“Mercy, oh Princess Twilight, mercy!” Rarity wailed, dragging herself across the mosaic floor of the Evening Court. “We beseech you, you whose beauty defies all description, you whose brilliance shines forth from beneath the heavy crown you so magnanimously wear on our behalf!” She collapsed to her side, chest heaving, and held a snow-white hoof to her brow. “Though I dare not look upon your radiance, I beg you to hear the supplications of your humble servants! Our poor village suffers without your guidance and your benevolent presence.” Great tears spilled down her muzzle as she collapsed to the unforgiving floor and keened, “Please, Princess, but look upon our unworthy hamlet once more, and our hearts shall be forever lifted!”
Luna leaned close to the sighing Princess occupying the Amethyst Throne and whispered overloudly, “Methinks these supplicants are – what is the modern phrase? Ah, yes, ‘laying it on a bit thick’, I believe. ‘Tis to be expected whenever a new ruler ascends the throne.”
Applejack stepped forward, hat in hooves, her eyes downcast, and bent low. “Beggin’ your pardon an’ forgiveness an’ all that, Twi. Uh, I mean, Princess Twilight. We ain’t seen hide nor hair o’ your Royal self for right ‘bout half a year now.” She ran an orange hoof through her mane and continued, “It don’t seem right that our esteemed monarch ain’t toured her realm nor set a darn hoof outside this here castle the whole time. It, uh, probably ain’t my place to say so, an’ I’m hopin’ y’all don’t smite my farm or nothin’, but we’d be mighty appreciative of a Royal visit every now an’ then. Ma’am.”
The purple Alicorn shook her head as Luna hummed nearby and muttered, “Do not take it personally, Twilight. The entire Night Guard battalion queued up to accost me on my absence upon my return.”
Launching herself into the air in a flutter of azure wings, Rainbow crossed her hooves and scowled.“What gives, Miss High and Mighty? Cadance had to rebuild the entire Crystal Kingdom after the fight with King Sombra, and she’d toured her whole Empire within a week of getting crowned! This is definitely not awesome, Empress Egghead.”
Something yellow and cowering squeaked behind her. “Um, to be fair, Rainbow, the entire Crystal Empire is half the size of New Hoofshire.” Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide and she shrank behind her mane. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend the Crystal Ponies. Or New Hoofshire. Eep!”
“Too bad! Just because she,” Dash snarled, pointing a hoof at the cringing Twilight, “has to sit on the Royal Throne for a few months doesn’t mean she can just ditch her pals. I mean, look at Pinkie!”
Below, the pink pony sat on her haunches, mane flat and dull, and held up a hoofwritten sign reading “I has a sad nao.”
Dash waved her hoof and wrinkled her muzzle. “You bail on one little Alicorn Party, and look what happens. See, Your Majesty? Ignoring your friends is completely uncool.” Looking furtively side to side, she whispered, “Or your friends’ requests for magical Alicorn-powered speed-boosting flight suits, 'cause that would be a totally awesome way to be all benevolent and generous and stuff.”
Twilight’s star-jeweled crown echoed as it banged repeatedly on the arm of her gemmed throne.
Spike looked around at the kneeling ponies. “What?” he shrugged. “I’ve got no problem if Princess Sparkbutt wants to shack up here! She left me with a sweet bachelor pad, no curfew, and a Royal stipend that buys me unlimited ice cream. No complaints here!” He turned for the great double-doors at the Evening Court’s entrance and made half a dozen strides before he froze and began to quiver. Suddenly he rocketed to the dais below the Amethyst Throne and threw himself around the hooves of the Princess of Magic. Clutching tightly, he sniffled, “But if you… you know, wanted to come back and visit, I’d… I’d be okay with that. Please? It gets awfully lonely back home, and between you and me, Owlowiscious really creeps me out. Please, just for a while?”
Twilight shook her head and smiled as she picked the trembling dragon up and cradled him in her lap, stroking his scales gently. “Girls,” she laughed, “if you wanted me to come back to Ponyville more often, you could have just asked.”