“What have you done to my beloved bevy of brats?”

Sundance, who had just emerged from the restroom, froze in place at the sound of the commanding voice, and his body took on a sudden leaden feeling that made him feel far too heavy to do much of anything, things useful to his survival, like running. His eyes moved, but his head did not, and Sundance glanced over at Princess Celestia, who loomed large in the corner of his vision.

“You do not wish to talk, is that it? Fine… it will be the cream cheese tarts for you!”

Sundance swallowed, and swallowed again, but the lump remained in his throat. “Cream cheese tarts?”

“Years of your life, gone in an eyeblink,” Princess Celestia replied in a voice that seemed far too excited, far too eager for mayhem of some sort. “Now… tell me, distant grandson of mine, what have you done with my pack of precious, pernicious, precocious punks?”

Sundance’s brain broke and the entity responsible for keeping the lights on inside of his noggin checked out, perhaps deciding that it was time for a much-needed vacation. Suddenly, he was a foal again, and Officer Mom was lecturing him about the dangers of hooliganism. Only this time, Officer Mom was a giant, a behemoth, and the way she spoke of cream cheese tarts chilled his blood.

“My brood are exceptional at putting on quite a show,” Princess Celestia said, her lips moving mere inches from Sundance’s flicking, twitching ear. “Though Nuance is sincere, I do believe. Tell me, did Radiance do that smile thing? He has a way of disarming a pony with a smile. The colt has some of his father’s magic, but he uses it in all of the wrong ways. Radiance is going to make for a magnificent soldier, but a truly terrible pony. Sometimes, those two things cannot reconcile.” The giantess of a mare let out a sigh, which blew Sundance’s ears about in a gale, and she shifted her weight from one side to the other.

Sundance, who had just finished lunch and had come out of the restroom, was not prepared for this cheerful, sunny assault, but then again, who would be? She had just called her own offspring punks—punks!—and she had threatened him with cream cheese tarts. Though he couldn’t bring himself to say it, his great, great grandmother… she was a silly pony.

“I love my foals…” Princess Celestia sighed again, whipping Sundance’s mane into a frenzy, and began to shake her head. “But they are brats! Can you believe that? I made those! Well, Luna made a few, and her brats are worse, trust me. But I can have less than perfect offspring. What does that say about you, I wonder, distant grandson of mine?”

“Uh…”

“Oh come on!” The big mare moved even closer, uncomfortably close. “Don’t be a simpleton. I know what sort of troublemaker you are… what sort of braindead oaf tries to fly into Canterlot when there is a major storm blowing about? Nopony is that stupid! The ponies of Canterlot make jokes about it and it is used as a yardstick for stupidity, because nopony is that dumb. It has become a colloquialism in the local dialect.”

“Um…”

“But then you came along and pulled your little stunt right after the newspapers had a field day blabbing about you being my distant descendant, and lo and behold, that yardstick of stupidity found an actual, corporeal, physical measurement and it stands about this high.” Extending her wing, Princess Celestia held it about an inch over Sundance’s head, and he felt his cheeks burning. “It was mortifying!”

“Er…”

“I have this problem in my pegasus offspring… they’re brave and stupidly so. Over the centuries, I’ve watched this play out time and time again. Oh, sure, my little pegasus ponies tend to be average in just about every way conceivable and most become productive members of society. But, you put them in a pinch and goodness gracious, sakes alive!” The big mare bared her teeth and gritted them together.

“Is it that bad?” Sundance asked, now worried about himself.

“You’d think that the genes for this kind of stupidity would have self-destructed by now, but they prove to be remarkable breeders too.” The princess lifted her head, straightening out her posture, and then turned her head to look at a painting on the wall. “Corbie shows all of the worrying signs, Sundance. She’s an average pegasus filly in just about every way that you could imagine… but then she has these moments… these dreadful moments of braindead stupidity. I like to say that she gets it from her father, but over the centuries I have collected the evidence that suggests otherwise. If she ever tries to fly into Canterlot when there’s a major storm, I’ll have to disown her if I am to keep any sort of worthwhile reputation.”

“Look, I didn’t know any better—”

Sundance was cut off by Princess Celestia’s burning, piercing gaze, and her eyes burned like the fresh rays of dawn. It was almost blinding, and he squirmed beneath her soul-searching stare. He took a step backwards, but his rump bumped into the restroom door and his retreat was cut off.

“I am proud of you for what you’ve done.” The princess’ words were every bit as fierce as her eyes. “The number of ponies that could even approach Canterlot under those conditions, I can count them on my primaries and still have feathers left over. Were you not already occupied with a far more important task, I would be pressuring you to join the guard. You did right by Earwax, which has impressed me. You were kind, considerate, and patient with my foals. You even showed exceptional generousity with Steadfast, for which I am eternally grateful.”

“It was nothing—”

“IT WAS SOMETHING.” Princess Celestia’s voice was a thunderclap in the narrow hallway and Sundance reeled back from the concussive force of her voice. “Look, you have no idea what Luna, Gosling, and I have gone through with Steadfast. Luna had to relax the very bonds of gravity around him for over a year so that his weak heart could keep beating. We’ve battled asthma and anemia. My sister… she has lost so many and I believe it has had a detrimental effect upon her. Marriage and motherhood are so much more terrifying when you know the sort of loss she does, to be as bereaved as she has been.”

Sundance sagged where he stood.

“So your kindness and your generousity, they mean a great deal, and shall not be forgotten. I have taken enough of your time, distant grandson of mine. I’ve slipped outside of my schedule to speak with you, and I must return to my duties so that Raven does not have conniption fits.”

While Princess Celestia folded her wings against her sides, Sundance watched with reverent awe.

The mare sounded hesitant when she next spoke. “If I might ask a favour…”

“Of course.” Sundance bowed his head and waited for his grandmother’s request.

“I am asking you as a mother, mind you, and not as your princess.” The big mare cleared her throat and when she spoke again, her voice had undergone a profound transformation. “I can’t make you do this, but I do ask that you try to be Nuance’s friend. He can be a trying individual and he is quick to wear down patience. Nuance has a mentor, in the form of Blueblood, he has a source of terror in his life that motivates him in the form of Dim, and he has a little brother that seems to be awakening his slumbering greatness. What he needs”—here, Princess Celestia paused and her eyes narrowed, thoughtful—“is a big brother that he can relate to. Nuance is taken with you and his project. I’ve never seen him quite so animated or attentive about… well, anything, really. Nuance has trouble paying attention and Cadance believes it to be some kind of condition. She insists that it isn’t because he’s a brat or intellectually lazy.”

The regal white alicorn drew in a deep breath, and then she continued, “And after much wasted effort in trying to correct his behaviour, I am inclined to believe her. Engaging Nuance is difficult at best and for him to be so captivated by this project… as his mother, I want for him to have some success. I want him to feel good about himself. Nuance needs his time in the sun… and I know that it is a lot to ask of you, but little Nuance needs to find some way to shine, some way that is different than his brother. Radiance so overshadows Nuance in every conceivable way, and you have to trust me when I say this, as a pony, I know what happens when one sibling overshadows another. So I am begging you for a favour.”

Lifting his head, Sundance replied, “I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you, Sundance. You will be spared the cream cheese tarts… for now.”

Before Sundance could respond, Princess Celestia vanished in a flash of golden sunlight, leaving him all alone with his myriad of thoughts. Briefly, he wondered what might happen if he tried to tell others that Princess Celestia was a silly pony, and reached the conclusion that it didn’t matter if anypony believed him; what mattered was her trust. She was showing him extraordinary levels of trust and his inner pegasus checked in to remind him that while kindness and generousity were fine things, ‘twas better to be loyal.

Determined to be loyal, Sundance departed so that he might finish his business.

When Sundance returned to the place where he had eaten a pleasant lunch with his new friends, he found it almost empty, save for Nuance. A brief explanation sorted everything out; Radiance departed to secure a cart, Corbie and Hailstone had their afternoon tutoring, a sleepy Princess Luna had come to take Steadfast away and cuddle him, which left little Nuance all alone.

It seemed that almost everything had been wrapped up and truth be told, Sundance was a little sad that it was over. Nuance seemed upset, and though Princess Celestia’s words were still fresh in his memory, Sundance did not press the colt for information.

“I’ll speak with my master, Blueblood, about getting you an account established. A private one, so you can collect your rent payment. I know for certain that I can get you some houses built.” The colt shuffled around a bit, kicking his hooves against the floor, and his ears drooped. “I have to attend my afternoon lessons. It’s going to be hard… really hard after this, because I’m so excited about what I’m doing. This means so much. I already know that I’m going to be distracted and thinking about this rather than my schoolwork, and I expect to have an awful afternoon.”

Hearing this, Sundance felt bad, but he wasn’t sure how to console the colt.

“I just have to work harder, that’s all. Corbie is right, I guess. I’m smart enough, but I just can’t have an easy go at stuff. I have to spend hours doing what it takes Radiance five minutes to sort out. I can’t stand him, you know. The way he came into the room earlier, and how he acted, and how he acted towards you, and that’s all it is for him, you know? It’s all an act. When he calls truce, he expects Corbie and I to obey, but if one of us calls truce, we’re ignored. A truce from us goes against his stupid ‘directive’ and he’s so quick to remind us that we’re not in charge.”

One wing unfurled and Sundance reached behind his ears so that he could rub away an itch. While he stood there rubbing his head, Nuance seemed to be collecting himself, and Sundance could see anger in the colt’s eyes. A nearby guard shuffled in place and there was a metallic clunk of armor banging together. Sundance imagined that after living around it for a while, one would stop hearing it altogether, because Nuance’s ears did nothing to hone in on the sound.

“My brother is so smooth and sophisticated and everything is just so easy for him.” Nuance’s lip curled back into a petulant sneer and a few sparks could be seen spilling from the tip of his horn. “He was only sort of nice to me today so he could impress you. I knew what was going on but I couldn’t call him on it, because that would get a fight started, so I had to act like everything was okay and I hate it. I hate it!”

“Nuance… when those houses get built, how about you come out and visit me? Come and watch. See what you’ve accomplished. Maybe get away from your brother for a while. I’m positive that the ponies of the Sunfire Barony will appreciate what you’re doing. How’s that sound?”

“You’d… have me… as a guest?” All of Nuance’s anger was now gone and the colt seemed to be quite out of sorts, because his face couldn’t pick an expression to display.

“I think if you saw the payoff for your hard work, it’d make you happy. Watch out though, my peasants are snarky.” Sundance waited for the colt to recover, and he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Would Princess Celestia even allow Nuance to visit? That remained to be seen. “It’s pretty rough, Nuance. It’s just about the most backwards place I’ve ever seen, but I haven’t seen much. Maybe seeing it would help you appreciate all of this.” Waving his wing about, Sundance gestured at everything around him. “I lived in what I thought was a pretty awful apartment, but I sure do miss it now. And I only spent one night in the barony.”

“I…” Nuance licked his lips and his orange tongue made furtive, quick movements as it went from side to side. “My master, Blueblood, he and Dim took me on a tour of the soldier’s hospital in the Crystal Empire. We went there to thank them for their sacrifices. For everything they’ve done for our great empire. But I think that Blueblood and Dim had another reason for bringing me there. The things I saw… it made me sick—I got sick on the floor and Dim mocked me for my weakness. I saw… I saw the price… of… things. It changed me. For the better, I hope.”

“It’s a tough thing to see, kid. I do medical supply deliveries and the hospitals are packed with soldiers who came home less than whole.” Sundance watched Nuance squirming and felt bad for him.

“Radiance has seen it too, but it didn’t phase him. He called it acceptable losses. He’s going to be a soldier, but I don’t think he’ll ever see the dangerous parts of war. He’ll be sitting in some room somewhere, giving orders, and doing the complicated maths that those in command have to do to determine what acceptable losses are.” Nuance licked his lips once more, shook his head, and looked a bit queasy. “I didn’t find it acceptable at all, Sundance. I still have nightmares about it.”

Sundance thought about what Princess Celestia had said about Radiance, about how he would be a great soldier, but an awful pony, and he now had an inkling of understanding of what she meant. For Radiance it seemed, the lives of soldiers were a means to an end, while Nuance saw something else entirely. For society to function, it took all types. His mother was a hard, flinty mare, while Sundance himself favoured a softer, kinder approach, like his grandmother.

“Maybe it does bother him, and he’s just hiding it.” Sundance was quick to give others the benefit of the doubt and he stood still now, trying to think of what else to say to Nuance. The dishes from lunch were gone and the whole of the room had been returned to its pristine state. It looked untouched, more like a museum, and Sundance found this to be distracting.

“Lord Sundance, a word with you if I may.”

Turning about, Sundance saw a new guard that he hadn’t heard approaching. No hooves on the tile, no jangle of armor, nothing. This guard was different, but Sundance couldn’t quite say how. The guard, a unicorn, looked and sounded just like all of the others, almost as if they were all the same pony, and the sheer amount of uniformity around this place was unnerving.

“Yes?”

“I have been sent to inform you that you have a cart awaiting for you.” The unicorn snapped to attention and his hooves should have clicked when they snapped together, but no sound could be heard. “The hospital is also ready to release the earth pony known as Earwax.”

Sighing, Sundance’s tail slapped his hind legs with fitful wags, and he knew that it was time to go. Due to the position of the Canterhorn and the fact that it was now spring, it would be dark earlier than he was accustomed to. Friendship with Nuance would have to be taken in tiny, manageable steps, it seemed.

“Nuance, care to come with me to inspect the cart?” Sundance asked while he turned to look at the colt.

“I’d like to,” Nuance replied, “but I really need to attend to my lessons so I don’t get in trouble.”

“I’ll be in touch, Nuance. I plan to fly into Canterlot regularly. I’ll stop in and say hello. If you get a chance, come and visit me, if you can.” Sundance thought about smiling, but didn’t, because he thought about how Radiance smiled. “Good luck with your schoolwork.”

“Thank you.” The colt’s words held a warm, genuine sincerity, and his eyes held a noticeable brightness to them. “I really feel good about what we’re doing. Thank you for giving me a chance. Good luck getting home.”

Sundance lingered, hating that awkward feeling of saying goodbye, and he turned to face the guard once more. “Show me to the cart, please. I guess it is time to go…”

Author's Notes:

Celestia's actions are truly insidious, because she is trying to teach Sundance something about being a ruler and how to rule. Too bad that Sundance is a little dense. The lessons will have to continue.