//------------------------------//
// Arc 9-9: Burden of the Elders 
// Story: My Little Pony: One as a Family.  "Life in Canterlot" 
// by SaburoDaimando 
//------------------------------//


Burden of the Elders





“So you really think you can topple those milk bottles,” Shining Armor said as Princess Cadance held the ball up with her magic.  
“Watch and learn, honey,” Princess Cadance said as she had her eye on a tower of tin milk bottles in front of her face.
Princess Cadance winds the ball up, swings back and throws the ball at a high speed.  The ball zooms past, only to bounce off the tower of milk bottles.  As the ball landed near the counter and came to a complete stop, Cadence looked at the milk bottle tower and her jaw just dropped.
“What kind of tower is that?”  Cadence argued as she began to freak out.  “What kind of alicorn am I?”
“Oh you had the right power,” Shining Armor said.  “But you need to know how to really best this.”
Cadence picks up her last ball and hands it over to Shining Armor.  “Fine then, you do it,” she said.
Shining Armor took the ball with his magic and he let out a smug look on his face.  He then shifted his sight towards a small gap on the lower part in between the bottles.
“Very well then.  Know thy enemy,”  Shining Armor said as he took a swing back, winds up and lets the ball fly.  Before anyone could react, the ball flew right into the gap between the bottles.  The collision was enough to knock all three bottles off the platform.  Princess Cadance looked at the bottles and her jaw dropped even further.
“Wait….but….how?”  Princess Cadance said as she was totally stunned.  But before she could say anything else, a hippogriff plushie was placed right next to her.
“Go on,” Shining Armor said.  “This one is on me.”
Princess Cadance slowly shifted her head towards the plushie.  And with a quick snap, she snatched it up with her arms and held it tightly.
“Guess she appreciates it,” Shining Armor said as he and a confused Cadance walked off.  The owner of the game looked at the two and let out a bit of a sigh.
“Something tells me that kid has played this game before,” The owner said.

A bit later into the day, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were feasting on corn on the cob at a nearby table, with the plushie set right next to the alicorn.  While Shining Armor took his time and savored his corn, Cadence was tearing right through it.
“Are you that upset that I won the game for you?”  Shining Armor said.
“Only partially,”  Princess Cadance said as she swallowed a mouthful of corn in one gulp.  “We alicorns have a massive appetite.”
“Massive appetite?” Shining Armor replied.  “I’d hate to see how your mother Celestia and Aunt Luna eat.”
“Believe me,” Princess Cadance replied as she tossed a bare corn cob into the wastebin before pulling out another corn on the cob.  “They make me look like a light eater.”
“So how upset are you with that milk bottle game?”  Shining Armor said before Princess Cadance was about to take a bite.
“Very,” Princess Cadance said as she set the corn down.  “I don’t get how my magic couldn’t know those bottles down.”
“I’ve seen this trick before when I took Twili to a local fair in Baltimare,” Shining Armor said.  “At first, I thought it was rigged when Twili tried to hit the bottles and couldn’t knock them down.  But when I saw a younger player win by hitting the bottles in the right spot, I figured out how to beat the game.  And I tried that stunt that the youngster pulled.  It took me three tries.  But I pulled it off and won a prize for Twili.”
“Wow,” Cadence said after she swallowed a whole bite of corn.  “The more I hear about these carnival games, the more I wonder if they rig it just to rake in the bits.”
“I bet they do,” Shining Armor said.  “In fact, I think the reason why some don’t sink to that kind of low is that they have a moral code that they follow.  Others don’t follow that code and will do anything for money.”
“This makes me wonder why mother doesn’t address these kinds of issues to discourage this practice,”  Princess Cadance said as she observed the games from the comfort of a seat at the table.  “Then again, the Banks have more political power than even the chancellor.”
“Speaking of the Princess and the Chancellor, take a look at the seating nearby,” Shining Armor said as he pointed to a table nearby.  
Princess Cadance looked in the direction that Shining Armor was pointing and saw Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch enjoying lunch.  Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were pigging out on a variety of foods while Cinch was sitting there eating a small salad.  PRincess Cadance couldn’t help, but giggle.
“That’s mommy and Aunt Luna,” Cadance said as she couldn’t hold in her laughter.  “Told you they’d make me look like a light eater.”
“You know,” Shining Armor said.  “For someone who’s critical of that cute monkey Wanda, Cinch is rather chill when she sees those two eat like a pair of hogs.”
“She’s been through worse despite my objections with her treatment of Wanda,” Princess Cadance said.  “Least of all the political rift raft in Canterlot.”
“You really think so?”  Shining Armor replied.
“Yeah,”  Princess Cadance said with a smile on her face.  “In fact, why not go talk to her?  And don’t worry.  I’ll be fine.”
“Might as well,” Shining Armor said as he got up and tossed an empty corn cob into a nearby trash can before walking towards the Princesses and Chancellor Cinch.

As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were shoveling food in their face, Chancellor Cinch just stood there with her eyes closed as she took small bites of her salad.  Even with the sound of the two princesses eating, Cinch was completely undeterred.
“This beats another session in the Senate,” Chancellor Cinch said to herself.
“Believe me,” Shining Armor said as he approached the Chancellor.  “Even I think the politics in Equestria are too much of a mane-puller.”
Chancellor Cinch let out a sigh and said “What do you want, young squire?”
Shining Armor walked over to the side of Chancellor Cinch and said “It’s about that cute monkey Wanda.”
“You mean the Man’s Cub?”  Chancellor Cinch replied.
“Yeah,” Shining Armor replied.  “What I want to know is…”  But before Shining Armor could finish his sentence, Chancellor Cinch put her hoof on Shining ARmor’s mouth, silencing him.
“I know exactly what you’re going to talk about,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “Why I’m harsh to her.  Many believe I discriminate against the child because she is different from other ponies.  That’s only partially true.”
As Cinch lowered her hoof, Shining Armor replied “Partially?  What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve always had a fear that the young child would one day lose control of her magic and become a goddess of destruction,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “And if something like that were to happen, I also fear that no force in Equestria, not even the dreaded windigos, would be able to stop her.”
“But that’s still not an excuse to be that harsh,” Shining Armor replied.  “Even if it were true, you should at least give her a chance.”
Cinch took a sip of tea and said “I know of your concern with her.  That is why I have another part to tell.”
Shining Armor let out a sigh and said “Okay.  Let’s hear it.”
“Since the incident involving the Windigos Guild back in Canterlot,,” Cinch said.  “I began to become concerned for the child’s safety.  Coldnelius Snap, the monster who’s in charge of that cult, will do whatever it takes to take her away and use her in some kind of sick experiment.  Though I am still harsh from time to time, I have softened a bit on the Man’s Cub.  Not just for her sake, but also for Celestia’s sake.”
“Sounds like you’re starting to warm up to the widdle monkey,” Shining Armor said in a mocking tone.
Cinch only cracked a slight smile and said “You have no idea.”  Shining Armor’s jaw dropped upon hearing the words come out of Cinch’s lips.
“Say what?”  Shining Armor replied.
“Like Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Cinch said.  “I have become sickened by Equestria Politics in the Senate.  Random shouting matches, pork barrel spending, and Twinkle Wish’s obsession with building a border wall around Equestria.  Not to mention the Bank’s obsession with pushing ideology over common sense.  There are times where I would rather put up with the young lady’s antics than the chaos on the political floor.”
“I heard that the Banks gave Celestia a hard time,” Shining Armor replied.  “And Wanda as well.”
“All because Princess Celestia was not allowed to punish their daughter Golden Lace,” Cinch said.  “And truth be told, I was the one who suggested the trip to the fair in the first place so she, the students, myself, and especially the Man’s Cub could get away from that madness in Canterlot.”
Shining ARmor took a long thought to himself.  But before he could say anything, he overheard someone yell out “GET YOUR GREASY HOOVES OFF MY PLUSHIE!” in the distance, which also caught the attention of Chancellor Cinch, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
“That sounded like Princess Cadance,” Shining Armor said as he turned his head to see Princess Cadance surrounded by three punk, one of which had his arms around Cadance’s plushie.
“And here I thought it was going to be peaceful,” Princess Luna said as she rolled her eyes.
As Shining Armor was about to race towards Princess Cadance, Chancellor Cinch put her hoof on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
“Let her handle this,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “She’s more than capable of ruffling a few ruffians.”
“But Cadance…” Shining Armor said before Cinch put her hoof on the teen stallion’s lips again.
“Believe me,” Cinch said with a smirk.  “Tatarus has no fury like an Alicorn scorned.”
“I’m afraid she’s got a point,” Princess Celestia said as she observed Cadance from afar.  “Besides, this ain’t the first time she got this feisty.”


Princess Cadance glanced coldly at the three punks as one of them held her hippogriff plushie in the air and the other two laughed at her.  One of them said “Aww.  Does the wittle girlie miss her dolly?”
“Aren’t you too old to be playing with toys?” Another said.
“That’s the problem with princesses,” the one who held up the hippogriff plushie said.  “They don’t know if they’re living in a fairy tale and not real life.”
As the three punks laugh at Princess Cadance, the young alicorn’s scowl turned into a smirk as she scratched her hoof on the dirt ground.
“A fairy tale, eh?” Princess Cadance replied.  “Can a fairy tale do THIS?”
Immediately, Princess Cadance grabs one of her corn on the cobs and shoves it down the mouth of the punk holding up her hippogriff plushie.  The punk lost his footing and fell, losing his grip on the plushie.  Cadance proceeded to leap into the air and grab the doll with her arms before landing on the ground as the other two punks watched in complete disbelief.
“Never underestimate a fairy tale,” Princess Cadance said as the punk spat out the corn cob and got up right next to his companions.  He looked as if he was about to pop a blood vessel.
“Nobody punks me out and gets away with it,” The punk said as his companions dug their hooves into the ground.  “Not even the adopted daughter of Princess Celestia.  GET HER, BOYS!”
The three older punks run straight towards Princess Cadance, looking as if they were about to tackle her down.  But Cadance doesn’t take her eyes on the trio.  She instead turned towards the trio and sparked off a bit of her magic.
“That’s too bad,” Princess Cadance said.  “Because you just underestimated what an Alicorn can do.”
The three punks leaped at Princess Cadance with the intent of tackling the teen alicorn.  But before they could collide, they froze in mid-air, surrounded by a light blue magic aura.  The looks on their face was total disbelief.
“What the hoof?” One of the punks said.  “I can’t move.”
“This is unnatural,” Another said.  “She must be some kind of witch.”
“Oh no witch,” Princess Cadance said.  “Just your typical run of the mill alicorn who you thought would be a good idea to tick off.  Maybe your parents should have taught you three some better manners.  In the meantime, have a nice flight.”
Princess Cadance spun her head a bit, causing the trio to go spinning around and around.  She flicked her head upwards, sending the three punks flying into the air and towards a nearby flagpole.  The moment the teen delinquents hit the flagpole, their tails wrapped around, tying them up high.
“What just happened?” One of the punks said.
“Don’t look down,” Another said as he looked at the fairgrounds from above.  “But I think that crazed alicorn decided to hoist us up like we’re a national symbol.”
The trio screamed in complete horror as they remained tied atop the flagpole.

Down below on the ground, Princess Cadance smirked at the misfortune of the three bullies who picked on her as she held onto her hippogriff plushie.  Shining Armor walked up behind her, staring at the three punks who not long ago tried to swipe her plushie.
“So I take it, that's payback for letting me win that milk bottle game?” Shining Armor joked.
“Not exactly,” Princess Cadance said.  “I wasn’t going to let you one-up me over those creeps.”
“Fair enough,” Shining Armor replied as he used his magic to bring over what’s left of the corn on the cobs to his side.
As Shining Armor and Princess Cadance walked off, Chancellor Cinch, along with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked up at the three hooligans who are still tied up on the flagpole by their tails.
“What do you suppose I do with those three?”  Chancellor Cinch replied.
“Ehh leave them up there,” Princess Celestia replied.
“Normally I would be against that,” Princess Luna said.  “But after the stunt they pulled, being kicked out of the fair would be too good a punishment for them.”
“Yeah,” Princess Celestia said.  “Besides, if they had picked on my other daughters, being hung up a flagpole would have been the least of their worries.”
As Celestia and Luna walked away, Cinch looked at the three hooligans still tied up on the flagpole and thought to herself “I don’t know what’s scary: The fact that the Princesses see this as an ideal punishment, or the fact that I would have done the same thing.”

Later that day, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor were riding in a passenger car of the ferris wheel, with Cadance’s hippogriff plushie right next to her.  They could see the vicinity of the fair as they sat comfortably in their seats.
“Hey Shining,” Cadance asked.  
“What’s up, honey pumpkin?”  Shining Armor replied.
“Do you suppose this is an ideal place to live in?”  Princess Cadance said.  “Sure it’s far from Canterlot.  But it feels so warm and beautiful.”
“You mean La Maresa?” Shining Armor said.  “Come to think of it, I also think so as well.  But there’s also the providence capital of San Di’NeighGo as well.”
“San Di’NeighGo?” Cadance replied out of curiosity.
“Yeah,” Shining Armor said. “There’s a lot to do down in San Di’NeighGo.  They have their own world famous Zoo, the iconic Balbronco Park, Old Town and the Gaslamp Quarter, and even the infamous San Di’NeighGo Comic Convention that comes down during the summer.”
“This makes me wonder what I’ve been missing out on by living just in Canterlot,” Princess Cadance said as she laid back on the chair and looked upwards at the sky.  “All that time I spent with my sisters up in Canterlot like I’m some high-profile celebrity.  At least down here I can be a normal pony despite being an alicorn.”
“Really?” Shining Armor asked.
“I’m not kidding,” Princess Cadance replied.  “As someone who was adopted into royalty, it feels more like a personal prison and less like the high life many ponies would prefer.  Too much attention in the limelight, all that politics and bureaucratic nonsense, and the fact that you have to stay at the Castle to ensure your own safety.  Sometimes, I do yearn for a simple life, and the same can be said of my two younger sisters.”
“Sounds a lot like it would run in the family,” Shining Armor said.  “I heard that your mother and aunt also dreamt of that simple life.”
“They’ve been trying to find a successor to take over,” Princess Cadance said.  “But so far, they came up zip.  In fact, there’s a chance they may just abandon the idea of a monarch republic and just straight out convert Equestria into a straight up republic.”
“Give the fate of the government to the ponies,” Shining Armor said.  “Have them partake more in the democratic process.  Sounds ambitious.  You sure you’re up for that?”
“Anything just to get away from the royal life,” Princess Cadance said.  “Wanda and Sunset also have that feeling as well.  Being stuck in that high castle most of their life had made them a bit cautious.  So that's why mother had them attend the School for Gifted Unicorns.  So they could make some friends.  But there’s also a sign that there could be more friends to meet beyond the walls of Canterlot.  And frankly, I’d like that life as well.”
“For someone who is of a royal heritage,” Shining Armor replied.  “You sure want the life of a commoner.”
“No kidding,” Princess Cadance said as she looked at the sky.  “I do envy you and Twilight because you have this freedom.  You can go out and about without all these responsibilities weighing you down.  Meanwhile, I feel as if I need to keep a positive tone as the so-called future ruler of Equestria like I’m some high-time celebrity, with little time to myself.  Thank goodness no one here cares if I am a princess or not.”
“Yeah,” Shining Armor said.  “If I wind up as some kind of prince, I wouldn’t have a day to myself to rest and relax.  At least we have a means of relaxing on this ride with no worries in the world.”
Suddenly, the ride comes to a complete stop, catching the attention of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.  They looked down and they noticed that no car in the ferris wheel had reached the very bottom.
“We’re stuck,” Shining Armor said.  “Aren’t we?”
“Don’t worry,” Princess Cadance said as she got off the seat.  “I’ll check to see what’s up.”
Princess Cadance jumped off the car, opened her wings and flew downwards to the bottom of the ferris wheel with Shining Armor looking from above.
“If there is one thing I am truly jealous of,” Shining Armor said to himself.  “It’s the fact that Princess Cadance is an alicorn, and I’m only a unicorn.  Imagine if my sister became one like my sweetheart.”

Meanwhile, some distance away from the ferris wheel, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch were wandering around the garden show of the fair.  Many exotic plants lined the walkways, showcasing their lush textures and wonderful colors.  Some exhibits were arranged in a pattern of various landscapes.  Celestia leaned her nose into one of the flowers and smelled it, allowing her mind to be calmed by its beautiful scent.
“I wish we had flowers like this beauty in Canterlot,”  Princess Celestia said.  “Wanda and Sunset would have enjoyed these.”
“Beauty?  That’s nothing.” Chancellor Cinch laughed as she glanced at a few other flowers near her face.  “Now these are gorgeous plants worthy of gracing the walls of our kingdom.”
“Touche there,” Princess Celestia said as she turned her head towards another plant and smelled its fragrance.  “Now these are….”  she continued before having to pause and cough downwards towards the ground.  “Allergy enhancing blossoms.”
Chancellor Cinch laughed as she wiped her glasses with a handkerchief.  She then said “Oh please.  I dealt with that kind of nonsense when I was a teenager.  Besides, this beats the bureaucratic nightmare that is the Senate.”
“Speaking of nightmare,” Princess Celestia said as she noticed Princess Luna sitting by herself with her arms on the table.  “Something’s up with Luna.”
Chancellor Cinch walked up to Celestia, took a glance at Luna and said “I’ve seen this before from her in the last few weeks.  A sign of burnout.  And I’ve been down this path many times.”
Celestia and Cinch walked up to Princess Luna, who ignored the duo all while she sighed up at the sky like there was nothing around her.  Celestia poked her younger sister in the shoulder, with no sign of the moon princess budging.
“Luna,” Princess Celestia said.  “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, dear sister,”  Luna said as she rolled her eyes.
“I don’t know,” Princess Celestia said.  “Early ago, you chose to pull the carriage from Canterlot to La Maresa without a second thought.  This usually isn’t like you.”
“I said I’m fine,” Luna groaned as she turned her head away from Princess Celestia, leaving her older sister confused.
“I’ve got this,” Chancellor Cinch said to Princess Celestia.  The slender unicorn walked up to Luna and added “Princess Luna, you are suffering from work-related stress, as I have.”
Luna got up in a flash and said “What do you know about work-related stress?”
Calm as the summer wind, Chancellor Cinch adjusted the neckline of her dress and said “A whole lot.  And as much as I want to complain about some of the incidents of the Man’s Cub, they pale in comparison to the incompetence and sheer stupidity of the Senate, especially with Senators pushing their own pet projects to the front line all just to score some simple political points.”
“Wow,” Luna said as she sat back down.  “Guess we share a thing in common.”
“Except you don’t take your anger out on a young child, which I happen to do unfairly,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “So you have one advantage over me.”
“You take your anger out on Wanda?”  Luna said, surprised.
“Mainly because I have some trust issues with her,” Chancellor Cinch replied.  “I do fear that she would become too much of a danger to Equestria with the magic she has.  But even against my own judgment, she has proven to be a far better creature than most of us, included myself.”
“Maybe you should have put more faith in your former mother, Chancellor,” Princess Celestia said with a giggle.  “Besides, you have lost a lot of trust in non-ponies since that incident a few years back.”
Cinch turned her head to the side and said “That is something even I don’t want to talk about, Your Majesty.”
“Oh right,” Princess Celestia replied.  “Changing the subject to something else.  Like with Wanda and La Maresa.”
“You did say you wanted to move Wanda to La Maresa,” Luna said.  “Is that right?”
“Yes,” Princess Celestia replied as a tear fell down her cheek.  “I originally planned this field trip for the students to get to know the ponies of La Maresa.  Of the entire Ponyville Providence.  But ever since the Banks humiliated me in front of Wanda, and traumatized her, I began to wonder if she would be better off living in La Maresa.”
“Originally,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “I was against the idea since I also feared that the Man’s Cub would be in danger to the monsters of the land.  But the incident involving the banks made me realize that she would be better off here than in Canterlot.  Even she deserves her freedom.”
“That does sound like a great idea,” Princess Luna replied.  “But what about her sisters?  Or her classmates?”
“That is a good question, my dear sister,” Princess Celestia said as she took a seat next to Princess Luna.  “I intend on moving the School for Gifted Unicorns to La Maresa as well.”
“You what?”  Luna yelled as she jumped out of the chair.  “Tell me you’re kidding.”
“She isn’t,” Chancellor Cinch said as she approached Princess Luna.  “To ensure that the Man’s Cub grows up with both her old and new friends, your sister is also going to set up a new building for the School for Gifted Unicorns.  That way, they can interact more with the local folks.”
“But how exactly are you going to fly from Canterlot to La Maresa to hold a school and be Princess of Equestria?”
“That’s easy,” Celestia replied.  “I will be resigning my position as ruler of Equestria.”  Those words made Luna’s jaw drop down.
“Wait a minute,”  Luna replied.  “You’re going to abandon your position?”
Princess Celestia got up and put her arm on Luna’s shoulder before she said “The more I dig myself into Equestria politics, the more torturous it has become on my soul.  Far more than when I was Daybreaker.  In fact, you remember when I once took my anger out on Wanda and Sunset, correct?”
“That’s right,”  Luna replied.  “You got pushed around mentally with all that talk about enforcing the police, that you got angry at Wanda and scared her.”
“It was one of those rare cases where I had to apologize to her for my behavior,” Princess Celestia replied as a tear fell down her cheek.  “And there is a part of me that is coming close to pulling that stunt again on Wanda.  For her sake, for Sunset’s sake and for Cadance’s sake, I will step down from my role as Princess of Equestria and just be a normal citizen.  And I don’t expect a replacement to take over my role.”
As Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch stepped away from Princess Luna, the moon princess looked downward and closed her eyes.  “So it’s not just me that’s suffering from burnout.  Dear sister has been suffering day and night thanks to the mindless bog that is Equestrian Politics.  Sometimes I do wonder if freeing her from being Daybreaker only pushed her into that kind of senseless torture.”
Princess Luna immediately stood up and ran up to Princess Celestia and Chancellor Cinch.  She placed her arm around her older sister’s back and cuddled up to her.
“Sister,”  Luna said.  “If you decide to leave your status as Princess, I wish to join you in this exile as well.  That way, we find our freedom together, and look after the younglings.  They are, after all, the future of this planet.”
Princess Celestia rubbed her head alongside Princess Luna and said “Thank you.  For being close to me, and for saving me from myself, Dear Sister.”
As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna rubbed their heads together, Chancellor Cinch tapped on Princess Celestia’s shoulder, attracting the attention of the older sister.
“Just so you know,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “I will be holding down the fort in Canterlot once you both have finalized your retirement.  And I intend on staying there until I decide that enough is enough, or if I get ousted from my position as Chancellor.”
Celestia and Luna smiled at Chancellor Cinch as the older sister said “Thank you, Chancellor.  I’m glad I raised you to be a tough pony in the eyes of Equestria.”
“It’s been an honor…..mother,” Chancellor Cinch replied.

But as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and Chancellor Cinch had been speaking together, Coldnelius Snap had been observing them from a nearby mountain top with a foresight spell.  He took his eyes from the three adults all the way to another part of the fair, where Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Applejack and Abigail Albright were enjoying some apple fritters with Buttercup cooking some more at an outdoor oven.  The cultist leader smiled as he turned his head towards his cult members.
“It seems the younglings are separated from the Princesses and the Governor,” Coldnelis Snap said with a smile.  “We’re going to get the jump on them, and smuggle them out, especially the Man’s Cub.  This will be like stealing candy from a filly.”  He then got up and yelled “ONWARD, WINDIGO’S GUILD!”
Without a second thought, Coldnelius Snap and the members of the Windigos Guild galloped towards the La Maresa Fair with a grin on his face and ambition in his eyes.
“Those fools in La Maresa won’t know what hit themm=” Coldnelius Snap said.  “Either we freeze all of Equestria today, or we make sure they’re too afraid to know what joy and happiness are supposed to feel like.  Regardless, we will win.”




		To Be continued 


Arc 10: Revenge of the Guild


Crashing the Ponyville Fair.