The very next day, Twilight and Shining Armor (alongside Spike) traveled to Canterlot for an audience with Princess Celestia. Twilight was all too eager to present her plan for a school of friendship in Ponyville.
Princess Celestia smiled. "A school of friendship sounds like a splendid idea!" She proudly proclaimed. "It would a wonderful way to repay all the nations we've befriended in recent years, and a chance to build on the ties that bind us."
Twilight looked across to Shining and nudged him with a hoof. "And you had your doubts. Told you Princess Celestia would say yes."
"Never said she wouldn't, Twily." Shining playfully ribbed back.
Celestia couldn't help but chuckle. "That's enough of that, you two," And she quickly changed the subject. "However if you're going to be building and running a school of any sort, there is a name you need to know about. It's a body that governs all schools within Equestria."
"Even yours?" Twilight asked.
Celestia nodded. "Not even a princess can do whatever she wants. Like with all great societies there are limits placed on the leaders, so that no one may wield absolute power," She then flashed a symbol. "This is the mark of the EEA: The Equestria Education Association. They hold the final say on all schools, including matter such as curriculum and staffing. Before your school can open its doors, the EEA must grant approval."
Twilight gulped. "Is there some kind of test I'll need to pass to gain their trust?"
"Should I start making flash cards?" Spike questioned.
Celestia shook her head. "No no no. There are no tests or anything of the sort. The EEA approval comes in two stages. First you have to present your preliminary plan to the board members here in Canterlot. And if they sign off on it you'll have to allow an inspection by the head of the EEA. Otherwise your school is unaccredited and will not be allowed to operate."
"Sounds not unlike the school board in Ponyville," Shining commented as he recalled his own experiences. "I still can't believe they allowed Spoiled Rich of all ponies to be their president, at least until numerous ponies including myself blew the whistle on her. Boy did she blow a fuse when the decision was made."
"I sure hope there aren't any ponies as cruel and heartless as Spoiled Rich at the EEA," Spike remarked. "But it always seems like there's somepony who doesn't understand the importance of being nice."
"Well the EEA head constantly changes. They just recently elected a new chancellor," Celestia informed her guests. "His name is Neighsay, Chancellor Neighsay to be precise."
Upon hearing the words "Chancellor Neighsay" Shining Armor gulped. "I've heard of that guy. He's as menacing as he is mysterious."
Celestia let out an unhappy sigh. "It's most unfortunate that his reputation for controversy precedes him. He really does mean well, I assure you. But be warned, pitching a school like this to him will not be easy. He has a very 'narrow' way in which he views the world."
"No problem!" Shining firmly declared. "Give me five minutes alone with the guy and I'll make him see sense. Blowhards like that always talk a big game, mostly because they just don't know any better."
But Celestia shook her head. "No, Shining, I'm afraid I must ask you to stand aside on this. Even if your discussion with the chancellor would be civil it would still be easy for other board members to suspect you were trying to influence him. And considering this school is your sister's dream project, I'm sure you realize how quickly ponies would suspect a conflict of interest," She somberly added. "Twilight and Spike will have to make the pitch on their own, you are to take no part in it."
Reluctantly, Shining nodded his head as he bowed to the princess. "I understand, your majesty. I may disagree, but I understand why," But then he sighed and kicked the ground. "It's just not fair! All this time my sister's been waiting to make this dream a reality, and after she saved my hide at my wedding and the whole limbo fiasco occurred, I was hoping to finally have a chance to do something nice for her."
"Oh chin up, Shining. There is still a part you can play in helping your sister realize her vision," Princess Celestia declared with a bright smile. "I have a very special and very important job for you. One that I think your talents are well suited for."
"What would that be, exactly?" The prince pondered.
The sun princess explained. "If the EEA grants approval for your sister to build the school as I'm sure they will, there will be a need for students. But it will take a lot of convincing for our allies to send any of their young to our lands, placing them in our care. So we need to show them that we're not only up to the task, but are taking the responsibility very seriously!"
"Well that's all fine and dandy, but why do you need me for that, exactly?" Shining questioned Celestia. "Cadence is more of a diplomat than I am. Why not send her and have me watch over the Crystal Empire in her absence?"
Celestia's chipper mood faded, replaced by one of seriousness as she added. "Because your assignment has an added responsibility. A top secret one to boot. And when I tell it to you, it is not to leave this room. Only you, your sister, Spike, and I can know about it," After quickly looking around to make sure there was no one else besides her three guests, she whispered to Shining. "We're going to forge an official alliance with all the nations in order to enlist their help in tracking down Chrysalis."
Shining nearly gasped in surprise! "Chrysalis has been spotted?!"
"No, there's been no official sightings. But there are many cracks within our security that the ex-queen will try to exploit," Princess Celestia reluctantly admitted. "The alliance was Thorax's idea and it was originally just meant to be between Equestria and the changeling hive. But when Queen Novo, Dragon Lady Ember, Prince Rutherford, and acting head of Griffonstone Grandpa Gruff all heard about it they each insisted that their nation be added. And in the former two cases, they made it clear they wouldn't join unless you were there to iron out the details."
"Well why didn't you just say so?!" Shining perked up! "I'd be honored to take up the assignment! I won't let you down, Princess Celestia!"
Celestia nodded. "I know you won't. You and Twilight will both be successful in your objectives, this I have foreseen in my visions. But..."
"But what, Celestia?" Shining asked her. "Is something troubling you?"
"I'm afraid my visions have also indicted trouble," Celestia declared. "Though of what nature I can't determine. I sense there is little I can do to stop you though. Especially you, Twilight. For ever since you graduated from your studies with me I sensed you would sometime strive to become a teacher in your own right. Just please promise me that you'll be careful, both of you. Need I remind you that Equestria is still recovering from the Storm King's invasion?"
"Hard to believe it's been almost half a year already. Feels like it was just yesterday." Shining commented.
"And we are still not back to full strength just yet. I estimate it will not be for at least another two months before our standing army will be on the same level as it was before the invasion," Celestia somberly cautioned. "The last thing Equestria needs now is an international incident or anything that would undermine the peace."
Excellent job on this latest chapter. The exchange, characterizations and future chapter set-up were all well done in all the right places. I particularly liked the added info concerning Gruff's position as well as the added info concerning the alliance .
Now, here are a couple of further dialogue ideas I came up with:
1. At an appropriate point, Twilight can comment "With all due respect, Chancellor Neighsay, the seed for good and evil is equally strong in ALL sapient races - including our own, unfortunately. However, the positive side of that is that, the more respect you treat a sapient with (regardless of species), the more likely they are to behave positively. Thus, the purpose behind my proposed friendship school. Not only would we be treating them with respect, we would be helping them learn how to treat other cultures with respect. And, the better we do at befriending those other races, the more likely they are to be trusted and valued allies rather than feared enemies. And, while I'll admit I'm nowhere near as experienced an adventurer as my older brother and his friends, I HAVE seen conclusive evidence of the benefits of friendship with other races. Thanks in no small part to the efforts of my son, my brother and their friends, we have learned more about dragons and Changelings (among other races) from just over a year of friendship than we have in more than a millennium of espionage prior to that."
2. If you DO like the immediately above dialogue idea, one of Neighsay's subordinates can comment "Egad, Chancellor, I must say Miss Sparkle DOES make some really good points. Zort!" only for Neighsay to telekinetically force said subordinate's mouth shut, pull that subordinate toward him and say glaringly "Be quiet or I shall have to hurt you." (as kind of a Actor Allusion concerning Neighsay's voice actor)
and 3. At an appropriate point, Neighsay can comment to Twilight "Very well, Miss Sparkle. I must confess, the tactical value of this proposed school DOES have merit. But be forewarned, you will only get ONE chance. If you fail, that is it. And, while you might very well be the third most powerful unicorn in Equestria (behind only Starlight Glimmer and the recently returned Starswirl the Bearded), even YOU would do well to remember NOT to vex me. For I can be either a truly valuable ally or a truly formidable enemy. For your own sake, I would politely suggest you do your best to make it the former."
Of course, I will completely respect your right to go on your own concerning this if these ideas are bad and/or contradict ideas you already have.
9396487 I like the third one, I might have to include something like it later on.
9396524
Thanks. Here are a few ideas for close to the end of the first arc:
1. After Shining and his friends successfully pull off the rescue, somebody of your choice could comment on how Chrysalis thought to memorize all the hidden passageways and boobytraps in her new lair to maximize her chance of escape.
and 2. Again, at an appropriate point close to the end of this arc, the following exchange could take place:
Shining: The good news is that we rescued the kids and foiled Chrysalis's attempt to start a multi-pronged war to destroy all of her potential enemies. The bad news is Chrysalis got away - again.
Someone of your choice: Well, yeah, but she's lost another lair AND she's now a priority target for pretty much every sapient race on the planet. Alone and without much in the way of resources.
Shining: True, but that's going to make her MORE dangerous because she will be at her most desperate.
Someone of your choice: Well, with every sapient race on the planet hunting for her, the odds are that she will be found BEFORE she can launch any big "'endgames'". And she will be LUCKY if she ends up spending the rest of her life in Tartarus when she finally IS caught.
Shining: Possibly, but Chrysalis is firmly in the "'crazy but not stupid'" variety of villain, so I know better than to count on the odds.
Someone of your choice: Well, what's she going to do? Hire an army of the most skilled and feared mercenaries on the planet to try to take us out? Try to create clones of us to frame us for some big crime wave while also trying to round up as many really powerful mystic artifacts as she can find?
Shining: I would NOT put EITHER one of those possibilities past her - and THAT'S just the stuff WE can think of.
Okay. I'll admit I went WAY overboard. That's the way my mind goes sometimes (though, unfortunately, nowhere near often to do my own fan fiction). (Sheepish grin).
Oh boy you have no idea 😑
Ohh thats dude 😡