Twilight woke the next day in a daze. Her body felt sore from all the walking yesterday, and her horn pulsed with pain as well. The mare woke up at her normal time, despite staying up much later than usual reading and researching in depth about the griffonic culture. So naturally, her head ached something fierce too, the day already proving to be a poor one.
But her physical pains paled in comparison to her internal strife. The tower, normally a bit busy in the mornings as Luna readied herself for the day, was deadly silent. In fact, the entire palace felt quiet, felt empty. The normal hustle and bustle of drilling guards didn’t reach her ears, nor were any maids scurrying around her part of the tower. Twilight was well and truly alone.
She hated it. She wanted to see Luna already. She wanted to see her brother, she even wanted to see Sunset again, their relationship had just started to get better! This war… Twilight sat up, a strange rage starting to take over her body. This war, she couldn’t stand this war. If only she could end it herself, if only… She looked over to Eclipse over in the corner. It called to her, called for it to be used, to help out somehow.
Twilight tore her sight away from the blade, looking back down into her lap as the tears started to flow. She couldn’t fight. She wasn’t even of age, for buck’s sake. What would a fourteen year old filly do in the middle of a battlefield? Nothing, nothing except die at the end of a giffon’s spear, and no amount of training would change that simple fact. Goddesses, she felt so stupid, so useless.
She could still take care of things here, though. If she knew the nobles, and by now she expected that she did, she knew they’d take advantage of Luna being away. With Celestia appearing more passive by the day, Twilight felt like she had to do something to keep them in check. She had her contacts among the nobles: Fleur, Cadence, Silverhorn, Roamane, all of them would help her. Well, she didn’t know about Fleur, but the rest of them agreed with her for the most part. The least she could do was support them where she could.
Steadfast in her convictions, Twilight managed to pry herself out of bed. A quick shower later and Twilight dressed in a black, silk robe. She counted this as mourning, and no adornments save her sword and her necklace would come with her today. On second thought, perhaps a hat would be for the best. She hadn’t found any spell for her horn yet, so she’d have to cover it for a while longer. Thankfully, Luna had a few delivered, including a simple black one that would be perfect.
Twilight flicked the lift, descending back into the belly of the castle itself. Only one guard waited by the post and he fell in behind Twilight as she started, no words exchanged between the two. Even that brought back memories of what she’d lost, memories of Sunny Day and Iridescence, and her other, more friendly guards.
With a heavy heart, Twilight pressed on towards the dining room. This early in the morning, breakfast would be her best bet to find one of the ponies in power. Silverhorn or Cadence were her first choices, but any other party leader would be as well.
Thankfully, to her luck, Silverhorn sat in his usual spot at the table, looking rather perturbed. Twilight could imagine why - his abject disapproval of the war might have even surmounted her own. Twilight took a seat beside him, figuring Cadence of all ponies wouldn’t mind her normal ‘throne’ being taken. Apparently, several of the nobles got a bit snippy when their spots were ‘stolen’ away from them. Children, all of them.
“Good morning.” Twilight spoke first, dipping her head towards the duke. Twilight looked across the spread on the table, but for some reason she didn’t feel like eating the faintest amount. Perhaps later.
“It is a morning. But good? I’m not so sure.” Silverhorn dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, sadly shaking his head. “The keep is quiet today, though I imagine the homes of the soon-to-be widows won’t be silent for long. Such a travesty.
“Excuse me for getting so down this early in the morning. It's hard to think about anything other than the looming sword.” Silverhorn looked towards Twilight, giving her the best, small smile he could. “And how are you today, my dear Twilight? Horn giving you trouble? Before you ask, I do know about that.”
Well, one question answered. She shouldn’t be surprised that at least some of the inner circle knew about her… new look. For some ponies, such as Cadence or Celestia, them knowing didn’t really bother her. Somehow, she felt Fleur knowing would only lead to disaster.
“Well, as good as I can be, duke.” Twilight finally answered. “I wished to talk to you about something. Well, you and Cadence.” Twilight purposefully left out Fleur and Charlemane’s names - it’d only brew trouble. “I need to know more about the government and I trust you two. I’ve been warned a few times about how much influence I could wield and... well, with Luna gone, I think it’s time that I exercise it.”
Silverhorn’s gaze hardened as he looked at her, giving her a long, appraising look. “I don’t think you truly realize the implications of what you’re asking, dear Twilight.” He shook his head, turning back to his food. “But truly, I can’t be the one to turn you away from what you want. But not in public - you know my office?” Twilight nodded. “Come at one. We’ll seal it off and have a nice talk. Until then, no more of this topic, understand?” Another nod.
Twilight gently pushed the chair back out and bowed her head. “Until then, duke. Unfortunately, I don’t have much of an appetite this morning.”
“Take care of yourself. Hopefully, I’ll see you for lunch.”
“Until then.” Twilight didn’t look back as she left, she had what she needed. If she could secure something with Cadence and Fleur too, it would be perfect. But one at a time, and for now, she had plenty of time.
Twilight busied herself with studies while she waited. Yes, she took a lunch, though a light one and one delivered to her room. That way, Silverhorn and Cadence couldn’t bug about being unhealthy. Besides, hungriness did detract from her reading. Despite her mentor being far away for now, Twilight was still the Student of the Night and needed to act like it, which meant keeping up with her studies. Perhaps she could talk to some of the professors at the academy to see if she could take private lessons. Only if they were willing, of course, but there were specialists of all types at the academy.
Another thing to add to the ‘later’ list. Twelve thirty rolled around before she even realized it, and the time to visit Silverhorn came with it. Twilight delicately marked her place in the book and set off; Silverhorn’s office was essentially across the castle.
Much like Cadence’s, the room’s oak door let no sound escape, spelled to keep the room private. It would, however, let sound in, and three knocks signalled Twilight’s arrival to the stallion. A flick of magic and she was in.
Unlike Cadence’s, Silverhorn’s lair was an absolute mess. The only personal touch he had was a small portrait of a mare, the rest of his office polluted with all sorts of papers and documents, haphazardly thrown around. Honestly, Twilight itched every time she came in here; how could he work like this? But, it worked for him, and the chair across from his remained empty, so she had her seat.
“Good afternoon, Twilight. Did you eat?” Silverhorn asked, crossing his hooves on the desk and giving her a smile. “If not, I’m sure I could have something brought up.”
Twilight shook her head. “I’ve already eaten and I’m uninterested. Silverhorn, I’ll be honest, I want to cut to the chase,” Twilight said, blunt as she could be. She leaned forward in the chair, a hard expression on her face. “I want to know about the court, about the Queen, everything. My brother and friends are in danger because of this rat’s nest, and I want to know why.” She left out her love being in danger - she didn’t need Silverhorn knowing yet another valuable piece of information about her. That would be her and Cadence’s secret for now.
Silverhorn sat back in his chair, staring at Twilight. He sighed and shook his head, looking back down now. “Sad that such a young mare like yourself is getting caught up in this business. That’s not to say you shouldn’t. It's your own decision and despite my beliefs, I can’t stop you from it, and I’ll answer any questions you have. Is that adequate?” Silverhorn asked.
Enough, at least. “Alright. Fine. What can you tell me about Fleur, Charlemane, and Cadence?” First question would simply confirm he didn’t lie to her. She already knew a fair amount about the trio, at least enough to know that the three were the ringleaders, the ones at the heads of each party.
“Well, that’s depending on what you want to know. The three are the party heads here in Canterlot, each having their own, diverse parties. Perhaps Cadence would be the best place to start. She’s the head of my own party, that of the Caregivers. Cadence works to make peace between the classes, no matter the monetary cost, something that she embodies by her own charitable giving,” Silverhorn started. “There’s not much to it, really. Her primary points are education for all and continued healthcare research. Mostly a pacifist too, and always happy with the monarchs. Save for... A few issues.”
Twilight nodded swiftly. She’d known about Cadence beforehand, the two were close enough to talk about politics occasionally. “And Fleur?”
“Fleur can be summed up easily, but not explained the same way. She seeks to enhance the power of the nobility and keep the populace controlled. She harbors an innate distrust of the monarchs, especially Luna, and wants to expand her own power more than anything. And before you ask, Charlemane empowers the military more than anything else and believes that only through constant conquest can ponykind grow.
“These are, of course, very oversimplified versions of each of their ideas. There is plenty of mixing and matching between each of them, and each of them have their own nuances. This is just an overview at best, and to properly explain what each and every one of them was about would take days of talking and could probably fill books.” Silverhorn sighed and shook his head. “And it's a mess, really. Does that answer your question?”
So far, nothing he said contradicted what she already knew, though it also didn’t particularly add anything. She knew this before, she’d heard it all in the past, even heard it from the ponies themselves. Save Charlemane, she’d talked to all three of them, so she had some manner of her own experience.
And a vast oversimplification, of course. Hard to summarize a pony’s entire life in a few sentences or so, but Silverhorn had done an adequate job in explaining the high points, something that Twilight was quite thankful for. So far, she didn’t know where to throw her lot. Actually, she wasn’t quite sure about that; she knew Charlemane’s party was likely out of contention. Anything that supported more of this war was something she wanted no part of, no matter if it was ‘good for ponykind’ or what have you. After seeing the send off yesterday, this would be the last war she would see, if she had anything to say about it.
Then again, small ponies like her could rarely dictate things like that, but she could try her best. Perhaps it was naivety, but the violence just seemed… unnecessary, brutish. Inequine.
“Yes. Well enough. What do you think of Luna? Specifically, her power?” Luna asked.
Silverhorn frowned and sighed heavily. “I won’t lie to you. I promised such. She’s too autocratic, too busy. I would never think of trying to get her to step down; she’s a brilliant leader, but many others want her to. She’s working herself to the bone and you know I think highly of her in a personal way. It would do her and everypony else good for her to take a break, or delegate a little bit. Does that make sense?”
As much as she disagreed, it did. Quickly changing the subject, Twilight asked: “From what I gather, you and Fleur aren’t exactly friendly?”
Silverhorn actually quirked an eyebrow at that, looking surprised at Twilight. “And why would you think that, Twilight? Fleur and I are at absolutely friends. Just because we disagree on politics doesn’t mean we can’t be civil with each other. Why, just last week, she participated in one of my fundraisers. One you’d be quite interested in actually: she’s actually funding our joint plague research. Absolutely marvelous mare, quite generous and sweet as a honey roll. Dreadful politics, though.”
Twilight blinked. She hadn’t expected that answer, and it floored her. “Oh. Okay.” She squirmed in her seat, trying to fight back the awkwardness. “How about the other two?”
“Well, Cadence should go without saying. My favorite mare, no offense to yourself. Charlemane, on the other hoof, can be a bit rough around the edges at times. He’s blunt, but honest. Doesn’t really know what tact is,” he explained. “He’ll have your back if he likes you but… well, there’s very few ponies that he actually likes. He’s not a bad pony, I’m not sure if any pony is truly bad, he’s just strong willed.”
Right. Silverhorn was an optimist. Not just an optimist, but a damn eternal one. He’d probably have good things to say about the creator of the plague, if there was one. She should’ve seen that coming, in retrospect. “Very well. If I wanted to get involved with any of the three, how would I do it?”
“Well, that’s easy.” Silverhorn beamed at Twilight, leaning in close. “You’re already doing it! You want to try and influence any of them big three? Just talk to them like you are to me now. Maybe throw in some public support if you really want to curry favor. Luna has likely heavily insulated you from the press and the like, but arranging an appointment for the Student of the Night, even one as young as you, would be simple. In fact… I could do it, if you like. I won’t even ask you to say anything, just let you speak.”
A generous offer. “Thank you, but not now,” Twilight answered. “I need to talk to all of them first. I need to make these decisions for myself, but I do thank you.”
“It’s absolutely no problem, my dear! I’d love for you to stay and talk longer, but unfortunately I have meetings of my own soon. Perhaps I could schedule something tomorrow?”
Twilight nearly accepted, but changed her mind at the last second. She had a better idea. “Could you set something up with Cadence for me? I could just approach her myself, but if I’m going to do this, I want to do it right.” No abusing Cadence’s time just because they were friends, Twilight would go through the process like any other pony.
“Absolutely, but it will probably be a week or two, minimum. Is that alright?” Silverhorn asked.
Well, perhaps it did have a penalty for acting right. Either way, Twilight nodded and got to her hooves. “Well, I’ll get out of your mane for now. Let me know when as soon as you can?” she asked.
“Of course. See you soon, my dear.”
And with that, Twilight departed. She had thinking to do.
!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!
Silverhorn made good on his deal. Twilight had a meeting with Cadence nearly two weeks later, but the day before, she had another meeting, just as important. Luna also settled up on her promise as she was invited to the very first war council’s meeting, along with many, many other nobles. This would be the first real update from the ‘front’, the first one with any meat since the expeditionary force had finally landed and set-up camp. Despite how petty or small of an update it may be, Twilight needed to be there. She needed to hear the news from the source.
And speaking of, Twilight waited. It was not the stereotypical, shadowed conference room she had expected. No, the meeting took place around a dining room table, room bright and windows stretching from floor to ceiling. The servants even served food, providing refreshments. Sickeningly, most of the nobles in attendance laughed and joked with each other. To be fair, the generals seated at the head of the table were much more calm, talking quietly to themselves. Celestia sat among them, delicately picking at her food. To her credit, Celestia secured Twilight a seat near the front, but unfortunately close enough to the nobles to make her skin crawl.
“Excuse me, dear ponies.” Celestia spoke quietly, yet somehow her voice carried. Instantly, the crowd quieted down and started to take their seats, two nobles sandwiching Twilight. She didn’t know them, but they knew her. Yet, she shut down any attempts at conversation so far. Today was not the day for hobnobbing, today was for information.
“General Azure, would you start us off with an overview?” Celestia asked, inclining her head to the rightmost general. They lived up to their name - azure mane and darker blue coat, of course a unicorn. Of the ten generals, only two were pegasi, the rest unicorns. Yet another example of the racial divide of the elite.
Azure, a mare, stood up, hard gaze sweeping across the crowd. “Of course, your highness.” Her voice had a clipped accent, as if she wasted absolutely no words, “Queen Luna and her guard have landed in Griffon territory. For their own safety and to protect against information leaks, their exact location will not be told. They are in the Northern territories, however, and all well equipped to handle the inclement weather.
“Our hope is that, for now at least, the snow will keep the griffons in their roost for a few weeks. This will give our ponies valuable time to establish an outpost. For that, I’ll turn it over to Mustang.” She motioned her head towards a mustard colored stallion, wearing the tight uniform of a wonderbolt.
The stallion stood and gave a cocky smile towards the crowd. “Outpost’s comin’ ‘long nicely. Shouldn’t be no worry about griffons crackin’ that egg. With the Clad above it, things’ll be just fine indeed. Reinforcements will be shippin’ out soon. Keepin’ the date secret for similar reason as Miss Azure said a second ago, but you get the point. Princess?”
Celestia finally took to her hooves, her smile much more beatific. “That’s the general update, my little ponies. It’s important for us to know our loved ones are safe, but unfortunately we can’t give much more information without causing an issue. Now, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask everypony to leave save the general’s staff.”
Twilight started to get up, fury rolling through her. They’d promised she’d get to stay ‘in the know’, getting shoveled out with the nobles and guards did not count for that. “Twilight, wait.” Celestia’s voice could somehow still be heard over the din of the crowd noise and Twilight waited. Better, much better. Granted, she wouldn’t have been able to do much about her anger, but still. “Sit close.” Celestia ordered.
And so, Twilight worked against the crowd’s movement until she neared the head of the table. She took a seat as close as she could, the remnants of some noble’s breakfast still scattered across the table. Disgusting; did they forget their manners? Her magic gently pushed the plate and crumbs away, giving her at least a small clear space.
Twilight did her best to ignore the glow.
Finally, the hall fell silent, the crowd herded away by the guards still remaining. The great doors slammed closed behind them, and a golden flare sealed them tight against any listeners or magical penetration. “On to the real news. Azure?”
Azure spoke again, quieter this time. “Eastern output is secure. No griffons have noticed, and only the local ponies have spotted us so far. They’re either paid off or in protective custody, with a few wanting extradition back here. It’s up to her Majesty to grant those requests, but if she does the refugees will be on the first flights back.
“The actual outpost in the north isn’t far enough to be cloaked in snow yet. We found a ravine that works well for it as a defensible position and all signals are green. So far, so good there as well. There are no local ponies in the region so we have carte blanche to do what we need to. The north will be receiving their first invasion force next month and will begin to make their actions known so Luna and the east can move freely.”
Azure frowned before going on, eyes clouded. “The south isn’t so lucky. Our third and final outpost thought they found a forest clearing to set up camp in. Unfortunately… the surrounding creatures have disagreed. So far, three ponies have been injured and one killed through a combination of manticores, cockatrices, and ursas. The local griffon village has taken notice and sent word to the griffon military. We may have to abandon the outpost if things get worse. I recommend sending the first wave of reinforcements and an additional airship to the south and preparing to start our movement from there instead of the north.”
Celestia considering it and nodded her head. “Alright, thank you for the update, General Azure. Mustang, supply and defense report.”
“Not as good as we would like, but not bad.” Mustang’s accent disappeared entirely, his voice instead clipped and professional. An act for the public? “Food’s a bit soured in the south; all sorts of critters are nesting inside it and shittin’ all up in there. We have constant scouting patrols at all three, and besides the food issue, everything seems pretty nominal. Local foraging goes well for all but the north, as the proximity of the griffon village is making things difficult.” Mustang took his seat again and Celestia nodded.
“Thank you, General.” Celestia nodded her head towards Mustang, frowning. “I’ll expect more updates as time goes on, if you please. Our first offensive starts in three weeks and both me and Twilight will be in the know. Understand?” A chorus of agreement of nods followed her words, much quicker than Twilight thought Luna’s order would. “You are all dismissed, but Twilight please stay behind for a moment. I’d like to talk.”
Twilight nodded apprehensively; what would the princess need to talk to her about? They hardly saw anything of each other, despite Celestia saying they should be closer. Both of them had their own workloads, Twilight didn’t blame Celestia at all for it. But as the generals filtered out, Celestia gave Twilight a genial, kind smile.
“Twilight, how are you?” Celestia asked. “I’ve heard about your…interest into the political structure. Is everything alright?” Celestia looked kind and genial, at least to Twilight. And Twilight didn’t consider herself easily fooled, Celestia’s reputation definitely fit.
Twilight swallowed, looking down before answering. Internally, she debated whether to give a lie or speak the truth. Truth won out, figuring that Celestia deserved her trust since Celestia had held up her end of the bargain. “It’s fine,” she said, keeping her voice as even as she could. “I just want to know and be involved while Luna is gone. I trust you, I do, but things are bad... And um, I want to help,” she answered. she smiled up at Celestia, wobbling and unsure, but definitely there.
Celestia nodded and stood, walking around the edge of the table to stand face to face with Twilight. Gently, she placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Be very careful Twilight. There are some even I can’t protect you from and Luna will be quite upset with me if you aren’t in one piece when she gets home. Good luck.”
Celestia dropped her hoof and walked out, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight dressed to the nines - she’d found a new dressmaker recently here in the upper districts, one that went by the name of Rarity. Good timing too; an official meeting with Cadence meant dressing to fit and Rarity had done a wonderful job on Twilight’s dress.
The dress itself was a soft lilac; a long, soft thing, with a midnight blue sash running around her waist. A trail dragged behind her, lightly enchanted to keep the dirt and dust away from it, keeping the cloth immaculate. The dress was simple, which Twilight liked, but also beautiful and functional, even accommodating her sword, though she left it in the tower for this. Carrying a weapon to a meeting between a noble and a commoner would be poor form indeed.
Oddly, Twilight even had to wait. She arrived early, fifteen minutes early, and Cadence had another meeting before hers. Twilight never had to wait before; she always just walked in! But she had to do things right…
After fifteen minutes of fidgeting and waiting, a guard escorted a stallion out, Cadence’s voice calling out to wish him goodbye. With her head held high, Twilight entered Cadence’s office.
The room hadn’t changed a single bit since her confession and Twilight took the offered seat. Still comfortable, still cozy, still perfectly Cadence, and Twilight wouldn’t change it if she could. Cadence, on the other hoof, looked rather frazzled, to say the least. Her mane stuck out in weird places, she had the worst bags under her eyes, and empty cups littered the desk. It almost seemed like she hadn’t even let the maids do their job. She even rested her head in her hooves, not even looking up as Twilight entered the room.
“Um, Cadence? What’s wrong?” Twilight asked. She looked over Cadence, searching for any obvious signs of distress or pain, but found nothing.
Cadence slowly looked up through half lidded eyes. “Nothing, just…” She shook her head, raising it fully. “Just tired. It’s been a rough few weeks for all of us here recently, as you can imagine. I haven’t been sleeping much and feel like I’m coming down with something, but…” She shook her head again, seemingly trying to clear away the tiredness. Her usual smile replaced the frown, pushing away some of the signs of fatigue at the very least. “It’s good to see you, dear. You wanted to see me about getting involved?”
Twilight hesitated - should she leave Cadence be? If Twilight cancelled the meeting, would Cadence even take the time for herself? Knowing Cadence, she’d probably just roll onto the next one. Or something. She honestly didn’t know what nobles did for most of the day, though she could imagine fairly well.
FInally, she nodded. “Oh, yes. I’d like to hear your opinions on a few things first, if that’s okay.”
Cadence smiled fully now, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Of course, dear. Just…” With gritted teeth, Cadence’s horn glowed cyan, the door’s lock clicking loudly into position behind them. “There we go! Ask away, dear.”
“Fleur and Charlemane.” Twilight blurted out. “Er- that is, what do you think of the two?” Surely she’d be similar
Despite the fatigue, Cadence’s eyes hardened. “Fleur is an egotistical, ruthless, cold-hearted bitch. She doesn’t have an ounce of good faith in her body, and every single move that she makes is only to further her own goals. She’s a unicorn supremacist, a true noble, and a backstabber and I would rather fight her than see you talk to her at all.” She snapped the last part, almost growling it out.
Silence.
Twilight stared, Cadence stared, and neither talked. Finally, Cadence broke the silence. “Charlemane isn’t a bad pony. Just disagrees with the rest of us. Is that it?” she asked, all traces of her former venom gone in a flash.
Right. Cadence was a tiny bit bipolar then, Twilight should, um, probably just ignore that. “That’s the biggest question. I’ve heard and read lately about the politics in general for each party, so um, I feel pretty comfortable about that.” She answered. And she really had - two weeks since the meeting with Silverhorn meant she had plenty of time to find out for herself. She’d still rather hear it from the source, of course. “I would like to hear you explain your opinions on the Caretakers, however.”
Straight from the source. Better. Cadence nodded her head, stifling a yawn behind a hoof. “Of course I can do that.” She answered. “The Caretaker’s party is founded primarily on a single initiative: equality. And that’s not just equality for unicorn noble’s, like Fleur believes, and not just for ponies, like Charlemane believes. No, equality for all. For ponies, griffons, diamond dogs, dragons, and even sea serpents. All deserve equal opportunities, even if some need a few different laws to govern them correctly.
“And there’s really no equality in Equestria right now. You’re from the lower districts, you know how impossible it can be to claw your way out of that hellhole. And no offense to you Twilight, but you’re a unicorn. It’s easier for you than an earth pony, or a diamond dog, or a griffon. And with this war going on, the discrimination will only get worse.
“As a nation, we can’t allow this sort of hatred to go on. How many trapped geniuses are there in the lower classes? How many ponies and others suffer because of our antiquated laws? The answer is too many, too many ruined every single day. And I won’t stand for that, nor will the caretakers. For us to succeed, we need to repeal the laws that discriminate against the other races, and we need to establish education for everypony, not just the talented unicorns. Finally, we need to start social safety nets for the poor and disenfranchised. With just a few hundred bits from each noble, we could feed thousands on top of thousands of starving ponies, all for a pittance of a tax.
“And that’s what the Caretakers are about.” Cadence finished. She looked almost revitalized at the tail end of her speech, as if talking about her passions somehow negated the terrible fatigue of the days before. Twilight couldn’t blame her - she seemed to really enjoy her position, really enjoy the privilege of the power she held. Twilight almost felt a little envy for the first time. The message, while a bit oversimplified, was not one she could preach against. Perhaps that was some of its strength actually - ponies couldn’t talk against her plan without seeming like bigots.
How did you say you wanted to keep the money where it was without seeming like you hated the poor? Or, talk about how public education may be a detriment to the country without seeming like a bigot? It almost felt like a cause that one had to support to avoid seeming despicable.
But Twilight doubted that Cadence preached how she did for that reason. She couldn’t, right? She was too darn sweet. She was too nice and kind; well, maybe not towards Fleur, but to everypony else.
“Thank you for the speech, Cadence.” Despite the almost sarcastic words, Twilight’s tone was genuine. Very enlightening, that. “And what would I need to do to help out with your party?” She asked.
“It’s easy. A few events, a little voicing of support, perhaps a little monetary support if you had it, and that’s really it. We can always use volunteers for some of our charity work as well. We run soup kitchens and clothes drives throughout the lower city, and if you’d like to start your own work, you only need to reach out to take the benefits of our establishment. We can offer resources and helping hooves in addition to monetary assistance. And that’s just a few things we can do - there’s always more help a pony can give!”
“Alright.” Twilight answered, evenly. A bit much to take in, but she could do most of that. Besides, she wanted to help out her home. Maybe she could organize a drive for the orphanage or something? Just something that would ensure they had a few basic necessities like food and water during the winter. “Thank you for the information, again.” She smiled back at Cadence, eager to get involved for the first time. Though, she did have a bit of work before that.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll take my leave now and let you get some rest.” She started to get to her hooves again, figuring that she would still need to hear Fleur and Charlemane’s side first. Honestly, after hearing Cadence, she didn’t know what would convince her otherwise, but… well, she could always be surprised.
“Of course, and goddesses know I could use it.” Cadence admitted, a light blush coloring her already pink cheeks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight’s next target would be the most difficult for her to track down. Fleur, while ostensible and open with what she did and where she moved, was surprisingly hard to actually talk to. It seemed that every time Twilight got close, or every time that Twilight nearly said something to her, she would be yanked away at the last second. It frustrated Twilight to no end - yes, she would eventually get to talk to the white mare, yes it meant next to nothing, but it still annoyed her. And, more importantly, the updates from the front had already slowed to a crawl. Nothing much happened in the last few weeks.
A great snow storm had swept over the entirety of the Griffon republic. Not only did this mire down the normal civilians, but also the latent military forces from both sides. From what their intelligence showed, neither the griffons nor the ponies had the ability to field much during the snowfall, and neither seemed particularly eager to fight in it either. Thus far, only a few minor border skirmishes had really occurred, and none of them too bloody.
Luna’s detachment hadn’t fought in a single one of them, even. From what she had heard, that set Luna into quite the tizzy. And speaking of Luna’s detachment, the first bundle of letters had made their way back into the empire, and with them, one from Shining.
Dear LSBFF,
How are things there? We don’t get much news from back home, but considering I haven’t heard much I’ll just assume that things are good. I look forward to receiving mail regarding what’s going on back home. I miss you, and I miss the orphanage. It’s only been a few weeks and the bitter feeling of homesickness has already set in. Most of the camp seems unaffected but I can’t say the same for myself.
Speaking of the camp, things go well here. Things are progressing nicely and I can’t really complain with the duties I’ve been given. Sunset is in my company and I see her occasionally, but we’re both very busy. I’m in charge of the Queen’s own bodyguard, can you believe it? It’s just me and a few others taking care of every guard that she has throughout the day, it's a huge honor. I even get to guard her myself, on occasion.
And I know how much you like Luna. She talks about you near incessantly. Half the time we talk privately she asks how you are, or what you like, or just stuff about your interests. I think she wants to get back to you as much as I do - if not more. I think you’ll be happy to know that she’s been keeping herself out of danger. I don’t think she really wants to, but she’s been doing it anyways. Apparently, Celestia sent her a message chiding her after trying to rush out for the first few skirmishes. We’ll both come home safely, I promise.
Oh, and don’t worry about me. Life here isn’t bad; it’s structured and orderly, just how you know I like it. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are at the same time every day, and we all have our duties to attend to. We even have a few hours of free time, depending on the schedule for the day. So really, things are going well for us.
There is some bad news, though. They’re talking about moving out soon. Like, really mobilizing. I think the most recent reports have said moving as soon as within the next few days. I don’t think that Luna and I will be in the first companies, but Sunset might. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on that, but with you getting to sit in on the strategy meetings, you may know even before me. Regardless, the latest that they’ve said is a week and a half, so things will be getting a lot more dangerous here soon.
Wish me luck! And before I forget, I’ve enclosed a letter from Luna too!
Love you,
Shining Armor
Shining’s letter comforted Twilight. The descriptions of the camp gave her something to latch on to and think about. She felt like she more intimately knew the situation at the front than the dry, dull overviews that Celestia and her ilk gave. But, if Shining’s letter was satisfying and comforting, Luna’s was anything but.
Dearest Twilight;
I hope this finds you well. This letter will be short, unfortunately. Please know that I am doing well and will see you soon.
Yours,
Luna.
And that was it.
Twilight could understand some things: being at the front of the war meant Luna would be busy, and she probably had to write letters for dozens upon dozens of ponies. But after their last time together, the kiss, the talks, everything, Twilight had expected something more. Truly, how long did it take to write a letter to a pony? Could she not even spare five minutes to write something more? It felt impersonal, almost like Luna didn’t care about her.
But what could Twilight do about it? Nothing but send her own letters back, nothing but worry about the future. She would talk to Luna about it, eventually, she had to, just not now. She hardly deserved to stress the Queen during such a rough time.
Regardless, she had her own plans. Today, she finally had a chance to corner Fleur. She’d heard about a garden party in one of the bigger gardens at the castle, one that Fleur would just happen to be at. It would even be near the great hedge maze, if Twilight could lure her into it… Or actually, just talk to her about it. That would probably be easier.
Twilight wore a light, blush pink dress, with a white shawl to ward off the cool weather. In her ears, she wore two, tiny little crescent moons, in silent support of Luna. Her guards, stoic as they were, called her cute, though in a bored, stale voice. But once she arrived to the party, she felt anything but.
The ladies of the court were true ladies. Beauty beyond compare, perfect and immeasurable. Twilight’s own modest looks felt meaningless in comparison; each and every one seemed dressed to perfection, flawlessly made up and beyond beautiful. And the gentlecolts of the court were lookers too, but honestly, Twilight’s eyes drew only to the fairer sex.
Yet, despite her position, she had no idea what to do at a party. In fact, she had relegated herself to the edge of the garden, sitting on a bench and drinking at a cup of punch quietly. Her target, Fleur, stood just paces away, and Twilight watched like a shark. Perhaps a little awkwardly, yes, but she could wait for a chance. Surely Fleur would want to talk to her, right?
Thankfully, nopony had talked to her y-
She had to say something, didn’t she?
A white mare with a fabulous purple mane sat next to her, sapphire dress practically sparkling on her body. At least she knew this mare; one Lady Rarity of Trottingham, daughter to the duke. Also an absolutely wonderful seamstress.
As a conversationalist… things could be a bit difficult at times.
“Good eeevening, Twilot.” Rarity spoke, her voice heavily accented. Rarity was a lovely lady, as far as Twilight knew, but her accent made even the most normal of conversations hard to follow. She tried her best, she really did, but the frozen north of Trottingham practically had its own dialect.
Twilight smoothed her skirts over with a hoof and gave a nod towards the Lady. “Good day, Lady Rarity. Enjoying yourself?”
“Oh, of kurse,” Rarity answered with an enthusiastic nod. “What a vunderful party, really! All the ze stallion are vunderful!” She turned towards Twilight with a pouting face, adorable and teasing. “But zey won’t pay attention to me! Just her!” She pointed with a hoof to the clump of ponies, fluttering her eyelashes.
Oh course she pointed towards Fleur. Fleur was the lifeblood of the party; it was hers, after all. Perhaps Twilight could kill two birds with one stone. “Wait here, Lady.” Twilight got to her hooves, wading through the crowd and gently pushing through. With great effort, Twilight managed to force her way to the front, where Fleur laughed with another noble stallion.
“And then I sai-”
“Excuse me, Fleur?” Twilight cut in. The crowd turned, staring at Twilight, all eyes focused on her. Right, she forgot about this part… Heat rose to her cheeks, body feeling very warm and very small all the sudden.
Fleur turned to her, eyebrows arched, expression severe. “Yes, Twilight?” She asked, voice dripping with sickly sweetness.
“Do you have a moment for a private word?” Twilight asked, each word almost feeling like her last. Definitely overly dramatic, but that didn’t stop her from feeling it then.
The crowd stayed silent for a second as nearly everypony waited for Fleur’s answer. Why in Equestria had this needed to be so overly dramatic? She just wanted a few minutes for a word! But apparently everypony needed to stop and stare. Sure, she had interrupted, but she still felt the ensuing awkwardness was a bit too much.
Fortunately, Fleur nodded and shook her head, bouncing her curled mane. “Of course, shall we?” Fleur offered her hoof, clearly expecting Twilight to take it, something that caused her no small amount of blushing.
Twilight, as etiquette dictated, had to take it, and the younger mare led the older one through the crowd, towards the maze. “So what is it you wanted to talk about?” Fleur asked.
Twilight considered how to phrase her questions, considering the pony she talked to. On their way out, the pair trotted past Rarity, who Twilight gave a small wink and a nudge too - she had the field open now. Rarity’s grateful nod proved she saw it and Twilight hoped she would amply distract any who would follow them.
“Politics, Fleur.” Twilight answered. Fleur’s face lit up with genuine glee, and Twilight had to wonder just what she’d gotten into.