//------------------------------//
// Chapter One: Daggers in the Dark 
// Story: Monarch 
// by Mickey Dubs 
//------------------------------//


Monarch


By: Mickey Dubs


Assisted by: RainbowDri


—


Chapter One:


Daggers in the Dark


—

"Art thou prepared?"      
There was something in Luna's tone that made Twilight Sparkle's neck bristle uncomfortably. Her words rang with a cold, unforgiving brevity that stole both the morning heat and Twilight’s confidence without a sound.  She could feel it even now; her hooves now trembled where once they'd been steady and calm. She tried her best to shake it off, but to no avail.
Despite her best efforts, Twilight felt alone. No friends lingered nearby, cheering her on. No Celestia hovered nearby to save her if she needed. No Cadance, no Shining Armor... not even Discord, for all the levity he provided. Only Luna stood beside her, but only in the flesh.
Twilight had watched her as the morning progressed, and something inside her had been slowly growing more and more determined. Hooves had been shaken and bows had been returned, but never once had she truly smiled at anyone. Every Crystal pony senator and Zebra Lord had been met with piercing eyes, a firm hoofshake or curtsy as occasion warranted, and an emotionless smile, but nothing more. Those thanks and cordialities that Celestia had been so proficient in were forgotten on her, it seemed. She hadn't even been willing to promise them her attention or provide an explanation for their delay. 
She had always been such a stickler for perfection, but now?
Had she forgotten her royal obligations, now when they mattered most? Had the most rigid protector of royal tradition left her station to leave Twilight without an example to follow? She was as severe and direct as ever, but something else was slowly waking from behind her eyes now when they were but minutes away from validation.
Fear stirred there, and if Luna was afraid...
Luna knew what was coming, that was the only explanation. She knew that, somehow, something would go wrong to undermine this grand international summit of their last few months' preparations. Some part of their rehearsed machine would fail, but not on her part, and most certainly not on Celestia’s.
Whatever failure might arise would come from Twilight herself, and Luna would have the dishonor of watching her temporary student crumble before the eyes of the entire world. For that, there would be no forgiveness, and Twilight would have all her immortal life to suffer the consequences. The thought made her shudder, and with a gulp of cool morning air the last fragments of her confidence cracked.
"I'm not ready for this, Luna," Twilight said quietly. "This is just too much. There's hundreds of ponies out there just waiting for me to fail, I know it!"
"They wish not to see you fail," Luna stated evenly, glancing sideways at her student. "They are more concerned with the needs of their citizens and ensuring their well-being than with how confident you are." She looked Twilight over appraisingly and nickered with disappointment. "Keep your chin up and stand up straight. You're slouching, which will only make that feeling continue.”
Twilight did as she was told and held herself up as proud and confident as Luna. Despite their relatively similar size and stature, age and experience made her feel as if Luna's shadow might swallow her whole. The thought that Luna might be capable of doing just that only made her tremble more.
"Why are there so many of them?" Twilight said, shuffling her hooves. "There were only supposed to be a few dozen delegates. I lost count after ninety, and that was just the first half-hour!" Twilight hid her face from the sun and flicked at her gown's hem. "I doubt most of them are here to discuss inadequate crop yields or... or whatever it is they do. They're just going to laugh at me! They only came to watch me slip up!"
Luna scoffed, shook her head, and answered curtly, “No, Twilight. They have arrived to relay their fears, and we as their princesses must answer them. Crop yields, trade agreements, even the trumpets of war... It is your duty to be informed enough to aid them. Are you not capable of this task?"
"Of course I am, but what about the zebras and the Crystal ponies? How can I be expected to know their problems too? I'm not really their princess, am I?"
"You will soon be everyone's princess, even theirs if all goes according to plan." Luna chanced one last glance at her pupil before holding her gaze on the ballroom door. She puffed out her chest and stood still. Her method of preparing herself was frigid and precise. How she kept herself from cracking and shattering was a mystery.
"You're only worrying yourself further by constantly over-analyzing everything, Twilight. This summit shall go unhindered, our nations will be united, and all shall be well, but only if you calm yourself. It does not do you well to panic, for a princess nev—"
"I know, I know," Twilight muttered, rolling her eyes. "'A princess never panics, for she is her nation. If she quivers, so shall they.'"
"You recite those words but remain ignorant to their meaning," Luna growled, shooting Twilight another stern look. "And never interrupt anypony, especially me. Your conduct is unbefitting a princess of Equestria, and I am not as lenient or forgiving as my sister. You would do well to watch your sass and learn from my example."
Grumbling her understanding, Twilight gazed once more outside at the sun crawling higher in Celestia's absence. "I try to, but you and Princess Celestia have a lot that I don’t. You've had millennia to practice being princesses. I've only had a few months! How can I possibly be that confident in my abilities?"
"It is not a question of possibilities," Luna said curtly. "It is a matter of necessity. You have no choice but to be strong. If you fail, the bonds we create today will be as weak as you are. You are Equestria now, and your citizens will be your sole concern forevermore. Remember that always, and forget your fear.”
Twilight nodded her understanding and hid away from Luna's ever-watchful eyes. She shot another look at the base of the grand entryway before breathing deep, holding her heart with a free hoof, and releasing both in a great exhale. 
This is just one more exercise, just one more opportunity to beat the odds and prove myself. The senator ponies will understand I’m still learning. 
They’ll understand, won’t they?
"You've been learning more from Cadance than from me, it seems," Luna growled, measuring the time between now and the inevitable descent of Celestia’s sun. "She's the only one I know who calms herself like that, despite how many times I remind her to discontinue its use. It reflects poorly on us and hints at our ineptitude."
"It helps," Twilight said with a shrug. "It'll distract me from just how scary this is going to be. Without the girls here it’s going to be a little more difficult than I thought it would—"
"Your fear is ill-placed, Twilight Sparkle! You calm your heart but wear your fear for all to see, when it must be in the reverse!” Luna’s thunderous bark and stamping hoof cracked the air and the marble tiles below. Dumbstruck, she rounded on her terrified student with venomous eyes. "Have you forgotten everything I’ve taught you? Have these past few months been wasted on you? You may be my sister’s personal student, but when I teach you something you are expected to learn it!”
"I'm trying, Luna! Please, just let me relax a little!"
"Princesses do not try, they do! You have had months to prepare for this! No student of mine has ever been allowed unwarranted time to prepare for their tasks, and therefore neither shall you!”
Twilight moved to retreat, but Luna held her eyes and advanced ever-closer, nostrils flaring. “My sister has allowed you to be weak and helpless for far too long, but now it’s time to grow up! I’ll be damned if you fail me, do you understand?!”
Cowering under the assault, Twilight quivered in her place while Luna took a few deep breaths, every exhalation tainted with disappointment. Finally, when no rebuttal came, she turned her back on her pupil and left Twilight to stare at the floor and the lines of tiles swimming through her tears. Infinitesimal cracks radiated from Luna’s point of impact. They could have been canyons for all Twilight knew, but they could do nothing to distract her from the fluttering of Luna’s ethereal mane. 
The final product of a thousand years' maintenance and magical power, it remained as a testament to her experience. When words were insufficient, her natural-turned-magical mane was enough validation that she was indeed a princess, by right and by rule. As much as she hated it, Twilight couldn’t find any point on which to defend herself. 
I may be Celestia's student at heart, but I’m Luna's pupil by necessity.
Twilight bowed her head and gave her submission willingly in the form of a muffled apology. No response came, and soon the hallway rang with an uncomfortable silence. Slowly, just when the weight of Luna's rage became too much to bear, the warm sound of laughter rang out to herald the arrival of their newest guest. Raising her eyes sheepishly, Twilight encountered a most welcome and marvelous sight.
Princess Cadance paced calmly forward adorned in those most precious crystals of her nation's namesake. Her attendants had teased and tied her mane into her traditional headdress, but she alone had completed the ensemble with draping golden links encrusted with sapphire, garnet, and other priceless gems. Equally adorned Crystal handmaidens held her gown's long train with their magic and struggled to match her quickening pace, laughing between themselves at a joke unheard. Dazzling diamond horseshoes clicked delicately on equally polished marble, muffled by the soft sweep of her dress with every flounce.
With a calm canter forward and a beaming smile, Cadance and Twilight abandoned their royal airs and engaged in the bouncing and rump-shaking cordialities they had long kept alive. When they'd finished, they shared a tight hug before falling into place alongside the oldest of the three rulers. What levity they’d brought to life was extinguished when Luna's voice cracked through the silence to make her displeasure known.
"You're lucky that door's so thick, Cadance," Luna said with a snarl. "You'd make a mockery of your people before our neighbors, which would undermine this entire gathering! The zebras are a proud race. Why should they ally themselves with your empire when that empire's ruler can't contain herself around others?"
Cadance started a rebuttal only to find another voice answering for her, hidden by distance and the cavernous hallways beyond.
"Please calm down, Luna. Everything is going to be fine.”
Little waves of calm bounced effortlessly from the pillars with every perfect word, filling Twilight’s heart with warmth. Turning together, Cadance and Twilight regarded their latest guest in wonder. Luna only scowled and turned away.
Clad in her finest royal garments and most precious of ceremonial yokes, Princess Celestia paced calmly down the hallway and stepped before her fellow princesses, towering over the three of them with pride. A full outfit of Royal Guards flanked her on either side with Shining Armor leading at the fore. He stopped beside his Cadance and gave her a nuzzle while his security detail swept the hallway for signs of disturbance. When none were found, they returned to their posts and their loyal guard over their royal charges.
Twilight nudged past them and trudged to the window, watching the curtains flutter as she passed by. Sunlight and silk danced and contorted together before her wings’ wake tousled them shut, rendering them still. It had been but a moment, but she had never seen anything quite so pretty.
A few moments to remind herself what lay outside would do her a world of good, especially now that Luna had begun to speak. She had always assumed Twilight couldn’t hear her words, and it would have done her proud to know she was listening now if not for the fact her attention was unwarranted. 
Luna’s reflection stood towering over her library in the valley below. Even her reflection was unbearably cold, no matter how warm the memories of home became.
“Thou knowest I'm correct, sister," Luna said evenly, stamping her hoof on Twilight's library in the distance. Twilight's heart lurched in her breast, but Celestia adjusted her crown with her magic and bowed low, speaking delicately and carefully. Even through the glass her very image was soothing.
"As usual, Luna, you know traditional decorum and requirement best. But seeing as this is Twilight's first international engagement as a princess, I see no issue with cutting her some slack."
Luna remained silent, boring holes into their ballroom’s oaken barrier with dangerously sharp eyes. Celestia continued eyeing her younger sibling, but there would be no bringing her around.
"You and I both know a princess is never perfect," Celestia continued. "We make mistakes, choose poorly, or fall short of the expectations of ourselves or others. We fail on occasion, but only through failure can we understand our strengths, our weaknesses, and our true power. Perfection is less suitable now than honesty, and few have that trait more perfected than Twilight. Please, keep her tutelage in mind. She is still learning."
“But she has learned nothing over the past few months, sister! She worries only for her friends and their absence when instead she should be worrying about our nation’s destruction! She is fearful, when I require her to be strong! Even you can see the errors of her ways, can you not?”
“I can,” Celestia said plainly. “But now is no time to exacerbate that with cold words. Her fear has always prompted her readiness, and her preparedness for everything has always served her well." Celestia smiled hopefully and moved a little closer. "Give her some room to grow, Luna. If you control her path for her, the only direction our nation will bend is on a road to which she is ill-suited.”
"The chains of leadership cannot bend," Luna growled, staring blankly at the grains of stained wood separating her from her inevitable shame. "She must learn this sooner or later, and now is the perfect time. She cannot be idle and weak anymore. She must understand her place in the world, especially now when our nation stands on the edge of a knife. If she falls, all shall feel its cut."
"Yes, but you don't wield that blade," Celestia said sternly, nodding towards the door. "That right belongs to them. Only they can judge her merits. She can make her own mistakes and learn from her shortcomings on her own, but your admonitions will only make that more likely."
Preparing herself with a cursory brush of her dress, Luna glared her defiance for her sister before casting a glance at Twilight. "There will come a time when she will fail, and neither you nor I will be able to save her. She must know it will happen and she must prepare for it. If she falls, Equestria falls."
Catching her student's downcast eyes through her reflection in the glass, Luna grumbled her discontent once more before resigning herself to shutting out the world. Celestia smiled sadly and let her be, tracing Twilight's steps to stand quietly at her side. She waited a few seconds to allow Twilight to rally herself and rein in her emotions before joining her in her vigil over Ponyville. "You were listening to Luna, I'm guessing?"
Twilight gave a tiny nod, followed close behind by a small, shaky sigh. Chuckling to herself, Celestia bowed low and held her student's attention with a little brush of her mane. "I know you're nervous, Twilight, and I know that Luna has been riding you a little hard lately. As much as you may hate her for it, you must know that what she says is the truth. It may not be pleasant, but the truth rarely is."
"She could've at least seen how scared I am," Twilight said shakily. "I mean, how am I supposed to be equal to you when there's this huge gap between us? Why is she trying to make me so perfect? You said a princess is never perfect, didn't you?"
“I may have said that, but you must understand that much of our success rides on you. You are the newest face these ponies have seen. You were once like them, but now you have ascended. Your example shines as a beacon for all those who need your help. They will rely on you to give them hope when they just can't do it alone. It may be a heavy burden, but it's one you must bear."
Twilight shook her head and shied away. "I just don’t know if I can do that well enough. That’s a lot of pressure."
"And being an Element of Harmony isn't?" Celestia declared, nodding in the direction of Cadance. The Crystal Princess nodded her understanding and joined her husband before the ballroom door, her escorts fanning out behind them. With a glimmer of magic the two of them broke apart the door's monumental frame, granting Twilight a glimpse of the grand space she would soon share with her tutors.
A crowd of Crystal ponies shimmered and smiled as Cadance approached, their rank and file settling into an easy order as she took her station at their fore. None of them seemed to feel anything but adoration for her, despite her inexperience, her youth, and her relatively new arrival into their fair empire. They had acquiesced to Cadance's rule, and through her new leadership they had flourished.
Twilight watched as Cadance beamed with pride and took in the love of her nation before the grand door creaked slowly closed, hiding her from view. When the connection was broken, Twilight afforded herself one more deep breath to calm herself and a quick wipe of her cheeks before attending to her teacher’s soft words.
“Luna worries for our nation as much as you worry for your friends. She wants Equestria to be safe, and if she must sacrifice her levity with you to make that happen then she will do it without hesitation. All princesses must give themselves up for their citizens. Luna has said this on many occasions, has she not?"
“More like every occasion,” Twilight said. “She never quits talking about it, actually. I just never thought that would mean giving up my friends, too.”
"Did she ask you to forget about them entirely, or merely not worry about them?" 
The way she asked such a simple question betrayed the fact that she already knew the answer. As Twilight tore through each of Luna's lessons, none arose which supported her friends' dismissal. Twilight's heart sunk. "I guess she never did."
Celestia chuckled at this. "Of course not. Do you think I alone read your letters? Luna is well aware of the power of your connection with your friends. She is also aware of how much you rely on them for comfort. Luna has only asked you to be strong, even it means you must stand alone for now." Twilight shivered at the notion, but Celestia stroked her mane to lend her warmth. "They worry for you, I know they do. Don't think that they aren't thinking about you as much as you are them.”
Twilight smiled and held Celestia's hoof a little closer. "I know they do. I just wish they could have come, though. It would be nice to see them, just to know everything will be okay.”
“What makes you think it won’t be?” 
Twilight shrugged and pawed the ground, watching Carousel Boutique in the distance as if Luna's reflection might stamp out those blissful memories too. “Luna made it seem that way, I guess. Nothing I do is good enough for her! I’ve been giving it my all these last few months, but every time I think I’ve got something perfect she tweaks it, makes it harder, expects me to be able to adapt faster than I’m able. I can’t keep up, and I’m getting further and further behind. I've never fallen this far behind before, and now I... I just...”
Lowering her head, Twilight hid her disconsolation behind folds of hair. “I just feel like I’ve failed without even getting the chance to try.”
Celestia regarded her student sadly for a moment before holding her attention on Luna. When Luna’s icy demeanor brought about a sliver of understanding, Celestia returned her attention to Twilight and held her head low.
"Take a look at Luna, dear, and tell me what you see."
Twilight started a little at the request, but Celestia's silent persistence bid her onwards. She brushed her cheeks to hide the evidence of her tears, for Luna would look for them first. She'd always been able to see past her walls, no matter how hard she tried to keep them up. Now, when she finally caught Luna's eyes, was no exception.
Luna stood proudly before the ballroom door, soundlessly staring down at her student with cold, sharp eyes. She was simple and beautiful, cold and unforgiving though she was, requiring nothing more than a few jeweled accessories to complement Rarity's supple midnight-purple gown. Her earrings glimmered like radiant stars, frozen in place just like the hoof-stitched whorls of braided silver glinting on her collar. It was no stretch of the imagination to see them melting and freezing in constant flux as Luna’s mood allowed. 
Everything about her was calm, collected, regally powerful, and yet... troubled. There was a malice there restrained beneath layers of memories and rules, always on the alert to be suddenly sprung from confinement to enact her immortal wrath. She stood stock-still, frozen to the floor like a statue with eyes and skin as hard as the resplendent marble beneath. 
But still, she looked on towards the ballroom with a dedication unrivaled by anything Twilight had ever seen. The fear she'd seen just minutes before was fighting now with love, of all things. The two wrestled almost visibly just beneath her eyes, and slowly the love she had for her mission, her place in the world, and those ponies who awaited her just beyond the ballroom door was winning out.
No Nightmare could have ever allowed that to come to pass. No insecurity could have planted her hooves where they rested. Her brevity was not adopted by choice, nor was her caustic attitude or her anger with her student. She held no animosity for her; Twilight could see that now, when hatred stepped aside for reverence.
Luna was a princess. She was the past brought to bear to shape the future.
She was everything Twilight wanted to be.
"I see my future."
Celestia gave her student a little smile. "Yes, Twilight. This is what you must be willing to be. You must be willing to give up everything like Luna has. I know that asking you to leave your friends and loved ones behind is a great request, but you are no longer just yourself. You are an entire nation of millions, a lifetime of choices with many more to suffer their consequences. You are a banner to which others flock when their own is tattered. Sacrifice, duty, selflessness, fairness... these are what it means to be royalty.”
She turned her head to join Twilight as she watched Luna. Her sister caught her eye, and with a little trembling smile Celestia closed her eyes and nodded. “There is no better example of royalty than her."
Twilight couldn’t help but gape in awe. The weight of it all came in waves, pushing her further and further down as every ignored reality Celestia brought back to the surface piled up. Celestia patted her shoulder and those worries spirited themselves away. She had a knack for doing that, Twilight remembered, and the thought made her smile. 
“I know you’re scared, Twilight, and I know you feel small and insignificant in the face of what must seem like an insurmountable task. Wasn't fighting Nightmare Moon the same way? Wasn't challenging Discord, Chrysalis, and Sombra seemingly impossible too?" She waited patiently as Twilight nodded. Then, with a smile, she continued proudly, "Yet here you are: the answer to so many of Equestria’s troubles, the end result of your own personal courage and determination! You could never be a failure, Twilight Sparkle, not even if you tried. You are stronger than you will ever know. Once you understand that, the world will see it too.”
Twilight’s eyes rose timidly from the floor, pulled upwards by Celestia's courage until both found the sun and the other's eyes. Celestia's tender smile joined with Twilight’s as both shook off their doubts with a shared calming breath. When Twilight's trembling finally died, Celestia held her voice low once more.
"We are old, and this is a new world,” Celestia continued, stroking Twilight’s mane with a warm hoof. “We are unable to attend to the times as well as we once were, when the world and its problems were less convoluted. Much has changed in my lifetime and much more will change in yours, but all that change must be nurtured if it is to benefit us all. Much is growing uneasy in the shadows, but we seek now to shine a new light of progress, industry, and unity. Learn from my example, and all shall be well."
"I'm still your faithful student, remember?" Twilight said with a wink. "You know that's what I'm good at!"
From over Celestia’s shoulder a clock chimed the start of a new hour. The guards around them shifted into position to begin their march, flanking Luna on either side with an open place for the two absent princesses. Plodding slowly towards her sister, Celestia ushered Twilight close with an outstretched wing.
"Indeed, but this is no lesson. While this day is, in part, one of celebration, it is also one of severe and undeniable importance. This is no mere conference anymore, Twilight. It has become something greater. Something grave."
"No..." Twilight said under her breath. She looked to find some evidence of her misunderstanding only to find none. "But I thought Cadance said she could handle it! I thought she had everything under control!"
"Not anymore," Celestia whispered, shaking her head. "Cadance has made it clear that she cannot succeed, and the Zebra Lords are unwilling to acknowledge or act on the idea of standing idle. While no one wants or believes bloodshed to be necessary, the longer this festers, the more ponies will worry. This conference is a nudge away from becoming a council of war." Celestia rose to her full, unforgiving bearing. "I vowed to never again conduct such an affair. I wish to never break that promise."
Twilight began to shiver once again, but Celestia cast off her airs and smiled kindly at her. "But that shall not happen, for you're not one to leave a question unanswered. You will succeed and bring some semblance of logic to these proceedings. You have that ability. You always have."
Celestia caught Twilight's falling chin and ushered it back towards the light of her sun. Giving her Honor Guard a nod of preparedness, she reassumed her maternal warmth and granted her student a little grin.
“Tread lightly, but weigh your hooves. Speak delicately, but understand the gravity of your words. Heed our actions and strive to follow them, for we have much in the way of experience. Finally, just remember to relax. You are not going to be mocked for your inability to lead. Our senators know you're still learning, and I have no doubt that the Zebra Lords and the senators from the Crystal Empire will understand that.”
“Let’s hope so,” Twilight muttered as Celestia, with a knowing smile, stood up proudly before the door. Her posture alone was enough encouragement for calm, and her next words only helped ease the passing of the last few seconds before Twilight’s doubts came to life.
“Luna will attend to the gravity of the old while I exact the cordiality of the new. All you must do is relax, learn from us, and make suggestions where you can.”
Twilight nodded her understanding and chanced one last glance into Luna's unforgiving eyes. They hadn't softened from the sun's warmth or her sister's presence. Twilight took another deep breath and held onto it as Celestia focused her magic on the door. With a shimmering dazzle of yellow the grand entryway creaked audibly and opened wide with a grand rushing wind.
And there, before the three of them, stood the rest of the world.

~~~~~

The muffled thud! of oak rippled through the now-empty hallway and slowly dwindled away to nothing, casting a pall through Canterlot’s Eastern Wing. 
A translucent glimmer of light crept slowly from a nearby curtain and surveyed the surroundings, retreating back into the fabric when no one arrived to fill Twilight’s abandoned station. How she had evaded the guards was a mystery; they were usually so thorough, and always en masse. She had remained undetected, much to her relief. One little slip and all would've been ruined.
Twilight had been so close, just there out of reach near the window, staring into nothing. She had even peered over the place where she stood now, smiling at her, admiring her beauty as the sun coursed through her field. 
One pounce, one slice of the knife, and both crowns would have fallen. The Usurper's was the prize, but Twilight's? Hers was the reward.
Another time, she thought. Patience yields sweeter fruit than haste. 
She chanced another look towards the ballroom door and grinned. 
How sweet the fruit of revenge must be after a millennium of ripening... 



Banners of boundless colors and designs fluttered delicately from the marble pillars of Canterlot’s Grand Ballroom, catching the breeze and low morning sunlight in shimmering ripples of gold and vermilion. Lilting arrangements of fuchsia, ivy, rose, and foreign arboreal wonders snaked and coiled through the air from their stations on the rafters, gracing the air with fragrance and cascading petals.
But the beauty of the flowers and the glory of the morning sun were unattended, for pony and zebra alike tittered and muttered their astonishment as the three princesses of Equestria paced calmly forward. Some ponies craned their necks to catch a better look, and even more did double takes when Twilight's coronation was remembered. 
Most astounding of all was that none of them were laughing. Not a single pony was mocking her, angry with her, or booing her. They were calm, patient, and polite. They were all just as regimented as she was now, and that fact gave Twilight the courage to chance quick glances around the ballroom on the occasions when Luna didn't seem to be watching her every move.
Twilight's curiosity drew her first towards the faces of the zebra delegation and their singular color palette. Their banners of earthen hues and abstract patterns swayed and shivered as their bearers attended to her entrance, each of them standing out alone from their surrounding ocean of beautifully-colored marble and tile. Each senator, lord, and assistant remained severe, focused only on the task at hand with a singular motive. Not a single warrior was without his spear, and all were decorated with the individual's trophies and skulls of their fiercest foes. More than a few belonged to ponies.
The only zebra who broke the pattern stood proudly at the fore beside her elder, clad merely in her usual golden bangles and her customary Mohawk. Her neck and forehead were anointed with ceremonial dyes in swirling patterns, with lines of cinnabar and deep cerulean twisting from her breast down towards her hooves.
Surrounded by her kin, Zecora had never been more beautiful.
She and Twilight shared a little smile, but when the severity of the coming gathering was remembered both broke their contact to reassume their duties. Cadance and Shining Armor stood proudly at the head of their shared delegation and smiled hopefully for Twilight's success, but Twilight never saw them. Her attention was not on her sibling and his bride, but instead on her hooves' synchronicity with her tutors'. Luna had seen her become distracted, and her silent remonstrations filled the spaces between them. It had always been an unbearable feeling.
As the three walked silently along in perfect unison, each step only added to her courage. The lessons of her princesses were paying off, she could feel it! No senator regarded her disapprovingly, biting their lips in expectation of a fall or an embarrassing stumble! None of her own representatives appeared as if they regretted having placed their shared power into this new vessel!
Twilight kept her head high as her walk progressed. There was no need to fear Luna’s reprimands, for her steps were perfectly in line with hers, her smile just as calm, her breaths steady as practiced. She was Luna's spitting image, for none had announced otherwise. 
She was doing it! She was a real princess, with all of Celestia’s power and Luna’s perfect precision in every confident stride! With a smile to Cadance, Twilight glanced to her side to seek some indication that she was in fact succeeding, that Celestia was marking her moves and finding them flawless.
She turned to find herself alone.
Shaking herself from her reverie, Twilight's hoof-steps stopped dead amidst a ringing silence. Looking about, she found herself alone in the very center of the ballroom, her princesses yards behind her, both of them silent and still.
Alone in the very middle of hundreds of the world's most powerful ponies, each of them silently staring at her in horror.
With a gasp and a brief start towards her fellow princesses, Twilight retraced her steps only to find her hooves tangled with her gown's short train. A hoof caught the fabric and pulled her down, her horseshoes grating the floor with a piercing shriek of silver on stone. As every rattling note broke the silence, Twilight's cheeks grew unbearably warm, her vision swimming with the first tears of frustration until the most unlikely sound bid her halt.
A sound just like her own. A sound coming closer. The steady clink of diamonds and the soft rattling of gold.
Steadying her heart, Twilight turned briefly to the side to find her friend Zecora, as proudly as she was able, cantering forward to meet her. On the right she found Cadance doing the same, the sweep of her dress muffing only slightly the twinkling of her crystal headwear. A few tense moments more found the three of them greeting one another with broad smiles, distanced from their assembled parties as their respective rehearsals crumbled away.
"You missed your mark, honey," Cadance said from behind her toothy grin, her smile wide to hide her words. "You're in for it tonight. You know that, right? Luna's not going to be happy with you."
"Just go with it. I can handle her." Twilight smiled graciously and bowed her head towards her two saviors. Cadance and Zecora shared a glance, bowed low, and rose after a few moments of silence. Zecora was first to break her smile and return their attention towards recovering from their sudden break in tradition.
"On the count of three, we all shall turn and claim the spots we three have spurned. The best of luck goes out to thee. Are you prepared?" Twilight and Cadance gave tiny nods, which Zecora returned. Then, with her head high, she began the count. 
"One, two, and three!"
The three of them turned in unison and trotted back from the middle of the grand ballroom amidst a smattering of polite applause. Twilight's emotionless façade cracked slightly when pride reared its head and soaked up the praise, but as she reclaimed her place between her fellow princesses, Luna snuffed out her proud little flame.
"We will discuss this later," Luna snarled, her smile held only long enough to shield her words from the slowly dwindling applause. 
As the clopping of hooves and various mutterings fell, Twilight's bravery fell with it.
Clearing her throat with a polite cough, Celestia took one step forward and spoke over the heads of her guests and their various leaders, granting Zecora enough time to translate with every weighed sentence. Their ears and eyes perked up with every warm assuring word, and as she spoke those few ponies not listening to the proceedings rallied themselves into full attention.
"We three nations have long been joined by ties of camaraderie and trade, and as the years have passed this bond has only grown stronger. Though the citizens of the fair Crystal Empire have been newly given back to the world, our thoughts and hopes have always been aligned towards their safety and good health."
Celestia bowed in the direction of Cadance and shared a smile with her before speaking once more to both parties.
“Our crystalline neighbors to the north and the noble Tribal Lords of the south have forever been friends of Equestria. Today, in the collected eyes of our nations’ leaders, we aim to make this union official and usher in days of peace and prosperity for all."
Celestia passed the weight of their address to her sibling with a backwards step and a nod for Twilight. That nod was one of her silent suggestions for attention, and Twilight didn't miss the gesture. Her ears perked up to heed Luna’s words as they echoed sternly around the ballroom, broken only by the clanking of her hooves as she assumed control.
"The Lords of the Zebra Tribes have made evident their concerns, as have the delegates from the newly restored Crystal Empire. There has been much concern over the growing darkness from the Northern Lands and some speculation as to its source. I can state with absolute certainty that we princesses of Equestria have little knowledge of the origins of this blight, but wish wholeheartedly to see it addressed and overcome. Thus, over the course of the day, we three nations will discuss what must be done to remain strong in the face of this threat and how the unity of our borders will create added security for centuries to come."
Luna backed away as rehearsed and beckoned Twilight forward with a curt nod. Stifling her fear, Twilight chanced a quick glance towards Celestia and Cadance before breathing deep and releasing those words she and Luna had spent the night rehearsing.
"It is my hope that our problems might be resolved on this day," Twilight announced shakily, giving Zecora some time to translate. Stamping her hoof, she rallied herself back into action and pounced on her next sentence with vigor.
But as her voice trickled out weakly into her audience, she found no comfort in their silence.
"I am eager to help direct in what way I can towards... umm... towards alleviating what problems I know of that have come forth to... to... umm..."
"And what do you know of our problems?"
A lone voice broke the pall, sending ripples of turning heads and hurried translations. A few heads of the Crystal Empire party were turned in the direction of one large amber stallion at the front of the crowd. His emerald eyes looked from Twilight to his compatriots in rapid succession to verify he wasn’t alone in his appraisal. Some other stallions and mares nodded their agreement, despite Cadance’s fiery glare.
"You've barely been a princess for a few months," the stallion continued, stepping forward. "How could you promise to help when you don't even know our names, our positions, or what areas we represent?"
The stallion's proclamation engendered more than a few nods and murmurs of agreement from the Crystal ranks, and after a few moments Zecora's rendition of the conflict prompted a similar response from a few Zebra Lords and their aides. One particularly fearsome zebra stallion across the room gave an audible snort of disapproval. Twilight turned her attention towards her fellow princesses, but both remained in their places.
She would have to handle this alone.
"I'm sorry to have offended you," Twilight began, relinquishing her place alongside Luna to approach the stallion in question. Luna started slightly when Twilight’s mark lay empty once more, but a look from Celestia was enough for her to hold her ground. "It was not my intention to belittle your worries, whatever they might be."
"So you don't know?" the stallion said with alarm, looking to his fellow senators with a frown. "You don't realize that our citizens are being mauled in their sleep? That families are being torn apart while you sit here and make empty promises?" When his colleagues joined in his distress he rounded on Twilight once more, his voice dripping with contempt. "If you don't understand, why do you say you care? You have no clue why you're here, do you?!"
"Hold your tongue, Chancellor Strata!" Cadance snapped, rounding on her senator with a scowl. "You are speaking to a princess, and you will give her your respect! If I so much as—"
"Cadance, please..."
Turning her gaze from her rebellious delegate to Twilight's outstretched hoof, Cadance loosened her stance as Twilight, with a shrug of her shoulders, spoke up loud and clear.
"You're right, Chancellor. I don't know why you're here. I barely know why I am, or how I can help. I wish I had learned more about your issues and those of the zebra tribes, but I just haven't had that time. I haven't been able to keep up with everything that has been thrown at me in the past few months, no matter how much I studied. I'm sure you've been in a similar position before, have you not? You've been placed under a great amount of pressure as of late, no?"
She waited a few moments as her opponent considered her words, sighing in relief when he shrugged his shoulders and nodded. Twilight trotted once more to that place she'd abandoned minutes before, her voice loud and even despite her fears. Granting each nation a hopeful smile, she spoke to each of them in turn as calmly and clearly as she was able.
"I won't lie to you, there is much I don't understand about your nations or your problems... but you have my word that I will do everything in my power to give each and every one of you my whole attention and my advice, should you ask for it. I would never tell you how to run your countries, for they are precisely that: your countries. I can't tell you what to do or how to act. I will, however, remind you that Equestria is here to be your friend."
Bowing before both the Crystal Ponies and the Zebra Tribes once more, Twilight gave both nations a wide smile. "With that in mind, let's see how we might help each other overcome what problems we have, and let's all remember that every pony and zebra in this room is fighting for their country’s safety! Everyone wants only to be heard and helped, so let's do our best to ensure that all are regarded equally!"
A smattering of smiles and nods appeared in the zebra ranks as Zecora finished her translation, and with another glance towards the Crystal senator and his colleagues Twilight found an equally warm reception. Rallying her final thoughts, Twilight raised her head and allowed her voice to echo throughout the hall as powerful and crisp as Luna's had been.
"Let's make our citizens proud of our work here today! Let's remind ourselves that we aren't so very different, that our problems are universal, and that we can do anything if we work together! "
A few hoots and hollers sounded out from the pony delegation, joined equally in fervor by various calls from the zebra ranks. With a broad smile Twilight held their attention one final time before stamping her hoof hard, beginning the summit proper with the crisp echoing toll.
"Let's get started, everypony!"
Shouts and applause erupted from the Equestrian senators behind her, the thunderous stamping of their hooves causing the floor to quake and roil. The fluttering of the Crystal Empire banners joined the calls and powerful blasts of the Zebra battlehorns, and as their concussive sound radiated out into the spaces above those flowers and banners overhead waved and shuddered from the impact.
Twilight stood her ground amidst a soft rain of petals as ponies of every nation, without regard for timidity or tradition, trotted forth to engage with those around them, smiles and laughter on their lips and tongues. A few Crystal ponies shook her hoof warmly, bowing their heads low as Twilight did the same. A few zebras and their attending lord engaged in their foreign niceties as Twilight nodded and smiled, allowing her hoof to be shaken vigorously. When those senators of her own nation had finished congratulating her for her speech, their places at Twilight's side were replaced not by another friend, but by a stranger.
"My heartfelt apologies, Princess Sparkle," muttered one stallion in his bow. Returning the gesture, Twilight rose to find herself staring into the deep, emerald eyes of Chancellor Strata. "It was not my intention to shame you. While I must admit I am skeptical of your abilities, I cannot deny that you are right. I am very worried about my ponies' safety. I hope that today, with your help, I might be able to report something less distressing to my district."
"No apologies necessary, Chancellor," Twilight said kindly, extending her hoof. "Besides, I needed to practice my speech! I couldn't have done it without a little push."
"You belittle your skill, Princess, as I did you. I hope our discussion today proves my sincerity." Chancellor Strata concluded his apology with a polite bow and a firm kiss of her hoof. Blushing madly, Twilight nodded her thanks and graced him with a broad smile as he rose from his bow, returned her smile, and then trotted back to meet with his aides.
"That was an excellent recovery, Twilight," Celestia said proudly, stepping lightly before her student. Luna trailed at her side only slightly less dour than before. "You've made an excellent start towards gaining their trust! Follow through on your promises and I have no doubt you'll surely make a difference."
"You've already made a sizable one," Luna muttered tersely, gazing out around the ballroom and the ponies milling there. "This gathering is now far more informal than I had planned. While I resent that, it might be more in tune with the times. We'll see if your gambit pays off. I do still expect to discuss this blunder with you, however, for there is much we have yet to perfect." Returning her eyes to her student, she granted Twilight with the ghost of a smile. “Until then, be as proud of your accomplishment as we are of you."
Twilight bowed before her teachers as Celestia and Luna, with immortal grace, returned the gesture. The two elder princesses rose from their bows and trotted off to begin the summit and the debates within as Twilight, beaming proudly, stood in the center of milling life as witness to the grand summit she'd officially set in motion.
The stamp of a heavy hoof and a ruffle of hair caused Twilight to turn in surprise to find a massive zebra lord, bedecked in his ceremonial jewelry and flanked by his loyal translator Zecora. His back was bowed both in custom and by age, and when he rose Twilight found nicks and tears dotting his flesh. An aged warlord, proud of lineage and stature despite the years. 
With a cursory glance over Twilight the aging stallion turned to mutter a few words to Zecora. With a quick second to attend to her lord and a moment to clear her throat, Zecora collected her thoughts and relayed her message.
"Princess Sparkle, my lord requests your thoughts on what you think is best. Inspired by your speech and tone he wants, like you, to speak alone. His Equestrian is still quite poor but, with your grace, he’d like the floor."
Stepping aside, Zecora swept her hoof to allow the stallion a few words. He bowed low before Twilight then rose up proudly, an eye on his translator all the while.
"My princess, you're very courageous," he muttered in a rumbling baritone, glancing towards his translator for verification of his words' veracity. A smile and nod from both Twilight and his translator was enough to continue. "And your promise of hope’s quite contagious. Your courage inspires my nation's desires for a partnership most... most..."
Staring blankly at the princess before him, the great zebra lord tried in vain to find the right words before Twilight's hoof politely bid him pause. Twilight collaborated with Zecora in hushed tones before returning to face him with a broad smile. Then, with a nod, Twilight stepped forward and proudly spoke her very first word in the zebra tongue.
A wave of smiles, like they had at her previous address, radiated outwards from the Zebra Lord and his delegates as her word fell on receptive ears. With a great beaming smile the great zebra lord planted a long chain of kisses on Twilight's hoof to make physically clear his relief and astonishment. Twilight's cheek resurged with warmth as he looked kindly upwards into her eyes with a little wink.
"Yes, princess," he exclaimed with a warm pat of her hoof. "That's the word: 'advantageous'!"
Twilight fell into step beside her newfound friend with a small group of zebras in tow, trotting forward at the lord’s side to begin the process of deliberation and debate. As the morning pastries and various juices and coffees made their rounds, every senator, officiate, guard, and leader sat firmly at ease, notes at the ready to facilitate the day's debates and agreements.
Twilight couldn’t help but release that breath she’d long been holding.
Everything is going to be fine.



“Are you prepared?”
A zebra and a Crystal pony senator feigned small talk and watched carefully as hundreds of others went about their tasks. The mid-day banquet was reaching a fever-pitch as ponies of every species and nationality gorged themselves on the long-deferred Equestrian delicacies and caught a few moments to relax. Ponies flitted about with their morsels, but those two were loathe to join them. Their master's voice trickling from the curtains had stolen their appetites away.
With a glance about the hallway, the zebra swallowed his hesitation and nodded to his Crystal pony counterpart. “Yes, ma’am,” he whispered, eyeing his partner with worry only to find him distracted by the arrival of champagne. Facing the curtains once more, he chanced a quick glance about the hallway before holding his voice low. “But the meeting is still in full swing! Striking now would be highly unorth—”
“Don’t you dare tell me what to do!” the voice snarled, dripping with malice. “He chose me, not you! I will decide when to strike! It will be me! ME!”
“Of course, milady,” he muttered, hiding his fear from his master. “But you mustn't do so now, for they might see us before it’s time.”
“How dare you challenge me! I’ll have your head for this! I’ll put it right beside hers as a reminder to your bastard kin!”
“Please, milady,” muttered the other, feigning a pull from his glass. “You can’t allow yourself to be exposed! They would be on you in a heartbeat, and then this would all be for naught!”
A moment of tense silence followed, made even more taut as she continued speaking to the curtains. The two looked at each other in horror, for she was speaking to neither in particular. Her words were only for the cold spaces between them.
“She’s tricky... very tricky. Yes, most assuredly, but I... am I not craftier? She has always been too trusting, too lax, and he knows this! He has seen that I am perfect for his task! I am perfection! I am—"
A muffled gasp of sudden pain and a ruffle of the curtains sent the two stallions' hearts palpitating, but before they could rush to their master's aide she growled, took a few pained breaths, and spoke again, this time quiet and alert.
"No, he mustn't hear. My pride will surely bring about our failure, and I cannot fail him. I cannot fail. I mustn't fail.” The voice stopped dead alongside the hearts of its attending servants. One second of silence, two, three, and then...
“I suppose you’re right,” she hissed, much to her servants' relief. The Crystal pony drained his glass of champagne in a hearty swig while the other wiped his brow in relief and stifled a smile.
"Your will be done, milady," the zebra said happily. "What else do you ask of us?"
A thin, gut-wrenching giggle snuck out icily from the curtains. "I'd ask that you remind me to punish you both for talking back to me. Our lord would expect nothing less from someone of my caliber.”
A shared look between zebra and Crystal pony allowed both to commiserate only briefly before another hiss broke their connection. “And what of the others? I was told that she would be defenseless.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the Crystal senator said evenly, smiling and waving at a nearby zebra delegate and his Equestrian escort. When the charade had the desired effect, he continued with a sigh of relief. “Your soldiers have contained the five of them for now, and soon they will be delivered to our lord alongside their charges. They are all safe, as our lord commanded.”
“LIAR!” the voice snarled, shuddering the curtains and the very spines of the two senators. Their fear multiplied when a few onlookers peered over and eyed them warily, but a polite nod from the zebra senator satiated their curiosity. “How dare you lie to me! You haven’t taken them! They’re here, aren’t they? You’ve allowed them here to help destroy me, haven’t you? You’ll be ripped apart for this, I’ll see it done myself!”
“No, please! We’ve captured them, I saw to it myself! All five are secured and unspoiled!”
“Prove it, you wretch! Prove you’re something greater than a lying worm! Do it!”
Glancing at his compatriot, the two of them checked their surroundings once more before a shared nod granted the zebra permission to remove from his bag a bundle of cloth. Placing the sack between them, both senators turned in unison to hide the passing of their parcel beneath the curtain’s edge.
A few moments of silence and the rustling of cloth followed, broken only by a quiet giggle of mirth and a brief clip-clop of excited hooves. Brushing the sweat from their brows, both hid their smiles as their master spoke once more. “Excellent. You've done your disgusting race proud by being honest for a change.”
“Thank you, milady,” the zebra spoke, glancing at his counterpart expectantly. “We shall prepare ourselves. By your leave, we’ll—”
“Not yet." A devilish little chuckle joined their master's glimmering hoof as the curtains parted between them. “I require a donation of sorts from one of you, a token of your faith in me.”
The two senators eyed one another apprehensively as others of their adopted nations returned to their tables. When nothing came but the slow tap of a hidden hoof from nearby and the toll of the clock as signal of their required presence, the Crystal pony delegate nodded his head and extended his hoof between the curtains. “I will do it."
The zebra, with a tense grin, stood before his partner and hid him from view as the other bowed his head, clenched his teeth, and waited. Of all the possible demands, this one brooked no contention. There could be no other way, not for the task they had at hand. The Crystal pony clenched his eyes tighter and spared himself the horror of his master's request. No arguments, for her words were law, and her retribution would be as sharp and swift as the blade slowly slicing his flesh apart. Blood seeped slowly from his leg as muscle and sinew loosened and snapped, silent save the sound of his blood in free-fall smashing with the marble below and the brief, agonizing whimpers sneaking past his bloody lips. He could just feel its edge carving slivers from his bone before the blade slid quietly away, drenched in evergreen.
A flash of sky-blue and a stifled yelp of surprise found the wound healed, without scars or lingering blood to denote the transaction had ever taken place. The Crystal pony placed his weight on his limb and winced, but soon found the pain bearable.
“Your soldiers await your orders, milady,” he stammered, gingerly resting on his torn limb. “Rest assured, there will be no failure on our part. Princess Sparkle won't be an issue, we will see to that. ”
“Of course she won’t be,” she said happily, “but no thanks to you. I will handle her myself.”
The zebra stifled a gasp of surprise while the other rounded on the curtains in alarm. “Milady, are you mad? This is not part of your plan!”
“It is now,” she replied calmly. Then, without a word, the curtain parted before the zebra as well. “Lend me yours as well, so that I might prepare a second.”
“Never! Our lord only demands one death! The other two must remain alive. His plan will fail should they come to any harm. I will not see his vision rendered moot because you cannot control yourself!”
She drew a breath in and let it out slowly, her hoof tensing as she did. “Too long has she dogged our steps and made our lives hell. Too long has she been at our heels, nipping at us with her fortune, her wondrous abilities... her hubris. She has thwarted every plan, every attempt at reclaiming what is ours by right! She cannot be allowed to continue. Our lord demands her as well.”
“Yes, but not her head!”
“Her head, her horn, her wings, what difference does it make? As long as he has his prize he will be satisfied. Her death will be enough for me.”
Both looked at the other in shock. “He wanted her alive,” the zebra spoke up tentatively. “This isn’t about your vengeance, milady. Our lord has plans which require her to be alive. You must control yourself until then.”
“You dare tell me to... to...”
She stopped abruptly, leaving her sentence to dwindle away without conclusion as her soldiers held onto every note. They watched the curtains with teeth on edge, their muscles prepared for any shift, any possible reaction from the mare lingering just past those lazy woven folds. But then, when they heard her take another deep breath, they found their answer.
“No. No, you’re right.”
The two released those breaths they’d been holding all the while, looked at the other in relief, and then reclaimed their roles as wolves among sheep. “Your original plan, then, milady?”
“Yes,” she replied. “She dies by my hoof.”
“And the girl? What of her?” the zebra offered cautiously, watching his master’s dagger flicker just inches away. 
“Twilight can wait for a while.”
"Yes, but can you?"
He watched in horror as invisible lips spread wide over transparent teeth. Petrified, he stared through his master and her devilish grin before she slipped beyond the curtains and out of sight.
"We'll just have to see, won't we?"