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// A Royal Pain! 
// Story: Tales of Another Ponyville 
// by Paradise Oasis 
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"Alright, you two!" Spike tells the two ponies, tapping his foot impatiently as he looked over the paper with today's royal itinerary. "Please approach the throne and state your cases!"

Bubblecup and Waterfire trot forward, both bowing towards my throne. I nod MY head in return, and listens intently to what they have to say. 

"Princess Wysteria, I have come here to protest Bubblecup's incursion onto my work!" Waterfire protests, glaring over at the other mare in annoyance. "She was down in the sewers, and messing with my gauges and dials! That Persnickety plumber pony messed up the town's water pressure so bad, I had a pipe explode in my face!"

"Well you started it, you stinky sewer mare!" Bubblecup shot back, getting up in Waterfire's face. "If you hadn't turned down the water pressure to each house in Ponyville, I never would have had to go down there- now would I?"

The two mares start a shouting match, and my ears begin to ring from their yelling until Pinkie Pie and Spike step in and try to work things out. As usual, I simply sit and smile from my throne, while it's up to the pink pony and the dragon to settle a dispute. Once again, my only use as a princess is simply to smile and wave. Pinkie soon does her Pinkie squink and provides the answers both ponies need, and my royal court is dismissed for the day, 

Oh, I'm so sorry! That no way for a pony to introduce herself! My name is Wysteria, and I'm one of the ponies who live here in Ponyville! I really really love flowers, but I'm really no good at taking care of them- that's okay though,  the breezies do most of the gardening and weeding here in town, anyway.  But what I am really good at is organizing and putting things together for the town, like putting together our town's parades and festival. That's what I used to do all the time, until Spike made me the town's Princess.

Huh? No, I didn't just become Princess by touching a flower that was attached to Spike's tail he was sleeping. The ponies in this town are not stupid enough to just make a pony their ruler for touching a flower on a dragon's word. After Spike woke up and made his little claim that I was the princess of Ponyville, Storybelle and Kimono did a search through the genealogy records in the castle archives, and discovered I was one of the descendants of the princess of friendship. The ponies of town were so excited about getting a princess to rule over them, that I was made ruler without even getting much of a say in it.

I will admit that it kind of made sense to make me the princess; I was the one who was always helping ponies with their problems, settling disputes between ponies in this town when they'd arise. When I was little, my mother, mayor Flitter Flutter, was the mayor of Ponyville. I learned from an early age to take charge of ponies who need direction, organizing events at my school, and telling ponies how to carry out complex plans. After mom was gone, I took over organizing special events in town myself. Ironically, I was already acting as a leader of Ponyville, before this crown was put on my head.

"Well, that was a very excellent day of holding court today, if I do say so myself." Spike says to me, looking at his pocket watch, and twirling it around on it's chain. "Once again, you were the perfect picture of a graceful and elegant princess."

"Why thank you, Spike! And you were a big help, too!" I compliment him, smiling politely. "Say, why don't we head out to the gardens, and celebrate our success today by smelling all of those lovely flowers!"

"Princess, princess, princess! How many times have I told you?" Master Heathspike tells me, shaking her head. "Princesses do not sniff the flowers!"

"Ummm, Spike? Remember, what we talked about!" Pinkie stepped up, stopping Kengrowth from his usual 'princess' tirade. "Go ahead, Wysteria... you've earned your walk in the castle gardens."

"Thanks, Pinkie." I tell her with a sigh. "If anyone needs me, I'll be just outside."

I trot away from my two 'handlers', moving out into the gardens and submersing myself in an endless sea of flowers. Daffodils and roses, tulips and marigolds... there is noting it this world that calms me down and makes me happy like flowers, flowers, FLOWERS! I love flowers sooo much because they don't need aid or assistance in growing; they just give you love and beauty and ask nothing in return (yes they need water and love, but the breezies provide it for us). 

I walk from flower to flower, sniffing their sweet fragrance. And then, it hits me; I've been reduced to what these flowers are. A pretty little doll that is simply there to look nice, while Pinkie and Spike do all the work of ruling Ponyville. I was actually more of a leader before I became a princess than I am now! True, Master Heathspike is letting me be me again, but I can't make any royal decisions with him helping me. I still need to be free to be me, but it seems there's no escape from being a pony in a gilded cage.

I need to get away.

I need to be free.

As I looked up at Celebration Castle, wondering if there is any possible way I could get away from all these ponies, my eyes come across the hot air balloon docked in the castle's tower turret. It's the really old one that was supposed to have belonged to the Princess of friendship. Suddenly, an idea forms in my head; scatter my regalia through the castle, and distract a certain detective pony who might discover my plans, while I  gather my belongings and make preparations. That balloon will be taking flight this very night....

... and this mare will finally get the little vacation she has so long desired.