//------------------------------//
// Arc 1 - Conclusion: A Step in the Right Direction 
// Story: Mass Effect: Shades of Twilight 
// by Loyal2Luna 
//------------------------------//


A Step in the Right Direction





Active Log: 42 of 50 - Day 10 A.E.

Present location: New Ponyville, Third Level Observation Balcony

Status: passive observation

M.P. Sparkle deliberating on situation involving krogan loiterers




Twilight took a deep breath and closed her eyes. While she silently meditated on the issue, the pegasus, turian, and mech all watched her, clearly curious as to what she would do.

As it turned out, they didn’t have to wait long.

“We can’t just ignore a problem like this and hope it goes away. These krogan are an interspecies incident in potentia, regardless of their motives or intentions,” Twilight stated sagely as she nodded her head, her course of action set. “Lt. Pyres, would it be possible for you to maintain a discreet distance while I speak with them?”

The turian didn’t miss a beat, reaching over his left shoulder and pulling free some kind of white, boxy-looking device which immediately emitted a series of whirls and clicks. As the ponies watched, an extended barrel and shoulder stock both extended from either side of the weapon, and a round, elongated scope popped out of the top. In less than a second, the unassuming rectangle of metal had nearly doubled in size to become a deadly tool.

With a quick, practiced motion, Pyres turned the rifle on its side to make sure the safety was on, before holding it up in a relaxed posture. “Yeah, I think I can do that.”

“Is... Is that a…” Fluttershy brought herself over the balcony and set herself down with a barely audible hum as the light yellow aura around her body fizzled out.

“A military grade M-97 Viper Rapid Assault Sniper Rifle modified to fire Type-V Riot Control concussive shots while maintaining pinpoint accuracy at up to three hundred yards? Why, yes. Yes it is.”

Fluttershy, Forty-Two, and Twilight all looked at the turian with an expression of concern.

“Her name’s Freya,” the Lieutenant added as an aside.

“Yeah…” Twilight spoke up first, amazed the turian had said all of that with the casualness one might expect from someone describing their favorite food. “Just… do me a favor and don’t point... her... at anypony just yet. I’m only going to talk to them.”

“Suit yourself.” The turian shrugged, but he still didn’t holster the rifle. “But if things get too rough and the krogan get out of hand, I’ll be there to put ‘em down.”

“Noted. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Twilight shook her head. “Fluttershy, let’s go. Show me where they are.”

Fluttershy looked between her friend and the suddenly more dangerous-looking alien for a few seconds, then lowered her head.

“Okay...” she offered demurely before moving to taking the lead.


——————


It’s always something, Twilight considered as she quickly trotted down the stairs linking the first and second decks of the district on her way to this newest problem.

But she supposed that was all just part and parcel of being in charge of things, and as she looked around for the cause of her latest troubles, she couldn’t help but wonder why anypony in their right mind would want to be in a position of leadership.

And to think, my day to day problems used to consist mostly of ponies forgetting to return a library book on time... Twilight mused before a prod at her side snapped her back to reality.

“There they are.” Fluttershy pointed with a hoof off towards the railings that lined the outer edge of the district, which was the only thing separating the floor space of the first deck from the sheer six hundred meter drop down to the inner workings of the Ward arm.

Following her her friend’s gaze and extended hoof, Twilight immediately caught sight of the problem that she had come down here to correct.

There were four aliens leaning and lounging among several large shipping containers that were standing near the railing overlooking the rest of Tayseri Ward. As she observed this race for the first time, Twilight was disappointed to see that all of the descriptions and references she had found of the krogan were spot on.

As Pyres had described, they topped out at around two meters tall, though one was slightly larger than the rest. The only part of their thick, muscled bodies that wasn’t covered up with suits of dirty-looking body armor where their wide, scaled faces, topped by a crest of hardened bone. Each one wore a suit of armor that matched the color of their brows, with the largest one sporting a deep, rusty red, the two standing at his sides colored mustard brown, and the fourth one displaying a pale shade of green. Their mouths creased with a seemingly perpetual scowl, they looked every bit the kind of rough, intimidating thugs that the rest of the galaxy painted them as.

The four juvenile (Twilight had to trust Fluttershy’s judgment in this, as she honestly couldn’t tell just by looking at them.) aliens clearly had no intention of moving on and looked quite comfortable with their looming glowers. This fact seemed to have also attracted the attention of one particular changeling mech, which was now standing squarely in front of the largest of the four.

“Oh... This doesn't look good,” Fluttershy whispered in a low tone behind twilight.

“Just let me handle this,” the Madam President told her friend, sternly moving forward with her head held high.

Down near all the commotion, the unwitting drone continued to deliver its emotionless directives.

“This unit requests that facility guests please adhere to acceptable decibel levels during the course of their stay.”

“I think the tin can is tellin’ us to be quiet, boys. What do you think?” the largest of the quartet of krogan spoke up from his place, sitting on one of the smaller packing containers as though it were a throne. His voice was low and deep, and sounded like two stones grinding together.

“Tellin’ us to be quiet. That's what it sounds like to me,” replied one of his brown friends.

“Heh, yeah. Me too,” spoke his like-colored companion.

Oh, brother… Twilight rolled her eyes as she approached the group. It certainly looked like Fluttershy's observations had been spot on: They were acting like a bunch of posturing colts.

Twilight could already feel the oncoming migraine.

“Look here, tin can. We’re just enjoying the view. That's not a crime, is it?” The foremost of the krogan huffed with an air of annoyance as he stood up, towering over the black mech even more so than he had been while he was seated.

“Yeah, is it?” one of his parroting compatriots echoed, although he sounded a little confused. “Wait... Is it?”

“Stand by,” the drone offered pleasantly as lights along its antennae flashed for a moment before answering in a slightly altered voice that didn’t match its prior inflection. “Affirmative. Citadel Security Code of Public Conduct. Article Five, Sub-section Six, Paragraph Nine classifies noises, both organic and synthetic, in excess of one hundred decibels as noise pollution. Penalties for violation of peace in this manner may include but is not limited to--”

“Drone: Stand down,” a new voice interrupted the conversation, causing the mech to break off immediately as it took a step back and away, while switching back to its pre-recorded responses.

“Primary Administer authority recognized.” The changeling withdrew, bowing its head as the four aliens took notice of the approaching Equestrian.

“Uh, Biggs...?” the fourth alien, evidently the smallest of the group, broke his silence upon taking notice of the purple unicorn that was moving in front of them.

“Well, hello there, little pony.” The apparent leader of the group, the one called “Biggs,” grinned, showing rows of tombstone teeth. “Are you here to take our orders?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the question as she came to a stop before them, looking up at the four towering brutes.

“Orders?” She tilted her head in a curious tone, hoping that she came across as merely questioning rather than accepting.

“Yeah, isn't that what you guys are all about? Hospitality and service and all that crap?”

Twilight ears twitched as she recognized a recurring theme that had been featured quite prominently on the previous night's interviews.

“Oh, I see.” Twilight shook her head, keeping her tone pleasant. “No, I’m afraid not.”

“Then get lost. Better yet, find someone who’ll actually come over and serve us. Or are the rest of you too afraid to even do that?” Biggs put forward, an inflection of annoyance seeping into his voice.

“Biggs…” the green krogan spoke up again, submissively addressing the largest among them, who was obviously the leader of this little gang.

Biggs sighed gruffly, turning to his smaller friend. “What is it this time, Wedge?”

“That's Twilight Sparkle,” the small krogan offered in a hesitant manner. “You know, the chief of the ponies’ clan.”

“How can you tell? They all look alike to me.” Biggs shrugged, although Twilight found the thought ironic, as she had been thinking the same thing about the krogan. “So you’re the boss around here? Well, don’t I feel special. Anyway, if you’re not here to get our food, then what do you want, pony?”

Twilight gave a forced smile as she resisted the need to shake her head again, feeling more than slightly reminded of the three dimwitted pegasi that used to bother Rainbow all the time. She found it surprising that there were still dullards and freeloaders even here in the heart of galactic society.

Diplomatic, Twilight. We have to be diplomatic, the unicorn reminded herself.

“Well, as your friend has already said, I am Madam President Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight introduced herself formally, hoping that she came off as genuine rather than patronizing before she continued in a more apologetic tone. “And I’m sorry to say, but I believe there has been some sort of misunderstanding here. I’m afraid that this district isn’t quite open for business yet, but I would like to personally express how grateful we are for your interest. You are more than welcome to come back in a few days for our public grand opening, but unless you have some other business here today, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

There, that was easy enough. Calm, friendly, rational, and to the point. Twilight felt confident that she had made her case quite well.

But then, Biggs emitted a harsh, throaty chuckle, which was echoed by his two still unnamed compatriots for a moment before he stood to his full height and crossed his arms. A gesture that immediately made the hackles on the back of Twilight neck rise as she interpreted the deliberate attempt at intimidation.

“And what if I say ‘no’?”

“Yeah, what if he says ‘no’?” one of the goons behind him imitated Biggs’ posture.

Twilight considered her options, analyzing the situation in front of her for a moment. She was quite familiar with bullying when she saw it, and that was exactly the image that she was getting from this massive reptilian creature. A big, mean bully, who was expecting the frail little pony in front of him to just roll over and do whatever he wanted.

Heat rose in Twilight’s chest as she found herself deeply offended by this realization and came to a single determined conclusion. Whatever else the Herd might be, it was not going to be weak.

Twilight pushed herself up onto her hind legs, standing at full height as she brought herself eye-level with the krogan and narrowed her gaze.

“I’ll persuade you.” Twilight’s kind tone fell, taking on a tenser, more demanding edge as her horn began to glow in a deep purple.

Biggs seemed surprised by this, but with krogan faces looking like they do, it was hard to tell. He then twisted his neck around, eliciting a thick cracking sound like the sound of tree limbs snapping. “So you think you’re a tough guy, huh? Well, if you wanna get rough, we can--”

“Biggs…” the pale green krogan, who was clearly more level-headed than his leader, got his friend’s attention again. “You can’t do that. They’re endangered.”

“Shut up, Wedge! Can’t you see I’m talkin’, here!?” the red krogan shouted over his shoulder. “But you’re right, they are in danger if they think they can push me around.”

“No, Biggs. Endangered,” Wedge continued with concern, though he couldn’t help but flinch when his friend shot him another glare. “You so much as touch one of ‘em and C-Sec will skin all of our hides.”

“C-Sec can wipe my ass,” Biggs huffed, throwing his arm out in a dismissive gesture. He turned back to the pony, whose gaze had not deviated in the slightest, glaring decidedly at the krogan.

For just a moment, the krogan was thrown off by the intensity buried in those enormous violet eyes. He shifted his shoulders in a manner that denoted a serious discomfort before he regained his composure.

“And what do you think you’re looking at, pretty pony?” Biggs scoffed.

“You get one warning,” Twilight stated fiercely. “This is it. Please leave peacefully… or else.”

“Or else!?” The krogan’s face broke out in a wide smile. With an exasperated expression, he turned to his friends, as if looking for confirmation that she was serious. “What? You gonna call your little C-Sec buddies to come protect you?”

“No,” Twilight said simply, never breaking her gaze. “Or else… I’ll be very cross with you.”

Twilight paused for a beat as the krogan glared back at her, her expression a neutral mask.

“And you wouldn’t like it when I’m cross.”

The red alien huffed in amusement. “The pony thinks she’s got a quad, but I’m not buying it. Listen here, pony, I oughta--”

“Ya know, Biggs… I think we should do what she says...” came the voice of one of the krogan’s goons from behind him.

“Yeah… maybe we should do what she says...” went the other.

“What?” Biggs sounded stunned for a moment before he turned away from Twilight to take a look at his two lackeys. “Don’t tell me you guys are scared of a…”

The krogans’ leader cut off as he realized that both his two fellow krogan were looking up. Their faces, displaying a certain degree of unexpected concern, were exact opposites of the smug expression on Biggs’. Especially that of Wedge, who was now slowly inching his way out from underneath a shadow on the floor.

Wait… A shadow? There wasn’t a shadow there a moment earlier. Something was off...

Wondering what on the Citadel had stolen his subordinates’ attention, Biggs slowly looked up as well, and in an instant, his smugness fell away.

Hanging over their heads, perfectly positioned over three of the four krogan and in a clear defiance of the Citadel’s artificial gravity, was a shipping container, plucked up and held steadily in place as if by a crane. But instead of straps or ropes, there was the subtle violet glow of dark energy along the bottom of the container, which, even while empty, had to weigh at least a couple of galactic standard tons.

Biggs swallowed reflexively, suddenly finding his mouth dry. Then, he tried his best to harden his expression once more, coughing loudly in an attempt to distract his friends from the obvious threat looming over them before turning once again to face the Madam President. She had resumed her four-legged position, though her horn was still lit in an identical color to the aura surrounding the container.

“Pretty impressive for something so tiny,” he admitted, folding his arms together to offset the fact that his voice carried almost none of the force it had held earlier. “Big deal, though. I could lift something like that, and I wouldn’t need fancy biotics to do it, neither.”

“Oh, really? Well then, I’d certainly like to see you try this,” said the unicorn, before clenching her eyes shut as the glowing motes of energy surrounding her horn grew brighter.

Biggs watched her for a few seconds, curious as to what she could be referring to, as nothing appeared to be happening. Assuming whatever it was wasn’t working, a short chuckle managed to slip past his lips.

“See? She’s just tryin’ to scare us, guys. She can’t really--”


*CREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAK*


The krogan was interrupted abruptly by a grating, straining sound that seemed to shake the very air around them. He looked around wildly, wondering where it could’ve been coming from, before his gaze slowly turned upwards...


*CRUUCCCHHHAAASSSSHHHHRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKK*


...just in time to see the cargo container suspended above their heads crunch in on itself with the ear-splitting shriek of grinding metal.

The four alien delinquents watched in mute awe as the rectangular container shrunk and folded inwards like there was a miniature black hole inside. If anyone had bothered paying attention to Twilight, they would have noticed her grinding her teeth as she struggled to manage her awesome biotic power, but she kept at it.

Several seconds later, that terrible sound ceased, and as Twilight opened her eyes again, she looked up to see that what was once a three-by-three-by-six meter solid storage unit was now nothing more than a ball of compacted metal only slightly smaller than the krogan staring open-mouthed at the display. Finding the situation immensely satisfying, in spite of her discomfort and the afterpain running through her skull, Twilight let the flow of energy cease completely.


*CLANG*


With a heavy thump that she could feel reverberating up her hooves, the rough metal sphere crashed to the floor of the district right at Biggs’ feet, and managed to snap the gang of krogan out of their dumbfounded stupors.

Unable to really think of anything to say, Biggs raised one of his three-fingered hands and absently scratched at his chin as he stared at the crushed container that obscured Twilight behind its presence.

“I was...” he managed to say after a while, with all pretenses of authority abandoned in exchange for a barely restrained fear. “...starting to get bored, anyway.”

“Yeah… nothin’ to do around here... Heheh...” one of the unnamed krogan lackeys stated in agreement as he looked around the district, wary of more biotic hazards.

“I just remembered I’m late for an appointment at the... gym!” The second goon nodded vigorously. “Yeah, the gym.”

“Alright, guys. Let’s move out... This place is a waste of our time, anyways.” Biggs waved a hand and stepped back and away from Twilight and the former cargo container, trying not to seem too eager to get out of this situation.

The goons followed suit, the group itself clearly moving towards the district entrance. For a few seconds, the green one, the one called “Wedge,” paused and turned around to look back at Twilight. Without saying a word, he nodded respectfully to the unicorn, a nod which she returned before the krogan continued on his way to join his friends.

“Wow… Twilight,” Fluttershy muttered quietly, approaching the Madam President from behind as Twilight watched the four krogan move away. “Just… wow… That was… Well, at least you got them to leave.”

“Leaving is good,” Twilight answered in a voice barely above a whisper as she nodded, though concern was still apparent on her face. “Never making trouble again is better.”

Twilight took a deep breath before speaking up, her tone almost sugary sweet. “Oh, Biggs!”

The krogan turned at the sound of his name, as did his cronies, to see Twilight grinning widely as she waved to them with one hoof.

“I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit to New Ponyville, and please do be sure to mention us to your friends!” she offered, managing to hold her expression even as the krogan regarded her with a distinct sense of apprehension. “Although, if they have any similar ideas about causing trouble here, I’d be more than happy to offer another demonstration... and next time I’ll be asking for volunteers.”

The krogan leader said nothing, and neither did any of his friends, before they turned and started shuffling rather quickly towards the exit elevator. Not one of them dared to look back again.

“Forty-Two,” Twilight spoke up as she watched the aliens move away. “Tell the other drones to watch them at a distance and make sure they leave the district, but stay out of their way. I don’t want any additional problems. Notify me immediately if they go anywhere except to the elevator.”

“Yes, Madam President.” Forty-Two nodded, his own antennae lighting up as he sent the message.

“Twilight…” Fluttershy looked utterly horrified. “You just… I can’t believe you would have… But what about… How could you have been so casual about…”

“Calm down, Fluttershy.” Twilight stated gently, raising a hoof to place it on the pegasus’ shoulder before she started hyperventilating. “I was bluffing.”

“...Bluffing?” The yellow pegasus tilted her head, giving the unicorn a puzzled look. “But you just seemed so… intense.”

“Something I’ve learned over the last couple of weeks: Never let the opposition see you sweat,” Twilight explained with a sigh as she let herself relax. “I wasn’t really going to do anything. I just needed to show them I meant business. If my interactions with other species have taught me anything, it’s that aliens don’t always respond in the same way that ponies do. Krogan, for example, only really respond to shows of force. I didn’t need to hurt them to make them listen, I just needed to show them that I could.”

“Oh… Um... I guess that worked out much better than me just asking them to go.” Fluttershy patted her mane as she looked over at the crushed shipping container, surprised by just how much force Twilight had decided to show.

“Honestly, I’m just thankful that it worked at all...” Twilight admitted, nervously rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “If they didn’t fall for it... I really don’t know what I would’ve been able to do. At least Pyres didn’t have to use that fancy rifle of his. I definitely didn’t want to have to explain to anypony why he had to gun down at least three krogan on his first day of duty.”

Fluttershy nodded, suddenly putting a leg around Twilight and pulling her into a soft hug.

“And that’s why you’re the one in charge, Twilight,” Fluttershy offered with a smile. “I’m glad that you took their wellbeing into account just as much as ours.”

“Thanks… Although I really hope that this doesn’t become an everyday sort of thing.”

“But… there is something I don’t understand...” Fluttershy gave her friend another confused expression. “Doesn’t all this go against how we are trying to present the Herd to other species? I mean… I thought we were supposed to be nice to everypony.”

“Being nice doesn’t mean we just give other species whatever they want,” Twilight tried to explain. She sighed, finding that her legs felt like they were turned to jelly now that the tension had eased and she became aware of just how much energy she had expended for her little stunt. While lifting and then crushing the shipping container had been well within her abilities, it wasn’t quite as “effortless” as she'd tried to make it appear. “Especially at the expense of the Herd. We have to look out for our own interests too, and those four were just waiting for an excuse to make trouble.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let them in in the first place.” Fluttershy’s ears drooped, along with her voice. “It was a stupid idea. I already knew about their reputation… I just thought that... maybe if we opened up a little, they could too. And maybe we could be friends.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Fluttershy.” Twilight patted her friend’s shoulder in a comforting fashion. “Giving them a tour was a good idea, and it only became an issue because they made it an issue.”

At her friend’s reassurances, Fluttershy seemed to lighten up. “Thanks, Twilight... I needed to hear that. I just feel kinda bad for that green one... Wedge, I think his name was. He really seemed interested in us, and I got the feeling that he only goes along with those others because they push him around like that...”

“Well, if he wants to come back after we’ve opened the district, then he’s perfectly welcome... as long as he behaves.” Twilight raised a hoof, rubbing her chin in thought. “It might’ve been a risk letting them in and maybe it didn’t turn out perfectly, but like I was telling Rainbow Dash yesterday, we don’t live in a bubble anymore. We can’t just sit here in this district without taking chances like that. But we also can’t be overly aggressive and demand that things be done our way. The key is finding a balance between being kind and being strong.”

“So what you’re saying is... that in dealing with aliens, we need to be gentle… but firm.”

“Not so different from dealing with animals, is it?” Twilight smiled, glad that her friend was getting the picture.

“...I guess not.” Fluttershy nodded in understanding.

“Well, that was… unexpected,” came the familiar voice of the local C-Sec representative.

Both ponies turned towards the approaching turian, who had already collapsed and shouldered the sniper rifle he had used to view the entire exchange from long distance.

“My original assignment briefing said that you Equestrians were biotically inclined, but…” Pyres looked over at the crushed and perfectly orb-shaped shipping container. “…damn.”

“That’s nothing.” Twilight gave the turian a playful smirk, casually waving off the impressive biotic display. “I also play a mean game of chess.”

“That’s that human game, right? The one with the little pieces? Can’t say I’m a fan,” Pyres remarked, crossing his arms. “But I’d probably be up for a hand of Skyllian Five Poker sometime. It would be a real challenge to play against someone that actually knows how to bluff for a change.”

“How could you tell she was bluffing?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’ve been in C-Sec for over a decade, and before that I was trained as a Colonial M.P. Trust me, I know a front when I see one.” Pyres nodded before kneeling down to eye level with the two ponies. “Still, I have to say you handled that pretty well. Better than most stuffy Wards politicians, anyways. It’s refreshing to see civilians actually willing to try and fix their own problems rather than begging someone else to do it for them.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Twilight gave the turian a tired smile. “And I’m glad it didn’t come down to it, but I appreciate you standing by as backup in case things fell through.”

“Don't mention it. That’s what I’m here for, Madam President.” Pyres stood back up, waving her off. Much to Twilight’s satisfaction, there was a reduced level of disdain in his tone as he said it.

“Ahem...” Fluttershy cleared her throat softly. “Actually, Mr. Pyres... I was wondering, you know, if you had some free time, if I might be able to ask you some questions about how C-Sec approaches multi-species relations.”

“Madam President,” Forty Two spoke up, taking Twilight’s attention away from the two as Pyres answered in a vaguely annoyed fashion that he might be able to talk with the Director during his patrol. “The krogan have left the district without incident. Also, I should point out that you have a scheduled appointment with Treasurer Sterling pending.”

“Yeah… That reminds me, I’ll probably have to explain to her about what happened with this shipping container... Pretty sure we don’t actually own those...” Twilight rubbed her foreleg sheepishly as she looked back at the hunk of metal sitting on the deck. She then turned to address the two beings standing to her side. “I have to get to a meeting, was there anything else?”

“I guess not.” Pyres shook his head. “I’ll see you around the district, Madam President. You have my omni-tool’s direct contact information if you need me.”

“I’m fine, and thank you, Twilight.” Fluttershy nodded to her friend as the unicorn turned away and started towards the stairs, wondering which she was dreading more: the long climb up to the Administration level, or the actual meeting with Sterling where she would probably be complaining that they were running out of money again.

“Twilight…” Forty-Two stated in a low, worried-sounding tone as soon as Pyres and Fluttershy were out of earshot. “You weren’t bluffing… were you?”

The question was not so much a question, but a statement. Twilight frowned as she kept moving forward, finding herself having to swallow a bitter truth as she approached the steps.

“...No,” she admitted, more to herself than to her mechanical assistant. “...And that’s what scares me.”




*Updating Codex*

*Director Fluttershy: updated*
*Equestrian Rules of Engagement: updated*



——————



Active Log: 42 of 50 - Day 12 A.E.

Present location: New Ponyville, Equestrian Essentials

Status: passive observation




Two days had passed since the “Krogan Incident” and much to Twilight’s relief, it seemed that many of the investments and hopeful enterprises of New Ponyville’s developing infrastructure were beginning to smooth out. While this hardly meant that the Madam President was bored, it was allowing her to be a bit more hooves-off as those ponies under her supervision slowly became more self-reliant and sure of themselves, no longer requiring her input at every turn.

This growing sense of independence among the individuals and entrepreneurs of the Herd was of course being nurtured by the continued distribution of Sugar³’s first generation of omni-hooves. As Twilight understood from her last meeting with Vinyl, they had been (quite literally) put into the hooves of nearly half of New Ponyville’s population already, and production was picking up the pace as they worked out the kinks and brought more “associate technicians” into the fold.

It was a hint of good news at least, which was something Twilight desperately needed.

The decision had been made and the announcement sent out on the Citadel extranet that New Ponyville would be officially opening the district to the general public at the end of the next galactic standard week.

As much as she would have liked to have put off throwing the rest of the Herd into the galactic spotlight again, they literally couldn’t afford to wait any longer. Given the lack of returns on Applejack’s attempts to get into the Tayseri job market, their entire financial future rested on the talents and skills of the Equestrians as service providers and salesponies. It was a trait that Twilight was gambling everything on, hoping beyond hope that her kind had managed to maintain their knack for galactic commerce since the now long-bygone haydays of the Equines.

And given that she had overseen just about every investment made with the Herd’s startup money, it was all the more nerve-wracking as she toured the different businesses and saw just how much more work they needed, and how far from ready they still were.

“And last on the itinerary, Madam President: Equestrian Essentials,” Forty-Two offered, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts as she realized she had been walking on autopilot for the last five minutes, so absorbed in her concerns that she would have kept on walking past the storefront that was her destination had the mech not spoken up.

“Why is it that everytime I’m supposed to come to this shop, I’m filled with a sense of dread...?” she remarked, looking up at the bright blue holographic lettering above the door that read: “Equestrian Essentials” in a graceful, flowing calligraphy. “I just hope Rarity’s not still miffed about what happened the other day.”

“On that note, all changeling units have had their definition of ‘asphyxiation’ more narrowly defined.”

“I have to say, that was a new experience. I never expected the changelings would interpret a hug as an assassination attempt,” Twilight noted gruffly, remembering quite well how the Director of Culture had reacted upon hearing that her funding had been cleared. Her sides still had bruises on them.

“You were having difficulty breathing, Madam President,” Forty-Two pointed out yet again. “It tripped Changeling Retaliation Protocols. Thankfully, they merely tackled the Director rather than using any more drastic methods before I could disable them.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to know our drones will dogpile an overly happy pony, but ignore a turian with a drawn weapon,” Twilight huffed with a degree of snark.

“The firearm in question was incapable of causing immediate bodily harm to Director Dash, while you were showing multiple bodily signals of suffocation and possible internal trauma due to Director Rarity’s unrelenting display of affection. As it stands, they are only VIs, Madam President. Advanced, but far from perfect. You can’t expect them to be capable of making such subtle moral and social distinguishment,” Forty-Two related before he paused, giving the unicorn something she interpreted as a flat look. “And you’re doing it again, Twi.”

“Doing what?” Twilight asked.

“Standing just outside the door and stalling for as long as you can before going in.”

“No, I’m not,” Twilight defended herself quickly. “I’m just taking a moment to collect my thoughts and compose myself before I walk in on a pony who may or may not still be angry about--”

“You were wrong about the clothing issue, Twi. You really have to get over it and stop avoiding your friend,” her assistant told her bluntly.

“It’s not that at all! I just--”

The door to Equestrian Essentials opened on its own again, cutting Twilight off in mid-sentence to glare at her assistant. The mech immediately reverted to a neutral expression (or as Twilight had dubbed it, his "Move along, nothing to see here” face).

“Welcome to Equestrian Essentials, your essential stop for all things Equestri... Oh, Twilight, darling! Come in, come in!”

Rarity’s voice snapped the Madam President’s attention away from her insubordinate assistant and into the boutique, which made her jaw all but drop.

Twilight hadn’t been fully privy to what it was that Rarity had included in her purchases list, but she thought she knew what to expect from a shop owned by Rarity. Pony forms, enormous bolts of cloth, cutting tools and needles and accessories of every kind laying every which way in a creative mess. And on the counter, of course, would be the ever-so-vital sewing machine.

So when the shop doors opened to a clean, spotless floor and a sales counter with a single automated catalogue monitor, Twilight was surprised. When she took note of the grinning fashionista, she was astonished.

Rarity was wearing a thin visor that ran in a transparent strip over both of her eyes, holographic images clearly on display for the white unicorn as she looked toward Twilight. She was now dressed in a more conservative version of her original suit; an ensemble with the same black and white color scheme, but streamlined over her body rather than being overly form-fitting and showing off her ample equine curves as she had the night of the interview. To one side stood a large vanity mirror with several lamps and lights set along the side of it directed out to where somepony might be standing if admiring themselves in it, while the other wall sported several racks now hanging with what looked like several sets of outfits either already finished or very nearly complete.

Behind her, several bulky machines lined the back wall of the shop everywhere except for the opening which led back into the dressing room, with lights, monitors, and conveyor belts the likes of which baffled the intelligent unicorn.

“Uhhh... Hi, Rarity.” Twilight was taken aback as she stepped into the shop and around the counter. Her earlier concern at the fashionista's being angry with her faded as she tried to figure out why the clothier’s shop looked more like something belonging in a production factory. “I just came by to--”

“Hold still a moment, would you, dear?” Rarity asked Twilight as she looked her over. As the Madam President watched, a number of flashing symbols and diagrams swam across her friend’s headwear. “I’m still trying to calibrate this thing properly... Pinkie did what she could with it but it’s still using a lot of humanoid measurement models for... No, no... That’s not a ‘bust size,’ it’s a ‘barrel measurement,’ and I need it to be exact. Hold on, let me see if I can readjust this.”

Twilight was still gaping openly as Rarity’s horn glowed, removing the visor from her face and holding it out in front of her as she waved a hoof over it. Instantly, her hoof lit up with a series of holographic orange panels while she went about making her adjustments.

“Rarity... what is all of this?” Twilight asked hesitantly.

“It’s Equestrian Essentials.” Rarity smiled as she looked over a pop-up panel on her omni-hoof which Twilight recognized as a simplified code-editing program. “And I have to say it is turning out to be even more elaborate than I even imagined. Say what you want about Elkoss Combine, but a few little tweaks and an eye for detail and their baseline production model fabricators can turn out a quality form just as quickly as anything Kassa Fabrication makes.”

“Fabricators? I thought this was supposed to be a tailor’s shop.” Twilight gave her friend a curious look. “Where are the pincushions? And the measuring tape? And the sewing machines?”

Rarity looked up from the visor held in her biotic grasp and her still-working omni-hoof screen with a dull expression, before she burst out in a fit of giggles.

“Oh, Twilight... Is that what you thought I would be doing in here?” The fashionista was clearly delighted by her friend’s perplexed observation. “With all of this technology around, you honestly thought I would still be painstakingly hoof-sewing outfits for everypony in New Ponyville? Not to mention with a deadline of mere days to complete, all while trying to cultivate a galactic customer base, all by myself? I’m good, darling, but I’m not that good.”

“Uhh...” Twilight couldn’t think of anything to say, so she settled on a sheepish grin. Now that she thought about it, it did seem odd that even a designer as skilled as Rarity would take on such a massive order all on her own, creating designs for hundreds of ponies when six new, original dresses had stressed her to the breaking point back in Equestria. “Kind of...”

“Twilight...” Rarity clucked her tongue and shook her head condescendingly. Then, she looked back at her visor and nodded, appearing to be pleased with the results, before she shut off her omni-hoof and replaced the headgear over her eyes. “I may have been stuck as an analog player for most of my life, but this is a whole different league from the old Carousel Boutique. And if I am going to compete in the galactic market, then I’m going to take every advantage I can get my hooves on... Ah! There we go. Barrel measurement. Let’s see how close I was...”

“So what’s the point of all this tech?” Twilight asked, now intently curious as to what her friend’s new operation entailed, and grateful that whatever she was doing had clearly kept her busy enough to have forgotten about the “hugging incident” a few days before.

“For the sake of simplicity, these are all fabrication units.” Rarity motioned with a hoof to the combination of boxes and belts sitting behind her. “I won’t bore you with the technical babble like Pinkie would, but suffice it to say they allow me to take my sketches and designs, along with numerical measurements taken by this fancy visor I’m wearing, and fully fabricate finished models in a matter of minutes. I only got everything delivered and set up earlier today, but so far I already have several sets ready.”

“Just like that?” Twilight tilted her head, trying and failing to understand what Rarity was talking about. “It’s really that easy? Why bother opening a storefront, then?”

“Well, the outfits have to come from somewhere... and I rather like not having to pay shipping expenses,” the ivory unicorn explained. “And before you ask, yes, we were better off buying our own equipment rather than outsourcing our production to some other company.”

“Care to explain why?” Twilight deadpanned, wondering if perhaps she had been mistaken with her decision to deviate the last substantial portion of their funding to what may very well have been (as she first suspected) a vanity project.

“It all comes down to ownership, Twilight. Just like in Equestria, the world of fashion is a cutthroat and nasty business, filled with no shortage of competitors eager to snatch up what isn’t already theirs.” Rarity delivered this line like she was describing some kind of criminal underworld, and for all Twilight knew, this could very well have been the case. “By personally handling every step of the creative process, from research, to design, to our own in-house production, we ensure that all one hundred percent of my designs stays squarely in the rightful hooves of Equestrian Essentials.”

The fashionista paused, a sly grin coming over her face as she leaned closer to Twilight.

“Along with all of the profits... and exclusive licensing rights. It all goes to the Herd. Nopony else even sees a bit.”

Twilight, taken aback by this claim, couldn’t help but smile as Rarity’s enthusiasm was worn on her sleeve, clearly showing that her business drive and passion for fashion were still very much intact despite their new setting.

“That’s... great, Rarity.” Twilight’s ears perked up, showing her relief at this news. “And a huge load off my mind. To be honest, I was afraid that this whole thing would end up being a huge credit pit, but... Well, you certainly know what you’re doing better than I do. I mean, I figured you’d be in here twenty hours a day with a sewing needle doing it all the old-fashioned way.”

“I strive to impress.” Rarity returned her friend’s genuine smile. “Although the machines are certainly helpful and will do a vast majority of the work, my most ‘important’ projects will still be done by hoof the way they were meant to be. Which brings me to what I really wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” Twilight tilted her head curiously as Rarity turned and moved into the back dressing room. Uncertain if she should follow, she hesitated for a moment before Rarity emerged with a box held in the soft glow of her biotics. “What’s this?”

“My second custom piece,” Rarity said with pride as she maneuvered the box to the counter in front of Twilight. “Go ahead, open it!”

Deciding the humor her friend, Twilight’s own horn lit up, easily removing the top of the box and revealing what was inside. It appeared to be a tightly folded bundle of thick, black fabric, but as Twilight took it out and unfolded it, she quickly realized that she had seen it before.

It was the exact same outfit she had seen Octavia modeling for Rarity days before, only now it was apparent that the ensemble was in its final, finished state. And from what she could tell, it had evolved drastically from the early design she had seen.

“For the mare who represents the best in all of us...” Rarity elaborated as she moved to Twilight’s side, she herself admiring her work just as Twilight was doing. “A suit fit for the Madam President.”


——————


Twilight stood before the mirror with a shocked look on her face as Rarity moved around her, checking seams and assuring herself that the suit fit perfectly.

Twilight had never considered herself much of a fan of any kind of covering, having been perfectly comfortable in the fur even after Rarity had made her scandalous observation in the live interview. After all, they were covered in fur and had their tails to protect their modesty, so what was the point of being embarrassed?

But now, looking at her reflection, Twilight found herself completely transfixed.

The mare looking back at her cut an authoritative figure, her collar and cuffs reminiscent of both pictures she had seen of Alliance officers and of Councilor Anderson’s suit. The material felt tough, but was soft enough that it didn’t grate against her fur or make her feel overheated. The soft black seemed to compliment her fur color perfectly and also gave the distinct impression of seriousness to contrast what she had heard one human refer to as a pony’s “natural candy coating.” The suit itself encompassed her barrel, forelegs, flank, and rump, but opened up underneath to expose her belly and leave her hind legs free, giving her a full range of movement that she figured would be hampered by the kind of form-fitting dress Rarity now sported.

Although she would never have admitted it, Twilight had often looked at the mirror inside her apartment and found it troublesome that what she saw looking back at her was the same mare who had been a simple, blissfully ignorant librarian a few short weeks ago. No matter what angle she had tried or how she styled her mane, she just couldn’t see a pony that was supposed to lead an entire species.

Not until now, that is.

Even so, there was still a feeling that she couldn’t help but voice, knowing from Rarity’s disapproving frown that she could see it too.

“I absolutely love it, but... it’s missing something.”

“I hate to admit it, but I do think you’re right.” Rarity nodded, moving around Twilight with an analytical expression. She ran a hoof over the seams and the fabric, trying to find the fault. “I’ve been feeling the same way about my personal outfits as well, but I just haven’t been able to put my hoof on what they’re lacking.”

“It’s something simple.” Twilight turned a bit, trying to pin the odd feeling it gave her as she looked over her now sharply dressed form. “It feels like it should be obvious. I mean, it looks right and it feels right. It’s just... I don’t know... kinda bland. You know... sort of...”

Twilight’s eyes, as well as Rarity’s, widened by degrees as the realization struck them both.

“...blank...”





*Updating Codex*

*Equestrian Essentials: updated*

*Cutie Marks: updated*



——————



Active Log: 42 of 50 - Day 13 A.E.

Present location: New Ponyville, Administrative Offices

Status: passive observation




“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little to no influence on society.”

That quote was attributed to one of Astrolia’s favorite human writers: Mark Twain. But while he was quite familiar with the works of the twentieth century Earthborn humorist, Forty-Two had never really given that particular statement much thought until today. Judging by the clearly improved mood of the Madam President this past morning as opposed to his earlier observations, he had to admit that the saying seemed to be holding true for Equestrians as well as it did for humans.

The hints were subtle, but nothing could escape the notice of his optics suite. The slight bounce in her steps when she was walking, the increased beat and tempo in the way that she spoke, meetings growing less frantic as she no longer had to rush to meet the ponies in person, now capable of taking vid-calls and messages via the omni-hooves which were still being distributed.

And the synthetic could not help but muse on what seemed to be the cause. It was amazing the effect that could be achieved with something so simple as a violet starburst emblazoned on either flank.

Still, the apparent lifting of spirits was dampened as the day went on, the breakneck speed of the last few days slowing and giving the mare time to actually realize how tired she was as she lay on the chaise lounge set up in her office. Though spacious, the workspace was sparsely decorated due to the fact that Twilight had not even made use of it before today.

There were still meetings to be had, but at least now, the unicorn had a chance to take them with a degree of comfort as the latest conference call drew to a close.

“I can see where you’re coming from and I appreciate your concern, Mr. Cake. But price gouging right out of the gates just isn’t good business sense,” Twilight tried to assure the master baker as she held her omni-hoof’s vid-screen at a comfortable distance. “I’m firmly of the mind that the more readily available our goods are, the better they’ll be received. We don’t need to try and make as many credits as fast as possible, what we need is to develop a customer base first.”

“I suppose you’re right, dear. It was just a thought,” the image of the older yellow-furred stallion agreed from his position on the other side of the wireless link. “I like to think our treats are worth a bit more than the mass-produced crackers these human bakers try to pass off as cookies, but I suppose it makes sense. And how many times do I have to tell you? You can just call me ‘Carrot’ now.”

The unicorn couldn’t help but give a tired chuckle at the insistence.  

“That just doesn’t sound right. To me, you’ll always be Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Old habits and all that.” Twilight shrugged, hearing the sound of her new clothes shifting comfortably at the movement. “Although now that you have the ovens installed and working properly, you can bet I’ll be coming down to sample some of your new wares.”

“Of course, Twili... err... ‘Madam President.’ We look forward to having you.”

“No... it’s okay, really. It’s just Twilight to you. Some old habits really shouldn’t be broken.”

“If you say so, Twilight.” Carrot Cake nodded with a wink. “I’ve taken up enough of your time, though. I’ll let you get back to... whatever it is you’re doing now. See ya later.”

“I’ll see you this afternoon.” Twilight nodded in kind before a single thought shut down the vid-screen and deactivated the omni-hoof, a tool she was quickly growing more and more accustomed to using.

Now alone with Forty-Two, she had a moment to really relax, closing her eyes and laying her head down on her forelegs. As much as Forty-Two hated to admit it, in spite of her earlier good mood, she was looking utterly exhausted.

“For the last week I’ve just been wanting everything to slow down,” she sighed again. “But now that it actually has, I think that staying busy was the only thing keeping me from realizing just how badly everything can go wrong right now.”

“You’re doing an admirable job, Twilight,” Forty-Two offered consolingly.

“Yeah, admirable is the word.” Twilight reached up a hoof to rub the corners of her eyes, which were starting to become slightly red at the edges. “We’re bottom of the bit-barrel broke. Half of the Citadel is refusing to do business with us because of that ammonia-sucking idiot Kailer, and with the way we’ve hyped up expectations for when the district opens for business, if anything goes wrong with any of our investments, we’re more or less financially ruined.

“Twilight,” Forty-Two spoke up suddenly, his mistress’ eyes widening as she took note of the fact that her assistant’s antennas were lighting up, a visual warning that he was receiving some new information from his fellow changelings. “This may not be the best time, but...”

The Madam President covered her head with her forelegs like a filly with a case of the flu.

“Whatever it is, I’m not here!” she stated with a slight moan.

“...there is an elcor and a salarian arriving at the docks via personal shuttlecraft.”

That got Twilight’s attention. “Elcor?”

“The arrival is unscheduled and it does not appear to be a delivery. However, his profile is not included among either our known alien contacts or our files on Expanding Reaches personnel. He is approaching Seventeen of Twenty. Establishing audio-link.”

Twilight pulled herself up as she watched Forty-Two’s eyes flatline, the spiking in the feed surprisingly shallow compared to the previous times she had seen it.

“Hesitant query:” a flat, monotone voice that gave absolutely no indication of any emotion came from Forty-Two’s speakers. As was common with all elcor, their speech patterns necessitated the use of clarifying statements in order to express the emotional inflections of their words when dealing with other races that couldn’t pick up on their more subtle actions. “Excuse me, I am trying to get in touch with the management of the Equestrian Herd.”

“Please state the nature of your visit to this facility,” the drone at the dock stated while Twilight listened intently with her ears pitched forward.

“Prideful introduction: Yes, of course. My name is Etvon. I am the senior foreman of Tackton Construction Incorporated’s Tayseri Reconstruction Project. With genuine interest: It has come to my attention that members of the Herd have been inquiring about employment. My advocate and I would like to explore possible options.”

Immediately upon hearing the word “employment,” Twilight literally jumped out of her seat and walked right up to her assistant. “Forty-Two, open a channel!”

“Dual audio-link established,” Forty-Two complied with the usual burst of static.

“Mr. Etvon, this is Madam President Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight started, hoping that she didn’t come off as too rushed or desperate. “Welcome to New Ponyville. What can I do for you today?”

“Delighted salutation: Madam President, greetings. Mild surprise: I was not expecting to be speaking with you directly,” the elcor said. Although had he not explained his specific intent, Twilight never would have imagined him being “surprised.” “Impressed: Judging by the promptness of your response, I assume your mech units have a communal information network.”

“Yes, I am notified of most unexpected events in the district immediately via our drones.” Twilight explained, keeping a forced smile in spite of the fact that the elcor could not actually see her. “And to that end, my assistant drone has informed me that you are interested in doing business with the Herd.”

“Yes. As one of the few elcor-owned corporations with an interest outside of our own space, we too are familiar with the feeling of being passed over on honest work by other species due to physiological bias. Humble admittance: Your Director of Labor’s appeal during her interview was quite touching, and as a member of a herding species, myself, I can sympathize with your plight. Professionally: If a mutually beneficial agreement can be reached, we at Tackton are open to the possibility of co-involvement. When might we be able to schedule a meeting?”

Twilight’s smile was reaching Pinkie Pie levels by the time she completely absorbed what the alien was saying, and before she could even put her thoughts into coherent words, her omni-hoof was already alight and scrolling with the contact information of Fluttershy, Applejack and Sterling.

“Why wait? Let’s do this right now.”


——————


Forty-Two watched the final moments of the negotiations with Tackton’s foreman and his salarian legal advocate with a sense of pride, amazed at how the past four hours of tense business discussion, biotic demonstrations, and more than one argument (usually set between the Director of Labor and the Equestrians’ Treasurer) could have come to such a satisfying conclusion.

“Amicable: You drive a hard bargain, Director Applejack,” Etvon stated dully as he slowly lifted a forelimb. The orange earth pony mare took his cue, gently lifting a hoof to bump his knuckles with a smile. “But I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership. With barely restrained enthusiasm: I look forward to seeing your workers in action tomorrow morning in District Nine-Eighty-One.”

“You’ll be impressed, Etvon.” Applejack smiled winningly, pulling her hat down on her head. “We’ll make quick work a’ the cleanup, and all without them expensive, high-maintenance liftin’ bots, don’t y’all worry.”

“Assuming, of course, that your workers are as capable as you claim,” Gean (Or, as the salarian had introduced himself: Rannadril Ghan Swa Fulsoom Karaten Tiar Egan Seay Gean.) countered with a clearly less enthusiastic expression as he shook his head, speaking in a quickfire manner that was a complete contrast to the slow, ponderous tone of the elcor foreman. “To use the human expression: Any horse can make a claim, and in this instance, I suppose that any pony can do the same. This trial run poses a significant financial gamble on behalf of Tackton Corporation. The sums involved here are not exactly pocket change.”

“And to use another expression, Gean:” Fluttershy interrupted, her soft smile belying the highly valuable observation and insightful manner she had used throughout the meeting to counter several of the salarian’s fast-talking arguments. “You are backing the right horse. Given that all five construction corporations involved in Tayseri’s cleanup are behind schedule and over-budget, it seems to me that reliance on conventional techniques and machinery have not been enough. Often, an unconventional approach can be just the right solution to unconventional problems. Besides, if it doesn’t work out, then you’re not obligated to keep us on after the first job.”

“And with our freelance contract paying by the job rather than by the galactic standard hour, you are spared the liability caused by possible delays with the actual work,” Sterling brought up, not even looking up from her omni-hoof’s screen as she continued to run over the numbers that had been presented during the meeting. “Just as well, Tackton will be spared any legal ramifications for injuries occurring during work by filing Sweet Apple-cations as a third party contractor working under its supervision. In short, you’ll be getting access to an entire workforce without having to worry about individual bankrolling or insurance liabilities.”

Meanwhile, Twilight sat quietly on her haunches as she watched the interactions. She was more than greatly impressed at how well the three very different ponies were working in concert, each using their unique skills to continue overcoming objections. From Applejack’s down-to-earth, everypony sensibilities, Fluttershy’s softer, insightful assurances, and Sterling’s hard-nosed, no-nonsense approach to the negotiation from an accounting standpoint had made the Madam President’s own presence almost completely unnecessary.

Although, she had to say, she enjoyed the opportunity to sit back and watch her friends, each in an outfit befitting their varied personalities, performing their duties so well.

The meeting having concluded, she observed as Etvon and Gean moved towards the exit where Sterling’s new assistant, the friendly-looking Pokey Pierce, offered to escort them back down to the docks.

A few moments after they had left and the automatic door had slid closed, Applejack dropped her professional mask and turned to the other three mares in the room with an enormous grin.

“YEEEEEHAAAAW! This is just the break we needed!” The earth pony reared back, kicking her forelegs enthusiastically as she let go of a desperately needed laugh. “Sweet Apple-cations is officially in business!”

“I wouldn’t celebrate just yet, Applejack. We don’t see a single credit until the job is actually done.” Sterling gave her customary frown, pushing her glasses up her nose as she remained transfixed on the details of the contract the four of them had just signed. “So we haven’t accomplished anything until your worker ponies have finished clearing this district. And given what I’m seeing here, a work force twice the size of ours is projected to take at least two weeks to perform the task.”

“Like Granny Smith always said: ‘Quantity don’t make up for quality,’” Applejack countered, unable to let the sour-puss grey pony’s criticism affect her mood as she shifted in her new “work duds”: a fully form-fitting outfit of brown and green with raised, protective ridges along her body’s natural curves, and multiple apple icons embroidered on each ridge. To round out the ensemble, a familiar triple apple mark adorned her backside. “All we gotta do is clear the streets and side-alleys of debris. When we finish up, we get paid and get our hooves in the door. And when we get it done lickity-split, we’re gonna have all sorts of offers from other corps for work contracts.”

“I know you’ll get it done, Applejack.” Fluttershy stood, revealing her own outfit, which was more flowing and gown-like than Applejack’s or Twilight’s, looking like a far more conservative and practical version of her Gala dress from inside Equestria.

The three butterflies that once decorated her flank had been replaced by a new symbol, the first deviation from her friends’ original cutie marks that Twilight had seen, and a sure sign that Fluttershy felt her purpose in life had taken a new direction. Now, there stood a design that Twilight recognized as a set of weighing scales, which she interpreted as symbolic of the advice given three days earlier in dealing with the krogan.

Given all that had happened to her timid friend since that fateful day when she brought a strange red stallion to her library, Twilight couldn’t think of a more fitting icon for the new Fluttershy. Especially since she seemed to be well on her way to growing into her new position as the Herd’s interspecies ambassador.

“Although you really need to be careful, too. We don’t want anypony getting hurt on the job, regardless of who eventually gets the blame.”

“Don’t you fret, Fluttershy.” Applejack nodded as Sterling finally turned off her omni-hoof and rubbed her eyes, leaning back and giving the Madam President a look at her own suit. It was of a similar design to Twilight’s, but in a softer grey than her coat, and more streamlined, giving her a duller, if more fluid look. Unlike most ponies, Sterling chose to leave her hindquarters unadorned, showing that she was either of the mind to reject the once all-encompassing tradition of wearing her talent on her flank, or that she simply thought the decal of a cutie mark was a frivolous addition to her appearance.

“Right, just leave the fretting and the credit-counting to me,” Sterling mused, actually managing, for just a moment, to crack a smile. “That’s what you’re paying me for, after all.”

“We’re paying you?” Twilight did a double-take, drawing a perfectly deadpanned response from the grey earth pony accountant.

“No, but it’s nice to dream.”

For some reason, the simple remark set all four mares laughing as they felt an enormous burden lifted off their tired shoulders.

“Come on, sugarcube.” Applejack offered a hoof to Sterling, an offer that took the mare a moment to comprehend before it was accepted. “Ah hear the Cakes have started bakin’ stuff down on Level Three. Let’s go get one a' Cup Cake’s cupcakes and see if they’re as good as we remember. On me.”

“I thought that the Cakes were offering samples of their first batches for free to members of the Administration...” Sterling gave the former apple farmer a sideways look.

“In that case, I’m buyin’ ya two,” Applejack added slyly as she started to the door, Fluttershy and Sterling both having to stifle a laugh as Twilight watched them leave.

One job. Hopefully a well-paying one if things went to plan. Now, it was out of her hooves.

Now she had to trust that the ponies she had to rely on were up to the task.

It wasn’t the end of their problems by a longshot. But it was certainly a step in the right direction.




*Updating Codex*

*Director Applejack: updated*
*Treasurer Sterling Silver: updated*
*Sweet Apple-cations: updated*



——————



Active Log: 42 of 50 - Day 20 A.E.

Present location: New Ponyville, Third Level Observation Balcony




Twilight gazed out over New Ponyville from her favorite spot on the third level balcony, admiring both the view and the scene that played out before her.

She found it hard to imagine that the spacious district, which had seemed so empty and devoid of life when she first laid eyes on it, was now almost full to bursting with activity. A dizzying array of colors and shapes, familiar and alien, milled about every nook and cranny; browsing the stalls, touring the facilities, and conversing with the locals.

The grand opening had been a smashing success. New Ponyville was constantly occupied with a steady stream of visitors.

It was everything Twilight could’ve hoped for.

“I can’t believe this is really happening...” she remarked breathlessly to her assistant, who was also taking note of the momentous occasion.

“Yes, it is certainly an event worth celebrating,” Forty-Two replied, before turning his neck to Twilight with a slight whirring sound. “And you made it all happen, Twilight.”

The Madam President had to suppress a short snerk and his observation. “Please... I couldn’t have managed one bit of it without everypony else’s help.”

“Even so, you gave them direction. And the results speak for themselves.”

“Yeah... I guess so.” Twilight was then silent for a few more seconds, before bowing her head and sighing dejectedly, which Forty-Two took notice of.

“Is something wrong, Madam President?”

“No, not really...” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “I just... I wish Shepard was here to see this.”

“Commander Shepard?” the mech asked for clarification.

“Yeah. I don’t know... It just seems like he should be here. After all, none of this would even be possible if it weren’t for him.”

“I’m sure he would be here if he could, Twilight,” Forty-Two reassured her, thinking back to their conversation with Councilor Anderson just a few hours prior. “Councilor Anderson did say he was still rather busy in the Terminus Systems.”

“Right, and a grand opening celebration is probably lower on the priority scale than saving the galaxy, huh?” Twilight remarked dryly. “I guess what I’m saying is... I want to let him know how we’re doing... That we’re all doing okay.”

The black changeling mech regarded her silently for a few seconds, his green electronic eyes betraying none of the slightly baffled thoughts cycling over in his digital brain.

“...Then why don’t you?”

“Hmm?” Twilight’s ears perked up, and she looked to her assistant with a curious expression. “What do you mean?”

“Twilight...” Forty-Two fought to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. He didn’t fight very hard, though. “There exists something called the ‘extranet.’ I’m fairly sure you’ve heard of it.”

“Of course I’ve heard of it. I use it every day. Why would that even...” Twilight stopped mid-snark as her face slowly transitioned to a dumbfounded look of sudden realization. Despite her attempts to break herself of the habit, she found herself putting a hoof to her snout. “...Ugh... How could I be so dim?”

“In your defense, you have been rather busy lately.”

Twilight removed her hoof and smiled warmly at her assistant, trying to downplay her oversight. “Well, in that case... I don’t suppose--”

“I already have the Commander’s extranet address on file. It wasn’t exactly hard to find.”

Twilight nodded, then turned to once again look out at the rest of New Ponyville and the Citadel beyond, while preparing herself for something she had never imagined herself doing since her flight from Equestria. Something that, for the past two years of her life, had become nothing short of routine. It struck her that it was kind of ironic, in a sense, but at the same time... it felt right.

Unlike her speech before the christening of New Ponyville, the words came easily this time.

“Forty-Two... take a letter.”

“It would be my pleasure,” the changeling stated, standing by as his mistress peered out over the lower levels of New Ponyville and beyond, her gaze held by the vastness of the Serpent Nebula as she mulled over what to say...


——————




Dear Commander Shepard,

I bet you weren’t expecting to get a correspondence from me like this, but after the events of the past few days, I find myself thinking about everything you did for us, and I feel the need to at least let you know how myself, and the rest of us ponies are doing.

I have come to the realization that leaders live amidst a sea of difficult choices and heavy burdens. That it is important... No, vital to keep hold of every scrap of good news. To embrace every victory no matter how small. To keep going on. It hasn’t even been a month since we parted ways at the Presidium, but in this I feel that I now perhaps understand a small part of what you have to do every day.



Twilight paused, thinking back to her conversation that day with Councilor Anderson. How he had opened it up so casually, complimenting her suit and stating that he, along with the Asari Councilor, fully intended to be among the first customers of New Ponyville’s grand opening, although he alluded that Tevos would be treating it more as a diplomatic venture than a celebratory one.

As their discussion turned to other matters, Anderson had lived up to his offer, listening to the doubts that she could confide in nopony else and advising her to keep strong and press forward. He had shared with her about the still classified assault and victory against the Collectors’ base of operations, and the act of its destruction which had severed Shepard’s association with Cerberus permanently. How he was following various leads while he still could in the aftermath, trying to gather what intel he could on the Reapers while in the Terminus Systems.

From the sound of it, he made Shepard seem like he was always rushing from one problem area to the next... But she felt confident he wouldn’t be too bothered by one little extranet message in between missions.



To that effect, here is some news you may not have gotten out there in the Terminus. The Council, in their infinite wisdom, has granted us asylum and a place to call our own on the Citadel. Tayseri Ward is a decent enough place to build a community... once you ignore the ongoing cleanup and reconstruction.



Twilight tried not to grimace as she remembered her first foray into Tayseri itself when she went to observe Applejack’s work detail.

The district had looked like the aftermath of a war zone, which, according to Etvon, was exactly what had happened. Twilight had been made well aware of the events that transpired during the Battle of the Citadel, but it was a whole different story to see the burned-out husks of buildings and the broken down debris left in the streets of the inner Ward district for herself.

However, like New Ponyville itself, there was significant progress to be made; a fact that filled her heart with no small amount of pride as she watched her fellow Equestrians: unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies alike, working in concert and clearing away enormous pieces of debris whole, combining their various talents. Pegasi able to reach spaces unobtainable by any other species to cut free broken salvage for recycling. Teams of earth ponies hauling multi-ton pieces of buildings out of the way while unicorns eased their burdens. And several changeling drones both assisting with their sensor suites and keeping tabs on each working pony to ensure they remained accounted for.  

Applejack’s meeting with Etvon, showing how the crew was at least two days ahead of schedule already, had then been interrupted by near-disaster as a helium-three fuel line in the construction zone ruptured, creating a short-lived firestorm that caught up a colt that had been working in the immediate area.

Thankfully, as it turned out, Applejack and Twilight’s terror over the accident had been replaced with relief as they learned that the tough-as-nails earth pony had only suffered minor burns, mostly due to his highly fire-retardant suit and welding helmet. Advantages that wouldn’t have been possible without the production capabilities of Rarity’s shop, lending Twilight even more assurance that her choice had been the right one.



It hasn’t been easy and it certainly hasn’t been fun. I admit I’ve made some mistakes along the way, and have probably worried over every little detail a bit more than is healthy. But three days ago, New Ponyville opened to the general public.



Twilight couldn’t help but smirk as she remembered the frantic pace of the VIP pre-opening, which quickly evolved into a full-on media frenzy. So many cameras following her lead, as she brought Councillors Anderson and Tevos on a tour along with various reporters and Citadel commentators. Both of the Council members commented (on the record, of course) their amazement at how quickly the empty shell of a district had been filled in and made not only habitable, but as fully functional as the Presidium Commons.

Then, the floodgates opened.

According to Forty-Two’s tally, there had been over two thousand unique visitors to New Ponyville over the first twenty standard hours, with many of the service businesses nearly overwhelmed as word quickly spread of expertly prepared levo-amino foodstuffs, a refreshingly light-hearted atmosphere, a unique take on what was considered a human-friendly cultural setting, and the nature of the Equestrians themselves, many of whom proving against Twilight’s wildest fears to be more than capable of handling themselves in the flood of attention.

There had been minor hiccups here and there, all easily handled by Pyres and Rainbow Dash (Although each claimed the other was merely getting in their way.) as well as a squad of mechs devoted to security. In particular, one attempted security breach by a confirmed employee of Expanding Reaches caught with various scanning and espionage gear drew some negative attention, although, much to Twilight’s relief, he had been kept out of the district itself until he was properly arrested.

It had been an unfortunate reminder that, in spite of the success of opening day, they were certainly not out of the woods yet.



And it was a complete success. One critic has even stated that, in time, we may become the new cultural hub of Tayseri. And while this victory is hardly enough to let us rest on our laurels, at least we now have a direction and someplace to call home. I wish you could be here to see it.



Twilight sighed, watching the ponies below her as they continued to perform admirably.

Craftsponies and entertainers, bakers and tinkerers...

All of them trying to apply themselves in these new positions and forge bonds beyond the Herd with all these customers and potential friends. Trying to assure themselves that this was their life now, and that they all had to work together in order to make something of it.

Twilight thought of Pinkie in her lab, now organized and given direction as she moved from table to table wearing her stark white lab coat like a mad scientist in an old human vid. Even without her coffee, she persevered in assisting the now dozen-strong technicians that worked to produce new inventions and improve on existing ones for the benefit of the Herd.

She thought of Rarity, building up a reputation as asari and humans took notice of her works. Fluidly inserting herself among her chic and elite client base as she began to take in a flow of alien commissions she assured Twilight would soon prove just how wise the choice to support her had been.

She thought of Fluttershy, now engaging in negotiations with several different firms that were rushing to ride the coattails of New Ponyville’s momentum, trying to sort the manure from the nuggets of genuine offers.

She thought of Rainbow Dash, still sporting a chip on her shoulder while Pyres continued to gripe and grumble, trying to do his job either with her or in spite of her. And of Applejack, who threw herself fully into the first project which, even ahead of schedule, still required time to complete. Hoping that their new business model would be enough to start really impacting the Herd’s income and give them the chance to expand even further.



Now that I watch my people in their element, I can actually believe that there was a time when we were indeed captains of industry and commerce. And while I know that your continued campaign against the monsters beyond the stars must be your first priority, I can’t wait for you to visit the Citadel and see what we are accomplishing here. 



“...It’s too bad... Celestia and Luna couldn’t be here to see this...” Twilight lowered her head, speaking out a feeling she had been harboring for days.

Forty-Two’s optics dimmed slightly, moving up flank to flank with the unicorn and setting a hoof against Twilight’s shoulder.

“They would have been proud, Twi,” Forty-Two offered softly. “Just like we all are.”

“I miss them so much, Forty-Two...” Twilight admitted, her voice cracking. “I miss Ponyville... I miss Canterlot... Equestria... Granny Smith...”

Her head fell, trying to hold back the tears now that they had started.

“...Spike...”

“I’m here, Twilight.”

The mare turned suddenly, looking at the black changeling with a gasp as she heard that familiar voice... Not the ghost of someone she once held dear, buried under a jumble of digital signals, but the sound she remembered from since she was a filly.

“And I’m with you to the end. No matter what.” Forty-Two nodded, leaning into the mare with an affection impossible for a simple synthetic to achieve.



I never realized how much the little things mattered. Little victories... small blessings. The painful echoes of friends lost and the unrivaled joy of new friends gained. And now that I think back on it, I realize that I never properly thanked you, Shepard... for everything you’ve done. For all that you continue to do. For pushing forward and always taking the right path, not just the simplest one.



As she stood there with her number one assistant, looking out over New Ponyville, the Madam President of the Equestrian Herd couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.

It was not happily ever after. It wasn’t supposed to be.

She knew that tomorrow held new trials and challenges. It always would.

And whatever they were, she would face them. No matter what.




Thank you... for being an inspiration to us all.

-Your friend, Twilight Sparkle





===================================================================



*Closing Active Log*
-Archiving Establishment Arc- 

Assets Acquired:
+ 20 Equestrian Herd
-Update: Given a new sense of identity and comfort around alien beings with garments provided by Equestrian Essentials, The ponies of the Herd have managed to step up to the challenge of providing a market to a vast alien clientele.

+15 New Ponyville
-Update: Following a rather dramatic demonstration of biotic prowess by the Madam President as well as observation of Equestrians elsewhere in the Wards, the criminal element of Tayseri Ward has chosen to stay clear of New Ponyville. Uncertainty as to the limitations of the average pony, coupled with their legally untouchable status and the now well-known threat of unrestricted retaliation if provoked have given New Ponyville a reputation as a beacon of safety in an otherwise unstable Ward.

+10 Equestrian Essentials
- Update: Director Rarity’s “vanity project” has already drawn several investors and clients from among the Presidium and Upper Wards. While this attention may simply be due to the novelty of New Ponyville, it has already begun recouping its own startup expenses as well as the cost of clothing the population of New Ponyville.

+20 Sweet Apple-cations
-Update: Director Applejack’s part in the Directors’ interview has drawn the attention of Tackton Incorporated’s elcor foreman: Etvon, who has offered the Equestrian Herd a chance to prove itself in the jobs market after the issue of liabilities had been dealt with.

- Update: Pinkie Pie’s improvements on the omni-hoof have lended themselves beautifully to Sweet Apple-cations work as a new app suite has enabled ponies to perform far more complex tasks than previously thought possible.

- Update: Clothing from Equestrian Essentials has already proven highly effective not only for style, but for practicality, as modern fabrics offer the Equestrians an enhanced degree of protection on the job, increasing the workponies’ morale. 



Codex Update: Director Fluttershy, Equestrian Rules of Engagement, Director Equestrian Essentials, Cutie Marks, Director Applejack, Treasurer Sterling, Sweet Apple-cations