//------------------------------//
// SBGGPP: Chapter 3 - The Tribunal 
// Story: Sweetie Belle's Guide to Global Pony Politics 
// by Solaris Vult 
//------------------------------//

6:00 AM. 11th of Aquiline. 1612 APR. Central Crystal Empire. The Grand Crystal City.

The princess held the disc in her magic. When news came that Celestia was, at last, making an appearance for the first time in almost a decade, the entire empire cheered, perhaps, at last, they were going to get their ponanitarian aid. And finally, a recording disc of the event had arrived, a small cylindrical crystal, when activated with a touch of magic it would display the recording inside… Her guards, their captain Flash Sentry, and her secretary/advisor, Radiant Hope, gathered in the throne room.

The crystal was placed on the ground, and then, with the slightest touch of pale blue magic, the crystal began to project an image in the air, the image was a monochromatic blue, using the arcane energies of the pony who activated the recording… Soon, the image took up the entire room, and the ponies watched in interest. “Today marks a historical moment in our great kingdom’s history, as ponies from all across the nation come to see the return of their mighty princess!” The narrator began.

The recording panned over the herds of ponies walking through Canterlot, from the train station to the castle, there must have been at least a million of them all in the city at once… Ponies were crying, hugging, hoping that their princess would solve their problems, hoping that the return of the princess would spark a new golden age of peace and harmony, as the narrator was so kind to point out, as if that wasn’t obvious. The view cut to the Canterlot Castle Courtyard, the image of Prince Blueblood stepping up to the second-floor balcony overlooking the courtyard. Cadence’s face turned sour staring at that stallion, where was the princess?

The prince gave a speech about himself and how much he did for the kingdom, before, at last, introducing the Princess, the doors to the courtyard opened, and Celestia stepped out, she was tired, unkempt, she looked sad, angry, and above all else, pitying. A slight hope flared in Cadence’s chest, perhaps, at last, her ponies in the Crystal Empire will have their hope, perhaps, at last, her ponies will survive the winter without any casualties, without starving and freezing.

Then, the Princess gave her speech, how she failed Equestria, how she was unworthy of being a princess, how she said she was leaving, forever.. Then, the flash of light, she was gone… There was a moment’s pause, both in the recording and in Cadence's throne room, then the ponies in the recording went into a manic riot.

    “C-Celestia has abandoned us!” Flash Sentry gasped.

    “Doesn’t she know how many ponies are going to die up here!” Radiant Hope growled.

Cadence rose from her throne, and with an armored hoof, smashed the recording disc without a second thought as the ponies in the recording were trying to break down the door into the Canterlot Castle’s Throne-Room. The magical recording paused, then dissipated… “Celestia, and all the ponies of Equestria, have forgotten us, betrayed us!” the princess growled… A freezing gust of air washed through the Crystal Castle, even though all the windows were fused shut against the everlasting blizzard outside. That wasn’t what made Flash shiver, it was the look in the princess’ face… “I will protect my ponies, and my kingdom, no matter the cost, I will keep them all alive, I will not see another of my ponies die without reason…” Her voice had an eerie calm in it. She turned, wings flaring, “Radiant Hope! Do you still keep the Key?”

    “Y-Yes…” She said, not liking where this was going.

    “Bring it to me… I am going to do what I should have done ages ago…” She turned again, “Flash Sentry! Bring my Shining Armor, now!”

Flash paused, but in that moment of hesitation, the room grew icy-cold, “A-At once!”





8:00 AM. 11th of Aquiline. 1612 APR. Central Equestria. Canterlot Castle.

The Tribunal consisted of all the various political, economic, and public heads of state… Crystal Glow, Ironhoof, White Horn, Copper Spanner, Rusty Waves, Tops, Gladmane, Numerica, Poppy Bread, and of course, Silver Spoon… These ponies were all the mayors of the major cities across the kingdom, normally Ponyville wouldn’t have been counted among their number, but Silver Spoon was here for a different reason, being one of the ponies who helped orchestrate this event. Next came Chancellor Neighsay, Chief Secretary Pearl Flare, and Vice Secretary Berry Mash, the heads of the EEA. Fancypants and his wife Fleur-De-Lis, the head of the Royal Banking Institution and Chief of the Royal Treasury respectively. The former Princess’ secretary and advisor, Raven Inkwell, along with the Commander of the Royal Guard, Silver Sable. Finally there was the Lacunae Lacklilyian, evidently a distant relative of Princess Celestia, although, exactly how was not clear, the papers referencing her were sketchy to say the least, but she still had a right to be present, even if she was only barely related to royalty. The mare had a pair of leathery wings and fangs, a thestral, and clearly made everyone else slightly nervous, Sweetie Belle didn’t care. As the pony primarily responsible for organizing the tribunal, she was required, unfortunately… She radiated nervousness as she sat around a round-table with ponies vastly more important and prestigious than her. Prince Blueblood was also present, his tail shaved clean and wrapped in bandages, his face swollen where Silver Spoon kicked him, the two staring each-other down with venom in their eyes.

    “Is that everypony?” Inkwell began as the last visitor took their seats, “Then, if there are no objections-”

The door to the conference room burst open and in trotted a mare with a grey mane and grey coat, and lime and a rock on her flanks, black star painted on her chest and a sledgehammer tied to her side… Sweetie recognized her immediately as one of the ponies in the crowd, how she got past security with such an obvious weapon was beyond her though. “I should have a right to be here!

    “And who in Celestia’s name are you supposed to be! This is a gathering of the leaders of Equestria!” Shouted Neighsay.

    “I am Limestone Pie, a worker in the Mount Canter Mines, and I am here to represent the will of the common working mare…”

    “On whose authority!” Blueblood interjected.

    “On my own authority.”

    “Guards, escort this commoner out this instant,” Fleur-De-Lis said.

    “No, she can stay…” Sweetie Belle said, earning her glares from several others around the table.

Blueblood was about to counter when Silver Spoon stepped in, “I agree, this tribunal concerns all the ponies of Equestria, not just your nobility.”

    “Preposterous! If you let that sort of riff-raff in who knows-” Began Pearl Flare, earning a smile and nod from Neighsay, however, they were cut off by Limestone.

    “This ‘riff-raff’ is responsible for keeping all you stuck-ups fed and cared for, without us your kingdom would fall apart, we have the right to know who we’re working for and why.”

Sweetie Belle nodded, she also really didn’t have any right to be here, and it would be stupid to refuse Limestone, especially as she certainly didn’t have an important job or noble blood, she was just here because of the massive mob of ponies still in the courtyard. “The working pony must have a say in their new leadership, let us not forget, Blueblood, that under the rule of the nobility, there have been several questionable decrees passed that have led to mass-poverty and the deaths of millions from famine and disease,” Sweetie Belle’s eyes glared directly into the prince’s eyes, he had been allowed to get away with his downright theft for years now, as he was Princess Celestia’s representative, but it didn’t take a political genius to see that he had abused his authority, Sweetie Belle would bet every bit she owned that by the end of the week, Blueblood would be dragged in chains into the Canterlot dungeons, if not outright lynched by the angry mobs of the homeless and destitute who couldn’t afford to pay Blueblood’s outrageous taxes.

Blueblood slumped in his seat, some pinpricks of sweat forming on his coat, the moment the Princess vanished, so did Blueblood’s authority, one way or another, his future wasn’t looking bright.

    “Speaking of riff-raff,” Neighsay continued, somehow injecting even more venom in his words, “What is that… Beast… Doing here!” He pointed a hoof across the table at the thestral, Lacunae Lacklilyian.

    “I,” The mare began in a rather deep but still feminine voice, “am the granddaughter of Nyx Imperia, who was the brother of Aurora Imperia, great-granddaughter of Midnight Nova, who was the adoptive daughter of Princess Celestia’s sister, Princess Luna.”

    “That is insane! Luna did not exist!” Neighsay countered, “And even if she did, our kind, especially a Princess, would never associate with your mutated kin! You do not even have a drop of royal blood!”

    “Luna very much did exist, my clan has physical proof! And I am the last surviving descendant of Luna, which makes me one of only three ponies with any semblance of a claim to the throne! The other two, if I am not mistaken, are also sitting in this very room,” The mare’s wings pointed at Fleur and Blueblood.

Neighsay was about to continue the argument when Silver Sable cut him off, “That is enough, Neighsay, she is a pony and is to be treated as such! In fact, I am rather happy to see a thestral in our midst.”

    “As a member of the Royal Guard, you at the very least, must have some record of Princess Luna,” Lacklilyian continued.

    “I do, in fact. Not only that, but we have the armor of the Night Guard, and Princess Luna’s very own halberd, the Erebus Crescentia.”

    “I thought I ordered those accused artifacts destroyed!” Blueblood shouted.

    “I scanned over them myself and couldn’t feel a trace of dark magic in them, I had them put into the Canterlot armory under lock-and-key.”

    “You never informed me of this!”

    “Blueblood!” Numerica, Mayor of Hoofington, shouted, “Would you kindly shut your mouth!”

    “Thank you, Numerica,” Raven Inkwell said. “I was getting sick of the shouting, and quite frankly now is not the time to argue over family lineage or historical accuracy, we are in a very real and very current crisis.”

    “We need to choose a leader, it doesn’t matter who or what they are, because, without a figure to look up to ponies are going to panic,” Ironhoof, the gruff stallion that was mayor of Fillydelphia, said.

    “You are correct, we must do our best to avoid a schism,” Berry Mash said, unlike his superiors, his face was clearly very worried.

    “First,” Inkwell began, “We must select our next leader…”

    “We need a prince or princess, the only two with claim to the throne are Prince Blueblood and Duchess Fleur-De-Lis… Blueblood is the adoptive son of Princess Celestia and thus has the most claim to the throne,” Gladmane, Mayor of Las Pegasus said.

    “And what of Lacklilyian?” Silver Spoon asked.

    “While I assure you I have nothing against Thestrals, she is far too distant to the crown to be considered a true heir…”

    “Blueblood has proven himself incompetent and has lost the faith of the people,” Rusty Waves, Mayor of Vanhoover, replied, “It cannot be him, there would be an open revolt!”

    “The only possible candidate then is Fleur,” Said Fancypants, Fleur, who had been completely silent for the entire tribunal thus far, nodded.

    “I say we don’t choose another monarch at all,” Limestone said, breaking her silence. The entire tribunal turned their heads, some questioningly, some angrily.

    “I agree,” Silver Spoon said, warranting some more angry glares, “Princess Celestia was the first, and greatest, monarch this kingdom will ever see, it would be a disgrace to replace her.”

    “That is insane!” Neighsay shouted, “We have always been a monarchy-”

    “It is blasphemy!” Fleur-De-Lis broke her silence.

    “Exactly!’ Pearl Flare backed up Neighsay’s shouts, “Think of Griffonstone! Those beasts don’t have a monarch, their little council has led them into ruin!”

    White Horn, mayor of Dodge City, continued “I do not care who rules the kingdom, as long as it is a pure-blooded pony and not, that,” The mare pointed a hoof at the thestral.

    “Agreed, to both of you,” Neighsay replied to both Pearl and White, “It must be Fleur then!”

    “I agree with Silver Spoon and Limestone Pie,” Tops, the skinny stallion who was Mayor of Tall Tale said, earning him a glare from Gladmane, in the seat beside him, “What! It makes sense, no single pony could possibly live up to Celestia’s greatness, a council, or an elected representative, would have the best chance of succeeding!”

    “At least we are in agreement that it cannot be Blueblood,” Copper Spanner, Mayor of Manehattan, concluded.

Blueblood glared in his seat, at this he finally worked up the nerve to say something “I have at least tried my best to keep the kingdom together in Princess Celestia’s absence! Crystal Glow! You support me!”

Crystal Glow, a large pegasus mare who prided herself as mayor of Cloudsdale simply replied, “At one point I would have, but in light of recent events I can no longer support your claim to the throne of Equestria.” Silver Spoon failed to suppress a smirk at the fear in Blueblood’s eyes.

Copper Spanner reiterated, “It cannot be Blueblood, nor do I think it should be Fleur-De-Lis.”

    “What! Are you siding with those peasants or the bat!” Neighsay shouted.

    “I will not be under the reign of a plutocrat again… As many of you are aware, Manehattan is dying, poverty and homelessness has risen almost three-hundred percent, and when I wrote a letter to the Canterlot Royal Treasury, demanding subsidies and stimulus to aid in the construction of shelters and new jobs, you know what Fleur said!” Fleur harshly glared at Copper as she talked, “We do not concern ourselves with mundane matters, as if the ponies, my ponies, dying on the street, unable to feed themselves, unable to find shelter from the harsh weather of the Celestial Sea, is somehow a mundane matter…” She paused, “Either Lacunae Lacklilyian, or Limestone’s suggestion of a council-”

    “You cannot expect me to believe this rubbish!” White Horn burst out, “A pony, siding with that- that- monster!”

    “Calm down, White Horn,” Inkwell said, trying to keep the discussion civil.

    “Do you have any idea the lengths I’ve gone to try and keep that thing’s kin out of our kingdom! Do you have any idea how much I’ve paid the Church of Celestia Sol to deal with them!” There was a moment’s pause, half the tribunal staring at White Horn with sudden disgust, Lacklilyian with horror and fury, Neighsay and Pearl schooled their expressions to ones of professional calm, Blueblood’s ears just flattened.

    “You!” Lacklilyian began, “You were paying those cultists to murder and burn my fellow Thestrals!”

Silver Sable’s horn lit and the gem on the chestplate of her armor lit up, enchanted with a telepathy spell, “Guards, arrest Mayor White Horn this instant, she is found guilty of supporting a terrorist group.”

White Horn, suddenly realizing what she had just admitted to, prepared to bolt out of the room, throwing open a door, only to be greeted by a royal guard unicorn on the other side, who fired a stunning spell at the mare before she had time to register the pony blocking her path. White Horn dropped to the floor with a thunk and was quickly carried away by the guards.

    “Before this gets any more out-of-hoof” Raven Inkwell continued, “All in favor of Prince Blueblood, raise your hooves,” Out of the twenty, now nineteen that White Horn had been dragged away, only one pony raised their hoof, and that was Blueblood himself. “Now, all in favor of Fleur-De-Lis claim to the throne?” Fleur, Fancypants, Neighsay, Pearl Flare, and Gladmane, raised their hooves. “Those in support of Lacklilyian?” Silver Sable, Copper Spanner, Crystal Glow, and Berry Mash, earning him a stern glare from his superiors, all raised their hooves. Surprisingly, Lacunae herself did not raise a hoof.

    “I am personally in support of a rule-of-the-people, a method in which the ponies vote upon their leader, a democracy,” Said Lacklilyian.

    “I was getting to that,” Raven said, “All those in favor of getting rid of the monarchy?”

Sweetie Belle, Silver Spoon, Lacklilyian, Limestone Pie, Rusty Waves, Copper Spanner again, Tops, Numerica, Poppy Bread, hesitantly Silver Sable raised her hoof again, followed by Crystal Glow, and then even Raven Inkwell herself. “If you raise your hoof you will be fired the moment we return to the EEA Administration, without your paycheck this month,” Neighsay growled at Berry Mash, who raised his hoof anyway.

    “That’s that I suppose,” Raven said, thirteen votes in support of instating a democratic system of governance.

Neighsay and Pearl Flare burst out of their seats and marched out of the room, shouting “Does any pony have any respect for tradition anymore!”

    “I guess that means I will need to schedule a vote for the first Chancellor of Equestria… Before that, however, we must make a public statement regarding the change of governance.”

    “How will your ponies take such a radical change?” Lacklilyian asked.

    “We are ponies, many of us are traditionalists, however, with all the poverty and strife created by Blueblood’s administration, there will undoubtedly be overwhelming support for this movement, as it will allow those impoverished or discriminated to make their voices heard in the government,” Rusty Waves informed.

    “Agreed, and I have no doubt the ponies of Ponyville will be given new hope by this development,” Silver Spoon said.

    “I just hope some of the more radical elements of society keep themselves silent…” Silver Sable said.

    “After the show White Horn and Neighsay put on…” Sweetie Belle muttered darkly.

    “I’m more concerned about Equestria’s enemies, we aren’t exactly on the best terms with the Dragons, or Griffons, they could take this moment of transition as a point of weakness,” Numerica replied.

    “You have the support of Equestria’s Working Class!” Limestone said.

    “And the support of Thestralkind,” Lacklilyian said.

    “Thank you, your contributions will not go unrewarded,” Raven Inkwell said, bowing to the two as she left the room, going to check her schedules.





8:00 AM. 11th of Aquiline. 1612 APR. Central Crystal Empire. The Grand Crystal City.

It was frigid, colder than even outside the castle. A series of guards were hauling the crystal coffin with the prince’s bones in them down the stairs, followed by Flash Sentry. In the front of the procession was Radiant Hope, holding a key cut from obsidian, just in front of the Princess.

They stopped in front of a door… For as long as Flash Sentry had served the Princess and been within the Crystal Castle, he had never known that door to have ever been opened, all he knew was that if you stood near it for too long, it became very, very cold, colder than standing out in a blizzard, and you could hear whispers just beyond it.

Cadence stared down at Radiant Hope, “Open it.”