Sure, Lulu!
Ah...It's so nice that things appear to be normal, for once. After all, there's only so much crazy I can take, and it seems like the world has agreed with me. I'm glad, because I really, really don't want anything else happening to me, lest I break out into a rage over finding out I'm wrong, or find myself crying over some incredibly sad thing.
In a rare moment given to her, Celestia found herself alone on her balcony just as day was turning to night, without any crazy stuff happening around her (though she suspected that it would not last long). This allowed her a moment to think about her current position in life (which she had not done in quite a long time).
Things have changed quite a bit, and mostly for the better. I'm amazed at how much was done in the past few months...It's astonishing how I was able to put up with it all without breaking. Not only do I have my sister back, but I also have Chrys and Moonie, a changeling and deranged pony that wanted to bring eternal night working side-by-side with me through the sluggish politics and disasters that happen around Equestria. I would have never seen this coming, and even if I did, I'd have been unprepared in the manner that they came by into my life.
A subtle movement caught her eye, and she observed a pony, working in the bitter cold, cleaning up after an especially wild party for Luna's birthday last night that still needed lots of attention. The mere sight of a pony toiling through a mess that she knew was most likely made by her caused her to cringe inwardly. How many messes did we make? Is there anything I would do differently, given the chance? Would things still work out between us four with these theoretical new changes?
Celestia sighed, and immediately winced afterward as her exhaled air instantly froze, then dropped down upon the pony working underneath her balcony, impacting upon his head. Oops. Maybe I need to increase the temperature just slightly enough to avoid having that happen. With a brief flash of her horn, she increased Canterlot's temperature slightly, not enough to get rid of the cold, but just warm enough as to avoid having instantly frozen exhaled breath.
Now where was I...Oh, yes, I was about to move onto Canterlot. The unyielding fortress of fun upon where much of Equestria's politics and merchants go to, creating a social hub that is utterly massive and contains so many new things for one to experience. It is also where much of our crazy antics have occurred, and I'm glad our ponies are able to forgive us for everything we've done, as I know we have made life hard for them on several occasions unintentionally. Do they look back on those moments, and laugh, or do they cry?
Nothing was there to answer Celestia's questions, but she continued thinking, something that she always never had enough time for.
I'd like to think that they were amused by whatever situation they were in. I have never been prouder of our ponies, living in harmony with the occasional joke here and there. I have done so many things for Equestria, and yet...Perhaps it's time to let it go. Perhaps, let it all go. Equestria needs to learn to take care of itself, without us guiding them...But, would I want it any other way, would they want it any other way?
She paused in her rambling to lower the sun, to give way to Luna's moon. Once that task was done, she continued thinking, getting a little upset over her thoughts. I know not the answers to my own questions, and I doubt anypony out there has the answer for me, either. Is it alright if I have questions, if I can appear as any other pony, without the answers to everything? I doubt even you, mother, could truly give me an answer to my questions.
I'm pretty sure the answers are right in front of you, you're just blind.
The sudden voice intruding on her thoughts caused Celestia to recoil violently, and she swiftly turned her head around, trying to find the source (even though it was mental). "Can you NOT sneak up on me like that?!" She decided to ignore the remark that she was blind.
"I'm sorry; the opportunity presented itself far too well, ha ha!" Heartstrings chuckled as she rappelled up onto the balcony with a flowing scarf attached around her neck, protecting her from the cold. She took a moment to stow away her climbing gear before standing next to Celestia's right side. "So, I'm guessing that you're thinking again?"
Wow. She's good. "How did you kno-"
Heartstrings clicked her tongue, and stated the obvious. "Background pony."
With a mock groan, Celestia tore her gaze off from the unicorn to stare out towards the dying sun. "...I never should have given you the secondary ability to sense the feelings of others."
"That would just make my ability to manipulate others that much harder. Why do you bother to think, anyway?"
Celestia raised a brow at the unicorn beside her. "Why do I think? Why do you ask such a question, Heartstrings? It seems quite a silly question."
"Not really. As a Background Pony, we don't think so much as we act. In fact, some of the most brilliantly executed tactics that you've seen us do are done on instinct, not because we thought the course of action through. It's quite refreshing from what you've told us to do."
What?! Improvising on the spot...That's something we deliberately told the Background Ponies not to do! A worried Celestia poked Heartstrings' side gently, almost toppling the unicorn over. "Why would you attempt such action, then, without thinking about the consequences?!"
Heartstrings just barely managed to prevent herself from being tipped over, and frowned slightly at Celestia's action before waving a hoof slowly at the landscape before them. "I know all of us Background Ponies look at the commandments differently and as such are affected by it in different ways, but the way I see it, I do whatever course of action I deem necessary because of the fact that serving Equestria is literally the first and foremost thing that I am to keep safe, and as such there are times where I must do questionable things in order to eventually reach that goal. If I stopped to think about every single thing I was about to do, I would have most likely attempted a much safer course of action that would also most likely take longer to accomplish and may not make Equestria that much safer than if I had simply taken action without thinking too much of the potential harm that may come to me or the other Background Ponies.
"Consider this, Tia; we have gathered intelligence that there are a group of ponies that wish harm on the Elements of Harmony, however, we do not have definite proof of them actually going to do so, other than, say, a written threat. Now, there are a number of things that we could do, however, let us narrow down two possible routes to take; one, we can wait until the group actively pursues the Elements of Harmony, or two, we track the note and neutralize the threat immediately, preventing the problem entirely and reducing the amount of harm that could come to the Elements, and by extension, Equestria. To me, the second option is far safer for the Elements and it also ensures that we have the upper hoof, as we do not have to wait for them to make the first move before we act."
That's not much of a choice to decide between. "Heartstrings, your tactical analysis is very unfair towards the first option."
Heartstrings merely shrugged off Celestia's accusation. "Be as that may be, the second option requires far less thinking, and more doing, as well as being a far more realistic scenario then what you and Lulu have taught us in the past with your other scenarios. My point is this; you sometimes just need to stop thinking and start doing things, because thinking sometimes just isn't going to get you anywhere. You haven't stopped to think in awhile from what little I know, which is good, but you must continue that."
"...Despite your long-winded analogy, I still don't see what it has to do with me thinking."
With an exasperated sigh, Heartstrings gently punched Celestia's jaw, nothing more than a little tap with her left hoof. "Well, just think a little less. Ponies like Twilight Sparkle get into far more trouble then they need to be simply because they think too much."
Your logic has a fatal flaw that I cannot help but point out. "I get into trouble even if I don't think. Remember the time Minuette accidentally set me on fire?"
"That's your problem, not mine. By the way, Luna's coming by, so I should probably leave you alone with her." Heartstrings pulled out her climbing gear, and before Celestia could protest for her to stay a little longer, Heartstrings began rappelling down the balcony. True to her word, once Heartstrings was out of sight, somepony knocked at her door.
Background Ponies...I wonder what I'd do without you. Slowly, Celestia made her way over to her door, opening it up for her sister. "Hi, Lulu."
"Hey. Want to join the whole gang downstairs? We're playing Twister."
Well...Heartstrings did say not to think too much, even though something bad is probably going to happen if I accept. "Sure, Lulu!"