*Several hours later at Ponyville Town Hall*

Mary sat at her desk filling out a mountain of paperwork. The pileup had accumulated over the last several days, and with everything that happened, she didn't have much time for it. Actually that wasn't true and she knew it. She had been putting it off for a while now, the events that transpired were only a meager excuse.

She sighed, as her heavy eyes went down page after page, line after line of words in an endless sea of letters and bureaucracy. It was maddening to her that she had to do all of this now, but soon it would be somepony else problem. She leaned back in her chair throwing her quill to the side as she read over the last page of her paper before rolling it up and set it ablaze with a message candle.

The paper light up into a ball of smoke as it slithered out the window and beyond. Mary took off her glasses and leaned back on her chair again to hear the old creaking sound it made. It was her favorite sound in the office, and her top ten in the world.

She was about to rest her eyes when a knocking came onto her door. "Arguh! Yes!?"

The door creaked open as Trixie poked her head through. "Madam mayor, Twilight Sparkle and her friends are here to see you."

"Uh, send them in please, Trixie."

"Right away Mary." Trixie receded and in a few seconds, the doors opened to reveal several ponies all of Ponyville knew as the Elements of Harmony.

"Welcome Twilight and friends!" the earth pony greeted them. "How may I help you?"

Twilight walked up the her and leaned on the desk with both her hooves on it. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS MAYOR?!" Twilight bellowed. "How can you just suddenly resign after all you've done for this town? For us?"

Rarity, surprised by her friends outburst, rushed over to pull her down from the desk, but was met with stiff resistance.

"Twilight dear, she's-"

"Leaving us. I know." the lavender unicorn replied bitterly.

Mary sighed taking her glasses off and setting them on the desk open. "Miss Sparkle, I tell you that I did not come to this decision lightly."

"Why are you resigning madam mayor?" Rarity queried as she let go of her friend.

"I simply wish to retire, is that so wrong?" Mary lied.

"Ah don't know mayor. This was awfully last second especially for you." Applejack said not convinced of her sincerity.

"Well, I promise you it was planned." she lied again. "I have a herd to maintain and I have to be there for them. My political career is now over and nothings gonna change that."

That much was true, being alpha of a herd was a full time job and one he could not do from her office. But she never told anypony about why she really resigned. Bon Bon and Rose made it very clear if she did, they'd use blackmail material to ruin all of her herdmates lives and reputations. They had her connived at Trixie, the unicorns infamy had grown tenfold since the battle for Ponyville occurred, but thy had damning material on Maud and Platinum as well.

What was a mare to do? Abandon her morals and let them hurt her lovers and ruin them? No, she wasn't a spineless politician. Though giving into blackmail wasn't much better. Still, she had planned on retiring from her political career within the next year, this just made it happen about six months earlier.

Mary leaned forward in her chair eyeing the group sternly. "It's my choice ladies. Not yours."

"Of course madam mayor. We understand."Rarity said leaning on Rainbow Dash. "However, we simply wish to know if there's something else behind your early retirement?"

"Yeah, we want to make sure this isn't something you're being forced into." Rainbow added.

"Yeah! It'd be like going to a party but having to cut it short because you forgot the cake! The CAKE!" Pinkie added.

Fluttershy timidly approached the mayor. "We aren't unhappy you wish to retire, just, please let us know if you need anything. OK?"

"Thank you. All of you. I really appreciate this." Mary said with a smile. "But I'm fine. I just have other priorities now."

"Well, if you're sure then we'd like to talk to you about something more important." Twilight added. "Who are you going to have replace you?"

"Actually Miss Sparkle, I wanted to ask if you'd take my place as Mayor of Ponyville?"

The room fell into a dead silence. Twilight's eyes went wide as she stared int the mayor's aged eyes. There was nothing but compassion in her eyes. A familiar feeling overwhelmed her, like she felt when she was in the presence of Celestia herself. Twilight breath in and out relaxing herself as she looked over her friends, who too had looks of shock.

"I don't know mayor," she said looking away from her friends. "I don't think I have what it takes to be mayor."

"Well, I can't think of anypony better suited for the job."

"Surely there is somepny better." Twilight pleaded.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. Well, there is one other pony I had in mind." Mary said with a sly grin. There was another knock at the door and Trixie's head popped in again. "Madam mayor the new mayor is here."

"Ah, please send her in!" she cheered. Mary took her glasses and placed them on walking by the group of ponies with happy skip in her step. She opened the door to greet somepony before leaving the room. The door opened again to reveal the new mayor of Ponyville who took her place at Mary's old desk.

Everypony gasped at the sight of the new mayor of Ponyville.

Author's Notes:

Hello readers and writers alike!

So now we're almost done!

Mary's officially retired and aren't we happy for the new mayor of Ponyville is doomed? Short chapter I know but, I promise there will be more to come.