Twilight was sitting downstairs reading a book titled “Advanced Teleportation Methods, Volume III”, when she heard Spike call down to her. “Hey, Celestia just sent you a letter. It seems important.” Twilight marked her spot in the book and closed it, looking up to Spike curiously.

“Really?” she thought out loud as she trotted towards the stairs. Spike nodded to her, adding a short “Mhm.”

She ascended the stairs and used her magic to break the seal, and open the letter. What she read astonished her, and she had to sit down halfway through with both delight and a slight feeling of worry.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,” the letter began, “Recent diplomatic business demands that the Mayor of Ponyville attend a meeting within Canterlot, and she needs someone to take care of things while she is away. I know of your studiousness and your ability to organize, and I can think of nopony better suited for the job! If you are prepared for such a task, I will make the necessary preparations immediately.

- Your mentor, Princess Celestia.”

Twilight had to reread the letter several times to make sure what she was comprehending was correct. She looked to Spike with a confused look upon her face. “What?” he asked, just as confused by her expression.

“The Princess wants me to be the temporary mayor of Ponyville, while the current one is away on business,” she said, smiling at how odd it sounded.

“That’s awesome!” Spike shouted, causing Twilight to jump, due to being startled by his sudden reaction. “You could run the town however you want! Think of all the ice cream..” Spike said, drifting off into a daydream, slightly drooling at the thought.

Twilight rolled her eyes and nudged him out of his fantasies. “No, Spike. Being the mayor is a major responsibility. I don’t even know if I can handle such a job! I’m hardly qualified for the position,” she lectured him.

Spike waved his hand at her, as if dismissing her worries. “Oh please. You’re the most organized pony in Ponyville! The Princess even said it herself! You’re practically MADE for this job! Who else but you could do it?”

Twilight smiled slightly at this. She was not one to shy away from compliments by any means, and she was grateful for the kind words Spike had provided for her. That still did not eliminate the sinking feeling that if she accepted, something would go awry. “But what if something goes wrong?” she asked him cautiously.

Spike smiled and extended his arms to the side excitedly, seeing that she was considering the offer. “That’s easy! You’ve got tons of friends here in Ponyville! We can just ask one of them for some assistance. You’ve got nothing to worry about,” he said, reassuring her.

Twilight began pacing the room, weighing her options. Spike patiently waited, but began tapping his foot after a few minutes had passed. He knew that without motivation, she would crack under doubt. “Twilight, you and I both know you can do this. And if something goes wrong, we can always request help from the Princess, right?”

Twilight stopped pacing, took a deep breath, and turned around with a relieved expression. “Okay,” she said, smiling slightly at the dragon. “Spike.. Get ready to write a letter.”

Spike eagerly grabbed a quill and a piece of paper, ready for action. Poised to write, he nodded to Twilight, who cleared her throat.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight began, “In reply to your gracious request, I have decided to accept the position with great honor and-”

Twilight paused. “No, that sounds too official. But what if it is too lenient? With great responsibility? Great..” she began to attain another worried, anxious look, and Spike stopped her.

“Just write how you’d usually write to her, it’ll be fine,” Spike said reassuringly.

Twilight nodded once more and took another deep breath. Spike grabbed a new piece of paper, ready to write once more. “Dear Princess Celestia,” she said again, sounding more confident this time, “It is with great pleasure that I accept your request to fill in for the Mayor’s position while she is away. I will await further letters explaining my new role within the town with great eagerness.

- Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike rolled up the letter and sealed it before breathing his mystical fire unto it, sending it on its way to the Princess. “Oh I hope this wasn’t a mistake,” Twilight said with a small sigh. She’d never had this much power before, nor had she any experience in major politics. Though she had a few books she could read. The thought comforted her as she considered the possibilities of her new role.

“You’ll do fine,” Spike said confidently, patting her on the back. “Now we just have to wait for a let-” Before he could finish, he spewed forth green fire, and a letter appeared. Twilight caught it in midair using her magic, and she opened the letter.

“It says I’ll be starting tomorrow morning,” Twilight said with both excitement and nervousness tingeing her voice. With sudden realization, she perked her head up and bolted for the door. “Come on Spike! We’ve got a lot to do before tomorrow!”

Spike ran after her futily, shouting towards her as he waved his arms about, “Hey! Wait up!”