Work sat up, looking almost haughty. "I wasn't going to bring it up, sir, but I see you are..." He gestured at the bag the money had come from. "I do have needs, slim as they are currently. A little recompensation would go far."

I was being shaken for money, but I found it hard to be angry at Work for asking for some payment. He was in a far worse place than I was. Just... "Let's wait until she comes back."

"It's because you don't understand the coins." He raised a hoof towards the bag. "I may be a pony of diminished stature, but a noble I remain, and I stand proud of that." He nodded softly, even as his eyes wandered for sources of danger. "I will be truthful."

It was a matter of trust. I could wait until Easy came back, or show the coins to him and let him show his nature. I had a compromise in mind. I dug out my phone, had it on, and set out some of the coins. I took a quick snapshot of it. "Alright, how much is that?"

His eyes were on the phone, likely wondering what it was, but they lowered to the coins. His hoof danced as his mental eye went from coin to coin, counting it just under his breath. "You have sixty bits there, sir, give or take." He reached out and put a hoof on one. "This is the largest, a twenty bit coin." He moved and tapped another. "Five bit." And tapped a last. "One bit."

That was valuable information. At least I knew the basic sizes. They sure didn't have numbers written on them. I started gathering them up, dedicating the differences as I did so. "And how many would be fair for this service?"

"That's not a fair question, sir. Either a pony is greedy and quotes too high, or humble and accepts too little." He lifted his shoulders. "In my state, I confess, I am likely to be in the latter camp." He glanced in the direction Easy had gone. "You seem a good-natured sort, chap, and I like the vision you have. He pointed at one of the smallest one bit coins. "Just enough to get a nibble."

Part of me wondered how much of that had been a play on my own emotions, because it was working. I held out a five bit coin instead. "Let's start. I want to hear your story."

The clip-clop of hooves had us both looking. It was Easy, returning with a small basket floating beside her. "I didn't miss anything good yet, have I?" She sat down beside me and started unfolding what became a little picnic of supplies. "Not the most ideal place for it, but let's try to have fun with it." She waved at Work. "I got enough for three."

Work's expression warmed at that, a kindness he didn't expect, I imagined. "Thank you, now then, let's begin." He took one of the little rolls Easy had brought, dotted with seeds as it was. His equine chompers came down on it and he was quiet a moment. "Mmm, yes, so here is the tale, from my point of view."

Word of the conflict was only reaching our ears indirectly. Neither Celestia nor the rest of the council said a word about it. They were pretending nothing was happening, but it was much harder for nobility to follow along. After all, I had business that was not moving as it should, and I couldn't just 'pretend' that was alright.

So I left Canterlot, temporarily of course, to see what was going on. What I found chilled me. The rural ponies were beside themselves with quite the list of complaints. Some of them were quite edgy and I didn't sympathize at all, but a few had a kernel of sense to it.

You've met her, the princess, have you not? She really is a mess, through no fault of her own. I believe in her goodness. She wants to do what's right, but there's only one of her... I'm certain this conflict is no assistance in the matter. Oh, how I wish her sister were still here. I'm told she was quite a positive influence when she was around.

Ignored? Don't be ridiculous. My grandsire was quite a fan of her. Ahem, perhaps... indecently, let's put that aside. Regardless, I brought back the idea of Celestia abdicating some of her responsibilities. She already had the tremendous task of moving the sun and moon, and isn't that enough for one pony to bear? It is a miracle she hasn't burnt out as so many other unicorns have done over the years.

As I was saying, I proposed it, but it wasn't taken very well.

Celestia looked at me with those intense eyes, a mixture of sadness and frustration there. "You know I can't do that," she said.

The elder mare, Shadymane, leveled a hoof at me. "You've been talking with them!" she practically hissed at me. "I thought better of you."

The atmosphere around the room grew dark and tense. I had done it. I tried to back away from the topic, warding it away with gentle motions of my hooves. "Let's not get carried away. It is an idea, nothing more. Princess Celestia, the poor dear, is clearly overworked. We should think of her for a change inst--"

The general stood up, glaring at me. "Have him removed," he said, each word sharp, like an invisible thrown dagger.

The guards came for me, and I wasn't raised to break laws, so I didn't resist them when they led me out. It was a shameful moment, sir. I could feel the eyes of all my peers burrowing into me with each step. Their voices whispered my likely faults.

I was not welcome in my own home. My older sister threw a pittance of bits at me through the bars of the estate, and told me to leave them alone. I had been disowned, humiliated, and... here I am.

Work Pants slowly sighed. "Not my finest time, sir, ma'am. If I can provide anything, just know the people are not one mind. They have as many opinions on what should be done as there are people. They just agree that what we have isn't working."

He sank on himself. "I can't say they're wrong, in my condition. Tell me, sir." He was looking at me directly. "How would you fix this? Have you chosen a side?"

Easy was also looking at me, though she was chewing a carrot as she did so.

"I have." I pushed to my feet. "I stand by Equestria."

Work's lips quirked. "A fine sentiment, but we all do that, I hope. Does your Equestria have room for me? For Celestia? For those ponies? What is your Equestria?"

Easy wobbled a hoof. "It better have room for your manager, just saying."

I was getting a slightly better idea of things. "Did you meet their leader? I really want to hear what her story is." I gestured off, not that I had any idea what direction she was in. "She is a major player in this drama. If we can figure her out, a lot would come together."

"Once," he sighed. "She has a powerful force of personality. It was easy, from the first word, to see why other ponies were following her so easily. She took me aside, you see, and told me they would take back 'their' Equestria. I objected to the idea that unicorns burning out was ever a 'good' thing. Really, just a needed thing. We did it because we had to, not because anyone liked it."

He ran a hoof over a dirty cobblestone. "Imagine, sir, if you had to work yourself so hard every day that you collapsed from the effort, until, eventually, your arms--" He was pointing at my right one. "--just broke, and they never healed. You'd not have them anymore. They'd be there, but you couldn't move them. Imagine that."

I really didn't want to. That was a terrible fate. "Right, Celestia stays. Besides, she is a good pony, and murdering someone really isn't the pony way."

Work and Easy blinked in odd sync. He tilted his head. "While murder is not a civil way of things, where is it written that it is specifically not a 'pony' thing, sir?" Easy bobbed her head in quiet agreement with the question.

There I was, interjecting future-thoughts into things. "Well, it shouldn't be, right?"

"No... it shouldn't." He turned his head, eyes still focused on me. "What is the 'pony way', sir?"

He had noticed something, I felt certain, and he wasn't letting go. Well, crud. "I'm only speaking in idealisms, but there are things ponies should aspire to." I counted on my fingers, an act that had their eyes fascinated a moment. "Kindness, Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty, Laughter, and--"

Easy shook her head in a rapid little motion. "Laughter? What kinda 'virtue' is 'laughter'?"

Work looked less shocked. "We could use some laughter, just about now, ma'am." He stood up. "I don't know where you heard of such virtues. Did they come from your homeland, er, your original, I mean. I understand you've accepted Equestria as your new home, but we can't forget our roots." He stepped forward, emerging from the shadows entirely. "Even if you are willing to leave it all behind, you can't." He circled me, looking up at me. "You've taken some of it with you, and it will remain. That isn't a terrible fact."

Easy quirked an ear towards him. "When did you start waxing poetic on us?"

"I used to do it far more often." Work sat back down, though outside his alley. "Sir, as I was saying, she was quite compelling, but perhaps... extreme. I didn't favor her wish to see all the current rulers killed. It didn't sit right by me at all. Many of them have done nothing worse than argue for their vision of a better Equestria."

"A question." I was looking towards Work. "When that all happened, how did Celestia react?"

"Hmm?"

"When you were thrown out of the court," I expanded.

"O-oh... She was..." I guessed he was thinking back on the event. "She looked sad, sir. I don't think she wanted that."

I doubted she did either. "Alright. There is really only one direction left to go."

Easy pointed up at the castle. "There?"

"No." I pointed to where I had entered the city. "We need to go out and meet with them, personally. We have to talk to her."

Easy cringed and took an uneasy step back. "Everything I've heard about her makes her sound like a mare I don't want to be near."

And yet... "We have to. She is a key player, arguably the one that's to make the biggest difference." I dusted off my pants from what had collected from sitting there on the dirty street. "Work, you've met her."

"I have," he admitted easily. "Why?"

"We'll need a guide. It's a paying job, of course." I had half an eye on Easy for any strong reactions, but she just watched.

Work licked his lips before giving a stiff nod. "If you wish it, sir... I'm afraid the response you get might be... chilled, and caution you against it, but I doubt my counsel will prevent this action." He smiled a little. "Perhaps a little recklessness is called for, sir." His eyes fell to Easy.

Easy raised a hoof to her chest. "What are you looking at me for? I'm coming. I'll complain the entire way, but I'm his manager, which means I have to come." She formed a human hand with her magic and poked me right in the ribs with it. "That also means I need to be paid."

Right. "Alright, here's the battle plan. Me and Easy are going shopping for supplies. Tomorrow, bright and early, we'll come back here, pick you up, and we set out."

Work nodded even as his horn glowed, the one remaining roll that was likely meant for me, but I hadn't touched, floating up over towards him. "I will be ready, sir."

Author's Notes:

This Equestria is not ready for the Elements of Harmony, not yet. It was a typo mentioning them, perhaps.

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