As The Sun Sets

by Noobblue

Ever wonder what rulers do in their free time?

It was the day before the Galla; Cadance had sent Amber out to find her something to wear, and seeing as Amber was still at her desk just outside Cadance's office, it was clear she had delegated that task.

Cadance was far ahead of the curve in terms of paperwork.

Seems that pushing yourself worked out hmm?

She was idly tapping her hooves on her desk, the well crafted wooden thing was well worth the bits it had cost. Sturdy, reliable and fashionable.

Minutes passed.

Ugh

Cadance stood and plodded over to her open office door.

"Amber?"

"Yes Princess?"

"Do you have something for me to do?"

Amber kept a straight face despite Cadance's playful tone, "Fortunately, there's no ingoing or outgoing paperwork that requires your attention."

"You have work to do there." Cadance non-specifically gestured to her desk.

"All organizational work." Amber clipped back

Cadance and Amber had a complex working relationship. One of the thing Cadance had developed with the mare by annoying her was job specificity. Amber had, at Cadance's encouragement, learned how to politely tell Cadance to buzz off when her particular talents weren't applicable to a situation. That being said, Cadance took the statement for what it actually was.

"Are you sure?" Cadance's voice filled with hope

"Yes; do you have a project you could start or work on?"

The comparison to a parent telling their hyperactive foal to leave them be was not lost on Cadance.

"I've been distracted by Quick Silver, recently."

"Maybe now is a good time to start something then." Amber had turned her attention away from her monarch, and was reading some treatise or something or other. Her response came in monotone, the final nail in the coffin for this particular conversation.

Cadance, nodding at the comment, entered halfway back into her office. Idly standing in the doorway as she tried to come up with something to do. Creativity wasn't Cadance's strong suit, but she tended to always get there in the end, in her head, she mentally listed out a couple of premises.

Construction, organization, pleasure, learning

I could go organize something... Delegate some ponies to...

She mentally failed to come up with something comprehensive to tell anypony else to do, and decided to come back to it later.

Construction efforts? Mmmmmnope. No bits for that... actually

Cadance looked down at her desk from her thoughtful pose, at little blue folder Silver had given her.

Silver can manifest crystal... permanent crystal it looked like

The folder seemingly stared back at her as if to say, 'yes, come learn all of the dark secrets I have to solve all of your tiny problems.'

Cadance was distinctly bored enough to mentally personify a folder, and decided to go for a walk to clear her head of fog. Turning and stepping out of her office, she gave a wave to Amber before making her way towards a balcony.

I could go embarrass Shining in front of his troops

They were running drills today, nothing special.

Maybe later

She passed by a maid and gave a soft smile.

Where to... Where to...

Failing on any general idea of where to go, besides not to wherever Silver was, she required a bit of peace at the moment, thank you very much; she decided to head towards the farming district on the outskirts.

Open air, plains view, good enough for me.

She spread her wings out on the balcony and got a read for the wind and the thermals before stepping over the rim and dropping into a steep glide towards the ground. Wings were incredibly useful, and even now, Cadance couldn't get over the twinge of thrill at dropping like a stone in the wind and turning up at just the last second under her own power.

Let's not, though, wouldn't want to freak anypony... anyone. Out

She pitched up her dive until she was smooth gliding and half galloping while she slowed, turning the flight into a run, and eventually a walk as she landed. She folded her wings and... walked.

The excitement of the past month or so fell into focus as she tried to sort out her feelings. Her own habit of using relaxation time to melt her capacity for interaction via mental organization wasn't perfect, but it worked. She made sure to smile and or wave at any pony that saw or greeted her as she walked. Luckily she was the 'friendly' down to earth kind of Princess, so her subjects seeing her out and about was nothing to throw a festival over.

I'll never know how Celestia does it

The crystal clinking of the road and Cadance's thoughts kept her busy until she reached the edge of the outermost ring of The Empire. Her appreciative sigh of the countryside turned into a glare at the... Crystal box that stood in a field out in the distance, some large warehouse not quite ruining the view, but annoying her nonetheless.

She giggled at her own irritation and began walking towards the structure.

Because why not? Right?

It piqued her curiosity, as it was clearly not for storing any realm of agricultural supplies, those structures were made exclusively out of metal and wood, as to not ruin the food with the strange nature of magical crystals.

So why is a giant warehouse sitting in the middle of what should be prime farming land?

Cadance didn't remember signing off on it, but nonetheless, it definitely happened, since there it was.

The fields look nice at least

She was currently treading through some short corn stalks, making a good effort to not trample them before coming towards a crystal road that separated the field. A road that led towards the warehouse. She gave it a once over, and continued on her way.

Something in the back of her mind made her wary, which didn't help when a pony towing a cart wandered up and tilted his sun visor at her. He seemingly didn't plan on stopping, so she stood in his path and smiled at him.

He came to a halt and conducted the normalized response to being stopped out in a field by your monarch. "Well happy midday Princess, what can I help you with?"

She took a step forward to close the distance, "Nothing complex, I'm just working on a little project of my own, can I ask what you are doing and what you think of it?"

He took on a head tilt, "This like a survey your Highness?"

"Sortof."

It's a survey of one, and I'm the only one that wants to know

Of course, she could have just asked directly; rule thirty five of ruling as taught to her by Celestia caused her to do otherwise. Simply put, don't act like you don't know what you're doing.

"Well ifn' that's all, I'm hauling equipment, and nails, for the surrounding homesteads."

"What kind of equipment?"

"Oh just hoes, rakes and the like. Farming equipment."

"And what do you think of the work?"

He nodded and smiled, "It's good honest work, delivering, I'll say. Keeps me out all day, pays well, and I get to see plenty on the way. Not to mention it's nice to see the nice folks out here everyday instead of doing the farm work myself."

Cadance broadened her smile into a real one. It was nice to know, regardless of the oddity of it's presence, that apparently the work was satisfying.

"Thank you very much mister?" She trailed off

"Oh, no need to mister me Princess, I'm not quite that old yet. My name's Cross Trail."

"Thank you very much for your time, Cross Trail." She stepped out of the way.

"No worries at all Princess." He began to continue, but she waved at him

"Oh, one more thing. How are you liking your stay in The Empire?"

He looked at her in confusion, "Oh! Oh I don't live in The Empire Princess. I just work here."

He makes the trip up to... What?

"Tack & Co. provides transportation for their working ponies, wherever they are. It was one of their hiring slogans" His trottingham accent suddenly made more sense.

"Are you a new employee?" Cadance tried to distract from her confusion.

"Yup, I started working here barely two weeks ago."

Oh dear... that's awfully consistent with another timeline.

"Thank you Cross Trail, that's everything I needed."

"You have a fine day Princess" He tilted his visor again and walked off.

Cadance looked back towards the warehouse with a healthy dose of apprehension.

Silver... what did you do now.

She continued the rest of the way up the road until it opened up into some sort of flat crystal yard. There were lamps for when it seemingly got dark, and plenty of carriages sitting around, transport carriages. There were a couple of what looked like pegasi chariots that had been retrofitted to carry heavier loads, and were branded with a number of slogans having to do with 'Tack & Co.'

There was plenty of activity out in the lot. Ponies were loading up carts and setting off on various different paths. There was a group of ponies in shiny vests directing the traffic, and another of a different colour actually loading up the carriages. They were pulling piles of boxes and wrapped tools out from an overhead door in the side of the warehouse on massive carts that took two ponies to maneuver properly. All in all, it was a bustling territory of activity and organization.

She walked up to it, waiting to catch someponies' eyes.

A pegasus mare with a nice auburn mane in a red vest approached her. "Hello Princess Cadance, how can I help you?"

"I was wondering if I could talk to the pony in charge?" She tried

"That would be me, technically" She pulled out a massive smile and lifted up her limb to bump hooves, "Autumn Breeze, your Highness."

Cadance followed the gesture and bumped hooves with the mare. "Technically?"

"There's no 'main' pony in charge here, we all just do our jobs to keep everything moving. I'm a lead pony, about as high up as you can get."

"And what exactly are you up to today?"

Cadance watched the mare turn from friendly to professional, "I'm sorry but our business procedures are all 'trade secrets' and such." She tried to play it off in a friendly way, but the message was clear.

"Could you direct me to somepony I could talk to then?"

The mare hid a grimace, but nodded, "Of course, right this way Princess" and led the way towards the corner of the structure, away from the yard. There was a doorway Autumn held open for Cadance; to which she was greeted by a plush yet professional air conditioned reception. There was a blue toned crystal stallion sitting at the desk who looked up and tried to not widen his eyes as Cadance entered.

What are you so worried about?

"Hey Marine, is Galligar in right now?"

"Uh..." 'marine' tore his eyes from Cadance and looked at something behind the rim of the desk he sat at, "Uh yeah, he got in just an hour ago."

"Office?" Autumn asked,

The stallion nodded, and Autumn walked down the right hallway to the side of the desk, she opened a door, into another hallway full of doors with name tags, and the occasional glass wall with what looked like meeting rooms behind it. Despite the tight corridors, Cadance managed to not bump herself on anything.

Autumn came to a stop at a door and knocked. A keening voice called through in native Grifonin, to which Cadance realized that 'Galligar' was not a pony name.

The griffon in question, a gray and brown feathered tercel, had an old book smell mixed with chemicals. He swung open the door, inwards, and glanced at Autumn and Cadance. Autumn wearing an apologetic look, and Cadance trying to maintain a neutral outlook.

This is far bigger than I imagined

"I see." He said slowly. He gestured to Cadance, "Thank you Autumn, please Princess, step into my office."

She did, and Autumn slipped past her in the tight hallway, Cadance read, 'accountant lead' under his name on the mounted brass card on the wall.

The office was... decorated... a lot. It reminded Cadance very closely of some of the sitting rooms she'd seen in Griffonia. Galligar took a seat at his desk after pulling out a griffon style fur chair out for her to sit in.

She chose to stand.

Galligar steepled his talons, "How can I help you, your Highness?"

"I'm just doing an inspection of the grounds and its operations, Ms. Breeze brought me here to speak with you when I asked her."

Keep it together

"I know why, if you're curious." He said with a hint of sarcasm

"Enlighten me." She said with the same back

"It's because everything you just said is rat shit."

Alright

"So we're not doing the pleasantries and formality thing?" She said, narrowing her eyes.

The changeling in front of her undisguised themselves. She lifted her wings to defend herself, but no attack came.

"No. We're not, my instructions say otherwise." The changeling's voice was the normal bug-like double tone of their species.

Cadance kept herself tensed, and had a defensive force spell primed in her horn, "Your instructions?"

"Some of us get special operating procedures, for changelings, if you're ever on site, and corner us, we're to undisguise and explain a series of statements. For me, since I'm the defacto leader of the Changelings on site; I get to deal with you." The changeling put a holed limb on the bridge of its snout and sighed.

"You're going to need a good explanation. I already know Silver's got her hooves in this, so there's no need to hide anything."

"Who?" The changeling tilted it's head, and Cadance felt the spark of genuine confusion

"Uh." Cadance's mind mentally staggered in place, "Quick Silver?"

The changeling tilted its head more.

"Never mind, what are you supposed to tell me?"

"My name is Kirsha, and I don't associate with Queen Chrysalis. "

Cadance waited for more. There wasn't.

"Is that all?"

"Yes?"

Now I definitely know for sure. That has Silver written all over it.

"If you don't associate with Chrysalis, then why are you here?" Suspicion coated her voice

"I work for Tack & Co. as their lead accountant." Kirsha said straight faced.

Cadance tried to make sense of that statement, she settled on "Why" eventually.

"I've got a good head for numbers?" Kirsha tried

"No. Why do you work here? What do you get out of it?"

"I get money, love, and work."

"You take love from the ponies here?"

"No, I get paid in love, it gets taken out of my regular pay."

"Who decides that?"

"I do." Kirsha gestured at her title and name on her desk, "I'm the accounting lead."

"Who tells you what to do? Who's in charge of you?"

"I'm really not supposed to talk about that." Kirsha said, trying to shrink back into her swivel chair.

Throughout their back and forth, Cadance had slowly meandered her way forwards, and currently had her hooves on the edge of the desk. It wasn't nearly as nice as hers.

Despite what most ponies were aware of, Cadance had spent roughly three decades of her life abroad, and was thoroughly mentally immersed in the nature and culture of the races that surrounded the Equestrian homefront. Similarly, contrary to popular belief, Cadance wasn't exactly the kindest negotiator in the land; Equestria was the largest power in the world, it was leverage she had to use frequently during her diplomatic escapades, that being said,

Cadance was well versed in the art of intimidation, regardless of her general will to do it. Here though, she was completely comfortable pulling out all the stops.

She lit her horn as she loomed over the changeling, "I'm not giving you a choice."

She had no spell charged, it was just to spook the thing.

"I don't know!" Kirsha said, fully sitting back in her chair. "None of us do! We just get instructions and organizational feedback in writing!"

"Explain."

"There's a suggestion box!" Kirsha quickly moved her hooves in the shape of a box, "It's a daily activity we do at lunch! We pull all the papers out and go over them to see what we can improve, sometimes a sealed letter comes through with instructions from the owner telling us what to do! That's all I know about them! Honest!"

Cadance narrowed her eyes, sure she felt a little guilty at playing the 'terror' so much, but Changelings tended to fear her anyways, so why not lean into it? "And what exactly does Tack & Co. Do?"

The Changeling shook its head, "I'm not supposed to talk about that either"

Cadance snarked, "Still not giving you a choice."

The bug spent several moments deliberating its response. "We do transport, buying and selling." Kirsha said quietly, she looked ashamed

Cadance mentally back tracked, "Explain?"

"We have portal stations all across Equestria, we buy things cheap and in bulk from the source, and sell them where the demand is highest."

"And that works?"

Kirsha nodded swiftly and jaggedly, "You can buy a ton of nails from Trottingham for an eighth bit a piece, but they sell in the Empire for one."

That can't be all this is

"Portal stations? How does that work?"

"I'm not supposed to talk about that too, and I don't know, even if I could, I'm an accountant, not a technician."

"Then take me to someone that can explain."

Kirsha looked up at the visage Cadance was putting out and smirked, "Actually, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, now."

Uh oh

"You're not the only one that can read emotions Princess."

Kirsha opened a drawer and magicked a leaflet of paper to her.

It was a description, written like a stage play. It depicted the bounds of the current conversation, and the premise. It had lists of responses and things Kirsha was meant to say to Cadance.

"Whoever does own Tack & Co., read you like a book."

Cadance put the paper down on the desk slowly, "This doesn't mean that you're off the hook" She said, dropping her menacing vibe, her normal tone returning.

"Of course not, did you read the end?"

Cadance turned her gaze back to the paper

---

I also knew you wouldn't read the end.

1. Do not harass my employees
2. You are being recorded by magic tracking cameras
3. I will absolutely sue your wings off of your back if you interrupt my operations

Everything I'm doing here is up to code, and besides your personal reservations about Changelings, the majority of them are kind hearted. Don't misuse my trust in you Little Princess, or I will make sure you cannot.

---

What kind of trust is it if you have pages of interactive media for your employees to 'deal with me'

The paper also included the instructions to show Cadance the paper, the note reading that once she read the end, she'd leave whomever it concerned alone.

Cadance wanted to make a fuss, but obviously Silver was prepared for that.

Too prepared

Cadance realized something.

This is it. This is what she's doing. It has something to do with Tack & Co.

Cadance rolled up the paper and slid it back over to Kirsha who was calmly watching Cadance with a neutral expression.

"I think I'll be taking my leave then."

Kirsha returned to her griffon form, "Goodbye Princess, it was a pleasure helping you answer all your questions."

Cadance nearly turned and said something rude, but the phrase 'most of them are kind hearted' stuck in her mind, so she simply left. That is, she also tried to spot where the 'magic tracking cameras' were, but she guessed that if Silver wanted them to not be easily visible, she probably wouldn't notice them without magic.

and a high octane scanning spell was probably not a good idea.

She trotted out back towards reception where the blue stallion waved to her with a smile.

She gave him a once over, not bothering to return the kind gesture, "Do you have one of those papers too?"

His smile turned apologetic.

She sighed and left.

At least it was still nice outside.

Author's Note:

For anypony wondering, the reason Cadance could tell Kirsha was a changeling right away is because changelings have a unique emotional aura, their emotions are a like a void Cadance can see sparks in.