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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
The Spare
Sunset Shimmer sat on her velvet cushion and watched as the most royal idiot in all of Canterlot stared disdainfully down at the legal document which pooled over the side of Princess Celestia’s desk.
“Mmm, and what is it that I’m signing?” Prince Blueblood furrowed his brow slightly as his eyes bounced off the thick writing.
Princess Celestia smiled. “You’ve been doing so much around Canterlot, I thought I would lighten your duties, and give you more time to pursue your own interests.”
Sunset bit her lip and hid her snout behind her hoof; she knew as well as anypony just what Blueblood had done around Canterlot. She even managed to clean up most of it, though there was little that could be done to smooth over some things. Ponies had never been her strong suit.
“Of course. One would hate to waste one’s time on such… petty things when there are so many important social events to go to. But they are important, are they not?”
“Of course.” Celestia bobbed her head slightly. “Which is precisely why I have reassigned all your other royal duties to Princess Cadance. She could use the practice.”
“Yes. It would be terrible to deprive her of such an important learning opportunity. One would hate to get in the way of her learning her royal duties. And perhaps with such duties set aside, I can set my mind to more important matters.”
Sunset ground her teeth silently. Something about the way Blueblood spoke always set her on edge. She knew exactly what “important matters” he was referring to. It was a good thing he was so vapid; no mare who spent more than five minutes around the Prince didn’t know exactly what kind of pony he was.
“Of course. But I just need your signature to make everything official…” Celestia slid her gilded inkwell across the table. It was just for show, of course; Sunset knew that Celestia used far more serviceable affairs than that Qilinese monstrosity, but to ponies like Blueblood, dipping their quill into the same well as Princess Celestia herself made all the difference. They could hardly stop themselves from signing anything she wanted.
Prince Blueblood proved to be no exception, the arrogant pony rising before the ink had dried on the scroll. “Is that all? Miss Priss is throwing a dinner party. I would hate to be late and leave a bad impression.”
“Of course.”
The moment the doors swung shut, Celestia's smile turned to a dour grimace as she pulled the scroll across her desk and began to carefully read over the end of it. Celestia’s horn glowed as she pulled out her pounce pot and carefully sprinkled the mixture on Blueblood’s signature. “Well, that’s done.”
“I don’t know why you made him a prince in the first place,” Sunset said, waving her hoof in the air. “He’s clearly an idiot.”
Celestia’s frown deepened. “He wasn’t always this way. Power spoiled him.” She glanced over at Sunset. “I’m afraid I put too much on the two of you. Things went badly for him. But I had little choice; allowing Nightmare Moon to return without somepony groomed to the throne is an invitation to disaster.”
Sunset scoffed. “You act like I’m not going to win.”
“It is best to be prepared. I have every confidence in your ability, but should something go wrong, I want to ensure that the throne doesn’t fall into my sister’s hooves.” Celestia glanced towards the closed doors. “Or those of somepony worse.”
Sunset nodded her head as she stepped up next to her mentor. “I don’t see why you didn’t just tell him he was worthless.”
“Sometimes it is better to leave such words unsaid,” Celestia said as she rolled up the scroll in her magic and filed it carefully on her shelf. “Nopony likes to be a pawn, but ponies like it even less to be told they were the spare.”
Sunset shuddered as she ran through the vault. She’d seen enough. The way Celestia was looking at the filly. The stars on the purple pony’s flank.
She glanced back at her own rump; how had she ever let Celestia trick her into thinking the prophecy was meant for her?
The surface of the mirror rippled before her. She could hear Celestia’s hooves beating down the halls, her mentor’s voice echoing from the walls.
Sunset pinned her ears back against her neck and jumped.
Some things were best left unsaid.
“Mmm, and what is it that I’m signing?” Prince Blueblood furrowed his brow slightly as his eyes bounced off the thick writing.
Princess Celestia smiled. “You’ve been doing so much around Canterlot, I thought I would lighten your duties, and give you more time to pursue your own interests.”
Sunset bit her lip and hid her snout behind her hoof; she knew as well as anypony just what Blueblood had done around Canterlot. She even managed to clean up most of it, though there was little that could be done to smooth over some things. Ponies had never been her strong suit.
“Of course. One would hate to waste one’s time on such… petty things when there are so many important social events to go to. But they are important, are they not?”
“Of course.” Celestia bobbed her head slightly. “Which is precisely why I have reassigned all your other royal duties to Princess Cadance. She could use the practice.”
“Yes. It would be terrible to deprive her of such an important learning opportunity. One would hate to get in the way of her learning her royal duties. And perhaps with such duties set aside, I can set my mind to more important matters.”
Sunset ground her teeth silently. Something about the way Blueblood spoke always set her on edge. She knew exactly what “important matters” he was referring to. It was a good thing he was so vapid; no mare who spent more than five minutes around the Prince didn’t know exactly what kind of pony he was.
“Of course. But I just need your signature to make everything official…” Celestia slid her gilded inkwell across the table. It was just for show, of course; Sunset knew that Celestia used far more serviceable affairs than that Qilinese monstrosity, but to ponies like Blueblood, dipping their quill into the same well as Princess Celestia herself made all the difference. They could hardly stop themselves from signing anything she wanted.
Prince Blueblood proved to be no exception, the arrogant pony rising before the ink had dried on the scroll. “Is that all? Miss Priss is throwing a dinner party. I would hate to be late and leave a bad impression.”
“Of course.”
The moment the doors swung shut, Celestia's smile turned to a dour grimace as she pulled the scroll across her desk and began to carefully read over the end of it. Celestia’s horn glowed as she pulled out her pounce pot and carefully sprinkled the mixture on Blueblood’s signature. “Well, that’s done.”
“I don’t know why you made him a prince in the first place,” Sunset said, waving her hoof in the air. “He’s clearly an idiot.”
Celestia’s frown deepened. “He wasn’t always this way. Power spoiled him.” She glanced over at Sunset. “I’m afraid I put too much on the two of you. Things went badly for him. But I had little choice; allowing Nightmare Moon to return without somepony groomed to the throne is an invitation to disaster.”
Sunset scoffed. “You act like I’m not going to win.”
“It is best to be prepared. I have every confidence in your ability, but should something go wrong, I want to ensure that the throne doesn’t fall into my sister’s hooves.” Celestia glanced towards the closed doors. “Or those of somepony worse.”
Sunset nodded her head as she stepped up next to her mentor. “I don’t see why you didn’t just tell him he was worthless.”
“Sometimes it is better to leave such words unsaid,” Celestia said as she rolled up the scroll in her magic and filed it carefully on her shelf. “Nopony likes to be a pawn, but ponies like it even less to be told they were the spare.”
Sunset shuddered as she ran through the vault. She’d seen enough. The way Celestia was looking at the filly. The stars on the purple pony’s flank.
She glanced back at her own rump; how had she ever let Celestia trick her into thinking the prophecy was meant for her?
The surface of the mirror rippled before her. She could hear Celestia’s hooves beating down the halls, her mentor’s voice echoing from the walls.
Sunset pinned her ears back against her neck and jumped.
Some things were best left unsaid.