Florid Deal (My Little Pony Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: Magic

After a few minutes of mentally preparing herself to meet the Alicorn she had come to hate the most, The Boss was ready to meet Princess Celestia and Luna for whatever the scheduled meeting was about.

After roaming Equestria and a little more for several hundred years, The Boss was sure the meeting was nothing different from what the meetings had been about in previous years of the Gala. Celestia always called her to discuss the most useless topics on this exact date: Sugar shortage, needing more cake shops, the tea leaves were too dull in taste, lemon trees randomly disappearing, different tribes and kingdoms meeting a mysterious being making deals and trades, not enough guards in the castle to prank, a new tailor, you name it. The Boss always found these discussions more useless than a sword in a garden. 

The Boss pinned her mane up and hid a wine bottle under her black leather cape. She knew she would need something to distract her from whatever shenanigans Celestia suddenly wanted to talk about. Whatever it was, it probably didn't affect her in the slightest. The Boss had wondered if Celestia needed a squad of her own so Celestia would leave The Boss alone. The Boss had met her squad by accident when a certain somebody owed her over a million bits after buying some of her lands. 

Needless to say, after getting together, no debt escaped The Boss. 

The halls were busy as they usually were during the day of the Gala. As The Boss graciously passed the hall and entered Celestia's study, where Celestia just so happened to be shoving donuts into her mouth.

-"What in the name of the Stars Above are you doing?" The Boss crossly articulated as soon as she noticed Celestia, "And you wonder why it's harder to fly in the mornings?"

Celestia ate one more donut and turned to look at The Boss, "Be nice, it's been stressful,"

-"You don't need donuts," The Boss walked closer to her table and sat across from Celestia, "You need therapy. What did you need to talk about?"

-"You've gotten meaner from the last time we met," Celestia cleaned her mouth.

-"You've been binge eating more than the last time we met,"

-"At least I eat something with some nutritional value, you hardly eat," 

-"I eat, just not with you," The Boss glared at Celestia as Luna finally came back from rising the moon.

Luna nodded at The Boss, "Hey, you- is that leather?"

-"Yes,"

Luna's eyes widened for a second, remembering there isn't a leather industry in Equestria. Not without some... ethical implications.

-"Where did you-?"

-"You don't need to know,"

Princess Luna shut her mouth and sat next to her sister, who at this point is questioning her own existence as she also wonders why The Boss owns leather of any kind. Not only were the Princesses uncomfortable, but the guards in the room were also blankly staring at the floor while some others started sharpening their spears.

Celestia broke the silence, "Anyway, uh, we wanted to talk about the discussion about an heir for the throne we had several years ago..."

The Boss nodded, Luna continued, "I think we found one,"

-"That's great," The Boss coldly said while taking a cup from a nearby rack of cups in the room and pouring herself a drink, "So, why'd you call me?"

-"She will live in Ponyville when she's old enough," Luna uncomfortably continued as The Boss started sipping wine.

-"Fair enough,"

-"We want you to keep an eye on her,"

The Boss spat out her drink, "Excuse me?!"

Celestia motioned to clean the wine on the floor, "We know this is sudden-"

-"No, no. This isn't just sudden this is ridiculous! I have a business to run and families to sponsor! I can't watch my business and a random pony at the same time! I have four major plots of land waiting for a sale, three ponies owe me money and my sales of goods are declining! I'm not about to drop that to stalk your filly!"

-"We're not asking you to take care of her!"

-"Well, what do you want then?!"

At this point, The Boss and Princess Celestia were glaring at each other with both front hooves on the table. A silence followed as the room dropped twenty degrees.

-"I want you to make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble too early in her journey," Celestia slowly said in a quieter tone.

-"She is your heir. I won't do your job for you," The Boss replied in a similar tone, "You pick your prodigy, you look after her,"

-"I have a kingdom to run,"

-"I have a business to run,"

-"What would you do if you were me?"

-"Do both jobs without looking for someone to do one for me because I understand raising an heir is a big responsibility and if I brought it upon myself I might as well do it right,"

Celestia flared her wings but bit her tongue as The Boss stood straighter and unfolded her wings gracefully. Luna watched as Celestia sat back down, defeated.

The Boss sat down again too, poured herself a drink again, and waited.

-"What if I paid you?" Celestia murmured.

-"How much?"

-"One hundred bits monthly,"

-"What's the catch?"

-"You have to move back to Canterlot,"

-"Pass,"

-"I'm giving you more than I should be!" Celestia flared up again, "How dare you!"

The Boss calmly finished her drink and cleaned the cup with a nearby rag, "I'll talk to my associates about it,"

-"What are your associates going to tell you to help?!"

-"Depends if they want the job," The Boss looked up at her without moving anything else but her eyes, "'Cause you can bet your pretty castle I don't want it. Good day, Princess,"

The cup flew to the sink as the Boss stood up and started heading to the door. She folded her wings again and placed the remainder of the wine bottle on the counter, as a gift of goodwill to the Princesses. The Boss would not knock off either of them just yet, but if they made the wrong move they would be very close to it.

Celestia and Luna watched as The Boss left and shut the door behind her. Celestia ate another donut, and Luna sighed.

-"I don't think this was a good idea," Princess Luna took her leave as well.

Princess Celestia glared at the tapestry of a Nature Alicorn across the room. She had always been seen as a kinder soul, the tapestry only showed her bringing life to a barren desert. But she wasn't the only choice on the table, there was another alicorn. Maybe she would be more willing to help.