegasi will need to immediately overhaul their primary and secondary schools to bring them more in-line with ours, rather than gradually do it over the next decade as I assume they were planning to. Less focus on weather and flying, more focus on general studies. In return, we offer our resources and our ponies to help them accomplish this task.”

“That is not an unreasonable request,” Luna replied with a nod, “Cumulus, would you agree to these terms?”

“It won’t go over well, but if it gets us what we need, then we’ll agree to it,” Cumulus grunted with a nod.

“Good. I’m glad that’s settled,” Twilight said. She turned her attention back to Mayor Blue Moon. “You’re absolutely sure that there’s nothing you can do about hiring more Pegasi?”

“I don’t have the luxury of budging on this issue and it’s not just to protect my job. Even if I agree to your demands over the objections of my people, the citizens of Manehattan will likely recall me and elect somepony who would oppose you,” Blue Moon stated sharply.

“We may have a solution to your little problem,” Lady Saffron called out. She waited until every pair of eyes in the room were on her before turning in the Mayor’s direction with a smug grin. “Rainbow Dash is right about one thing: Earth Ponies love having Pegasi to work on their farms. We would gladly take them if we could, but that would leave us with a labor excess and frankly we can’t afford that any more than you can.”

She gave an exaggerated sigh and a pout. “Whatever shall we do?”

Blue Moon groaned and rested his forehead in a hoof. “I don’t have any patience left today to play your coy games. Just tell me what you want in plain language.”

Saffron recoiled at the hostile reaction. She shook her head and spoke again in a business-like tone. “As Princess Twilight mentioned before, her plan to bring quality education to poorer Earth Pony communities has worked marvelously. The foals who were still in primary school at the beginning of the program are just now reaching adulthood and graduating from tertiary schools. They are ready and eager to enter the workforce in non-traditional jobs, and, most importantly, they are qualified to do so. You start hiring them, and we’ll start hiring pegasi.”

Blue Moon stared at her for a brief moment before giving a reluctant smile. “I think we can work with that, on one condition.” Lady Orange frowned and nodded for him to continue. “We hold our workers to the same standards that we hold our students. We’ll hire them on the condition that we’re protected from lawsuits resulting from the firing of Earth Ponies who give us unsatisfactory performances.”

“Add a provision allowing Earth Ponies equal access to Unicorn-based labor unions and you have a deal,” Lady Orange replied with a grin.

“I’m almost insulted that you’d think we wouldn’t give them that anyway, but if you need a legal guarantee, then by all means,” Blue Moon grunted. He looked back up to Twilight and nodded. “I think we have finished, Your Highness.”

“Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but won’t that increase unemployment among unicorns?” Cumulus asked.

“We are going through an economic boom at the moment and can absorb a labor influx,” Blue Moon said, shaking his head. “My concern was with the qualifications of the incoming workers, not their numbers. In fact if they are sufficiently skilled enough, and come from a place of different thinking, they might even create new innovations and thus more jobs for both Unicorns and Earth ponies alike. Princess Twilight was behind the increasing education quality for these Earth Ponies, if they meet her lofty standards, then they certainly meet my own.”

“I have been following their progress closely and am confident in their abilities,” Twilight replied with a nod. “So how many bills do we need to draft? Three?”

“Five,” Edifying Scroll interjected. “One to provide extra funding for universities and outline what said funding is allowed to be used on, a second to outline a streamlined path for out of work weather ponies to find work on farms, a third to reform pegasi schools, a fourth to encourage Unicorns to hire Earth Ponies, and the last to outline the rights and responsibilities of newly-hired Earth Ponies.”

“Five new laws? I’d be much more comfortable with combining them all into one. If the bill requiring us to hire Pegasi passes but either of the last two don’t, Earth Ponies are going to be in a bad position,” Chancellor Brighteye said, speaking for the first time that day.

“Combining the bills like that would be a legislative nightmare,” Edifying Scroll replied.

“Can’t you just give Twilight and L- errr, Princess Twilight and Princess Luna the power to veto the bills if they don’t all pass?” Spike asked. The entire room stared at him for an explanation and he blushed. “What I mean is if each bill has language in it requiring the Princesses to sign it before it’s passed, then they can just refused to sign any of them until all of them have been passed.”

“That’s a great idea, Spike!” Twilight gushed. “That’s what we’ll do. The bills will be drafted during the next legislative session, and Luna and I give our words as Princesses that we won’t sign any of the bills until we have every last one on our desks. Does that sound fair to everypony?”

A buzz of agreement rang through the room and Twilight grinned broadly. “Good! Spike, get your notes to the Prime Minister and tell him to get working on it right away.” He scurried away, notes in claw as she turned back to the crowd. “Thank you, all, for your cooperation. it really gives me hope for the future. Chancellor, your people have been waiting patiently all day. We can now address your dispute with the Zebra.”

“Actually, Princess Twilight, that won’t be necessary. We were able to work it out on our own while the Unicorns deliberated,” Chancellor Brighteye said proudly. “It turns out that all we really needed to resolve our differences was a chance to sit down and talk.”

Twilight couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s great! It’s still your turn though, is there another issue you’d like to bring forward?”

“Yes, actually,” he said, passing several scrolls to a nearby guard to bring to Twilight. “This started as a minor property dispute between three Earth Ponies, but sort of blew up and now involves two entire towns; one with a population of mostly Unicorn, the other mostly Earth Ponies. Some of the arguments have become racially charged recently, and I’d like to get this resolved before it gets worse.”

“Okay! Let’s see what we can do!”

Chapter 26

Twenty-one years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight sat gazing out of her office window over the sunny gardens of her castle, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.

Things had been going so well. While many pegasi still felt marginalized, many more were pleased with the progress that had been made so far and the secessionist movement had deflated significantly. The unicorns, on the other hoof, had been pleasantly surprised at how well the new generation of earth ponies had integrated into their workforce; combining a quality education with an earth pony’s stamina, work ethic, and pride in a job well done had proven more than effective. There was still a lot to be done to truly bring unity to Equestria, but it was no longer tearing itself apart.

Unfortunately, like all of her other social engineering projects of the past two decades, her solution to one problem had created and exacerbated another. The money pumped into Equestria’s earth pony communities had given a taste of wealth to a group of citizens who had never had it before, and the results were... less than optimal.

Next to her sat the pile of papers that was causing her distress: a list of grievances against the Duke of Northhold, signed by thousands of Northhold’s residents. Allegations of criminal behavior and gross abuse of his authority.

As his citizens got wealthier, the Duke had demanded larger and larger pieces of the pie, and had begun using harsher and more brutal methods to get it. With Equestria’s central government focused as it was on caring for the pegasi, the quasi-dictatorship had gone unnoticed for a disturbingly long time. Now, he had effectively become a tyrant, ruling his duchy with an iron hoof and treating his subjects like they were his property.

And worst of all: he had done it on Twilight’s watch. Now, things had finally reached the breaking point.

She heard the door open and close behind her and knew immediately who it was. “I’m listening.”

“The rumors are all true,” Sunshower mumbled. She walked up to Twilight and sat down next to her “Duke Stonebreaker tried to force some poor mare who couldn’t pay her taxes to marry him. He even had her real husband jailed and declared their marriage invalid.”

Twilight groaned and hung her head. “What’s happening now?”

“I’ve been told that she escaped and took refuge with Count Balanced Scales. Her husband is still imprisoned though, but my spies tell me he’s being treated well,” Sunshower said, gently laying a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t your fault. You did everything you could short of imprisoning the Duke yourself.”

“It might not be my fault, but it is my responsibility. Come, I’m tired of this twisted game he’s been playing with me,” Twilight grunted. She stood up, shooting one last glare over the gardens and turned around, stomping out into the hallway with Sunshower close behind. She glanced in each direction before calling out, “Helga, are you here?”

A young gryphon poked her head around a nearby corner. “Yes, Princess, I’m here.”

“Oh, good, I was afraid that you might have finished with this hallway already,” Twilight said, softening her expression and approaching the maid. “Listen, can you go get my nephew and ask him to meet me at the pond? Tell him I have something urgent to discuss with him.”

“Yes, Princess. Right away!” the gryphon said with a bow and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Helga?”

She stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder. “Yes, Your Highness?

“Relax. You’ve been doing a great job.”

Helga blinked at her with a bewildered stare. “I have? B-but the other maids said-”

“Ignore what the other maids say about you,” Twilight interrupted. “When it comes to your job, there’s only one pony around here whose opinion matters.”

“Yours?”

“Mine. And I say that you’re doing fine,” Twilight said with a wink. Helga nodded happily and jogged off, leaving Twilight and Sunshower heading in the opposite direction.

“So I assume you’d like me to write up an arrest warrant for Stonebreaker?” Sunshower asked.

“Yes, for the attempted kidnapping of that poor mare; we can add on the rest of the charges when we send him to court. That won’t be the only thing I need from you, though,” Twilight muttered.

Sunshower stopped and retrieved a clipboard and quill from her saddlebags and took off into the air, hovering next to Twilight as the Princess walked. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“First, write to our Lupine Embassy and tell Luna everything. Tell her that I think this is going to get much worse and ask her to come home. After that, write to the Crystal City and ask my brother to send a company of Crystal Guards to Eastdale. Then write to Balanced Scales; send him the warrant and tell him to gather his men and march on Northhold once the Crystal Guard has arrived to back him up. Once he’s there, he’s to present the Duke with the arrest warrant and demand his surrender. Hopefully, he’ll come peacefully. If not...” Twilight trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I-if not, I’m authorizing the use of force.”

“A full company of C.G.s seems like a little much. Trying to intimidate the Duke into surrendering?” Sunshower asked softly.

“Exactly,” Twilight grunted.

“Luckily the Duke’s castle is far enough away from any towns so we don’t have to worry about civilians being hurt in the siege,” Sunshower murmured.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean he won’t take hostages,” Twilight retorted. “Tell both the Count and my brother to be discreet until they’re too close for the Duke to react.”

“Got it.”

“After that, draft and fill out the forms necessary for me to appoint a regent in the Duke’s place and have the Prime Minister sign it. I won’t have Stonebreaker appointing his own,” Twilight said, her wings twitching with agitation.

“Next?”

“Next, draft the paperwork needed to revoke the duchy of Northhold and the paperwork I’d need to revoke all of his titles and holdings,” Twilight said as they came to the door leading to the gardens.

“Isn’t that, uhhhh, redundant? Revoking all his titles would take away the duchy too,” Sunshower asked. “And doesn’t he need to go to trial before you can do that?”

“True and true, but I don’t know which one of those I’m going to need, and regardless I’d like to have the forms ready to be stamped by the judge as soon as the trial is over,” Twilight explained. “The sooner we get Northhold into good hooves, the sooner we can start to fix the damage Stonebreaker’s done.”

“Oh, makes sense!” Sunshower smirked, writing down Twilight’s orders. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it. If you think of anything I missed, just do it. You don’t need to ask me,” Twilight said with an attempt at a smile.

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll have the warrant, the letter to Shining Armor, and the regency papers done in an hour, then I’ll get to work on the rest. We won’t let him get away with all he’s done. One way or another, it’ll be over soon!” Sunshower said with a bravado reminiscent of Rainbow Dash.

“You really can find a bright side to everything, can’t you?” Twilight said, cracking her first real smile in days.

“Yeah! Who knew just how handy a talent like mine would be in this job?” Sunshower asked with a wink. She gave one hard flap of her wings, lifting higher into the air, and took off down the hallway.

Twilight chuckled and continued out into the gardens. She quickly made for the nearest tree to shelter herself from the summer sun. She strolled along the shaded garden paths, enjoying the mild humidity, breathing in deeply. When she finally reached the pond, she trotted over to its edge and flopped down in the grass.

This had become her favorite spot in the castle. The quiet serenity of the gardens seemed to be even more prevalent next to the rocky pool, and she had spent countless hours just sitting and enjoying the silence. Sometimes she’d lay there alone with nothing but the sun or the moon for company, other times Luna would join her and they would snuggle silently on the shore.

She gazed into the water, immediately noticing the bags under her eyes. It had been days since she had properly slept, her nights fraught with worry for the ponies of Northhold. Even her magically-preserved youth wasn’t enough to mask the exhaustion in her face. She slipped one of her golden shoes off and dipped her hoof into the cool water. She dipped her hoof in a few more times, smiling to herself as she watched the ripples roll their way across the water’s surface and bounce off of the rocks on the far side of the pond.

She had just begun swirling the water around with her hoof when she heard soft hoofbeat behind her. She turned around and smiled at the handsome stallion approaching her. “Hello, Dusk.”

“You wanted to see me, Princess Tw-” he stopped speaking as she shot a disapproving glare at him. “Aunt Twilight?”

“That’s better,” she muttered. She patted the grass next to her, so he trotted up and lay down. She gave him a hard stare, trying to find her voice in light of everything that had happened. “Dusk, have you- Did you... What have you heard about recent events in Northhold?”

He blanched, obviously not expecting their conversation to start like that. “Just... rumors. You know I don’t place much stock in them.”

“Which rumors? Be specific,” Twilight instructed.

“Property confiscations, unreasonably harsh sentences for minor crimes, cripplingly high taxes... corporal punishments; that type of thing,” he said softly.

“It’s true. All of it. Lately, however, Stonebreaker’s gotten more brazen. His most recent crime was trying to force a young mare into marrying him,” Twilight muttered. She caught the horrified expression on his face out of the corner of her eye and sighed. “Don’t worry, she escaped. As we speak, Sunshower is drafting an arrest warrant for the Duke. He’ll be stripped of his titles and made to answer for his crimes.”

“Good,” Dusk said shortly. “If all that really is true, then his actions were... vile.”

“We are agreed. Personally I think I should’ve addressed this as soon as it came to light instead of hoping that sanctions would turn his behavior around, but that is neither here nor there. What’s truly important is repairing the damage done to Northhold and its ponies,” Twilight said. She turned to her nephew to look him in the eyes. “To that end, I’m landing you.”

Dusk gave her a stunned stare. “W-wait, me? You want me to... No way! I am not ready for that.”

“Dusk, the ponies of Northhold are hurting and probably think that Canterlot has abandoned them. I need somepony who has enough charisma to inspire them to follow him, yet is humble enough to ask for help as soon as he needs it and not wait until things have gotten out of control. Out of all the ponies in my court, you fit that description best. You’re the only one I trust to get this right,” Twilight replied pleadingly. “I didn’t think I was ready to become a Princess when Celestia died. Heck, I thought she was crazy for putting me on the throne, but I trusted her and you know what? She was right, I was ready. Now I’m telling you: I know you can do it.”

“Can’t you just make him abdicate?” Dusk squawked. “His son is ten years older than I am, he could probably do it!”

“I’ve met Stonebreaker’s son several times; he’s an arrogant little jerk with an ego as big as his father’s. I can’t put him in charge,” Twilight said.

“B-but I... I’m not...”

She took his hoof in both of hers, squeezing it tight. “I’m not doing this as a favor to you or as a reward. I need your help, Dusk. Please?”

Dusk choked on his words as his rebuttal died in his throat. He tore his gaze away from Twilight’s, staring at the ground. He remained silent for a long time, and Twilight kept quiet, allowing him to be alone with his thoughts. Finally, he lifted his head and heaved a heavy sigh. “Okay.”

“Oh, thank you!” she squealed, hugging him with one hoof. “You won’t be alone in this. I’ll make sure you have all the resources you need to succeed.”

“I know. You always do,” he replied softly. “What happens now?”

“Well, once Sunshower’s finished with the warrant, I’ll send it via courier to Eastdale and a letter to your father asking him to provide the Count with backup. After that their combined forces will march on Northhold castle and hopefully he’ll surrender without a fight,” Twilight said shaking her head skeptically.

“You don’t think he will?” Dusk asked uncertainly.

“I don’t know. That’s what scares me most,” Twilight confessed. “Either way, I’ll be sending you up to Eastdale tomorrow with papers declaring you Northhold’s regent while we put the Duke on trial. You’re to stay there until the Duke has been arrested and order has been restored. After that we’ll find somewhere in Northhold for you to stay and a spot for you to set up a temporary office for the duration of the trial. What happens after that depends on him. If he comes quietly, I’ll charge him with malicious abuse of authority and revoke the Duchy, pass it to you, and the rest of his property will go to his son. If he resists, I’ll add treason as a charge and confiscate his holdings as well. Once the trial’s over, you’ll get the Duchy, and either you or his son will get his castle.”

“Okay. That sounds good.”

“Dusk, listen to me,” Twilight said firmly, turning his head towards her to look him directly in the eyes. “You. Are. To. Stay. In. Eastdale. You’re brave, but you’re not a soldier like your father. You’re a scholar; like me. This is far too important for you to risk getting hurt, or worse, captured by the Duke. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Dusk said with a nod.

“Good. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of all this,” Twilight muttered. Dusk opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it any nodded. “So... Any questions?”

“Two,” Dusk said after a short, thoughtful pause.

“Okay, shoot.”

“How’s succession going to work? I’m heir to the Crystal City. I know I’m probably not going to outlive mom, but couldn’t that still cause problems?” he asked quietly.

“That is entirely between you and your parents, I’m not getting involved. Whatever you want to do it is fine by me,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “If I were you, I’d just make sure to have at least two foals so you could pass your inheritances to the two oldest. But again, not my decision.”

“Why so hooves-off all of a sudden?” Dusk asked with a raised eyebrow

“The nobles get really mad when I get involved in succession. We’ve got enough problems right now without having to worry about them,” Twilight replied quickly. “Next question?”

“Where am I going to live if he comes quietly?” Dusk asked with a mischievous smirk.

Twilight tried to stuffle her laughter, but only ended up snorting and laughing harder as a result. “If that... If that happens, we’ll build you a new castle.”

“Really?” Dusk asked after his own chortles died down.

“Yes, really. You are a Prince, after all. What kind of Prince doesn’t have his own castle?” she snickered, nudging him with an elbow.

“Blueblood. All he has is a gaudy mansion.”

Twilight burst out in giggles once again. “Alright, I’ll give you that one. Just do me one favor before you go.”

“Another one?”

“Go visit your grandmother before you leave. She’s already going to be furious with me for sending you away, it’ll be worse if she doesn’t get to see you before you go,” Twilight snickered.

“Sure,” Dusk nodded. “Anything else?”

“Just one more thing,” Twilight said softly. “Can I have a hug? Just in case I don’t see you again before you leave tomorrow?”

He smirked and wrapped his hooves around her neck, leaning into her embrace. She let out a content sigh. “I love you, Dusk.”

“I love you too, Aunt Twilight,” he murmured.

Twilight gave him one last squeeze and pulled away. “I shouldn’t keep you any longer, you have a lot to do and not much time. Go make me proud.”

He gave her a sheepish grin and nodded enthusiastically before galloping off towards the castle. She watched him go with a smile, only gazing back into the pond when he was completely out of sight. She dipped the tip of her hoof in the water again when a wonderful idea struck her. She shot to her hooves, slipped her shoe back on, and trotted away. She made her way through the winding garden paths until she came to the castle’s gate.

She walked out onto the city street, nodding politely at the citizens she passed. She received few bows along her way; she had wandered the city often enough where the ponies of Canterlot were used to seeing her out and about and instead greeted her with warm smiles and waves. It wasn’t long before she reached her destination: a dingy building tucked against the side of the mountain, belching a stack of black smoke from its chimney.

She pushed the door open and was met with the pungent odors of smoke, sulfur, and sweat. She trotted into the dark room, lit only by the dim red glow of the smithy’s forges. A gasp from the other side of the room drew her attention and she glanced over to see a young pegasus mare gaping at her from her position at the bellows.

“Hello there,” Twilight grinned.

At the sound of Twilight’s voice, the mare seemed to snap out of her trance and bolted to a nearby door, stammering to someone in the next room. “B-boss! Boss, she- The- We have-”

“What are you babbling about girl?” a grizzled earth pony shouted as he barged through the door. “Use your words- Oh, sweet Celestia...” He grimaced at the sight of Twilight and glanced around the disorganized, soot-stained workshop nervously. “Princess Twilight! If I had known you were coming, I’d have cleaned up.”

“It’s quite alright. I did drop by unannounced after all,” Twilight said with a shrug.

“So, uhhh, what can I do for you? I never thought I’d see a pony of your standing around this dump,” the forgemaster said, scratching his head sheepishly.

“I have it on good authority that your resident goldsmith is one of the most skilled in the business. Is that true?” Twilight asked.

“Well, yeah, but he doesn’t like attention so we try to keep that quiet,” he muttered. “How’d you find out, Your Highness?”

“I have my ways,” Twilight replied with a smirk and a wink. “May I speak with him?”

“‘Course,” he said with a bow. He trotted back to the door and stuck his head through. “Hey, boy! You have a visitor. Probably the most important one you’ll ever have.” He turned back to Twilight and gestured through the door. “First room on the right. Watch your step, it’s probably a mess.”

Twilight nodded to him and stepped through, trotting to the doorway he indicated to find a scrawny unicorn huddled over a cluttered desk. He glanced up as she entered and his jaw dropped. “Princess Twilight? What are you doing here?”

“I would like to commission a piece, if that is alright,” Twilight replied.

“F-from me? Are you sure? I know some very good jewelers who could probably create something more suitable,” he stammered.

“I am quite sure; the object I want must be durable. I appreciate jewelers and their crafts as much as the next mare, but a precise, delicate hoof isn’t what I need right now. I need a smith. A goldsmith,” Twilight said with a smirk. “So, can you help me?”

He shoved everything off of his desk and retrieved a blank sheet of paper and a quill from a nearby drawer. “Yes, of course! What can I make you?”

“I would like a circlet. A simple one, just a band of gold,” she said, stepping up to the desk. “I’m intending for it to be for everyday wear rather than ceremonial, so it should be comfortable and strong.”

“Depending on the purity that’s easier said than done, but I can definitely do that,” he muttered, jotting down her order. “Let’s see... For specifics, I have the equipment to make its purity up to twenty-two carats, but it would be soft. For what you’re asking, I wouldn’t recommend going any higher than eighteen. Would you prefer a specific shade? I could probably get it to be the same color as your crown.”

“Eighteen it is than, and I’d much prefer it match my crown. If you can do it,” Twilight nodded.

“And what size do you want it?”

Twilight leaned closer, examining the unnerved stallion closely. “Well, your head is about the same size as the pony it’s for, so if it fits you comfortably, it should be fine. I can’t measure him because I want it to be a surprise, so we can just have it readjusted if need be.”

“Okay...” he whispered, writing it down. “What about designs? Have anything in mind?”

“I’ll leave that to your discretion. It’s for somepony very special to me, so make something you’re proud of. Just leave the inside edge clear so I can engrave their name into it,” Twilight said.

“Yes ma’am, simple but elegant. One last question: gems?”

“No thank y- actually, yes! One sapphire, in the very front,” she said giddily.

“Easy enough? Any particular hue? Sapphires come in many different shades and colors,” he asked, with a smile.

“I think I’d like... Hmmm, you know what? I know exactly which one I want. There’s a star sapphire in the castle vault, a nice navy blue one. If I were to send it here, could you use that?”

“Yes, of course!” he replied eagerly.

“I think that’s it. Can I get a quote?” she asked.

“Sure thing,” he murmured. He scratched down a few numbers on the paper and added them all up. “Let’s see material costs, fuel costs... I’ll take off the cost of labor-”

“You most certainly will not! You are doing a service for me and I will compensate you accordingly,” Twilight retorted.

“As you wish...” He finished his calculations and slid the paper towards Twilight. “All together, it will cost a little over two thousand bits. I can’t get an exact figure until I’ve actually drawn up the design though.”

“Twenty-five hundred it is,” Twilight replied with a mischievous smirk.

“T-thank you, Your Highness!”

She lifted her wing and levitated a small bag from under it, pouring out a hoofful of gems onto the desk. “There should be about three hundred bits there. I’ll send along a personal check for another seven hundred tomorrow morning. You’ll get the rest in your choice of gems, a check, coin, or any combination of the three once the final product is delivered,” Twilight said in a business-like tone. “Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, one thousand is more than a sufficient deposit. It should take me...” he paused and glanced down to what he had written. “You wanted something simple, so not long. Two weeks. Three max.”

“Perfect! I’ll be along in a few days to check on your progress,” she replied with a nod. He gave her a bow as she trotted out.

Five weeks later...

Twilight and Luna stepped out into their packed Throne Room, ponies of every shape and size filling it from wall to wall, and were met with a collective bow. As they nodded their heads in unison, the crowd rose for their bows, focusing their attentions on the Princesses.

As they took their places in front of the throne, Sunshower nodded to the assembly. “Thank you. Please be seated.”

Twilight took a deep breath as she shared a glance with Luna before standing tall to address the crowd. “Welcome, everypony, and thank you for coming. As many of you well know, our fair realm has been troubled as of late. One of our landed nobles began exploiting his subjects for his own benefit, abusing his power in ways that make me nauseated. Only recently has the full extent of his depravity been revealed to the wider world, and what we have found is horrifying.”

“After learning the full truth, Princess Twilight and I decided that we had had enough of his... malevolence, and ordered him arrested,” Luna continued. “Anticipating resistance, we sent Count Balanced Scales to lead a military force against his hold. As luck would have it, the Duke surrendered rather than attempt to fight us and face certain defeat, sparing the ponies of Northhold from further suffering. He has since been put on trial, convicted of heinous crimes, and stripped of his title and his wealth.”

“He will spend the rest of his life in prison where he won’t be able to hurt anypony ever again,” Twilight proclaimed. “His seized fortune has been spent restoring Northhold and its citizens to their original glory; even so there was and still is much to do to heal the suffering he inflicted. To that end, a full-scale recovery operation was started in order to help Northhold back to its hooves.”

Luna bowed her head slowly. “The efforts thus far have been nothing short of miraculous. Donations poured in from all over Equestria and hundreds of ponies volunteered to travel to Northhold to aid the beleaguered. Seldom have I been prouder than I am now to call Equestria my Kingdom. Thank you, all, for your generosity,” she said before pausing and glancing down at the front of the crowd. “But today, we are here to recognize one pony in particular. One who has personally led our efforts to relieve Northhold’s suffering and has spent nearly every waking hour of the past month working towards a brighter future. Prince Dusk Shine, please step forward.”

Dusk approached them slowly with a sheepish grin, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and bowing to them deeply before continuing up and standing before them.

“Prince Dusk Shine, you have been acting as the regent of Northhold since the ex-Duke’s arrest, and under your leadership the duchy’s condition has made remarkable improvements,” Twilight stated pointedly. “You have been an effective ruler thus far and many of the ponies of Northhold have stated that they are pleased with your leadership. For this, Princess Luna and I have elected to pass the province to you and name you Duke of Northhold. Do you accept this responsibility?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then kneel.”

Luna stared down at him emotionlessly. “Speak the Oath of Fealty.”

Dusk glanced up at her and swallowed the lump in his throat before bowing his head again and began to speak. “I, Dusk Shine, do swear to serve and pay homage to the shared Crown of Equestria. I accept thee as my liege and promise to serve thee faithfully. I accept the burdens of governance placed on me and will protect and serve the lands and ponies entrusted to me. To this I pledge my sacred honor.”

Luna nodded regally and returned his charge. “We thus accept your homage and promise to extend our protection to you and the lands and the citizens which you will govern in our stead. In good faith, we shall treat thee fairly and with the same trust you have granted us. To this we pledge our sacred honor.”

“Rise, Dusk Shine,” Twilight said. As he rose to his full height, she glanced back towards the crowd. “Count Balanced Scales, Baroness Tranquil Harmony, come forward.” The two nobles stepped out of the crowd and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “As the legal vassals of the Duke of Northhold, do you accept Dusk Shine as your liege?”

“We do,” they said in unison.

“Please, pay homage to your new lord and speak the oath.”

One at a time, they approached Dusk, knelt before him and recited the same words he spoke to the Princesses, and he returned with the same words the Princesses had spoken to him. When they were finished, Dusk’s new vassals returned to their places in the crowd and he turned back to Luna and Twilight.

Twilight smiled at him for a second then turned to address someone nearby. “Spike, if you would?”

The dragon stepped forward holding aloft a small wooden box. Dusk glanced up at the drake with a bewildered frown as Spike stopped next to Twilight and held it out for her. She gave the young stallion a quick wink as she reached into the box and pulled out the circlet; a thick band of gold with stars and constellations skillfully carved into its face and around its gem.

He stared at it open-mouthed and wide-eyed as Twilight turned back to him and held the piece up for all to see, then gently placed it on his head. “As Princess of Equestria, it is an honor and a privilege to dub you Prince Dusk Shine, Duke of Northhold. Congratulations. Please, present yourself to our court.”

Trembling he turned towards the crowd to be met with thunderous applause and bowed his head humbly. After a few seconds, he turned around again and threw himself at Twilight, unable to hold himself back from hugging her any longer. She returned the hug before releasing him so he could gallop over to Cadance and Shining Armor.

“You made the right choice,” Luna murmured aside to Twilight as they watched the Prince embrace his parents.

“Was there any doubt?”

“No. No, I suppose there wasn’t.”

Chapter 27

Thirty-six years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight stepped hesitantly into the clinic, blinking as the sterile white interior clashed with the dull grey landscape she had just entered from. Four pairs of eyes flicked to her as soon as she set a hoof on the tile floor and one of the receptionists approached her cautiously.

“Second door on the left, Your Highness,” she mumbled, pointing down the nearby hallway.

Twilight nodded and wordlessly walked through the doors labeled ‘intensive care’. Reaching the second door, she stopped as she lay a hoof on it and took a deep breath to steel herself for what was to come.

When she had finally worked up the nerve, she pushed through, finding herself in a small waiting room filled with her friends — all but two. Applejack was staring blankly out of a window, Luna and Fluttershy were asleep in the corner, and Rarity was speaking quietly with a familiar pair of mares in another corner.

Almost as soon as she entered, an elderly grey mare stepped up to her and bowed her head. “I’m glad you came.”

“Hi, Maud. How is she?” Twilight asked her hesitantly.

The older mare was silent for a moment, staring past Twilight absently. “...Worse than dad was.”

Twilight’s heart leapt into her throat. “Can I see her?”

“Excitement isn’t good for her, so they won’t let us go in more than one at a time. When Rainbow Dash is finished, you can go in,” Maud said with a slight nod. “We... We’ve all had our turns.”

“Okay,” Twilight whispered. Feeling completely lost, she glanced around, but was spared from having to decide what to do next by the sound of a door slowly opening. She quickly trotted over as Rainbow stumbled out, eyes swollen and red. As the pegasus tried to pass by, lost in her own little world, Twilight stopped her and hugged her, eliciting a gasp of surprise from the mare, and for the first time ever Twilight saw Rainbow Dash cry.

Applejack quickly came over and ushered Rainbow away so Twilight could go see Pinkie herself. The Princess slipped into the smaller, dimly-lit treatment room and silently approached the bedside. She sat down and took one of Pinkie’s hooves in hers, causing her friend to give a feeble start. Pinkie turned to her and gave her an unfocused stare before grinning joyfully.

“Twilight! You’re here!” she said weakly.

“Yes, Pinkie. I’m here,” Twilight murmured.

“I’m so happy, I... I,” Pinkie trailed off with a wheeze.

“I can see that,” Twilight replied quickly, remembering Maud’s words. “So, how are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Pinkie sighed. “It doesn’t hurt any more though.”

“Well that’s good,” Twilight replied, barely holding her composure. “Is there anything I can do for you? Anything you want?”

“No, not really. I just wanted you to come see me, and you’re here, so I have all I need,” Pinkie said with an attempt at a giggle.

“I’m sorry it took me so long, Pinkie, I tried-”

“Oh, stop it, Twilight. You’re a Princess! Lots and lots of ponies need your help. It wouldn’t be very nice for me to keep you all for myself,” Pinkie grinned.

“No, I guess it wouldn’t...”

“Hey, Twilight? Can we talk seriously for a bit?” Pinkie asked. “I’ve got some things I want to say.”

“Of course, Pinkie,” Twilight murmured.

“I wanted to say thanks. Without you, I wouldn’t have had all the super amazing times I did with our friends. I wouldn’t have even had such great friends,” Pinkie said softly.

“That’s not true, Pinkie. You had a ton of friends when I met you.”

“Yeah, I had a lot of friends, but no really really good friends,” Pinkie mumbled. “Do you know how many times I hung out with Rarity, just Rarity, before I met you? Zero, Twilight. Zero. It was the same with Dash and Applejack. And heck, I totally never would have even met Spike or Luna and they’re like two of my bestest friends ever! So I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for being such a great friend.”

“Oh. Well, it was my pleasure. You’re a great friend too,” Twilight muttered, trying unsuccessfully to blink back tears.

“There’s more though.”

“Okay, I’m listening,” Twilight said, shifting herself closer.

“I just wanted to say that you’re the best of us,” Pinkie said with a smile. Twilight’s confusion must have been apparent because Pinkie snickered and continued. “There’s a reason you were our leader, it’s because magic has all the Elements in it. We all did our part, but we couldn’t have filled in for each other. Applejack’s honest, but she’s not always the kindest, and Fluttershy would sometimes tell a fib when she thought the truth might hurt somepony’s feelings. Heck, let’s face it, I wasn’t always the most generous pony with my food. But you... You had the best part of all of us in you. I just wanted you to know that.”

“T-thanks, Pinkie. That really means a lot to me...” Twilight whispered.

“Hey, Twilight? Can you do me a favor?”

“Of course, Pinkie. Anything you want,” Twilight said, leaning closer.

“Can you smile for me?” Pinkie asked, giving Twilight her best puppy-dog eyes. “I just want to see it one- I want to see it again.”

Twilight felt herself crack an involuntary smile in spite of her inner turmoil. Pinkie just... had that effect on ponies.

“There it is. You have such a pretty smile... You should do it more often. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course, Pinkie.”

“At least once a day. You can do that for me right?” Pinkie asked, desperation leaking into her voice. “Promise? Pinkie promise?”

“I promise, Pinkie,” Twilight murmured, silently going through the motions.

“And the others too. Make sure. They’ve all been so serious lately, I think they forget sometimes,” Pinkie mumbled.

“Of course. I promise,” Twilight sniffed.

Pinkie grinned and settled down into her bed, snuggling into the mattress. “Good... That’s good.”

Twilight felt it happen. There was no noticeable change, but she just knew. She leaned over her friend, searching Pinkie’s face for some sign of life as her breathing grew heavier and more labored. Finally, after a few agonizing seconds, she pulled away, whining to herself helplessly.

She ground her teeth for a moment before sighing sadly and glancing back at Pinkie.

“E-even now, she’s smiling,” she whispered to herself. She leaned over the bed and pressed her lips against her friend’s forehead. “Goodbye, Pinkie. Make sure Celestia’s smiling too, okay?”

A fleeting, out-of-place moment of joy in her heart was the only answer she received.

It was the only answer she needed.

She pulled away again as her composure began to break down, pushed herself to her hooves and stumbled out.

Chapter 28

Author's Note

Glad I managed to get this out before Everfree. Now for the longest week of the year.

GO HERE!

Pre-readers: PiquoPie, and f0xhole.

Chapter 28

Forty-seven years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight sat, hunched over the letter, crying openly. She had lost track of time hours ago, lost in her grief, wailing to the point where she was left coughing and choking on her sobs. She gazed at the offending document again, its text long since rendered smudged and unreadable by her tears.

She did not even notice when a hoof was placed on her shoulder, she was too drained for even that simple feeling to reach her. But when that hoof pulled Twilight she turned to find herself looking at Cadance. The pink alicorn had a blank expression, attempting to hide her own pain- poorly. The pitiful sight of her soaked face was more than enough to break Cadance’s mask, and she let out a wail to match Twilight’s as they broke down into each other’s embrace.

“Everything is ready,” Sunshower murmured as she walked up to Twilight. Her idol was staring out at the castle gardens where dozens of ponies had gathered to bid farewell to Shining Armor.

When she didn’t receive a response, Sunshower pulled Twilight to her hooves and escorted her out of the room, leading her towards the gardens. “The honor guard is in place, Dusk has his speech ready, everypony’s assembled, and the reception is ready to begin as soon as the service is over,” she murmured comfortingly.

“...Thank you,” Twilight croaked. “I’m sorry I couldn’t-”

“Don’t,” Sunshower interrupted with a shake of her head. “With all you’ve been going through, it’s the least I could do. You’re my best friend, I wouldn’t leave you to face this all alone.“

“...Thanks.”

“There is one problem that came up though,” Sunshower muttered. Twilight shot her a menacing glare, and she gulped nervously before continuing. “Emperor Hugleikr arrived ten minutes ago with an entourage.”

“What the hell does he want?” Twilight hissed slowly, causing Sunshower to shrink back.

“He apparently has something very personal he needs to talk to you about. He insisted it be as soon as possible,” Sunshower explained quickly. “He said that he didn’t know that Shining had passed, but now that he’s here he’d like to — and I quote — ‘pay his respects to one of the world’s most honorable soldiers.’”

Twilight looked away, staring down the hallway for a long moment. “Tell him... Tell him he can attend the funeral, but if he interrupts or ruins it in any way I’ll... Just tell him not to disrupt it.”

Sunshower nodded and flew away as Twilight stepped out into the gardens. She took a seat in the front row, ahead of a few dozen other ponies. She found a seat in the front row between Spike and Cadance and took the latter’s hoof into her own, squeezing it tightly. She felt Luna place a hoof on her shoulder from behind and trembled, trying not to cry.

Three minutes later, a lone trumpet began playing a slow dirge as an honor guard entered, followed by six pallbearers carrying the casket on their backs. They marched around the edge of the garden. The congregation passed conspicuously in front of Celestia’s grave before stopping in front of a freshly-dug hole beneath a large crystal headstone. They lowered the casket onto a white cloth laying on the ground.

The garden was silent as Dusk Shine stepped up to the podium and glanced at the crowd.

“My father often said he was blessed,” Dusk announced. “Blessed with the truest of family and friends — loved ones who he often said he would sacrifice anything for. That’s what he said at least, but that offer of sacrifice did not extend to those he loved alone. He defended Equestria with his life every time it needed him. Whenever the call went out, he answered it when he was able.

“But he was not just a stallion of war. As Prince of the Crystal City, he, along with my mother, successfully integrated the Crystal Ponies into Equestrian society after they had been gone for one thousand years... An entire millennium just missing from their history. In bringing them into the modern era he also helped bring a measure of peace and happiness they hadn’t known for a very long time.”

He paused to stare down at the casket. “It is tempting to want to remember him as the hero he was. To remember all his accomplishments. It’s how I’d like to remember him, but not the way, I think, he would want to be remembered.”

“Now, I could stand up here all day and speak of his virtues, but I think it would be better to tell a story.” He glanced back up at the crowd with a solemn stare. “When I was in my early adolescence, I began to realize that I wasn’t going to make it as a soldier. I was bookish, unathletic, and lacked the... grit needed. I thought he would be ashamed of me for not being strong like he was. I figured I’d be a disappointment, letting him down. So I began avoiding him.” Dusk shook his head. “After a few weeks, he finally cornered me and I had no choice but to tell him everything. And do you know what he said? He said he was disappointed in me.”

Dusk hung his head slightly, letting out a sad chuckle as he stared towards the ground. “He said he was disappointed that I would think he even could be ashamed of me. That I reminded him of the sister he loved so much, and that there was nothing wrong with being a scholar. He said that he would be more disappointed in me if I didn’t use the talents I was given and tried to be something I’m not. He encouraged me to help those who needed it, but in my own way. He told me that you didn’t need to be a soldier to defend the weak and helpless. He taught me that words could be a shield stronger than any armor.”

He lifted his head, holding it high as he addressed the crowd again. “That is the kind of pony my father was, and that is the kind of pony we should remember him as.”

He fell silent, hesitating for a few seconds before stepping down from the podium and taking a seat on Cadance’s other side.

The casket rose into the air, born aloft by a rainbow of magic auras, and was lowered into the hole as the assembled soldiers saluted and the mournful tune of Taps rang. The hole was then filled with soil and covered with a layer of sod.

Next, a young sergeant stepped up to the podium and turned to address the soldiers. “Brothers, sisters, civilians, please join me in a moment of silence for the departed”

At that, the soldiers marched out and the crowd began to disperse.

As Twilight stood up, she spotted a gryphon approaching her and grimaced. Before he got close, Spike quickly stepped in its way, towering over the quivering dignitary with smoke flowing from his nostrils.

“It’s okay, Spike, I expected this. Let him through,” Twilight muttered.

Spike gave a huff then stepped aside, allowing him to see Twilight.

Glancing incredulously between Twilight and Spike, the gryphon stepped up to her and bowed deeply. When he rose, he gazed at her chest, refusing to meet her eyes, either out of fear, humility, or both. “The Emperor sends his apologies, but he must converse with you at once. It is, I am told, of the utmost import.”

Twilight glared venomously at the dignitary, and despite being unable to see her face, he shrank from her gaze. Satisfied, she grunted angrily. “Fine. Tell him to meet me in my Throne Room in exactly five minutes. If he’s even one second late, I’ll leave for the reception and he’ll have to wait until I’m in the mood to speak with him.”

The gryphon nodded and backed away. Twilight teleported to the Throne Room, startling the half-dozen guards playing a dice game in the center of the hall. She gave them a disapproving frown and they quickly cleaned up their game, returning to their posts. She took note of the time and collapsed onto her throne to wait.

After exactly four minutes and fifty seconds, there was a single knock on the main doors of the hall. They swung open as the Emperor trode in — alone. He approached with his head high and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. They stared at each other for a full thirty seconds before he bowed his head, slowly and hesitantly. “Princess Twilight. You have my deepest condolences.”

She watched him for a few more seconds as he met her gaze. She gave him an exhausted sigh, “I’m sorry, but you picked the worst possible time to suddenly open up dialogue. What do you want?”

He glanced at her passively, carefully considering his words. “I... I need your help.”

Twilight was floored. She blinked a few times and shook her head to clear the cobwebs from her mind before speaking. “I’m listening.”

“It’s my daughter, Fridr. She has... some form of affliction of the mind,” he replied, hanging his head and trembling. “She’s brilliant, beyond brilliant, but she doesn’t speak, she barely listens. At times it’s almost as if she doesn’t realize that others even exist.”

“I see,” Twilight murmured. “How long has she been like this?”

“Always,” Hugleikr muttered. He glanced up at her again. “In the Empire, citizens with similar conditions are oft cast aside, so we don’t have the facilities to help her, b-but I just can’t do it. She’s my only child. M-my wife died birthing her and she’s the only thing I have left. I can’t just abandon her.”

“Is she here?” Twilight asked, standing from her seat and stepping down. The Emperor nodded and Twilight waved for the guards to leave. “Can I see her?”

Hugleikr nodded vigorously and ran back to the doors. He pulled them open and spoke quietly to a few waiting gryphons outside. A thick folder of papers was passed to him before he turned around and led a much younger gryphon back to Twilight. He opened his beak to speak, but Twilight shook her head and approached the chick.

“Hi, my name is Twilight,” the Princess said softly, extending her hoof.

Fridr stared at it for a few seconds before slowly reaching out and slipping Twilight’s shoe off. Twilight watched patiently as the gryphon turned it over in her talons, inspecting it closely.

“A-as I said before, she has a brilliant mind. I had her take the written part of the entrance exam to your, or rather, Celestia’s school on our way here and she scored near perfectly,” the Emperor rambled quickly, holding out the folder. He deflated when Twilight ignored it. “Please, I’ll do anything you ask. I’ll re-establish relations on your terms, sign any treaty you ask. Please.”

Twilight snickered to herself as Fridr carefully put the shoe back on her hoof before glancing up at the Princess curiously. “No.”

Hugleikr’s beak fell open, stunned at Twilight’s response. She noticed his distress and gave him a smile. “Equestria has the ability to help her and will do so, but if you want our countries to resume talks, then that will be a separate matter. I will not make her treatment conditional on their success and I would not poison any terms by forcing you to agree under these circumstances.”

The Emperor continued to stare blankly at her. “R-really?”

“Your daughter is a delightful young chick who has been mentally separated from the rest of us through no fault of her own. With the proper care, we can give her a chance at a relatively normal life and I will not deny her that simply because I had a feud with her grandfather and great-grandfather,” Twilight replied firmly. “I would be happy to re-establish relations between Equestria and the Empire, but no matter what happens, she will be welcome here.”

He made a choking sound, staring at her in disbelief. He took her hoof in his talon and gently pressed it to his forehead. “Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou...”

Suppressing a groan, Twilight pulled her hoof away. “Please, there’s no need for that.”

“I-I’m sorry, this was just too much to hope for,” he signed. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “Thank you, Princess, for your time, I will take no more of it. I managed to secure lodging nearby. If you have need of me, I will be there.”

“No you won’t. You’ll be staying at the castle like a proper guest should,” Twilight replied. She strode over to the doors and opened them, finding the Emperor’s entourage and her guards staring each other down. Her guards turned to her with bows and she nodded to them. “Please find a few maids and have them prepare rooms for the Emperor and his staff; they will be staying with us for a few days at least. They are to be treated as honored guests and he is to be granted the respect due of a foreign leader.”

The guards all gave her bewildered frowns, but bowed and galloped away. Twilight turned to the Emperor and they shared bowed heads before she walked away. Instead of going to the reception, she went the other way, slowly dragging herself to her private dining room. As soon as she had entered, she closed the door behind her and collapsed, allowing the stress of the day to flow out of her. She had begun the day already exhausted, and the meeting had sapped her of what little strength she had left.

She lay silently, having not the energy to cry. She didn’t know, nor did she care just how long she remained there before somepony gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. With a monumental effort, she turned her head to see who would dare disturb her grief to find Luna staring at her with a pained expression on her face.

“What are you doing here?” Twilight groaned.

“A guard came to inform me that your council with the Emperor was over and that we’d be having guests. When you didn’t show up at the reception after that, I became worried and came looking for you,” Luna explained softly.

“Yeah, the Emperor wanted-” Twilight began, but Luna pressed a hoof over her mouth.

“Later,” she said, shaking her head. She pulled Twilight to a sitting position and wrapped her wings around Twilight in an embrace before teleporting them both to her bedroom. She wordlessly guided Twilight over to a small table and sat her down on a cushion.

She then went to her bed and crawled partially under it, rummaging around for something. On nearly any other day, the sight of Luna with her rump in the air and gracelessly dragging the heavy object out would have made Twilight laugh, but not today. Instead, she merely watched as Luna produced a chest and deposited it next to the table. She opened it, assaulting Twilight with a medley of different smells and revealing an interior similar to a jewelry box with well over a dozen different compartments, each filled with a different type of dried herb or leaf.

Twilight watched, staring in Luna’s direction with an uncharacteristic disinterest as Luna mixed several different types of leaves together with a few pebbles of an opaque white resin in a porcelain bowl. After a quick spell, the mixture burst into flame. The leaves rapidly burned away, leaving only ash and the smouldering resin. Luna placed the bowl in front of Twilight gently and nodded. “Inhale.”

Twilight gave her a questioning frown, but did as instructed and breathed of it deeply, ignoring the stinging in her nose. Within seconds, her limbs grew heavy. She glanced up to ask Luna about it, but the elder Princess was already busy mixing more leaves and powders in a teacup. When she finished, she filled it with water, and heated it with a spell.

She then stood up and trotted out of the room while the tea steeped. Twilight could hear her and the guards in the hall speaking in hushed voices, but couldn’t understand anything that was said. Luna returned a minute later, saying nothing. She picked up the cup and sniffed at it before casting another spell to cool it down and holding it out to Twilight. “Drink.”

Twilight obeyed, but retched and pulled away when the dreadfully bitter liquid passed her lips. With a sigh, Luna shook her head, reached over, and tipped the cup back, pouring the tea into Twilight’s mouth. As soon as it was empty, she took it away and nodded towards the bowl. Twilight leaned over it and continued breathing in the dizzying fumes, her limbs further numbing with each breath.

She gave a start as a voice called to her through the haze and found herself staring blankly at Luna. “Twilight, are you alright? How are you feeling? You’ve been staring at nothing for nearly ten minutes now...”

Twilight merely blinked at her as her mind struggled to make sense of the words Luna spoke.

“It would appear I made the tea a bit too strong,” Luna mumbled to herself with a hint of frustration. She took Twilight’s hoof and pulled her over to the bed. “Lay down. On your chest and rear legs spread out behind you.”

As Twilight sleepily complied, Luna climbed onto the bed next to her. She laid her hooves on Twilight’s shoulders and began kneading the muscles tenderly. Within seconds, Twilight could feel the little tension remaining in her body bleeding away.

“Luna, where... where did you learn all this?” she breathed.

“Various places,” Luna murmured, continuing to work on Twilight’s back. “The incense is an ancient alicorn recipe that my mother taught me when I was very young. They used to burn it in their foals’ bedrooms when the foal was ill. The ingredients are exceedingly rare these days, but I’ve managed to secure sources of each in the years since my return.”

She slipped around behind Twilight, sitting down between the younger mare’s outstretched legs and began rubbing circularly on Twilight’s dorsal muscles. “The tea is my own special blend that I’ve been working on for centuries. The incense relaxes the body, but does nothing to relax the mind, so I blended the herbs into a sort of potion-tea that would do just that. I only managed to perfect it a few weeks ago.” She leaned forward, cracking Twilight’s back with her weight. “This, I picked up just recently. During my spa trips, I complimented the masseuse on her skills and she jokingly offered to teach me. She was rather surprised when I asked to take her up on it. Pleasantly surprised, of course.”

“So that’s why you always went to the spa alone. I thought you just needed some alone time,” Twilight purred, stretching out further at Luna’s touch.

“I will admit to that being the case the first time, but every subsequent time I asked to go alone was because I wanted to surprise you with this,” Luna sighed. She paused, staring at Twilight for a moment, before leaning down and kissing her neck.

“W-what are you doing now?” Twilight gasped.

“Improvising.” She blessed Twilight with another kiss, then another, and another. She moved up to Twilight's ear, kissing the entire way, before slowly making her way down to the nape of Twilight’s neck. Next, she got to work massaging Twilight’s shoulders, pulling and pressing the skin until the muscles beneath moved like soft clay in her hooves. Once satisfied that Twilight was sufficiently relaxed, she leaned down again and firmly planted a kiss between Twilight’s shoulders, leaving the younger mare shivering in anticipation of Luna’s next touch.

Luna ran her hooves downward, continuing her massage. She kneaded and rubbed, pulling the stress of the day out of Twilight’s back, inch by inch, each time sealing her work with another kiss. Finally, when she had finished with Twilight’s back, she leaned down yet again, hesitating for a few seconds before placing one final kiss at the base of Twilight’s spine.

An embarrassed smile on her face, she leaned back and murmured, “I’ve finished with this part. Roll over.”

With her limbs almost completely numb, it took much more effort than it should have for Twilight to roll onto her back, but she refused to let that stop her. The intimacy had awoken a feeling of excitement in her that contrasted pleasantly with the tea and incense induced calm and the last thing she wanted was for Luna to stop.

Luna smirked down at her, seemingly pleased with the ‘spell’ she had Twilight under. “Now, normally I am supposed to do the next part from behind you, above your head, but I think I would rather try it this way. If you don’t mind, that is.” She slid up and climbed on top of Twilight, straddling her waist. Without waiting for Twilight to say anything, she leaned down and kissed her deeply, giving off a satisfied sigh when Twilight wrapped her hooves around her neck.

She pulled away with a grin and began plying Twilight’s shoulders, kneading the tissue deeply. When she was satisfied, she planted a kiss on each shoulder and smirked as Twilight sighed contently. She kissed Twilight on the chin and continued down her neck, stopping at the collarbone to massage Twilight’s chest.

She rolled her hooves across Twilight’s chest as carefully as she could, frowning with concentration. “This part should feel uncomfortable while I am doing it, but it should not hurt. If you feel any pain, tell me immediately.”

Twilight stayed silent as Luna repeated what she did to Twilight’s back, working her way down Twilight’s barrel, punctuating her touches with a kiss each time, slowly sliding herself off of Twilight as she went. Finally, when her work was finished, she ended the session with one long kiss before lying down and resting her head on Twilight’s abdomen.

Luna lay there, motionless, as Twilight stroked her mane delicately. She sighed, enjoying Twilight’s touch as she listened to her marefriend’s heavy breathing. As if reading her mind, Twilight pressed a hoof behind her ear, carefully tickling the sensual spot.

“Luna?”

“Mmm?”

“Come here.”

Grinning to herself, Luna rose and crawled back on top of Twilight. She had barely gotten within reach when Twilight pressed their lips together. Luna held the kiss as she got level with Twilight and rolled the both of them onto their sides. She pulled away for a moment to let out a happy sigh before leaning in again.

Twilight pulled her in, pushing her tongue aggressively against Luna’s mouth, searching for an opening, but Luna kept her mouth shut, open just enough to continue kissing. She smiled to herself as she heard Twilight let out a frustrated groan, but held strong, fully intending to make Twilight work for her reward.

Twilight shifted her body closer to Luna and began again, redoubling her efforts by biting at Luna’s bottom lip. When that didn’t work, she moved down, kissing the base of Luna’s neck and following it up with a line of nips, stopping at Luna’s jaw to nibble at the tender area where it met her neck.

After a minute, she tried again, pressing her lips against Luna’s. This time, Luna let her in. Twilight worked quickly, using her tongue to draw Luna’s into her mouth and kissed her harder.

Finally satisfied, Twilight pulled away and curled up against Luna, nuzzling the elder Princess’ chest. “I love you, Luna...”

“And I love you, Twilight.”

Chapter 29

Forty-nine years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“It’s so weird, being here when she isn’t,” Sweetie Belle murmured as she led seven mares and one stallion into the cluttered building that was at one time the Carousel Boutique. “So many memories...”

“I can’t believe she ever let it get this messy,” Rainbow said, glancing around at the mishmash of boxes and chests stacked throughout the room.

“Well after she opened up the other shops she didn’t need to keep this one open, and she said there wasn’t enough room to raise three foals here,” a middle-aged mare replied.

“I know, Chic, but it’s still strange to see anything of Rarity’s not being perfectly organized,” Rainbow grunted.

“This was her workshop. Whenever she had any sudden bursts of inspiration, she came here to ‘make the dream a reality’ as she said,” a second mare snickered. “She told me the clutter helped inspire her further.”

“It seems like a lot of this stuff is old heirlooms. Things that have memories connected to them,” Twilight muttered, blowing dust off of an old framed photograph of a very young Rarity together with her parents. She sighed and turned to Sweetie. “So, Mrs. executor, shall we get started?”

“Yeah, I guess...” Sweetie glanced around the room for a moment before speaking again. “We should probably take care of the most valuable stuff first, then work our way through the rest. Chic and Magnifique, why don’t you two take Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Luna upstairs and see what you can find. Unique, you stay down here with Princess Twilight, Fluttershy and I.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Applejack affirmed, turning to Rainbow. “Come on, ya old bat, we’ve got work to do!”

“Keep talking, AJ, I still look better than you do!” Rainbow retorted, limping up the stairs ahead of her.

As the first group left the room, the second spread out, opening the various boxes and chests scattered around to assess their contents. “Pins and needles... fabric... more needles—” Sweetie grumbled, digging through several chests.

“Aunt Sweetie? I think I found something.”

Sweetie trotted over to Unique and he stood out of the way to let her poke her head into the trunk he had found. She extracted a dozen or so sheets of paper and could only gape at them. “Oh my gosh... Look at these,” she breathed, passing them to Twilight who magically spread them out in the air.

“These are sketches of our Gala dresses... No, they’re her original sketches of our gala dresses!” Twilight gasped, blinking rapidly just to be sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.

“There’s our bridesmaids dresses with Cadance’s wedding dress,” Fluttershy murmured, glancing at them over Twilight’s shoulder.

“And the outfits she made for Sapphire Shores, and so many others! Along with this, Sweetie,” Twilight snickered, floating a pink sheet over to her.

Sweetie took it in her hooves and her face fell.

“What is it, Aunt Sweetie? What’s wrong?” Unique asked concernedly, trotting up to her.

“Sh-she kept it. After all these years, she still had it,” Sweetie whimpered. She made a half-hearted attempt at wiping her eyes and gave Unique a teary smile. “Do you remember the story of the first time Rarity and I were in the Sisterhooves Social? Well this is the drawing I made that we fought over.” She stared at it wistfully for a while before passing it to Unique.

“It’s, ummm... Awful,” Unique muttered with an amused smirk.

“Hey! I was a little filly and not all of us are artistic savants,” Sweetie chuckled, poking him in the ribs. “That was... Fighting over that was probably one of the stupidest things we ever did. I was so angry at her; I couldn’t understand how she could be so selfish. It wasn’t until I was older and had a career of my own that I understood how easy it was to get lost in your work and how frustrating it is to have other ponies interfere with it.”

“Yeah, but she learned just how much you meant to her and after it was all over you two came out of it closer than ever,” Twilight said quietly. “Maybe, in the end, it was a good thing that you fought.”

“Y-yeah, maybe,” Sweetie choked. She let out a squeak as Twilight pulled her into a tight hug. “Thanks, Twilight. I’m-I’m really going to miss her.”

“I know, we all are. She was a truly wonderful pony,” Twilight said, releasing her.

“Yeah, she was,” Sweetie whispered. She glanced again at the crude crayon drawing in Unique’s hooves. “Keep it.”

“What? D-don’t you want it?” Unique asked, glancing between it and her cautiously.

“No, I want you to have it. I have my memories,” Sweetie said with a sad smile.

“Well, thank you,” he replied softly. He stared at it for a few more seconds before placing it gently on a nearby empty table. “What about the rest of them, though? There are ponies who would pay a lot of money for those, but I don’t really want to sell them.”

“Me neither. However...” Twilight replied, turning to Unique with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. “I might know of a few museums that would love to have these.”

“That’s... huh. I really like that idea. That way they’d be taken care of really well, and wouldn’t be hidden away in some rich pony’s private collection,” Unique said. “Sweetie?”

“I think she’d like having her work admired by future generations,” Sweetie nodded. “Twilight, I leave them in your hooves.”

“I’ll make sure they get to the right places. In fact...” She separated one from the rest before teleporting the rest of them away. “I think I’ll keep the one of my dress and put it on display with my dress at the palace in the Royal Gallery.”

“Sounds good. I wonder what else is in here?” Sweetie murmured, heaving a smaller chest out of the larger one. She kicked it open, took one look inside, and laughed. “This is going to Spike.” She slid it over to Twilight revealing that it was filled to the brim with bright green emeralds of all shapes and sizes.

“Oh yeah. No arguments there,” Twilight snickered. placing it next to the door.

“Umm, everypony? I just found her Gala dress. And her ticket,” Fluttershy called out from the other side of the room. The other three galloped over to the wardrobe and Twilight pulled the dress out, making it hover in the air for all of them to see.

“You know, she always told me that of all the dresses she had, this was one of her favorites. Even though it was, as she said, rather ordinary,” Unique chuckled, rubbing some of the fabric between its hooves. “She was a lot more sentimental than she let on.”

“Only she would call this ordinary,” Sweetie muttered.

“Yeah, it’s gorgeous,” Twilight said, smiling at it nostalgically. Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet giggle from Fluttershy and she turned to the pegasus with a raised eyebrow and questioning smile. “Care to tell us what’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking,” Fluttershy sighed. “It’s a little strange how fondly we remember our first Gala considering it was ‘the worst night ever’.”

“Oh. Yeah,” Twilight cackled. “Wow, things seem so different looking back on them. Remember when she got stuck in the desert with Pinkie Pie? And they had to make their way home in a hoofcar?”

“Yeah, she didn’t speak to Rainbow for weeks afterwards,” Fluttershy laughed.

“Oh, that story’s my favorite. I always had Pinkie tell it when she foalsat us,” Unique said with a smirk. “Only after she made cherrychangas, of course. She refused to tell that story without cherrychangas.”

“And Rarity never ate a cherrychanga in her life,” Sweetie sniggered. “She point-blank refused to even try one. She said she was too ‘traumatized’. She was such a drama queen.”

“Yeah, but that’s one of the things we loved about her,” Twilight smiled.

“She kept things lively in her own special way, that’s for sure,” Sweetie chuckled, staring at the dress again. “So, Unique, who do you think should get this? I’d say Chic.”

“Definitely Chic. She’ll probably wear it so often that I’ll have to fix it every other month,” Unique said, failing to hide a smirk. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like the ticket. Sui Generis has been absolutely obsessed with the Gala lately and I know for a fact that she’d love to have something Gala-related that was also her granny’s.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. If she’s still so smitten with it in another month, then she might just receive an invitation of her own for her Sweet Sixteen,” Twilight snickered.

“Princess, she would lose her mind and I would owe you a gr-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, you would owe me nothing,” Twilight interrupted.

“Alright, alright...” Unique muttered, turning back to the wardrobe and sticking his head in. “Oh-ho! What have we here?”

He produced what looked like a red rag and waved it in front of Sweetie’s nose as his aunt groaned loudly. “Don’t tell me she kept that old thing!”

“This is going to your daughter, I don’t care what you say,” he cackled, passing the tattered crusader cape to Sweetie.

“Yeah, I’ll never hear the end of this,” Sweetie replied with a reluctant smirk. “Boy, did I get in trouble for this one. Rarity didn’t get all that angry since she was still able to finish her order, but...”

“When grandma found out that you used your sister’s special cloth without her permission, you were grounded for a week,” Unique laughed. “And then, only two days after you got out, you took more of her cloth for your talent show and got grounded again!”

“Yeah, but she managed to convince mom to lower the second punishment to only a week without dessert,” Sweetie muttered. “I swear, she spent more time bailing me out than I ever gave her credit for.”

“Hey, everypony? We found something!” Magnifique’s voice rang from the stairwell. The four of them exchanged glances before galloping up the stairs to see. Magnifique met them at the top and gestured for them to follow her before leading them to the other three who stood before a closed door.

“Her bedroom?” Twilight asked skeptically.

“Sort of,” Chic mumbled. “After we all moved out, she made this her private study. She didn’t let anypony in there. Even dad was forbidden from entering.”

“I’ve always wondered what she was keeping locked away,” Unique said softly.

“Well, let’s open ‘er up ‘n see,” Applejack grunted, turning around and preparing a buck.

“Uhhh, AJ, why don’t I just use magic?” Twilight replied skeptically.

“Oh... Right. Yeah why don’t ya do that.”

“Yeah, we don’t need you breaking a hip,” Rainbow quipped.

Twilight had the door open before Applejack could retaliate, and the group filed into the room, awestruck at what they saw. A gown; long and flowing, colored as if the sunset itself had been captured from the sky and woven into the fabric.

“This is... amazing,” Sweetie whispered, slowly walking up and laying a hoof on it, “but it’s far too big for even Luna to wear.”

She turned around slowly. “T-twilight, I think this is meant for you.”

“But what- I mean how?” Twilight stammered, walking up to it herself. “I haven’t stopped growing yet and there’s no way she could’ve known how big I’ll eventually get.”

“That is not entirely true,” Luna said softly. “A while ago, maybe twenty years, she asked me about my size compared to Celestia’s size. Celestia was always much larger than average, while I’ve always been what you’d call a ‘runt’, and I told her as much. It would seem she just took the averages of our measurements for this.”

“This-this fabric... This is impossible!” Unique stuttered, examining the gown closely.

“What are you talking about?” Magnifique asked, trotting up to see what had rendered her brother dumbstruck.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. Softer than rabbit fur, stronger than silk... I could spend a hundred years trying to replicate it and never even come close!” he breathed.

“But the dress is unfinished,” Chic murmured sadly, pulling her head out from beneath the hem. “She was so close, but...”

“Let me see,” Unique muttered, shoving his own head up the skirt. “Oh yeah, I see what you mean; there’s a few tacking stitches along the inner seams and she only ever used those as a temporary measure. Even so, this is amazing! She put so many extra gussets in here that even a novice could fit it to its wearer perfectly.”

He untangled himself from the gown and turned to Twilight breathlessly. “Princess, I can finish it. I feel like she meant for me to finish it.”

“Well-”

“Please? I can’t let her final masterpiece — her greatest masterpiece — remain incomplete!”

“Okay, I trust you. It’ll probably be a century or two before I can fit into it anyway,” Twilight said with an nod.

“Thank you,” Unique squeaked excitedly bounding to the door and gesturing for his sisters to follow. “Come on you two, I won’t be able to finish it alone. You as well, Fluttershy! It’ll take all four of us to do this.”

Twilight chuckled to herself as his voice faded down the hallway and turned back to her gown. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Rarity,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

Twilight stood on her balcony the next evening, casting a scrutinizing gaze over the castle’s garden. A few minutes ago, she spotted a hulking shadow deep within the groves. At first, she thought her eyes had been playing tricks on her, but every now and then managed to catch a glimpse of it. She glanced upward to watch the stars, as she had originally intended, glancing down again when the wind blew. She spotted the shadow again through the moving branches.

A glint of green.

She grimaced and stepped over the railing, gliding down to the copse of trees. She landed and pushed her way through, finding Spike sitting in a small clearing, staring miserably at the chest of emeralds on his lap.

“I almost never see you out here,” she said, mostly to catch his attention.

He jumped at the sudden sound of her voice, but didn’t look up. “Yeah, well I sort of wanted to be alone.”

“I figured as much, but right now I think that’s the last thing you need,” she said softly, walking over and sitting down next to him. She remained silent for a moment before speaking again. “It was her time to go. As much as I wish we could’ve had more time, I’m grateful she passed peacefully and quickly, rather than lingering the way Pinkie did.”

“Yeah, I guess...” he muttered.

Twilight sighed and lay down. For whatever reason, Spike had never liked the gardens, but even he could be seduced by the gentle ambiance when dark thoughts entered his mind. She knew that her presence alone would be enough to lift his mood, and combined with the quiet sounds of the garden at night, it would be enough for him to open up to her.

“H-hey, Twilight? There’s something we need to talk about,” he eventually muttered. She glanced over at him, studying his face. Guilt and anxiety had been chiseled into his features, along with an exhaustion she had never seen in him before.

“It’s okay, Spike. I knew this was coming,” she replied softly.

“You... but-but how?”

“I’ve read every book in existence about dragons. Ponykind doesn’t know much about them, but most scholars agree on one thing: young dragons always leave their nest after their wings grow in,” she said, smiling at him. “I’ve known this day was coming for years.”

“That can’t be right. My wings grew in, what? Ten years ago?” he stammered, shaking his head. “Why would I suddenly feel the need to leave now?”

“Because Rarity’s gone,” Twilight sighed. She pushed herself to her hooves and gently laid a hoof on his claw, considering her next words carefully for a minute. “Supposedly, the wanderlust in young dragons is overwhelming. The fact that you held off this long is a testament to how much you cared about her.”

“But I care about all of our other friends too!” he argued.

“Yes, but Rarity was special.”

“B-but what about you? I love you just as much as I loved her,” Spike gibbered, finally beginning to cry.

“I know that, but I’m not going anywhere,” she cooed, conjuring a kerchief to wipe away his tears. “You know that in 50, 100, even 500 years you’ll be able to visit me. You didn’t have that with Rarity. Deep down, you wanted to spend all the time you could with her. But now she’s gone, and with her went your ability to suppress your urges.”

Spike sighed, staring off into space. “I-I don’t know. I don’t really want to go, but I feel like I have to.”

“In a way, you do have to go,” she said with a sigh. “The longer you wait, the worse these feelings will get. You’re going to end up leaving one way or another, and the longer you wait, the more miserable you’re going to get.”

“You don’t seem very sad about this,” he grumbled.

“I’m sad, but I’m also very excited for you!” she said eagerly. When he gave her a confused frown, she continued. “Spike, this means you’ve grown up, and now you’re going to travel the world! You’re going to see and do things I can only imagine. Maybe you’ll explore a jungle and find a village of creatures that have never met outsiders before, or find a treasure that’s been lost for a thousand years. Maybe you’ll meet a beautiful dragoness, start a hoard with her, and have a family... To be completely honest, I almost envy you in a way.”

“I never really looked at it like that,” he said, his expression softening. “I mean, I have always wanted to visit the minotaurs. You know, as a tourist instead of on a diplomatic mission with you. And the Cervi sound interesting. I guess it would be kinda cool to see what they’re like.”

“That’s the spirit!” Twilight snickered. She leaned over and hugged him around the middle. “Just remember: no matter how far you go, no matter how long you’re away, you’ll always have a home here. Even when you’re too big to fit in the castle.”

“Yeah... And now that I think about it, you’ll never be more than a letter away. Though I’ll have to get creative in the future; I don’t think you want to receive a letter the size of a circus tent,” he said, finally smiling.

“Exactly. And you had better write to me whenever something amazing happens to you, I want to hear all about it.” She released him and sat at his side, rubbing his back. “Now come on, I’ll help you pack. I’ve been working on a bottomless bag spell for you and I’d like to see what you think.”

Chapter 30

Fifty-five years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“And furthermore, the Trotskill Company has provided approximately one-point-five thousand of jobs for ponies who would be otherwise out of work...”

The paralegal droned on and on, not glancing up from his list even once at either Princess as he addressed them in the nearly full, sunlit Throne Room.

“He’d have a point if more than a dozen or so of these employees were paid anything worthwhile,” Luna muttered aside to Twilight. She stared down at the stallion derisively before whispering. “Dessert tonight says he wants a tax break.”

“We have also rebuilt dozens of neighborhoods in Trottingham, offering the city council very competitive rates for our work.”

“Mmmmm... no,” Twilight replied quietly. “He wants an exemption to a regulation. I see your bet and raise you to a week.”

“Overall, it can be said that the Trotskill Company has brought a measure of... well, maybe not wealth, but at least a marginally higher standard of living to countless ponies across Equestria.”

“We have an accord,” Luna snickered, glancing back to the petitioner.

“Yet despite all this, our founder and — until a year ago — CEO, languishes in prison for the victimless crime of tax evasion! This is an affront to...”

“Hmph. We both lose,” Luna grumbled.

“Well that’s disappointing, the chef told me he was going to make... pudding...” Twilight trailed off as a frantic Royal Guard burst into the room and made his way towards them as quickly as he quietly could through the crowd.

When he got to the front, he shoved his way past the paralegal and galloped up to the Princesses and spoke quickly and quietly, his words making Twilight’s heart leap into her throat.

“How many?” she asked him gravely. When he hesitated, she seized him by the front of his armor, shaking him as she screamed. “HOW MANY?”

“Th-thousands...” he whimpered, causing her to drop him.

“Declare a state of emergency and clear our schedules for the next few weeks,” Luna declared loudly to the confused assembly. “An earthquake has struck Manehattan. I am putting all other business on hold indefinitely. All other business. This is not up for debate.”

Without any further words, the two of them left, the speechless crowd parting to let them through.

“Alright, update!” Twilight bellowed as she and Luna burst into the War Room an hour later.

“Two minor aftershocks. Twenty percent of the city is on fire and we can confirm ten percent beyond that is completely destroyed.”

“Send word to Cloudsdale: I want all available weather teams diverted to Manehattan,” Luna said forcefully. “The first priority is to put out those flames, but inform them to keep the rain localized to the areas still ablaze. The last thing we need is for ponies trapped in basements to drown.”

“Agreed. Also, notify the army to send every available unit and all the heavy equipment they can find,” Twilight added.

“Yes, Your Highnesses!”

“Do we have radio contact?” Twilight asked, trotting up to a pegasus fiddling around with some dials and a microphone.

“Only intermittently, ma’am. All of their long-range transmitters were either destroyed or damaged. The last time they got through they told me they were working on repairs.”

“Very good. Let one of us know as soon as communications are back up. Interrupt us if you have to,” Luna grunted. She and Twilight trotted over to the table in the center of the room where a massive map of Manehattan and the surrounding land was spread out.

“Your Highnesses, please allow me to explain everything,” a younger Major said with a respectful bow of his head. Twilight nodded to him and he turned back to the map and pointed at several locations. “We have circled the areas with confirmed fires in red, and have set up medical camps here, here, and here. We have also—”

“Are there safe corridors through the city?” Luna interrupted. “Roads that can be safely traveled without ponies having to worry about a building falling on them or the street collapsing beneath them?”

“Umm, yes, a few.”

“Mark them down please. And continue.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he nodded, motioning for a nearby Corporal to do as Luna ordered. “Aside from that, we’ve received word that they’re attempting to rebuild the train station so supplies and rescue workers can be brought in.”

“No time,” Twilight said. “Next time the radio’s up, tell them to abandon that and get back to rescuing the trapped. We’ll have the army build a temporary station here.” She pointed to a spot alongside the railroad just outside of the city. “There’s enough open space there that we’ll be able to use as a staging area and set up field hospitals.”

“We have stable radio contact!”

The two of them dashed over to the microphone and Luna seized it. “Canterlot to Manehattan, this is Princess Luna. Please respond.”

“Princess? Oh, thank heavens! It’s great to hear your voice, Your Highness. We need all the help we can get.”

“Understood. The radio operator will relay a list of orders; please pass them along to your superiors. Princess Twilight and I will be nearby.”

“As you command, Princess, but before you go, I have some news I’ve been told to report to you. We have unconfirmed reports that one Miss Fluttershy was in the city when the quake hit. Again, nothing confirmed, but the last one stated that she entered the Manehattan General Hospital a few minutes after the initial quake.”

“Princess, Manehattan General collapsed fifteen minutes ago,” the radiopony said quietly as the speaker went quiet. Neither Princess spoke, but their distress must have been apparent, because he quickly turned back to the mic. “Uhhh, please stand by.”

“Could you excuse us for a bit?” Twilight asked him quietly, leading Luna a short distance away. The two stared at each other painfully for a minute before either spoke.

“Twilight, I... I’m going to Manehattan.”

“Luna, listen,” Twilight replied softly, taking one of Luna’s hooves in both of hers. “I know you were closer to Fluttershy than you were to any of our other friends, and I’m worried too, but we can’t let that distract us.”

“I know.”

“We only have unconfirmed sightings of her and there are tens- hundreds of thousands of other ponies that need help.”

“I know...”

“And even if she was there, she might... There might not be anything we can do for her.”

“I know that, Twilight!” Luna burst out. She sighed and hung her head. “I just... I have to go, I have to know if she’s alright. I know that so many others are in need of aid, and I will help them however I can.”

Twilight stared at her solemnly before laying a hoof on Luna’s cheek. “I know.” She leaned in and pecked Luna’s other cheek. “Be careful, okay?”

“I will. I promise,” Luna breathed. She trotted over to the radio and took the microphone again. "Princess Luna to Manehattan. I am coming there to personally lead the rescue efforts. Make sure that everypony knows that their Princess is on her way; it will likely boost morale." At that, she nodded to the ponies gathered in the War Room, gave Twilight a quick kiss, and bolted out.

Twilight smiled after her, then turned back to the ponies gathered with a chiseled frown. “Okay, it’s time to get to work.” She dragged the largest chair in the room over to the table with a spell and sat down. “Who here can potentially leave for an hour or so without adversely affecting our organizational abilities? I have a few things I’d like done immediately.”

Four ponies lined up next to her and each bowed, awaiting instructions.

“That’s it? Okay, it’ll have to do for now,” she groaned. She turned to the first one. “Relay a message to the Press Secretary, please. I want all of Equestria to know about the earthquake within the next few hours. Have him inform the populace that we’ll be doing our best to get word out to those with loved ones in Manehattan as to whether their friends and family are safe, but travel towards the city will be restricted for the time being. If ponies want to send aid have them contact their local magistrate.”

She nodded and the pony galloped off. She turned to the next one. “Find either the Minister of the Interior or his Deputy and inform them that I’m ordering all forms of mass transit be restricted and that the roads around the city be kept cleared from travelers. We’ll be needing them to ferry supplies and rescuers to Manehattan, and we can’t afford to have them cluttered with ponies trying to get to their families living in Manehattan. It’s awful, but we need to worry about the ponies in the city before we worry about those outside of it.”

She gave a guilty sigh as she turned to the next. “I want the castle’s staff present. All hooves on deck, especially the kitchen staff. Things are going to be crazy over the next month, and the more ponies we have here to help, the better.”

She rubbed her temples, trying in vain to ward off the approaching headache as the last pony stepped up to her. “Coffee, please. Pots enough for everypony in here.” He gave her a disgruntled frown, but trotted away all the same.

She glared down at the map for a short moment before speaking again. “Major, pull up a chair.” He did so, sitting down next to her, and waited for her to speak. “I want the country’s pantries opened; all of them. I want all the food we can spare sent to Manehattan. Flour, corn, sugar...”

“Peanut butter, dried beans, salt...”

She smirked at him. “Yes, exactly. Anything non-perishable and nutrient-dense.”

“What about water sterilization systems? Filters, iodine, portable stoves, and the like?”

“Yes, all that too,” she said with a curt nod. “For the ponies of Manehattan, a full belly can make the difference between hope and despair, and rescue workers can’t be expected to perform on empty stomachs.”

“No arguments there.”

“We’ll also need medical supplies. For now, I’d like to appropriate the military’s. I apologise, but they’re readily available, and can be relocated to Manehattan almost immediately,” she murmured. “I’ll get to work on acquiring supplies from hospitals across Equestria and I promise to replenish anything I take from the Army once we’ve got enough to go around.”

“Princess, worry about the civilians first. We became soldiers to serve Equestria and its citizens, not the other way around.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate that,” she said with a small smile. “In the meantime, I’m going to order a massive increase to the disaster relief budget. This tragedy alone will be enough to bankrupt it four times over, and I can’t in good conscience ask the rest of Equestria to go completely unprotected while we rebuild Manehattan.”

“Uhhh, Your Highness, don’t you need permission from the Noble Council to do that?” the captain asked uncertainly. “I think? I’m not as versed in politics as I probably should be.”

“No, you’re right, but they’ll give me the increase, and they’ll do it without getting a darn thing in return,” Twilight grumbled. “I’ll make sure they know that I’ll be publicly announcing the names of anypony who tries to block or slow the funding increase and sending the list to every newspaper and radio station in existence. They’ll either do as I ask with neither delay nor concession from me, or they’ll become the most hated ponies in Equestria.”

“That’s.. brutal,” he said with an impressed whistle, leaning back as a cup of coffee was placed in front of each of them. “Okay, what else?

One week later...

Applejack and Rainbow Dash both whipped their heads towards Twilight as she walked into her office, but were unable to hide the disappointment on their faces when they saw it was her.

“Oh, hey, Twi. Ya wouldn’t happen to have any news, would ya?” Applejack asked her.

“No, sorry. The fire marshal’s report is supposed to be coming sometime soon, but until then, I’m just as in the dark as you are,” Twilight muttered, dragging herself to the other side of her desk and flopping down. “In the meantime, we just have to wait and hope for the best.”

“I’d like to, but it’s been a week and we haven’t heard anything,” Rainbow sighed. “I want to believe that she’s not... you know...”

The trio sat in silence, none of them willing to voice what they were all thinking.

A few minutes later a sound in the hallway made them all perk up and Twilight opened the door with her magic, revealing a pair of older mares.

“Evening, Princess,” the crutch-laden Earth Pony grunted as her Pegasus companion helped her through the door.

“Hey, Scoot. Mayor Seed.”

“I told you not to call me that!”

“And I told you not to call me ‘Princess’, Babs,” Twilight replied cooly.

“Alright, fine,” Babs grumbled as Scootaloo helped her into a nearby seat.

“So, how’re ya feelin’?” Applejack asked.

“I should be back home, helpin’ my ponies ‘n fixin’ my city,” Babs snarled. “Not sittin’ here while some othah ponies do my job for me.”

“Babs, you have six broken bones and seventy-nine stitches. You’re in no shape to be leading rescues,” Scootaloo replied.

“She’s right. You can do a lot more good from here by helping me coordinate relief efforts,” Twilight said shaking her head. She paused thoughtfully for a second. “So, have you heard from Applebloom?”

“She’s still stuck on Saint Maretin. Her boat was re-routed to Manehattan to serve as a hospital,” Scootaloo groaned. “She’s pretty ticked. She wanted to help out.”

“Yeah. She might be getting a little old to lift a hammer, but they could still benefit from her knowledge,” Rainbow muttered. “How’s the benefit concert going?”

“Sweets said it was all ready ta go. She’s already raised a few million bits,” Babs said with a nod.

“Well, that’s good,” Twilight murmured. She paused again. “For what it’s worth, Babs, I sort of know how you feel. I’d rather be in Manehattan, using my magic to help out, but somepony has to stay here to coordinate everything. It really stinks but that’s just the way it is.”

“Yeah, I know,” Babs grumbled. “Incoming, by the way.”

She pointed to the window where a puff of blue smoke was rapidly approaching. Twilight opened the window to let the cloud through and it hovered over her desk, coalescing into a bundle of papers that dropped lightly onto the hardwood surface.

“Well... here it is,” Twilight said hesitantly. Hooves shaking she unrolled it and held it up to read, scanning the first page. “Fluttershy was in Manehattan. They have records of her checking in at both her hotel and the animal hospital.” She sighed heavily and turned to the next page.

“She was actually at the animal hospital when the earthquake hit, but the damage was minimal; Manehattan General Hospital, which was right next door, didn’t fare so well.” She placed a photograph of a heavily damaged building on the desk for the other four to see. “Witnesses say she flew into the General Hospital immediately to help evacuate the patients. She helped to move all of the newborns from the nursery and managed to calm down the patients in the foals’ ward enough that the hospital staff was able to get every one of them out, even as the first aftershock hit.”

“Fluttershy did that?” Rainbow asked with a mirthless chuckle. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

“Yeah. Yeah, she did. There were hundreds of witnesses; all the ponies she helped save. She didn’t stop there though, she kept going back in to help more ponies get out,” Twilight said with a small smile. She turned the page and her face fell as she kept reading. “But when she went in for another group, there was an explosion that blew out every one of the hospital’s windows, and the whole building collapsed a minute later. N-nopony could’ve survived it...”

She glanced up, meeting the horrified expressions on her friends’ faces, but only for a moment. She looked down again, compelled to keep reading. “The fire marshal said the explosion was triggered by a ruptured gas main in the basement and that anything inside the building was incinerated almost instantly. It would’ve been nearly painless.”

“I-I guess that’s something,” Rainbow whimpered.

“She died a hero,” Scootaloo sighed.

“Y-yeah, she did,” Applejack said quietly. “Ah’ll be right back.” She stood up with a waver and stumbled out, leaving the others in silence.

“We’ll rebuild, eventually,” Babs said, staring at nothing in particular. “We’ll build a new hospital, and we’ll name it after her. I’ll make sure of it. Probably put a big statue of her in the lobby or out front.”

“That’d be nice,” Twilight breathed mindlessly as Applejack reentered the room and placed a parcel on the table. She unwrapped it, revealing a tall bottle of amber liquid and a set of tumblers.

“Twi, Dash, y’all remember that day those two varmints came to Ponyville with their crazy cider-makin’ machine?”

“Yeah, of course. How could we ever forget that?” Twilight asked.

“Well, I saved a bit and sent it to a distillery not too far from here, ‘n a few years later they sent this back,” Applejack said wistfully.

“Brandy?” Rainbow asked, picking up the bottle to inspect it.

“Yeah. Ah’ve been savin’ it for somethin’ special. Ah wanted to share it with the rest of ya on the fiftieth anniversary of Twilight comin’ to Ponyville, but after Pinkie passed, it just didn’t feel right,” she explained softly. She stared at the bottle thoughtfully before continuing. “Ah think Ah’m ready to open it now.”

“Sure, I’ll drink to Fluttershy,” Scootaloo replied with a smile.

Applejack uncorked the bottle and spread out the glasses, pouring a generous measure into each before passing them out and sat silently for a moment. “So... Does anypony want to say—”

“Here’s lookin’ at you, Fluttershy! I always knew you’d show me up someday,” Rainbow bellowed, holding her glass in the air with a lopsided grin. She stayed that way for a few seconds before wilting. “I... just wish you were here to celebrate it with us.”

“Hear, hear,” Babs muttered before draining her glass.

Twilight stared into her glass before taking a small sip of the thick, sweet liquid, but put it down without finishing it. She stood up and made for the door.

“Something wrong, Twilight?” Scootaloo asked her.

“No... I just need to be alone.”

She didn’t hear the reply as she dragged herself into the hallway. She continued silently down the hallways until she came across an empty room and entered. She crossed to the opposite wall, opened the window, and sat down, placing her hooves on the sill and resting her chin on them as she stared at the eastern horizon.

Chapter 31

Fifty-nine years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight opened her eyes to the sound of a rooster’s crowing. Motionless, she entered an out-of-body state and pushed the sun up over the horizon, the sight of it beginning to rise above a familiar orchard.

“Awake already?” a voice whispered into Twilight’s ear as she stirred.

She groaned, squirming in Luna’s grasp. “Yeah, though I wish I wasn’t.”

“That is hardly a good way to start your day,” Luna breathed, nuzzling the back of Twilight’s ticklish neck. With an emotionless sigh, Twilight extracted herself from her marefriend’s hooves, a chill running down her back as she pulled it away from Luna’s chest and exposed it to the morning cold. “Going somewhere?”

“For a run. I need some air,” Twilight said blandly.

“Would you like some company?” Luna asked her through a yawn.

“No thanks.”

“Are you sure?”

“I said no,” Twilight grumbled, bolting out of the room before Luna could respond. She felt a slight pang of guilt -- a very slight pang that lasted only for a moment -- as she stepped outside into the brisk morning air. She gazed around at the orchard’s orange leaves before trotting off. She hadn’t really decided where exactly she was going but picked up her pace all the same, reaching a full gallop as she reached the first line of trees.

Around the orchard, she decided, and took a sharp left, running along the treeline as the exercise swept away the last vestiges of sleep and allowed her conscious thoughts to return to her. It was odd, she thought, how easily the Apples had been able to let go. How they, just yesterday, buried their elderly matriarch, and the extended family was now gathering for a family reunion of sorts.

Applejack was gone.

And they wanted to celebrate.

She rounded the first corner, stomping the ground harder than she really meant to. She wasn’t pacing herself at all. She knew she would pay for it later, thinking back to her first Running of the Leaves, and how she had been able to overtake over a dozen Earth Ponies by strategy alone. But she was stronger now. Strong. Like Applejack.

Like Applejack had been.

She let out an angry snort, glancing ahead of her for an outlet.

The patch of daisies never stood a chance.

A fence came into view and she sped up further, jumping it at a full sprint. She bent her legs carefully for the landing, ready to launch herself back into her gallop, but slid as she met the ground. A few petals, slick with the morning dew, had attached themselves to the bottom of her hooves, nullifying what little traction she had on the wet grass. Cursing her carelessness, she stumbled, flaring her wings and barely catching her footing. She slowed down just long enough to kick the petals off before speeding up again, but gasped as a sharp throb wracked her back. The flowers had avenged themselves. A new misery fresh in her mind, she let out a low growl as she resumed her normal pace.

As if the Apples’ glibness wasn’t bad enough, Rainbow and Luna had fallen victim to their strange mindset. Rainbow, technically being an Apple herself now, Twilight could understand. Luna however... While the elder Princess had initially mourned their friend’s passing, she too was now all smiles and laughter.

In all her life, Twilight had never felt so alone.

She was approaching Big Mac and Rainbow Dash’s house. Or what once was. Now it was Rainbow’s alone; the stubborn old Pegasus refusing everypony who offered to move in with her. For the past few days, the house had been full again, albeit temporarily. Tomorrow morning, the Apple Clan would almost entirely depart and the house would be all but deserted once more.

As she turned to continue paralleling the treeline, she heard soft hoofbeats behind her; another early-riser who had apparently decided to join her.

Needlepoint; the youngest of Applebloom’s grandfoals. Quiet and reserved, Needlepoint was probably one of Twilight’s biggest fans and the last thing Twilight needed right then. She was also a fantastic athlete, having won several sprinting championships for her high school.

Unfortunately for Needlepoint, Twilight was almost as young as she was physically and had decades of long-distance training to boot. As the pair came to a hill the Princess charged on, utilizing her superior endurance to hold her speed up the steep incline. Needlepoint, despite her best efforts, couldn’t keep up Twilight’s pace and was left behind.

Twilight crested the hill, momentarily catching the sight of the autumn orchard before beginning her descent. She hung a right, dipping into the rows of trees, knowing that she was far enough ahead of Needlepoint where the stubborn filly wouldn’t see her enter the orchard.

Taking a look behind her, Twilight let out a laugh that died in her throat as her side clipped one of the trees. She snapped her head back forward just in time to dive around a tree immediately in her path and immediately regretted her recklessness. She kept running anyway, trying to weave around the trees without losing her momentum, but she wasn’t Rainbow Dash. Her hoof caught on a root, sending her sprawling. She tried once again to catch herself, but this time, she failed. Her legs collapsed from beneath her and her side slammed hard into a thick, older tree.

As she lay there, attempting to catch the breath that had been knocked out of her, an apple fell from the tree and smacked into the top of her head.

It was at that point that she decided to just give up.

She had wallowed in her self-pity for an hour or two before getting up and leaving the orchard. It only took her a few minutes to find the old farmhouse. Approaching cautiously, she quietly pushed the front door open and peeked her head in, finding it mercifully empty. Everypony must have already left for the quasi-reunion.

Still, she tiphoofed her way to the bathroom and started to draw herself a bath before turning to the mirror and groaning. She had probably looked bad enough before her run, what with swollen bags under her bloodshot eyes, but now? The twigs and leaves stuck in her mane worked together with the dirt on her face, abrasions on her chest, and large blotchy bruise on her side to paint the picture of a pony who was anything but Princess-like.

She fumed silently to herself until the tub filled, then closed the tap and slowly submerged herself, crying out as the steaming water washed over her wounds. She took her time cleaning herself, but didn’t bother to do a thorough job of it. Cleaning off the results of her ill-fated exercise was about all she could find the motivation for. Afterwards she dried herself off and, against her better judgement, painfully applied some makeup to cover her injuries before finally dragging herself out to the party around mid-morning.

Approaching the massive canopy tent, she tried to ignore her physical and emotional aches and pains, putting on her best attempt at a happy face. Trying to be as discreet as possible, she managed to get over to the drink table and pick up a bottle of cider before she was set upon by Needlepoint and several of Applejack’s great-grandfoals.

“Princess, that was incredible!”

“What was?” Twilight asked, feigning ignorance.

“You were! I saw you running this morning and tried to join you, but you were just too good,” Needlepoint laughed.

“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t even realize you were there,” Twilight lied. “You should’ve said something, I would’ve slowed down.”

“She was like a machine,” Needlepoint gushed to one of the little ones. “Didn’t even slow down when she hit the big hill! I just couldn’t keep up.”

“You just need to work on your endurance a bit,” Twilight murmured, ignoring the self-inflicted aching in her legs. “Even Rainbow Dash would tell you that speed isn’t everything.”

“Alright! I’ll get to work on that right away!” Needlepoint chirped.

Twilight took that moment to extract herself from the conversation, slipping over to an empty corner of the tent as Needlepoint playfully ushered the foals on.

She slowly scanned the tent seeking a more isolated spot among the crowd and found one in a pair of empty chairs at the opposite corner.

She steeled herself for the journey and began slinking along the edge of the crowd, knowing full that her efforts to go unnoticed were pointless. Hoping to placate the crowd, she offered a smile to anypony who so much as turned their head in her direction. Unfortunately, the Apples were neither subtle, nor shy, and she was quickly accosted by Sweet Gala, one of Applejack’s cousin’s great-nieces or some other pointlessly complicated phrase. A distant relative nonetheless.

“Princess Twilight! I was hoping you’d be here, I haven’t seen you since I was a little filly,” the mare said with a grin. “You remember me, don’t you?”

“Somewhat. I remember your name and face,” Twilight said. That acknowledgement, however flimsy, was still enough for Sweet Gala and her grin grew broader. Twilight sighed internally at the star-struck mare in front of her and said nothing more, hoping the awkward silence would spur her to leave.

No dice.

“So how’s everything going in Manehattan? I’ve been sending what aid I can, but I don’t have very much money and most of my products don’t keep well enough to survive the journey,” Sweet Gala said, lowering her head apologetically.

Twilight searched for an out, but couldn’t find one. Instead she focused all of her efforts on not gritting her teeth as she spoke again. “What is it you make, exactly?”

“Apple ice cream, Your Highness,” Sweet Gala replied proudly. “Soft ice cream, specifically.”

“We have refrigerated box cars, you know,” Twilight grumbled.

“Yeah, but our ice cream doesn’t ship well. We have a very special blending process that we use to make the mix and it starts to separate if it sits too long,” Sweet Gala said, shaking her head. She shrugged before continuing, “It wouldn’t be a problem if we made hard ice cream, but every time we tried, the flavor came out all wrong so we sold the equipment years ago.”

She paused, staring at Twilight blankly for a moment before snapping out of it. “And you still didn’t answer my question!”

“Oh! Umm, Manehattan’s doing alright. It could be better, but they’re hanging in there,” Twilight answered truthfully. “We got rather lucky. A significant portion of the city suffered pretty heavy damage, but the rest of it was mostly unscathed. Light damage here and there, but nothing that we couldn’t repair or at least patch up right away. We also responded quickly enough to rescue most of those who were trapped, and were also able to send enough medical supplies to save most of the injured, as well as enough money to house those rendered homeless. That last bit came with significant political cost, but it was worth it, I think. I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.”

“You sound... Not happy, but at least satisfied with how things are going.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Twilight grunted.

“Well, I’ll let you go. Kinda rude to keep you all to myself, huh?”

The same conversation repeated itself; one of the attendees would stop her and make some small talk, basking in their chance to be the center of her attention for a minute or two.

It repeated itself again.

...And again.

...And again.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she finally made it to the other corner and collapsed into one of the chairs.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Rainbow asked Twilight with a tired groan as she climbed into the chair next to her. “You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“Should I be?” Twilight grumbled.

“Well, yeah. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing,” Rainbow chuckled. “The Apples set all this up, the least you could do is have a good time.”

“Oh. In that case, I’m sorry that I can’t just stop mourning and join the party. How rude of me!” Twilight growled sarcastically.

“Twilight, that’s not what I meant and you know it,” Rainbow sighed. “There’s no point going through life miserable. I miss our friends, but I owe it to them not to dwell on the fact that they’re gone and I owe it to my family to make the most of the time I have left. The same goes for you.”

“Who are you to tell me how I should be feeling?”

“I’m your oldest friend,” Rainbow replied quietly. She leaned in and gently placed a hoof on Twilight’s. “It sucks to be the last one to go; I know that. But you-”

“Just what do you know? How could you possibly understand how I’m feeling?” Twilight bellowed. The entire party stopped as the Apples turned to stare at her. “What makes you think you can even comprehend what I’m going through?”

“Do you honestly think I’m not hurting too?” Rainbow asked, gravely quiet. “You see, Twilight, AJ wasn’t just my friend, she was my sister-in-law; my family. I’m hurting a lot, but unlike you, I’m not going to let that get me down. Applejack wouldn’t want us moping around, and neither would Pinkie, Rarity, or Fluttershy!”

Twilight sneered at her and turned away, but Rainbow wasn’t finished. “Did you know that the Apples considered asking you not to come to this? That’s how bad you’ve been. Your awful mood is making everypony around you miserable. You know what else? When they told me, I stuck up for you. I stuck up for you because I know how much you’re hurting and hoped that spending time with us would make it hurt less! Some thanks I get...”

“Sh-shut up,” Twilight simpered.

Shaking with anger, Rainbow leaned forward to continue her assault. “Despite that, here I am, trying to cheer you up because you’re one of the only friends I have left. Here I am, letting you hurt me, because I want to make you feel better. What great friend you’re being!”

“Shut up!”

“That’s it, huh? ‘Shut up’,” Rainbow growled. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be able to look at me either. Not with how selfish you’re being. What would Celestia say if she saw you like this?”

Twilight jumped out of her chair with a snarl, knocking it over. Furious, she wheeled around on Rainbow, but stopped as she felt the eyes of everypony there on her. Instead, she glared at each of them in turn before teleporting away

Chapter 32

Sixty-five years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight groaned as a knock on her bedroom door interrupted her thoughts. She tossed a white sheet over the project she had been working on and magically unlocked the door.

“You’re late,” she growled as she heard the door open behind her. Seizing a nearby notebook, she began rapidly writing down notes on her latest theory.

“A-apologies, Princess,” a mare’s voice stammered. Sunshower approached and glanced nervously at the towering stack of papers on Twilight’s desk. “Is this all finished and ready to go?”

“No. It’s not,” Twilight replied curtly.

“Oh,” Sunshower muttered disappointedly. “Would you like me to go over the important matters for today and leave everything else on the desk with the, err, rest?” she asked, gesturing to the collected paperwork.

“Yes,” Twilight replied, doing her best to show her annoyance at having even been asked that particular question again.

“Very well,” the mare said quietly, sitting down in front of Twilight to read. “The first thing is the request for funding to rebuild Saddleshire. They-”

“Denied.”

“Denied? But-”

“They were warned by dozens of ponies not to attempt to settle in that particular floodplain and did anyway,” Twilight grunted. “Denied.”

“Okay... Next is the proposal by Duchess-”

“Don’t care, it can wait.”

Sunshower set the proposal aside and held up the next with an exasperated expression. “The trade agreement with-”

“Not urgent, put it with the rest.”

"Okay," Sunshower groaned. "Last we have an urgent request by Count Fairbank. You'll recall that he began a joint venture with the Adal Company that went poorly and their factory ended up spewing fifteen tons of cement into a nearby swamp."

"I remember. What does he want?" Twilight snapped.

"I guess the cleanup is turning out to be more difficult than anypony anticipated. He says it'll end up bankrupting both his family and the company. He's requesting assistance."

"Well, that's too bad," Twilight grumbled.

"Princess, Adal is a rather large company," Sunshower replied nervously. "Letting them go bankrupt could hurt-"

"They're the ones who screwed up, they're the ones who will have to fix it," Twilight interrupted. "Anything else?"

"No... Your Highness."

"Good. Leave me," Twilight replied, letting her annoyance spill into her voice.

Sunshower left with a sigh, closing the door behind her. As soon as Twilight was alone, she turned back to her desk and pulled off the sheet, revealing the Elements of Harmony laying on the table before her. She fixed her eyes of the Element of Loyalty and touched the cold stone. Black — like a lifeless lump of plastic — as it had been for the past two weeks. With its bearer gone, it seemed to have lost all its power; as if it had lost the will to live. Granted, all of the Elements had been acting up since Dash died, but Loyalty had become completely inert.

No, that wasn't true...

The rest of the Elements had been acting strangely since Applejack died. Since she fought with Rainbow and started pushing her remaining friends away. Could the Element's behavior be her fault?

She tore her eyes away from the Element of Honesty, and her current train of thought immediately ceased.

She shook her head, reeling back in shock, angry at the violation of her mind, only to inadvertently set her hoof down on Laughter. A powerful sorrow and regret filled her before she even realized what was happening, and she fell away from the table, landing hard on her back.

She stood up with a growl, and swiped her foreleg across the table, stubbing her hoof as Generosity refused to be moved. She clutched her hurting limb and began swearing angrily, but was silenced as a frightened scream manifested itself in her mind. Thrashing blindly through the skull-splitting headache, she felt around for something to alleviate her pain. Something soft rubbed against her hoof, so she seized it and hurled it over the table.

Immediately, silence returned to her thoughts as the blanket fell over Kindness, hiding her from its gaze.

As her vision slowly began to return to her, Twilight instinctively reached out and took the Element of Magic in her hooves. She turned the familiar weight over several times, taking comfort in it.

She had been going about this all wrong. There couldn’t be something wrong with each of the other Elements; it was close to impossible. There was only one problem, but it was shared between them, she realized.

The only way to fix it was to use the Element that linked all the rest together; the only Element that had been acting normally. Her Element.

She started channeling her spell, focusing as much magic as she could into the Element. She was filled with a supernatural elation as she began to feel around the magical matrices.

Then it came, feedback, like a bolt of lightning shooting through her horn. Pain beyond anything she had ever felt.

Her veins splitting open; her limbs being torn off. Every nerve ending aflame as Magic itself rebuked her intrusion. Her mind was battered with eldritch images of unknowable crimes committed in universes beyond her imagination.

The mere instant it lasted was a lifetime, and when Twilight’s senses returned, she found herself a short distance away, sitting with her back against her bed. Her face was soaked with sweat and tears, and she was clutching the ice-cold tiara to her chest, holding on for dear life.

She glared down at the Element. The betrayal... it hurt more than the feedback ever could have. Her breathing quickened. She heard herself let out an enraged scream as she hurled it across the room and it connected with the far wall to the sound of breaking glass.

“Oh no...” She lept up and bolted towards the Element, searching for whatever had been broken.

A picture frame, holding a photograph of her and Shining Armor, taken on the day he had been accepted into the Royal Guard. She gently lay it on her end table and dragged herself back over to her desk. She snatched a packet of paperwork from the top of the stack and beginning to read.

Another knocking interrupted her thoughts and she heaved a sigh. “Come in,” she grunted unenthusiastically.

The door opened quietly and she heard a pair of ponies enter. Twilight didn’t bother looking up from her papers. “What?”

“It’s us, Twilight,” a voice replied softly. She turned around to find Luna and Sweetie Belle standing in the doorway.

“And?”

“We’re worried about you. I know you’re depressed about losing Dash, but it’s been two weeks and you haven’t come out of here once,” Sweetie said timidly.

“And...?”

“And... We want you to come out?” Sweetie stated.

Twilight gave a sarcastic laugh. “We all want things,” she muttered, turning back to her report.

“Shutting yourself away like this isn’t good for you, Twilight,” Luna replied softly, sitting at her side. “It wouldn’t be good for anypony, but you especially. You need social interaction the way other ponies need water. With you refusing to leave your room, I can’t give it to you as often as you need it, and with Rainbow gone, she cannot remain here in my stead. If you won’t stop hiding from the world, would you at least venture out into the castle on occasion?”

“Or at least let me in here to see you?” Sweetie inserted.

“You two just don’t understand. Nopony does,” Twilight mumbled, turning her head away from Luna.

“That’s because you won’t let us!” Sweetie blurted out, her voice steadily rising. “You’re the pony who was always telling me to be open with my feelings; well how about you be open for a change! Does sitting up here alone really make you feel better?”

“That’s none of your business!” Twilight snarled. “What I do with my time is my choice and mine alo-”

“Oh, get over yourself!” Sweetie screamed, leaving Twilight speechless. “We miss Dash, but we also miss you! Do you know what’s not fair? What you’re doing. I’m going to die too, and so are a lot of ponies who care about you, so why aren’t you spending time with us? When we’re gone, we’re going to miss you just as much as you miss us, but you’re too blind to see that!”

Sweetie finished her tirade, shaking with anger. The room remained silent for a few tense moments before Luna laid a hoof on Sweetie’s shoulder and spoke up.

“Do you see what you’re doing? You are tearing us apart,” the Night Princess whispered. “You are right that it isn’t fair, but you knew that coming into this. I remember it vividly; you were well aware of what becoming a Princess meant and knew in no uncertain terms that this was going to happen, but you bravely accepted.”

“Yeah, well, maybe that was a mistake.”

“Twilight, how could you say that?” Sweetie squeaked.

“Twilight, please, you’re scaring me,” Luna mumbled. “I’ve come too far to lose everything I’ve gained; everything you’ve given me.”

“Oh, please,” Twilight groaned. “I have self-control. I’m not stupid enough to start killing ponies and demanding eternal daylight.”

Luna didn’t react to Twilight’s words. There was neither anger, nor sadness in her expression. Only disbelief. Without a word, she turned and stumbled out of the room.

Sweetie watched her leave before wheeling back around on Twilight, seething. “That was... The. Single. Most. Vile thing I’ve ever heard come out of anypony’s mouth! Just what the hell is wrong with you? You’re the worst Princess Equestria could ask for!” She spat at Twilight and watched as the spittle fell short before galloping after Luna.

A vase sailed through the spot her head had just been occupying. Twilight let out an enraged scream before levitating a second vase and hurling it through the door for good measure, taking a grim satisfaction in the sound of it shattering against the outside wall.

She turned around, blew her balcony doors off their hinges, and hurled herself over the railing. She took a steep dive, carving a burning streak through the Royal Garden’s treeline before leveling out and skidding to a landing along one of the garden paths. A sharp crack caused her to jump and she snarled up at the trees, now aflame from the heat of her descent. She blasted the burning branches, extinguishing the offending fires and leaving only a smoking ruin in their place.

She stomped down the path, foliage and flora both shrinking away from the wild, crackling magic she was emitting. She had no destination in particular, but lacked the ability to stop her legs from moving.

“P-princess, are you ok-”

“SHUT UP!” she raged at the innocent gardener, sending him fleeing. She glared after him, catching a glimpse of somepony else at the edge of her vision. She turned to direct her fury at the new intruder, only to find herself face-to-face with a statue.

It was the statue of Princess Celestia. It seemed to tower over her, a bleach white god of ready to exact punishment on its unworthy disciple. A sharp pain wracked Twilight’s chest as she gazed at it; into its magenta eyes.

“Don’t you look at me that way,” she growled with an angry sob. “Don’t you dare judge me! Y-you have no right! You... This is all your fault! YOU DID THIS TO ME!”

She threw a deadly spell at her mentor’s likeness, leaving dust where the regal head had sat only moments before.

Then, she fell to her knees, sobbing.

Chapter 33

Sixty-eight years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight glared up at the clock on her wall as she sat at her desk with several files floating in front of her.

Inkpot was late that day. She hated it when he was late. When he was late, it meant that day court was going to start late, and when court started late, it meant that setup was taking longer than normal. That could only mean one thing: court was going to be more complicated than usual.

This had rarely been a problem before Sunshower retired, but these days it was almost a weekly occurrence. Twilight stretched, cracking her back, before settling back down to continue her waiting game. Her ears twitched at every sound, hoping each one to be approaching hoofbeats.

Finally, after another five minutes, her door swung open and the dark grey Earth Pony stumbled in.

“Sorry, Your Highness! There’s been a change of plans. Several of the Canterlot Superior Court’s judges came down with some awful bug last week and haven’t been able to take the bench,” he gasped, leaning against Twilight’s desk to catch his breath. “There was already backlog of sentencing cases, and now it’s getting worse. I had to cancel your normal court session; instead you’ll be passing sentences.”

“Unacceptable, Inkpot!” Twilight snapped. “I should have been informed of this days ago.”

“I know, I know! I only found out myself earlier today. I’ve spent the last two hours preparing briefings for you,” he groaned, holding out a stack of scrolls.

Twilight glared at the scrolls for a moment, but didn’t move. “So what you’re saying is you haven’t done any of the paperwork I gave you this morning.”

Inkpot blanched. “Well, no. No, I haven’t, but-”

“In that case, you can do it tonight. I hope you didn’t have plans,” she said, standing up and walking pointedly past him.

“Actually, I do...”

“Did,” Twilight corrected.

“But Princess, I literally didn’t have the time to do it! A-and none of it needs to be finished until tomorrow evening anyway!” Inkpot stammered, jumping in front of her.

“Yes, but I need to check it over when it’s finished to ensure you don’t misfile anything again,” Twilight replied dismissively, walking around him. “Have it on my desk by sunrise.”

“...You know what? No.”

Twilight froze. She took a deep breath before turning around and affixing him with a venomous stare.

“You heard me! File your own damn paperwork,” he growled, throwing the casefiles on the floor in front of her. “I haven’t misfiled anything in over a year and have been working thanklessly — and I really mean thanklessly — to make sure everything is exactly as you want it, and all I have to show for it is a few overpriced therapy sessions.”

Twilight blinked at him, stunned at the response. “Do you want to get fired?” she managed to get out.

“You’re going to fire me. Right. That’s funny,” Inkpot said, rolling his eyes. He turned around and sauntered off before calling over his shoulder. “I’m taking the rest of the week off. I’ll see you on Monday.”

Twilight could only gape after him as he walked away. She wasn’t sure what was worse; the fact that he had the gall to speak to her that way, or that he had the nerve to call her bluff. Either way, the result was the same, she was alone with a disorganized pile of scrolls and no seneschal present to give her a helping hoof.

She snatched up the scrolls with her magic and stomped away, grumbling to herself. She opened one and buried her nose in it. Sight wasn’t necessary; she knew the way to the Throne Room by heart, and there was nopony foolish enough to interrupt her reading.

Or rather, she thought that there was nopony foolish enough to interrupt her. The sound of a voice calling her name informed her that she was sorely mistaken. She lowered the scroll to find Luna staring at her sheepishly. Pursing her lips, she glared, waiting for the other Princess to speak.

”Hey, Twilight, can we talk?” Luna asked, rubbing her hooves uncomfortably

“I’m busy.”

“But-”

“Enough, Luna! I said no!” Twilight shouted as Luna shrunk away from her.

“Oh. Okay,” Luna murmured before turning around and slinking off.

Twilight shook her head and continued in the opposite direction. Arriving in the Throne Room a few minutes later, she took her seat on the throne and the room fell silent as a guard approached her, head bowed.

“Your Highness, would you happen to know-”

“Inkpot won’t be joining us today, bailiff. Let us begin.”

“Oh, I see,” the guard mumbled. He glanced over his shoulder before looking back at Twilight’s hooves. “In that case, let me explain what we-”

“I’m aware,” Twilight interrupted. “I want this over quickly, if this gets delayed for any reason I'm going to start holding ponies in contempt. Bring in the first convict.”

The bailiff frowned and gestured to the guards at the front of the hall. “Our first, ummm, defendant is Quintal Weight, who has pled guilty to fraud.”

A pair of guards led an aged stallion up to her, and he immediately prostrated himself before her. “Your Highness, I-”

“Bailiff, if he speaks out of turn again, muzzle him,” Twilight growled, finding and unrolling the scroll detailing the case. “Now give me the short version, I really don’t feel like going through this entire thing.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness,” the bailiff gulped. “Mr. Quintal was the CFO of the Manehattan Mutual Trust, and was recently accused of siphoning millions of the company’s bits into his own accounts. He pled guilty to the charges as part of a bargain, the terms of which can be found at the top of that scroll.”

“Section twelve of the Equestrian Code of Financial Law states that the penalty for that particular violation is ten to twenty-five years in prison, and/or monetary fines,” Twilight muttered, glancing at the scroll.

“B-but, Your Highness, I made a deal! I was supposed to avoid prison,” Quintal Weight whined.

“The Manehattan Trust recently received a loan from the Equestrian Financial Bureau; a loan they haven’t been able to pay back. In short, by stealing from them, you stole from me,” Twilight snarled. “Twenty-five years without the possibility of parole. In addition, your assets will be seized to pay back the money you stole. Also, any assets you’ve transferred to your family and friends since you started committing your crimes will also be confiscated, just in case you’re hiding any money with them.” She glanced towards the bailiff. “Get rid of him.”

A restless murmur passed through the assembled crowd as a pair of guards arrived to lead Quintal away while the next prisoner was led in. Dissent, mixed with scattered approval. Many of the nobles present weren’t entirely happy with the way Twilight had treated one of their wealthy brethren, but others seemed to follow her logic.

At least they weren’t all hopeless.

“Next is Ms. Wingding. She worked at the Weather Factory in Cloudsdale and was caught stealing rainclouds red-hoofed. Then she was subsequently convicted,” the bailiff started.

“Rainclouds?” Twilight muttered. She frowned down at the cuffed Pegasus. “Of all the things to steal, why rainclouds?”

“I was selling them to the buffalo. They rely on natural rain to fall on their grazing lands, but they’ve been in a drought. I was trying to help,” Wingding replied tearfully. “I know I was wrong, but they needed help.”

“I’d like to add that the Factory’s foreman has asked for leniency. He said they wouldn’t have even noticed that anything was missing if she hadn’t been caught,” the bailiff interjected. “And the Equestrian criminal code does not require prison time for petty theft, community service is the traditional option here.”

“Right...” Twilight sighed. “Tell me, Wingding, how much did you make off of the... merchandise?”

“N-not much. I didn’t really ask for much, though,” Wingding whimpered.

“Oh for the love of... Four to seven years in prison,” Twilight groaned. “Next!”

“What? B-but you can’t!” Wingding stammered.

“I can and I have,” Twilight grunted. “I said next!”

“The Princess has spoken. I’m sorry Wingding,” the bailiff said to the pegasus as he led the heartbroken mare away. He came back a minute later with a young Unicorn stallion. “Alpha Delta, convicted of harassment and third-degree assault.”

“Who was the victim?” Twilight asked.

“A young mare who-”

“Thirty years,” Twilight interrupted. “Next!”

“Your Highness, witnesses said that he never actually touched her, nor did he try to. The assault charge was a technicality,” the bailiff protested.

“He’s right! I was drunk and never meant for anything to happen. I’ll never drink ag-”

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Twilight growled.

“Princess, there’s never been a thirty-year sentence for first-degree assault, let alone third. Are you certain you..?” the bailiff began before sighing and shaking his head. “Yes, Your Highness. Follow me, Mr. Delta.” The bailiff led the stallion away.

Twilight groaned when he didn’t immediately return. Of course there would be complications. Why wouldn’t there be?

Growing impatient, she unrolled one of the scrolls Inkpot had given her and began to scan it, hoping to get a head start on the evening's work. She made it a fifth of the way through before her thoughts were interrupted by an eruption of cheers from a small crowd of ponies gathered in the back of the room, causing her to drop the scroll.

She glared towards the door as the bailiff led an Earth Pony towards her.

“Princess Twilight, Mr. Cherry Split,” he said, gesturing to the shackled stallion.

“And he’s been convicted of..?” Twilight asked, barely keeping herself from losing her patience as the crowd cheered again with the announcement of Cherry’s name.

“Uhhh... Mayhem, Your Highness. He’s committed just about every non-violent crime on the books and several that were written just for him. Impersonating a Royal Guard, reckless use of a carriage, loitering, trespassing, breaking and entering, health code violations via secretly slipping cats into restaurant kitchens, stealing every piece of green cloth in Canterlot, defacing Crown property... The list goes on and on,” the bailiff said, gesturing to a scroll in front of him.

“He doesn’t belong in jail, he belongs in an institution,” Twilight muttered.

“Those are for crazy ponies! I’m not crazy!” Cherry chirped. “Everypony knows Starswirl looks better in yellow!”

“Th-that was you? You painted Starswirl’s statue?” Twilight screeched.

“Yeah and it’s too bad they caught me! I was going to come back with a chisel and change the plaque to say-”

“Enough!” Twilight bellowed. “Give him the maximum sentence and get him out of my sight!” She was immediately met with a deluge of jeers from Cherry’s seemed fanclub. “Hold them in contempt as well!”

“Next on the docket is Broken Fence. She stole classified documents from the Ministry of the Interior,” the bailiff said, nodding towards an approaching Earth Pony.

“What documents did she steal?” Twilight asked.

“Files pertaining to our trade deals with the minotaurs; financial data and stuff,” the bailiff replied. “You have the files with your paperwork.”

“Oh. This is... sensitive information,” Twilight muttered after looking over the evidence. “This isn’t good Fence. You’re in a lot of trouble.”

“I was only bringing it home! I was going to bring it back the very next-”

“Quiet, traitor!” Twilight interrupted.

“T-traitor? I-I-I was only showing it to my colt, he’s really interested in that stuff. He’s only thirteen, he wasn’t going to tell anypony!”

“Throw her in the dungeon, she’ll be tried for treason in military court,” Twilight proclaimed.

“Good gracious, you can’t be serious!” Broken Fences squeaked as she was dragged away. “Please, Princess! Have mercy, please!”

“L-last for today is Saccharine,” the bailiff read, shifting uncomfortably as he avoided looking at Broken Fences. “Pled guilty to ponyslaughter. He confessed to killing his wife.”

“He confessed to killing his wife and only got ponyslaughter? How? Who’s the attorney who made that deal?” Twilight asked bewilderedly.

“I-I didn’t mean to, it just sort of happened!” Saccharine answered sadly. “She was hitting me with a rolling pin and I just grabbed the closest thing to try to fend her off and- and...”

“He hit her once, Your Highness. It’s all there,” the bailiff explained, gesturing to one of Twilight’s scrolls. “A neighbor who witnessed the fight through a window corroborated his story, as did the autopsy; he grabbed a cutting board and swung it at her without looking. It hit her right in the temple, she went down, and he immediately called for help.”

“That’s awful,” Twilight said distastefully.

“I’d like to add that it was not the first time she beat him like that. We have multiple hospital records, dozens of witness statements, and the testimony of their three foals, all stating that she was a habitual abuser,” the bailiff sighed. “Honestly this is a major failing on our part, law enforcement should have stepped in a long time ago.”

“Be that as it may, he killed his wife,” Twilight said, staring down at Saccharine. “Twenty years, possibility of parole in ten.”

The bailiff sighed again and tried to lead Saccharine away, but the stallion held firm. “P-princess, what will happen to my foals? I don’t have any relatives to take care of them!”

“They’ll be cared for,” Twilight said coldly, already standing up to leave. “Court adjourned.”

She stomped out of the Throne Room, making for her office with a long trail of papers following her. As glad as she was that court was over, having taken less than an hour, it only meant that she had to get to filing that much sooner. Not that she hated filing, in fact, she remembered a time when she had actually loved it, but these days it just seemed so... tedious.

She pushed her way to the office and was surprised to find that it was occupied by none other than her nephew.

“Dusk? Weren’t you supposed to be going home today? You’ll miss your train,” Twilight said.

He jumped slightly when Twilight spoke and turned around to face the Princess. “Yeah, I know. Something important came up though; too important to put off,” he said, uncertain at first, but increasingly confident as he spoke.

Twilight sighed internally as Dusk approached her. Yet another problem to deal with. “I suppose you’re here to tell me all about it?”

“Something like that,” he growled. Alarms began going off in Twilight’s head a moment too late as her nephew winded up and slapped her across the face. “How dare you yell at Luna like that!”

Twilight blinked as her brain struggled to process what had just happened. “E-excuse me?”

“I was there! I was right around the corner. Luna asked to talk to you, and you yelled at her,” Dusk hissed. “You had absolutely no right to do that!”

“Dusk, let me explain something to you. You just hit me. I could call the Royal Guard and-”

“I don’t care!” he screamed. “I hate what you’ve become! You’re a miserable wretch!”

“You listen here, Duke-”

“No, you listen. Have you ever wondered why I don’t bring my grandfoals here to visit? Because of you!” Dusk interrupted. “Because I don’t want them to grow up dreading having to see you and I don’t want them to remember you as some old bitch who can’t stand to be around anypony.”

Twilight was speechless. She was only able to stand there with her mouth hanging open as Dusk pressed his attack.

“It’s almost as if you like making other ponies unhappy. You sit here in your office all day barking at anypony who comes in, making decisions with no input from anypony else, then, when you’re done with that, you emerge, complain all through dinner about anything and everything, then go to bed to do it all over again! And if the rest of us are lucky, you might grace us with a short visit to berate us for some small matter we had no control over!”

Twilight opened her mouth, but Dusk cut off her retort.

“Seriously, the only one who can stand to be around you anymore is Luna, and you treat her like dirt! Worse than dirt! She receives more of your abuse than the rest of us put together.” He stomped a hoof on the floor, shaking with fury. “Let me ask you something, when was the last time you did something that made somepony happy?”

Dusk waited as Twilight stumbled over her words before giving a mirthless laugh. “That’s what I thought, you can’t even remember. You make me sick,” he sighed, sitting down and shaking his head, unable to look at Twilight. “There. I said what I needed to. Do what you have to.”

Finally able to get a word in, Twilight advanced on the stallion, ready to lay into her with every bit of frustration she had built up, but found herself unable. There was something stopping her; the expression in Dusk’s eyes relayed Twilight could never have expected to see.

Fear.

Twilight’s nephew — her own flesh and blood — was terrified of her.

“Have I... really been that bad?” Twilight whimpered.

Dusk blinked once, then glanced up at Twilight, bewildered, but only for a moment. The briefest glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes. “You’ve been... distant since Fluttershy died, and after we lost Applejack, it became downright difficult to be around you. It only got worse after we lost Rainbow Dash,” he murmured. “We’ve all been so worried about you, and you’ve done nothing to alleviate that. In fact, everything you’ve done has made us worry harder. We tried to reach out to you more times than I can count, but you always ran away. You just hid in your books and ignored us like... like dad said you used to when you were a filly!”

Twilight collapsed to a sitting position, thoroughly ashamed. Dusk stepped forward timidly and continued, “About what Rainbow said at Applejack’s wake, the thing about Celestia... she was wrong to say it, and I can’t stress that enough, but she only said what we were all thinking. You’re not the pony I remember from growing up, and it really hurts to see you like this.”

“I... I don’t know what to say,” Twilight whined, but Dusk wasn’t finished.

“You remember, don’t you? How excited I always was to come visit you? I lived for the times when dad took us to Canterlot to visit Aunt Twilight and Aunt Luna, and when I had foals, I made sure to keep the tradition going because I loved it and I knew they did too,” Dusk sighed. “You were my idol. I wanted to be like you in every way and all that work I put in was so that I could be like you. I loved you as much as I did my parents; I still do, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.

“The fact that I have to keep my grandfoals away from you? It hurts, Aunt Twilight. Watching you turn into this grouchy old mare hurts! I’m sorry I hit you, but I’m at the end of my rope and it hurts so much and I don’t know what to do anymore!”

“I guess I have been out of sorts,” Twilight said quietly.

“You’ve been ‘out of sorts’? That’s it?” Dusk replied, his voice dripping with disappointment. “Aunt Twilight, you’ve been ‘out of sorts’ the way Discord makes things slightly disorganized.”

Twilight flinched at the barb, but didn’t respond. Dusk returned to Twilight’s desk and gestured to an ornate box sitting on it. “I want to show you something.”

“How did you get the Elements out of my room?” Twilight asked, approaching the desk cautiously.

Dusk ignored her and gently poured the Elements out onto the desk. “I still remember the first time I saw these, like it was only yesterday. I was six and we took a camping trip to Rainbow Falls, all of us. Do you remember it?”

He shot her a glare, but didn’t wait for her to answer. “The first night we were there, we all gathered around the fire and you, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack told the story of how you all became friends. You went all out, and by the end, you were practically putting on a play. At the very end, you brought these out. I’ll never forget it; the way they shined, even in the dark. It was almost like they were alive.”

“I remember that night...” Twilight murmured. “You couldn’t take your eyes off them.”

“And look at them now,” Dusk growled, waving a hoof over them. “They’re practically dead.”

“Yeah, they’ve been like that for years... After our friends started dying, they started to fade. Almost like they’ve given up-”

“That’s a lie.”

Twilight blinked a few times before turning to Dusk, only to meet an angry sneer. “They were fine until you started pushing us away. You’re acting like they just up and abandoned you.”

“I’m the only pony left with a connection to them and they resist any attempt I make to reach out to them!” Twilight snapped. “They did abandon me!”

“Yeah, well maybe they feel the same way about you!” Dusk snarled back.

Dusk’s words cut through her like a hot blade, cutting off Twilight’s retort before she could even put it to thought. “Wh... What?”

“‘The Elements picked our friends to wield them because those five ponies were living embodiments of what they represent.’ That’s what you taught me,” Dusk explained. “You also said that the connection went both ways, that not only did the Elements work through our friends, but that they also drew their power from our friends. You know what that means, don’t you?”

Twilight didn’t speak. She had utterly no idea where Dusk was going with his point.

He gave a frustrated groan and continued. “That means that since you’re the only pony left with a connection to them, they need to draw their power from you, but you’ve been acting in ways that are the opposite of what they represent.”

Twilight continued to gape at him. As much as she wanted to deny everything that he was saying, she just couldn’t bring herself to.

“Think about it. You’re miserable and haven’t even made an attempt to be happy in years, you’re mean and spiteful, you don’t think about other ponies anymore and haven’t done anything for anypony else in who-knows-how-long, you haven’t been honest with any of us about your feelings, and you’ve been too absorbed in your own pain that you haven’t been there for the rest of us when we needed you,” Dusk stated, pointing to each Element as he spoke of them. “It’s no wonder they’re acting funny. And Magic- Magic can’t function without the rest of them, so it’s probably hurting the worst of all of them!”

Then, it happened. For the briefest moment, she could’ve sworn that Magic had been shining, as if the Element was trying to speak to her. As if it was trying to tell her that Dusk had spoken the truth.

And it was the truth. Every word of it.

She had been acting against everything she had ever learned, everything her friends had taught her and that she had taught them. She had told Rarity that she would look after her foals, but when was the last time she had seen any of them? She had promised Pinkie to keep smiling, and she had broken that promise.

She... had let them down; she had let them all down.

A lump formed in her throat and she could feel her eyes burning as her world came crashing down around her.

“D-Dusk, I... Oh, Celestia, what have I done?” Twilight whispered. “Dusk, I am so s-”

Dusk Shine held up a hoof, cutting her off. “You can apologize to me all you want later and when you do, I’ll accept it, but right now you need to go find Aunt Luna. She deserves an apology more than anypony.”

“Y-yeah. Yeah, you’re right,” Twilight replied softly, turning to leave. “Tell... Tell the bailiff to inform the ponies I sentenced today that I’m going to go over their cases again and resentence them. Today- Most of the sentences I gave out today weren’t really fair. And Dusk? Thanks.”

Twilight galloped down the hall at top speed, ignoring anypony she came across until she came to Luna’s room.

“Luna? Luna, I’m sorry!” she called out, bursting into Luna’s room without hesitation, only to find it empty.

Not only that, there was a distinct buzz of dark magic in the air.

Chapter 34

Twilight burst out onto Luna’s balcony, horrified at what she saw. A vortex of black magic hung over the Royal Gardens, turning the sky a dark, menacing shade of violet.

A feeling of panic rising in her chest, she spread her wings and took off, dreading what she would find below the center of the vortex. She made it a few meters before being battered by a sudden gust of wind. She fought against it, flapping harder and harder against the gale, but could feel herself losing against the force. She glanced over her shoulder to see the castle wall slowly getting larger behind her; if she didn’t do something, she’d be slammed against it.

Desperate, she turned her wings down and entered a dive. Building up speed at an alarming rate, she turned up at the last moment, using her speed to carry her against the wind. Almost as soon as she did, another blast of wind pressed against her back, forcing her down. She reacted with a spell, and was able to buffer her fall just before she hit the ground.

She broke into a gallop as soon as her hooves touched the ground, sprinting into the gardens. Evil magic was clinging to her coat like static, stinging her sides with every movement. She entered a row of hedges and took a left, her heart pounding against her ribs. She slowed as she reached the end of the path, her gaze clinging to the flowers on the corner as they crumbled to dust before her very eyes.

She squeaked and continued on. Turning another corner, she passed a gardener who seemed to be frozen in time, and came to an intersection she didn’t recognize.

“This... This isn’t right! This shouldn’t be here,” she whispered to herself. She turned her gaze to the sky, hoping to use the vortex itself to get her bearings, but her view was blocked by a dim red mist hovering just above the treetops. She grit her teeth and took a right, doing everything she could to suppress the terror growing within her.

Her desperation grew as she made more unfamiliar turns, the garden’s plants becoming twisted monstrosities as she went deeper into the trees. She forced herself not to look at them, but couldn’t force their image from her mind. As she stepped into an out-of-place clearing, she felt something wrap itself around her hind leg.

A vine had seized her and was pulling her towards a nearby bush. With a sharp tug, she pulled herself free and lept out of the way as four more vines crept after her. She readied a spell to blast them away, but froze as a dreadfully familiar laugh reached her ears. Trembling violently, she slowly turned around to face the voice.

“No...”

Nightmare Moon, in all her terrible glory, stood before her.

Twilight could feel herself backing away as the dark tyrant advanced on her, unable to think through her sheer terror. She squeaked as her rump pressed up against a tree; she was trapped.

Something hissed in her ear, and she lost what little composure she had left, scrambling past Nightmare Moon in a panic. She didn’t stop until she had made it clear across to the other side of the clearing, then spun around to see what had managed to sneak up on her and felt her mind go dumb.

Next to Nightmare Moon was a changeling queen; the very same monster that had nearly ruined her life many years before.

“B-b-but... No! This can’t be!” Twilight whined. Before she could do or say anything else, the queen took to the air and dove at Twilight. The Princess slipped between a pair of bushes to avoid her and heard the queen whiz overhead. She ran down the narrow gap between two hedgerows, hoping the cover of leaves would shade her from her enemy’s view. She heard the queen fly over again and slipped out in the opposite direction, quietly putting as much distance between her and the flying menace as possible.

It wasn’t enough. She heard an angry screech from behind her and the sound of insectoid wings approaching. She shot a spell over her shoulder and dipped around a nearby tree. Twilight had no idea if her spell had hit the changeling, but an angry hiss told her that she had at least shaken her attacker, however temporarily.

She dropped to her stomach and crawled away, silently as possible, until she came to another clearing. Relief flooded her as she realized where she was: the garden’s pond. She searched the skies quickly, before shifting her position. Jumping at every sound, she slowly crawled around the edge of the clearing, staring at the skies the entire time. She flinched at every shadow, no matter how small, until she had reached her destination under a large birch at the pond’s north end.

From here, she could see her real goal: the wooden bridge crossing the center of the pond. She scanned the skies one last time, then teleported, landing under one end of the bridge. She wedged herself against the bank and settled down into the mud to catch her breath.

None of this made any sense. How could Nightmare Moon be back? Luna would never-

”Hey, Twilight, can we talk?”

“I’m busy.”

“But-”

“Enough, Luna! I said no!”

Twilight reeled as the voices faded from her mind. If whatever spell Nightmare Moon had used to bring the darkness upon Canterlot was causing her to hallucinate so vividly, then it was getting stronger.

Whatever spell Luna had cast.

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. Luna had done this. In spite of all the regret, all the self-loathing, Luna had once again fallen into the darkness.

“I couldn’t have pushed her this far...” Twilight whispered to herself. “There’s no w-”

Twilight was huddled over a stack of paperwork on her desk, signing yet another set of forms. She wasn’t entirely sure what this particular piece of legislation was for; she just knew that it had passed almost unanimously and there would be consequences if she tried to delay it.

With a sigh, she affixed it with a sloppy, smudged signature and grabbed the next one. She had barely begun to read it when she heard her door open.

“What?”

“It’s me,” a voice replied softly. She glanced up without moving her head to see Luna enter slowly and close the door behind her. “We need to talk.”

“I’m busy, if you haven’t noticed,” Twilight grumbled, returning to her work.

“You’re always busy,” Luna replied, sitting down across from Twilight.

“Luna, if this is another demand for an apology-”

“I would still like one, yes, but that’s not what this is about,” Luna interrupted, staying calm in the face of Twilight’s raised voice. “Twilight, you are grieving, I am too, but this... funk you’ve been in is too much.”

“Luna, we’ve been over this-”

“I’m not telling you what you should be feeling!” Luna yelled, slamming her hooves on the desk as she finally lost her composure. “For whatever reason you have chosen to be miserable, and you are coping with it by making those around you miserable in turn.”

Luna backed down off of the desk, returning to her seat with a sob. “All I want is for you to let me in. If you’re going to insist on us both being unhappy, can we at least be unhappy together?”

“That’s enough, Luna! Get out!”

Twilight returned to the world with tears soaking her face and, more importantly, the sounds of her name and hoofbeats in her ears.

She held her breath as she realized that somepony — or something — was crossing the bridge, and suppressed a shiver as they stopped right above her. Motionless, she lay, wishing that her heartbeat wasn’t quite so loud, as a dangerously sweet voice rang down to her.

“Oh, Twilight, come on out! I won’t hurt you... much.”

After what seemed like hours, Nightmare Moon moved on, leaving Twilight alone and cold in the mud.

She stuck her head out to make sure the coast was clear, then climbed out of the water and bolted back into the bushes. That had been too close, and she couldn’t hide forever; it was safer to keep moving. She had to make it back to the castle. She had to find the Elements. Maybe she could finally get them to work again. If she couldn’t...

She shuddered, not wanting to even think about that.

The castle came into view as she emerged onto a path and she gave a sigh of relief that died in her chest.

What if the Elements didn’t work?

Even if her current relationship with them was strained — at best — she couldn’t see them just refusing to help her in a situation like this... But what if they couldn’t? What if they were so starved that they didn’t have the power to break Nightmare’s hold over Luna?

Then another thought occurred to her: Celestia had almost died when she used the Elements alone. Would the Elements demand that price from her?

Her gaze was drawn to the ground as the thought hit her.

It was a possibility she couldn’t ignore, especially considering the how much power they might need to draw away from her in the first place to work at all.

She glanced back up at the castle, clenching her jaw.

So be it.

The responsibility for this, all of this, lay squarely on her shoulders. If the only way to set things right was to pay with her life, then... so be it.

A new, if hesitant, determination burning in her chest, she tried take a step forward, only to stumble. Groaning far louder than she intended, she glanced downward to see what was holding her hooves to the ground and her fear returned in full force.

A pool of shadows lay on the ground, thick tendrils of it wrapped around her hooves. Far more worrying though, was the pair of glowing red eyes burning up at her.

“Sombra? B-but how?” she whined as the likeness of a pony began to rise from the darkness. “You’re dead, I watched you die! This is impossible!”

“Oh, Twilight, you should know by now that nothing is impossible.”

Twilight bristled at the sudden voice, whipping her head around to face its source. “Discord! This is all your doing isn’t it?”

“Bingo,” the draconequus cackled, swooping out of the treetops.

“I knew I couldn’t trust you!” she screeched, furiously tugging to free her hooves, if only to throttle him. “I should’ve taken care of you as soon as Fluttershy died!”

She tried to fire off a spell, but Sombra was quicker; a violet beam shot out of his eyes and Twilight felt her magic leave her as it connected with her horn.

“Too little, too late,” Discord chucked, wrapping a claw around her throat. “Goodbye, Twilight. The pleasure has been entirely yours.”

Twilight’s airway constricted as Discord began to squeeze.

”Why are you here?” Twilight asked angrily.

“Because you need me here,” Rainbow replied, her nose buried in a newspaper.

“No I don’t! You’re the last pony I need right now!” Twilight bellowed at the pegasus.

“You’re a worse liar than AJ was,” Dash grunted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rainbow groaned and set her reading down so she could glare at Twilight. “Alright, listen up. You’re sad that our friends are gone, I get that, but for some stupid reason, you’re coping with it by yelling at everypony around you. Well, the rest of us are hoping that you’ll eventually snap out of it and when you do, you’ll need somepony to turn to, and you know it. You need me here because I’m the only one tough enough to handle all of your abuse right now!”

Twilight collapsed, feeling weaker than she ever had in her entire life. She took a deep breath, bewildered at the fact that she was even alive.

Slowly, she pulled a hoof towards her and felt her neck. Her unmarked neck. She stared up at the pair of villains towering over her as her mind processed what was happening.

“You’re... an illusion. You’re not really here. Neither of you! That means...” She blasted Sombra, and whatever curse had been hiding her own magic from her was lifted as he faded.

Reveling in the sudden return of the magic that had never really left her, she rolled over onto her chest and blew the fake Discord away.

“So they’re just hallucinations, like the visions I had before. That means that Nightmare Moon isn’t back, and that Luna’s out here somewhere casting this spell,” Twilight muttered, allowing the sound of her own voice to soothe her. She stood up, wavering slightly, and turned back towards the center of the gardens. “All of my worst fears, coming to life... I have to stop this before it gets worse.”

She galloped back into the maze of hedgerows, eyes peeled for any sign of one of her other opponents. She burst back into the clearing holding the pond and heard the telltale hiss of the the changeling queen and turned to face her foe.

The queen arced over the treetops and shot right towards Twilight. The Princess was ready; she shot several spells in rapid succession, but the queen twisted out of the way at the last moment, careening off course and crashing through the bushes at the edge of the clearing.

For the briefest moment, Twilight considered chasing after her, but decided against charging into a possible ambush. Illusion or not, these phantoms had proven themselves to be dangerous, and she didn’t want to find out what other bad memories they had in store for her.

Still, she couldn’t afford to waste any time, so rather than waiting for her foe to return she turned around and ran in the other direction. The evil magic in the air may have scrambled all of the pathways, but these were still her gardens, and seeing the pond had given her her bearings. The center of the vortex had been hovering somewhere over the very center of the gardens, so that’s where she had to go.

An idea struck her. She turned to the hedge next to her and examined it. Charging a spell, she carefully cut through the branches, creating an opening just bigger than her head. She stuck a leg through the hole, and pulled herself though.

Grinning to herself, she abandoned the paths completely, pushing and cutting her way through the garden until she reached the next clearing, only to find Nightmare Moon there waiting for her.

“There you are, Twilight. I knew I’d find you eventually,” Nightmare said with a grin.

“I’m not afraid of you, Nightmare Moon! You’re not even real!” Twilight bellowed.

“Oh, I’m as real as I need to be,” Nightmare murmured dangerously.

“Be quiet! I’m going to take care of you, then I’m going to find Luna and set all this right,” Twilight retorted.

“Precious Luna is dead, and you’re next,” Nightmare growled. With one last smirk, she faded into a cloud of blue smoke and rushed at Twilight. The Princess was ready for her, and Twilight hit the cloud with one of her most powerful spells, forcing it to dissipate into nothing.

Twilight gave a satisfied nod and continued on towards the vortex. Three illusions down, one to-

“Going somewhere?”

Twilight froze on the spot with a gasp before turning around to find Nightmare Moon standing there with a smug expression.

Twilight’s first reaction was to scream, but she suppressed it. She knew that if she showed any weakness, Nightmare Moon would exploit it.

“The others were a distraction. They were illusions, but you’re really here,” Twilight said softly, realizing the truth even as she said it. Nightmare didn’t reply, but her grin told Twilight everything she needed to know. “For some reason, you don’t have a body and can’t hurt me directly, so you brought the rest of them to life to try and hurt me mentally.”

“Oh dear, she figured it all out! Whatever am I going to do?” Nightmare replied sarcastically. She laughed and affixed a taunting grin on Twilight. “So, you can’t hurt me, and I can’t hurt you. What do you do now?”

“Actually, I can hurt you, and I will!” Twilight snarled, charging up another spell. “I’m going to destroy you and fix everything you’ve done today!” A violet shield appeared around Nightmare Moon and Twilight grinned as she lifted the dark spirit into the air. With another spell, the sphere shrank rapidly, disappearing altogether.

Twilight let out a triumphant cheer that was cut off as a soft laugh rang out.

“Everything I’ve done?” Nightmare whispered as she rose from Twilight’s shadow. “I’ve done nothing. What could you be talking about?” Nightmare gave Twilight an innocent smile. “Oh, I see, you think that I caused all this! Well you couldn’t be more wrong. I didn’t take control of Luna, nor did I push her into this. In fact, I didn’t have anything to do with this. She did it all on her own. Or rather, she did this with your help.”

Twilight’s heart sank as Nightmare’s words washed over her. “You... you were hiding in me. All the anger, all the pain. It was you all along!”

Nightmare only laughed. “Closer, Twilight, much closer; but still off the mark. Really I’m surprised it’s taking this long. You’ve really fallen quite a bit over the past fifty years, I really can’t imagine see what Celestia saw in you.”

Rage welled up in Twilight. She seized the shadow with her magic, pouring her strength into the spell. Nightmare screamed as her form twisted and deformed, boiling under Twilight’s power. Then, she laughed, bursting from Twilight’s grip and disappearing.

“Where are you?” Twilight shouted into the sky. “Get back here so I can destroy you!”

“Don’t you understand, Twilight? I can’t be destroyed by you,” Nightmare whispered into Twilight’s ear.

The Princess wheeled around with a scream. Instead of finding Nightmare Moon as she expected, she found something far worse: her own dark shadow.

“I am you,” the Nightmare Twilight whispered. “I am not Nightmare Moon and never was, but just as Luna created her, you created me. I am your demons given form, not hers.“

“So you admit it! You’re the one who was making me act like a... a... a tyrant!”

“Me? No,” the Nightmare replied. “That was aaaaall you. I just fed off of it. Every time you lashed out at an innocent pony, every time you pushed your friends away instead of embracing them, you made me stronger.”

She advanced on Twilight, slowly and worry-free. Somehow, her casual tone only made her more menacing. “I was merely biding my time, nothing more than a spiteful thought in the back of your mind. In fact, I can’t even say I truly existed before today; after all, what am I but a manifestation of your darkness?”

Twilight knew what Nightmare was doing. The evil creature was trying to shake her, to get in her head and weaken her resolve.

It was working. It was working and Twilight felt powerless to stop it.

“I knew I’d get out eventually,” Nightmare cooed with a shrug. “I figured you’d eventually snap and let me take control for whatever reason. Maybe somepony would anger you in just the right way, or too many little things would go wrong all at once and you’d lose it... The end result would’ve been the same. I would be in control, and the world would be mine.”

“Well that didn’t happen!” Twilight croaked with much more courage than she felt.

“No, no it didn’t. Dusk saved the day again,” Nightmare said with a twisted smirk. Tendrils of shadow shot out of Nightmare’s body, attempting to wrap themselves around Twilight, but the Princess was too quick. Nightmare laughed as Twilight danced out of her reach. “But then Luna cast this wonderful spell. So much dark magic in the air... It reached out to me, giving me life. At long last, I was able to take form. And now, I will take what is rightfully mine.”

“I won’t let you,” Twilight snarled, sinking down into a defensive posture.

“How? We’ve already established that you can’t destroy me,” Nightmare giggled. Twilight shot a spell that passed right through Nightmare and the giggle intensified into a cackle. “Yes, that’s it Twilight! Want it; want to make me hurt!”

Twilight grit her teeth and shielded as Nightmare shot five more tendrils at her. The third one cracked through her spell and she teleported backwards, shooting the remaining two out of the air before firing another retaliatory spell towards Nightmare.

“I can feel it Twilight, how much you hate me; hate yourself. I am your hate. You’re only making me stronger and you know it.”

Nightmare was right, and Twilight knew it. There was only one option: run.

Run, find Luna, and end the spell that was allowing this new Nightmare to take form.

In that order.

She waited for Nightmare to launch another attack, then teleported behind the evil shadow, bursting into a run. Just as she made it to the edge of the clearing, the hedges on each side of the path shot out in front of her, cutting off her escape.

She didn’t hesitate; she couldn’t. She launched herself into the air, taking flight. She climbed, but just as she reached the treetops, a hiss made her blood run cold.

The changeling queen burst from the foliage, horn pointed at Twilight’s heart, and ran her through.

”You’re the worst Princess Equestria could ask for!”

She landed on something soft; something alive. Realizing what was happening, she writhed, trying to break free from the liquid shadows Nightmare had placed beneath her.

“Goodbye, Twilight.”

Twilight tried to scream, but only let out a muffled groan as Nightmare’s darkness consumed her.

Twilight floated in the darkness, helpless. She had failed.

Alone.

Is this how Luna had felt?

There was nothing here for her.

Was this it? No sensations, nothing at all? Just... darkness?

How long has she been here? How long would she be here?

Even pain would be preferable to this.

Death would be preferable to this... prison of her own mind.

Then, she felt it. A faint presence reaching out to her.

She reached for it, trying to make contact with everything she had.

Hello? Is anypony there? Can you hear me?

...

Oh, hi. I was expecting... actually, I don’t know who I was expecting.

She felt herself calm as she was enveloped by the sun's gentle rays. Somehow, the vast black void seemed a little less dark now that she wasn't alone.

...

I know. I really messed up. Luna’s gone, there’s a new Nightmare, and it’s all my fault.

...

Yes it is! I was so distracted by how miserable I was that I didn’t notice how much I was hurting everypony else! And now I’ve pushed Luna into... whatever she’s doing.

...

Well what would you have me do? I can’t beat her, she’s too strong.

... ... ...

Really? You will?

...

I don’t know what to say... Thank you.

Twilight twitched as her heart burst into flame. The raw, scorching power of the solar fire was overwhelming, but painless. She drew on it, letting it flow through the meridians of her body. Her limbs shook as it spread, returning strength to her exhausted muscles.

Then she felt it. Like a switch to be pushed, the power was ready to be unleashed, waiting only for her command.

She smiled for the first time in ages, and released the force of the sun from her body. The darkness lifted and agonized screams filled the air as Nightmare poured off of Twilight like flaming tar. Twilight stood up and stepped out of Nightmare’s grasp without any trouble. She took three steps and glanced back at her dark counterpart.

Nightmare had abandoned any semblance of a form and now existed as a thrashing undulating blob, her screams filling the garden air.

Twilight felt no rage towards her. No hate, no antagonistic feelings at all; just pity. What Nightmare had done, or rather, tried to do, wasn’t personal. Nightmare was anger incarnate, she never really had a choice. Never had a chance to become something... more.

She reached out to the form and touched it. The blob make a shrieking, unreal sound like a chalkboard being scratched by a hundred hooves. It tried to get away but Twilight was stronger, she pulled it toward herself. Twilight opened her mouth and whispered an apology even as flames spread from her lips to consume the Nightmare.

She began walking, letting her hooves guide her. When she reached a wall of hedges, they shuffled out of her way. They didn’t shrink and wither away from her the way they had after Rainbow died; no, this time it was as if they were bowing to her respectfully, making room for her to pass.

A screech tore through the air and Twilight turned her head towards its source as her hooves continued on. The changeling queen streaked through the sky, turning in the air to dive at Twilight. Twilight turned away from the illusion before it incinerated on the the solar rays being emitted from her body.

Twilight shook her head as she passed through one final row of shrubs, finding herself standing across a clearing from Celestia’s headstone. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the crumpled shape at the bottom and she cried out.

“Luna, no!”

She rushed over to the grave and swooped down on Luna, afraid to touch her. The Night Princess sat with her eyes closed, resting her back against the headstone with each side of her neck sliced cleanly open, her life's blood poured out across her chest and a dagger lying by her hoof. “No! No no no no no, Luna, please no!”

Twilight gently lay her hooves on Luna’s and leaned in close, searching for any sign of life. “Luna, you can’t be- Not like this! Anything but this!”

She lay her head against Luna’s muzzle, desperate. A few seconds passed before she felt it: the smallest hint of breath kissing her cheek.

“Oh, thank heavens! It’s going to be okay Luna, hold on,” she whispered. Gently, she touched her horn to Luna’s and took a deep breath, allowing the solar energies to flow.

She waited, hoping against hope that it would be enough. Slowly, the wounds began to seal, and Twilight’s despair began to lift as the gash stitched itself, leaving Luna’s neck unblemished. Luna’s body shook as she took in a rattling gasp, her breathing growing labored and more rapid as color returned to her cheeks.

Finally, the darkness in the sky broke, revealing the sun, and her eyes shot open. She glanced around wildly before her gaze settled on Twilight.

“T-twilight? What’s happen-” she cut herself off as she realized where she was. “What have you done?”

“What have I-? Luna, I saved you!” Twilight retorted. “What was all this? The dark magic, the dagger? The bl- the blood? What were you doing out here?’

“I... I was bringing Celestia back,” Luna replied softly, hanging her head.

“You... How? Why?”

“This ritual. It was developed by a race long extinct, and upon my... expiration, my soul would have traded places with Celestia’s, wherever it is. Then it would’ve mended my body and she would’ve existed in it. But you interrupted it,” Luna explained, not meeting Twilight’s gaze.

“B-but why?”

“I... I couldn’t take it anymore,” Luna blurted out after a moment’s hesitation.

“Everything’s been so bad lately, I just didn’t know what else to do,” Luna simpered. “I just thought that she might be able to fix everything. I thought... I thought you might be happier if you had her back. I thought you might start smiling again and start acting like the pony you used to be.”

“Oh, Luna,” Twilight whimpered, collapsing into Luna’s hooves. “I do want Celestia back, but not like this! Not if it means losing you!”

“Twilight...”

“Luna, I love you. I know I haven’t acted like I do lately; in fact, I’ve been terrible to you!” Twilight gibbered. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me, but I had no right to-”

Luna cut her off by pulling her in for a long kiss.

“L-luna?”

“It’s okay, Twilight. You don’t need to say more,” Luna replied with a smile.

“J-just like that? B-b-but how?” Twilight whined, shaking her head. “How can you just forgive me after all the awful things I’ve said? After how abusive I’ve been?”

Luna sat up, scooting back into the headstone to seat Twilight on her lap more comfortably and took Twilight’s hoof in hers. “Because I still love you. And because I know all too well what it’s like to feel as you do now. I was there myself, not so long ago.”

Twilight tried to speak, but all that came out was a sob. She buried her face into Luna’s chest with a wail and cried.

She let let it all out. All of the anger, sorrow, and resentment she had built up over the years, she took it all and poured it out, leaving them as nothing more than tears in Luna’s fur. She cried until it hurt, and she was nothing more than a limp, quivering body lying against her marefriend.

“Better?” Luna murmured, stroking Twilight’s mane.

“No...” Twilight moaned. “It’s n-*hic*-not better. I can’t accept this. You can’t just *hic* say everything’s okay and have it go back to normal!”

“That is exactly what I am doing,” Luna asserted. When Twilight didn’t respond, she seized Twilight’s shoulders and turned the younger mare so they were eye-to-eye. “Listen to me, Twilight. It was your love, your friendship, that enabled me to forgive myself for my crimes, which I remind you were far worse than anything you have done. If you are truly intent on making amends, then please, allow me to return the favor.”

Twilight whimpered, wavering on the verge of crying again, but Luna wouldn’t have it. She moved in for another kiss, “Give me my old Twilight back.”

Luna could feel Twilight let out a silent sob as she pressed their lips together, so she pulled Twilight’s head back into her chest, cradling her tenderly and resuming stroking her mane. She smiled to herself as the tension left Twilight’s body, simply enjoying the long-overdue intimacy.

“There is... one request I have for you, Twilight,” she breathed.

“Name it,” Twilight replied, sitting up to stare into Luna’s eyes. “Anything you want, just tell me.”

“Not so fast. Before I ask, I want you to make me a promise,” Luna replied gravely. “I want you to seriously think it over, and if there is any doubt in your mind, any desire to say no, any hesitation at all, I want you to refuse my request. Understand?”

“But-”

“Promise me, Twilight!”

Twilight was taken aback by the severity of Luna’s response but nodded. “Okay, Luna. I promise.”

“Very well. Twilight...”

One month later, they stood face-to-face in the same clearing, surrounded by a small gathering of family and friends. The sun hung low in a cloudless evening sky as the moon looked on from the east.

Cadance spoke for them, speaking words of family and companionship; of happiness and sorrow.

But most of all, she spoke of love.

Neither Twilight nor Luna took in much of what she said; each was too absorbed in her own thoughts. Each was trying to stay calm and reasoned in spite of their excitement.

Then, just as each of them believed that they couldn’t hold back any longer, Cadance said the words they had been waiting for.

“I now pronounce you mare and mare.”

They leaned forward, and kissed.

Epilogue

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Prologue (rewritten)

Well, here it is. After a long, arduous summer, my editors and I finally managed to scrape something together. What follows is a much improved version of this story's prologue. The original version has been taken down, but will still be available on my dA page.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie, and f0xhole.

Cry- v. (krī) - 1. To shed tears, esp. as an expression of distress or pain. 2. To shout, scream, or call out in fear, pain, grief, or defiance

"GET OUT OF MY BUCKING WAY!"

On any other day, Twilight Sparkle would never have dared to shout so rudely at anypony, and she definitely would never, ever have used such coarse language. Today, however, wasn't any other day.

She couldn't remember how she had gotten to Canterlot. Nor could she, for the life of her, feel any patience for the ponies in the street. She needed to be at Canterlot General Hospital now.

She wanted to just teleport; no, she needed to just teleport to the hospital, but it was far too dangerous. She couldn’t see her destination, and she couldn’t risk teleporting into something, or worse, somepony; the results of such a thing would be disastrous.

It wasn’t even possible for her to teleport short distances down the crowded street. The traffic was just too thick with ponies making their way home after work, but the sight of the desperate and frantic unicorn was enough to push the crowd into creating a path. It was slow going, but it was better than nothing.

The journey through Canterlot took hours. Or only five minutes according to the clock she spotted in the store window. She couldn’t really tell. Her sense of time was only one of many things lost to her one driving thought. But she got there all the same.

Shoving her way through the building’s massive doors, she bolted to the front desk, interrupting the pony behind it before the receptionist could even get a word out, "Where is she?!"

The confused mare simply blinked at her in reply.

"The Princess! What room is she in?"

The receptionist gave her a disapproving frown and returned her gaze to the book she was reading. "The Princess is not to be bothered, you'd best be on your way, miss."

A violet glow surrounded the book as it was forcefully hurled across the room. "Tell me where she is! Now!" Twilight screamed back, as she began to scramble over the counter.

"T-top floor, the intensive care suite, room 523..." the receptionist stuttered.

Twilight was off before anypony in the lobby could regain their wits and attempt to stop her. The elevator wasn't at the bottom floor, so she crashed through the door to the emergency stairwell, the angry shouts of the hospital's security echoing after her.

She climbed. One flight, two, then a security guard appeared, blocking the landing ahead of her. He had barely even stepped forward to bar her way before she had already teleported behind him and continued.

Three.

Four.

Five.

As she hurtled through the doorway and immediately skidded to a stop. In front of the Princess' room were a dozen of the Elite Royal Guard; the best soldiers Equestria had to offer, with the sole purpose of defending the Royal Sisters at any and all costs.

She charged. The best of the best or not, nopony was going to keep her from reaching her goal; she was the Princess’ protege and had been chosen by fate to wield the Element of Magic, the very embodiment of magic itself. They advanced on her menacingly, but she was ready. She charged up her spell, waiting for the perfect moment to teleport around them. The Guards dove at her, and she released her magic just before they hit.

Magical feedback screamed into her mind as she hit an invisible spell ward. She was overwhelmed by the mental agony; couldn’t see, couldn’t hear... couldn’t think. There was no time! She had to go on. Just had to focus...

Her vision slowly faded back in and she found herself lying on the floor, being held down by a pair of guards. She struggled to worm her way out of their grasp, but her efforts were in vain, the stallions were just too strong. Screaming in anger, she tried to teleport again, only for her magic to crash down around her.

It was hopeless; she had been caught. She strained one final time, trying to tug herself out from under them, before giving up with a sob. She began to weep on the floor as one of the guards shouted, “Captain, we’ve caught the intruder!”

The clop of hooves on the tile floor alerted Twilight that several ponies were approaching and she heard a gasp as one of the guards was shoved off of her. “Intruder? That’s my little sister, you lunkhead!”

“Your sis-sister? As in your sister, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s protege?” the offending guard stammered. “Oh... Oh horseapples! I’m sorry!”

An older sergeant stomped over to the cowering pony, growling, “Corporal, as much as Lady Twilight appreciates your apology, I’m sure she’d appreciate it more if you got the buck off of her.”

Without a moments hesitation, the corporal hurled himself off of Twilight, wheezing panickedly. “I’m sorry, Captain! I didn’t recognize her!”

“Obviously. We’ll talk about this later; in the meantime, go watch the lobby!” Shining Armor snarled at the younger solder before quietly stepping up to the sobbing Twilight. “Twilight...? Twiley, it’s me. Are you okay? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Twilight choked back tears and shook her head as Shining helped her to her hooves. “W-what happened? I-I got a letter telling me to come to Canterlot, but all it said was that Princess Celestia was in the hospital.”

“I... I don’t know, Twilight,” Shining whispered apologetically and pulling her into a hug. “She called me into her room and then she just collapsed. Everypony’s been asking her what’s wrong, but she won’t tell me anything. She just keeps asking for you.”

“For— for me? She wants to see me?” Breathless, Twilight stepped past him. “The room at the end of the hall, right?”

Shining Armor nodded grimly and led her to the door, pushed it open and gestured for her to enter.

Quivering, Twilight stepped through the door and found herself in a sterile-white hospital room, the steady beeping of a heart monitor ringing out softly. She fixed her eyes on the bed in the center, refusing to believe what she saw.

It was impossible! That was the only word for it. She was going to turn around and her mentor wouldn’t be laying there. It would be some other pony... Or she would wake up and write to Princess Celestia about this silly nightmare and they would both laugh at the utter absurdity!

She grit her teeth and forced herself to turn around and gave a despaired squeak. She wanted to run — to be as far away from here as possible — but she found herself stepping quietly over to the bedside. It didn’t make any sense; nothing made any sense. Princess Celestia — the wise and ageless ruler of Equestria, who had personally taught Twilight nearly everything the young unicorn knew— now lay in a hospital bed, as frail and decrepit as a fallen tree.

Twilight grimaced and leaned over the mare. Everything inside of her told her to run, to get as far away from there as possible, but she forced herself to look; she had to know for certain, to see it with her own eyes.

Her breath stopped at the sight, her mind shattering at the scene before her. Celestia’s shimmering, pure-white coat was now a pale sickly gray, and her vibrant mane, which normally flowed and ebbed with raw magic, lay around her, dull and lifeless.

As if sensing her protege’s presence, Princess Celestia’s eyes fluttered open, her focus falling on the unicorn. She let out a pained gasp and a grin of unbridled happiness appeared on her gaunt face. “Twilight...? Twilight! You’ve arrived.” She reached up and pulled Twilight onto the bed, cradling the unicorn into her chest. “I... I feared that you wouldn’t make it in time; that I wouldn’t be able to hold on long enough...”

"I-I'm here, Princess. Please, I want to help, please, just tell me what to do." Twilight begged, barely holding back another round of sobs.

“Nothing more can be done, Twilight,” Celestia sighed sadly. “But this... seeing you here has made it all worthwhile."

“No, that’s not true!” Twilight croaked, unable to speak above a whisper. “We can fix this if you just tell me what’s wrong. I-I can find a way, I know it!”

“Please, Twilight, take care of Luna for me. She is still vulnerable, and I couldn’t bear for her to suffer any more than she has; consider this my final request,” Celestia murmured contently, as if ignoring Twilight’s words. "I'm so proud of you, Twilight. You're going to make me proud..."

"Princess..?" Twilight choked out, her eyes blurring with tears once more.

"I've always been proud of you," Celestia whispered with a smile that was barely more than a smirk, yet still radiated untold joy. She glanced at Twilight once more before closing her eyes. "You've always made me so proud."

"Princess?"

Twilight prodded her mentor gently with her hoof.

"Princess Celestia?"

The ancient alicorn didn't respond. Her face remained still, the small smile plastered across her features. As the slow rhythm of the heart monitor dulled to a monotone whine, Twilight, unable to bear it any longer, broke down. She buried her face into the bedsheets, crying harder than she ever had before. "Celestia, no! Celestia! Please don't leave me..."

Chapter 6

A/N: Questions directed to Twilight by readers can be found here and are noted as follows: {#}

And while we're on the subject, I specifically stated that no more than three questions would be accepted and anyone who asked more might be publicly shamed. ShadowReign757 was a jackass and asked 5, the last of which was whether he would be publicly shamed. The answer to that is obviously yes.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie and f0xhole. Nanomight was absent for this one and will probably return for the next chapter.

The political views expressed by Twilight Sparkle in this chapter were chosen based on her personality and actions throughout Seasons 1 & 2. Said philosophies are independent of the views of the author and how certain views may or may not match his own in some respects is mere coincidence. In essence, this chapter is not a political statement, it is Twilight being Twilight.

Twenty-four hours after the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle

Twilight sighed as she felt the last of the tension that had been building between her wings release. Writing to her friends had been oddly therapeutic; it was almost like she was writing to Celestia again. While her mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Spike’s words, she knew that he was in good hooves, and putting her feelings into writing put her almost at ease. She slurped a bit of soup from a gem-encrusted spoon and put the finishing touches on her fifth, and final, letter with the loopy calligraphy of her signature. As she set her spoon on the table, the quill in the inkpot, and raised the letter to read over it one last time, she mused about how much easier multitasking had become since Celestia's strength had been passed to her.

Dear Fluttershy,

After talking things over with Quill-Pen, I’ve decided to let Spike stay in Ponyville for the time being to let him cool off. As much as it hurts to have him be so mad at me, I think that trying to talk to him myself would only make him angrier.

I’ve heard that he’s staying with AJ, but I’d appreciate it if you could go over and check on him every couple of days so you can let me kn so you can make sure he’s alright.

I have Rarity watching him to let me know when it’ll be safe for me to go over there and apologize, but I don’t want him to get too lonely and I think I know that you’re the best pony for the job.

Thank you for everything and please write me back whenever you want, about whatever you want,

Twilight

“Finished?” Quill-Pen murmured to her, giving a soft smile from over her newspaper.

“...Yeah I think so,” Twilight muttered insecurely. “I should probably bring these to the post office before I start to second-guess myself.” Twilight gave Quill-Pen an annoyed look as her seneschal began chuckling halfway through the sentence.

“Oh, Twilight,” Quill-Pen snickered. “Again, you’re the Princess now. You don’t get to run to the post office anymore, other ponies do it for you. Besides, the palace has its own mail system.” She waved a tawny earth pony stallion over to the table. Twilight took a few seconds to gape at him as he bore what were easily the largest saddlebags she had ever seen before turning back to Quill-Pen so the old mare could gave an eccentric introduction. “Twilight, this is Stamped Post, head of the Royal Mail Sorters.”

The stallion gave a deep bow before speaking. “Your Highness... With Her Highness’ permission, I’d like to take this time to go over the palace’s post,” he said timidly, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Twilight the entire time.

Groaning, Quill-Pen slapped a hoof to her forehead before locking her eyes on the stallion. “Post, remember how much it annoyed Princess Celestia when you didn’t speak to her directly?” she growled. When Stamped Post nodded his reply, she continued, “Double that for Princess Twilight.”

Eyes wide, Stamped Post whipped his head around towards Twilight and made a noise that sounded to Twilight like something halfway between a gasp and a gurgle. “I’m so sorry, Princess!” he shouted with a bow that was even deeper than his first. “I did not mean to vex you, it shall not happen again!”

Twilight gave Quill-Pen a quick glare before cutting off the rest of his apology. “What Quill-Pen is trying to say is that I’d just prefer if you spoke directly to me. I’m still getting used to all of this, so if you don’t mind, just talk to me like you would anypony else.”

“O-okay...” he stuttered, staring at Twilight as if she had two heads. “V-very well... As Madame Quill-Pen stated, I am in charge of the Royal Mail Sorters. It is our job to sort the Princess’ incoming mail.”

“You mean the Palace’s mail,” Twilight corrected.

“Erm... No, Princess,” he squeaked, looking terrified at the thought of contradicting his ruler. “The post office does that, we just sort your mail. There’s actually two sets of Mail Sorters, one each for Princess Luna and yourself.”

“Wait, there’s an entire department dedicated to sorting just my mail? Why does my mail even need to be sorted?” Twilight gasped, looking back and forth between Quill-Pen and Stamped Post in complete bewilderment.

“Well, Your Highness,” Stamped Post muttered, cringing at Twilight’s outburst. “Yesterday alone you received fourteen-hundred seventy-nine items, and that was a slow day. Princess Celestia instated the sorters centuries ago when she realized that she’d never have the time to read every single missive she received, and while we’re a very obscure and little-known department, we consider our work vital.”

“Wait, that was just yesterday? How many letters do you ponies have waiting for me?” Twilight gasped, not quite sure if she believed him or not.

“Well, not including the ones we disposed of for various security reasons...” he began, furling his brow as he started ticking off the number in his head. “You have received approximately twenty-five thousand messages since Princess Luna announced that you would be fulfilling your new role as Princess of the Sun.”

“Twenty-five thousand..?” Twilight choked, barely able to get the words out of her mouth. “What did you do with them all?”

“Since sorting the royal post requires us to open and read each piece of mail, and we lacked Your Highness’ permission to do so, we simply stored them in a nearby warehouse,” he replied proudly with a bow of his head. “We now await your command.”

“Ummm, okay...” Twilight murmured, still taken aback by the situation. “Well what exactly did Celestia have you do with her mail?”

“Really? Your Highness truly wants to know about our work?” he stammered.

“Well, yeah!” Twilight replied, once again giving in to her inner student. “I’ll admit that it doesn’t sound like the most glamorous job, but it still sounds interesting!”

“Oh! It’s... I’m sorry, Princess, but I never thought that you’d be even slightly interested in hearing about us!” he gasped, trembling with excitement. He took a few deep breaths to compose himself, then began to explain through a wide grin. “As her old student, you know that Princess Celestia had her own methods for handling personal correspondences from ponies such as yourself, Your Highness, so we never handled those particular notes. However, anything that was sent to Her Highness through the postal service went through us. First, our unicorns scan each parcel for any hostile spells or substances and send anything that fails to pass inspection to the Royal Guard for investigation.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” Twilight muttered, prepared to take mental notes on the whole process. “What about the rest?”

“We sort them into four categories. The first and, I personally believe, most important category of letters is made up of petitions, funding requests and other political notes, including diplomatic missives, though they tend to be delivered directly to you by the ambassador of whichever nation is sending the communique. We catalogue and copy each of these, then send them to the relevant Ministries to be handled by more qualified ponies than ourselves, while the diplomatic letters are given directly to the seneschal so that Your Highness may deal with them at your leisure,” he said with a respectful nod towards Quill-Pen.

“So I’ll probably see some of those in court or cabinet meetings. That makes things easier, I think,” Twilight chirped, picking up a quill and roll of parchment and jotted down a couple lines of notes before looking back towards him. “What’s the next category?”

“The next category is my least favorite: threats to Equestria and Your Highnesses. We don’t receive many of those, thankfully,” he said with a shiver. “When we do though, they’re dealt with as soon as they are found. Threats to Equestria are immediately sent to Minister Ironside, while threats to Your Highness are sent directly to Captain Shining Armor, where I assume they are investigated appropriately.”

“Good to know that you take my safety seriously,” Twilight quipped back with a mischievous smirk.

“Of course we do! We would never— Oh! You were joking,” he snickered. “But yes, we consider the security of our nation and our Princesses to be of the utmost import. We’re not soldiers, but we do what we can. Which brings us to our next category: marriage proposals, courtship requests, and solicitations. I’m sorry to say that I’m actually not surprised by just how many of those we get. Princess Celestia had us send such things to the palace’s furnace.”

“The furnace... seriously? Celestia had you burn them?”

“Erm... yes,” he replied guiltily. “I asked her why she had us do such a thing myself when I was first promoted to my current position and she told me that she had grown tired of receiving so many requests over the centuries. She said that the only ponies who sent her notes like that were those who saw her as a sacred object, rather than a pony. She then said that the thought of having the letters burnt amused her. I confess that after reading several thousand of the things, she was probably not incorrect in her assessment.”

“Well, for me do you think you could have that category recycled?” Twilight asked softly. “I won’t lie, the thought of receiving letters like that isn’t exactly comfortable, but having them burned just seems... spiteful.”

“I’ll make sure to implement the change right away,” he replied with a quick nod. “Just to add though: some of the more disturbing love notes are sent to the Guard. Some ponies out there are just... unhealthy with their affections.”

Twilight felt herself go numb for a few seconds as her brain processed this new fact. The thought that... No, she was not going there. “Moving on! What’s the last group?” she said a little too enthusiastically.

“The last group is my personal favorite: fan-mail!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Fan-mail actually comprises the bulk of what we receive. Princess Celestia had us send a small thank-you note to anypony who sent her fan-mail, and had us add in a photograph of her when the writer was a foal. She then had us keep a small portion of those written by the youngest colts and fillies, while recycling the rest. It’s my understanding that Her Highness enjoyed reading the encouraging letters she received from her youngest subjects when she was depressed or unsure of herself.”

“I like that,” Twilight murmured, more to herself than anypony else. “Keep doing that! Keep doing all of that! You’ve got my permission to continue sorting as always; I’ll make sure to set something up with my friends and family to make sure I get their messages directly. Is there anything else?”

“No, Your Highness. That comprises the entirety of our duties. Now, with your leave, I’d like to run your letters to the post office immediately so I can let my ponies know that we’re back on the job. Unless you have any special requests?” he asked as he scooped up the letters Twilight wrote to her friends and gently slid them into his saddlebags.

“No— Yes actually! Could you send anything that comes from Ponyville directly to me? I made a lot of friends there and I’d rather personally go over anything they send me,” Twilight said with a smile.

“I’ll see to it,” he replied with a short bow before trotting off.

“So, may I continue?” Quill-Pen whispered into Twilight’s ear, causing her to jump and whip her head towards the older mare.

“Ohmygosh! I’m so sorry, I forgot you were there!” Twilight squealed guiltily.

“I’m just teasing you,” Quill-Pen laughed and gave her a friendly nudge. “I learned years ago that it was impossible to pull you away from new information. Anyway, are you ready for your next appointment?”

“No,” Twilight moped. “I understand why I have to talk to the nobles, but that doesn’t mean I want to.”

“No use dragging your hooves,” Quill-Pen replied in a light tone.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s get this over with,” Twilight grumbled as she stood up to lead the way out. The pair quickly trotted to the Throne Room, where they found a crowd of sharply dressed ponies already assembled and waiting for her and several of her Ministers lined up next to the throne, a low murmur permeating the air as they gossiped amongst themselves. Twilight briefly glanced towards Quill-Pen, who nodded towards the throne with an encouraging smile.

Tepidly, Twilight climbed the stairs to the golden seat, oblivious to the fact that the buzzing in the room had grown to a dull roar with her arrival. In all of her time under Celestia’s tutelage, she had almost never seen the Princess using it; her mentor was almost always seated in front of it.

It only took a second for Twilight to make up her mind. Stopping a few hooves in front of the chair, she turned to face the crowd and sat on the floor at the top of the staircase. If I want to be like Celestia, I might as well start now.

“This session of the Royal Day Court will come to order!” Quill-Pen bellowed louder than Twilight expected. The shout echoed around the room until it was the only sound remaining, before fading into the distance. “As was announced this past Friday, three days ago, this will be a Town Hall-style discussion; those who wish to ask a question of Her Highness will raise their hooves silently and wait until called upon. Any who speak out of turn or otherwise disrupt the proceedings will be removed from the premises without further warning.” She turned to Twilight and gave an uncharacteristically formal bow. “Your Highness...”

It took Twilight a few seconds to remember that she was supposed to respond. “Oh! Umm... You may begin!” Wow, it’s been a while...

Unfortunately for Twilight, nearly every hoof in the room shot up. Overwhelmed, she turned to Quill-Pen with an expression of bewilderment flooding her eyes. Without missing a beat, Quill-Pen nodded to her and turned back towards the crowd. “Lord Starfire of the Astronomer’s Guild, you may speak.”

The crowd parted, revealing an aging dark grey stallion with a pearl-white mane and shooting star cutie mark. “Your Highness, might I first congratulate you on your ascension?” he proclaimed loudly as he sunk into a deep bow. “My question is a simple one: my colleagues and I were wondering if Your Highness was planning on making any changes to the timing of the sunrise and sunset. {1}”

Oh good, starting off with an easy one. Twilight thought to herself. A second thought fluttered through her mind and she glanced at Quill-Pen for a moment. She did that on purpose... I’ll have to thank her later.

“Thank you for your question, Lord Starfire,” Twilight replied, making sure both to use her best Court vocabulary and speaking loudly enough for all to hear. “As an amatuer astronomer myself, I understand your concern, however, I don’t currently have any plans to change our current celestial schedule. The sun and moon will continue to rise and set in the same manner they always have.” Twilight finished with a satisfied grin. She was further pleased to see that Starfire seemed satisfied with her answer as well.

“Thank you, Your Highness. I will relay this good news to the Guild immediately,” he said with another bow as the crowd closed around him and more hooves shot up.

“Lady Landstrider of House Dawnhammer! You may speak,” Quill-Pen called out.

This time, a young earth pony mare stepped forward from the front of the crowd, offering a polite curtsey. “Princess Twilight... My question is simple: how do you plan on... entertaining dignitaries from carnivorous species, such as the griffins? {2}”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again; unsure how to answer. “Well, in the past, they brought their own food and chefs with them. I don’t see any reason for that to change. I can assure you that I will not be requiring my staff to prepare... ‘cuisines’ with which they’re uncomfortable, nor anypony else for that matter. If you’re asking what my diplomatic plans are, I’m going to be meeting with the ambassadors of our neighbors over the coming weeks and I hope to both maintain, or establish, positive relations with all of them.”

Landstrider frowned, a thoughtful expression on her face. “...Thank you, Princess.” She bowed and returned to her spot in the crowd. Unsure of the pony’s reaction, but completely sure that she had given the best possible answer, Twilight nodded to Quill-Pen.

“Next, Lord Stuffy Suit of House Finethread!”

The crowd parted once more to reveal a maroon unicorn. The first thing Twilight noticed about him was that his face seemed to have been paralyzed while looking at something unsightly. “Yes, Princess? I am only here to ask one thing: how do you plan on dealing with the dirt ponies? {3}”

A cacophony of hushed voices arose from the crowd and Twilight turned to stare at Quill-Pen in horror. The senechal gaped at Stuffy Suit wordlessly before turning to to Twilight and mouthing: “sorry!”

Her temper rising, Twilight cleared her throat loudly to quell the rush of voices before answering. “I plan to ‘deal’ with the earth ponies the same way I plan to ‘deal’ with everypony else: fairly and as equals.” She glared down at Stuffy Suit, hoping to evoke some sort of remorse. Instead, he glowered back at her unapologetically. “And let it be known that, in the future, anypony who uses such foul language in my presence will no longer be welcome in my palace!” she growled, more towards him than the rest of the crowd. He responded with a sneer and a bow before stepping backwards, out of her view.

She glanced across the group of assembled nobleponies and noticed that most, if not all, of them now wore extremely disgruntled expressions on their faces, though she couldn’t tell if they were displeased with her or Stuffy Suit. Hoping it was the latter, she gave Quill-Pen a nervous smile, gesturing for her to call for the next question.

“Lady Balanced Books of House Bullion, your question please!”

A white, silver-maned, earth pony waved to Twilight from the crowd. “Over here, Your Highness! In a related question, I’d like to ask: how do you plan to address the socioeconomic disparities between the pony tribes? {4}”

Okay, that is an important question... Twilight thought back to the wheat discussion that morning, fully aware that her answer to this particular question could haunt her for quite a while. She gave a smile that was more confident than she felt and answered. “Well... I’d like to see more economic equality among unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi, but I don’t want to force it, especially since each type of pony tends to be better at some things than the other two. Perhaps we can rework our education system and send a little more funding towards less wealthy regions?”

Twilight’s smile fell when she noticed that nopony had reacted to her answer. “Because that way more earth pony foals wouldn’t feel like they’re stuck doing the same thing that their families have done for generations and thus everypony would have a fair shot at finding something they love to do?”

More silence. Twilight could’ve sworn she heard a pin drop on the other side of the room. “I can say for certain that I won’t be forcing anypony into a role they won’t want, and I won’t be implementing any changes without thoroughly researching the matter. ” she called out desperately, hoping that Quill-Pen would pick up on her distress and move on.

Thankfully, Quill-Pen immediately spoke up. “I apologize, Balanced Books, but for the sake of getting as many questions answered as possible, we must move on. I hope that Her Highness answered your question to your satisfaction. Next we’ll go to... Lady Minty Blossom of House Huffy!”

“Indeed! Many thanks, seneschal,” a spring green unicorn called out with a wide grin. “Your Highness, I simply wish to know this: what is your vision of Equestria that you hope to bring about?{5}”

“Umm... Actually I haven’t had a chance to really think about that yet,” Twilight muttered sheepishly.

“You what?” a unicorn stallion standing next to Minty Blossom interrupted incredulously. “Pardon me, but why would you aspire to be our princess if you had no plan?”

“Well, to be honest, this was all sort of thrust upon me right after Princess Celestia’s funeral,” Twilight replied apologetically. “Celestia’s death was so sudden, and I still don’t think I’ve gotten past it... If I had known that this was going to happen, I promise you that I would’ve started brainstorming right away, but I never got the chance. I’d like to see an Equestria where everypony is happy and comfortable, but I really don’t know how I’m going to make that happen.”

“I see...” Minty Blossom replied softly. “I didn’t realize any of that. While I can’t say that it fills me with confidence that you happen to be woefully unprepared for such an important position, I do appreciate your honesty.”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight sighed. “That’s partially why Quill-Pen called for this meeting, I think. I’m going to need your help. I’m going to need the help of all of you. So, if anypony wants to meet with me privately, speak with Quill-Pen as soon as possible and I’ll try to help you however I can.”

“Very well, Your Highness. House Huffy will support you, for now,” the mare replied with a short bow.

“Umm, thanks?” Twilight said, unsure how she felt about Minty’s tone. “Next question, Quill-Pen?”

“Lord, or rather, Lieutenant Commander Sharpshot, you may speak!”

A crimson pegasus shot out from the center of the crowd to hover over his peers. “Your Highness, I am personally concerned about our nation’s security, so I must ask this: are there any plans to reinstate the pegasus wingforce as the Elements are no longer a viable option to deploy to protect our borders? {6}"

Yet again, Twilight found herself caught off-guard by the question. “Umm, I don’t actually think my friends and I have lost the ability to wield the Elements of Harmony since nothing has really changed between the six of us, but I haven’t actually checked either. Still, that is a good question...”

After wracking her mind for a few seconds, she turned her head to look at Minister Ironside, who responded by shaking his head. “I’m not very good with military matters,” she continued, “but as of now, there aren’t any plans to rebuild the wingforce, so I’d imagine that pegasi will be able to continue to serve in the Royal Army as they always have.” She looked back at Sharpshot to gauge his reaction, and was unsurprised to see that he didn’t look very happy. “But I’ll discuss it with Minister Ironside and Deputy Minister Flitwing, and if it turns out that we, that is my friends and I, can’t use the Elements anymore, then we’ll discuss other methods of defense, such as the wingforce.”

Sharpshot cracked a grin, bowed in midair, and took his place back in the crowd. Twilight discreetly glanced at Ironside out of the corner of her eye, hoping that she didn’t just make a promise she couldn’t keep. He nodded approvingly. Good, good... Everything’s going fine. I think I can actually handle this! “Next question, please?”

Quill-Pen nodded and turned back towards the crowd. “Lady Fantaisie Chic of House Highbrow, the floor is yours!”

“Yes, Your Highness?” an arrogant feminine voice echoed from somewhere within the crowd. “I am simply wondering: how much influence Ponyville is going to make on your decisions. {7}”

Alright, I may be new at this, but I know a loaded question when I hear it. Two can play that game! “Well, that depends,” Twilight replied, holding back a smirk. “Ponyville’s citizens themselves will have as much say as anypony else in how I run things, but I learned a lot while I was there under Princess Celestia’s orders, and those lessons will have everything to do with my decisions.”

As she predicted, a buzz of whispers greeted her words. She was aware that Canterlot’s nobleponies had very little respect for anything that came from a place like Ponyville, but with the way she had answered, there was very little they could say against her statement without directly insulting her. More importantly, they couldn’t say anything against it without insulting Princess Celestia, since it was she who sent Twilight to Ponyville in the first place. She looked to Quill-Pen, who was suppressing a chuckle of her own, and nodded, ready to continue.

“Next... Oh, I didn’t realize you were here! Lady Octavia of the Royal Canterlot Orchestra, you have a question?”

“I do, thank you, Lady Quill-Pen,” a familiar-looking grey earth pony called as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd. “Princess Twilight, under Princess Celestia's rule, funding for Arts and Education were one of the government's largest fiscal expenditures. Do you have any plans to cut funding to Equestria's theatres, orchestral groups, or educational system in favour of allocating it to different sectors of our socioeconomic framework such as the Royal Guard, Foreign Office, or as many ponies here have been pushing for, tax cuts to the exceedingly wealthy? {8}”

Twilight frowned at the question. That had never been something she had considered, but now that she thought about it, it was probably one of the most important questions anypony could have asked her. At least in her opinion it was.

“As Princess Celestia’s student, I think she would be extremely disappointed in me if I cut funding for education without a good reason. I don’t think there’s currently any need to redistribute the budget and Deputy Minister Sound Mind also told me a couple days ago that we currently had a budget surplus, so cutting anything at all isn’t necessary for the moment.” Great speech, Twilight! Except that wasn’t what she asked! Mentally berating herself, Twilight continued, “I guess what I’m trying to say is no, I won’t be cutting funds for the Arts or Education just to put the money into the military, and I definitely won’t be making those cuts to give tax breaks to ponies who don’t need them! In fact, if anypony gets a tax cut, I’d like it to be the ponies who can barely afford to feed their families!”

A collective gasp resonated through the crowd. Twilight knew that she had probably just made a terrible mistake, but she didn’t see any benefit to lying to them. Might as well go all the way. “And as I said earlier, I’d actually like to increase funding for such things. We’re still working on the budget for next year, so I won’t make any promises given that the numbers haven’t been finalized yet, but whenever possible, I will increase the portion of Equestria’s budget that goes to Education, Science, and the Arts. Giving tax money directly back to the population is great and all, but I think that it’ll be better in the long run for everypony if we invest it in our future. I-” Twilight cut herself off sharply as she realized that she had slipped into lecturing the crowd, rather than directly answering the question of the pony who asked it. Oops... I guess I got carried away. She looked down towards Octavia to see the mare smiling broadly.

“That is all I could ask for, Princess! Thank you!” she said with a bow before turning around and making her way back into the crowd, an unmistakable skip in her step.

“Next question will go to Sergeant Skybreaker of the Royal Guard!” Quill-Pen shouted almost immediately.

After hearing the name ‘Skybreaker’, Twilight was very surprised when a very old unicorn stallion, who reminded Twilight more of Granny Smith than a Royal Guard, stepped forward. “Your Highness, how much will you be consulting with Princess Luna? {9}”

“Actually, “ Twilight responded with what she hoped with an encouraging smile, “Luna has been a good friend of mine for a few months now and I plan on consulting with her a great deal on all policies.”

“But...” a smaller unicorn who stood at Skybreaker’s side replied, just above a whisper, “Princess Celestia kept Nightmare Moon at bay! What if- what if she comes back? {10}”

He wasn’t asking if I was going to work with Luna, he was asking if I could beat her! Twilight felt her face get hot as she realized the true meaning behind Skybreaker’s question. It’s been two years since Luna came back and they still think she’s just going to try and kill them at the first possible opportunity?

“Luna is not the same pony she was when she became Nightmare Moon. End of discussion,” she growled through gritted teeth. “If I find out that anypony has been plotting to depose her, then I’ll personally see to it that they’re arrested and tried for treason, are we clear?”

Twilight knew she shouldn’t have gotten angry, and she knew even more that she should never have shown it, but Skybreaker and his companion had managed to strike a nerve. She looked to Quill-Pen and nodded, hoping to move things along before they got any worse.

Quill-Pen opened her mouth to call the next questioner, but was interrupted by a disheveled unicorn in the back of the crowd. “Princess, what are your plans to stop the coming daffodil shortage from destroying the economy? {11}”

“D-daffodil shortage?” Twilight stuttered, looking at Minister Open Plains for some sort of guidance. Open Plains, however looked as confused as Twilight felt and simply shrugged. “There isn’t a daffodil shortage as far as I know. Besides, the daffodil crop isn’t big enough to dest-”

“But if eternal night is coming, no more daffodils will grow! What will we do?” A scream rose from the crowd, sending the room into a worried buzz once again.

“I already told you, Nightmare Moon isn’t coming back!”

“Princess, what is the first thing you plan to address? {12}” a pony towards the middle of the crowd called out while standing up on his hind legs to be seen.

“What? What do you mean by that? There’s hundreds of things that need to be addressed! I can’t just pick one to do first!” Twilight shouted over the crowd. She could feel her pulse rising and a familiar feeling of panic rising in her chest.

“Princess Twilight! Princess Twilight!” a brown pony wearing a fedora and holding a notepad started screeching from the edge of the crowd. “Is it true that you and Rainbow Dash are lovers? {13}”

“How did you get in here?” Twilight moaned, recognizing the pony as one of Canterlot’s most notorious tabloid reporters. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes as the situation spiraled dangerously out of control. “No! Rainbow Dash is one of my best friends, but I’d never- we’d never-”

“I CANNOT ABIDE BY THIS ANY LONGER!” a male voice screamed.

“Blueblood, you have already been convicted of slander once this month! If you have even the smallest bit of a brain in your head, you’ll hold your tongue!” Ironside bellowed from Twilight’s side.

“I will not be silent! What gives her the right to rule Equestria, she’s not even of royal blood! You were just Celestia’s pet, Sparkle! {14}” Blueblood screeched. “You were just her little lapdog that she programmed to-” He was cut off as a pegasus member of the Guard landed in front of him and cracked him across the snout with a hoof, but the damage was done. The crowd had been worked to a frenzy.

“Her... pet?” Twilight whispered, rapidly numbing. “I was just her pet?’

“Everypony out, now!” Quill-Pen barked to the crowd. “You’ve got three minutes! Anypony still here after that will be spending the night in a cell with Blueblood!”

Twilight, however, was oblivious to the chaos that had erupted around her. All she was aware of was the feeling of her mind breaking and her body shutting down.

“It wasn’t that bad, Twilight,” Quill-Pen cooed as she poured a glass of water for the weeping princess. The pair had retired to the Princess’ private dining room for dinner, but even getting there had been a feat in and of itself. Quill-Pen had been forced to guide a nearly-comatose Twilight through the palace’s halls and had only just managed to snap Twilight out of her stupor a minute ago.

“Not that bad?” Twilight growled back between sobs. “How? Name just one way in which that wasn’t a complete disaster.”

“You held you own for most of it,” Quill-Pen murmured. “That alone is more than most ponies expected from you. Honestly, you did well!”

“Right... I did awesome, but all anypony’s going to remember is that I got carried out of there in a catatonic state!” Twilight snarled before laying her head down on the table and giving a melancholy sigh. “If I can’t even handle getting yelled at by some snobby nobles, how can I handle running an entire country? Maybe Blueblood was-”

Quill-Pen interrupted her with a slap across her face. “Blueblood was wrong and you know it! After Luna, you were the most important pony in Princess Celestia’s life from the moment she met you!”

“But then why-” Twilight began, only to be interrupted again.

“Because he’s a bully and he’s always been jealous of you. Trust me when I say that everypony, and I mean everypony, was jealous of how close to Princess Celestia you were,” Quill-Pen shot back, embarrassment leaking into her voice. “I even thought that she was planning to have you replace me in a few years.”

“I was going to ask why Princess Celestia always kept me so close to her,” Twilight grumbled, shooting Quill-Pen a glare. “Sure, I was her student, but I was by her side more often than not.”

“Because she cared for you!” Quill-Pen replied, on the verge of shouting. “Why are you letting such a ridiculous insult get to you?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight whined back. “It’s just that everything she taught me, those hundreds of private lessons; was all of it just so I would be a suitable replacement for her?”

“That’s enough, Twilight Sparkle!” Quill-Pen snapped, causing Twilight to jump slightly. “Think about it this way: if Princess Celestia has just wanted an unthinking robot to carry on her legacy, would she have needed to pick one of the most powerful unicorns to ever live?”

“Well... I guess not, but how-”

“Would she have taken that unicorn under her wing,” Quill-Pen continued, refusing to allow Twilight to get a word in, “and molded her into one of the most brilliant, most compassionate ponies Equestria has ever seen?”

“...no.”

“Exactly!” Quill-Pen replied exasperatedly. “And even if by some impossible stretch Celestia did consider you a pet, would you rather be that or just a tool? Name one pony who doesn’t love their pet with all their heart.”

“Nopony that I know of,” Twilight whispered after letting Quill-Pen’s words sink in.

“Good. Now can we put this afternoon behind us and move on?”

“Sure,” Twilight sighed. She then turned to a server, who had just entered the room with a second pitcher of water. “Hey, where’s Luna at the moment?”

“Oh! Ermm,Your Highness, Princess Luna said that she had urgent business to attend to and ordered her meal ‘to go.’ I’m sorry!” the timid sounding pony replied quickly with a bow.

“No, it’s okay! Thank you!” Twilight said with a smile. She waited until the waitress had left the room and closed the door before releasing a stream of obscenities.

“Feel better?” Quill-Pen growled angrily when Twilight had finished.

“No!”

“Good. This isn’t the last bad day you’ll ever have and exploding like that isn’t the way to handle it!” Quill-Pen lectured to the rapidly reddening Twilight. “Now go up to your room and cool off before you do something you’ll regret, I’ll have dinner sent up to you.”

Twilight sighed again before guiltily trotting out. She knew Quill-Pen was right. Celestia had always told her that a bad day was never an excuse for bad behavior. She had failed her teacher again. Wallowing in self-pity, she made her way up to her room and just laid down on the bed. When a servant entered to deliver her dinner, she gratefully accepted it with a smile, but only picked at it for a few minutes before setting it aside to be forgotten.

She maintained her pity-party for nearly a full hour before she was interrupted by a sharp tapping on her balcony door. She did her best to ignore the offending sound for a couple minutes before her temper got the best of her. After rolling off of the bed and stomping over to the door, she wrenched it open and stuck her head out. “Who are you and what do you wa- Oh! Luna!”

“Errr, hello, Twilight? Am I interrupting something?” the Princess of the Night murmured apologetically.

“No, no... I’m sorry about that, I’ve just had an awful day. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. Come to think of it, I probably shouldn’t have yelled no matter who was knocking,” Twilight replied softly. “I am curious as to why you weren’t at dinner though. Or breakfast for that matter. One of the wait staff said that you were working.”

“I was. You see I have not had a night off in over a month, so I put in a little effort last night as well as this evening so that I might be able to take this night off. While trying to decide what to do with my free time, I heard about how difficult your first court session had gone and decided to bring you some tea and check on you,” Luna responded offhoofedly, gesturing to a tea tray, complete with teapot, cups, and condiments, floating behind her.

“...You planned to come up and see me from the get-go, didn’t you?” Twilight said blandly. “You’re not a very good liar, Luna.”

“It sounded better the way I said it,” Luna grumbled with an exaggerated pout. “Regardless, I also heard about your... conversation with Spike this past morning. I’m sorry. Celestia always told me that the two of you had your own rituals for when you were feeling glum. I realize that I’m not exactly as warm or empathetic as she, but I’ll fill in for her as best I can. If you’ll have me, that is...”

“Of- of course, Luna. I’d like that,” Twilight murmured as the ghost of a smile crossed her features.

“Very well! So, what did Tia do for you when you were down?” Luna said with the enthusiasm of somepony learning a new tradeskill.

“First, she’d bring up some tea or cocoa, you already have that covered, then we’d usually sit outside on the balcony and watch the stars,” Twilight explained, allowing herself to slip into a quick moment of nostalgia.

“You’d watch my stars?” Luna replied incredulously. “Truly?”

“Yeah, though now that I think about it, Celestia usually spent more time watching the moon than the stars. I remember that I always used to wonder why, but I think I know the answer to that now,” Twilight told Luna with a reassuring smile. “Do you mind if that’s what we do?”

“Do I mind? The honor would be mine to watch the stars with thee, Twilight Sparkle!” Luna responded in a jokingly formal tone, gesturing for Twilight to lead the way.

The pair made their way to the balcony and laid down next to each other before pouring the tea. For a while they lay in silence, simply enjoying each other’s company before Twilight spoke. “Luna, what was it like before you and Celestia created the moon and sun? I mean was it...” She trailed off when Luna began giggling at her side. “What?”

“Celestia and I did not create the sun and moon, Twilight, we were simply appointed their wardens,” Luna snickered. “The stars, however, I did create myself. Each one a hoof-crafted memorial to a pony or event that meant something to me,” she explained proudly.

“Really?” Twilight whispered, eyes alight with wonder. “How’d you come up with that idea?”

“I actually got the idea from Celestia,” Luna murmured. A chilly breeze blew past the balcony, causing both princesses to shiver. Luna carefully draped a wing over Twilight’s back and pulled her closer before continuing her tale. “The first star was made as a present for her. I wanted to put a piece of her into my night sky and thought what better way to do that than with a miniature sun? The way she just stared at it the first time I showed it to her, I thought she was angry with me for copying her so brazenly, but the next thing I knew, she was hugging me so hard that I thought my head as going to pop,” she giggled.

Twilight glanced up at the stars, feeling like a little filly again. “And you said each one has a story? Do you think you could tell me a few?”

“I don’t know, Twilight,” Luna sighed. “To only tell one or two would feel like a grave injustice to the rest, and there are so many.”

“Well, we do have the time...”

Luna gazed at Twilight with a confused expression for a second before an amused realization came across her face. “Yes, yes I suppose we do... But where would I begin?”

“Ummm, how about with the first one?” Twilight chirped, snuggling closer to her new storyteller.

“Yes, I suppose that would be the best place to start,” Luna chuckled, looking up into the sky. “You are familiar with the star Solaris Secundus, correct?” She murmured, as she pointed to it. “That was the one I made for Celestia. You see, we had just had one of the most difficult decades we had ever experienced. Ten solid years of drought and warfare. Anyway, her birthday was coming up and I...”

Chapter 25a

Eleven years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Aunt Twilight, I don’t know how to answer these questions.”

Twilight jumped at Dusk Shine’s sudden break of the silence and glanced down from her bed with a smile. “That’s okay, Dusk. Let me have a look and we can work on it together.”

She climbed down to the floor and lay down next to her nephew. He gave a gloomy sigh and slid a packet of paper to her for her to read.

The following pages contain various scenarios where two or more ponies approach you to ask for your help in solving a dispute between them. Describe in your own words how you would resolve each argument in a way that is most fair to all involved parties.

“Oh, these questions,” Twilight smirked, sliding the papers back to Dusk Shine.”They’re all hypotheticals. Just write down whatever judgement you think you would make.”

“But what if it’s wrong?” he muttered, looking up at her with a worried frown.

She hugged him with one hoof, laughed and said, “These questions are just supposed to make you think, so I’m not going to be grading it. We will, however, be going over it later, so do your best, okay?”

“Okay...” he mumbled. “Why is the work you and mom give me always so hard?”

“Because it has to be,” she replied with a smile. “A lot of ponies look up to your mother, father, and I. Because of that, when you’re grown, all of Equestria will expect you to be a great leader too. We’re teaching you the skills to be the best role-model you can be. Make sense?”

He nodded enthusiastically and went back to his homework, taking a few seconds to frown pensively at it for a moment before picking up a lavender quill in his soft blue magic and starting to write. Satisfied, she ruffled his navy mane, levitated her book off of the bed, and began reading again. As she finished the page, she felt her mind wandering and closed the book. She stretched out with a pleasured groan and rolled onto her side, allowing the silence to be broken only by the soft scratching of Dusk’s quill-work.

She simply lay there enjoying her nephew’s company and quickly lost track of time until a loud rapping on her balcony door pulled her out of her daydreams with a start.

“What was that?” Dusk asked, trying to glance around Twilight, his ears perked with interest.

“Probably the delivery I’ve been waiting on. Do your homework,” Twilight replied softly. She stood up and gave him a quick smile before trotting to the door and sliding it open.

“Hi, Princess!” a young, brass-colored pegasus mare squealed, hovering in the doorway.

“Hello, Sunshower! Have my order?” Twilight asked.

“Sure do!” Sunshower chirped, twisting around in midair to show off the delicate floral arrangement carefully strapped to her back. “I’ve also got a letter for you from somepony in Manehattan. Who do you know there?”

“That would be Apple Bloom,” Twilight said, taking the letter and beckoning her in. “Just leave the flowers on the nightstand.”

Sunshower floated through the door and landed before removing the straps and placing the bouquet in the empty vase Twilight had set out. “You got really lucky. These are the last lilacs we had! So, what’s the occasion?”

“No occasion. I just wanted something to freshen up the room,” Twilight said with a smile, gently brushing one of the bunches with a hoof.

“They smell really nice,” Dusk commented from his spot on the floor.

Sunshower jumped at the new voice and glanced down at him with a confused frown. “Umm, hi?”

“Oops! Sorry,” Twilight snickered. She trotted over to Dusk and pulled him to his hooves before turning back to Sunshower. “Sun, this is my nephew Dusk Shine. Dusk, this is Sunshower; I met her shortly after I became a princess, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

“Dusk Shine? Prince Dusk Shine? Cadance’s colt?” Sunshower asked excitedly.

Dusk Shine bowed his head politely, approached her and extended a hoof. “Pleased to meet you, Sunshower.”

“It’s good to meet you too!” Sunshower replied happily, shaking his hoof in return.

“Was this your last order, Sun?” Twilight asked when they finished.

“Yeah. Mom said she wanted me to get all my other work done before I delivered this one in case I didn’t come back right away,” Sunshower said sheepishly.

“Smart mare,” Twilight chuckled as Sunshower blushed harder. “Well that’s perfect, because we have something important to discuss.” She turned to Dusk and gave him a nod. “That’s all for now, we’ll have to finish later. Some of the castle staff’s foals are playing out in the garden right now, why don’t you go see if they’ll let you join them for the rest of the afternoon?”

Dusk gave a massive grin and took off without a word, leaving Twilight and Sunshower alone, giggling. Twilight turned to her companion and beckoned for her to follow. They had barely set hoof in the hallway before Sunshower began chattering eagerly. “So are Princess Cadance and Shining Armor busy and you’re foalsitting?”

“No, we just aren’t able to get together as often as we’d like to so they send Dusk down here for a few days every month so he can spend some time with Luna and me,” Twilight replied with a smile.

“Oh! That’s nice of them,” Sunshower murmured.

“Yeah, but it’s for his benefit as well. He’s a blood-relative of two princesses, so he’s going to be a very big part of Equestrian politics someday whether anypony likes it or not. It’s important that he learn how things work in Canterlot, and I can teach him that stuff a lot better than Cadance,” Twilight explained softly.

“That makes sense,” Sunshower replied with an affirmative nod. “What’s Apple Bloom doing in Manehattan?”

“She just started school at Manehattan U. I imagine she wrote me to tell me how her first week was,” Twilight said.

“Seriously?” Sunshower gasped. “You told me that she was struggling to find the money to go to trade school! How could she afford to go to M.U.?”

“Well, a month or so before the semester started she got a letter informing her that an anonymous benefactor applied to Manhattan on her behalf, then paid for her first year up-front and pledged to cover her entire education,” Twilight replied with a wink.

“You?”

“Luna, actually, but Apple Bloom thinks it’s me,” Twilight snickered. “We’ll tell her eventually, but Luna wants to keep the charade going for a while.”

“That’s funny. I love Luna’s pranks,” Sunshower chuckled . “So, where are we going?”

“My office.”

“R-really? I’ve never been there before!” Sunshower squealed.

“I know. I think you’re overdue, don’t you?” Twilight snickered as they arrived at the double doors. She pushed them open and allowed Sunshower to go through before following herself and closing the door behind her. Quill-Pen greeted them with a smile and motioned for Sunshower to sit down next to her on a cushion. Twilight quickly followed suit, completing the triangle.

“Do you want to start, Princess, or should I?” Quill-Pen asked Twilight with a respectful bow of her head.

“I’ll start,” Twilight muttered before turning to Sunshower pointedly. “Sun, Quill-Pen’s retiring.”

“Oh, really? But you practically run the entire castle! Without you, nothing would get done around here,” Sunshower quibbled.

“Oh, I know. That’s why I won’t be going anywhere until I’ve trained my replacement,” Quill-Pen chuckled. “Which is why you’re here today.”

Sunshower stared at them for a few seconds as her mind processed what Quill-Pen had said. When he understood, her jaw dropped. “M-me? B-but no! I can’t be seneschal.”

Twilight and Quill-Pen exchanged amused glances before turning back to Sunshower. “We both disagree, but I’d like to hear your reasoning,” Twilight snickered.

“W-where do I start?” Sunshower groaned. “First off, I’m not organized at all! I also don’t know much about politics and I don’t know anything at all about court etiquette!”

“Organization, political savvy, and etiquette can all be learned,” Quill-Pen replied serenely. “The things most important to a seneschal are far more intangible: integrity, a strong work ethic, and the absolute trust of the Princess. These qualities are what makes a good seneschal.”

“Qualities which you have in abundance, I might add,” Twilight interjected with a wink.

“We won’t just be throwing you into the role without ensuring that you have the necessary skills and training to succeed, Quill-Pen continued. “If you accept, you’ll come here every day after school and spend the afternoon with me, learning everything you’ll need to know. Think of it as an internship.”

“And once you’ve finished school, your training will become a full-time job. When Quill and I believe that you’re ready to act on your own, she’ll officially retire, and I’ll name you as her replacement,” Twilight finished with an affirmative nod.

“Of course I’ll be sticking around for a few years afterwards to make sure the transition goes smoothly,” Quill-Pen said with a nod.

Sunshower gaped between the pair of them and sadly shook her head. “I-I can’t,” she whimpered. “My mom needs me at the shop. Somepony needs to make the deliveries and she can’t afford to hire somepony to do it.”

"You don’t honestly think we made this decision without running it by your mom first, do you?” Twilight snickered. “She started crying and hugged me when we asked her.”

“She did,” Quill-Pen affirmed with a laugh. “But I understand your concerns, Sunshower, and can assure you that you and your mother will be well cared-for. Officially, you’ll be a ‘Royal Apprentice’ as Twilight was to Celestia. As such, you’ll be entitled to a stipend to cover living expenses. We can use it to hire somepony to work in the shop part-time to cover for you.”

“And once you’ve actually become seneschal, money will be the least of your worries. The seneschal is one of the best-paid positions in court,” Twilight said.

“It comes with being on-call 24/7,” Quill-Pen shrugged.

“This.. this is for real?” Sunshower stammered, hanging her head in shock. “B-but why would you want me? There have to be hundreds... no, thousands of ponies more qualified for this!”

“There are. In fact, some ponies have spent their entire lives practicing for a position like this, but I don’t want them,” Twilight replied softly. “I want you.”

Twilight smiled and gave a pensive sigh. She took Sunshower’s chin in her hoof and raised to so their eyes met. “The way you look at me; the glow in your eyes and expression on your face... it’s the same way I looked at Celestia. That’s how I know that you’ll try harder than any of the others. I trust you to do your very best for me every day, and, to me, that matters more than any amount of experience.”

Sunshower continued to stare at her blankly for a moment before lunging at her into a tight hug. “T-thank you! Thank you so much!” she cried, sobbing into Twilight’s shoulder.

“Don’t thank me yet, you have a lot of work ahead of you,” Twilight chuckled, returning the hug.

“A lot of hard work. The role of seneschal isn’t a job or even career, it’s a lifestyle,” Quill-Pen murmured. “In order to succeed, your life will need to revolve around your work.”

“I-I know,” Sunshower said as she ended the hug and wiped her cheek. “I know, but I want to try. I really— I’m sorry, I just never thought...”

“Never thought that a filly from lower Canterlot who’s struggled through school would be given an opportunity like this?” Twilight sniggered.

“Yeah...” Sunshower sighed. “S-so what do I have to do first?”

“Paperwork, of course,” Quill-Pen laughed, producing a small packet of papers and dropping it in front of Sunshower. “This is a contract, outlining the duties and responsibilities you’ll have while under training, as well as the compensation you’ll receive.”

“Okay,” Sunshower muttered, scanning the first page. “What’s a non-disclosure agreement?”

“It’s a contract that basically says that you won’t tell anypony about any state secrets you learn,” Twilight explained.

“Oh! That makes sense,” Sunshower chirped.

“This is what I really want you to see,” Quill-Pen said, turning to the third page. “In addition to that stipend I mentioned earlier, you’ll receive a monthly allowance to spend on mane care products, makeup, clothing... basically everything you’ll need to keep yourself well-groomed and presentable. And we expect you to keep yourself presentable. You don’t have to be done-up like you’re in a pageant, but you should dress as if you’re expecting to be introduced to somepony important every day.”

“Wow... That’s a lot of money,” Sunshower gasped, glancing over the numbers. “My friends are going to be jealous.”

“That’s not all,” Twilight chuckled. Sunshower glanced up at her wide-eyed, silently begging her to continue. “From now on, you’ll be officially enrolled in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns-”

“But I’m not a unicorn!” Sunshower interrupted.

“Yes, but as headmistress, I’m allowed to enroll anypony I want,” Twilight explained. “Anyway, as a student, you’ll have access to all of its resources and facilities, including the libraries and tutors.”

“Speaking of that, I’ve taken the liberty of setting up tutoring sessions for you every weekend so your school work won’t suffer while we’re training you,” Quill-Pen said. “It wouldn’t do for our future seneschal to flunk out of high school.”

Twilight rolled her eyes at Quill-Pen and continued, “Once you’ve graduated high school you’ll start training full-time. You’ll also be given a dorm room as well.”

“I can’t stay with my mom?” Sunshower asked with a frown.

“You can stay with her if you like, but the room will be kept for you nonetheless,” Twilight said.

“So, what do you think?” Quill-Pen asked enticingly.

Sunshower glanced up from the paper, tears streaming down her face again. “When can I start?”

“Monday, if you like, but only if you and your mother set some time aside this Sunday to go shopping with me,” Quill-Pen started with a nod. “I’d like to get you some proper clothing and show you which personal-care products would be appropriate for somepony of your new station. I’d also like to see about getting your mane done by a professional.”

“I’d love to! Will Twilight be coming with us?”

“Sorry, but no. Twilight’s likely going to be busy all weekend. There’s still quite a few forms we need to go over. If you don’t mind my taking a bit more of your time, we can probably finish tonight. That way we can get right to work on Monday,” Quill-Pen said, scooping up the newly-signed contract.

"Sure, but somepony has to let my mom know that I won't be coming home until late," Sunshower chirped happily. She stood up and gave Twilight one last excited hug before allowing Quill-Pen to shepherd her out.

Twilight snickered to herself, got up, and left the room, stopping to watch Sunshower and Quill-Pen disappear around a corner before trotting away in the opposite direction. She sighed as she walked, forcing her mind to slip from the light thoughts of Sunshower to the heavier thoughts of governing Equestria and the upcoming meeting. She had seen tonight's troubles coming a long way off; relations between the Unicorn and Pegasus communities had been souring for years and tonight she was going to make one last-ditch effort to keep things from boiling over. If it hadn't already, that is. She was jolted out of her thoughts as her back leg caught on something in the hallway, nearly sending her sprawling. She rolled her eyes and tried to tug her leg loose to no avail before turning around to see what held her.

A puddle of black tar.

Frowning, she pulled again, but was unable to break free. As she began to twist around for a better look, the puddle rippled and shook. She felt her breathing stop as the fluid began climbing up her leg; slowly first, then at rapidly increasing speed. She pulled harder; twisting and wrenching her leg around in a desperate bid to free it, but only succeeded in falling on her back. As the tar managed to work its way over her waist and around her barrel, she fired a blast of magic at it from her horn, but the strange material merely absorbed it, continuing on as if nothing had happened.

Finally panicking, she screamed, and the tar halted its movement. A fleeting glimmer of hope manifested in her chest, but disappeared as her attacker redoubled its assault, enveloping her completely. Her stomach dropped and she was suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling of falling. She tumbled through the endless black void for what seemed like hours before her back collided with a wooden surface.

She opened her eyes to find herself on a desk in a nearly empty office, Luna laying on top of her with a smug grin. "Hey! No fair using shadow magic!"

"You've become adept at dodging my other traps. I had to come up with something new," Luna snickered. She leaned in to nuzzle Twilight and planted a kiss on her cheek, frowning when it didn't elicit a response from the younger princess. "Nervous?"

"Aren't you?" Twilight asked incredulously. "The protests have been getting worse and the governor of Cloudsdale is worried that riots might break out! If we fail tonight, if we can't talk them down..." She shuddered, frowning at the implications. "I don't even want to think about what might happen."

"Then we will have to rely on that silver tongue of yours to get us through this," Luna murmured. "In the meantime, it would be best for us both to relax and try to keep our minds clear and off of the consequences of a potential failure. And I have an idea how."

She leaned in again, but Twilight turned her head slightly, causing the kiss to connect with the corner of her mouth. "Luna, the meeting is in..." She glanced around her marefriend to the clock on the nearby wall. "Half an hour, and you want to make out? Seriously?"

Luna didn't speak, responding only with a pout.

"Okay, fine. One kiss. Just one," Twilight groaned.

Luna grinned and leaned in again, capturing Twilight's lips in her own. Twilight held it for a few seconds before trying to pull away, but before she could, Luna wrapped her hooves around Twilight's neck and pulled her closer. She tried to pull away again, but found herself unable to resist melting into the kiss, the tension in her body quickly wilting away. Luna held it for a few seconds longer before pulling away and gazing at Twilight with a knowing smirk.

Twilight gaped at her wordlessly for a moment as her mind slowly churned back into motion. "O-okay, maybe two kisses... But only two!"

"That's my girl."

Thirty-four minutes later, Twilight and Luna entered the throne room slowly and deliberately. A platoon of Earth Pony Royal Guards stood in a line down the center of the hall, separating the crowd into two groups--unicorns and pegasi. The angry rumble of voices quickly died down as their presence became known. Unfortunately, it didn't last.

"This is an insult!" an irate pegasus stallion screeched. "Princess Twilight used to be a unicorn, she can't be allowed to-"

"I will be overseeing this hearing, Misty Sky. Due to the importance and sensitivity of this meeting, Princess Twilight is here to assist me in place of Lady Quill-Pen," Luna growled with a stomp of her hoof. "And how dare you question her neutrality! Insult her in such a way again and I will banish you from this palace for the rest of your life. This is your only warning." Misty Sky sneered at her angrily, but remained silent as she took to the throne and sat down, casting a regal glance over the assembled crowd.

"These proceedings will come to order. We are here to discuss the theft of Stormcaller's research by Moonbeam," Twilight proclaimed after sitting down next to the throne. "Stormcaller, you have the floor; state your allegations. Refrain from any undue accusations and keep it civil, or forfeit your right to a voice in this hearing."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Stormcaller, a tawny stallion, replied with a respectful nod. "I have nothing to add to the statements I submitted last week and maintain that Moonbeam did pay one of my research assistants to illegally provide her with copies of my research notes on the development of snowstorms after my initial refusal to share said research."

"Thank you, Stormcaller," Twilight stated, turning to the other side of the room. "Moonbeam, do you deny these accusations?"

A grey-white unicorn gazed up and Twilight and Luna with a thoroughly ashamed expression before glancing at Stormcaller and hanging her head. "No."

"See! She admits it. I demand-"

"Silence, Stormcaller," Luna snapped loudly. "Moonbeam has the right to explain herself, and she will be given the opportunity to do so. If you interrupt again, you will be thrown out and any further participation on your part will need to be done through your attorney."

Twilight allowed the silence resulting from Luna's scolding to punctuate the older Princess' point for a few seconds before speaking again. "Moonbeam, you now have the chance to explain your actions and tell your side of the story. The floor is yours, if you wish to take it."

"T-thank you, Princess Twilight," Moonbeam muttered sheepishly. "For the past few years, I've been trying to get my hooves on environmental data for my current project, but-"

"Would you please, for the record, state what your current project is?" Luna interrupted.

"I've been trying to develop a device that would allow a unicorn to remotely temper or even break up a snowstorm as part of Princess Twilight’s Joint-Race Research Initiative," Moonbeam said, restrained pride leaking into her voice. "Anyway, I hit a snag a few years ago and needed atmospheric data to continue, so I wrote to Professor Stormcaller asking him to provide it, figuring he’d be happy to help another researcher, but he refused."

As she paused, Twilight and Luna glanced at Stormcaller who simply stared derisively at Moonbeam. Luna sighed and shook her head, "Please, continue."

"After that happened, I started writing to other climate scientists asking them for their data, but they all refused," Moonbeam grumbled. "At first, I was puzzled as to why, but then one of them mentioned in their response that Stormcaller had been encouraging them all to withhold data from me. After that, I approached his assistant... I-I was angry and wasn't thinking clearly. It was wrong and stupid of me. I can't really defend myself."

"I appreciate your honesty and understand your frustrations, but-"

"One moment, Twilight," Luna muttered, leaning forward in her throne. "Though it does not pardon Moonbeam, Stormcaller's actions concern me greatly. While certainly not illegal, his actions were highly unethical." She glared down at the stallion. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Y-your Highness, I-"

"Silence!" Luna bellowed. "Do not think that your practices are unknown to me, Stormcaller. You have a horrid reputation among Equestria's academic community; being more concerned with glory and your own prestige than with advancing scientific knowledge. Did you ever wonder why Moonbeam was developing such a device, or did you just assume she was in it for the money and fame as you tend to be?"

Fearful of Luna's wrath, Stormcaller didn't speak, instead just glaring at the princess indignantly. "I thought not. Fortunately, I have done my research," Luna muttered. "Tell me, Stormcaller, are you familiar with the name Star Hunter?"

"Of course! Every pegasus knows his name. He was the best member of the Trottingham weather team who was killed while trying to reign-in an out-of-control blizzard," Stormcaller replied with a respectful bow of his head. "Last week marked the seven-year anniversary of his death."

"All true. Now, I happen to have a copy of his obituary," Luna stated, producing a newspaper clipping and levitating it over to Stormcaller. "Would you please be so kind as to read the highlighted portion aloud?"

﻿Stormcaller snatched the slip of paper out of the air angrily. He shot a resentful glare at Luna and began to read. "Star Hunter, was tragically killed this past Thursday while bravely attempting to corral a renegade blizzard... An only foal, he is survived by his parents, Starry Eyes and Sassaflash, and his wife of a mere two weeks-" He choked on his words, almost dropping the paper. He slowly lifted his head up to gaze guiltily at Moonbeam, who had fallen to her flank, head hung and tears flowing freely. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"That is because you didn't ask," Luna murmured. She sat down next to Moonbeam, embracing her with one hoof and allowing the distraught mare to cry into her chest. "It is no coincidence that Moonbeam started her project seven years ago; she designed her device with one single purpose in mind: to spare others from knowing her pain.”

She shook her head sadly and placed her hoof beneath Moonbeam’s chin and raised the unicorn’s head until she could see her eyes. “But you acted hastily, I think. Stormcaller may have acted in bad faith, but given his reputation, I do not believe that the others were uncooperative on his word alone. Let me show you. Ranger?”

An old earth pony sergeant stepped forward from the line of guards. “Yes, ma’am?”

“If it is not too much to ask, would you mind telling the court the story of your father?” Luna asked with an encouraging nod.

“Y-you know about that? I mean, of course, Your Highness. It’s been long enough,” Ranger said solemnly. “My parents were homesteaders. Some of the first to put down roots in Hoofburg. Being on the other side of the Everfree Forest, it was darn near impossible to get medicines and such out there, so they relied on herbs they foraged from the forest. Now, my dad, he was the best. He was so good at finding the most and the highest-quality herbs that eventually the rest of the town stopped gathering their own and just bought from him. Was like that for years.”

“If I recall correctly, it made him quite wealthy, even by normal Equestrian standards, let alone for a town that size,” Luna replied softly.

“Yeah, it did, but more important, he loved doing it. Then about, oh... thirty years ago, they finished the railway to Hoofburg. That made it much easier to get medicines that were both cheaper and worked a lot better than my dad’s herbs. His business collapsed almost overnight,” Ranger sighed. “The loss of his livelihood hit him hard. He had enough saved up where losing his income didn’t hurt much, especially since my brother and I had already grown and moved out, but losing his business was like losing a foal to him... He ended up hitting the bottle to cope. One day, ma came into the kitchen to find him lying on the floor; turned out that he had drank so much the night before that his heart stopped beating sometime during the night. He was gone.”

“Thank you, sergeant,” Luna murmured. Ranger bowed and returned to his spot in line and Luna turned back to Moonbeam. “The railway workers never intended to hurt Ranger’s father, but their actions indirectly resulted in his death. It is not their fault, of course, and by building the railroad they helped far more ponies than they harmed, but the fact remains that Ranger’s father would probably have lived much longer if the railroad hadn’t been built.”

She sighed and stood up, gesturing to the assembled pegasi. “I suspect that the reason many of your winged colleagues have withheld their data from you is for that very reason. Most of them have loved ones working in the weather industry, and they fear that your device may replace many working pegasi with unicorns.”

Twilight glanced from Luna to the crowd, noticing that many of the pegasi giving resigned nods.

“B-but I never wanted that! I want to help the weather ponies,” Moonbeam mumbled.

“I am aware, and commend you for that. Thus we are at an impasse,” Luna continued. “Your device will save lives and therefore must be built, but the devastating effects it may have on the pegasi means that it cannot be built. So how do we proceed from here?” She gazed around at the crowd for a few seconds. “Princess Twilight, do you have any ideas?”

Twilight started a bit when Luna said her name, but recovered quickly. “I don’t, actually... but I think I have a way to find a way forward.” Luna smiled at her and nodded for her to continue as the assembled crowd all gazed at her with interest. “We hold a summit. This weekend. We’ll gather the leaders of the pegasus and unicorn communities and talk about ways to bridge this racial divide. Perhaps if the unicorns could make concessions to the pegasi in some areas, then the pegasi will feel more confident in the future. In fact, let’s invite the Earth Ponies too! We’ll make it a tri-racial summit with the purpose of breaking these walls that have popped up between us. We’ll make it a week long and use it to resolve as many problems as we can.”

“That is a fine idea,” Luna said happily. “What do the rest of you think?”

“I think it’s long overdue,” Stormcaller cracked, eliciting chuckles from the crowd.

“Then it is settled. Please get together and choose amongst yourselves who should represent your kind and notify them that they are being summoned to Canterlot,” Luna said with a quick nod. “Why don’t we break for now and meet back here in an hour? I’ll send for a few of Canterlot’s prominent Earth Ponies and we can sit down and draft an outline for the summit.”

A murmur of agreement worked its way through the crowd, so Luna started walking back to where Twilight sat by the throne, but stopped mid way and looked over her shoulder. “We... Equestria has been in this situation before; did any of you know that?”

She was met with blank stares and turned around to address the crowd properly. “When it was suggested that Celestia and I take control of the sun and moon, the unicorns were incensed. The young Equestria almost split apart before it was even truly founded. Many unicorns felt that caring for the sun and moon was what defined unicorns, and they were convinced that their settlements would fall into poverty and they themselves would fall into irrelevance.”

She sighed and glanced around before locking her gaze on one pony in particular. “Tell me, Stormcaller, could you imagine Equestria as it is today without unicorns?”

“N-no, of course not!” he stammered almost too quickly.

Luna smirked at his reaction and continued, “That is because they were wrong. Raising and lowering the sun and moon each day was a feat that took hundreds of powerful and highly-skilled unicorns working together, and even then was exhausting. Without their charges, they found something that they had never had before: freedom. Suddenly, a large number of the new Equestria’s most skilled citizens found themselves unshackled from their burden and were thus able to put their skills towards other pursuits, making advances in finances, arts and sciences that we had never dreamed of. Rather than fall into poverty, their cities became the cultural and financial centers of Equestria. Rather than fade into obscurity, the unicorns flourished.”

She smiled and shook her head pensively. “Just... something for you to think about in the coming days.”

She continued to the throne and stopped at Twilight. Twilight stood up and the two nodded politely before leaving side-by-side. They were barely though the door before Twilight began to speak. “You planned all of that from the start, didn’t you? You set everything up so that the meeting would go exactly as you wanted.”

“I did,” Luna stated plainly.

“It would’ve been easier to just solve the problem before it got this bad. I think you let things get this tense because you were trying to teach me something,” Twilight said with a smirk.

“You would be correct.”

“Okay, so what was it?” Twilight asked, enjoying Luna’s coy game.

Luna stopped suddenly and gave Twilight a smug smile. “You tell me.”

Twilight stepped out in front of Luna with a snicker and began to pace in a semicircle around the mare as she worked through her thoughts. “I don’t think you were trying to teach me something new. I think you were trying to reinforce a previous lesson.” Twilight fixed her gaze intently on Luna, searching for any sign of the answer, but the elder alicorn’s mask held. “You were showing me the importance of research; getting as much information as you can before entering negotiations so you can press your advantage.”

“Partially right,” Luna replied.

“Only partially?” Twilight groaned, slightly dejected.

“Indeed. I was hoping to provide yet another example of that particular lesson, but there is a far more important one to be found in today’s events,” Luna said with a slow nod, gesturing for them to continue walking.

“I’m all ears.”

“Today’s lesson was on the importance of emotion. As rulers, logic and reason must be the basis for all of our decision-making, it is true, but ponies are emotional creatures, and to ignore the impact of emotions is folly,” Luna explained. “Tell me, do you think Stormcaller would’ve been as amiable to the idea of a summit if we had simply reassured him of Moonbeam’s good intent?”

“No... No, he’s far too stubborn, but you managed to get around that by letting him see Moonbeam at her most vulnerable,” Twilight rattled off as she began to understand what Luna was getting at.

“Just as Moonbeam wouldn’t have been as cooperative if she hadn’t heard Ranger tell his story,” Luna nodded. “But there is a second part to this lesson; one having to do with our own emotions rather than those of others.”

She stopped as the reached an intersection in the hallway. “Logic on its own is cold and ruthless; it cares not for right and wrong, only for efficiency. Thus it must be tempered with emotion, lest we become as machines instead of the benevolent Princesses we strive to be. It would have been all too easy to give Moonbeam the data she wanted over the objections of the pegasi and justify it as being for ‘the greater good’, but we didn’t. We called on our compassion to guide our logic, and found a path agreeable to all. It is a more difficult path, true, but it spreads the burden to all of us rather than heaping it on a few. Understand?”

“Yeah, I understand,” Twilight breathed.

“This is the one lesson Celestia requested I teach you before she passed. I’ve known all along that it was a lesson you never needed, since you live by it every day,” Luna said softly, blushing slightly. “But I swore to her that I would pass it on to you, and so I have.”

“Thank you, Luna,” Twilight murmured, pulling her in for a quick hug. “It’s a lesson I really appreciate. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“Or better yet, rather than think about it, you can put it into practice at your summit,” Luna snickered with a wink.

“My summit, huh?”

“‘Twas your idea,” Luna shrugged innocently. “In the meantime, I am going to go to the kitchen and finally acquire a taste for coffee. I feel it will come in handy in the very near future. Would you like to come?”

“Actually, I was going to write to Apple Bloom. I got a letter from her today from Sunshower and I haven’t had the chance to read it yet,” Twilight said happily.

“Oh! Well, I would like to read it once you are done, if you don’t mind,” Luna replied with a nod “And give her my regards!”

“I’ll do that! See you in an hour.”