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Celestial Opposition
Apple Bloom flicked the switch she installed on the wall of the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse and smiled brightly as her air cooling machine sprung to life. Already the warm spring air was lowering in temperature to something a bit more comfortable after running around all day questing for Cutie Marks.
"This was such a great idea Apple Bloom," said Sweetie Belle. "I wish I had come up with something like this."
"I wish my idea worked," said Scootaloo, in a tone which said she was only slightly annoyed. "It would have been cool."
"Don't worry about it Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle. "The engine was just too weak. I'm sure in a few months Twilight will teach us enough that you can make it with a better engine."
"Or you could just ask Twilight about it right now," said Apple Bloom, now sitting in front of her machine, letting the cooled air hit her face. Her voice sounded funny as she spoke. "She's giving me extra lessons so I can build a machine to give me wings!"
"Like how your sister got them?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"That's so cool," said Scootaloo. "Maybe I'll ask then. Just so I can get an engine powered scooter. I don't want to be stuck in school all day."
The castle halls were decorated in both Princess's banners, far in excess of what was normal. Twilight asked Mephistopheles what all the decorations were for, and he said the Princesses were trying to remind Twilight who was in charge. As she walked, she thought how she didn't need reminding of that. She never tried to go against Celestia. She was a good subject, so why were the Princesses, especially Celestia, acting this way?
Twilight stepped towards the Princess's chamber, two guards flanking the huge door which slowly moved open as she approached. She stepped inside. The Princesses stood all the way at the front of the room, waiting for her. Nopony else was inside. As she entered, the doors behind her closed. She continued, noting the unhappy look on Celestia's face, and the stern look on Luna's. Finally she stood before them, and bowed her head in supplication.
"So what should we try out today?" asked Scootaloo. "I was thinking we could try ice sculpting for our cutie marks!"
"Sorry, I can't make it Scootaloo," said Apple Bloom. "Now that I finished putting this here air cooler in the clubhouse, I wanted to get to work on making another one for my family.
"Oh.... Well, me and Sweetie Belle can save the ice sculpting for later if you want?"
"That'd be great, I'd love to ice sculpt," said Apple Bloom. Shortly after, she said goodbye to her friends and started for home.
Twilight lifted her head back up.
"Twilight Sparkle," said Princess Celestia. There was none of the warmth usually heard when the Princess addressed her. Twilight stayed quiet, and the Princess continued.
"In the matters of your scientific and related endeavours, it is our belief," Celestia took a quick glance at Luna before continuing, "that there has been a lack of sufficient oversight. To correct this matter, we have appointed a committee of five ponies to oversee your research in various ways. You will report to them everything you are currently doing, and in the future, everything you plan to do. You will not act without approval from them. In turn these five will report to us, and they will not agree or disagree on anything without approval from us."
"Who are these five?" asked Twilight. She had to force her voice to be even and unemotional, as inside she was seething.
Celestia took a breath. "Violet Moon of the Canterlot Astronomical Research Department, Sweet Stuff, the head of Canterlot Hospital, Snow Berry, leading Chemistry Professor at Canterlot University, the famous Mathematician and Logician, Winter Carroll, and of course Spell Tome, head of Magical Research also of Canterlot University."
"They're all from Canterlot?" asked Twilight.
"Foal!" shouted Princess Luna. It was the first time since she had just been defeated as Nightmare Moon that Twilight had heard her speak. "Canterlot is the greatest city in Equestria, centre of arts and learning! It should be no surprise it houses the greatest minds in all fields of learning!" She spoke loudly, and Twilight's ears folded back in an attempt to save her hearing from damage.
"Luna, remember to keep your voice soft and level," said Princess Celestia. Luna took a step back and glared at her sister. "In any event, yes, they all work in Canterlot. I assure you they are all highly qualified, and their residence here in the capitol makes it easier for us to communicate with them, and they with each other."
Twilight bowed her head in acknowledgement and remained otherwise silent.
"I have sent you contact information for these five, and have sent them your contact information. On the subject of your creations that are already in public use, you are to also send them specifics and they are to be revaluated. I doubt there'll be too many problems with them however, most seem safe enough.
"I also request for you to keep track of your students and what they do. From now on, you are responsible for them, if they release something dangerous, you will be held accountable."
On and on it went, and Twilight was finding it harder and harder to stay quiet. At the moment, there was nothing she could do. But she'd find a way to get around this. She had to. The princesses were just showing themselves to be too short sighted. At least Luna was. Maybe it was her history with Celestia, but Twilight figured this "oversight" problem was completely the work of Luna. Sure, Mephistopheles said that Celestia was becoming afraid, wary of some of her knowledge. But it was probably only because Luna was bringing it all up in a negative light. She couldn't see past her narrow old fashioned view of the world, couldn't understand that the world had changed since her imprisonment, and would soon change even further thanks to Twilight's knowledge and hard work.
She would make Luna see. And Celestia would understand on her own if ripped away from the influence of Luna.
When Twilight got back to her house the first thing she did was see if Spike was around. He wasn't. She was alone.
Then she screamed. Not in pain or fear but in frustration. Her horn glowed with magic as she knocked projects off tables, broke bottles, tipped chairs, and smashed inventions. Pages from books she had written were dropping through the air, torn and ripped. Mephistopheles just stood there, impassive and unemotional as ever.
"Twilight, what have you done!" came the voice of Spike. Twilight turned her head, breathing heavily. She hadn't heard him come in. How much of her rampage had he seen? "It'll take me forever to clean this," Spike said to himself. Twilight said nothing.
"What happened?" asked Spike, louder. "All your things, your books, your tools? It took a long time to make them! Why would you do this?!"
Twilight remained silent.
"I guess the meeting with the Princesses didn't go too well?" asked Spike.
Twilight took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before she explained to Spike what had happened.
Spike wasn't appropriately angered.
"I don't see what the big deal is," he said. "You don't have anything to hide. And still, why break your stuff?"
"Don't you understand Spike?!" she yelled. "This is going to slow me down considerably. My plans for a better world will grind to a halt at the whim of Luna and a bunch of Canterlot ponies!"
"Okay but... why break your stuff?"
Twilight sighed. "I was angry. Besides, the things that are now broken are things I don't have to report to those five. Not that I'm going to report everything anyway."
"Wait, what?" Spike was in shock. "You're going to work behind the princess's backs?"
"Well what else can I do Spike?!" asked Twilight.
"You could just do what they say."
"That's unacceptable. No, I'll have to find a way to work around this for now, until I can think of a way to defeat them."
"Who said anything about defeating anypony?! Who needs defeating?"
"Slip of the tongue Spike. I just meant I need to get rid of this oversight."
"Riiiight."
The question was how to do it without being found out. She could learn everything there was to know about these five ponies, everything about their habits, their likes, dislikes, family, their loves, their secrets, and one by one remove them from the picture, but could she do so without bringing even more problems down on herself? She also needed to work against one of the princesses. She would have to move carefully from now on. And she'd need help. Preferably help that didn't know it was helping.
Already a plan was forming in her mind. She needed some alone time with Mephistopheles to forge it into something workable.
"Spike, clean this place up." Spike groaned and nodded his head. He had known it was coming. "I'll be at the library if you need me."
Twilight closed the library door behind her. After a quick check to confirm she was alone, she made it to her old room for some extra privacy. It was still furnished like she lived there. You never knew when you might need another place to sleep.
"So...." began Twilight. She sounded more conniving than she knew, her eyes glaring as she looked out the window at all the ponies who didn't know anywhere near as much as her. They were like ants when viewed from up high like she was. "Tell me Mephistopheles, everything there is to know about the five ponies that are to keep watch over me. Specifically about their fears, insecurities, secrets and weaknesses. Anything I could use to manipulate them into letting whatever I want to do gain approval. I also need to know about Princess Luna, but for her, additional details as to her relationship with Celestia. I have no doubt it all ultimately comes down to Luna who's doing this to me."
He began.
"To summarise each one. Violet moon is lazy. Her job involves her allowing those below her to do the work while she gets to take credit as an intelligent and hardworking pony. While she may be fairly intelligent compared to the average pony, she no longer has the patience to work. She enjoys things like fine food and drink. She has no children, no romantic partners, but enjoys the company of colts quite often.
Sweet Stuff is rather the opposite. She is a very hard worker, has a husband and twin foals but works so much she hardly sees them. Though she loves them, she finds her work too important. The only non-work related activity she does besides be with her family is run a small hothouse in her basement, growing Rhubarb for personal use. Her Husband sneaks some every now and then, and she pretends not to notice.
Snow Berry is old, and has not retired yet because her son runs one of the largest chemical companies in Equestria. Essentially she puts the chemistry department to work for her son's company and nopony notices.
Winter Carroll is already quite amiable to your views and would most certainly be willing to let anything of yours go unchecked. However for your convenience, his most damaging secret is that he's married and having an affair, for his wife is sick and dying. He also likes trying new ways to have fun.
Spell Tome is the oldest of the five, set in his ways, and the most hostile to your views. He views himself as the definitive authority on magic, having worked all his life studying it, with a vigour not unlike your own before I arrived. He also is the most politically powerful ponies in Equestria who isn't a politician. He has no major skeletons in his closet, and nothing that can be easily pointed to in order to manipulate him. Hopefully a more expansive description will help.
Speaking of, first, Violet Moon was born on..."
He went on in that vein for a very long time, giving Twilight essentially a full life history of each of the five. Already a complete plan was forming, a way to get all five out of her mane and get back to work.
The next day was a schoolday for Twilight. Already she was breaking the rules, as she wasn't supposed to teach until her lesson plans had been approved. Then again, she wasn't going to teach what she had had planned for that day.
Twilight waited patiently for everyone to arrive and settle down. She went ahead and let them do it on their own, waiting for Sunny Days and Peachy Pie to finish talking, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to finish listening to whatever pointless thing Scootaloo was telling them. Ditzy Doo was just staring straight at her with those crossed eyes of hers, and her daughter had her head on the desk in boredom.
Eventually heads started to turn Twilight's way as ponies realised she hadn't said anything for a while. At that point, they had settled down. Twilight looked at each of them, wondering who would be up for the task she was about to give.
"Everypony," she began. "This will be the last class I'll be teaching for a while."
There was a few moments as that statement sank into the heads of everyone.
"But what are we supposed to do?" asked Apple Bloom. "Going back to Mrs. Cheerilee's class would be a waste of time!"
Twilight held a hoof up to stop Apple Bloom right there.
"The reason I can't teach for a while is that the princesses, or one of them anyway, has decided that there needs to be more control over what I teach, with my lessons given direct approval before I can teach them to you. So I have a suggestion for you all. This isn't a requirement, but if you want to continue learning from me I highly recommend this. You all know my workshop and where it is. Whenever you have free time, show up there. Nopony can say no to you hanging around where I live, and nopony will mind if you happen to learn a few things from watching or talking to me or anypony else who'll happen to be there."
"On that note, if anypony at all shows interest in what you're learning, don't hesitate to explain it to them. In fact, I urge you to be as forthcoming about it as possible. Yes Ditzy?"
Ditzy Doo had a hoof raised.
"What should I do with Snails?" she asked.
"I was going to talk to you about it after class, but I guess now is as good a time as any. Any lesson plan you plan for him, you have to run by me so I can run it up for approval too."
"Why can't I just get approval myself?"
"I don't know," said Twilight. "All I know is what I was told, and for now that's the way it is. Of course, Snails is welcome to show up anytime he likes at my workshop as well. Actually... you know a good amount about this stuff, would you mind opening your home to all these wonderful ponies... and if they just happen to learn a thing or two from you, all the better?"
"Well uh, sure," said Ditzy Doo. "That'd be uh, wonderful. If anypony wanted to show up."
"Everypony hear that? Two places where you all might happen to learn things. I hope you'll take the offer. I don't know when I'll be able to teach classes again, and if I do, I don't know how much I'll be able to teach you."
The class began to whisper to each other. Twilight allowed it. She knew what they were saying, as Mephistopheles was told to relay it all to her. Almost all of them considered this an acceptable change. the only one who didn't was Scootaloo, who seemed to be wrestling with the problem of having less free time, but having it eventually lead to something she wanted; a powered scooter. After that was done, Twilight figured she'd lose the pegasus filly as a student.
Twilight didn't have much more to say, and soon everyone was filtering out of the library, probably for the last time in a good while. She only hoped the medical students would be so understanding. Though they didn't have as far to go, being limited to Medicine, Twilight had to admit she didn't spend much time on basic medical advancement. If they showed up at her workshop hoping to pick up something they wouldn't get as much useful information as her general students.