Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 3
By TDR
Gibbous ponies play,
Part 1
[The Next morning, Friendship Express]
“… I mean Cloudsdale should have hosted the games one year.” Rainbow Dash sighed leaning back against her seat on the train her wings drooping. “I was super excited as a foal too, but it went to Fillidelphia..... AGAIN! These games only happen every four years and Fillidelphia has had it the last eight times! What the heck are they bribing the inspector with?”
The group of six sat in their own train car as the train chugged northward. Twilight and Big Mac were sharing one seat... not the bench, one seat, Mac looked some what uncomfortable with the purple mare in his lap. Rarity was reclined over another seat nearby, with Rainbow Dash alternating hovering and sitting in various seats as she rambled. Fluttershy sat near by Rarity and Pinkie Pie was pretty much all over the train car.
“A lot of bits and a manor or two according to many of the gossip columns darling, but that is thus far only rumors and speculation.” Rarity added with a wave of her hoof.
“Hmm...is that what they say?” Twilight muttered, her ear twitching as she looked out the window at the snow covered landscape.
The five of them looked over at Twilight, or in Mac's case down at Twilight.
“Care to elaborate on that darling?” Rarity asked.
“Legally I can't.” Twilight sighed turning back to the others.”That case was, however, one of the Day Court sessions I sat in for while I was under Princesses Celestia's tutelage. Suffice to say several ponies were fired, a couple jailed, fines were levied, property seized, and Fillidelphia is banned from hosting the games for no less than forty years. Plus there are a host of new rules and regulations involving the games inspector. To start with no one even knows who it is until they step off the train.”
“Huh.. well then. The Crystal ponies lost a thousand years to that stupid curse...”
“It's not a curse....” Twilight corrected.” There's no such...”
“... There's no way we're going to let them feel the pain of losing out on hosting the games!” Rainbow Dash continued ignoring Twilight's protest as she slapped her hooves together in determination.
“Exactly, we're gonna make sure everything goes off without a hitch and every pony has fun... or is it every pony and buggy now?” Pinkie Pie added.
“There is a limit to what we are allowed to do. And while Princess Celestia would have loved if Applejack came as well to help due to her honesty, she trusts me to make sure we follow the new rules. Posh accommodation and food are allowed, as is checking the local spots to make sure everything is perfect for the tourists and competitors that would be there. Out right bribery, of any sort, is right out. The amount of bits that will be changing hooves for these games is insane and that's before the games even start.” Twilight sighed. “With the Empire just now starting to recover, the games could bring attention to a number of possible pit falls and plights of the Empire that still need to be addressed by Equss as a whole. Not to mention I expect Chrysalis to try and show that changelings and ponies can live together peacefully.”
“Really? I didn't think it had been that long since Chrysalis went to talk to Princess Cadence and your brother.” Fluttershy added.”If changelings are already in the Crystal Empire she certainly works fast.”
Twilight rubbed her temples.” You have NO idea Fluttershy and I'm going to have a word with my brother about that when we get there.”
Big Mac let out a sigh, he wasn't looking forward to finally meeting her big brother directly in a situation where Shining knew who he was and what he was doing. Spike didn't care, Rahs could be easily bribed with a few apples and was pretty much all show on his threats any way just for drama's sake. Twilight Velvet just wanted grand foals and was quite vocal about it, how the mare had gotten a hold of his medical records he had no idea. Night Light was the only other one who worried him. The older stallion had yet to say anything directly beyond trying to stare him down, but there were plenty of rather iffy situations that he had been put in due to Twilight's father. The crossbow flock came to mind readily as well as a few rather intimidating dinners with them. Now he was meeting the over protective older brother, a older brother who had crushed a dragon in his shield and regularly hunted monsters before he got married and moved up here to the Empire. And given what Big Mac had planned for any one who went after Applejack, he couldn't do much about Spike and Applebloom considering...
This was not gonna be fun.
Big Mac glanced at Twilight's suitcase that had been stuffed under one of the seats.
This was mostly, not gonna be fun.
[Crystal Empire]
“So how were we going to work this?” Chrysalis sighed looking over the breakfast table in a smaller side room of the palace. “I've only got a hundred and one in the empire including myself and Saturnia as per the agreement. I understand studying the Heart for a year before I can bring in any more is needed, but it's going to be hard to convince any one that changelings are living in harmony with ponies with such a small number.”
“Most of the changelings are out in the open now and working on rebuilding parts of the city. “ Shining armor added sitting back in his chair on the other side of the table as he munched on some toast. ”While the crystal ponies were a little leery of them at first, the fact that they are trying to help and that no one really remembers anything but old mares tales about them is helping quite a lot. Generally they've been accepted save a few hide bound ones here and there and a few of the more stubborn Heart Guard.”
“But is it enough to show what's needed? And better still is it going to cause issues with the games inspector.” Chrysalis sighed. “If I would have known plan A and B would have come back to bite me like this when something better came along I would have done things differently.”
“Hind sight is twenty twenty.” Cadence offered taking a sip of tea, she had avoided coffee like it was a venomous snake since the Empire had been reclaimed. “Given the games are supposed to showcase how ponies live in harmony the changelings here shouldn't be any issue. I plan to have Saturnia with me when I speak with the inspector as well.”
“If you can manage to keep her awake during the day.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes.
“She's trying to match Rahs' sleep schedule.” Shining offered. “ Granted she needs to sleep nearly all the time to pull that off.”
“Still that's probably the better plan. I'm not well liked in Canterlot.” Chrysalis sighed.
“Neither are my siblings.” Shining chuckled.” But I've got to over see the basic running of everything and Cadence has to get gussied up for the meeting. That means you get the job of helping my sister and her friends.”
“Okay full disclosure sweet flanks, your sister scares the crap out of me, and I regularly fight Celestia to the death.” Chrysalis added.
“Which is why you should try to make friends.” Cadence smirked. ”Besides if I let Shiny be their point of contact he'd spend the whole time trying to threaten Big Mac away from dating her.”
“Not the whole time.” Shining Armor protested getting a halfhearted glare from both the mares.
“At any rate you can try to guide her to heavier concentrations of changelings working with the crystal ponies. I'd suggest bringing the games inspector to many of the rebuilt areas and perhaps one of Sunburst's classes. Hosting the games here next year would be a great boost to the economy as well as to the morale of the empire as a whole.” Cadence finished. “So lets try to make sure everything goes well today.”