Branching Paths

by TCC56

G R E E N

"And the--"

"The yak delegation's request for a meeting with Princess Twilight has been moved back until Thursday," Spike related without even needing to glance at the itinerary. "I distracted them by getting them tickets to My Farrier Lady, which meant they needed to reschedule. Prince Rutherford has a soft spot for musicals, it turns out. Plus I tipped the scales a little bit because he's going with Autumn Blaze, and the idea of getting to see a show and initiating diplomatic contact with a new nation was too much for him to pass up."

Raven Inkwell nodded, unable to keep from smiling. "And I take it that Autumn Blaze was happy to also make contact?"

Spike's own grin widened. "Are you kidding? She's already planning her first trip to Yakyakistan and wants yovidaphone lessons. I already drafted an official apology for that to Lady Rain Shine."

The mare solemnly made a checkmark on her own paper. "I'm not sure the yaks and the kirin will have much to offer each other, but greater contact between Equestrian allies is always valuable and you managed to defuse six different national leaders wanting to meet with Princess Twilight all at the same time. All without offending any of them and in under two hours."

Spike buffed his claws on his chest. "Yup. I'm kinda good at this."

She leaned back in her chair - technically not her chair, but Raven had been the first one in the room when they had set up the Office of the Royal Transition Committee and as yet nopony (or dragon) had contested her claim on the chair she'd chosen. They certainly weren't now, deep after hours. Only she and Spike were in the paper-packed office, cleaning up the last dregs of the day's problems. "Hm." Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't being challenged in other ways. "What about the EEA's budget proposal to set up satellite Friendship School consultant offices in major Equestrian cities?"

"Fact-checked and summarized for the Princess' review. But between you and me," Spike confided in a stage-whisper, "It's going to be denied. Neighsay's trying to make up for past mistakes and that's good, but it's too soon to spread the School wider. The first class hasn't even graduated yet and there's been a lot of staff turnover. Everything works in principle but she's not going to commit the EEA's resources until it's proven in practice."

Raven nodded before lackadaisically moving on to her next point. "And preparations for the upcoming Festival of Poultrycide?"

Spike snorted loudly. "Trick question, that's not real. Princess Celestia tried to have it made an official holiday before the Banishment, but Luna blocked the move by saying that it was unbecoming of a princess to put her fears on display." He smirked at Raven. "Come on, it's not like Twilight didn't write multiple papers on Early Diarchial Politics. You're gonna have to find a harder one than that to get me."

His smirk met a warm smile from Raven and an approving nod. "I didn't think I'd catch you with that one, but you know I had to try."

A pause. Spike raised his eyeridge. "No, actually, I don't. Why would you have to?"

Then it was Raven's turn to hesitate. Not out of thinking about her words, but to fix Spike with an appraising look and consider him. "Tell me, Spike. Is this what you want?'

"You to answer my question? Uh, yeah. That's why I asked it."

She rolled her eyes. "No, I mean this job. Doing all of this. I know it's something you've spent your whole life doing for Princess Twilight, but, well…" Raven trailed off, stumbling at the finish line as she realized her next words could be horrible.

"Because I was hatched into it?" Spike took it up without any hesitation. "Relax, you're not the first pony to ask that. I actually got foalnapped once because a well-meaning diamond dog thought I was a slave and wanted to rescue me." Spike laughed at that old memory - and made a mental note to touch base with his canine friend again. "But it's okay. Maybe in the beginning it might have been a question, but I'm no baby dragon anymore!" He flexed his wings out, still proud. "I do want to do this - all of it. Twi needs me, too."

Raven shook her head. "The Princess always needs somepony - but it doesn't have to be you."

A little smile came to Spike's lips. "It does. Who else could I trust to take care of my sister?"

"So you're content," Raven challenged, "You're fine spending the rest of your life juggling the Princess' schedule, proof-reading memos and summarizing proposals for her."

Spike laughed quietly. "And solving diplomatic debacles before she knows they happened." He shrugged. "Hey, it's what I've done my whole life. Easier, actually! I don't have to cook anymore to make sure she's eating properly and there's actual librarians to help her when she wants to do a 3am shelf reorganization!"

Raven pursed her lips tightly. "So you don't think there's anything that could tempt you? No amount of gold or--"

Raven's reaction was just what any pony's would be when a dragon scowled at her - she recoiled momentarily. "Are you implying something about me, Raven Inkwell? Is this because I've got scales instead of fur?"

But after that instant of reactionary fear, Raven didn't budge further backwards. Instead she fixed her gaze with Spike's, challenging him in a way few ponies could. "No. It's because you're pony in your heart. Look, Spike," she sighed, "Outside of the alicorns and one or two particularly influential nobles, I am the most powerful pony in Equestria. I control access to the Princesses. They listen to my council, I have the leeway to decide what requests they hear and which ones they don't, and I schedule where they appear. Nobles, businessponies and foreign dignitaries of all races practically kiss my hooves because they know that I can nod my head and have them locked out of the Palace for the rest of their lives or have them meeting an alicorn in half an hour." Leaning forward slightly, Raven loomed over the small dragon. "Do you realize how dangerous that makes me?" But that tremble in her voice wasn't a steel-backed threat. It was fear. "Do you realize just how much damage I could do if I was allowed to be compromised?"

Spike swallowed, a touch of bile in his mouth. "I… I'm getting the idea."

"And you're worse. Because I'm just a mortal pony. You're a dragon. You're going to be at Princess Twilight's side for centuries and you're her brother." Raven shivered a little. "I'm more powerful than nearly any other pony in Equestria, and you're going to be more powerful than me for a hundred times longer." Something inside Raven popped and she deflated back into her chair. "Over the past few weeks, I've been watching you. Trying to figure you out - to understand who you are, Spike. Because my last duty to the Princesses is to ensure my successor will be what Equestria needs."

That hung in the air for a long moment before Spike found the right words. "And am I good enough?"

"In spades." Raven turned slightly to the side, reaching into a nearby desk drawer. Two glasses came out - and a bottle of fine brandy. She continued as she poured. "Everything I've seen from you isn't just that you're a good dragon - it's that you might be the best. You embody all of the highest virtues of ponydom without even being a pony. You're dedicated to the Princess with an intensity that would make zealots flinch but you're still able to see her as a real pony rather than a mythical figurehead. You're stunningly intelligent because you can keep up with her at all, you're tough enough to be basically immune to any threat and you've got a heart so pure it could power a second Crystal Empire." She passed one of the glasses to Spike before knocking back a quarter of her own in one gulp. "You're almost literally too good to be true, Spike."

Across the table, Spike shifted uneasily and stared at his glass nervously. "I, uh, I'm not that good."

"You are," Raven assured him. Then paused. "Not going to drink that?" He nodded. "Too young?"

"Dragon," Spike corrected her. "The alcohol more or less instantly boils away once it hits my system."

Raven frowned. "Well that's going to be a problem - most government employees drink like fish." But she shrugged it off. "You'll manage."

Spike still shuffled the glass in his claws, eyes cast down. "I guess I'll have to."

Reaching over, Raven nudged his chin up. "Don't look so sad, Spike. It's yet another leg up on the rest of us you've got."

It didn't encourage him more - even when forced to look up, Spike was still pensive. "...I never really thought about what this job meant before. How powerful it is and how important it is. I just… just wanted to take care of Twilight." He took a long, slow breath. "Do you really think I'm ready?"

"I think," Raven confided, "That if it were possible to be, you were born ready to play this part. And Princess Twilight is fortunate to have you by her side." She smiled softly. "You'll be just fine. And so will she."

Author's Note:

What, you thought I was gonna miss Spike? He's part of the crew too!

Comments

[Hillbe]

3 way stand off

Typical Government