MARIGOLD

“I think I’ll make some hot chocolate. Would you like a cup, Madam Mayor?” asked Spike the dragon, as cold rain began to patter against the windows of the Ponyville Library.

Angel Bunny thumped the floor.

Spike sighed. “Yeah, yeah. And a cup of hot carrot tea for you. Happy?”

Angel Bunny grinned, then burrowed back into the stacks.

“Hmmm? Yes, of course, dear, that would be lovely,” said Marigold, distracted. The history of Ponyville’s Summer Sun Celebration was fascinating.

Did you know that for the first few years, there was no Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville? Because they were afraid of attracting Princess Celestia’s attention to their new little town below Canterlot?

But then, in the town’s fifth year, on Midsummer’s Day, Princess Celestia simply appeared, walking sedately through Big Carrot’s fields, smiling at the fieldponies and, it was said, helping them to weed the rows.

The first Ponyville Summer Sun Celebration was nothing more nor less than Big Carrot gathering the fieldponies together and offering Her Highness a cup of cool water drawn from the town’s first well.

“Celestia seemed to like it ok,” wrote Big Carrot, in his farmbook. Big Carrot wrote of the Princess matter-of-factly, as he would write of the Sun or a storm. From then on, Big Carrot and the other faithful ponies around his farm would meet on Midsummer’s Day and share cold well water to celebrate the Princess’s visit.

Then, some years after that, the Ponyville Farm News and World Report, a broadsheet written and published by Horse Greeley, documented Princess Celestia’s second appearance in Ponyville:

STOP PRESS!

BIG C HITS P’VILLE!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!

by Horse Greeley

Your intrepid reporter, H. Greeley, was there on the spot at the Midsummer dedication of the new Windmill when Our Fair Town was graced by Her Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria.

Happy crowds thronged the opening of the Windmill. Dozens in attendance, counting the children. It was a proud moment for Our Fair Town.

S. Rich, a leader of Our Fair Town, examined the Windmill and told this reporter, ‘Looks good.’

G. Smith, also a fixture of Our Fair Town, had this to say: ‘Git away from me, varmint!’ This reporter is left to wonder, what awful secrets are hidden beneath the soil of S. A. Acres?

B. Carrot was there with wife & family. Approached by this reporter, he had this to say: ‘No comment.’

Then, as your intrepid reporter was closing his notebook, he felt the warm glow of a Presence at his shoulder.

‘It is a fine windmill,’ pronounced Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. ‘I am so proud of you all.’

‘May I quote you on that, Your Highness?’ asked this reporter.

Then she smiled at me. At me! ‘Of course you may,’ Princess Celestia said graciously.

In the opinion of your intrepid reporter, Our Fair Town is fortunate to lie beneath the shadow of Canterlot and its Lady, who cares for us all.

-- 30 --

“Madam Mayor? Here’s your hot chocolate,” said Spike, bringing Marigold back to the present.

Spike presented Marigold with a steaming cup of chocolate (Ouch! Hot!) and a plate of those little vanilla wafers that she loved so much.

“Thank you, Spike,” said Marigold. “You are a good po— dragon. I’m sorry, dear.”

Spike laughed. “Yeah, I know. A good po-dragon. I’m used to it. Whatcha got there?” he asked, looking at Marigold’s research.

“Angel Bunny,” said Marigold, nodding in the rabbit’s direction, “pulled these old yearbooks out of the archives in the basement. Oh, gosh, they’re so funny!

“Look! Here’s a picture of me, Cheerilee, Licorice Whip and Carrot Cake. We were the student council in our senior year. Omigosh! Look at my mane! Was I ever that young? Mercy me!

“The theme for our prom was I Want To Be With You, Every Mare! Woo! Racy, I know. But those were more innocent times.” Marigold turned the pages. “There’s Cup, of course. Oh, she was everywhere in those days! Here at the Fall Festival, there at the Spring Promenade! She organized every event, every party. She was almost like…”

Marigold paused.

“Like Pinkie Pie?” offered Spike, sipping his boiling chocolate.

Marigold nibbled a vanilla wafer. “Yes. You know, just between you and me, Spike,” she began.

Angel Bunny thumped the floor.

“And dear Angel, of course,” Marigold continued, thoughtfully. “I think Pinkie Pie has the qualities of a good mayor.”

“Pinkie Pie?!” Spike almost dropped his chocolate. Angel Bunny went tharn.

“I’m completely serious,” said Marigold, looking at the pair over her glasses. “Pinkie Pie loves Ponyville almost as much as I do. She is energetic, smart, selfless and, in her way, highly organized.

“Let me tell you a secret, Spike,” said Marigold, drawing close to the dragon in the gathering shadows of the Library. “Leadership is mostly about theatrics. Goodness knows, I’m not smarter than anypony. But I can stand up and give a speech that will nudge everypony in the right direction. I listen to my secretary, Fletcher, and to the really smart ponies like Princess Twilight, Cheerilee, Doctor Hooves and Fluttershy, and do my best to put their ideas into practice. I lead by following everypony. I make them chase me where they need to go.

”In my experience, most ponies want to do what’s right. But, since we are a herd, we look to somepony to give us permission. That’s basically all I do.”

Marigold laughed. “But Pinkie Pie? My heavens! This filly trots down the street and everypony follows her singing! Dearest child! She has the best heart and everypony knows it. When I retire, I hope that she will follow in my hoofprints.”

Marigold sipped her hot chocolate, as Spike and Angel looked aghast. Inwardly, Marigold smiled. Pinkie Pie will surprise you. Oh, she most certainly will!

***

DISCORD

“May I be blunt, Your Highness? Do you know the basic difference between you and I? I trust to luck. I have faith, if you will. Whereas you only trust yourself. Buttered scone?” he offered.

“No, thank you, Discord. I have faith in my little ponies,” said Princess Celestia, sipping her tea.

“No, you do not!” insisted Discord. “Even on this one day, Shadow Day, you refuse to relinquish control! You set your sister to reign over the Day in your stead, knowing that she will only do as you would do! She is still in awe of you, Celestia! You know this to be true!”

Celestia set down her teacup. She looked directly into Discord’s eyes. “I cannot rule with a weaker sister. I fear to become a tyrant, left unopposed. I need someone strong who can challenge me. Once, I had hoped that you would fill this role. But you are too arbitrary, Discord. You will hurt my children for a laugh.”

“Well, yes, of course. Laughter is life, after all,” said Discord.

“No! Not all,” said Celestia. “There is more: love, compassion, beauty, truth, spirit.

“There is a light beyond the world we know, a secret fire that illuminates all the Realm Undying. I have faith in this. You have come a little way into this world and I celebrate your enlightenment. Every day, I pray that you will come to see this light, my oldest friend.”

The draconequus shook his head. “Ah, well then. I suppose we must agree to disagree,” sighed Discord. He set down his cup, put his cap back on and lifted his dustpan. “Shall we?”

Celestia smiled. She put her cup down, donned her cap and hefted her broom. “Let’s.”

Celestia swept the litter of Canterlot towards Discord. Discord shoveled it up and dumped it into the waste bin that he pulled behind him. Together, they worked their way down one street, turned, then worked their way up the next one.

“You know,” said Discord, “this is a metaphor for what we do most of the time.”

“Oh, hush,” said Celestia, with a kindly glance towards her worst enemy and best friend. “You missed a spot.”

“So did you,” said Discord, pointing back at the street behind them.

And all that day, Canterlot rang with the laughter of the street sweepers.