Canterlot Town Hall, 0 C.E.
Celestia gathered all the leaders of the nobles into the interim capital’s town hall. Following the banishment of her sister, the Everfree had overgrown the old capital and so—temporarily—all national-level administration would be done in the cramped municipal building until a new castle could be constructed. Still, comfort was the last of Celestia’s concern; with the nobles banding together and foreign interests noticing the change in Equestria’s global posture, Celestia had little time to consider such frivolous issues.
She stood at the podium on one end of the long, wooden, rectangular room; looking out at the hundred-or-so ponies now seated before her. “This assembly of nobles from across Equestria here today has been called by Us to discuss the grave circumstances which have occurred not three weeks prior in the Everfree. Paramount in this deliberation will be what this means for Us—as a nation—going forward.” She spoke with a calm and clear tone, not betraying her continued despair over her personal loss.
The nobles had created a coalition in their fear that both Princesses had perished in the two weeks they had been absent. This had been a good thing temporarily, as it had allowed Equestria to still remain a solidified nation to the Griffons and Zebras which were posturing for an invasion at any time. The problem with this ‘Federation of Nobles,’ however, was that it was only a matter of time before infighting began. They remained unified until now because many of the noble family leaders had been massacred by Nightmare Moon in Everfree Castle on the day she was banished. Their shared grief, fear and uncertainty prevented them from making any drastic action.
Celestia needed to keep it that way.
“Princess Luna has been … lastingly displaced,” Celestia confirmed which brought a collective gasp throughout the audience. “Our Night Princess was … corrupted by an as-yet-unknown magical sapience which twisted her mind into an evil mare of darkness, calling itself Nightmare Moon. This creature rampaged wantonly throughout the castle and slaying many of the ponies inhabiting thither. Many of these noble individuals were known personally by those seated here today. As many of you had likely expected, the ponies which had not made it here … will not.”
Celestia stopped for a moment of silence. “This was something that We could not abide. We used the Elements of Harmony to seal this ‘Nightmare Moon’ away in that eponymous place … because this phantasm had possessed the form of Our Princess Luna, however ... that also meant that Our sister was taken away with it. This will be an enduring banishment … but not eternal. We speculate that it will not return for one thousand years … only then will there be some chance of redemption for Our … former, Night Princess.”
After she had finished, a young noble in the back sat up, exclaiming, “What kind of answer is that! My father is dead and all you can say is that?! Where is the proof! I want the perpetrator brought here and put to justice!” Many of the nobles nodded their head.
“Enough!” Celestia cried out, instantly silencing the room. ‘Do these nobles not understand! This is my sister they are talking about!’ she thought as she looked intensely at the accuser. “What need for further proof is there?! Our sister is gone, the Thestrals—her servants—are scattered. We personally stood vigil over the graves of your father and others for two weeks before a battalion of Royal Guards-ponies finally came to investigate! Nightmare Moon was more powerful than either Princess Luna or Ourselves. If We had not defeated her, make no mistake that Equestria would have been thrown into Eternal Darkness, just as she had done with her eclipse of the Sun.”
The nobles were stunned to silence. They had known that the eclipse was some sort of sign, but that this “Nightmare Moon” had the ability to do so against the will of their all-powerful ruler gave them cause for alarm.
“We understand your grief in your hearts,” Celestia continued in a somber tone. “We all lost ponies dear to us that day, but the needs of the many outweigh the those of the few. This government must stand strong, especially in this time of great peril. With the Everfree now a lost cause and the Griffon and Zebra forces on our borders, such mindless feuds will only result in the collapse of this nation!” She slammed a forehoof on the podium in front of her to emphasize her point.
None of the nobles could respond immediately, however, a certain General spoke up from the back.“What of these rebellions?” Halberd asked. “What are we doing to stifle them?”
Celestia nodded in appreciation. ‘Thank Harmony at least somepony can ask constructive questions,’ she thought. She answered, “We will stamp them out personally. We will travel to each: hold, village and city in unrest and quell their anger. Equestria, unfortunately, does not have the troops nor the time to adequately do so otherwise.”
Another noble stood up, this one she noticed immediately as the new Archduke, Redblood. He had changed his name when he learned that he had lost his father and all his siblings in the massacre. His family, formerly the Brows, were still prominent, as he was the only noble to assert his position during the crisis, giving him a significant edge. Celestia noted that of all the ponies, he likely had the greatest grudge and the greatest influence. “Might I remind this assembly, that this ‘quelling of anger’ would not have been necessary had Our Princess returned and given orders to our esteemed General Halberd? Two weeks she ‘kept vigil,’ but in reality what was needed was order and stability! We did not know of even the most vague details for an entire week!”
Another noble stood up, one who had not lost anypony during the assault. “What hypocrisy is this?! You yourself disappeared for a week, and you did not even do battle with a mouse yet along a Princess! To blame the recovery of Our Princess in such a way is tantamount to treason!”
“I need not listen to such Ad Hominem,” he waved off with a forehood. “The argument stands. I do not hold it against Our Princess, but this only proves that—despite her perfection—measures should be put in place! Should the Princess be unavailable to rule, this nation still needs government and order! This is only more imperative now that only one Princess rules.”
Celestia watched on silently, unable to retort. She was seething in anger and she noticed that several of the members in the front row were beginning to sweat from the heat she radiated. Still, what could she say? She had been away. Equestria had been put in jeopardy. She didn’t have any leverage to make; the nobles would have to be appeased or she would be unable to make any headway with reconstruction and reorganization. Many of the nobles were already jealous and angry with their families weakened by this tragedy.
Concessions would have to be made.
“What do you propose … Redblood?” Celestia asked, still uncomfortable with the new name.
“A legislature,” Redblood replied simply. “An assembly like this one where the nobles meet to discuss civil and political issues. We, of course, would have no political power while you reign, but we could give council and—should Your Highness find herself in a position that limits her abilities to rule—it provides a safe means from which power can be transferred, either temporarily or permanently. In this way, power would not be usurped, but the events of two weeks prior would not have been cause for such fear and rash action.”
Celestia was shocked. High Brow, Redblood’s father, had never been so insightful, nor had he ever thought so far ahead. ‘I have no reason to deny such a price,’ Celestia grimaced. ‘Forsooth. My power is maintained, I save face for my failure, and yet Redblood and the nobles would be able to consolidate their power and keep their positions with little fear of reprisal. It is a win-win … still, there is one concern.’
“That sounds like a brilliant and well thought out plan, Redblood,” Celestia replied, feeding his ego slightly. Most of the nobles—even the one which had accused him of hypocrisy earlier—nodded in agreement. “There is one issue, however,” Celestia added, which quickly wiped the grin off of Redblood’s face.
“What could that be, Your Majesty?” he asked hesitantly.
“A noble council will, indeed, be able to govern the country should the unexpected occur. However, I fear that an oligarchical council such as this can only function if it is adequately representative of the nation.”
“I concur, Your Highness,” he said proudly. “It must consist of representatives from all the houses ... in proportion of the ponies under them, of course.”
‘And there is the rub,’ Celestia mused. ‘With most of the ponies under his direct supervision, he would greatly increase his power should I fall. To put myself in such a dangerous position … especially with his grudge; only my dominion of the Sun and Moon would shield me from his significant gains should I find myself facing … an untimely demise. No, I know what you are planning Redblood, and I will not allow it to work!’
“That is not what I mean, Redblood,” Celestia smiled. “A council of nobles could only serve noble interest. What is needed in an effective oligarchy is a council of nobles, along with elected civil servants and professionals capable of representing the wider spheres of common and industrial concerns.”
Celestia smirked slightly, ‘That look on of rage on the face of the Archduke is priceless,’ she thought.
Redblood was fuming. “W-what are you saying Your Highness! Are you genuinely implying that we of the nobility do not appreciate the interests of the pony below us?!”
‘It is because you think of their interests as ‘below you’ that you do not you foal ...’ Celestia sighed to herself.
“Of course you appreciate them,” she lied, “but what is needed is ponies that know them. Tell me, what is a chief concern in the blacksmithing industry today?”
The nobles looked to their neighbors, some were muttering to each other. For several minutes they discussed, occasionally speaking up, only to provide an incorrect or even an outrageous answer. ‘Wherefore do these nobles think paint could even be considered a blacksmithing concern,’ Celestia groaned at one of the answers.
However, it was a rough looking stallion in the back that answered, looking just about fed-up at the comedy playing before him, “O’ fer Celestia’s sake, the fuel! The coal we blacksmith’s ‘ave ta purchase since ya banned the burnin’ o’ wood fer charcoal is so doggone awful it takes twice as long and twice as much ta make the same piece o’ metal! It ‘as been runnin’ the lot o’ us outta business!”
Celestia smiled, “What that stallion said is absolutely correct. Indeed, this is not only a concern, but the concern facing blacksmithing today. For the past ten years, the Diarch- …” Celestia frowned in silence for a moment but continued, “The government has been working closely with the preeminent alchemists of this nation in order to find an alternative fuel for the charcoal which had caused widespread deforestation from its collection. The coal from Equestrian mines, however, contains excessive amounts of brimstone which-”
“What!” Redblood yelled slamming a forehoof to the wood floor. “Are you seriously saying that because we rightly do not know about some stupid coal, we cannot govern?!”.
“No,” Celestia replied with no lack of annoyance in her voice. “It is because of your pride and your ignorance that you cannot. If even one of the nobles present hither had the forethought to delegate this dilemma to one of the commoners in the audience, We might have reconsidered ... but you could not even inconvenience yourselves for a simple question! The fact that those assembled here are collectively oblivious to such a vital concern to this nation is, quite sincerely, appalling.”
Redblood snarled, “I request, respectively, for you to reconsider!”
She then backed away slightly from the podium before tapping it intently with her forehoof like a gavel. “We will grant your request with Our caveat, as intended. You have said nothing to sway Our opinion in this regard. It is an excellent idea and, with confidence, such issues of governance will not affirm themselves henceforth. We see no problems; the nobles are poised, hence, solely to gain.”
The amassed nobles were now split. Several looked at one another in shame, while others seemed to be doing their best to try and ignore the proceedings altogether, while a few—such as Redblood—were seething in rage.
“Mark my words Celestia!” he cried as he and his compatriots stormed out of the hall. “You will regret this decision! When the plebs take over this sacred institution, you will find that we nobles will not be around to save you!”
The Canterlot Archives, 981 C.E.
Celestia woke up startled, although she didn't remember enough of the dream to know why.
She was seated in the archives at a small desk; deep in the heart of Canterlot Castle. Research here was one of the few privileges Celestia had anymore and she used it often. A large stack of books detailing the statistical information of Equestrian demographics, births and other traits as well as several larger books on Cutie Marks, history and political philosophy lay scattered before her.
She had spent the whole night researching what she had learned from the Tree of Harmony’s prophecies. Specifically regarding these six “Bearers of Harmony,” it was extremely unlikely that she would be able to find them on her own, as she had surmised. Over four thousand ponies were born in Equestria on any given day, just as many would get their Cutie Marks.
The records of the Cutie Mark Registry were only logged at the parent’s earliest convenience and so might be upwards of a month away from the time when the foal actually received their mark. Furthermore, the records didn’t list the cause of that mark. For Celestia to visit hundreds of thousands of foals and question them individually simply be far far too impractical without help.
Fortunately, births were recorded to the minute so she would be able to find maybe a dozen foals that were born the exact moment the star had stopped in the sky. She wouldn’t have any way of differentiating them, but she would pay careful attention to these ponies in the future. She was especially shocked to see the daughter of her close friend, Flora Lulamoon, was on the list.
She felt a tingling sensation and turned to see that her secretary, Fine Quill, had just walked in. The tingling had come from her sensing Quill’s magic, the pale blue glow illuminating the darkened section of the library Celestia was in. Upon seeing each other, Quill extinguished the flame, instead pulling out a schedule seemingly from nowhere. “There you are Princess!” she exclaimed. “You had me worried, I was looking for you everywhere!”
“I am sure you did,” Celestia groaned, still drowsy and aching from sleeping on a hard wooden chair for the night.
“Don’t you know what time it is?! The Sun should have been up fifteen minutes ago! Not only that, but even if you spend only half your usual time eating and grooming, you will still be late for your first appointment!”
Celestia went wide-eyed for a moment, as she confirmed it was, in fact, seven am. Immediately, she went about starting the celestial motions and ensuring that the Sun was at its proper height in the sky. With that taken care of, she got out of the chair and tested her range of motion, groaning, and occasionally letting out a sickening-yet-satisfying crack of her wings and spine. The white unicorn mare beckoned her to follow her back to Celestia’s bedroom and Celestia complied.
“Cancel my nine o’clock with Professor Bulb, I’ll have to reschedule,” Celestia said as she walked. She thought about how she would have to reschedule this week after this sudden development. “Also, I’ll need an extra two hours a day for the foreseeable future to talk to some of my various contacts regarding … a new development. I’ll have to ask that you reschedule as many of my current appointments as possible.”
Fine Quill didn’t bother to ask what this “new development” was, but instead nodded curtly. Still, it was apparent that she was gritting her teeth slightly at the sudden work. “Will these two hour slots need to be at the same time each day, Your Highness?” she asked passive-aggressively.
Celestia gave her a sympathetic look but replied, “Just this week, immediately after my volunteer work. After that, so long as you let me know, those two hours can be can be anywhere in the schedule.”
“Right …,” Quill replied with a slight groan.
“While I’m getting ready with all this, could you wire the Minister of Education and book a meeting with me this morning? Also, I’ll need to spend time at the General Registrars Building for some … statistical affairs I would like addressed.”
“That would likely cut into all of your appointments this morning, should I move those as well?” the unicorn asked as they arrived in front of the Royal Bedchambers.
“Yes, I would like to get this done as soon as possible,” Celestia replied as she entered the bathroom.
“What should I tell the Education Minister the meeting is about?” Quill said, her voice now muffled by the closed bathroom door.
“Tell her ‘If she doesn’t come, I’ll tell her mother!’ ” Celestia giggled.
Summer Orange—Minister of Education for the Equestrian United Federation—came into Celestia’s study punctually at nine o’clock. She was an earth pony with a pale orange coat and a darker orange mane tied elegantly into a bun. She wore a simple black business suit with a blue tie that matched her eyes and an ornate gold necklace which hinted at the extravagant wealth she had accrued from years in the social circles of Manehattan. They were really the crème de la crème of Manehattan; new money developed from their parents joining businesses and sweeping the orange market. Luckily for Celestia, she had noticed this early on and had “invested” with her business contacts. Even now—as the Oranges moved out of business and into politics—they still kept close ties.
“You know,” Summer Orange said in a distinctly upper class way, “it is quite contemptuous of you to treat a good friend this way, you know what my mother would say if I denied such a sojourn from our most royal benefactor.”
Celestia giggled, “Well I know how busy you are, I felt that if I had not done so, you would not have come!”
“Oh please, you sell yourself far too short Your Highness,” Summer guffawed. “Still, I would like to make it to the Legislature at eleven … it is quite a chore being a new ministry.” She frowned in mock displeasure. “I have to be my own secretary and address the house, can you imagine! Copper, the Treasury Minister never has to deal with the legislature!”
“Still, it cannot be worse than the cabinet,” Celestia quipped.
“Oh goodness no!” Summer laughed. “I would take a hundred sittings of the house over just one cabinet meeting any day!”
Celestia grinned, “I might take you up on that offer.”
Summer Orange then frowned, completely removing the air of sarcasm in their discussion. “I really do wish there was something I could do. For the government to just take away your position on the cabinet? I was not in the cabinet at the time, of course, but from what I have heard from the older members, it was far more productive then it is now … not like it could get less productive now … even when the position was only ceremonial.”
Celestia smiled warmly. “That obviously was not your fault. You know how the republicans are about special privileges. I’m lucky I still have my library card!” Celestia giggled.
Summer didn’t grin. “That is not really the point though. Even I agree that there should not be undeserved privileges, but if anypony deserves a special place in this country, it is you! You never have personal promotion on your mind, and if you ever had a motto, it would be ‘Equestria First!’ I just cannot bear to see you put in such a diminished position when you have so much talent to bring to the benefit of this nation.”
‘It is good to know I at least have some friends left in the government,’ Celestia mused. “That brings me to the point of this little visit,” Celestia replied, her tone becoming a little more authoritative. “The fact is, there has been a prophecy.”
Summer didn’t roll her eyes at this, but rather her face turned dead-serious. Prophecies were serious business in the magical world. There was an entire branch of Thaumaturgy and well over one hundred unicorns in various academic institutions with government funding dedicated to it. ‘If there is only one thing absolutely certain about prophecy,’ Summer thought, ‘it is that the stronger the magic user, the more important the prophecy … and Celestia is the strongest practitioner of magic there is!’
Without any interruption from Summer, Celestia decided to continue. “It seems that there will be need of the Elements of Harmony to defeat a new evil in the near future. It has been prophesied that six mares will wield them, six mares alive somewhere in Equestria.”
“The Elements of Harmony? Those are ancient artifacts of great power if I remember my history.”
“Yes,” Celestia replied. “It had often proved vital in removing the ancient evils that plagued Equestria in the past. I can personally attest that the evil that will threaten Equestria soon will be a similar threat.”
”Surely there is more to these ‘bearers’ than that!” Summer gasped. “We must find these ponies!”
“That is the rub,” Celestia sighed. “The truth is, the prophecy only mentioned that the six will get their marks all at the same time due to some ‘rainbow event’. That means that finding them will rely on the Cutie Mark Registry.”
Summer groaned. “Oh goodness gracious! If there ever was a bureaucracy in the Federation, the General Registrar’s Office would have to be it. Still, I am not at all familiar with the details of how the CMR works, what needs to be done?”
“Well, giving your approval would help, I would imagine. Just say I am helping you out with Cutie Marks and their effects on education.”
“I’ll get it done. To be completely fair, I have had many petitioners from the academic community for more funding into alternative teaching styles and education reform. I suppose now is as good of a time as any to give them a bone.”
“Excellent! To be honest, from what I’ve seen the CMR needs a bit of modernizing. There is currently no description on how the marks are found or even an accurate drawing of what they look like! Of all the things that have been better since I founded the Federation, I would not have thought something as simple as that would get worse.”
Summer grinned and sat back a little, looking a little less posh than before. “Well, you know how it is, anything the government touches turns to manure faster than grass in a grazing cow … if you pardon the slang.”
Celestia didn’t smile at that. “It is more than a little distressing to hear that, from a Minister no less.”
Summer shrugged, “I’m just repeating the rhetoric of my party. It’s all about ‘small government’ and ‘deregulation’ now. Despite that, though, why can’t you simply ask the rest of the politicians about this. I doubt they would simply brush off a prophecy from you.”
Celestia sighed. “It isn’t so much that I fear they will not believe me—which I am not confident they will since prophecies come notoriously without proof—but rather that they will believe me. I fear what they might do once they find the bearers. They might remove their rights and make them into some sort of weapon. I might … consider that, if it was for the good of Equestria, but the key to the Elements function is that the ponies are in harmony and so they, at the very least, would need to be friends with eachother. That’s something that can’t be manufactured.”
Summer groaned in response. “You’re right, as usual. If there is one thing you won’t find in politics, it is friendship.” She looked at her watch on her forehoof. “Well as much as I would like to keep this up, I need to prepare for the sitting. You will be there, of course?”
Celestia smirked, “They would not start without me!”
With a letter of approval from Summer Orange in hoof, Celestia made her way to the last building any pony wants to enter. Indeed, ponies might even wish their enemies to “Go to the General Registrar’s Office!” as a far worse alternative to Tartarus. The reason for its reputation was simple: every legal document in Equestria had to have a copy in the GRO. This meant that every individual, corporation or government, public or private, foreign or domestic had to have some method of both collecting and depositing their legal papers. It was a bureaucrat's dream and a civil nightmare.
Even the building itself screamed “bureaucracy”. It was an enormous, grey, concrete cube with small simple metal windows strewn uniformly throughout. Simple columns also supported the base where larger windows illuminated the first and second floors, giving the building some semblance of character. This hope of individuality was crushed, however, by the dead looks the ponies inside carried. Many sat in the small waiting area on the metal and plastic chairs that had been provided, waiting for their number so that they could, hopefully, quickly leave and get back to their normal life. Despite the look of dread on these ponies, the worst looks came from the employees themselves. All the joy and fun in life seemed to have been sucked out of them, leaving them with only bitter resentment … if they even had any emotion left at all.
It was here that Celestia found herself. While the ponies in the waiting area seemed shocked, and in some cases happy, to see her; for the employees, such a description couldn’t be further from the truth as Celestia stepped towards one of the receptionists at the desk.
“Name?” the green pegasus mare asked in a startlingly somber monotone.
“Celestia Sol Invictus,” she replied handing the receptionist her diplomatic passport. “Princess of Equestria.”
The receptionist didn’t bat an eye, instead writing the information on a small card that was then placed in a small cabinet out of sight. “Please take a number.”
Celestia tore one of the small numbered strips of paper from the machine next at the end of the row of desks and took a seat in the waiting area. Several of the ponies there just sat in awe, but nopony dared talk to her. ‘Just once, I would like to have a simple, pleasant, conversation,’ Celestia thought, sighing. ‘One would think that after having most of my political power taken by the democratic process, I would be more approachable.’
Only twenty minutes passed before her number was called. It was unfortunate, but often a pony would see the receptionist for only a minute before being turned back because their affairs weren’t in order. Many have to come eight or more times to get a single thing accomplished due to the incredibly strict rules on paper and form types and in which order requests can be given. This made the process unbearable for most, but fast and efficient.
Celestia approached the open booth where an elderly yellow earth pony mare sat. Unlike the receptionist, however, her eyes were like fire. She enjoyed the bureaucratic process. “Name?” she asked in as neutral a monotone as could be made.
Like with the receptionist, Celestia handed her passport over and said her name.
“What is the request the petitioner wants to make?” the mare asked, not looking up at the Princess.
Celestia, luckily, had an upper hoof in bureaucratic matters. She wrote the book on bureaucracy. It had first been a game she played in the court to bypass several of the arbitrary rules the nobles had designed to keep her out of their affairs, but it turned out that strictly codifying every procedure done in government did have its uses in ensuring proper regulation was followed. Under normal circumstances, making strange requests like access to documents outside your regulatory power would be impossible to accomplish … for a normal pony, but it was these same strict guidelines that made it possible for a pony with the knowhow to bypass substantial red-tape, even if it meant not following the intent of policy.
“The petitioner requests access to the birth records of ponies born 9:18pm, two days prior to today. I have a B402.1.4-32 Type C form signed by the Minister of Education giving express permission in releasing this information as possible candidates for academic scholarships as per the regulations put forth by the ‘Scholastic Support Strategy of 944 C.E.’ “ Celestia handed the mare the form she had Summer sign. Celestia had, ironically, been against the SSS for this very reason. It offered little in the way of privacy if an educational representative wanted access to your personal information and the representative didn’t need to justify asking for it.
The mare looked over the form. “This also requires counter-authorization by third party government employee using form B402.2.8-13A.”
“Right, of course, here you go,” Celestia replied cheerfully, giving another piece of paper she herself had signed.
Normally this couldn’t be done, but Celestia wasn’t normal; in fact under the law, she was technically two individuals in Equestria, the “Princess” and the “Citizen”. This came from the fact that Celestia had several of her rights as a citizen restricted as a Princess. The main cause of this was in 688 C.E. when her dissention at government policy swayed public opinion of the government so badly that it had caused a democratic election. The government was rocked to its core. The new representatives quickly realized that she could technically control government policy indirectly through the her support. In fear, they had hastily limited her freedom of speech on political issues. Since this would have caused Celestia to be either deemed “less than a citizen” or would have caused all citizens to be given this restriction—as part of recent equality laws at the time—lawmakers had to make her two different ponies. While the “citizen” Celestia could make political allegations, the “Princess” Celestia could not.
Celestia would be the first to agree: politics can be almost pointlessly arbitrary and cumbersome sometimes.
Still, in this particular circumstance, it proved useful. Only a few minutes later, the mare had cross-checked the records she approved of the request. This was Celestia’s least favorite part of the bureaucracy; no matter how arbitrary or silly the past governments’ policies were, they would always follow them. It would have been humorous if it wasn’t so sad. “Is there anything else you would like to request?” the elderly mare asked.
“The petitioner would also wish to make a request to be given ‘reviewer status’ of statistical information in the Cutie Mark Registry as per the ‘National Records Act of 892 C.E.,’ ” Celestia replied, somewhat hesitantly. Unlike the birth records, there were very few guidelines around the Cutie Mark registry so it would be much harder to access. Since Cutie Marks happened much later in life, they weren’t used as identification except for expatriates since birth certificates were much more reliable. As such, the CMR was a strictly statistical repository.
“The Cutie Mark Registry no longer provides ‘reviewer status’ for statistical analysis under the auspices of the ‘Records Act’ due to due to its revision in 971 C.E. The only way to view those documents is for you to be given direct approval from the Chief Registrar.”
‘This mare knows her stuff,’ Celestia thought. ‘It’s just as well. Even with access to the records, I wouldn’t be able to do anything until the bearers earn their Cutie Marks. There will be other opportunities.’ Celestia nodded. “Alright, that will be all then.”
“Fine,” she replied before stamping a card and giving it to her. “The certificates will be available to you in room 133B, give that to the pony at the door. Next!”
Celestia took the card, walked down the hall to the room, gave it to the pony at the door and sat at the small desk. It took about five minutes, but she was eventually given a small manila envelope which contained four pieces of paper, each representing a foal born. ‘Huh,’ Celestia thought, ‘I wasn’t sure what to expect, but to think that every minute around four foals are born ...’
These four foals were: the pegasus colt Free Wind of Manehatten, the earth pony colt Dust Cloud of Dodge Junction, and the two unicorns fillies Twilight Sparkle and Beatrix Lulamoon of Canterlot. The Lulamoons had always remained loyal to her, even in the modern political climate. ‘To think that Flora Lulamoon’s newborn daughter would be related to this …,’ she thought while writing down the names and addresses on a piece of paper. ‘I guess I will have to visit Flora’s orphanage as soon as possible now. I had thought to do so in a month, but there’s no sense delaying if I can avoid it.’
She gave the envelope to the pony at the door and left the building. It was 10:30am now and she would have to rush in order to make it to the legislature for the Sitting of the Equestrian House of Commons by eleven. If she was lucky, her little political maneuvering would slip right under their noses.