//------------------------------//
// Not Your Problem 
// Story: Yes, Princess 
// by The Usurper 
//------------------------------//

	18th December, 2013

It's been a week since that apple supplier problem. And what a busy week it's been.

Of course, Applejack wasn't the only one I had to deal with. Apparently a press statement from the Palace isn't enough to satisfy the media; in Ician's words, 'They go after stories like a starving hound goes after food.'

The Gabby Gums incident came to mind.

Mente helped me to organise an official royal announcement for pretty much every news corporation in Equestria, which came with a Civil Service-prepared script packed to the brim with lies for media consumption. It was certainly a lot easier than lying to Applejack, and, having crossed the threshold of deception once before, it is frighteningly easy to do it again.

But behind the curtain of publicity, I'm unbelievably, unreasonably busy. Even though Mente and Ician are effectively taking all the decisions in my stead, there's still a huge mass of recommendations for me to read, papers for me to sign, government conferences to attend... the list goes on. There's hardly any time for rest, either; no sooner have I finished assimilating ten hours' worth of information in ten minutes than the next six stacks of documents are wheeled into the throne room on wheelbarrows.

Today in particular was extremely hectic. On top of all the usual papers there was a file of military intelligence reports, which all say that there's some mass movement of something going on in the forests east of Vanhoover. Mente assured me that there's nothing to worry about, it was probably just a freak chance event, and either way there's nothing we could do about it.

I hope he's right. I'm still vaguely uneasy, though, but for a silly reason. That forest is where the Daring Do series placed the Fortress of Talicon. I mean, I'm not one to believe in anything like that without scientific research and proof, but I just wonder sometimes.

Well, there's no point in thinking about it. Celestia knows I have a hundred better things to worry about!









20th December, 2013

Unbelievable. It seems there's a whole different side to the issue that I wasn't aware of.

Ician came into the throne room early this morning with the latest set of military reports. Apparently - I couldn't believe my ears when I heard this - the entire Daring Do series is not fiction. There is a literal Fortress of Talicon, a literal Ahuizotl, and a very literal and real threat of eight hundred years of unrelenting heat. I thought it was only for the Tenochtitlan Basin, where all of this was happening, but no. Apparently all of Equestria would be affected; a small little factoid that had been removed from the current work-in-progress that was the next instalment.

It was absolutely disastrous. I said as much to Ician. He agreed. Immediately, I sent him off to fetch Mente. We had to discuss this at once.

Soon after, Ician returned with Mente in tow. I waved the reports in his face. "Have you read this?"

He sighed. "Yes, Princess."

"Do you know what this means?"

"Certainly." He started reading off the report in front of him. "It means that recent happenings indicate that the Fortress of Talicon and the Tenochtitlan Basin are under threat of invasion by Ahuizotl, and—"

"I know that." I cut him off. "But do you know what this means?"

He looked at me, confused. "It means that recent happenings indicate that the Fortress of Talicon and the Tenochtitlan Basin—"

"No, no, no!" I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him frantically. "Equestria is in danger! We have to do something!"

He stared coldly at me. "With all due respect, Princess, we have to do nothing."

I couldn't believe my ears. "What?"

"This is just one of those little problems which start up and die out in a few days." He said. "If you just ignore it-"

"Mente," I began, trying to keep myself calm, "I don't think you realise the magnitude of this. Equestria is in danger."

He rolled his eyes. "Really, Princess, I do think you are making a mountain out of a molehill."

If eight hundred years of unrelenting heat was a molehill, I shudder to imagine what a mountain would be.

"Would Princess Celestia sit idly by and do nothing in a situation like this?" I asked rhetorically.

His response surprised me. "Oh, yes, of course."

"What?" I wasn't sure if I was mishearing him.

"It is the right thing to do, after all." He defended. "See, Discord's brief reign of terror and Nightmare Moon's return resolved themselves within the week."

"I resolved them!" I cried. "My friends and I!"

"Precisely. You, as Princess, no longer need to involve yourself. It is not your problem." He nodded. "Just sit back, and let somepony else take care of it."

"But," I said, "if Princess Celestia had stepped in—"

"It would only have made things worse." He replied. "Take the changeling invasion, for example. The one time in recent history she went against our advice to keep herself out of the thick of it, she was soundly defeated. That's what comes of not listening to the royal advisors."

I was undeterred. "But we have to do something! Doesn't Equestria have a standing military we could send in?"

"Oh, Equestria has a military all right." Mente snorted. "But it's so pathetically small and under-equipped that it wouldn't be of much use in a conflict. The Ministry of Defence has no intention of sending it out on an offensive when it can barely protect Canterlot as it is."

I was surprised. "But it always seemed so well-trained and effective to me."

"I'm glad that was the impression you received, Princess." He replied. "But if the changeling invasion was anything to go by, I hardly think 'effective' is an appropriate descriptor."

Fair enough. But why, then, didn't we have a better army?

"Princess Celestia believed that there were other areas which were more deserving of governmental expenditure." Mente explained. "Education, economy, agriculture..."

That seemed reasonable, but clearly something needed to be done about this crisis, effective military or not. "It's about the principle. We can't sit by and do nothing. What will the ponies think of a leader who doesn't even try to stop eight hundred years of heat?"

"Nothing negative, I assure you." Mente was determined to win the argument. "Besides, as events stand now, the matter is small enough that it is unlikely the public will find out about it."

I sighed, exasperated. "How are you so sure that it won't get worse?"

"Prior experience, of course." He answered with quiet confidence. "How do you think ideas for the other books in the Daring Do series were conceived?"

As certain as he was about the whole issue, it didn't rub off on me. "She's always fought against the odds. Probability dictates that she has to fail sooner or later."

Mente sighs. "I am acutely aware of that fact, Princess. But, be that as it may, there are always alternatives. Cloud cover, for example, would stave off the worst of the heat. And if we could push the efficiency of the Cloudsdale weather factories there would be more snow for use as coolant."

I'm not sure how he understands the term 'unrelenting heat', but I think it's different from my interpretation. 

I attempted to end the meeting by explaining that I intended to see something done, no matter what. Mente countered by offering to set up an committee of enquiry to assess the feasibility of all possible avenues of action so that, in due course, we would be in a position to make the right decisions based on long-term considerations as opposed to rushing prematurely and unwisely into regrettable situations which would ultimately precipitate a less-than-optimal outcome. (His words, not mine.)

I wasn't all that keen on that. It sounded like it would drag on for ages. By which time, of course, the entire threat would be over, whether for better or for worse. I explained that I intended to see something done now.

"Why don't you have a private talk with the Minister of Defence, then?" He suggested. "I'm certain he will provide you with the military's point of view."

"How about the Minister of War?" I asked. "If we're moving soldiers out of the city I ought to consult him too."

Mente looked at me strangely. "Princess, there hasn't been a Ministry of War for centuries now."

"What happened to it?"

"It was renamed the Ministry of Defence."

I ended the conversation by agreeing to speak to the Minister. Mente assured me that he would arrange a meeting with all due haste.

Hopefully I'll have some constructive suggestions soon.









High Councillor Tact Ician recalls:

I remember that day distinctly. It was ingrained quite firmly in my memory. After work, Mente escorted me out of the throne room and cornered me in one of the abandoned corridors. He began by asking how the Princess had gotten ahold of the military reports. I replied that I had given it to her, for it had seemed like something she needed to know.

Immediately, he reprimanded me. "Ician, do you know what you have done? This is a disaster!"

I was confused. With a somewhat apprehensive air, I sought clarification.

"This is not something the Princess needed to know." He explained. "This is only something she wanted to know. Those are two completely separate definitions."

That was a familiar statement, one I had become accustomed to in my days as the Private Secretary to the Minister of Health and Social Security. Nonetheless, I was under the impression that this was only to be applied to Ministers, not the very Princess of the state. I inquired further.

"It is to be applied to the Princess first and foremost," he answered, "and the Ministers second." And then, with a disapproving glare, he continued, "I thought you would already know this."

His voice carried a tone of severe reproof. I remember a growing feeling of dread in my stomach. As High Councillor, Mente had my very future in his hooves. He could raise me to ever-greater heights or condemn me to a fate of mediocrity in a distant place like the Badlands, or the Frozen North, or even downtown Canterlot. Risking his displeasure was akin to playing dice with Death. I had to salvage the situation quickly.

Unfortunately for me, my mouth refused to cooperate. All I was able to do was timidly ask him what he intended to do.

"What do you suggest I do?" was his reply. "You are the Assistant Councillor, after all. It is your job to advise the Princess. I trust you have some advice in mind?"

Not having expected that, I stammered and stuttered for a little bit, only to state the obvious as soon as I recovered. "We should... stop her?"

In a deadpan voice, he replied, "Would you care to give specifics?"

I'd reached a dead end. There was no conceivable way for me to think of a plan on the spot. I could only stare at him with a profoundly guilty look on my face.

The awkward silence stretched on for a minute. Then Mente sighed, shook his head, and departed without another word. I was left alone, with nothing but my heavy breathing and my rapidly beating heart. I told myself not to worry about it, that everything would be alright, but I remember the terror clearly enough to know that I didn't believe myself at the time.









[Ed: It is interesting to contrast High Councillor Ician's account of the event with Mente's private notes, made available in the aftermath of his passing. The relevant passage is recorded here.]

Had a chat with Ician after work. Despite his mistake earlier today with regards to the military documents, he displayed a willingness to admit to his lapse in judgement and sought advice as to how to resolve the situation. Although he has not yet come up with any ideas, I am confident he will do so as soon as he has had a chance to collect his wits.

Nonetheless, national activity must go on, and I am afraid that there is no time to wait for Ician's suggestions. This foolish notion of the Princess' that this situation requires government intervention must be squashed before it can be allowed to grow any further, and to this end I have arranged a meeting with Shield tonight. [Ed: Sir Iron Shield, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence.] We will arrange something to educate the Princess about the realities of the situation.

[Ed: We have been unable to recover any records of the meeting referenced in this entry. However, the effects of it can be seen quite clearly in Princess Sparkle's own journal.]









21st December, 2013

I met with the Minister today.

His name is Aegis Slash. He looks like a perfect fit for all the unicorn guardsponies I see around Canterlot - grey-coated, with a stern gaze and proud posture - except that he's so much more muscular. The way he's built looks more like a soldier than a politician. His body was literally bulging with so many muscles that his suit looked like it was having difficulty keeping it all in. When I came into his office, he got up from his seat behind an elegantly carved mahogany wood desk, stood to full attention (a pose I recognise well after spending a lot of time with my BBBFF) and gave me a sharp salute.

I hesitated a little, wondering what to say. "... At ease?" I ventured.

He returned to his relaxed posture and chuckled heartily. "That's correct, Princess," he said in a booming but cordial voice. Really fitting for a soldier. I wonder why he became a Minister.

"Anyway," I said, wanting to confront the issue at hoof as soon as possible, "do you know why I asked to meet you?"

"Yes." His smile faded and he sat back down, motioning me to one of the other cushioned seats in the room. After that, he turned to his right and said, "Turner, I want careful minutes of this meeting."

I wasn't immediately sure whom he was talking to, but then I turned to the right too and realised there had been somepony there all along. He was so unassuming and plain that it was no wonder I hadn't noticed him at first. His brown coat, wings, and suit blended in well with the wallpaper, which didn't help things either.

"Yes, Minister." The pony responded dutifully. Aegis nodded, satisfied, and turned back to me.

"The High Councillor told me that you wanted to send troops out of the city. Right?"

"Right." I confirmed, sitting down on the nearest cushion.

He sighed. "Princess, I must warn you that that would be a poor idea."

As I thought. He was against it, just as Mente had been. "Why?"

"The troops are needed here in Canterlot, Princess." He gestured out of the wide glass window behind him, which gave a really nice view of the entire city. One of the perks of having your office at the pinnacle of one of the highest towers of the castle. "For defence."

"And defending Equestria from eight hundred years of unrelenting heat doesn't count?" I asked.

"Daring Do will take care of it." He stuck firmly to his guns.

Now it was my turn to sigh. I readied myself to give him a lecture on basic probability when he unexpectedly continued, "Besides, there are a lot of other problems right now."

This was news to me. "Problems?"

"Problems." He asserted.

I asked him what kind of problems they were.

"Oh certainly. You see..." He furrowed his brows. "Well, there's, uh..."

So that was it. He was trying to bluff his way out. "There aren't really any problems, are there?" I queried dryly.

"There are problems, Princess. I just don't know what they are." He confessed.

"Then," I demanded, "how do you know there are problems to begin with?"

"My Permanent Secretary told me. But I didn't ask for specifics."

"What?" I was struck with a very distinct sense of surprise. "Why not?"

"I was in the midst of dealing with other important issues." He defended himself. "Military deployment schedules and all that." He then gestured to a stack of papers on the table that was quite literally taller than he was. It was swaying unsteadily, as if it was going to topple over at any moment.

"Alright then." I answered, sitting back. It seemed like I really had to dig straight down to the root of this problem if I wanted to get anything done. "I'd like to talk to your Permanent Secretary. Is he free right now?"

"He will be, Princess, if it is your wish." Aegis promised. "Turner, go and fetch Shield for me, will you?"

"Yes Minister." Turner replied, and without another word strode past me and out the door. I wonder if he ever says anything else.

That left me and Aegis alone in the room. We sat in awkward silence for about thirty seconds before I decided to at least try to make conversation. I was wondering if I should, because, as if the silence wasn't enough, Aegis was squirming uncomfortably in his seat and his eyes shifted from side to side, as if my very presence was causing him physical discomfort.

I cleared my throat. "Will your Permanent Secretary be here soon, or should I go get us some tea?"

I think I may have messed up slightly, because at once Aegis stood up, and assured me that it wouldn't be long, there would be no need for tea, and even if there was a need for tea he would take care of it for me. I didn't know what to say to that other than an unsure "Uh, thanks", followed by another period of silence.

Thankfully, and to what I think was both our great reliefs, the door swung open at that moment. Turner and another pony, a white unicorn stallion, stepped into the room. The new pony bowed deeply to me and Aegis. "Princess. Minister."

Turner piped up. "Sir Iron is here, Minister." He announced unnecessarily.

"Thank you, Turner," was Aegis' reply. I muttered a similar phrase of appreciation, but it wasn't Turner I was interested in at that moment.

"Iron?" I addressed the new unicorn.

He winced slightly. "With the greatest possible respect, Princess, I'd appreciate it if you could address me by my last name."

I guess everyone here really doesn't want to be on a first-name basis - or maybe it's just me. "Alright, Shield," I conceded, more determined to resolve this problem than make friends. "You're the Permanent Secretary for this department, right?"

"Yes, I am." He answered.

"Alright, good." I confronted him with the question Aegis hadn't been able to answer: Namely, what problems were there that required the troops to stay behind in Canterlot?

He decided to begin with a disclaimer. "Well, you understand, Princess, that I don't have the files with me, so I do not remember these issues in very great depth."

That was reasonable, of course, and either way I didn't need to know everything. I only needed to know enough to think of a creative solution. I asked him to continue.

"Very well. Reports from the EIB - sorry, the Equestrian Intelligence Bureau - indicate the possibility of a resurgent changeling presence. Apparently some... incidents have occurred along the northern border, which the EIB hasn't been very willing to elaborate on as it is a matter of great national security, and they want to reduce the risk of leaks. I'm sure you will agree that such a danger warrants as high a level of protection as possible."

I really couldn't disagree with that. So I tried a different angle. "But surely we can afford to move troops out for just a little while? I mean, the changelings aren't going to attack tomorrow, are they?"

"You never know, Princess." Shield answered cautiously. "They caught us by surprise last time. Who's to say they don't have another agent on the inside already? Since the shield was lowered a while ago, they've had the ability to install another spy for some time now."

I must say, that shook me quite a bit. "You mean, we could be in trouble right now?"

"Lady Weed Plant assures me that there are no infiltrators of any sort at the moment." He must have noticed the confused look on my face, because he explained, "Lady Plant is the head of the EIB. She's also in charge of counter-spying measures, and has exercised the full extent of the EIB's ability to weed out any potential traitors."

I relaxed earlier than I should have. "So we're safe then." I said. It wasn't a question, but apparently it wasn't a fact either.

"Well... no system is foolproof," he said.

I gulped.

"Anyway," he continued decisively, "now that you realise the precariousness of the situation, could we please abandon the idea of sending troops out of the city?"

"Not quite yet," I argued. "Of course a changeling invasion is serious business, but eight hundred years of unrelenting heat isn't anything to laugh about either. We have to do something about it."

"I'm sorry, but we just don't have the resources to do so. I'm afraid that the Minister simply can't recommend such a course of action."

"Actually," Aegis began, "I can see some truth in her—"

Shield cut him off. "In the interests of the Ministry and the citizens of Canterlot, the action you propose cannot be taken, Princess."

"But—" Aegis tried to intervene again. This really aroused my suspicions.

"Minister." Shield said harshly. "I must please ask you to place the interests of the nation before that of... certain individuals, important as the latter may be."

This caught me off guard, and evidently Aegis was caught off guard too. "What?!" He rose immediately from his seat and jabbed an accusatory hoof at his Permanent Secretary. "What do you mean? Are you accusing me of corruption?"

"Not at all." Shield said smoothly. "I fully understand your wishes to support the Princess and her interests in whatever way you can, but ultimately loyalty must give way to logic, don't you agree?"

Aegis deflated. "... Oh."

"The changelings will take advantage of the circumstances," Shield said, "to overwhelm our weakened defence force and occupy the capital, which would be a crushing blow to Equestria as a whole and the morale of our armed forces. Surely you can see that this is not in the greater interests of the nation."

"Can they do that, though?" I questioned. "Capture Canterlot just like that?"

"As you recall, Princess, they've done it once before, effectively. There should be no doubt of their ability to do so again, given ample preparation time." And then, with the verbal equivalent of a master swordspony's flourish when they've won the round, he said, "I rest my case."

I couldn't say much in rebuttal. All those points were completely valid and, in fact, I was beginning to be swayed on the issue myself. It was pretty obvious that there was a strong argument on the other side.

Shield looked at me, apparently concerned. "Are you alright, Princess? You've been rather silent."

I shook myself out of my reverie and forced a smile. "I'm alright, thanks for asking. Though I think I've heard all I needed to hear. Thank you for your time, everypony." And then I left.

So what does this mean, then? Is there really no way to help Daring Do? I mean, clearly there are problems that we have to face, but that's what life is all about. Overcoming problems. And I'm the Princess - if I can't overcome such a serious problem, how could I possibly be fit to rule Equestria? Or maybe there just aren't any solutions, and I'm wasting my time worrying over nothing...

I feel so disheartened. Maybe some sleep will make me feel better. I'm praying that it will.









22nd December 2013

Woke up feeling awful. Not physically, but emotionally. It wasn't a feeling of sadness so much as one of depression. Helplessness isn't a feeling that keeps you warm at night.

At least today was a Sunday, which meant a day off. That was something I didn't think Princesses had the liberty to enjoy. However, as Ician explained to me when I got to the throne room, having a day off for the upper echelons of government actually just meant a slower day and a more relaxed dress code. So I got to take off all that heavy regalia and work with nothing on, like I used to back in Ponyville.

I wasn't feeling any less depressed, though, and disconsolately I said as much to Ician. Perhaps the fact that Mente was away for an official meeting about the Ahuizotl crisis with the Permanent Secretaries of the other Ministries made me feel worse - after yesterday's discussion with Aegis and Shield I already knew, in essence, what the conclusion would be. The whole inevitability weighed down on me, and I couldn't take it. Though in hindsight I suppose Mente's absence was a blessing.

To my surprise, however, Ician looked cautiously around the throne room, as if making sure we were alone. Which we were, today, since it was Sunday. Then he turned back to me and murmured in a low voice, "Is it because of the Ahuizotl problem, Princess?"

I nodded mutely.

"I heard you had a meeting yesterday. If I could ask you to share the details with me?"

So I did. It took me a good while to explain everything that had happened, but by the end of it I managed to make sure Ician was fully informed of everything important. Also a few less important things, but I'm sure he appreciated the extra spice on the story.

He frowned contemplatively as soon as I'd finished the entire tale. "I thought something like this might have happened," he said mysteriously, and then asked me, "So this is why you're feeling depressed? Because there doesn't seem to be a way to solve the problem?"

I nodded again. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel began to draw into view. Something about how Ician used the phrase 'doesn't seem to be' instead of the much more definitive 'isn't' implied that maybe there was hope after all.

He didn't disappoint. He asked if he could speak frankly, and I said yes.

"To be completely honest, Princess, Mente and the other Permanent Secretaries are against your proposition."

I knew that already, of course, but I voiced the hope that I could win them over to my side, if my arguments were strong enough.

Ician shook his head. "No, Princess, they are dead set against it. No matter what points you come up with, they will simply come up with even more counter-points."

"But, doesn't having points to counter mine show that my argument is still flawed?" I asked.

"Almost every argument is 'flawed' in a sense, especially when it comes to a course of action." He explained. "There will always be a certain risk factor involved, and with the proper manipulation of words and distortion of the truth any risk can be made to seem greater than it actually is - great enough to 'prove' whatever proposal is being pushed forward too iffy. This is how the Civil Service and Royal Court win their arguments."

I began to realise why Ician was looking around cautiously earlier. "It's very bold of you to admit this, Ician."

"Better for me to be bold than you to be clueless, Princess." I like him. He's a good pony.

"But why are they dead set against it, then?" I queried. For once, I was getting useful answers to my questions, and I wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

"Because it could set a dangerous precedent for governmental intervention," he said. "In the past, it has been standard practice to assign the Elements of Harmony to combat any threats that might arise, rather than relying unnecessarily on national resources. However, since your ascension, the Palace has been searching for a new WMH to take the place of the Elements."

"WMH?"

"Weapon of Mass Harmonisation. Discord was apparently put forward as a possible candidate, but given his past track record, and the fact that in the Princesses' absence he has become somewhat unpredictable, the Royal Court rejected him as a possibility. As far as I am aware, we have not yet found a suitable replacement."

And then it hit me. "Wait, that's it!" I stood up excitedly, having finally found a solution. I began to pace up and down the room. It was all beginning to fall into place. "I'll go myself! No need for any troop movements or anything like that. I'll contact the others in Ponyville as soon as I can and—"

Ician reluctantly interrupted me. "... I'm sorry, Princess, but I'm afraid you can't do that either. For security reasons you're not allowed to travel without an escort."

"All the better then." I countered. "The escort can help me defeat Ahuizotl."

"But that does still leave the problem of a vulnerable Canterlot." He reasoned. "At the moment, your very presence here is a deterrent against invasion. You have a reputation for defeating enemies of the state. If you were to depart for any length of time, I fear the changelings might see it as an opportunity to strike. If indeed there is a threat, which there may not be. But is that a risk worth taking?"

"I guess not." I sighed. The excitement left me when the hope did, and I slumped back onto the floor.

Then Ician coughed. I almost asked him if he was feeling alright, but then he coughed again and I realised he was trying to draw my attention.

"Yes?"

"Princess," he said slowly, "if I may make a suggestion?"

I sat up, immediately alert. "A suggestion?"

"Yes." He hesitated briefly. "However, I am giving you this suggestion in the strictest confidence. I must ask you to claim the idea as your own, if anypony asks."

It took me a moment to realise the full weight of what he was saying. "Don't worry, I can keep a secret."

"Thank you." He licked his lips tentatively, apparently trying to overcome one last bit of reluctance, and then launched straight into the explanation. "You are right, Princess. I urge you to request an official visit to Vanhoover, and bring with you the usual escort. I will ensure you have a free slot during the relevant days."

"But Canterlot," I protested halfway. I soon learned, though, that I shouldn't have underestimated him.

"Invite Captain Shining Armour from the Crystal Empire. It will be an official event, so everypony will know that he will be here. You can leave Canterlot then, and the Crystal Empire will still be guarded with the full extent of its forces."

I was impressed. This did seem to cover all the bases. All but one. "But won't Mente and the other Permanent Secretaries protest anyway?"

"They will." Ician admitted. "They won't stand for you taking care of something yourself. As Mente said before, past events indicate that Princesses going straight into the thick of it don't last long. There will be opposition."

"Then what do I do?"

"Force their collective hoof." He poked at the ground awkwardly, clearly more than a little bit uncomfortable about what he was going to say. And really, he was entitled to be. He was going against the will of his boss - well, his other boss that wasn't me, anyway - to tell me something he didn't need to tell me. For his sake, I felt obliged to wait patiently for him to continue.

"... You must threaten to disclose the details of the crisis to the public," he finally said. "Mente wants to keep it a secret as far as possible, since if you reveal it you can also reveal that we - or more accurately, the Royal Court and Civil Service - are doing nothing about it. In that scenario, the only course would then be to relent in the face of public pressure and take governmental action, fulfilling your aim."

"Will that work for sure, though?" I wondered. "I'm not sure how much Mente cares about his public image, or lack thereof, since I doubt many ponies have heard of him. I know I certainly didn't, not before becoming Princess."

"Perhaps." Ician conceded. "But the Ministers, as the public faces of their Ministries, will comply out of fear. None of them would dare to oppose your departure from Canterlot to solve the crisis. And in the end, the consent of the permanent officials is secondary to the consent of the Ministers, since the former group is nominally supposed to execute the will of the latter group, regardless of their own private reservations."

By this time, I was simultaneously amazed and shocked. "Please don't take offense to this, Ician, your plan is ingenious, but... is this the only way? Is forcing Mente to obey me the only way to do what needs to be done?"

"... I cannot answer that in clear conscience." Ician replied guardedly. "But if the High Councillor disagrees with you, there is almost no chance of you convincing him to change his stance. For that matter, the same is true of almost any Permanent Secretary, and indeed many in the Civil Service. No change was ever made without blood, sweat and tears, and government policy is no different."

It was as I feared. "So I'll always have to fight him if I want to change things?"

Ician gave me a very solemn look. "Change is not always good, Princess. The status quo exists for a reason, even if not always the right one."

I suppose he has a point. But in any case, I can't think so far into the future when I have an immediate problem that needs solving. I asked Ician to add a one-hour meeting with Mente to my schedule tomorrow.

One way or another, this will all be over soon.









23rd December, 2013

I stayed up late last night, preparing a little checklist for today's meeting with Mente. I didn't want to have all the points I needed to make only to forget them when I was supposed to actually say them. At last, I felt totally ready to tackle the problem head-on and win.

Ician came to wake me up today instead of Blossom, ostensibly because he wanted to talk with me one last time before the confrontation. Surprisingly, he'd scheduled the meeting first thing in the morning, which gave me even less time to prepare, but he explained that Mente would be similarly unprepared. Also, getting it out of the way first wouldn't let it prey on my mind during the rest of the day.

Come to think of it, that last point was critically important. Ician might not have known, but I'm only too familiar with what happens if I get overly stressed.

The day moved quickly. As soon as I'd gotten ready for the day, heavy regalia and all, I went straight to the throne room. Ician's presence beside me made me feel a little more confident, even though I knew that he probably wouldn't help me when it came to blows. Well, metaphorical blows, anyway.

I got to the throne room five minutes early, and on Ician's advice passed the time by watching the clock. The instant when the second hand hit the twelve mark, five minutes later, the double doors swung open and Mente stepped in. I must admit that that was pretty impressive, but I had no time to compliment him on his impeccable timing. And really, neither did I want to.

"Mente." I began, in what I hoped was a deceptively welcoming tone. "Thanks for taking the trouble to meet me."

"The pleasure is entirely mine, Princess," he answered promptly, though the suspicious expression on his face and his cautious posture said otherwise. "But of course you didn't call me for a chat. May I suggest that we skip past the pleasantries and come straight to the issue?"

I turned slightly to Ician with a questioning gaze, wondering if he'd revealed to Mente what the meeting was to be about - in other words, did Mente know what I was going to surprise him with? Ician shook his head almost imperceptibly, but then again, whether or not he knew what question he was supposed to be answering was a different issue.

"Yeah, we'd better not waste too much time." I held my notes in front of me, in a nice spot near my chest that let me make eye contact with Mente but disallowed him the luxury of seeing what I'd written. "So anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the Ahuizotl problem."

"Oh." His face darkened. "Pardon my asking, Princess, but did you not already resolve this issue yesterday with the Minister of Defence?"

"I talked about it with him, yes, but since then I've been thinking." I glanced briefly at my notes. "I came up with a few new points, and I wanted to have your opinion on them."

"I see." It was a lot more subtle than before, but I think he relaxed a little. Definitely not very much, though. "Well, I am always your humble servant. What are the points you want me to look over?"

I asked him if the possibility of the changeling invasion was a very serious problem. He paused, eyed me strangely, and confirmed that yes, that was indeed a big problem.

Then I hit him with my plan. "I propose that we extend an official invitation to Canterlot to my BB— I mean, my brother, in the Crystal Empire. For as long as he stays here we should be safe. I don't think he'll fall for the same trick this time, and either way I've got all of you in the Civil Service and Royal Court to keep an eye out for him, now that we all know the dangers involved."

"Princess, you can't do that," was his immediate response.

"What?" I asked, perplexed. "Why not?"

"Well, um..." He paused, thinking it over. "... Actually, I suppose you can do that."

"Good." I continued. "And since Canterlot is safe, I should be able to schedule an official visit to Trottingham and solve the Ahuizotl problem along the way, right?"

If he had been drinking any sort of drink at that moment he probably would have spit it out all over the floor. As it was, he had to settle for an awkward sputtering as he tried to get all the surprise out of his system.

"Princess," he eventually gasped, eyes wide, "you can't do that!"

"That's what you said just now." I reminded him.

"Yes, but this time you really can't," he insisted.

"Okay, why?"

"We cannot put you in danger. That's inconceivable! I assure you that no one will support your course of action, in your interests and that of the nation."

"I'm the Element of Magic." I countered. "The Elements of Harmony are the best weapons we have to defeat Ahuizotl."

"Not necessarily, Princess." He shook his head. "You forget about the Radiant Shield of Rasdon."

"It won't mean anything if Ahuizotl gets a hold of the Rings of Scorcherro. Their dark enchantments can break through the Shield!" I argued.

"But they've been divided and sequestered away in the four corners of Tenochtitlan." He reminded me. It was a valid point. I very quickly sneaked a peek at my notes and then returned to the conversation, confident again.

"Ah, but the reports Ician gave me a few days ago said that there was a danger that Ahuizotl would invade the Fortress of Talicon. The only way that could be was if he'd already acquired the Rings, or was about to acquire them." I was close to checkmate, I thought, which gave me an odd sense of both relief and regret.

"But then all we would need to achieve is custody of the Rings. The Elements of Harmony aren't needed," he said, anxious. I was quite clearly winning; he'd started arguing about how I ought to do it rather than whether I should do it or not. I wondered whether or nor I should keep pressing on, but then Ician gave his own two cents.

"High Councillor," he began, "I think the Princess is concerned about the secrecy issue. If she were to visit Trottingham now, it would effectively justify a military presence in the area, thus ensuring that this incident remains confidential. It also keeps the option of using the Elements of Harmony open, in the very worst case scenario."

"Well, perhaps... but the risk is still too great." I must give credit where credit is due; despite everything he'd been faced with up till now, Mente still stuck firmly to his guns. "I cannot allow you to do this, Princess. I cannot. And the troops cannot go either, since you cannot."

I sighed. Looks like I had to pull out my trump card after all, if I wanted him to cooperate. "Oh dear," I said, "in that case I ought to warn the citizens of Trottingham about this, shouldn't I? They need to know what's at risk, after all. If Ahuizotl succeeds they'll be the first to be threatened."

Mente flinched. "You can't do that."

"I must." I replied. "It's my job as a Princess to protect my subjects." I paused, then added, "Or is that wrong?"

He dodged the question. "It is your job to ensure the continuance of government. What will the Palace and Equestria do if you don't return from your visit?"

I pointed out that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna could take care of it, if it came to that. I know Mente was just concerned for my safety, but he was treating me like I couldn't take care of myself. To him I could have been fifteen years younger for all it would matter.

"The point is," I said impatiently, "that either I release the news or I go there myself. Something must be done, and I will make sure of that one way or another."

He tried a final plea. "Please, Princess. Daring Do will take care of it, this is not your problem!" For the very first time since I'd known him he actually shouted. Granted, it wasn't particularly loud or anything, but something inside me kind of wilted to see his composure falling through the floor. But I pressed on anyway.

"No." I answered. "Enough, Mente. It's one or the other. What do you think?"

He finally fell silent. I could almost see the gears turning in his head. But was it turning the way I wanted it to? Would he come up with something neither Ician nor I had anticipated? The anticipation in the room was immense, and I didn't realise it at the time but I was holding my breath.

And then, all at once, it finally came crashing down. "... Very well." Mente said at last, deciding to do the verbal equivalent of a surrender flourish so complex and elaborate one had to wonder exactly what it was supposed to mean. "Were I to be given the decision to select one of these two options I feel that the former would be effective to a greater degree in achieving your stated aims as opposed to the latter."

"I'm sorry?" I asked.

There was a long pause. "I shall arrange your visit to Trottingham."

"Thank you," I nodded, satisfied. "When?"

"As soon as the requisite procedures have been completed."

"I mean, yes, but... when, exactly?" I questioned. "Like, what day?"

"Well, taking a point of view relevant to the present juncture, as far as we can see, looking at it by and large, and in the final analysis it would probably not put too large a strain on the semantic nature of the Equish language to conclude that there must be further consideration in the matter in order to warrant an appropriate response. Perhaps an interdepartmental committee—"

My head was spinning from trying to understand all of that - again, I owe Ician greatly for letting me refer to his detailed minutes - but the moment I heard the words 'interdepartmental committee' I realised what was going on. "No, Mente! I need a deadline!"

"But, Princess—"

"Two days!" I quickly said. "Don't bother about all the ceremony and everything, I just need an small, basic entourage. That's all. Two days should be enough, right?"

"With all due respect," he tried again, but I wouldn't have any of it.

"Or else I make the announcement about Ahuizotl," I threatened.

"... Two days it is." He capitulated.

And it ended, just like that. Funny, I thought it would be more... dramatic? I guess I've been reading too much Daring Do. But of course, that's all romanticised. The classic story of a hero saving the world. That's her story, but... what about mine? Am I the hero, or am I the villain? Is what I'm doing right, or should I really just be leaving things as they are? I mean, like Ician said, there has to be a reason why they're this way, mustn't there? Why am I asking so many questions I can't answer?

Well, what's done is done. I may as well feel happy that I actually won. Even if I'm not sure if that's a good thing.









[Ed: Mente's private notes reveal that after the events of that day, he and Ician met for a discussion of the morning's meeting. Not only does it shed some light on later happenings, it also gives unique insight into the role an Assistant Councillor plays in guiding and advising the Princess.]

An absolutely disastrous discussion today with the Princess. I have no idea how she managed to do it, but somehow she did. Either she's smarter than I originally gave her credit for or somepony is helping her behind the scenes. I highly suspect the latter, and I think I know who is responsible. I must speak with Apple Bee tomorrow about keeping track of the locations of his old Minister more closely.

In any case, there's no point crying over spilt milk. Clearly something must be done to show the Princess the error of her ways, even if there's no stopping her plan. And Ician has come to me with a brilliant idea.

He approached me after work, most fittingly in the same corner where we talked about his oversight three days ago. He mentioned a desire to redeem himself and suggested that we fix the problem before the two days were up, thus leading the Princess to believe that her actions were in vain, and possibly also leading her to dismiss such interventionist notions in the future. I noted that such an act was rather a tall order, but he had a solution for that too: enlist the aid of Discord.

This seemed, on the face of it, an unworkable proposition. Discord was too much of a wild card to rely on. But then Ician reminded me of his strong friendship with the Element of Kindness, and that the Princess' plan was to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Ahuizotl, thus putting all six of them in danger...

I have a feeling Discord will come around.









High Councillor Ician recalls:

My two-sided behaviour during the Ahuizotl incident may seem strange to the non-governmentally inclined reader. In order to clarify the situation, I should probably first explain what the duties of a Principal Private Secretary (PPS) were in the average Ministry.

The job of the PPS was to serve both his Minister and the Permanent Secretary of his Department, the former as his political master and the latter as his Civil Service master. In theory this presented no problem, since the Permanent Secretary himself was supposed to carry out the wishes of his Minister, regardless of what he himself believed or thought. But as this was rarely the case in practice, the PPS' situation could perhaps be said to be the best example of a balancing act - providing that it was done successfully, of course. On the one hoof, they had to comply with the demands of their Minister, but on the other they could not work against the interests of the Permanent Secretary. Not overtly, at least. Walking the tightrope of the Private Secretary involved the betrayal of confidences and trust without the other side finding out; always a difficult and sometimes downright undoable task.

Hence it has been pointed out, usually by those not intimately familiar with the system that has been in place for centuries, that simultaneously serving two sides that are usually at loggerheads is a singularly impossible task. And that may well be true, except we in the Civil Service are expected to do the impossible. Therefore, it is standard practice to assign high flyers - that is, those with great potential - to the position of PPS for a while. Those who succeed at the great balancing act are almost certainly destined for the top of the Civil Service.

Now, back to the topic of the Assistant Councillor. Although the title is vastly different from that of the PPS, at the end of the day it is widely acknowledged that in practice, the Assistant Councillor is nothing more than a higher-ranking Private Secretary. The similarities are striking; the Assistant Councillor is also beholden to the High Councillor and the Princess, who are again also often at odds. My task at the time, therefore, was to do the same balancing act as the Private Secretaries, but on a much larger and weightier scale.

Most Private Secretaries could afford to make mistakes every now and then. The post was, after all, more of a application test for a job than the actual job, so it was understandable if they erred every now and then so long as the consequences weren't too great. But for the Assistant Councillor, the stakes are raised, so much so that consequences are severe more often than not. Thus I, as the Assistant Councillor, could afford to make at most zero irreparable mistakes before I was sent away to downtown Canterlot.

Was it impossible to be perfect? Maybe. But we in the Civil Service are expected to do the impossible.

[Ed: The journal continues.]









25th December, 2013

No time at all to write yesterday. Not that there was anything particularly important, anyway. But today was worth the time to write about, partly because there are fewer royal duties in Vanhoover and partly because I feel have to get this all off my chest.

Before I set out to Vanhoover, I sent a message to my friends, telling them all about the Ahuizotl problem and asking them to meet me at the forest with their Elements. They said yes, of course - how could they not? - and so it was all settled. I felt prepared, confident, and for the first time like I'd already overcome the hardest part of the challenge even though the real thing had yet to come. So I was in pretty high spirits, and it lasted all the way until... well, until a few hours ago.

I thought I would arrive at the forest earlier than the others, seeing as I had a pegasus carriage and all. But between starting off later, being bagged down by an entourage, and the limited ceremony of my arrival, they managed to get there first. Not only get there first, but fix the entire problem, without the Elements or any soldiers. Just Daring Do's help.

I talked to them about it, and apparently they owe their success to a series of fortunate events. Stones falling on the right heads, vines growing on the floor in just the perfect pattern to trip up all of Ahuizotl's henchmen, the wind blowing nicely right into their faces to blind them while Daring Do and Rainbow removed the largest Ring of Scorcherro, et cetera. Everyone got out of it with only some minor scrapes and bruises except Fluttershy, who miraculously came out of it completely unscathed. And even more serendipitously, it seems it was a real confidence-booster for her too - she played a huge part in Staring down the henchmen who weren't incapacitated.

I'm happy for them, of course, and all of Equestria as well. Saving everypony from eight hundred years of unrelenting heat couldn't possibly be bad. But now I can't help but feel pointless. Sure, maybe I got the government moving in the end, but that didn't actually get anything done, did it? My friends were perfectly capable of resolving everything by themselves. Not to mention it isn't even me who deserves the credit for pushing Mente and the others to action; it was all Ician's idea.

So I've come up with a new hypothesis. Taking into account the history of Equestria since its formation, I couldn't help but notice the disproportionately high number of victories of the 'good guys', so to speak. In fact, almost every conflict up till now has resulted in the triumph of good. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, Chrysalis, and so on.

Another notable point? In most instances since Luna's return, the Princesses have played, at best, a passive role in the resolution of crises. Up until now it's mostly been us, the Elements of Harmony, and the power of love during the changeling invasion. It's all comparable to a storybook, really: good always wins, and the heroes save the day.

But now the Court is looking for a new WMH. So maybe my time in the limelight is up, and I have to yield the floor to the next generation. My duty now is to run the kingdom and make sure it's still around for the heroes to actually save, not to try and save it myself. The time for that is long gone, now.

Do I believe it? Normally I wouldn't. But after the past few days... I don't know anymore. All I know now is my duty: to rule Equestria. And by Celestia I'm going to get it right. No status quo or uncooperative ponies are going to keep me back. It's all fine and good for them to debate the factors at hoof, but at the end of the day I have to take everything they say with a pinch of salt, if what Ician tells me about them is true.

No matter what happens, I will make the right decision. I will, and I must. And when I do, I don't want to hear any more whining or protests. No more.

All I want to hear is a single, resounding, 'Yes, Princess.'