To Serve In Hell

by CoffeeMinion

Book 2: By the Pale Moonlight

Cheering, running pell-mell with excitement, or simply pointing at her with wide eyes… the reaction had been consistent enough over the centuries that Princess Celestia no longer questioned it when she visited their towns. It made her smile to bring her ponies joy and to see them share her smile. But this time, as she descended from the sky toward the ponies gathered in the moonlit town square of Ponyville, she found her smile wouldn’t come.

“Welcome, Princess!” shouted a familiar tan-colored pony who was leading the throng.

“Mayor Mare,” Celestia said, touching down.

“Ponyville is honored by your choice of our town for this year’s Summer Sun Celebration!” Mayor Mare gestured toward the crowd, which erupted in whooping and applause. “My new Deputy Mayor is simply over the moon with excitement at the festival she’s prepared in your honor.”

The Mayor gestured at a pretty white unicorn next to her, whose flowing purple mane bobbed as she gave a demure curtsey. Celestia returned it with a slight bow of her head. “I’m sure it will be lovely. But first, Mayor, there is a matter I need your assistance with.”

“Oh! Um,” the unicorn said, holding up a clipboard in her magic. “But Mayor… Princess… we are running on a rather tight schedule tonight. There are a number of requests to meet you. Three sick foals, an elderly mare, and a family from out of town, with a husband who seemed quite keen on surprising his wife!”

Celestia tried not to frown. “Deputy Mayor, I’m afraid I must ask for a bit of flexibility. Would you please give the Mayor and me a few moments?”

The unicorn did a poor job of concealing her disappointment, which gave a sharp contrast with the surrounding crowd’s joviality. “I… yes, of course, Princess. I shall simply have to move some things around…” She trotted off, scratching at her clipboard with a pen.

“Princess?” asked the Mayor.

Celestia leaned closer, and spoke in hushed tones: “I believe there is an earth pony mare who moved to Ponyville not long ago. She had a yellow coat, and a cutie mark looking like wrapped candies?”

“That sounds like Bon Bon.”

“Bon Bon. Can you arrange for her to meet me somewhere discreet?”

Mayor Mare furrowed her brows. “Y… yes of course, Princess. May I ask what to tell her?”

For a moment, Celestia watched the mass of laughing, dancing, celebrating ponies in silence. Then she sighed. “Tell her I forgive her, and that I may need her services again before the night is through.”

Comments

[ZanarNaryon]

Oooooh agent of the Crown bonbon

Also Rares went into politics, good for her