//------------------------------//
// Flashback part 1: Progress 
// Story: Magic Gear Solid: Broken Balance 
// by Barrobroadcaster 
//------------------------------//

Old Equestria, 1500 years ago
Ponyville Town Hall, main audience chamber
3 weeks before Unification Day

"Phillies and gentlecolts, I now present to you... Chancellor Rice Pudding!", the mare at the podium announced. The crowd of ponies in the circular chamber exploded into applause, the walls seemed to rumble with the sound of their hooves stamping the floor. A grey-maned, brown stallion took to the podium wearing a warm smile on his face.

"Thank you, thank you all so much. I promise you now that as your chancellor, I will continue to advocate our case to the other tribes.", Rice Pudding declared. More applause followed the statement though not as much as before. Rice Pudding's smile never faded as he spoke. Rice spared a glance off to the side of the stage to see his son holding the leg of the stage assitant mare, shivering. He knew his son was sensitve. That was part of the reason he was doing this, maybe the main reason. He couldn't let his resolve falter.

The stage mare did her best to quiet the young colt next to her. Vice wasn't afraid, he just didn't fully understand what was going on. He knew his father was in an important position now and was going to do something about the other tribes. Vice listened to his father's speech. He brought up current issues, the problems facing Earth ponies today. Vice knew these were the things he was going to talk to the other tribes about, the unicorns and pegasi. He knew his father needed them to listen, to understand what the Earth ponies wanted and why. The biggest problem facing the Earth ponies though was that no matter who tried to tell the other tribes, they weren't listening. Now, his father was going to try, to "advocate", a word Vice didn't know yet.

"Thank you all again so much. Good night.", Rice ended his speech. He turned and walked offstage to his son. The stage attendant passed him to fix the podium.

"So, Daddy do good?", he asked his son. Vice nodded but said nothing. He clutched a stuffed "Smarty Pants" doll to his face, one of his favorite toys. Rice rubbed his chin with a hoof.

"Hmm, let's ask Smarty Pants.", Rice addressed the doll. "Smarty Pants? Do you think daddy did a good job on stage?". His son made the doll's head nod emphatically in approval. His son smiled at him.

"Well, I'm happy to see that. Let's go home and have dinner.", he said. Rice took his son out of the side exit and began walking home with him. The road wasn't very well lit but Rice and Vice could see crowds of people celebrating the election, the election Rice had won. They arrived home as the crowds started dispersing. Their house wasn't large but it definitely felt larger since Vice's mother had passed on. Rice realized that Joyce would've probably been home cooking at this hour. He tried not to think about his wife. Even though the election was over, he still had a lot of work ahead of him.

Rice fixed himself and his son a modest vegetable stew. His son seemed lost in thought as he ate. Rice opened his mouth to try to say something, start a conversation when his son did instead.

"Why don't the other tribes listen to us?", Vice asked his father, his eyes fixed on his bowl in front of him. Rice didn't exactly know how to respond to that but wanted to encourage his son to socialize with him; he'd barely spoken a word since his mother died.

"I, um", Rice stumbled a bit, trying to find the words Vice would understand. "It's like... well, you know how unicorns have magic right?"

"Right.", his son replied, his eyes slowly raised to meet his father's.

"Well, Earth ponies have magic too. And we can do amazing things with it. But our magic, you can't really see.", Rice tried to explain.

"How do we know it's there if we can't see it?"

"Well, we can't see the wind can we? But the pegasi use it to fly. And soon, so will Earth ponies and unicorns.", Rice said whimsically. He got up from the table and moved closer to his son.

"We'll be able to fly like pegasuses?", his son asked.

"It's "pegasi" and yes we will. It's part of one of your dad's projects. Soon, we'll be able to travel great distances in short amounts of time, from Ponyville, to Canterlot and even the Apploosa.", Rice gestured with his hooves. He spread them far apart for emphasis.

"Is that what that "train" thing you're working on is?", Vice guessed.

"Oh, so somepony's been listening on me have we? It must've been Smarty Pants.", Rice said playfully.

"Are you making these things with magic daddy?", his son asked innocently. Rice decided to answer honestly.

"Yes. Yes I am. I'm using Earth pony magic every day to try to make things easier for all of us. Earth pony magic takes a lot of time and hardwork but you can use it to do anything and make anything you want. And Earth pony magic is the most powerful of all. You know why?", he asked his son. "Why?", his son asked back.

Rice picked up his son with both of his hooves and tossed him in the air and caught him in about the warmest hug Vice thought he ever had. "Because anypony can do it!", Rice said as he snuggled his little colt. They played for a few hours before going to bed, just the two of them and occasionally Smarty Pants.