The Only Constant Is Change
The Empire was painted in rose.
It was approaching seven in the evening now, and sunset was coming along with it. Sunset over the Empire did interesting things as the variable hues of the darkening sky interacted with buildings and streets, changed hues and coated the land in new shades. Tonight, the atmosphere was rendered in soft oranges and yellows, and when that light reached the surface... the world itself became rose.
Except for where there were shadows. There, it changed into blood.
Cadance looked out through the space created by the open doors which led to the palace's main balcony, three stories up, and saw so many of those shadows being cast over the central approach road. Most of them were from buildings, right up until the edge of the open space which surrounded the palace -- and after that, they were being cast by ponies. So many ponies, slowly shuffling forward, every movement sounding a note from the crystal road. No part of that song sounded anything like Sombra's compositions. It was a music she hadn't heard before, stretched-out beats, reluctant bars...
It was something very much like a dirge.
She took a slow breath, looked behind her, and saw only Equestrians -- and Lapis, of course, shivering and trembling and forever waiting for that next order. Her staff, and the rookie Guards, were already in front of the palace, directing the arriving crowd into their waiting positions.
Back to watching the funeral march.
One pony. It just takes one pony, and this is -- everypony in the capital. Parents silently escorting their children, elders being helped along by the younger generation, foals gently carried in saddlebags. There has to be one...
And then there was the sound of hooves behind her, sounding something much less than music.
"Princess?" An Equestrian accent: she glanced back.
The four Guards -- two Equestrian, two crystal -- snout-nudged a frustrated, somewhat battered, slightly proud (in spite of himself), and very nervous-looking stallion out in front of them. Her husband raised his head a little, making an extra effort against the weight of the restraint which covered his horn -- but didn't quite manage to meet her eyes.
"I --" he said, and that was all she felt like letting him get away with.
"-- we'll talk later, Captain." For what might be a very long time. "You come second." (Lapis' trembling increased.) "The Empire has priority. Everypony, thank you for bringing him in --" and the two natives were already galloping away, racing to join the swelling herd before the deadline arrived "-- oh..."
Her head dipped, and a member of the Equestrian delegation used it as an excuse to approach. "Princess? We found these... we're not sure how they got into that room, but... this is an official gathering, and we thought..."
She looked at her crown and regalia, suspended inside the mare's rust-hued field. Several seconds passed while she kept looking.
"Thank you," she finally said, and the edge of the bubble receded, exposing a portion for her to initially field-grip. The transfer was made, and the weight was back. It was funny, really, just how heavy it was.
One of the Equestrian guards -- the youngest in the group, the one her husband spent the most time complaining about, the personal curse placed on Shining's existence for which no counter existed -- looked out across the crowd. "That... is a lot of ponies," he swallowed.
"I know," Cadance quietly said.
"Princess -- if something happened -- I know the Captain can get a shield up quickly, but there's barely any clear space to anchor the base --" which was drastically overestimating the actual amount of clear space "-- and with that many bodies around, pressing against it before it can harden... I don't know... if we could stop..."
"I know," Cadance evenly repeated. "That's the idea."
She heard the blink. "...Princess?"
"It's called a herd," she said, and heard Celestia echoing inside her next words. "It's the power of numbers, Mr. Sentry. It's a weakness for us, much of the time: that under the wrong circumstances, we can so easily fall into moving as one, with reacting as a single entity being so much worse. But there's also a strength in it. You have to try and introduce a new concept into the group, and that's seldom easy -- but if it works, then the herd may move as one. In the direction they need to move. They just need..."
me?
"...somepony strong enough to guide them."
He swallowed.
"What if they all move the wrong way?"
"Such as?"
"...straight ahead?"
And Shining answered for her. "Then it's going to be one Tartartus of a training exercise. Cadance --"
She had meant to cut him off again. The chimes of the clock did it first.
"-- get ready to do your job, Captain."
She stepped out onto the balcony and looked out across -- no, not the Empire, not as a whole, for those outside the capital had been exempted by the wording of her Decree. But...
...thousands? Easily. They had yet to conduct a full census, but it was at least thousands just in the capital, the ones who had survived Sombra's reign to reach this day. Some homes hadn't needed to empty out for their residents to reach this point. Some had been empty for a very long time.
There were so many ponies. And in that moment, it felt as if every last one of them was standing upon her back.
The sound fetching-and-projecting spell, the one Celestia had taught her, generally used at festivals and huge gatherings (this huge?) and the largest press conferences, not that the Empire had a press... she had cast that before anypony approached. Her own words would easily reach the crowd -- but when a pony spoke at all, the spell would focus upon them and carry those words to every ear within. The range was limited, as was the duration -- but with Cadance performing the working, it had covered the grounds around the palace, and would last for what should be long enough.
She took a breath. The Empire heard it, and held its own.
Cadance looked out over the crowd, every possible part of a shivering spectrum tinged in rose and blood.
"Hello," she began, and immediately decided it had been the wrong word. "I... know you're all wondering why I called everypony here tonight..."
The spell only focused on words. She could not truly hear the sound of so much sweat falling from trembling bodies, could she? Even when there were so many...
"...I -- wanted to talk to you. To all of you, without the -- " it was so hard not to spit the word "-- Ear. But more than that... I wanted all of you to have a chance at speaking to me. Because... there's so many of you, and... there's just me up here, only me, and... look around, everypony. Please. Look at your friends and family and neighbors, all here together, all standing together. Can you see how many of you there truly are? Can you see that --"
you've been gathered into a single area where everypony could be attacked at once
She blinked. Her front knees went weak.
The thought had been her own -- and yet it had not.
The herd was gathered. The herd was afraid. And with so many ponies below her, the scent of terror was rising up from them in a great invisible cloud. With every breath, she took it in. And for a single second, it had overridden her, forced her brain into thinking the same way they were, every action she took perceived through a veil of purest pain...
There's too many.
It's too strong at the ground level.
Whichever way one goes, they could all go.
And any who somehow hold onto their own will might be trampled in the stampede.
She could hear the Equestrians behind her, how their breathing had quickened. Shining, with his personal fight audible in the repeated impact of his tail against his flanks, using the sting of the little whip to shock himself into focus...
This was a mistake.
This was... another mistake.
I can't do this.
I shouldn't...
But there was nopony else.
She had been silent too long. The crystal ponies knew it. Everypony did. And even those who weren't ponies, because in her desperate survey of the herd, looking for any signs of turning, of breaking, she had just spotted rays of descending Sun glinting off a pair of bent horns.
"-- you're stronger than me." It had been too weak, and she knew it. "All of you put together. And... you heard the first Decree. It... it wasn't a trap, it wasn't trying to hurt you or trick you. It was trying to let you know that... you can speak. That's your right. It's... the deepest right there is, maybe even the first. You can tell me... anything. And with all of you here together, everypony will see that... anypony who talks, who says anything to me, even the most critical things... nothing will happen to them. Ever. Not for words."
They were staring at her.
"...please," and she fought their terror back as her wings threatened to spread, every awakened instinct seeking the quickest route to escape. "It's been so long for all of you... there must be things you've wanted to say. Honesty. Criticism. Questions. I -- tried to dictate the form of your speech, the way the words could emerge. That was wrong, and I'm sorry, I am. It was a mistake. But... I'm new at this, I'm going to make mistakes, and -- somepony has to tell me. You're all here now, all of you, and you can say anything to me, anything at all, any piece of honesty, any criticism, any question --"
They were waiting for the culling to begin.
Begging. Pleading. And there was still a place beyond that to go, as the horrible weight of their old lives soaked into her fur, as every feather trembled, as she realized that so many mistakes along the path of her life had been hers, and that included every decision which had brought her to her horn. "-- please... it just takes one pony --"
"-- why are you still here?"
The spell gathered up the words, sent them to every ear on the grounds. And but for two ponies, the world froze.
Cadance's body turned, fast, too fast, faster than she should have let herself move in front of other ponies, but there had been a voice, one she knew by heart, every tremble and quaver and shake...
...and Lapis was stepping out onto the balcony, illuminated by rose and blood in the last seconds of Sun.
She was just barely moving. Every knee threatened to give out, and her hooves touched the crystal as if any impact would make the world crack. But still, she moved. Forcing herself, hoofstep after hoofstep.
"You... you said you came to save us. To -- free us. And you -- you killed him, and... we thought... we thought there was a chance, but... you stayed. You moved into the palace, where he was, and..."
The little secretary's breaths were too fast, too shallow. Every word brought her that much closer to a faint. And yet she approached.
"...you -- never asked. Maybe... there was some kind of prophecy, and there's a mark, but... those aren't us. They should never speak for us. You said you came to free us... but then you stayed, and you never asked, you never asked what anypony thought or wanted, and... if you stay... if you come from nowhere and say you're just here to change our lives for the better, but then you just take over and you stay..."
There was a new scent rising from the herd, and it too was flush with terror. But it seemed like an older one, somehow. The scent of memory.
Lapis stopped, less than a body length away from Cadance. Too close to get away from anything, anything at all, every possible way an alicorn might be able to bring death.
"...what makes you any different from him?"
They stood together, in the single moment between Sun having been lowered and Moon being raised, with history waiting.
Cadance felt her body pull back, her legs arcing away, the moisture beginning to coat her eyes, her own control starting to slip as the fear of generations soaked in and --
-- one thought.
One thought and you love me.
I look out over the crowd. I spread the casting as far it might be able to go. And then they might all love me.
Gather them every night at sunset, and they will love me.
Forever.
'-- what are you so afraid of?'
Myself.
She forced herself to look down, met the trembling blue gaze, and gave her answer to the voice of an Empire.
"This."
She tossed her head back, twisted her body as hard as she could, for she did not want to ignite her corona for any reason. Threw all her strength into the movement --
-- the regalia skidded across crystal, came to a stop against a little column, sounding one final screeching note. The crown flew out over the crowd, and where it landed, she neither saw nor cared. And her final words to an Empire were soft, gentle, and true.
"I abdicate."
She trotted past a slumping Lapis with her eyes closed, feeling the tears flow, the stares from the Equestrians, and everything coming up from the herd...
"...Katydid?" The voice cared about her. The voice loved her. The voice didn't understand.
She couldn't seem to open her eyes. "Get your things, Shining. Just enough to get through a few days of travel. You've probably already got half of that in your luggage. I'll... take just enough for the same amount of time. Only what's ours: make sure to leave everything else behind. They can send the rest after us, if they want to. Everypony else -- these are my final orders: all of the delegation Equestrians in the Empire are to depart, as soon as they can. No more than two days, and the ones who are living with the crystal ponies should try to leave faster, because... nopony wants an overseer in their house. But Shining and I will be on the last train out tonight. There should be just enough time to catch it. And there's a cordial shop on Clarity Avenue. I accidentally broke most of the owner's stock. Please repay him. That's... that's it, I think. So..."
And from that youngest of Guards, "...Princess?"
It got her eyes open.
"Don't call me that," Cadance said. "Ever again."
The spell was still going. The crowd was beginning to talk, and her own working carried a few of those words to her ears. She recognized the voices: they belonged to her former and not-at-all-sick Cabinet members.
"...what do we do?"
"I -- guess we... finalize the budget? And then... um... what was next on the old schedule? Inviting the other nations to set up their embassies again?"
"I think that was it. We should -- I think we -- what should -- Mustangia? They were always good allies, before he broke the ties. They should be the first nation we invite back!"
"...does Mustangia still exist?"
" -- I -- don't know..."
She dismissed the working, listened to the silence, and went to pack.
It hadn't taken long. There hadn't seemed to be very much which was hers. Just about nothing, really. And then she'd flown to the train station, carrying a silent Shining with her in a field bubble, they'd been just in time, and... there had been a few crystal ponies at the station. Not many: only the fastest, the ones who could get from the palace to the tracks during that little time span. And they had quietly watched her board the train.
Minutes. Silent minutes moving through the mostly-empty train, finding a suitable vacant compartment, and then Cadance had stared out the window as what had never been her land passed before her eyes, until they crossed the border and all which remained to be seen was fast-blowing snow.
"Chartreuse," she said.
Her husband was often eloquent in the face of pressure. "Huh?"
"You dyed yourself chartreuse. You hate chartreuse."
"I -- kind of figured that if I didn't want to look at myself, then maybe nopony else would either."
And back to silence.
"Katydid? What... what are we doing?"
"I thought... Vanhoover for a few days. Just try to rest together. And then maybe Ponyville. We should see Twilight: you really do owe her more than a few visits, even if the military stallion in you is nervous about intruding on her command area -- and I mean the library. After that... well, the news will have reached Celestia by then, I'm sure, probably right after the first delegation members get back to Canterlot. And maybe she'll wait for me to reach her, or she might just come out to find me, and... but... that's why we're going to stay in Vanhoover for a while. Because then she can find me, if she wants to. And..."
So much snow. Everything isolated by the cold.
She leaned her face against the window, felt the chill soak in through her snout.
"...I'll tell her what happened. About the mistakes. About all the mistakes. And whatever she says after that, she -- says. Eventually, she'll run out of things to say. And then it's Ponyville, and... the rest of our lives. Whatever those can be."
He was staring at her.
"I should take that restraint off," she said. Because that one rookie had still been fumbling with it when everything had... happened. "Hold still for a second --"
"-- so this is real?"
She nodded.
"We're not going back? This isn't a bluff, or some kind of plan? We're really just -- leaving?"
"I abdicated," she softly told him. "I'm the only pony who could do that, and I did it. It's over, Shining. Because... Lapis was right."
"You're not him," he insisted. "You were never him --"
"-- because I did something he would never do." It felt as if the ice outside was beginning to coat the compartment. "Shining... you always tell me you're military. It's a joke sometimes. But it also influences the way you act, and how you see the world. You hate a permanent retreat, and that's part of why you're reacting like this. But I want you to look at what we did in the Empire from that perspective, just for a second, add that to the way the crystal ponies think and feel and everything they've been through -- and then tell me whether the nation we entered would think we came in conquest."
And now the cold had frozen his tongue.
"I made a mistake," Cadance told her soul-link. "I made just about every mistake possible, and Celestia... she made a big one, just sending us up there and assuming we could just -- move in. She might yell at me, but I think I can yell back. A lot. It's going to be hard... it's always been hard to call her out, but... she needs her share, this time. But so many mistakes were mine, and -- the Decrees, Shining." It was her first laugh since the whole thing had started, and it was hollow. "Isn't that a stupid word? Decree? I know what it really is now..."
There was a knock at the compartment door. They both glanced towards it, and saw the big hand waving behind the little window. And somehow, the motion came across as -- shy.
"Come in," Cadance said, and wasn't sure why.
The door opened and the minotaur, still in the half-crouch required to use the window, entered. He looked at the occupants, then glanced at the two benches they were occupying. "Mind if I sit on the floor?"
"Go ahead," Cadance told him, and he folded his legs carefully. "Shining Armor, Iron Will. I don't believe the two of you ever met, unless my husband ran past you while fleeing from his own rookies."
Iron Will said the only thing he probably could have said. "Huh?"
Cadance sighed. "We haven't discussed it yet, but I think he decided honest criticism wasn't good for a marriage. He was probably right. Are you on your way home, Mr. Will?"
The minotaur hesitated. "I'm -- on the train with you, Cadance."
"Princess," Shining Armor automatically insisted.
"Shining?" Cadance gently said.
"-- yes?"
"Shut up. What do you mean, Mr. Will?"
Another pause. "After what happened, I kinda thought you'd need someone you could talk to. Someone who didn't work for you, and wasn't in love with you. Someone you just -- knew. A little. Someone neutral, you know? And I heard some of what you two were saying, while I was coming down the hall. You're not that loud, but the train's really quiet when it's this empty, and I don't know if you closed the door all the way, and... I heard that last bit. So you know what a decree is now, huh?"
She sighed, and found she couldn't meet the minotaur's quiet eyes. "Trying to solve a problem with the problem. I was giving them orders. And I didn't want to see it. Everything I said was wrong, everything I did --"
"-- nah."
She looked at him then, and was surprised to see him grinning.
"You think I did something right?"
"Yeah. The last thing."
Without sarcasm, "I agree. My abdication was really the best thing I ever could have done for anypony."
"Not what I meant, Cadance -- and not how it came across to these ears. The last thing you did was give them an order. The only order you can ever try to give a slave."
And now she was staring at him. "What's that?"
The smile was smaller now, which concentrated the sincerity. "'Be free'." And before she could even begin to recover from that, he added, "You did screw up one other thing, though, at least in my opinion. You said speaking's the biggest right. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think that's how it works. Just about anyone can find their voice. What counts is having someone listen. The little blue refractor talked: you found your one pony after all. But you heard her, and..."
He shrugged, leaned back against the door. It creaked under his weight.
"You gave them their voices," he told her. "Let's see what they say."
On their second day in Vanhoover, the last of the Equestrian delegation got off the train. Some of them only did so briefly, intending to stretch out their legs and sample a little local cuisine before heading back out. Of that number, a percentage asked around, were told which hotel Cadance was staying at (for it wasn't as if she was particularly hard to miss), and a few of those decided to take their own rest before going home. But others would ride the rail in a more-or-less straight line, heading for Canterlot, the press which wasn't in the Empire was in Vanhoover (and she still wasn't particularly hard to miss) and had presumably sent notice of a rather unexpected presence...
Celestia would know. Any day, any hour, she would know. And Cadance moved about the settled zone, sometimes with Shining, sometimes without, toured the sights without seeing them, shopped without caring about the purchases, and prepared her words.
Some of them were shared. She talked to Shining about what she planned to say, and it could almost approach the comedic, watching his face as she prepared to verbally enter the realm of what so many ponies would have considered to be blasphemy. And she talked to Iron Will, for the minotaur had decided to stay for a day or two, perhaps longer. "Just while things shake out in the Empire," he'd said. "They still need me, and I might go up and give it one more try, while I'm this close. But they don't need any outsiders this minute, so... well, my assistants will be okay for a little longer. I can wait it out. For a while." She didn't openly question his reasons, for they were his, and... he was someone to talk to who wasn't Shining, for Shining loved her, would do anything to support her -- and that meant that when criticism was truly needed, his first instinct remained retreat.
On the third day, minotaur and pony wandered through a public park, with the former curious to check out the local maze, and discussed assertiveness.
"So it's not so much about yelling at everypony else?"
"It's more about yelling at yourself until you get the courage to act on the words -- hey..."
"What is it?"
He was peering through low branches: greater height meant he often had to duck or risk being scratched by evergreen needles, and it had taken him a moment to find a safe place for straightening up. "Thought I saw a little rainbow there."
"Not in this weather. Trust me on that. We'd need some rain first, and then --"
"-- not what I meant. Like a reflection off somepony's coat."
"A crystal?"
"Maybe..."
Both looked. Neither found anypony.
On the fourth day, there was a knock on the hotel room door, where the couple was packing again. And with that, they found Cadance.
"Princess?" said the most senior mare member of her former Cabinet as she shivered within the doorway.
Cadance blinked. Stared. Sighed. "Don't -- it's just Cadance, Tanza. Please come in. What brings you into Equestria? I'm guessing it's something my husband packed by accident. If you need to go through his luggage, and I'm glad you didn't arrive any later --"
"-- it's you, Princ -- miss -- I... can we talk? Please? I'm here on behalf of the Cabinet, and... we just need to talk. It's..." The deep blue-black mare was dancing in place a little, and that sight was familiar, if somewhat -- slowed. "...important."
She mentally reviewed the train schedule. Plenty of time before they had to start on the journey to Ponyville, where the inevitable argument with Celestia could take place a little closer to home. They'd both agreed that they'd waited in Vanhoover long enough, although Shining's newest source of personal terror was having the inevitable fight take place in front of his sister. "Just give me a few minutes. There's -- someone else who should hear this."
The mare blinked at her. "Some -- someone?"
Cadance nodded, trotted past her, and within minutes, Iron Will had joined the group, suitcase still clutched in his left hand.
"Did something go wrong after I left?" was Cadance's first automatic question. "We didn't hear any stampede or riot, but --"
"-- no," Tanza said. "Everypony was confused. But they just talked a lot, and -- eventually, they went home, and they kept talking there, and... the Cabinet met the next day, a lot of ponies came to our homes before we had a chance to get together, they all wanted to know who was in charge, and some of them wanted to know how we'd decided that, and..." She stopped, with her face assuming the horribly awkward expression of somepony who was still searching for a workable title. "...miss? We met, and..."
A slow, trembling breath.
"...what happened to Mustangia?"
Cadance gently let the words come. "The ponies are still there. But it's part of Saddle Arabia now. It's been... a long time, Tanza. I'm sorry." And the final word had to cover so much...
The mare stared at her own forehooves for a while.
"...come back."
Shining Armor nearly jumped from a sitting start. Iron Will's mouth opened, very slightly. And Cadance --
"-- what?"
"...we know the Empire. We remember what it was... and we know what it could be again. But we don't know the world. What's out there. What it thinks about us, how it wants to deal with us or might take advantage, and... by the time we learn, it might be too late. So the Cabinet talked, and -- we talked to a lot of ponies, and -- we want you to come back."
It took time, to get her feathers back into place, to wipe the shock away and bring her tail back down to the floor.
"Tanza... I'm not a good leader. I'm pretty sure everypony saw that --"
"-- you're new. Like we are. New and old, all at the same time..."
And softly, "I don't want to lead."
Tanza was looking at her. Directly. A first time for everything.
"I don't know if I ever did," Cadance quietly said. "I was expected to. But... it's not me, it's not the heart of me. I don't want power, Tanza."
"We know," the mare steadily responded. "And that's why... you should have it back. Because we talked to everypony, just about everypony there is after we asked them to gather again, and they nearly all agreed... that the best ones to have power should be the ones who would... give it up. But -- it can't be like it was before. We think we need... something new. And the first new thing we need is to say, with me here asking for everypony, after the vote..."
Several deep breaths, until she could assert the words.
"...please help us. But -- not forever. In a new way. And to help us figure out what that new way is. Just until we're ready to take over ourselves. We'll... try to say something if we think -- you're getting it wrong..."
Cadance instinctively looked to her love.
"Wherever you go, Katydid," Shining Armor told her. "Always. But -- you can say no if you want to. You know that."
And then she looked at Iron Will.
Who blinked. "What?"
"Come with us," Cadance softly asked.
All the long moment managed to produce was a very sincere "...huh?"
"Because the Empire does need you, Mr. Will. Because... I need someone to tell me when I'm being stupid, and I'm pretty sure you've more than adequately established your qualifications there. So I'm offering you a job, for as long as you want it. Assertiveness trainer and advisor to the Empire. You can say no too, and I know you're more than capable of it. And even if you say yes now, you can leave later, when you think it's time, and I won't think any less of you for it. Either way, I still owe you an invoice. But -- I am asking you. As --" and she smiled at the words "-- a friend."
His eyes closed, and several seconds passed before she saw the yellow again.
"My assistants... they're -- I didn't tell you before, they're goats. I've got them well-trained, but..."
Cadance slowly nodded. Goats existed on the blade edge between animal and sapient: often smarter than anypony ever expected, but -- not smart enough. "They can't live on their own."
"Not without going wild again, and they'd have a hard time with that, after being with me for so long. I put them up with somepony good while I was up here, but... they need to be with me. And they don't do well on trains..."
"We'll find a way." Cadance smiled. "I happen to know a very powerful long-distance teleporter. Two, actually. And given her usual timing, one of them will probably show up just as we're about to get on the train. So -- will you come?"
Two weeks had passed. (It had taken five days just to agree on the final draft.) And now the Cabinet was assembled in front of the palace, with an Empire surrounding them, in the form of just about every pony within it. Cadance had brought in movie cameras to record the occasion, wound up taking half an hour to explain just what they did, and upon seeing the reaction, realized that the very first truly new business would have to be a cinema.
"So here it is," and the recast spell carried her words to all. "We studied every form of government there is, along with a few that failed, so we'd know what to avoid. And at the end of all of it -- is our Constitution. The laws of power which keep that power distributed between government and the ponies it's meant to help, along with making sure the government doesn't have too much in the first place. Rulership by the consent of the governed. And my current part in this... is to lead your Cabinet, with the understanding that they can override me by majority, at need, until you no longer need me. Oh, and since so many ponies seemed to need a form of address, 'Princess' is now nothing more than the title given to the pony in that position, if you personally feel the need to use one at all. But once a year, the Empire will vote on whether you all still feel I'm needed. And when enough of you say it's time -- I'll step down."
Because that day will come.
And I don't have to do the same thing forever.
There was no spontaneous full outburst of hoof-stomping applause, no total explosion of cheers. But here and there, a few ponies expressed themselves, some of their neighbors followed, and in time...
Their voices would come. Their voices would be heard.
"Copies will be made and sent to every home in the Empire," a crownless Cadance told them all: regalia would be reserved for greeting dignitaries and ambassadors, along with anypony else who might not understand just yet. "Everypony will always know what the laws are, what their rights are, with nothing ever hidden by shadow. But before that can happen -- we need to sign this thing."
Her field fetched a quill -- one of her own feathers, plucked for the occasion as a token of sacrifice -- dipped it in ink, and presented it to the newest, youngest member of the Cabinet, the one who had both proposed and organized the vote which had brought Cadance back.
With a smile, "I think you need to go first."
Lapis took quill between steady teeth and put an extravagant signature on the parchment.
And then still more hooves stomped against crystal, as spontaneous music sounded the beat of freedom.
Cadance liked to fly over Geode Park early in the mornings. Not too early, and being mindful of where her shadow might fall, because healing took time. But still... it was fun to listen.
"AND WHAT DO WE SAY?"
"...hello?"
"...I'm -- happy to be here?"
"...thank you sir, may I please have another?"
"...um... errr... no?"
His face said he'd instantly seized on that last, but Iron still had to wait for the bleats to fade before he could continue. "AND WHEN DO WE SAY IT?"
"...after you tell us to?"
"...if there's a sign somewhere, or a list, or..."
"...in chorus with somepony else?"
"...when it's -- personally and culturally appropriate?"
"I'LL TAKE IT!"
It was a start.
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Well this feels like a good ending.
Perhaps we'll see a democratic monarchy?
That was a delightful and hopeful ending to a heartrending story. Thank you for it.
And not to sound too full of myself, but I'm proud and honored to have helped
This story was terrible. Seriously, it's, like, the worst. I was in no way happy to see it update again after so long, and was personally disappointed with it having updated so much over the past few days, bringing it to a conclusion that was, in no way, satisfying.
But, in all seriousness, I loved this. Good job.
Oh wow, this was so cool. I love the way this resolved! Fantastic work.
Great job~
This went in a different direction than what I expected.
Upvoted.
7249119
I'm hoping for Celestia and Luna to do something similar (although maybe with longer terms-having an election every year seems unwieldy)
This was both interesting and enjoyable to read. Thumbs up!i.ytimg.com/vi/2eemS6q744I/maxresdefault.jpg
Good riddance.
No but seriously, nice job. Immortal benevolent dictatorship works well for Equestria, but the Crystal Empire isn't Equestria.
I imagine the comments would contain all manner of variants on the theme of Cadance being absolutely terrible at doing anything wrong.
Perhaps also fluffed up with 'criticisms' such as her beauty is too perfect and makes them all feel like they're hideous trolls by comparison to her illustrious radiance.
I... enjoyed the first part of the ending. I was glad that they finally spoke their minds, and I was shocked at what they had to say; I was proud of Cadence for abdicating and deciding to move on with her life, much like Iron Will I believe it to be the right decision. That said, the second half fell flat on it's face and broke it's nose. Then again, perhaps that was intentional, they are new at this.
Government is complicated, really, really complicated, and it takes decades to iron out kinks and enact real (lasting) change. Furthermore, a government based purely upon popular consensus is kind of... well, insane. The average pony will not know when Cadence needs to stay or when she needs to go, what about if they wind up needing her again? This isn't even getting into the ability of propaganda and charismatic leaders to sway public opinion and abuse them to their own ends. And no one can be expected to enact real change on a political level in a year, heck, not in four years either for that matter. For the wheels of progress turn slowly in the political arena, and periods of great change are often measured in decades, not years.
Democracy is a beautiful concept, but in order to work it requires a well-educated politically savvy populace and competent, moral (moral as in putting the good of the state above oneself rather than strict adherence to any particular moral code) leadership. A balance of power with a small representative council is a step in the right direction, but I foresee many growing pains in the Empire's future.
Well, this was a nice, interesting story to spend my day off reading. Well done, and a very interesting take on the early days of Cadence's rulership. From the premise, and the wording of the first couple of chapter titles, I was expecting a much more......comedic direction, but I think in the end I probably liked it better this way. Bravo.
--CG
7249381 Because clearly the word 'Empire' doesn't at all imply a monarchical system of governance.
Then again, "Crystal Republic" just sounds stupid. Maybe "The Republic of Multifaceted Translucent Minerals" would work.
"And, well.... considering that every single friggin' government we've seen in this show was some form of monarchy... yeah... I'm gonna be ruling, like forever."
But seriously, this story made a TITANIC flaw, the same as has every single other fic where some nation (usually Equestria) becomes a democracy for some random reason: THE STORY ASSUMES FAMILIARITY WITH THE CONCEPT PREEXISTS IN THE WORLD.
There is no time for the characters to develop the concept naturally by manner of reason and debate. No variations of the theme befitting their world's unique construction come into play. Words and phrases WE, the AUDIENCE, know are tossed about and the ponies somehow understand what they mean even when they shouldn't. The new form of governance simply emerges from a vacuum and doesn't feel at all organic to the setting.
The story spends too much time revolving around Cadance's hand-wringing self-doubt... and virtually nothing on the development of the solution. A new system is simply cast at the masses willy-nilly... which, as our world's history has abundantly demonstrated often yields disastrous results when those utterly unfamiliar with so much as the concept of democracy are given power to elect those best able to deceive them.
The big problem with a herd mentality... it's very easy to spook them into a stampede.
People like me excel at that sort of thing.
Because we're the predators driving the dumb herbivores into our trap for the slaughter.
The Galactic Ruler Principle: Someone's desire for power is inversely proportional to how much he or she should be trusted with that power.
In the end, it's a question of respect. In order for people to feel like people and not slaves, they need to be treated like it. Ordering them to be honest (or to be grateful) is just another form of tyranny, denying them a freedom even more fundamental than speech. After all, slaying the dragon will get you cheers, but if you decide the cave has nice ambiance and start asking if the villagers could arrange some company for you once in a while...
In hindsight, it's rather obvious. Of course, so are the geopolitical consequences of a millennium spent out of phase with the rest of reality.
An excellent look at an area and a part of the cast we've seen little of in your work until now. Thank you for it, not least how this treats Iron Will with vastly more respect than the one time he's been in the Crystal Empire in quasi-canon, and for one of the best reasons why Shining never visits Twilight that I've ever seen.
Still, I have to wonder how hard Celestia is kicking herself for this one, or will be if she doesn't yet know why Cadance abdicated.
7249389
Despite the possibility of people potentially feeling better about the concept by then, I didn't want to hold off on the final chapter until November 9th.
The idea of the yearly interval is to make sure the crystal ponies always feel like they have a voice. It's about when they personally feel they're up to taking over again. And as for whether they're the best judges of that... that's a hard call. But who else can you ask to make that judgment? They've had more than enough of others deciding what they can do.
Oh, and as long as I'm typing, here's one thing which didn't make it into the end of the story, as it didn't seem to have a natural place: the Empire is about to start importing massive numbers of therapists. An entire nation suffering from PTSD needs a little extra help.
7249402
Or over a cliff like lemmings. All for the S&Gs.
7249407
To me, one of the big things about this story is something I said on the Patreon page announcement: that up until now, the majority of the stories in this 'verse could have just been things happening in the background of the main series while you weren't looking.
And now, with the conclusion of this story? That. Is. Over.
The Empire's government just did a backflip. Cadance has been set up to eventually surrender her rulership, and has already surrendered her crown (but for ceremonial occasions). Iron Will is effectively part of the @#$$%^ government. It may look the same on the surface, but the status quo has self-destructed -- and with this story, the Continuum finishes its transition into a near-parallel AU.
When we reach anything connected to S4-6, it's going to be a little bit different out there...
One of the comics, I'm guessing?
Let's just say there was a fight, and it was not a short one.
7249407
Given how these 'suddenly, DEMOCRACY!' stories tend to go... she could either order and invasion because she's secretly an evil tyrant or she'll be overthrown immediately and executed by the masses of morons.
I don't buy stories of this type as they horribly oversimplify the difficulties of such a radical societal change which ill-fits a land of pastel magical ponies.
As a matter of fact, the decisions Cadance made here are so absurd from a practical position, that she seems even LESS suited to leading than the pink Princess of the show who at least can deal with the cards she's been dealt without pining over them ceaselessly.
7249408
That's good to hear, I just didn't want them thinking that was in any way a stable political system. Had me worried a bit, you know?
7249397
As the local 'verse isn't quite the show, different forms of government exist. Mazein is just about a classic Greek democracy: everyone gets a voice. The griffons have been established as working with some form of republic, which really lets the dominance chain get some exercise. Equestria is a tricameral Diarchy, with executive, judicial, and legislative branches -- except that the sisters play a part in all three. So in this continuity, while the crystal ponies are in fact getting their new system all in one go, there are extant models which could be drawn from. Nopony just invented a form of democracy. They just looked at the planet and said "What's working?"
I'm not arguing that it's a huge change, and there may be some potholes in the fresh road. But the pathway wasn't woven from whole cloth.
7249397 Isn't there a mayor in canon? Mayors tend to be elected.
7249455 And there's the issue, this story needed to spend a little more time having Cadance explore those concepts IN THE STORY to demonstrate her thought processes in adapting them.
Additionally, it's still horribly unwise to simply throw the Crystal Ponies into a system like that. They don't understand it in the least and would be almost pitifully easy to mislead into electing a tyrant with a silver tongue as horrible as... let's just say, Venezuela would seem better off by comparison.
We've seen this mistake play out in countries like Zimbabwe, where a cunning warlord tricked the naïve populace and single-handedly destroyed the country.
It's the single greatest danger of giving the vote to people who have no idea what they're voting for.
7249460 Not in an autocratic system. They were appointed by aristocracy.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor
Mayor Mare also seems to be mayor-for-life as far as we can tell. There has been no hint of voting at all.
Or perhaps she's this: In Wales "A separate mayor, known as the "cow-shit mayor" (maer biswail), was charged with overseeing the royal cattle"
7249474
But I didn't want to do another twenty chapters... For now, let's just say there are some safeguards in place.
As for mayoral elections: I'm actually considering writing stories about both Ponyville's and Canterlot's. (Yes, Canterlot has a mayor. The word "figurehead" gets kicked around a lot.) And for other political systems -- the very next chapter for A Mark Of Appeal will go into Mazein itself, and I'm hoping to include at least a brief look at the government: Celestia and Luna will be making an official visit, and that means they have to officially visit someone.
Given how Mayor Mare currently feels about her job, I may have to use this. Thanks.
7249407 That first line you typed reminded me of this from Douglas Adams.
“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.
To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.
To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”
― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
This was the worst (best) ending ever. There is now way they can maintain a democratic monarchy (they can, they're ponies).
This ending feels like it was a long way coming. It's bittersweet and slightly unexpected.
This story hooked me with the PTSD crystal ponies having a new leader thrown upon them and not knowing where they stand. Add to that a leader who doesn't truly know how to lead and we have a good source for drama and comedy.
But then the comedy stopped. I'm not saying that in a negative manner. To truly get what was going on the jokes had to end. And that's what elevated this from a good story to a great one.
A good story might have ended with the crystal ponies voicing their concerns and leaving the status quo alone at the end of the day. A great story has Cadence abdicating her throne and freeing the crystal slaves.
Good job.
Holy crap this story started two years ago and finally finished up in the last week!
Another thing that just came to mind:
As I mentioned in a comment way back in Cutie-Mark Constellation Registry, a lot of your stories end the same way: nothing has really changed, and everyone is just slightly more aware of why they can't ever seem to do anything about their problems. While you're a great writer, that recurring ending is an annoyance that I have to work past each time. And right from the start I was totally, 100% certain that this story would end the same way.
This story didn't do that. This story allowed them to actually change the situation to try to fix the problem and make things better. And that made the ending. Thank you.
(I just realized I posted an earnest negative comment. It was about other stories than this one, but even so: negative!)
I agree with their question to cadence as to "Why are you here?", but there was an equally important that should have been put to the herd. "What are YOU going to do about it?", this was a revolution that had to be guided with the help of the person who was being overthrown because the populace was too scared to overthrow her themselves.
Not only that but they'd actually grown comfortable in that fear to the point where no one bothered to look outside the kingdom and see what had changed, they feared Cadence but at the same time none of them even remotely contemplated what they would do without her until she forced them too.
7249596
As Luna might tell you, taking a thousand years of history to the face can be somewhat overwhelming. The sheer scope of the missed time can be terrifying, and then when you add in the actual amount of change... Luna's a fairly strong personality. Most of the crystals aren't.
The term we may be looking for here is Future Shock.
It's clear that the Ponies (like people in general) don't like change. The longer Cadence stays, the more used to her they'll get. So, the less they'll want her to leave.
Yeah, she's going to be there forever.
About damn time, you lazyguts.
Nice to see Candybutt finally figure it out. I wonder if anypony in Equestria might be taking notes.
7249510
That was the reference I was going for, yes.
7249433
I was wondering how you planned on making this work with future events in the Empire. This may be the best answer you could've given me. I'm looking forward to future events in the Continuum all the more now that they're less moored to canon.
(Wow, am I violating the spirit of the title or what?)
Yeah. A lot of issues with that storyline. Fortunately, it's been contradicted by the show since.
Yes
This is one of the things that's bugged me about the Crystal Empire and its treatment ever since it was introduced to the show, and you fixed it here.
This was good.
7249505 To put it in terms of US history: The War for Independence from Britain was won in 1781.
The Constitution wasn't ratified until 1789.
It tooks lots of arguing, name-calling, and more than a few fights to get that little document settled out.
Soooooooooooo... you need about 13,978 more chapters.
7248438 You need to read more actual history to see just how limited your view is.
Did you know the Nazis experimented heavily with mind control? This included experiments where they took a prisoner, told them they were going to execute them by slitting their throat, blindfolding them, and then dragging a dull blade across their neck while pouring water where they'd cut to simulate the blood spilling out. They did this just to see if they could set up enough reinforcement to make the person believe they were being killed so completely that the brain would make it happen for real.
They did this repeatedly and it's only one such example of the kinds of things they did. And they're hardly the first.
The atrocities dictators have carried out on their own citizens is some of the most nightmare inducing things to read about that exist on this planet. And yet, people still strove for freedom and found ways to live after they'd escaped. That spirit is quite literally impossible to kill. You can kill an individual, you can kill a group, but you can't kill the basic nature of all living things - the push for freedom.
The border between North Korea and South Korea is one of the most watched borders in the whole world. The rest of North Korea is bordered by ocean and China - and China supports the North Korean government as they've been allies for decades. People completely surrounded on all sides and they still find ways.
It doesn't matter how bad you go, unless you kill off the entire population there will still be folks looking to escape, willing to risk everything rather than stay.
Believe it or not, I actually feel like the Crystal Ponies are more at fault than Cadance.
She never wanted to be treated like Sombra, but they did. Again and again and again. Were they all too stupid to notice? As for her not leaving right away...
Yeah, that's a great way of showing you don't want her around for longer than it takes to blow up Sombra.
Jackasses.
[Insert negative comment]
This story was a lot of fun. Good characterization on Cadance, and Shining almost steals the show with his silliness. If I had a complaint it's that the internal narration can be kind of fractured and sentence fragment-y and really breaks the flow of the writing. I don't think it's really necessary for Cadance's emoting since you write her well and her motivations speak pretty clearly without it.
All Hail Her Highness, Democratic Tyrant of the Crystal Empire, Dread Sovereign of the Mountains of Mourning, Overlord of the Caverns of Crystal (now closed for renovations).
7249613 Ahh! Now I know specifically what was bugging me about this story.
I feel like were lacking a point of view or source of empathy from the crystal ponies in this story. You're absolutely right about the scope of the change they face and the challenges ahead of them but theres no single crystal pony to stand out and give a face to those emotions that the audience can sympathize with, the crystal ponies themselves almost border on caricature.
That said I loved what you did with Cadence in this story. My apologies if unsolicited critique isnt your thing, I just had to get that off my chest about this story.
7249389
Standing motherfucking ovation. The one thing no one wants to say and I can't stop thinking about.
7249965
Because the story leads the audience in a different direction and many people in this community show a lack of ability to think beyond what they're shown at face value and where a story leads them, I feel your opinion will not be well-shared. But I also feel it is the RIGHT opinion.
7249474
And you, stop making me agree with you.
Didn't expect this at all. Thanks for finishing this story. (I've read a lot of fics, this one might be my all time favorite...)
Huh. I wasn't expecting this to finish.
So... Thank you.
Now that was a beautiful chapter. If only such leaders willing to give up power at the people's word and system actually existed in our world that served the common and not itself.
Thanks to all who made this fic possible and of course the fun we all had in the comments when this story debuted.
Now if you'll excuse me my arms are getting tired from all this clapping. Bravo.
7249389 I have to admit, I agree with all of this. The first half or so of the chapter made me think "well, it's about time this story got a recommendation upgrade or two!" The second half ... just seemed remarkably naive in a peculiarly Western, even American, way, as though (as any halfway sane person with a fifth-grade education could of course tell with a few days' thought) representative democracy must be the best system of government! For anyone!
But in a world where a really good alicorn leader can rule basically forever, the single biggest problem with monarchies (succession, and the near certainty of getting a much worse descendant of the original great ruler at some point) simply doesn't exist. And especially for a country previously ruled by the most horrendous of dictators… democracy really isn't that great an idea. Speaking as someone who has lived in Venezuela, I give the new People's Democratic Crystal Republic (or whatever it might be called) twenty-five years max before there's a new Totally Definitely Benevolent President for Life… who may or may not be a zombie possessed by the remnants of Sombra from his old horn. (In that time there will be at least two entirely new constitutions and six major crises manufactured to give somepony or other more power.)
7251289
There's a requirement built into that statement, and it can't be met here.
Incidentally... why is everyone being so fast to decide that what they agreed on was a full representative democracy? Just because the name of the document was a Constitution? (They built a near-indestructible wooden sailing ship: congratulations!) The last ruling body we saw was a Cabinet.
So now we're down to rulership by kitchen and bedroom furniture.
The dishwasher is in charge of education. Beware.
7251396
Was the tags changed? I can't be sure but I could've sworn it was a Comedy at first.
Anyway, I'd like to say: Well done! It's a pleasant read in all. I'm not sure why so many people are bashing you on politics but I think that isn't really the whole point of writing this [Unless you really wrote it to make some sort of a political statement]