When they entered, the seneschal called out, “Hear ye, hear ye, the Royal Court of Equestria is now in session. All having business before this court draw near, give attention, and you shall be heard. Her Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle presiding.”
The Throne Room was a vast hall with many levels, each with a ceremonial purpose. The bulk of the long hall had a polished marble floor with a narrow red carpet running from the great double doors at the front entrance to the dais and throne at the back wall. Most of the walls included massive stained glass windows including one depicting the splendor of a sunny day and another the glory of a moonlit night.
As it drew near the throne, the red carpet ascended a gentle slope to the first landing of the large golden dais where petitioners would stand to plead their cases. A pair of Royal Guards in golden armor flanked the rise leading to the first landing. The edges of the first landing were rimmed with flowers. Small decorative waterfalls fell to each side, fed from a spring deep within the Canterhorn.
From the first landing, the carpet sloped up again to a second landing where attendants and other royals would stand to support the presiding princess. This was the highest that Twilight had ever been in the Throne Room before today.
The red carpet sloped up one final time to end before the massive royal throne. It was gold with magenta cushions. Sized so Princess Celestia could lounge comfortably, the throne was big enough for two or even more normal sized ponies. The oval back cushion was twice as tall as Celestia, and so was over three time’s Twilight’s height.
Twilight looked out at the sea of ponies in the Throne Room and thought to herself, “remember Celestia's advice: move slowly, it makes you look regal and gives you an extra moment to think.” She stood tall, felt the warmth of the sun within her, and strode forward. “Time to try and do my best Celestia impression.”
“Do or do not, there is no try.” her inner voice chided her.
“I wish Sunset and the girls hadn't insisted on showing that movie at the sleepover,” Twilight thought. “It was pretty violent.”
“Says the pony that blasted Tirek so hard it made a mushroom cloud,” her inner voice countered.
Twilight realized she’d arrived at the throne atop the dais. She hadn’t even noticed all the ponies watching her court debut. “You've been trying to distract me,” she thought.
“You’re welcome,” her inner voice concluded.
From the second landing, Raven jot a few words on the top page of the stack she was holding in her field. She angled the stack towards the throne. Twilight scanned the notes and gave Raven the briefest of nods.
Twilight addressed the assembled court. “For over a millennium, Princess Celestia has served Equestria by ruling benevolently and maintaining the cycle of day and night. During all that time, there was something she dare not do. She could never take time off. For we all depend on the continuous cycling of the sun and moon.
“But now, Princess Celestia has those who can support her in her duties. Our beloved Princess Luna has returned and rules alongside her sister. Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor rule The Crystal Empire with Princess Celestia’s blessing. And, after my own ascension, I do what I can to help.”
There was a small disturbance at the entrance of the court as the double doors opened and six familiar ponies and a small purple dragon tried to file in silently and didn’t quite get away with it.
Twilight continued. “This morning, because of what I’ve learned at her side, I was able to give Princess Celestia a gift; she got to take a break from her responsibilities and sleep through the dawn for the first time in more than 1,000 years. At the expected hour, I met Princess Luna on the Grand Balcony, raised the sun, and accepted dominion for the day in Princess Celestia’s place. When I last saw Princess Celestia, she was sleeping peacefully.
“In a few minutes, I will begin hearing petitions in Morning Court. My rulings have the same force of law as those of any other Princess of Equestria. However, I know many of you expected to be presenting to Princess Celestia today. If you wish to change your court appointment, please see the seneschal for the details of rescheduling.
“There’ll now be a fifteen-minute recess for the seneschal to make any necessary adjustments to the schedule.”
“Hear ye, hear ye, the Royal Court of Equestria now stands in recess. Court shall resume in fifteen minutes time.”
Twilight stepped down from the throne. As she passed Raven, she said, “I see the Element Bearers, Spike, and Starlight Glimmer in the back of the court. Please ask if they could join me in the sitting room during the recess.” Raven nodded.
In the ornate sitting room, Twilight turned to Raven again. “Thank you for the speech ideas. Calling what happened a gift was a stroke of genius. How do you think it went?”
“You stunned them,” Raven replied. “It’ll keep the questions at bay for a while, but not all day.”
The door opened, and Twilight’s friends poured through. “You looked marvelous darling!” “Awesome speechifying!” “You done a good thing, sugarcube!” “I’m glad I already stashed “I raised the sun!” party banners in Canterlot, in case of a sun raising celebration!”
While most of her friends talked over each other, Spike rushed up and grabbed Twilight around a foreleg. “I’m so glad you’re OK. Don’t scare me like that.”
Twilight gave Spike a wing hug. “Sorry Spike, my message last night was supposed to be reassuring.”
“When it came by Royal Guard pegasus, rather than dragon fire, Spike and I figured something might be wrong with Princess Celestia,” Starlight said.
“You mean, you figured out something was wrong, Starlight.” Spike countered.
“Well Spike, you suggested rounding everypony up and coming to Canterlot on the first train, to see if we could help,” Starlight replied.
“While I do respect the mutual appreciation society, and am very glad we are here now,” Rarity said, “I’m slightly miffed that we didn’t get an invitation to your first sun raising and your first time holding court!”
“I’m so sorry,” Twilight said. “Things have been moving very fast. I didn’t know I was going to be taking over for Princess Celestia until just before dawn, and once I did, things have been galloping full speed.”
“Hugs make everypony feel better,” Pinkie Pie suggested.
Twilight kept one wing tight around Spike and opened the other to welcome her friends. A moment later, she was the center of a pony pile, with only Starlight Glimmer abstaining. She stood a hoof width away.
“Girls, I do need your help,” Twilight said when everypony released the hug. “Princess Celestia has been a permanent fixture in everypony’s lives. I don't want there to be panic when they hear the news. Could you spread the word that everypony should go about their business as usual? If they have any questions, repeat what I told the court.”
“Who do you want us to tell, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
“Start with ponies you know and trust. If they’re well known, so much the better. If they know me, better still.” Twilight was in full checklist mode. “If you can, have them go with you to talk to others they know. That’ll give the message credibility and help spread the word. Rarity, who would you speak to first among the nobility?”
Rarity considered her client list. “Fancy Pants is respected by everypony, and has met you several times.”
“Good choice. Applejack, you deal with business ponies when running Sweet Apple Acres. Who would you talk to first?”
“Filthy Rich is the biggest shot I deal with, but I’m not sure he’s in the city.”
Pinkie Pie bounced up and down with a hoof in the air. “Oh! Oh! He’s at his Canterlot office today.” They all looked quizzically at her. “What? I keep track of everypony’s schedule, so I know who’s available in case I’m throwing a party!”
“I’m not sure if that’s awesome or creepy, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said. She turned to Twilight. “I can start with Spitfire. Nopony’s more respected than the leader of the Wonderbolts.”
“Especially among the Guard and the military. Good thinking, Rainbow.”
Twilight turned to Pinkie. Before she could say anything, Pinkie blurted out, “I’ll start with all the chefs I know, like Gustave le Grand, Donut Joe, and Saffron Masala. They deal with their suppliers every day, and nothing goes together like food and stories. Then there's my party cannon supplier, my confetti supplier, the banner printers, and…”
Twilight held a hoof over Pinkie’s muzzle to get her to stop for a moment. “That sounds like a good start, Pinkie.” As she pulled her hoof back, Twilight asked, “Do you know everypony in Canterlot?”
Pinkie rolled her eyes up as if mentally checking her list. “Everypony in the city right now! But there’s a train arriving at the station in a few minutes and there could be some new ones I don’t know coming in then.”
Like a hundred times before, Twilight decided investigating how Pinkie knew things was just looking for trouble. “Starlight, I need you to go to Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns and talk to the Provost. We need to be sure the magical community doesn’t panic.”
“Why me? I never attended that school,” Starlight replied. “They’re going to know me as somepony who abused my magic. They’ll never listen to me.”
Twilight stepped up to Starlight and held herself upright. Her angled boots gave her a barrel out, power pose, and her crown gleamed in the light. “Starlight, you’re the most powerful unicorn I’ve ever met. Magicians respect power. They also know you’re my student, and you’ll be the personal representative of the Princess of the Day.” Twilight put her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder. “They’ll listen to you.”
Starlight swallowed hard and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
Twilight turned to Fluttershy, who cringed back at the thought of speaking to other ponies. “I’m not sure who I could talk to here unless you want me to talk to some animals,” Fluttershy said.
“I have a different task for you,” Twilight replied. “Princess Celestia had a very difficult night. When she wakes up, she may not want the castle staff to see her until she’s fully recovered. Can you go to her sitting room and be ready to help her out? You can ask the guards outside her chambers for food, supplies, anything she needs.”
“I don’t know if I can take care of the Princess…” Fluttershy shrank back and shook.
“Can you take care of somepony who needs your help, regardless of who they are?” Twilight asked, quietly.
Fluttershy closed her eyes and screwed up her courage. She nodded her head. Twilight gave her a short wing hug. “When we’re finished talking, a guard will escort you to Princess Celestia’s chambers.”
“What about me, Twilight?” Spike asked.
“You have the most important job of all,” Twilight said. “I need you to be my number one assistant in Court. Raven and the castle staff are great, but they’re used to serving Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. If I’m going to get through this, I also need someone up on the dais that’s used to working with me. Can you help me, Spike?”
Spike grinned and waved a claw at her. “You’d be lost without me.”
Twilight hugged him again. “I really would.”
Raven glanced at her pocket watch, then looked at Twilight and tapped it with a hoof.
“I’ve got to get back to court,” Twilight said. “Thank you all for your help.”
“One moment!” Rarity cried. She pulled out a brush and combed Twilight’s mane until it was straight and shimmering. She precisely adjusted Twilight’s crown. “Now you’re ready for court.”
Bustling with energy, Twilight’s friends set off on their assigned tasks. Twilight, Spike, and Raven went through the door and back into the Throne Room.
“Hear ye, hear ye, the Royal Court of Equestria is now back in session. Her Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle presiding.”
Twilight looked down from the throne. Raven was on the second landing to her left and Spike to her right. She took a deep breath. “Seneschal, call the first case.”
“Steady Course and Rock Solid from the Royal Corp of Engineers in the matter of the Appleloosa Water Project.”
A pegasus and an earth pony stepped up to the first landing and bowed. Both wore the castle patch of the Royal Corp of Engineers. “Your Highness, I’m Steady Course, and this is Rock Solid,” the pegasus said in a thick Appleloosa accent. “First, I want to convey thanks and congratulations from the entire Corp for your gift to Princess Celestia and your achievements here today. It’s an honor to be the first case called in your first court.”
“Thank you. I had the opportunity to work with a member of the RCE when they inspected the Ponyville dam after I used magic to make some emergency repairs. I was impressed by her professionalism,” Twilight said. “Gotta watch this one, he’s a smooth talker,” she thought.
“The plan for the Appleloosa Water Project has been thoroughly reviewed by all stakeholders, and today’s approval should be pro forma.” Steady Course pulled out a thick book from his saddlebags. “The project includes a series of infrastructure improvements to manage water in the Appleloosa Desert, reducing the impact of flash floods and soil erosion while opening up new lands for agriculture. The plan has been reviewed and approved by the elected leaders of Appleloosa, along with representatives of the farmers, the weather team, the railroad, and the construction companies. It has been audited by the Treasury and is expected to come in under the original budget.”
“I reviewed the plan you submitted here today, it was very professional as well,” Twilight said.
“Thank you, your Highness,” Steady Course said. “And so the plan is approved?”
“The plan looks good,” Twilight thought. “Is there anything I’m missing? What do I remember about my trip to Appleloosa?” She thought back over her adventures. “What about the Buffalo?” she asked.
“The... Buffalo?” Steady Course replied. “We don’t expect the project to impact them.” He looked at his earth pony colleague. “Do we?” Rock Solid shrugged.
“They’ve lived in the desert for countless generations,” Twilight said. “They know it better than any pony would. I recommend you have Sheriff Silverstar introduce you to Chief Thunderhooves. I’m sure the chief can recommend appropriate Buffalo to provide feedback on your plan.”
Steady Course and Rock Solid were disappointed by the delay. But, Steady Course recovered quickly. “Thank you for your review, your Highness. We’ll do as you recommend and include feedback from the Buffalo in the project.” He put the plan back into his saddlebags, and the two RCE ponies left the Throne Room.
Spike leaned over to Raven, as the seneschal called the next case. “Twilight’s met both Sheriff Silverstar and Chief Thunderhooves when she traveled to Appleloosa with her friend Applejack.”
“Professor Lightbender and Doctor Diffusion of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, in the matter of the crystal cable patent.”
“Spike?” Twilight whispered. Spike looked up. “Could you go to the Royal Archives and get me a copy of the Journal of Arcane Arcana, volume 1024? I think it’s relevant to this case.”
“On it!” Spike scrambled off the dais and hustled out the door. Having grown up in the castle, he knew the shortest way to the Archives, and as Twilight’s number one assistant, knew exactly where copies of the Journal of Arcane Arcana were stored.
Two unicorns stepped up to the first landing. Professor Lightbender was an older pony with a disheveled gray mane. He made a dramatic bow. Doctor Diffusion was younger and had a stunted horn. His bow was more perfunctory.
“Your Highness,” they said together. “I’m going first,” they echoed. “No, we agreed I’d go first!”
“Gentlecolts, please,” Twilight said. Both quieted down. Twilight flipped a coin in her head. It was the turn for tails. “Doctor Diffusion, please begin.”
The doctor looked smug as he stood tall and addressed Twilight. “Your Highness, recent discoveries in the Crystal Empire have led to the creation of flexible cables of crystal. My work…”
“You mean my work!” the professor said.
“Professor, please do not interrupt!” Twilight scolded. “That’s what we are here to discover. Continue, doctor.”
“As I was saying,” the doctor said, “My work shows that monochromatic light, harvested from rainbows, can be made to travel down these crystal cables for a considerable distance. I began work in this field twelve moons ago, when I had cable sent to me from the Crystal Empire. I have applied for a Royal Patent on the concept, which my learned colleague, is disputing.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Twilight said. “Professor, what’s your side of the story?”
The professor huffed. “Thank you, your Highness. My work shows that the transmission of light down the crystal cables doesn’t need rainbows as a source of the monochromatic light. I have been working with light transmission through crystals for over thirty moons, long before this pretender.”
“And when did you first begin working with the crystal cables?” Twilight asked.
“Well, I got my first cable eleven moons ago, when they became available at the school,” the professor blustered. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I have been working in this field far longer.”
“Twelve moons is longer than eleven moons!” the doctor crowed. “I have prior art!”
The door in the back of the Throne Room opened, and Spike hustled in, carrying the requested scientific journal. He bound past the guards and up to the second landing. Spike could move surprisingly fast on his short legs. “Here you go, Twilight!” He tossed her the journal, and she caught it in her field.
Twilight flipped through the journal to a specific page. “You’re correct that prior art is critical, doctor. And this predates both your claims.” She showed the journal article to the unicorns. “The Journal of Arcane Arcana, issue 1024, which I know the School For Gifted Unicorns subscribes to. An earth pony named Bright Spectrum, working in the Crystal Empire under a grant from the crown showed that the light not only had to be monochromatic but in phase, for maximum transmission distance through a crystal cable. And his work was published fifteen moons ago.”
Twilight closed the journal. “And as his work was financed by the crown, it’s available to all and cannot be patented. Case closed.” She floated the journal back to Spike.
The two dejected unicorns trod down the red carpet and off the dais. Raven leaned over and whispered to Spike, “That was amazing.”
“Naa,” Spike said, “I knew where they keep the Journal of Arcane Arcana in the Archives. It was no biggie to get it back here so fast.”
“I mean, it was amazing that Princess Twilight knew just which issue to ask for.”
“Sometimes she gets lucky,” Spike said and showed Raven the article in question. The dedication read, “Special thanks to T.S. for editing, ideas, and support in the creation of this paper.” Spike smirked. “Twilight corresponded with Bright Spectrum for moons on this stuff before the article was published. She never even told him she was a princess.”
“So she took time out from her duties to help some random researcher in the Crystal Empire?” Raven shook her head in amazement. “In my experience, hard work and consideration like that creates its own luck.”
“High Roller, of High Roller and Associates, in the matter of building permits in Canterlot.”
Twilight leaned down to Raven. “Didn’t Princess Luna already rule on this? Your brief on his submission has her angry notes all over it.”
“High Roller saw things were not going his way and withdrew his petition before Princess Luna could rule. He has enough clout to try again. I believe he is, ‘Princess Shopping’, your Highness,” Raven said.
“Let’s end this shopping spree right here.” Twilight turned and put on her best ‘princess’ smile.
High Roller was a trim, tan, earth pony, with a slicked back charcoal mane. Twilight thought he looked different than the earth ponies she knew in Ponyville. High Roller had symmetrical muscles that had never pulled a plow and perfectly trimmed hooves that had never seen a muddy field.
He bounded up to the first level of the dais and made the briefest of bows. “Princess Twilight, this is your chance to be a true hero. Together, we can alleviate the housing crises that keeps the citizens of Canterlot in small, old, drafty homes rather than big, new, modern apartments.”
High Roller produced an easel, and flung off a covering cloth, to show his proposal in all its glory. It was as if an architect had superimposed the city of Manehattan onto the side of the Canterhorn. The only bits of the current city that were visible were the tallest towers of Canterlot Castle, peeking out from between massed skyscrapers of glass and steel.
There was an audible gasp from the crowd in the Throne Room, most of whom lived in Canterlot.
Ignoring the crowd, and encouraged by Princess Twilight’s smile, High Roller went on. “There would have to be selected demolitions of existing drafty old buildings. But under eminent domain, the crown could seize those properties, and turn them over to High Roller and Associates for development. Any ponies that have a problem making the payments on a new apartment will be able to move to nearby villages and take the train into Canterlot for work. It would only take them an extra hour or so each way.”
Twilight’s smile never faltered. “Sir, I have reviewed your extensive submission, and I understand exactly what it is you’re trying to do. I’m ready to rule and make your life much easier.”
High Roller stepped back and put on his best ‘sales pony’ grin.
Twilight’s face went cold. “Your proposal is permanently rejected and the seneschal is directed that any similar proposals are to be rejected out of hoof before they can waste the time of another Princess.”
“Those drafty old homes you spoke of, including the one I grew up in, are historic landmarks. You will never be allowed to demolish them. The spells that hold Canterlot to the side of the mountain would never support a Manehattan style skyscraper of glass and steel.”
“And sir, I am a Princess of Equestria and have stained glass windows in this castle that commemorate the deeds of me and my friends. I don’t need you to tell me what a hero is.”
High Roller sputtered, “How does that make my life any easier?”
“You won’t have to waste it submitting rubbish like this to the crown,” Twilight said. “You can concentrate on making plans that solve real problems; that take into consideration history, culture, and engineering; that provide benefits for all ponies. Bring plans like that to court, and the crown will review them with genuine interest.” She waved a hoof to show she was done with him. “Next Case!”
The crowd in the Throne Room erupted into cheers. Canterlotians loved their impossible city just as it was.
Nothing else that happened during the rest of Morning Court was quite as exciting. Luna had been right. The job came down to choosing between dismiss, delegate, defer, and decide. Twilight listened carefully to the proposals and problems, consulted Raven when she had questions about policy or practice or asked Spike for a reference work when she needed to be sure of something. Soon, all the scheduled petitioners had their rulings and Twilight started to help the ‘walk-ups’. Luna was right about them as well; there were a seemingly infinite number of demands on the time of a princess in modern Equestria.
Finally, the clock hand swept toward the top of the final hour of Morning Court. As the testimony in the last case was being presented, Raven tapped her pocket watch and Twilight nodded. When her ruling was complete she motioned to the Seneschal.
“Hear ye, hear ye, the Royal Court of Equestria now stands adjourned.”