"The trick is," Night Light said over his sarsaparilla to Shining Armor, "that we need to get the common pony on your side." He took a long sip.  

"I wouldn't mind getting them on Twilight and Nyx's side too while we're at it," Shining Armor said wryly. He was busy behind the bar, making himself a birch beer float. He stuck a straw in the mug and sucked at it moodily. "I don't understand these ponies. I just don't. When we first arrived, when we defeated Sombra, everypony was united, one heart and one mind. It was the reason the crystal heart worked. But now everypony is divided..."

"Which is a good thing if you ask me," Night Light said. "It means they're individuals, with their own dreams and ambitions and hopes and worries and fears. Not cookie-cutter gingerbread ponies, not wind-up toys. What were you hoping, m'boy: that the effervescent light of the Crystal Heart and the Princess of Love would make them all live in perfect conformity?" He smirked and plugged his nose with one hoof.

"Oh, we are the Buddy Bears, we always get along

Each day, we do a little dance and sing a little song

If you ever disagree, it means that you are wrong

Oh, we are the Buddy Bears, we always get along--"

Shining Armor shuddered violently. "Yeesh Dad, stop that! You know how I felt about that radio show." He shuddered again. "Creepy little furry freaks..."

Night Light chuckled at his son's discomfiture. "Anyhow. I think you're overstating the situation just a little. Most ponies around here are actually fond of you and Cadence...at least the pony-in-the-street types that I've spoken to."

"I know," Shining Armor said. "For the ponies at large, it's more that..." He waved a hoof in frustration, searching for the words. "I don't know, that they see us as a symbol of their defeat. Their status as a conquered nation." He reflected on how depressed the crystal ponies had been before his sister and her friends had recovered the Crystal Heart. It was a whole new ball game, and a strange one at that--- having to lead a nation where the literal emotional health of the pony on the street was a national security issue. "That said, there are more than enough scattered among them who are genuinely hostile to us. And unfortunately many of seem to be in positions of influence."

"The press," Night Light ventured.

"For one," Shining agreed.

"Well," Night Light said thoughtfully. "Some ponies would say that means the press is conspiring against you. Others might excuse that as them as just doing whatever sells the most papers. Either way it boils down to them doing one thing: controlling the narrative."

"Controlling the what now?" Shining Armor said quizzically.

"The narrative. What kind of story is being told," Night Light explained. "See, it all comes down to storytelling. Always has, really; the cavepony who told the best stories while sitting by the campfire got to decide what stories his children would tell. And their children's children, too. You capture their attention, capture their imagination, and what you say will endure. While the poor storyteller won't even get a seat by the campfire.

"Right now, the story of the downtrodden crystal ponies ruled by the arrogant Equestrian Princess is selling really well. A lot of ponies are eating it up with a spoon... or washing it down like a bitter pill.

"You," Night Light said, poking his son in the chest with a hoof, "need to tell a better story than theirs."

Shining Armor ruminated on that.

Before he could say anything one way or the other, Waldorf Salad(1) materialized at his elbow. "The mail has arrived, your Majesty," he said in his bland, mellow voice. "Including a  number of packages and special deliveries."

Shining Armor managed to conceal his flinch of surprise at his butler popping out of nowhere. "Um, why tell me? Just put it in the drawing room like always..."

Waldorf raised a regally butlerish brow. "Perhaps I should clarify, your Majesty," he said. "A great deal of mail has arrived. Along with a very large number of packages and special deliveries."

Shining Armor raised a brow of his own. "Ooookay, I'll take the bait. Lead the way, Waldorf."

A moment later the three were standing at the front door to the royal chambers. Shining and Night Light stared, stunned, at what awaited them. "Waldorf, allow me to congratulate you on your gift for understatement," Shining said.

"Thank you, your Majesty," Waldorf said mildly.

At the moment the two soldiers who stood guard at their front door were also standing guard over an enormous bag of mail. Crowded around the bag like tugboats around an ocean liner were dozens of wrapped boxes, plush toys, floral arrangements and gift baskets of candy and fruit. Even as they watched, delivery ponies trooped in and dropped off more.

Shining spoke to one of the guards. "Has all this been checked over?"

The guard nodded. "Yes Sir," he said. "Castle security went through and checked everything. They had a pair of unicorns from Canterlot go over it all with a fine toothed comb... er, magically speaking, of course."

"Good, good," Shining nodded. He began sifting through the packages, trying to figure out what was up. "Hmm... that's different," he said. "This one's to Nyx."

"Do tell?" Night Light said.

Shining nodded. He flipped through a few more. "And so are these."

Curious, Night Light joined his son in sorting through the deliveries. "Most of these are, as well. Well, I'm assuming; this one says 'to the black alicorn filly."  He scratched under his bucket hat and looked at another. "And this one says "to the new filly princess..." "to Princess Cadence's Niece..." and this one is "to Cadence's little sister Nyx?"

"Some of these are to to Cadence, or Cadence and myself," Shining Armor said. "Some are even to Twilight Sparkle. But a good portion of them seem to be to Nyx." He looked up at his father, brow creased in confusion. "What is going on here?"

"Um... perhaps I can explain," said  a slightly muffled voice. The two looked over; it was a pale yellow delivery pegasus with a messy brown mane. He was wearing a PegExpress hat, saddlebags, and an awkward smile. He had a gift basket handle in his teeth, which had muffled his words.

He also had an enormous camera around his neck, and a cutie mark of a typewriter. Shining armor facehooved, dragging his hoof down his own face till his cheeks stretched out. "Castle Security and I are going to have words," he said angrily, "Guards...!"

The thinly disguised reporter dropped the basket and waved his forehooves frantically. "Wait, wait, I come in peace!"

"Best talk faster, m'boy," Night Light said, grinning around his cigarette holder. "Junior here has always been kind of impatient--"

"Look, please, just let me explain," the cornered reporter said, pleading. Shining Armor scowled, but gestured for the guards to step back. They did so, reluctantly. The reporter, still holding his hooves up, reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a rolled up newspaper. He held it out to Shining Armor. "Courtesy of the Trans Equestria Chronicle," he said. "Front page, above the fold."

Shining enveloped the paper in his magic and levitated it in front of him. Eyebrow cocked, he shook it out and held it up.

BOMBER ATTACK

Assassination Attempt Against Royal Family

Beneath the stinger headline was a full color picture of Twilight and Nyx, moments after the event. Twilight was clearly distraught and Nyx was huddled up against her, crying.  Guards could be seen in the foreground and background, slightly out of frame, hustling to cordon off the area and clean up the mess. It was a brilliant example of the camera-pony's art, a perfectly captured tableau, heartstring tugging in its pathos. "Makes you want to run back inside and give them both a hug and a cookie, don't it," Night Light mused.

"That article came out the day of the attack," the reporter pony said. "And you cannot imagine the response it's gotten from ponies. Shock, outrage...and a huge swelling of sympathy and compassion."

"Even here in the Crystal Empire?" Shining Armor said.

"Especially here in the Crystal Empire," the yellow pegasus said. "Look, lemme just--" He stopped, and switched out his PegEx cap for a fedora with a press pass in the hatbrim. "My name's Soft Soap," he said. "I'm a reporter for the Trans Equestria Chronicle. Ever since we ran that story, letters to the editor have been pouring in. Ponies expressing their sympathy, condolences, voicing their concern that everypony afterward is okay... most specifically, quote, 'that poor little filly and her mother.' "  He waved a wing at the pile of letters and gifts. "And, well, you can see how ponies are responding for yourself."

"And you can guess how frothing at the mouth my editors are for more."

"So they sent you out disguised as a delivery pony so you could sneak in and get a scoop," Shining Armor said acidly.

"Ah, no." Soft Soap looked a little shamefaced. "This is my second job, actually. Ahem."

"Not much pay in the 'pony interest' story department, eh?" Night Light said.

"That obvious?" Soft Soap said dolefully.

"Well with a name like Soft Soap I didn't figure you were a hard-hitting investigative type," Night Light said.

Soft Soap rolled his eyes. "I got to the PegEx office today and they had a ton of stuff going to the palace, and I figured this was my chance to get in and maybe, hopefully, talk you... all... into... an... interview... with Nyx? " He finished his sentence, cringing.

"An interview."

"Yes."

"With Nyx."

"Yes!"

Shining Armor regarded him sternly. "Why didn't you go through the proper channels to request an interview, then?"

"The proper--" Soft Soap's eyes bugged out at him, caution thrown to the wind. "Because they're worthless, that's why! Reporters from every newspaper in Equestria and the Crystal Empire both have been standing in line and on each other's shoulders, waiting for somepony in the palace to respond to our requests for an interview! With anypony! But your 'press staff' just give us the runaround--"  he visibly bit back his exasperation. "I'm sorry. But this story is smoking hot, right now.  I couldn't wait a month or two for your staff to break down and maybe schedule an interview.  I know you're busy with the rebuilding and all, but really, I swear, all I'm asking is an hour-- maybe two. You'll be there the whole time, I won't ask any questions you don't approve, I won't even hand in the story if you don't like the final draft. Just an interview. Please."

"Give us a moment," Night Light said. He pulled his son aside. "Now see, this is just what I was talking about," he said. "Have you really been shutting out the press entirely?"

"Weren't you the one who was bragging about Mom beaning a news hound with a saucer?" Shining Armor challenged.

"It's one thing to chase news vultures off your front yard, but it's another to refuse to speak even to the polite ones," Night Light said. "That just leaves them to their own devices, and if they can't get you to say anything to them so they can write a story, they'll go ahead, make something up and write the story anyway." He pulled his son closer. "You were wondering what had changed since the fall of Sombra. Well, this is it. Look, the boy's offering to do a soft sell story about a member the royal family, he'll wow his bosses and if I don't miss my guess he'll come back begging for more. If you work with him, he'll help you--- what? That's right--- control the narrative."

Shining Armor mulled that over. He trotted back over to Soft Soap. "You've got your interview."

Soft Soap's face lit up. "Really? Yes! Oh, um. Ahem. And when would be a convenient time to schedule for..."

"Right now." Shining Armor turned away and headed for the Royal chambers.

"Right now?" Soft Soap gulped.

Shining Armor stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Well?" he challenged.

"Carpe diem, newspony," Night Light said. Soft Soap hastily got to his hooves and grabbed the gift basket before starting to follow. "Kid?" Night Light said patiently. "You can leave the basket there. I'm sure the sender would appreciate it."

Soft Soap looked down. "Well, uh, actually, I bought it myself," he said.

"Why?"

"Well-- I felt bad for the poor filly," Soft Soap said, taking on a sad puppy expression. "I mean, what happened was awful! Even if I didn't get in I thought a little something to make her feel better was only right, y'know?"

Shining Armor's mouth quirked up at one corner. "I think we picked the right one," he said to Night Light.

"Call it a gut feeling, ey?" Night Light muttered back. "Come on, Soap, double time it!" he called. The eager cub reporter scurried to obey.