A New Era

by Bluecatcinema


Twilight's Dawn

Twilight Sparkle, newly-crowned ruling Princess of Equestria, awoke in her royal quarters, ready to start her first day on the job. For a brief moment, her still-drowsy mind wondered why it was still so dark.

'...Oh, right.' She realised, picking up an amulet situated on the bedside cabinet with her magic. 'This is going to take some getting used to...'

Twilight invoked the amulet's magic, causing the moon to fall and the sun to rise. She looked out of the bedroom window, observing the rising sun lighting up Canterlot.

"Ruler of Equestria, day one." She thought aloud. "So far, so good..."

After making her bed, brushing her mane and washing up, Twilight left her quarters, and entered the room next door. Inside was Spike, her royal advisor, sleeping in his own bed.

"Rise and shine, Spike!" Twilight hollered. "We've got a big day ahead of us!"

"I'm up, I'm up." The groggy Spike sat up and stretched. "Ahhh. Such a great night's sleep. These royal beds are really something, huh?"

"If you say so." Twilight rolled her eyes. "Now come on. Time for breakfast."

"Right behind ya, Twi." Spike, suddenly full of energy, grabbed his royal advisor pendant and leapt off the bed.

"Some things never change." Twilight chuckled. "The mention of food always got you raring to go."

"Less talk, more moving!" Spike flew past her.

Shortly after, down in the royal dining room, Twilight and Spike enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes and syrup (with gems on Spike's stack).

"Are you certain you don't want anything else, your highness?" The chief royal chef asked from his position beside Twilight's chair.

"I'm fine, thank you." Twilight said courteously, adding a touch more syrup to her stack. "I still have plenty of pancakes to get through."

"As you wish, Princess." The chief royal chef said flatly.

"I wouldn't mind a few extra gems." Spike chipped in. "And some whipped cream, too."

"Coming right up, royal advisor." The chief royal chef nodded.

As the chef left the room, Twilight raised an eyebrow in Spike's direction.

"What?" Spike shrugged. "It's literally his job. Besides, it was getting a little awkward for him to just be standing there, waiting for orders. All this servant stuff is going to take some getting used to..."

"We both knew this would be a big adjustment." Twilight pointed out, at the same time noting how Spike was unknowingly echoing her earlier thoughts. "All we can do is take it one change at a time."

"Sounds like a plan." Spike jabbed his fork into his stack.

"And try not to eat too many pancakes." Twilight added. "We've got a very busy day ahead of us. I memorised our whole itinerary before bed last night."

"Of course you did." Spike snarked. "Relax, Twi. Once I get my extra gems and whipped cream, I'll finish my stack, and we can get going."

As Spike finished his sentence, the chief chef returned.

"Your extra gems and whipped cream, sir." He announced, placing a bowl of gems and a spray can on the table.

"Much obliged." Spike grinned. He picked some gems out of the bowl and sprinkled them over his stack, then sprayed some whipped cream on top. "I'm starting to think I could get used to this after all..." He smirked, just before taking a bite out of his improved breakfast.

Rolling her eyes, Twilight had another forkful of pancake.

After breakfast, Twilight and Spike began to tackle their royal duties for the day. The list was a long one, consisting of meetings with the town planners, cutting the ribbon at a new restaurant, and entertaining delegates from Whinnyapolis, Trottingham and Manehattan. Things were so busy, Twilight and Spike were only able to attain a brief respite, just after 11 o'clock.

"Hoo, boy." Spike collapsed into his seat beside Twilight's throne. "That was exhausting. And the day's not even half over."

"I like to keep busy, but this is a little more work than I'm used to." Twilight admitted. "Still, it's all for a good cause. Every meeting, every diplomatic discussion, even every ribbon-cutting ceremony, helps make Equestria a better place."

"There it is." A familar-sounding disembodied voice echoed around the throne room. "There's the classic mix of mushiness and insight we've all come to love... Nice to know becoming top pony hasn't changed you, Twilight."

"Discord..." Twilight rolled her eyes. "You do know it's rude not to look somepony in the face when you're talking to them, right?"

Discord appeared before them, dressed in the outfit of a royal courtier.

"Spoilsport." He pouted. "Guess things really haven't changed that much."

"You're telling me." Spike snarked.

"Not that I don't like seeing you, but we're kind of in-between important royal business at the moment." Twilight told Discord.

"Oh, I know." Discord smiled. "I snuck a peek at your royal itinerary earlier, so I'd know the absolute best time to drop by and check up on you. Wasn't that considerate of me?"

"By your standards? ...Yeah, it actually was." Spike admitted. "Expect for the whole 'spying on your friends' thing..."

"Somecreatures are never satisfied." Discord shook his head. "So, I take it your first day on the job is going well?"

"So far, yes." Twilight admitted. "We're still settled into things, like the castle..."

"Speaking of which, I see Luna and Cay-Cay spared no expense fixing up the place." Discord glanced around the room, taking particular note of the new stained glass windows. "One last flexing of their royal muscles, huh?"

"Well, it's not like we could take up residence in a wrecked castle." Twilight pointed out.

"And I couldn't help but notice the terrible trio have been placed right where I used to be." Discord pulled out a remote, pointed it in the direction of one of the new windows (which had been made to commemorate Twilight's coronation), and pushed a button. The window briefly changed to an image of static, then to a view of the royal gardens. Sure enough, the petrified forms of Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek and Cozy Glow stood out amongst the other statues, in the same spot Discord's petrified form had once resided. "Not sure if I should be amused by the irony, or insulted by the comparison..."

"Let's all just hope those three don't break out in a thousand years." Spike said darkly. "Future Equestria sure doesn't need that..."

"If they do, I'm sure there will be those willing to stand up to them." Twilight declared. "Just like they did this time around."

"About that: I'd just like to apologize for that whole unfortunate mess with those three troublemakers." Discord said awkwardly. "I never expected things to turn out so badly..."

"I know you meant well." Twilight admitted. "And Spike and the others told me how you risked your life to help them escape from those three. That was very brave of you."

"It was, wasn't it?" Discord smirked proudly. "And thanks to that act of supreme bravery, you and your friends managed to rally for a counter attack. Very impressive, no?"

"Enough to make up for the fact that you caused the problem in the first place, with that big plan of yours to boost Twilight's confidence." Spike snarked.

"And what a plan it was." Discord sighed proudly. "It was going to be my magnum opus. My crowning achievement... No pun intended. To bring about the greatest victory in Equestria's history, and prove Twilight was undeniably ready to rule. But even the best laid plans... well, you know." He shrugged. Ah, well. At least it all worked out in the end, right?"

"Just barely." Twilight acknowledged. "A lot like all of the other times Equestria was saved, to be honest..."

"Bad guys defeated? Check." Spike started counting on his fingers. "Good guys stronger than ever? Check. Everycreature learned a valuable lesson abut the power of friendship? Check. Twilight ready to take the throne and become Equestria's new ruler? That's a big check."

"...So, when you think about it, my plan actually did work." Discord smirked. "You stepped up to become the ruler we all knew you could be. And it was all thanks to me!"

Twilight and Spike threw Discord identical unamused glares.

"Yes, well..." Discord cleared his throat. "I'll admit there were a few variables I didn't think to account for..." He changed his outfit to that of a general. "But as they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy. At least one of those variables was a big back-up army, helping save the day after my little... slip-up." He returned to his usual look. "Which brings me back to my 'it all worked out in the end' point."

"I wouldn't say it all worked out just yet." Twilight pointed out. "There are still a few things left to clean up from that whole mess. But we all made it through okay, and that's what matters."

"Maybe next time you come up with a grand scheme, you could run it by some friends first." Spike suggested

"Very seriously noted, Mr. 'royal advisor'." Discord bowed theatrically. "I can see why Twilight gave you the job. Guess that proves nepotism isn't always a bad thing..."

"As good as it is to talk with you, Spike and I have to get back to our royal duties soon." Twilight declared. "We still have to meet with the trade committee before having a luncheon with the Trottingham delegates. And after that, we have an appearance at the groundbreaking ceremony over at the site of the new embassy, then we need to have talks with the mayor of Manehattan, and then we have to look over the proposal for a new railroad to be built between here and Yakyakistan..."

"Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate." Discord joked, holding aloft a plate filled with scrolls, letters, and other documents. "And you know me, I hate to distract anypony from their important work..."

"Since when?" Spike snarked.

Discord answered by dropping the contents of the plate over Spike, burying him.

"Anyway it's almost time for me to depart, too. I have to head over to Fluttershy's for our usual tea party." Discord announced. "I'll tell her you said 'hi', and that you're really hitting the 'ruler of Equestria' thing out of the park." He changed himself into a baseball player, and swung his bat at the air.

"Thanks, Discord." Twilight smiled. "I appreciate that."

"What am I, chopped hay?" Spike pushed aside all the paperwork. "Tell Fluttershy I said 'hi' too."

"Of course, of course." Discord nodded. "Just so long as you remember to let me know the next time you're available for an O & O session. Between your new royal advisorly duties and Big Mac's new marital status, I get the feeling our guys' nights aren't going to be as frequent as they used to, even if I can just snap you two into the game world the second I hear you're both available..."

"I'll keep you posted." Spike assured him. "Trust me, I'll miss guys' night just as much as you. I was there at the beginning, remember?"

"Way to pull rank, Garbunkle." Discord joked.

"You know, there's nothing stopping you from finding other friends to play O & O with." Twilight suggested. "Sure, it's been you, Spike and Big Mac's thing for a while, but if you like playing it so much, you could invite others to join in on the fun when Spike and Big Mac aren't available."

"I suppose I could..." Discord mused. "You wouldn't mind, would you, Garbunkle?" he asked Spike, changing into his roleplaying persona.

"Of course not, Captain Wuzz." Spike said fairly. "In fact, me and Sir McBiggen would love to have a few extra players the next time we're all available."

"Wonderful!" Discord grinned. "I must say, this little visit has given me a lot to consider. And like I said, it's time for tea with Fluttershy, so I'll have to save the considering for a little later. But don't worry: I'll be dropping by to check on you again real soon."

"Of course you will." Twilight smiled wryly.

"I put a lot of effort into helping you get where you are, filly." Discord pointed out. "Can't really blame me for expecting great things from you."

"I'll try to make sure you're not disappointed." Twilight said sarcastically.

"That's all I ask." Discord smiled. "Toodles!"

Discord vanished in a flash of light, leaving Twilight and Spike alone again. Twilight took a moment to check the time, teleporting a pocketwatch in front of her.

"Come on, Spike." She stepped off her throne, making the watch disappear. "Time to get back to work."

"So much for our break." Spike sighed. "Still, at least there'll be food provided at the luncheon..."

The meeting with the trade committee went as well as could be expected, though the luncheon was slightly less successful; while Twilight had been able to reach several accords with the delegates regarding how to improve Canterlot/Trottingham relations, there were still one or two items that required further discussion at a later date.

"Guess ya can't win 'em all." Spike sighed as the delegates were escorted out of the dining room. "You okay, Twi?"

"I'm fine, Spike." Twilight assured him. "It would have been nice to settle everything in one meeting, but I've learned my lesson about being obsessed with perfection, remember?"

"Boy, do I..." Spike snarked, recalling the events that led to said lesson.

"Besides, there's always next time." Twilight pointed out. She teleported in the pocketwatch again. "And speaking of time, we need to get to the groundbreaking ceremony, fast."

"Right behind ya." Spike smiled, following Twilight as she flew off to their next engagement.

The rest of the day went more-or-less smoothly. The only hiccup lay with the proposed railroad to Yakyakistan; the city budget had been seriously dented by the castle's reconstruction, leaving some of the council unwilling to spend so much of what was left on laying tracks all the way to the Frozen North. Thankfully, one of Twilight's patented speeches on the importance of keeping friends and allies close had convinced enough council members to cast their votes in favour of the new line.

"Classic Twilight." Spike grinned as they departed from the council building. "'This new railroad won't just be a line to Yakyakistan, but a line to our yak friends, and a way to bring us all closer together'. You've still got it, Twi."

"I am still the Princess of Friendship, remember?" Twilight smiled. "Ruler of Equestria or no, that's something I don't plan on changing."

"Good for you." Spike gave her a thumbs up. "But I noticed some of the council members who didn't vote for the line weren't too happy with the result."

"You can't please everypony." Twilight shrugged. "We can only hope those council members will see the light sooner or later. But until they do, we just have to keep pressing forward in our attempts at bringing creatures together."

"Like I said, classic Twilight." Spike chuckled.

"Classic Spike." Twilight ruffled her royal advisor's spines. "Now for the next item on the list..."

After some more royal business, the day reached its end. Once she had double-checked that all her royal duties for the day were complete, Twilight used her amulet to lower the sun and raise the moon. After that came a supper of toast and fried oats for Twilight, and oatmeal and gems for Spike.

"Heck of a day, huh?" Spike asked between mouthfuls.

"You can say that again." Twilight agreed.

"I could, but I'm too tired." Spike joked.

"Then you should get yourself a good night's sleep." Twilight declared. "According to the schedule, tomorrow will be almost as busy as today was."

"Guess that's the royal life for ya." Spike shrugged. "Working our tails off for a better Equestria. Not exactly how I imagined my future, but like you said, it's for a good cause..."

"No matter what the future may hold, as long as we face it together, there's nothing we can't do." Twilight pointed out.

"As your royal advisor, and friend, I can do no less than stick by your side." Spike pledged. "Just like always."

"Of that, I have no doubt." Twilight smiled. She knew Spike was going to say something to that effect, but hearing him say it aloud warmed her heart. "Okay, let's finish up here, then head off to bed."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Spike grinned, shovelling another spoonful of gem-laced oatmeal into his mouth.

After finishing supper, both Princess and royal advisor made their way up to their bedrooms.

"See you tomorrow, your highness." Spike grinned playfully.

"You too, royal advisor." Twilight chuckled. "Get plenty of sleep. I'll need you rested and alert for tomorrow's workload."

"With a bed like the one I've got now, that's not gonna be a problem." Spike nodded.

The two entered their respective rooms. Spike headed straight for his bed, dropping off to sleep the second his head hit the pillow.

Meanwhile, Twilight had yet to get into her own bed. Instead, she opened one of her dresser's drawers, and took out a book. Not just any book, but the book of memories she had been gifted by her friends just after her coronation. She looked through the enchanted pages, gazing fondly at the animated records of the wonderful moments she had shared with her Ponyville friends.

"I miss you, girls." She sighed wistfully. "But we'll see each other again soon. And until then, I'll be doing everything I can to be the best ruler of Equestria I can be." She smiled brightly. "And I'll have a few ideas ready for when the Council of Friendship holds its first meeting. Hope you all can say the same..."

Twilight closed the book, and returned it to its drawer. She got into bed soon after, just as exhausted as Spike was from the day's events. But at the same time, she was content over successfully completing her first day of rule. Her reign was only just beginning, and she had big plans regarding how to make Equestria a better place. And as always, the biggest plans involved having her friends by her side. Together, they were going to accomplish great things. But until then, Twilight, aided as always by Spike, was going to continue holding down the fort, keeping Canterlot, and by extension, the rest of Equestria, in check, and working to ensure a brighter future not just for ponies, but for everycreature.

'We're just getting started...' She thought, moments before dropping off to sleep.