//------------------------------// // Intervention // Story: Just an Everyday Princess // by Wages of Sin //------------------------------// Twilight woke up bright and early, she knew she had to if she was going to be ready for the big day she had ahead of her. Without Spike's constant aid (and dragon-brewed coffee) in the morning, getting ready was an arduous task, but luckily there were four eager mares just waiting to help. ...And twilight knew she was going to need their help if today was going to go off without incident. Twilight was up in a flash, accomplishing her morning stretches, brushing her teeth, and combing her hair in record time. She was now intimately aware of the need for proper preening, but was not going to risk anything after reading about how bad a miss-pulled feather could upset proper flight aerodynamics. Set and ready for the day to begin, she made her way downstairs for breakfast. "Ah, Princess, good morning! Would you mind please having a seat?” Brush called as she made the last step down to the main level. "Good morning ...girls?" her greeting was adapted as she noticed how the lobby was arranged. Four chairs had been placed faced a single sofa, the mares each occupying a seat and the couch being left open. A table had been dragged into place in the middle of the arrangement, and upon it sat an exotic assortment of breakfast items. "The fridge was well stocked I see." Twilight chuckled as she went over to sit down. The others did not share in her jovial mood. "Have a seat princess." Brush half demanded half begged. Complying, Twilight sat and eyed the assortment of foods on the table. "We need to talk princess. You can dig in, but there are some things we need to share with you." A nod was returned by Twilight as she began to partake from the buffet in front of her. The mares shared an anxious look, but Brush was first to speak. "Princess, Twilight, we just want you to know that what you've done for Equestria is really appreciated. We understand how you must feel about the fact nopony knows what you've done for them, but you really are appreciated! Those of us who are close enough to the castle to know of what you've done, all think of you as a hero! It's not every day somepony comes along that can do so much!" "Yeah! With how grand your accomplishments have been so far, you've apparently become a hero outside Equestria too! So don't feel like nopony knows what you've done." "...uh, princess are you alright?" An unreadable expression sat plastered to the purple princess's face. "So what you're telling me is that there are ponies who idolize me for what I've done?" "Yes! Cloud says that there's even a whole book series based on your exploits being sold in the Crystal Empire!" "Well then..." "Uh... Princess? Why does it look like you think this is not good news?" "Because it isn't! I worked hard to convince Celestia to make sure no pony herd about me! Until this-" she flared her wings "-all started, I wanted to live a normal life in Ponyville with my friends!" "But you're a princess now! It's not like you can stay just some small-town-mare forever! Why not let them know how much you've done for Equestria?" "Because I want them to judge me based on what I will do to promote peace and harmony, not on the exploits of my adventures!" "-But you've beaten the very forces that sought to disrupt the harmony of the world! You defeated the very spirit of chaos! Everypony would hold you in the highest regard if they knew!" "Exactly! That’s precisely what I don't want! I don't want to be revered as a warrior princess! If they knew what I did before ascending, that's exactly what they'd call me! Celestia and Luna defeated Discord, and instantly they were the "warrior princess sisters!" All they did was seal Discord in stone and the pony tribes gave his throne to them out of fear!" ...Admittedly that was probably one of the greatest decisions in pony history, but I digress... "Well once the population see how kind and benevolent a leader you are in person-" "You mean like they did with Celestia and Luna? It took over five hundred years for the population to stop openly referring to them as "The Warrior Sisters" and "The Conquerors of Chaos!" It took over half a century of constant refusal before the population understood that they didn't want their yearly offerings of virgins! It was absurd!" Twilight huffed and puffed for a moment, but when she had her breathing under control again she finished, "That is what I'm trying to avoid." "Oh... We thought you were upset because of how few people know what you've done." "What gave you that idea? What made you think I was upset at all?" "Well yesterday... Yesterday, with how you spoke about yourself... When we confronted you about your choice to marry Braeburn... It seemed like you thought of yourself as unworthy before you became a princess... Like without the title, you wouldn't be worthy of marrying anypony..." "And I wouldn't. Only judges, mayors, governors, priests of an established faith, naval captains aboard their own ships, and of course princesses have the right to oversee and establish a legal union between a couple." "Wait, what?" one of the dumbfounded aids asked as her companions continued to stare. "I said, only certain ponies have the right to oversee and establish a legal union between to ponies, and before I was a princess, I was none of the others." "Oh..." "Was that not what you expected?" "Um, No... So, uh... So you're not getting married?" "No? What made you think that I was! I'm just filling the position that the Las-Pegasus judge left when he skipped town leaving the townsponies' plans for today ruined. That's why I was asked to perform the ceremony today." "Oh... Well, Whew! That takes a load off..." ... ... "Wait, did you say Today?"