//------------------------------// // The Council? // Story: The Best of Friends // by SociallyAwkwardPegasus //------------------------------// Morning came all too soon for the Solar Goddess.  The time was nearing six in the morning as Celestia groggily shifted in bed, opening her tired eyes to the darkness of her chambers.  It was like any other routine morning for the princess, though after a few moments of consciousness, she remembered a particular fact about the previous night.  There, peacefully asleep within her hooves, was Eric.  His dark black hair melded seamlessly with the darkness of the room, while his sleeping form filled the mare with a sense of comfort she had yet to experience in a long while. Additionally, whether she wanted to admit it or not, a light blush nestled softly against the mare’s white cheeks as thoughts of more than cuddling began to bombard the princess’s mind.  These thoughts were quickly cast aside by the princess, preferring to turn her attention to the sleeping human in her embrace. “He looks so peaceful,” The mare thought, smiling softly before retracting her hooves from his form and planting a soft kiss on his cheek.  Eric responded with a soft groan before turning over and away from the princess.  Celestia couldn’t help but giggle softly at his antics, remembering how Luna would do the same thing when they shared a bed. “Sister, are you awake?  Tis time to raise the sun,” the familiar voice of Luna telepathically called out. “I will be in one moment Luna.  I am trying not to wake Eric from his slumber,” the elder sister replied as she carefully shuffled out of bed and towards the balcony.  Within a moment, Luna appeared in a flash of light, a soft yet tired smile on her muzzle. “I take it you two had a good night?” Luna questioned with a look of playfulness, earning a light prod from her sister’s hoof. “We did.  He makes quite the cuddle partner actually.  I can see why you like cuddling with him so much.” Celestia responded before the two sister’s horn began to glow.  Within moments, the moon began to slowly set and the first rays of light began to peek from behind the snow capped-mountains of Canterlot. “I take it you are going to bed now Luna?” Celestia inquired, breaking the silence between the two.  Luna responded with a tired nod before stretching herself out like a cat, wings and all. “Indeed sister.  We are exhausted,” the blue mare stated before looking in through the balcony doors and towards the form of the sleeping human.  Before Luna even had a chance to ask, another giggle from her sister gave her the answer she needed. “Yes you can Luna.  I do not mind.  But no funny business.  We don’t need a repeat of yesterday,” Celestia added before giving her sister a loving nuzzle.  Luna returned the affectionate nuzzle with one of her own before walking into the room and shuffling into bed.  It didn’t take long, but within a minute or so Luna was fast asleep with the human pulled tightly against her chest.  The adorable sight was nearly enough to melt the elder sister’s heart. “Sleep well you two.  And sweet dreams,” Celestia whispered before beginning her day. Several hours had passed by since Celestia’s departure.  Eric, who had previously been slumbering peacefully in the hooves of his friend, finally began to stir.  Groggily opening his eyes and shutting them due to the intrusive rays of light, Eric slowly pulled himself from the hooves of his friend before sitting up and looking around the room. “What time is it,” Eric thought to himself with a yawn, looking down at his watch to see that it was only a couple minutes past nine in the morning. “Celestia is probably finishing up breakfast right about now.  If I hurry I can probably get the chefs to make me something light,” he thought to himself. “Are you getting up?” a soft voice questioned from his right.  Turning his attention to the source, Eric noticed his overly tired friend staring back him. “Sorry Luna, I didn’t mean to wake you.  And yeah, I am going to try and make it to the dining hall in time for breakfast.  You know how the chefs can be if you are late.  Do you want me to pick you up anything?” Eric kindly offered, not at all surprised that she had replaced Celestia as his cuddle buddy. “We are quite alright, though we do appreciate the offer.  Tell our sister good morning when you see her and inform her that we will rise in a few more hours,” Luna stated before nuzzling softly into the human’s side. “Ok Luna, sweet dreams.  I will see you in a few hours,” Eric stated as he ran a hand tenderly through Luna’s mane and along her cheek.  A soft purr resounded from the goddess before the mare closed her eyes and quickly drifted off back to sleep.  After taking a moment to reorient himself with the world, Eric slipped out of bed before throwing on a new pair of clothes laid out on the mare’s large vanity and venturing towards the castle’s dining hall. It didn’t take long for the human to arrive and he was more than happy to see Celestia holding a newspaper in her magical grasp while sipping on a cup of coffee. “Anything interesting in the news today?” Eric was quick to question before taking a seat near the mare.  Celestia continued to sip her cup of coffee before turning to the next the page. “Just the usual political figure rumors and celebrity controversies.  Nothing worth my interest to be honest.  They are having the grand reopening of the Canterlot Public Library today though.  They seemed to have finished their remodel earlier than expected and guess who paid for it?” Celestia asked.  The tone in her voice insinuated the pony responsible, which was actually Eric’s go to answer for anypony involved with books. “It’s Twilight isn’t it?” Eric neutrally replied. “Ding, Ding, Ding.  We have a winner,” Celestia responded, accompanied with a giggle.  Eric joined in with a chuckle of his own before a server came by and took his order. “That mare really needs to find a nice colt.  She’s like the equivalent of a crazy cat lady back in my world.”  Celestia raised a brow at the human’s comment, finding it rather hypocritical. “Really now?  And how long did it take you to find two amazingly beautiful princesses to become your soon to be wives?” Celestia countered.  If Eric had been drinking anything, he would have spit it all out from the unexpected sassiness of the princess.  Though to be fair, she did have a point.  He would have never entertained the idea of dating another species if it hadn’t been for Luna and Celestia approaching him with their problem.  So he couldn’t rightfully give Twilight any flack for being the way she is. “I have to admit, you got me there Tia.  But still, my point stands.  She needs a nice colt or mare in her life that doesn’t see her as a princess, but as the pony she actually is.” “You mean like how you see Luna and me?” Celestia curiously questioned.  The mare was answered by the human raising his hand and lightly scratching behind her ear with a soft coo of delight.  She always did love it when he used his hands to scratch behind her ears. “So what are your plans for today?  I assume you aren’t going to spend all day sitting here and enjoying my ear scratches?” “Hmmm, I am rather tempted actually, though unfortunately this country doesn’t run itself.  Besides, I have something special planned for today.”  Pulling away from Eric, Celestia offered a smile before nuzzling along her friend’s cheek. “Meet me in the throne room in about half an hour when day court opens.  I have a feeling we are going to be in for quite a show.”  And with those final words, Celestia left the human in the dining room of the castle to attend to some last minute preparations for day court. Half an hour quickly passed by for the human as he enjoyed a plate of eggs and toast, along with a refreshing mug of coffee.  It was his usual breakfast he had grown quite accustomed to, seeing as how meat typically wasn’t on the menu in the morning unless a visiting nation’s dignitaries happened by.  Still, the human was content with his modest breakfast as he made his way towards the throne room. “I do wonder what sort of interesting thing is going to happen?  If I had to guess, it would involve those rather unhappy nobles or perhaps the press.  Either way, it’s going to involve me,” Eric thought with a sigh.  It’s not that he minded being the center of attention once in a while, which was the case when he first arrived in Equestria.  But the fact that he would most likely have the press annoyingly pestering him for the next few months soured his mood.  Granted there was little he could do about it. “It’s about time you arrived,” the distinct voice of the blue alicorn called out. “Luna? What are you doing here?  Shouldn’t you be back in bed?” Eric asked as he walked up to the throne his friend was sitting on. “Indeed we should Eric, though we didn’t want to miss the show,” Luna stated.  As if on cue, the throne-room doors boomed opened as a group of well-dressed nobles made their way towards the bottom of where Luna and Eric resided. “Pardon me princess, but we were hoping that your sister would be here.  We have an issue that demands her immediate attention,” the leading noble stated in a condescending tone, along with shooting the human a smug grin. “Is that so?  Well seeing as she is absent for the moment, perhaps you could relay your issue with us?  After all, I am her equal.”  The look Luna gave the noble made him give pause for a moment before turning towards the other nobles who nodded their heads. “Very well princess.  It has come to council’s attention that perhaps not enough time was given for the two of you to adequately evaluate the best candidate for your hooves in marriage.  It is because of this that a majority of the council has seen fit to petition the selection of your suitor and allow you more time to make a better selection.  We have all agreed that the two of you should be given another six months before relaying your decision to the council,” the noble finished.  Silence soon filled the throne room as Luna closed her eyes and thought about what noble had said. “And tell us, sir…?” “Sir Prism Cut princess,” the noble said with a polite bow. “Sir Prism Cut, descendant of the noble Jewelcrafter lineage?”  The stallion raised his head with a smile. “Yes princess, that is correct.  I am flattered that you know about my family.” “While it has been a while, before our banishment we had visited your ancestor’s shop many of times.  They were well-renowned for their expertise in crafting and cutting jewels.” “Thank you princess.  Your kind words flatter me so,” Prism said with another polite bow. “Indeed.  However, we know they would be ashamed of what their family’s lineage has become.  A noble trying desperately to claw their way into the royal family by petty laws and loopholes.  It is quite a pathetic sight if we do say so,” Luna stated with a small frown.  Prism Cut shot his head up and towards the princess with a look of disbelief on his face.  This was mirrored by the many nobles behind him as Eric could only let out a long whistle from what he just heard. “Damn.  I think he is going to need some Aloe for that burn,” Eric added with a short laugh.  Prism was quick to shoot the human a furious glare before turning his attention towards the princess. “Despite whatever my intentions may be, the council demands to postpone the selection of that despicable creature as your suitor.  And I am happy to say that not even the princesses are above the authority of the council,” Prism stated with another smug grin.  Luna had to admit, it took balls to openly defy her like he just did, but then again, he was right.  There was little she could do at the moment. “And what makes you so sure about that?” another voice called out.  Prism and the other nobles were quick to turn their heads towards one of the entrances to the throne room as Celestia made her way towards her sister and friend. “P-Princess Celestia, I apologize.  I did not know you were here,” Prism quickly said with a bow.  Celestia paid the stallion no mind as she casually strolled up to Luna before affectionately nuzzling her check along with her fiance’s. “Sorry I am late.  I was finishing some last minute paperwork.” “There is no need to apologize sister.  We were just passing the time with these poor excuses of nobility,” Luna said rather nonchalantly.  It took most of her willpower, but Celestia refrained from giggling at her sister’s antics. “Even so, at least try to be nice to them,” Celestia asked.  Luna in turn huffed before turning her head away from her sister. “We make no promises dear sister.”  With a sigh, Celestia turned her attention towards the contingent of nobles gathered at the foot of her throne. “And how may I help all of you this morning?”  Celestia’s voice was calm and collected as she gazed over the multitude of nobles in her court. “P-Princess, it has come to the council’s attention that we may not have given you and your sister enough time to select a proper suitor.  We are hereby giving the two of you another six months to select a proper suitor while petitioning the current one you have already selected.” "Oh, so you are telling me that Luna and I do not need to make a selection as of this moment?” Celestia curiously questioned, eliciting a small smile from the noble. “That is correct princess.  This is a petition, signed by an overwhelming majority of council members to halt the selection of your suitor for another six months.  It is also during that time that the council will examine the law and determine if the legitimacy of foreign dignitaries still apply in this day and age,” Prism finished.  Celestia read through the petition, noting its carefully crafted language, before looking towards the members of her council once again. “Thank you all for voicing your concerns on the matter.  I see now that this whole situation has become rather complicated, and for that I apologize.  However, it is a situation that you no longer need to concern yourself with,” Celestia stated with her usual, motherly smile.  The statement was enough to catch the nobles off guard, as a hesitant Prism Cut questioned what the mare meant. “Pardon me princess, but what do you mean by that?” “Well, I have noticed the amount of stress and responsibilities I have placed on my beloved members of the council.  For far too long have I relied on your judgement and guidance.  And for all that you have done for me, I thank you.  The formation of the council was instated well over a thousand years ago with sister’s banishment.  The sole purpose was to help guide Equestria and myself in the right direction.  When Luna was brought back to me a few years ago, the council’s purpose was altered.  The main purpose of the council was to help break any decisions my sister and I couldn’t agree on.  But since we now have our future king for such, I see no reason I should burden my little ponies with such responsibility and power. That is why I am hereby voting to abolish the Council of Nobles, effective immediately.  What is your vote sister?”  The smile on Luna’s face could brighten the darkest of days as she quickly answered her sister. “We would have to agree with you dearest sister.  Therefore, we hereby vote to also abolish the Council of Nobles, effective immediately.” “Y-You can’t do this! We also have a right to vote on the matter,” Prism shouted out. “Ah, yes.  Even if my sister and I agree, with a majority vote from the council, the ruling will go into stasis until one side relents,” Celestia recalled aloud. “But sister, what about the other law that states that if both sides do not agree, then the decision will go into stasis or be deferred to an individual holding the title of political confident?” Luna commented.  The look on the noble’s face was short lived with this new set of information. “B-but there hasn’t been a political confident for the court in over two-hundred years, so the decision still stands!” Prism retorted.  It was this time for both Luna and Celestia to wear a smug grin on their faces as the solar princess levitated a stack of papers in front of the noble. “Actually, there is.  It took most of yesterday and this morning, but the documents were finalized a few minutes before you all arrived.  Would you perhaps like to read aloud the first part of the document on top?”  The question was more of a demand as the noble grabbed the documents in his magic and read it aloud. “It is issued that on the this date, the legal resident of Equestria Eric D. Lancer, is hereby titled with the rank of political confident to the Royal Court of Equestria, including all permissions and roles associated with such position as dictated by law…”  Looking up from the piece of paper, every noble’s eyes fixated themselves on the human as he too shared in the grin his two friends were wearing. “Well, I guess that means I have the final say in this situation, don’t I?”  The glares from the nobles were immediate as the human rested a hand under his chin in thought. “Hmm, I wonder how I should vote on this.  I mean, I do love screwing with the nobles, but at the same time, they are a major pain in neck.”  Despite being in the presence of royalty, Prism Cut continued his glare with an added threat. “Don’t you dare think about it ape.  You will be sorry if you do.” “And you will be sorry if you dare to threaten our mate again,” The stern voice of Luna said as the mare righted herself on her throne and bore daggers through the outspoken noble.  Her icy glare was enough for Prism to shrink under her guise, though he still continued his glare towards the human. “Alright, I have come to a decision.  Effective immediately, I hereby vote to also abolish the Council of Nobles.” “So it is settled then.  The Council of Nobles is hereby abolished along with any permissions and roles they may have possessed.”  As the words sunk in for all of the nobles in the room, none had a more profound impact than of the stallion leading the group. “You low-born freak! I’ll kill you for this!” Prism called out as magic channeled through his horn.  It took only a second for the stallion to gather the necessary magic, though when he released the spell, a large arc of lighting shot straight towards the human.  To Eric’s amazement, the spell was easily intercepted by Celestia’s magic, despite having almost no time to react.  Within a flash, Luna was on top of the noble, hooves pinning him the ground as he cried out in pain. “Leave now!” Luna boomed in her Royal Canterlot Voice, accented with her yellow slitted eyes.  The nobles trampled one another on their way out the throne room before the princess turned her attention back towards the noble. “Attacking our mate with lethal intention was a grievous miscalculation.  Do not worry though, we shall end your life right here.” “Luna, no!” Eric called out, rushing towards the mare. “He isn’t worth it Luna.  Let him go,” Eric reasoned.  Contemplating on whether she should allow the scum of nobility to live, Luna relented with a sigh as her breathing returned to normal along with her eyes.  With one final look the mare turned away from the noble as a pair of guards hauled him off to the infirmary before processing him. “We are sorry you had to see that.  It is not often we lose our temper like that,” Luna stated in a sorrowful tone.  She was met with the comforting embrace of her friend, which the mare returned in eager. “Are you two alright?” The concerned voice of Celestia asked. “Yeah, I think so.  Thank you for blocking that by the way.  I’m not sure if I told you this, but humans and lightning don’t really mix well together,” Eric added with a laugh. “I am just glad that I was able to intercept the spell in time.  I’m also glad to see Luna was quick in subduing the suspect.” “I would have done more than that if Eric hadn’t stopped me,” Luna commented before nuzzling under the human’s chin. “So what do you suppose we should do now.  I honestly didn’t expect this situation to turn out like it did.”  Celestia put a hoof to her chin in thought before turning towards one of her guards. “Guard, please inform everypony that Day-Court is closed for today and that I apologize for any inconvenience.” “Yes mam!” the guard replied with a salute. “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I wouldn’t mind a quick nap.  Perhaps afterwards we can visit the grand re-opening of the Canterlot Library.  I have a feeling Twilight is just dying to see you again,” Celestia teased.  Eric could only roll his eyes at his friend’s statement.  It was true though, it had been a while since he had last seen the little bookworm.  He was just wondering what sort of trouble she had gotten herself into this time.