“Blueblood? Blueblood?”
Blueblood jerked awake. Twilight was frowning at him. With a yawn, Blueblood stretched and sat up in his seat. “Are we at Ponyville yet?” he asked.
“Almost. There’s just enough time for me to ask about what happened earlier. With Rainbow Dash and the sword.”
Blueblood’s face sank. “I’m sorry,” he said. “All I can say is that my coronation stirred up some old wounds and I’m still a bit sensitive.”
“Rainbow Dash mentioned that,” Twilight told him. “And I know that you’re still sensitive about your parents. But I’m still concerned about what’s going to happen now.”
Blueblood looked out the window. “I think I’ve adjusted.”
“Which explains Rainbow Dash’s wing.”
Blueblood whipped around, mouth open. Then he stopped and shut it again. “In any case, I’m taking a vacation.”
Twilight’s frown lessened. “That sounds like a plan. Where’d you have in mind?”
<<***>>
Rainbow Dash paced up and down the train car. The train had just entered the Ponyville city limits. Dash looked over at Pinkie Pie, who was holding a large, wooden cuckoo clock. Despite the train’s early start, the sudden arrival of two passengers had caused the train to stop for several minutes while the conductor tried to figure out what was going on. Combined with her sudden lack of fly-ability, that meant that Rainbow Dash was dangerously at risk of being caught late for her job.
Finally, the train started to slow down. Rainbow Dash bolted for the door. As the train pulled into the station, Rainbow Dash flicked the sweat from her brow. Finally, the train stopped. The doors opened and Rainbow dashed out onto the platform. She spun around and sped down the stairs.
“Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt. Mayor Mare was in the road glaring at her. “Uhh…” Rainbow Dash straightened up with a nervous grin plastered over her face. “Hi, there, ma’am! Fancy seeing you here! What’cha doin’?”
The mayor’s frown deepened. “I’m going to lunch. You are supposed to be at work by now.”
“Train was late, ma’am! I’m headed to the office right now! See ya’ later!” Rainbow Dash turned and ran down the road.
“Hold on!”
Rainbow Dash stopped and let Mayor Mare walk up to her. “You’re not flying,” Mayor Mare noted. “Am I right in guessing that’s because of something you did at the Gala?”
“Uhh, no! I just-“
“That was my fault.”
The two mares looked back at the train station. Blueblood was walking down the steps, smiling despite the bloody tissue in his nostrils. “I invited her to fence with me and I got a bit carried away. No serious injuries, just a bad bruise, and she knocked some sense into me. Not like this,” he pointed to his nose. “But she did set me straight. You know what it’s like in the zone, don’t you, Wild Mare?”
Mayor Mare stared at Blueblood for a moment. Then she smiled. “Well, they didn’t call you ‘Black-and-Blueblood’ for nothing.” She laughed. “Remember that game against Amora Prep?”
Blueblood chuckled. “Of course. It’s hard to forget knocking somepony backwards with a dodgeball.”
Rainbow Dash started. “Wait, what?”
“He was fine,” Blueblood told her, “though he was pretty shocked. And I did start that whole thing.”
“No, you just gave as good as you got,” Mayor Mare said. “Blueblood, it’s great to see you again! It’s been too long. What’s been going on in your life?”
“Way too much for me to describe here,” Blueblood said. “Thankfully, I’m on vacation right now.”
Mayor Mare beamed. “Fantastic! Come and join me for lunch!”
Blueblood bowed. “I’d be delighted to.”
Mayor Mare and Blueblood walked off. Rainbow Dash just stared after them.
“Don’t you have work to do, Rainbow Dash?”
Dash leapt in the air, then sped down the street.
<<***>>
As soon as Rainbow Dash entered her office at City Hall, she pulled out a box of forms and wrote. Occasionally she’d talk to one of her subordinates, but the prevalent sound in her office was the scratching of a quill. This continued well past closing time, as Rainbow Dash filled out weather reports, cloud order forms, and signed off on anything that looked even remotely close to being overdue. Finally, after twenty minutes on a cot, Rainbow Dash placed a set of forms in a folder and walked out to the mayor’s office.
As soon as she got to the hall it was in, Rainbow Dash heard voices. Slowly, she got closer. She could hear laughter, rolling-on-the-floor laughter. That never happened in that office. Finally, Rainbow Dash knocked on the door.
“Come in!”
Rainbow Dash did so. Mayor Mare was behind her desk, positively beaming. Sitting in front of the desk was a gold earth stallion with a scalpel cutie mark. Rainbow Dash couldn’t place him. Sitting next to him, however, was Blueblood, still shaking in his chair. “Ah, Rainbow Dash,” Mayor Mare said. “What did you need?”
Rainbow Dash walked in. “I’ve got those reports you wanted,” she said, dropping the folder into her box. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, just catching up with a friend,” Mayor Mare said. “Blueblood you know. I don’t know if you remember him, but this is Surgical Precision.”
Precision stood up and offered his hoof. “I’m Ponyville’s representative in the Assembly.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Dash shook his hoof after a brief pause. “Pleased to meet you.”
Precision ignored the lack of enthusiasm and turned to Blueblood. “So how long’d it take to unclog everything?”
“That’s the best part,” Blueblood said. “There was no clog. My cohorts and I set up a series of plug charms and timed them to fade away after a few days. We even set up janitorial spells to keep the floors clean.”
“That was nice of you,” Precision noted.
“So, you guys know each other?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Oh, yes,” Mayor Mare said. “We actually served on the dodgeball team together in high school.”
“I just met him a few months ago, when he was still just occasional Viceroy,” Precision said. “The House of Lords sent me all over Congress. I was tired and embarrassed, and Blueblood just helped me set myself up. He even got revenge for me.”
“Not revenge,” Blueblood said. “I just made it clear to them that their actions have consequences.”
“Ah, I’d probably better get to work,” Mayor Mare said, looking at the clock on her wall. “Well, Blueblood, I hope I can see more of you in the next two weeks.”
Blueblood smiled. “Count on it.”
“So,” Rainbow Dash said, “is there-“
“Oh, no, Rainbow Dash,” Mayor Mare said, “you’re all caught up. Just go ahead and enjoy your day off.”
“OK, thanks.”
Dash, Blueblood, and Precision left the room. “Did you sleep well last night?” Blueblood asked Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash yawned. “Huh? Oh, nah. I pulled an all-nighter. Again. I really can’t wait to get home and go to bed.”
“Oh.” Blueblood seemed a little disappointed.
Rainbow Dash looked at him. “What’s up?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to have breakfast with me. Tell me about the town, things like that.”
Rainbow Dash smiled. “Sure, I’ve got enough juice for that.”
<<***>>
“This is actually very nice.”
Rainbow Dash looked up at Blueblood from her poached egg. “Well, yeah,” she said. “I wouldn’t show you a place that stunk.”
Blueblood put his hoof up. “I didn’t mean to come off as snobby,” he said. “It’s just that I’m used to fine dining and this… I’ll be quiet.” Blueblood took a bite of his Prench toast. “I see you’re an egg-eater.”
“Yep,” Dash said. “An old friend introduced me to them. A griffon.”
Blueblood hmmed. “Your friend has good taste.”
Rainbow Dash frowned. “Yeah, she did once.”
Blueblood looked at her, but Dash didn’t elaborate. “So,” Blueblood said, “how’s your wing doing?”
Rainbow Dash perked up a little. “Oh, it’s fine. Just needed a little time to recover.”
Blueblood nodded. “Good.”
The two kept eating. After a few seconds, though, Rainbow Dash felt the silence become awkward. She looked up and noticed Blueblood’s mouth opening and closing. “Something on your mind?” she asked.
Blueblood frowned. “Well, I said I owe you an explanation-“
“If you don’t want to, it’s OK.”
“Well, I still-“
Rainbow Dash put her hoof in Blueblood’s. “Hey. You don’t owe me anything. You made sure I was alright. You got me to work on time. You’re even buying me break…”
Rainbow Dash looked down. Then she took her hoof off of Blueblood’s. “It’s OK,” she said.
“I just don’t want you to think I’m the type of pony that does this all the time.”
“I believe ya’,” Dash said. “Twilight believes you; that’s good enough for me. Frankly, I’m more curious about why you’re not an alicorn if you’re a pri… wait, is that a sensitive question?”
Blueblood was frowning a little. “Not really. It’s just a little irritating, and I’ve mostly gotten over that. It all started several weeks ago…”
<<***>>
Celestia looked up from her desk as the door opened. “I thought you’d want some support,” Blueblood said.
Celestia nodded. “That’d be wonderful. Thank you.”
Blueblood walked over to his usual seat: a simple chair at the side of the desk. He magically poured himself a glass of ice water. “How many times does this make?” Blueblood asked.
Celestia shrugged. “I haven’t been counting, but I probably could.” She sat back and groaned. “Sometimes, it seems like I have to deal with the same things every generation. I wouldn’t mind doing it so much if I-”
The door opened again. In came the three Speakers of each chamber of Congress: a brown earth stallion from the Assembly, a pink pegasus mare from the Senate, and a yellow unicorn mare from the House of Lords with blue eyes and an unpleasant smirk. When they had entered the study, they bowed to Celestia. “Your highness,” Kelliset said, “have you considered our proposal?”
Celestia lifted the papers on her desk with her magic. “I have, and I wanted to address my chief grievance with it before I vetoed it.”
Kelliset’s smirk remained undimmed, and the Speakers sat in the three chairs on the other side of the desk from Celestia. “I haven’t seen you in a while,” Blueblood said. “Did you enjoy my valentine for you?”
“The guard he came with actually let me keep him,” Kelliset said easily. “That skunk was a perfect gentlecolt.” She turned back to Celestia. “You had grievances with the bill?”
“Just the one,” Celestia continued. “Most of these clauses are sound. In fact, most of them, such as farmer’s aid and increased funding for Yakyakistan border guards, are things that the Assembly and the Senate have wanted for some time. That is, I imagine, why my biggest problem with this bill was approved.” Celestia turned to a certain page. On it was a set of paragraphs that had been circled in red ink. “I understand you want to create another princess,” Celestia said. “Would you care to explain why?”
Kelliset spoke. “Your highness, there is no denying your heart is in the right place,” she said, “but after recent events, including the Changeling Invasion and the return of Nightmare Moon, many of the members of Congress are concerned about your position as sole monarch.”
“Yes, I imagine the House is concerned about that,” Blueblood said, taking a sip of water.
Kelliset smiled sweetly at Blueblood. “You are mistaken, your grace,” she said. “There’s been support for this measure throughout all three chambers for months now. She turned back to Celestia. “They are not demanding your abdication, your highness. They only want assurance that, should something happen to you, the people will be protected. Even though you claim that there are others to stop you, these are alicorns who are under your influence, either through blood or through your tutelage. All we ask is our own voice.”
Celestia nodded. “I know they are, and that’s quite a reasonable request.”
“Except for the one making it,” Blueblood grumbled.
“Your highness,” Kelliset continued, “you can see that I don’t benefit from this measure. It says here in section XII, paragraph 2, that this princess is to be elected by two-thirds of Congress and approved by you. Paragraph five states that she can be removed from office by two-thirds vote.”
“After three months,” Blueblood pointed out. “That’s plenty of time for corruption and catastrophe, especially caused by somepony who is required to have already served in Congress.”
“My sentiments exactly,” Celestia said. “Therefore, this bill is going to be vetoed until such time as is proper.”
“I would advise you reconsider,” Kelliset said. “We already have the two-thirds vote required to override your veto, so you might as well sign.”
Celestia glared at Kelliset, then over to the other Speakers. “She speaks for both of you?” she asked.
The two ponies nodded, careful to look away from the Princess.
“I see.” Celestia sighed. “Very well.” She drew out a seal and a vial full of hot, golden wax. She poured the wax over the paper, then stamped her seal onto it. “You all have what you wanted, and I order that it be done with all haste.”
Blueblood glared at the three Speakers. “You can go now.”
Kelliset nodded. “Very well.” She moved to get up, but stopped. “Oh, since I’m here…” Kelliset produced from a coat pocket a piece of paper, which she laid on Celestia’s desk. “Here is the list of candidates approved by Congress. As a reminder, you get a whole week to make your decision.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Princess Celestia said, looking up from the paper. “I choose Viceroy Blueblood!”
There was a loud crash as Blueblood dropped his glass. Kelliset’s smile vanished and all of the ponies stared at Celestia. “I’m sorry?” Kelliset said.
Blueblood mopped up the water dripping from his mouth and turned to the three Speakers. “My aunt is very tired,” he said. “If you-“
“No, your aunt is thinking perfectly clearly,” Celestia said. “All of the ponies on this list are repulsive, and I reject them utterly. Therefore, I name a replacement: Blueblood, my Viceroy.” She turned to the other speakers. “He would receive the required two-thirds of support, would he not?”
The Speakers for the Assembly and the Senate instantly nodded. “Absolutely,” said the Speaker of the Senate.
“Your highness,” Kelliset protested, “the Viceroy gives the Hearths Warming Speech! Nothing else!”
“Is he not a member of Congress?” Celestia asked. “That distinction was not made in the bill. Of course, you’re perfectly free to take the matter up with the Supreme Court. Until then, we have nothing more to talk about on the matter.”
Kelliset scowled at Celestia, but bowed. “As you wish,” she snarled. She and the other Speakers rose and left the room.
As soon as the door closed, Blueblood scowled at Celestia. “What did you do that for?” he asked.
Celestia’s face softened. “I need your help,” she said. “I don’t trust this bill and I don’t like the possible reasons it was given to me. Kelliset’s never been anywhere close to supporting something like this before, and I doubt she would change that stance this quickly. I’m conducting an investigation, but I need time. You’re the pony I trust the most with this, and I need you in that spot. It’ll be little different from what you normally do.”
“It’ll be every bit different!” Blueblood snapped. “Before, I was just the court jester! Now I’m a prince! You think this isn’t going to stir things up just a little more for me than what I normally do?”
“I need you,” Celestia repeated. “I’m afraid that something foul is going on.”
Blueblood glared at her for a long time. Celestia looked gently back at him. Finally, Blueblood sighed. “I’ll do it.”
“Thank you.”
<<***>>
“Ah,” Rainbow Dash said. “I should really start reading the actual news more often.”
“You probably wouldn’t see it. They’re covering up their great embarrassing attempt to usurp the Princesses extremely well.” Blueblood frowned into his coffee. “However, those names on the list still didn’t like getting passed up for princehood, and they started riling up high society. In the past, they were nasty, but they let it go after a while. Now, however, they’re utterly relentless.” He put his head in his hooves. “If I’m not in the tabloids for every little thing, I’m getting letters reminding me of what my parents did when I was a teenager. I fought back for a few weeks, but I just got tired of it after a while, and you know how I started to slip up.” He straightened up. “I’m honestly tempted to abdicate.”
Blueblood lay his head down with a sigh and looked out the window. Rainbow Dash frowned. She reached out a hoof, but stopped just shy of touching him and drew it back. Then she smiled.
“You’re a prince, right?”
Blueblood looked up at her. “Yes?” he said.
“And what do princes get to do?”
Blueblood sat up. “You already have their attention,” Rainbow Dash said. “Might as well enjoy it.”
Blueblood looked into her eyes for several moments silently. Then, however, he smirked. “Got any ideas?”
The two ponies got up from the table and walked to the door, a stack of bits on the table. “Give me a day, your highness: I’ll make you proud.”
“Blueblood?”
As the two left, Fluttershy came up to join them, a long, spotted, furry thing wrapped around her neck. Blueblood smiled at her. “Fluttershy!” he said. “Is that a Slithering Civet?”
“Oh, yes!”
Fluttershy put up a hoof and the furry thing slithered onto it. It had a cat-like head, big eyes, and extremely tiny legs. When it saw Blueblood, it meowed at him. Rainbow Dash backed away with an uneasy look on her face, but Blueblood walked closer and let the thing rub against him as he chuckled. “Where’d you find her?” he asked.
“There’s a whole clowder of them in the Everfree Forest,” Fluttershy explained. “Tsarmina here just wandered by my house one day and decided to stick around.” She pulled back a little. “If you want, I can show you the other animals I take care of.”
“Of course,” Blueblood said, “I’d be delighted.” He turned back to Rainbow Dash. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Rainbow Dash took a moment to reply. “No,” she said easily, “go ahead. I’ll get planning.”
“Excellent. I’ll see you later.”
With that, Blueblood and Fluttershy turned off down another road. Rainbow Dash frowned a little bit as Fluttershy moved a little closer. Then Rainbow Dash looked away and shook herself. “What is going on with me?” she asked herself as she walked away.
<<***>>
Kelliset was frowning at an ancient clay jar as her aide entered her office. “What’s the news?” she asked.
“Blueblood’s left Canterlot,” the aide said. “He’s in Ponyville.”
Kelliset frowned at her aide. “That’s not a resignation. Follow him; keep wearing him down. Until you do-”
Then Kelliset started to cough. “Are you alright, sir?” the aide asked.
Kelliset’s coughing eventually stopped. “Yes,” she said, “and please quit calling me ‘sir’.”
The aide nodded. “Sorry. I’ll get right to work.”
The aide left the room. Then Kelliset heard a chirping noise in the corner. Tumbling out of the cat habitat there was a skunk. Kelliset stared at him for a moment, and her eyes glowed green for a moment. But then she grimaced and broke out into a smile. “C’mere you,” she said, eyes back to normal. She levitated a small stuffed animal in front of the skunk. He leapt at it, but Kelliset jerked the toy away. “Almost,” she cooed as the skunk wound up again. “Almost got it, Valentine!”
“The things I do to keep you and your little rat quiet,” she muttered under her voice. "But soon my brothers and I will all be free."
The jar glowed green.