The sky was clear, the sun was shining, the flowers were blooming… Everything seemed to be going swimmingly in the Canterlot gardens. Such was the general feeling the solar monarch of Equestria had at that particular moment. Finally, being able to take a break from the nonsense that is day court, Celestia capitalized on the opportunity to enjoy her favorite pleasures; cake and tea.

Taking a load off, the snow coated alicorn indulged herself in the sweet aroma of her equish breakfast blend and the chocolate pastry on the plate before her. In all honesty, the tasty ritual was a sin.

When Celestia wished for a chocolate cake, she wanted it. The mere fact that chocolate was the main ingredient was an understatement. The confection had several layers; one of icing; one of mousse; one of fudge… and that didn’t even factor in the syrup that was liberally applied from the bottle. This dessert had so much of the questionable product that some members of her personal staff humored the possibility of their ruler owning a private cocoa plantation in the tropical regions.

The other possibility of how the Princess managed to acquire the gargantuan amount needed for her dietary habits probably laid in an unknown trade deal with an undisclosed island nation where the guardian of the sun was its main exporter.

Regardless of the case, Celestia loved cake time; so much so that nobles and foreign delegates alike learned not to interrupt such luxuries, less they wished to be on the monarch’s bad side. While incidents were rare, records did exist of the large pony growling, hissing or even combusting into flames of frustration whenever an unjustified inconvenience broke her moments of nirvana.

This was especially on this date when Celestia suffered from ‘one of those days’ at the proverbial office. Blue Lord went at it again during the morning court session. He was a persistent stallion, not very well liked by many, her included. Reasons stemmed from the fact that he was always trying to pass proposal after proposal from the ridiculously impractical to the downright corrupt. No doubt, the thick skin upon her body was bent to its limits and she needed a break. Hopefully that rat’s son, Blueblood, was not going to tread the same path; not that she had much hope for most of the extended 'family.'

Fortunately, the princess was not having any of it for a while, helping herself to a state of tranquility in the only place her self-absorbed ‘nephew’ had enough tact not to intrude upon. For a moment she briefly forgot the antics and enjoyed the best mouth-watering comfort food her chefs could make.

In a flash of magical aura, the fork moved, taking a piece of the pastry with it. Celestia licked her lips, looked both ways twice and prepared for the tongue jolting sensation of sugary flavours that was about to dance in her mouth.

Nope! Nothing is ever going to ruin this moment…

*BOOM!*

The sudden noise caused the Princess’s body to jolt in surprise and the chocolate prize betrayed her to the force of gravity, plummeting towards the grass and dirt below.

“Celestia, damn it! Oh wait, that’s me… BUCK!”

The princess depressingly reminded herself that her status as a (not really) divine figure in the eyes of the masses made her the butt of all their swear words. Needless to say, knowing that somepony, in a bedroom somewhere, screamed ‘sweet Celestia’ every night was not the most dignified way for the alicorn to hear her name.

Snapping away from her thoughts, the grumpy behemoth of a pony looked up at the sky to see the source of all the commotion. Witnessing something extremely rare, the alicorn’s eyes widened as a circular wave of magical light traveled over the land. In an instant, most of Equestria bore witness to the colourful spectrum that was slicing its way across the expansive blue.

Celestia sighed, “Well that’s something new. Wonder who’s responsible for that?”

As if this day couldn't be any stranger, the Princess turned her head when another light show lit up the school wing of the castle, another cause for attention. Within moments, a baby dragon (quite literally) broke through the roof. Sensing the magical surge, she felt a slight disturbance in the ethereal plane; her expertise was dually needed at once.

“I really hate putting off cake time…”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight Sparkle’s day was going just peachy! Yep! Nothing went wrong at all… It wasn’t like her magic was partaking in an uncontrollable fit, super-sizing a little newborn scaly creature into a full-scale kaiju… She also didn’t transform her parents into potted plants. But in all honesty, things were not going well for her. Then again, she did manage to pass her entrance exam; she was technically admitted into the school (for however long it stood amidst the destruction).

All the denial aside, she found herself floating off the ground with an unspeakable amount of mana coursing through her tiny body. It certainly wasn’t healthy, especially when she was tearing herself apart on the inside. Small fissures opened up around her, tearing at the very fabric of reality. Nopony knew how she was doing it, but the filly was tapping into all the ambient magic in the vicinity and letting it flood forth as though she released the gates of a dam.

As the moments passed, the young lavender unicorn found herself in extreme amounts of pain that resulted in spasms, neither of which helped. The child lost all sense to calm as massive panic attack took root. In that moment of desperation she wanted out and she was willing to do everything to ensure the horrifying events stopped. It was at that moment when another fissure opened up just above the stricken Twilight; as if by instinct, she decided to propel herself upwards to meet the hole in the tear.

Desperate to relieve herself of the agony in her chest, horn and back, she propelled. Little by little she made her way towards the bright light that was emitting from the fissure. As she made the final stretch, a foreleg swung from below to try and help her. Needless to say, it was too little too late; the filly finally broke through and entered a realm beyond physical comprehension.

Soon enough, all the pain stopped. The uncontrollable burst that was killing her faded away and all that remained was the sense of calm. The young unicorn experienced an atmosphere of peace in a timeless blue space with nothing but sparkling lights in the distance. Ahead of her laid a path of starry dust that compelled her to trot down its steps. As she did so, flickering images of past memories zoomed by, not many, but enough to showcase the important events from her adequately short life.

She stopped to see one final image of a sort of tree. Not the typical tree in the park, but a shiny one with bright colourful lights in the same fashion as an ornament on Hearts and Hooves day. Before the little filly was able to contemplate further, she heard a feminine voice, the likes of which she thought was coming from inside her head.

“Hello, are you there? Can you hear me?” the mysterious entity began.

Upon hearing this Twilight countered, “I can hear you… Am I dead?”

The new voice then replied, “Not at this point, but that can very well change. You are quite in a lot of danger right now and you need to get out of here. Your magic is still running rampant and the classroom is about to blow sky high, taking everypony with it. On a side note, your parents are still in the form of potted plants.”

The filly sheepishly tried to defend herself, “I’m… a… giving them… character…?”

The voice chuckled before retorting, “As much as I would love to laugh at that little bit you still need to leave and stop the cracks. Otherwise everything in that room will be destroyed, taking you with it. Come along, you can trust me.”

As if looking for signs of assurance the filly asked, “Who are you?”

“Me? I am who I am. I am the beginning and the end, I'm also everywhere and nowhere. At least, these are things ponies use to define me in some dusty old books somewhere. In all seriousness though, you can just call me Faust.” The voice asserted.

Upon hearing the name Twilight states, "I’m sorry.”

The voice follows with, “I beg your pardon?”

The filly explains, “Your parents must not like you enough if they name you after a faucet. Seems to me like they wanted you to get picked on at school.”

“I… Wha… I don’t know how to respond to that…” she was at a temporary loss for words before recovering enough to command once more. “Look! You’re not even supposed to be here yet --in fact nopony your age should be able to be here and survive-- and in the coming decade shi—I mean… manure is about to go down and you need to be alive in order to fix it. Now then, back into the crack from whence you came!”

With that final order, the little unicorn scurried off into the distance where the fissure between the ethereal realm and the physical world awaited her. Taking one last breath, the filly jumped through just in time to stop her magical destruction of the school.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The next thing Twilight saw, after opening her eyes, were two forelegs, each marked by a golden shoe. Still in a daze, she tried to reach for them, only to discover that her body was numb; spent it was from the ordeal. To her surprise, she was covered in a blanket while being surrounded by the teachers from her test. She tried to listen in on their serious conversation, but found herself too exhausted for such things.

“I’m telling you, we have to attach a permanent suppressor ring on her!” the first professor exclaimed.

“Forget the ring! She’ll probably melt it, better to lock her up with bars laced with sea salt!” the second retorted.

“What do you think she is!?! A demon from Tartarus? Besides, you know just as well as I do that we can’t just lock her up. We don’t have that authority; and even if we could, we still have to contend with the Bill of Rights. I say we just have the horn surgically removed,” the third finally chimed in.

“Are you serious!?! That’s an extremely greater offense than unlawful detainment! There’s no way our careers would survive the ethics board if we so much as conduct preliminary work of that sort on a child! Or anypony for that matter!” the fourth one shot back.

The third professor then rationed, “Perhaps if we can get her parents to sign off on—“

At that point Ms. Velvet (who was thankful for no longer being a part of the local flora) lashed out, “Like bucking Tartarus we’re going to let you touch our girl you demented sack of quacks! Seriously, what were you thinking when you decided to make children try and hatch a DRAGON egg of all things!?! I know experts with PhDs on the subject who can’t even do it!”

After the trio felt the wrath of a mother upon them the first of the stooges tried to reason their way out, “For your information, the whole purpose of the test isn’t to succeed, it’s to make the prospective student exert their deepest reservoir so that we can measure their untapped potential. However, your daughter has TOO much magical reserves stored in her; assuming there’s even a limit! She’s a walking natural disaster waiting to happen and there’s nothing we can do as far as training her to keep that raw supply in check!”

From Twilight’s perspective, she saw the other two teachers posing in a stoic manner, attempting to reaffirm their colleague’s position. By this point, they were trying to regain whatever composure that they lost from events that she was responsible for. However, things were far too late as their tactless outbursts (backed by their panicked reasoning) on the matter of a filly with an unprecedented magical surge only garnered them a look of scorn from the ‘elephant’ in the room.

As Celestia was about to give three out of the four leading members of her faculty a good verbal rebuke, the little pony who was the centre of the argument began to become lucid once again. Still with a blanket covering her back, the child started to lift herself up. After taking in the surroundings, Twilight let out a sigh of relief as the room appeared in good order (aside from the roof), no thanks to her explosive performance. However, upon further inspection of the giant hooves in front of her, the lavender unicorn looked up to see the figure of a giant alicorn with expensive regalia adorning her body. She froze that instant.

“Twilight Sparkle,” the ruler said in a motherly tone.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean—“ the filly started, but was soon interrupted.

“You have a very special gift. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a unicorn with your raw abilities,” Celestia adds during her interruption.

“Huh!?!” was all Twilight was able to say. This was clearly not the response she had expected.

“At least, that’s what I should be saying when you WERE a unicorn,” the oversized alicorn added.

Now afraid, Twilight tried to ask, “Wha—what do you mean when I was?”

Celestia said nothing, merely pointed her fore hoof at the blanket over the child’s back. Turning her head around, Twilight noticed two identical humps in the cover. The fact that she was unable to notice a difference up to this point is unsurprising; her body was still aching from the whole affair. Wanting to understand the meaning behind Celestia’s statement, the little ‘time and space breaking’ pony took off the layers of cloth between her and whatever the Princess was pointing at.

Taking off the covers was the point of no return as the unveiling of a set of wings that captured the eyesight of everypony in the room. For about a full minute or two, every soul (the prospective student included) dropped their jaws to the floor; none were able to believe the sight before them. After some recovery, three out of the four teachers started to look at each other nervously. While they probably had a point that nopony in the school’s staff was adequate to deal with little Ms. Sparkle’s level of power, their rather heartless suggestions for handling the situation were becoming more and more like the death knell of their careers.

So far however, Twilight was the only one who still hadn’t grasped the full situation as she began to speak, “I… I see…”

Noticing the sad face Celestia questioned, “Twilight?”

“I couldn’t control my magic, so you decided to turn me into a pegasus, right?” the pitiful little thing begins.

“Twilight—“ Celestia tried to chime in.

“I mean… I get it, I have too much magic and nopony can help me. Also, I nearly destroyed the school… perhaps even the whole world by ripping open holes in space and time. At least, that’s what I heard,” the non-unicorn continued.

“Twilight,” the Princess, once again, attempted to halt the self-loathing speech.

“It’s okay, I understand. I’m a bad pony and this is all part of my sentence. Open-shut case! I already know I’m guilty, so best just send me to my hearing,” the rant went on…

“Twilight!” the ruler exclaimed in a futile attempt at gaining the filly’s attention.

The filly continued, “I’ll miss levitating all my books around and I really wish I could have helped my brother next time he steals from the cookie jar. But, now I have to do the time. I sure hope he’ll come and see me during visiting hours—“

“TWILIGHT!!!” Celestia finally broke out the Canterlot voice.

The little one is shocked by the outburst and everypony in the room now stares at the white alicorn. She speaks up, “Ahem! Now then, my little pony, I think you are misinterpreting what is happening.”

Twilight gave her a look of doubt.

“Touch your forehead and you will understand,” Celestia instructed.

The filly, Twilight Sparkle, did what she was told and placed a hoof on her forehead. As she tried this, the pony was stopped part-way when a pointy object was felt. After a few second of repeating the process, the filly finally understood that something was off.

“Wait! Wings… and a horn… Wings… and a horn… Wings and a horn!” the new alicorn exclaimed in surprise.

“I think you are finally getting it—“ Celestia attempted to say; however, she found herself cut off once more.

“Mommy! When you said you and the pegasus milkpony were old friends…” the observant little Sparkle tried to bring up in her best tone for inquiry.

Realising the question that Twilight was trying to ask, Ms. Velvet quickly killed that thought then and there, “It doesn’t work that way, sweetie!”

Celestia was unable to hold back a chuckle. Twilight Sparkle was clearly ahead of her peers when it came to understanding the world; basics in reproduction and law were definitely proof of that. And yet, through her rather thick head, still managed to come off as quite silly. Yep, she was definitely going to be an interesting addition to the royal circle.

“Looks like your daughter is quite the character, despite her prowess in of the mind,” Celestia mentioned to the father after a chuckle.

“That’s my girl. Sharp as a sword, yet dense as a rock,” Night Light replied with a snicker.

“Indeed, I look forward to working with her sometime in the near future,” Celestia added nonchalantly. "State business might be fun for a change."

“That’s nice…” Night Light said before actually comprehending the implied language. “Wait!?! What!?!”

“In the meantime I’ll be more than happy to teach your daughter as my personal student. If nothing else, she’ll be able to control her enormous power through focus study while other trainers teach her the ways of the earth ponies and the pegasi,” Celestia explained as she knew Twilight was going to have to learn beyond the finer points of unicorn abilities if she was to succeed at her side. At least Cadence was going to jump for joy, once the news reached her.

I could really use a stiff cake right about now.

It was early morning and Princess Celestia had started day court on schedule, as she always did. However, there was a difference that particular day with the addition of a number of staff from across all sections of the bureaucratic body within the government. Due to the addition of a new student in her midst, the caretaker of the sun had to begin another round of streamlining and budgeting. This allowed the different departments to work both with better cohesion and self-sufficiency. Guidelines were also updated so as to better enforce current policies without having to go to the Princess directly for approval in every occurrence. By directly reducing her work load, Celestia would have the necessary time to teach Twilight her unicorn based abilities between classes. As the meeting developed and the various branches were ironing out the desired outcome, a peculiar visitor demanded an audience.

“My dearest aunt,” Blue Lord said in an annoying tone. “I simply must speak with you!”

“Why, hello my ‘dear nephew.’ Isn’t this hour early for you?”

“Indeed it is… for you see… I have a very urgent matter that needs your attention right away,” urged the ‘family member.’

Celestia smiled and replied, “Oh!?! I wonder what could that be?”

“Do not play coy with me dearest aunt, the incident at the school yesterday is making headlines as we speak and with such news comes many rumors,” Blue Lord spoke with serious tone.

“Rumors? Please!!! How many times must I tell you to never trust those friends of yours with the tin hats? Honestly, they may be good ponies at heart but one should never take their word at face value—“ teased the Princess before the eventual interruption.

“Do not associate me with those lunatics! That only happened once during grade school, I’ve grown up! Unlike some other ponies, I didn’t waste my whole life thinking humans were real! I spent it enforcing the respect and prestige that my bloodline deserves,” retorted the angry stallion.

Celestia rolled her eyes at ALL those comments and replied with sarcasm, “Yes, I’m sure you did…”

“Which brings me to my current point! Is it true you’ve taken on a new student!?!” Blue Lord fumed.

“Why…Yes! Yes, I have. How did you know?” Celestia couldn’t help but smile in feint.

“I have eyes and ears everywhere my aunt, a requirement for a gentlestallion such as myself who has to look after his family’s future. Especially when such matters involve its decline,” continued the white coated stallion.

“Decline? What in Equestria are you talking about?” the royal exacerbated with the outmost drama.

“Do not play the fool with me dearest aunt! I have tried many times to have you accept my son for your tutelage and have been rejected every single one of them! Now I find that you have chosen another from the common rabble,” the noble proclaimed.

“First of all my ‘nephew,’ who I chose to be my personal student is, shall we say, ‘none of your business.’ Who and why are not based on any form of obligation; there is no arbitrary selection process here. I simply see a pony with great potential and help them soar; their background bears no reflection into the decision. Do not assume that your son is entitled to my teachings and that denying him such is a form of neglect. Secondly, the student in question is no mere ‘common rabble’ as you would like to call it,” the monarch justified.

“Yes, I’ve heard something about that status of hers… So… my son is to be sidelined by some upstart peasant girl who can grow wings!?!” Blue Lord shot back.

Celestia grimaced, she knew the secret couldn’t be kept forever. However, she had hoped that Twilight’s transformation had been placed thoroughly under wraps by those involved. Unfortunately, her ‘dear nephew’ managed to buy off a few working tongues from the staff.

She replied, “So…?”

“So? So? SO!?! Our family has helped guide this country for countless generations and you plan to give a crown to the nearest back street filth you see?” the nephew questioned with smoke coming out of his ears.

Celestia merely shrugged, “She’s an alicorn. An alicorn in what, it's still a mystery, but an alicorn all the same. What do you want me to do?”

“You’re allowing a pony of her birth into the highest order in the land!” Blue Lord continued.

“Your point?” the Princess retorted.

“My point!?! Everypony knows that only the fit with strong inheritance can truly run the country. Our ancestors were strong and brilliant, thus we are strong and brilliant because their blood flows in our veins. Hereditary superiority is the law of nature. I believe it was Chestnut Darn’ Wit who proclaimed that survival was of the fittest,” the delusional unicorn tried to lecture.

I knew Sir Darn’ Wit and he never said that, nor did he ever advocate such misuse of his work.

“Really?” Celestia asked

“Really,” the stallion replied.

“Really…?” the Princess shot back.

“Really,” he said again.

“Really!?!” the Princess said again.

“Really!” the unicorn didn’t give up.

“What about Cadence?” Celestia mused at the obvious flaw in her ‘nephew’s’ argument.

“Miss Mi Amore Cadenza? She is a special case. The lack of knowledge surrounding her birth parents gives the Princess a certain deniability. Plus, if you recall she was rescued when we made her go through the adoption process with our families. Noble line or not, she is being brought up by proper stock. The same cannot be said about this filly who has been allowed to return to those peasant simpletons,” Blue Lord proclaimed with his chin up.

I really should consider the legality of a personal lion tamer.

“First of all, Cadence was not ‘saved’ as you proclaimed. The adoption was merely an offer based on convenience when her ascension became apparent. It was never an attempt to remove her foster parents from her life. As a matter of fact, she still keeps regular contact with them to this day. Secondly, if you are insinuating that the current filly undergoing this process needs to be taken from her family and given to other ponies with entitlement issues, then you should quit while you’re ahead. There are trying years ahead for that pony and she needs all the love, and support that her real relatives can give her.” The ruler finished with a stern look.

“This… this conversation isn’t over dear aunt,” was all the outraged stallion mustered as he staggered off.

Celestia waited until her ‘nephew’ left the room to take a deep breath and sighed, “Mother hoofer!”

At that point the civil servants still in the room dropped their jaws while staring at their Princess. They were clearly unprepared to hear such vulgarity from their usually calm and collected ruler.

“What? You were all thinking it,” Celestia said to cure their disbelief. Admittedly, some of them did chuckle.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The night before…

As evening approached Princess Celestia found herself in the dining room with three very peculiar guests. Two were Night Light and Twilight Velvet, and the third was their daughter who had recently transformed into an alicorn. This had all happened earlier that day when their child attempted to pass the entrance exam to attend the school for gifted unicorns. Suffice to say, Twilight Sparkle tore the roof off.

In the aftermath of that event the family was invited to dine with their country’s leading head of state to discuss the finer points of little Miss Sparkle’s immediate future; the two biggest issues being Twlight’s tutelage and clearing up the remaining confusion around her ascension after her ethereal escapade. Once dinner was over the discussion picked up.

“So let me get this straight, I’m not actually a pegacorn hybrid?” Twilight said while still trying to put the pieces together.

“Yes, that is correct,” Celestia replied in hopes of getting the filly to understand.

“And my dad is actually my dad?” the filly asked while turning towards her parental figures.

“Yes! I can attest for that evening. Your mother even has a ledger,” Night Light retorted with a grin.

“Ho—Honey!” Velvet struggled to say with great embarrassment from her husband’s bold proclamation in front of their child and ruler.

“What? We both know how Twilight’s mind works. She would’ve kept asking about the date and time until we give her everything,” the father replied.

“But that still doesn’t rule out—“ Twilight tried once again to reiterate her limited knowledge on the situation.

“Listen, in all the centuries that I have lived there is no successful record of a pony with parents from two of the three tribes inheriting the magical traits from both groups. A pony’s body is made only to acquire ONE of the three physical attributes that any individual can undertake. They might have inert magical properties that stay dormant from the second spouse, but the body ultimately takes on one dominant form,” The sun ruler explained to the (still) confused student.

“Okay… But, had there been ponies who tried to mix the two up? Pegasus and unicorn I mean?” the curious miniature alicorn inquired.

Celestia took a minute to breathe in and answered with a sober expression, “Unfortunately, yes… Some of the more ambitious nobles had attempted to experiment with that idea in order to try and pass off their offspring as ‘royalty.’ Needless to say they all failed and some of the ones that were more scientifically inclined created nothing more than poor victims. No matter how many times I had to pass laws against eugenics ‘research’ there were always those willing to believe in that hoax in order to secure their families’ political futures.”

“Princess?” was all Twilight could say as she saw her new mentor’s saddened eyes and overall grim look.

As if the mood had changed, Celestia turned her frown upside down and made a face of joy, and excitement. She exclaimed, “Now then… WHO WANTS CAKE!?!”

With that the desert cart rolled into view and each member at the table chose from a variety of options that were made available. Celestia chose her chocolate assortments, Night Light and Velvet each shared vanilla and the newborn alicorn took carrot (her usual favorite). With great horror the parental figures witnessed Celestia gobble down a full cake, leaving behind no trace that it ever existed aside from the blotches of mousse, syrup and icing on her cheeks.

“Well, now we know where our income taxes are going towards,” Night Light said with a chuckle.

Eyes widening, Celestia almost forgot that she wasn’t eating alone as she was accustomed to. She was concentrating so much on the cake that she never thought to preserve her public image in front of them. However, thinking about it for a second made her realise there was little point to it anymore. They were in the process of being part of her inner circle anyway.

Thus, rather than recover her usual posture she merely shrugged, “if you must know all these little delights (as well as other personal luxuries) are paid for by the proceeds from my private estates. Which, by the way, were bought long ago during personal ventures of mine with money that was loaned from the Bank of Manehattan. Not a single tax bit is ever spent on any and all guilty pleasures I happen to fancy.”

“So… is the slobbering, slurping and smothering without parents nagging at you a free bonus?” little Sparkle asked out of curiosity over the fact that none of the staff interrupted the eating scene.

“Twilight!” Velvet told her daughter with a scorn.

“Think of it this way. When one of the court’s nobles walks in on you with pointless demands that just ‘couldn’t wait’ for whatever mundane reasons, their expressions are priceless!” the ruler admitted.

At that point both Night Light and Velvet gave their leader a look, both with an eyebrow raised.

“Believe me, when they keep interrupting you 'off the clock' and refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer, you’d do just about anything to drive them off,” Celestia revealed without shame.

Twilight Sparkle laughed at that statement. So far the Princess wasn’t the punishing kind of royal she often read about in books. Rather, she was friendly and had a big sense of humour. Honestly, she had expected to be in the dungeon for all the property damage. Although, she wasn’t sure if the castle even had a dungeon to begin with. Then again, no castle was ever complete without a dungeon in her mind.

Remembering why they were there, little Twilight spoke up, “Uhm… Princess, if I’m not some sort of hybrid pony then what am I?”

After Celestia whipped her mouth with a napkin she responded, “Twilight Sparkle, you are a special type of pony called an alicorn.”

The filly gasped, “Wait, alicorn… alicorn… I know I’ve read that word somewhere. Isn’t that what you are?”

“Yes… Basically, what makes an alicorn different from other ponies is that he/she has the magical and physical properties from all three major subgroups active at once,” said the chocolate cake menace.

“But you said—“ the filly tried to add.

“That hybridisation was impossible and that any attempt to create a winged unicorn to pass off as a legitimate alicorn always failed. A pony’s body was made to take only one single dominant form. These fundamental facts are still true,” replied the Princess.

“Then how—“ was all Twilight managed.

“Simple, your surge,” retorted the mentor.

“My surge?” Twilight questioned.

“Yes! You see, while it is true that a pony’s body typically specialises in one of the three physical forms as a base, they also transcend the realm of magic. Magic, as you may know, resides in all living things. It is a metaphysical energy that surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the world together. Like the planet’s ecosystem, it tries to find balance with itself. It is a complex web that, if tapped into, can give any creature enormous power; enough power to break the natural dominant form your body has accepted and imbue all three basic traits. In other words, magical stability is maintained not by sufficing with one physical form. Instead, balance is restored by embracing all of them to accomplish a much greater and somewhat universal task,” Celestia lectured.

“Universal task?” the lavender pupil asked.

“Let me give you an example, me. As the pony in charge of the sun it is my solemn duty to make sure the day and night cycle is kept. Since the sun is important for all ponies, regardless of their form (as well as all other life for that matter), I am therefore beyond association with one of the three traditional tribes,” the solar monarch reasoned with the filly.

“But… didn’t the unicorns used to do that without the need for an alicorn?” the little alicorn questioned.

“They did… However, there were certain major complications that occurred. One, the unicorns involved were greatly taxed by such a task and were expected to live short lives because of it. Two, since control over the sun and the moon was monopolised by a single tribe, that tribe often raised and set the celestial bodies on a schedule in accordance to their needs over all else. Thus, they accomplished this task with what was best for unicorns and not what was best for all ponies in mind. Can you imagine the difficulties it brought the earth ponies when trying to grow crops? This was a point of contention even after the events of Heart’s Warming Day. Thus, embracing my special talent is what helped put an end to the bickering. After all, as a physical embodiment of all three tribes, I was the ‘neutral’ mediator in scheduling the day and night cycle. Right now your foalsitter, Princess Cadence, is in the exact same boat as the alicorn of love since it is both a physical phenomenon and an abstract concept that transcends all ponies,” the royal figure in the room finished.

It was at this point Twilight was deep in thought to try and place all the pieces that were thrown at her today. Meanwhile, Celestia looked on with a smile to see when the proverbial light bulb would flick.

Okay, so let’s look at the facts. I’m an alicorn, ponies become alicorns when they tap into this ‘magical realm’ Princess Celestia spoke of. This was probably where I met the voice in the crack. Alicorns are unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies all in one. They’re often seen as the ‘go to’ whenever problems develop between ponies because they are ‘natural’ mediators for all three groups. They serve a function for all ponies and so far they are all prin—

Twilight’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. The thought hit her like a tonne of bricks. She looked at the white alicorn’s direction and saw mischievous smile on her face, as if waiting to say something. The filly read the situation and did the only thing she thought she could possibly do. She tried gagging to throw up her food.

“Uhm… what are you doing?” Celestia asked.

“I’m trying to get rid of the food poison,” replied the (quite) smaller alicorn.

“Food poison!?! What makes you think there’s poison in your dessert?” asked the concerned ruler.

“Isn’t it obvious!?! I’m from a completely different family, which makes me a usurper to the throne! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! I have to find one of the guard medics to pump my stomach! No, wait! They’re probably all in on it! Best just escape and then—“ the child tried to continue her panic rant but was halted by a hoof to the mouth.

What does she think this is, Ponies and Thrones? Why would anypony assume I’d do that?

“Calm down! I, Celestia, never used—and will never use—food poisoning to further my own political cause,” the Princess said with calm and motherly smile.

“So… You’ll use the crocodile pit instead?” the filly got out when the mouth was freed.

“I don’t have a crocodile pit. Although… there is this certain stallion from the Blue family I’d like to try that on,” mused the humorous royal.

Twilight drooped her ears with a nervous expression and pressed on, “So… that’s a maybe?”

“Never, where have you heard such horrible practices?” Celestia inquired.

“History books,” was Twilight’s reply.

Does she even read from the kid's section?

“Well… out of all the political figures you’ve read about that did such things, was my name mentioned among them?” the guardian of the sun asked.

“No… but the whole point is to do it without getting caught, right?” the uncertain child answered back.

…Really…?

“My dearest Twilight, the transformation into alicornhood is one of great prosperity and achievement for all of ponykind. It is a rare gift that has happened only four times since Equestria’s founding. Each and every one of us has a role to play that cannot be fulfilled by another. To simply impede on such destiny as a means to fulfil my own ambitions would result in not only my personal overthrow, but would result in the collapse of all that is abundant and stable in our realm. I believe the fall of Griffonstone is proof enough of how unstable such a regime would be.” The elder alicorn finished with hope that her new student finally understood the situation.

“So… you’re actually okay with sharing political power?” the pupil carefully asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind delegating some of my responsibilities to an elected parliament. If only the nobles would stop bit—being bile about it,” Celestia corrected herself.

Both Velvet and Night Light were stunned at that last remark. They apparently never thought their ruler could be so progressive in her political outlook.

The princess looked towards them, raised an eyebrow and replied, “What? You try running a bureaucracy single hoofed for a thousand years while the privileged caste plays hooky all day.”

As the group finished eating they discussed the finer points of little Sparkle’s lesson plan and some of the details about overnight stays at home and at the castle. While permanently moving into the castle was much simpler, the adult trio decided against this since Twilight still needed her family’s support for the trialing times ahead. Not to mention nopony wanted their future Princess to be under the influence of the unsavory characters that frequented the courts. With that, the family parted for the guest bedrooms and all business was done for the night.

It’s alright my precious, I would never sully your sweet coat of icing with meager poisonous additives. That filly knows not what she says!

It was the afternoon on the second day, post-ascension. Guards and other staffers were mumbling away at the rumors and sightings. While no official statement was made with regards to the existence of a new alicorn, talk was brewing in the higher establishments. Even the public at large was hearing tales about what transpired at the school. Witnesses were interviewed, wild speculations were created made and bets were made. Twilight Sparkle, both oblivious and uninterested to such things, was in the medical ward undergoing tests and a physical. The pony conducting the tests, Doctor Rubber Glove, was Celestia’s best trained physician. He was sharp, witty and had a good sense of humor (qualities the Princess liked). The only major concern was his constant scorn for Celestia’s lack of empathy when ignoring his recommended cutback on sweets.

“Alright… now say ‘ahh,’” Doctor Rubber Glove said.

“Aaaahhhhh…” Twilight responded.

Doctor Glove reached out with his tongue depressor to inspect the throat of his new patient. Once he became satisfied with his observations he quickly retracted the implement to further write on his clipboard. As he finished taking notes the lavender filly was dismissed to the little filly’s room. After compiling his findings, the good doctor waved Celestia into his office to discuss the finer points of Twilight’s new body.

“Well, how was her checkup Mr. Glove?” Celestia asked.

“To be honest, she’s perfectly healthy as far as I can tell. She told me about the rather intensive pain she felt during the ‘incident.’ Her body ached violently, probably due to the nature of her transformation. I can’t say Cadenza’s records indicate anything of the sort. Then again, all known accession linked events are different from one another. Well… with the exception of you and ‘you know who,’ but that’s beside the point. There’s nothing wrong with either her horn or her chest, there are no long term negative effects to note from what I can see,” Rubber Glove replied.

“That’s good to hear,” the white alicorn smiled.

“Yes… However, I did find one peculiar phenomenon you should probably know about,” the doctor mentioned.

“Oh?” the Princess raised an eyebrow.

“As you know, in order for any pony to be legally considered an alicorn they need to be examined by a certified medical professional after multiple rigorous tests are passed. Twilight, being who she is, did have active earth pony hoof manipulation and her wings were authentic. She even managed to touch a cloud,” explained the medical professional.

“Then, what’s the problem?” the ruler pressed on.

“Not a problem per say, but I took the liberty of measuring her horn and wings and found that they were very close to the average size for her age range. In fact, her horn only grew about 2mm in total since her last checkup a few weeks prior to the entrance exam.” he proclaimed.

“Your point?” Celestia wanted to get to the heart of the matter.

“Based on your own family records (as ancient and unreliable as they are) and my time with Miss Cadenza, Twilight Sparkle’s horn and wingspan should be longer than what they currently are. They should be extended beyond what is expected for her size,” doc finished explaining.

“She’s still a filly, I wasn’t exactly carrying a pony sized horn myself at that age,” the ruler retorted.

“Perhaps, I’m not exactly working with a large population sample here. However, I feel as though she may not be fully awakened…” said the professional.

“Fully wakened?” Celestia was perplexed.

“Let me put it this way, while her test results in the usage of alicorn based magic are a strong showing, they don’t go ‘off the charts’ as one would expect. It is my belief that Twilight, despite tapping into ethereal and awakening her new found powers, still has a significant portion of her abilities locked away in a dormant state,” Rubber Glove finally got his point across.

“I see…” this got the Princess thinking.

“Do you know what kind of alicorn she is, or what her role will be?” doc asked.

“I’m not sure, her special talent is magic itself. However, as far as alicorn speciality is concerned that could mean a lot of things,” concluded the solar guardian.

“Any guesses?” the good doctor inquired.

“I do know her surge is directly correlated with the sonic rainboom from moments prior. I have already asked a private investigator up in Cloudsdale to look into that particular event,” Celestia mentioned.

“Why not just delegate that task to one of your guards?” Mr. Glove became curious.

“I can’t, the nobility have too many eyes and ears inside the palace. If any information about who’s responsible for that achievement gets out, they’d pounce on it. With two ascensions in one lifetime (something that should be statistically impossible), some would try anything to add themselves unto that short list. They’d fail, but they would try nonetheless,” the ruler answered.

“The dirty game of politics,” said the whimsical medical expert.

“Oh, don’t even get me started on those pompous di—“ Celestia tried to continue until she noticed Twilight trotting back into the room.

“Diet? Yes! I’ll make sure to plan my student’s meals in accordance with her new schedule, her taxing magical usage and her growth spurt.” The Princess tried to cover up.

I hope she buys it.

Twilight looked at Celestia and her broad smile, clearly she didn’t buy it.

“Uhm… Did I interrupt something?” the filly asked.

“No! Not at all! Doctor Rubber Glove was just giving a few recommendations for my teaching methodology based on your current age, size and other physiological considerations,” Celestia exclaimed.

Twilight still didn’t quite believe her new teacher’s explanations. Upon taking a minute to reflect she came to a conclusion and said, “It’s alright Princess, you don’t have to be like that in front of me.”

Wait, she knows about swearing? Velvet and Night Light don’t seem like those kinds of parents.

The filly smiled and continued, “I know it must be embarrassing, but you don’t have to hide it.”

“Hide what?” Celestia asked.

“It’s okay, there are tonnes of ponies out there who suffer from type two diabetes,” Twilight said with sympathy.

“Dia-- What?” The caretaker of the sun was perplexed.

Doctor Rubber Glove chimed in with a devious smile and resplied, “That’s exactly what I’ve been telling her, but noooooooo! She has to be in denial.”

Twilight responded with a ‘knew it’ look and nodded. She continued, “Understandable, it would be unfitting for a Princess to be ill from a disorder that’s self-inflicted. I mean, it was bound to happen with all the cake I’ve seen her eat so far. Not to mention she's already past her forties, so odds become greater.”

Heresy!

“Quite so! Luckily, Celestia’s alicorn abilities can render what is normally a permanent disease into a temporary affliction. However, she may have to go on the diet (that we discussed) for the next little while,” the good doctor uttered in a quasi-serious tone with a wide smile across his face.

Being an alicorn with a healing factor and a high rate of metabolism means I can’t get diabetes at all!

As Dr. Glove finished Twilight formed an idea inside her head that made the filly squeal in delight. She continued, “Oh! Oh! I can help her with that. I should add an exercise regime to our lessons, I can even get a workout record from Rich’ Hair Cinnamons.”

“Good idea, sitting on the throne all day has done a number on her rather large figure,” doc teased.

What are you implying?

Twilight was rather pleased with herself, her first act as an alicorn was going be helping the current Princess get back in shape to look her best and avoid the humiliation of having her eating disorder go public. At the same time, she was going to repay Celestia for helping her learn magic. A rather fitting start in her journey on the path that fate had set for her. As for the ruler herself, she tried to voice a protest but the filly (being too caught up in her mind) took one of the office’s clipboards in her magical grip. Jotting down ideas, she went back in the lobby to go through some of the health magazines for inspiration. She hummed as she went along, completely ignorant of her teacher’s dismay.

Celestia turned her gaze towards her private physician, she was clearly unamused with his him as he stopped holding back the chuckles that built up. The Princess led out, “You’re lucky that you’re the best medical professional in all of Canterlot!”

“Well, it’s about time you listened to this medical professional’s advice about your dessert eating habits,” retorted Rubber Glove with grin.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Celestia was leaving the medical wing of the castle with her new student in tow. That student, Twilight Sparkle, trotted along with a hum as she was finalising the Princess’ workout plan. While Celestia didn’t show it, her outlook was rather bleak. In trying to cover up her conversation she unwittingly allowed Twilight’s misreading nature prevent her from feasting on her special comfort foods for the next few weeks (and her own physician just had to play along).

Just as Celestia thought that things weren’t able to get any worse, a familiar face appeared.

“My dearest aunt, so good to see you again,” Blue Lord proclaimed.

“I wish I could say the same, but alas I’m not in the necessary mood,” Celestia deadpanned.

“Oh? Had something come up?” Blue lord inquired.

“Nothing that you need to worry about my dear ‘nephew’ of the Blue family,” the Princess answered back.

“I hope things have gone well with the filly’s tests,” the ‘nephew’ said in his feint act of concern.

Celestia saw through the false performance and replied, “Indeed they have, I am pleased to report that Twilight Sparkle is medically recognised as a true alicorn and is officially eligible for coronation. The results will be shared with other medical professionals so that none may dispute them under unreasonable grounds.”

“I see… Well then, I believe some form of ‘congratulations’ is in order?” Blue Lord asked rhetorically.

“It is,” Celestia retorted.

“Of course, being eligible for the crown and being able to maintain it are two separate issues,” mused the rude stallion in a snide remark.

“Who is this, Princess Celestia?” Twilight wanted to know.

“This… This is ‘Prince’ Blue Lord, my great, great, great, great times I lost count, ‘nephew.’ He fancies himself with ‘importance,’” Celestia said in a subtle tone of sarcasm. The stallion merely responded by raising his chin.

“Blue Lord? Is that why he doesn’t look too happy?” Twilight asked.

“I beg your pardon?” Blue Lord raise an eyebrow.

“I once heard in kindergarten that an entity named Discord was called the ‘Lord of Chaos’ because he brought disharmony to the world. Made things crazy. Does that mean you’re the Lord of all that is sad and miserable?” the little alicorn inquired out of curiosity. Celestia finally felt a certain amount of cheer return to her.

“What? No! Blue is just a name passed down from the earliest days of our house,” replied Blue Lord in an ‘off guard’ manner.

“So… your entire house is filled with sadness and misery? Uhm… I don’t want to be rude, but you should consider moving to a much happier place. May I suggest next to Donut Joe? That shop always cheers me up,” Twilight finished with an innocent smile.

The high ranking member of the nobility just stood there with an eye twitching. This filly had dared to mock the most prestigious family line in the land. Worst of all, she did it so openly without any of the proper speech fitting of high standing. While this was happening, Celestia placed a hoof over mouth to try and hold back a giggle.

“I… Uh… I think I’ll go and perform my routine ‘duties,’” was all the entitled ‘Prince’ was able to utter as he walked away from the scene.

The little alicorn filly observed the way he left. She turned towards her teacher and asked with worry, “Uh… Did I say something wrong?”

“Twilight Sparkle… keep up what you’re doing,” was Celestia’s response with a smile.

“Doing what?” the student pondered in confusion.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As the second day after the entrance exam drew to a close the two alicorns went to the dining hall. On their way, Twilight had much to think about. The past few days had been nothing but hectic for her and she managed to know far more about Princess Celestia than she had expected to in a whole lifetime. She admired the ruler and managed to form an informal bond with her thanks to special circumstances, even though she had been afraid of possible repercussions due to the transformation.

Wanting to know more, Twilight pressed a question, “Uhm, Princess? There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

“What’s that Twilight?” Celestia responded.

“Yesterday, you said Alicornism only happened when a pony (regardless of category) made full contact with the plane of magic. I was just wondering, what kind of pony were you before your transformation?” the filly asked nervously.

“I don’t know,” the Princess said.

“You don’t know?” Twilight showed doubt in the answer.

“I was already an alicorn by the time I was born,” was Celestia’s reply.

“But, that can’t be right! Based on the discussion yesterday, genealogy doesn’t factor into the creation of alicorns. No, wait! What if—“ the young pony was cut off by her teacher who placed a hoof over her mouth.

Celestia quickly responded, "I know what you are thinking, my new student. The answer is no; my parents were not alicorns themselves. Even if they were, I would still have to have gone through the transformation process on my own.”

“Then, how?” Twilight didn’t believe it.

“Simple, I did what you did. I just happened to have done it much earlier than you,” the large alicorn felt a shot of pride as she stood triumphantly at her own remark.

“You… became an alicorn when you were a fetus?” the smaller alicorn was perplexed.

“To put it bluntly, yes. I don’t know how it happened, but not long after conception my feeble body was tied to the sun. As far as guessing what type of pony I would have been, I’d like to think a unicorn to be the likely form. Of course, this is only speculation based on the fact that there’s a long line of unicorns from my mother’s side of the family,” Celestia explained.

“Did she suffer from depression like your nephew?” began Twilight as she tried to picture the rest of Celestia’s family.

After chuckling at the comment the Princess answered, “Not in the slightest, her smiles were as warm as the sun itself. She was cheerful, down to earth, knew how to make ponies laugh. Traits that, unfortunately, were not shared with the rest of her family.”

“She must have been nice. Do you miss her?” the filly asked without much thought.

“Every day, she’s that special,” Celestia replied with a sad, but glowing smile.

“Will I have to miss my family too someday because of what I am?” Twilight inquired, knowing some idea of what awaited her in the future.

Looking at the sad face in front of her, Celestia did only what her mother could do, “My silly little pony, do not fret over the fact that one day those closest to you will fly off like leaves in the wind. Instead, grab hold over what they leave behind and enjoy the moment while it’s there. Yes, my mother may have moved on, as all should, but her legacy can still be felt everywhere you turn. History may have forgotten her, but let it be said that without her I wouldn’t be here enjoying the company of a bright *yet dense* filly such as yourself.”

Blushing at the remark, Twilight felt her fears dissipating. Without much warning she felt a humongous wing grab hold of her, pushing the filly against the soft coat of Equestria’s leading ruler. She tried to struggle, but the soft fur of Celestia’s coat was too comforting. She gave up and just accepted the warmth for what it was, she snuggled for some time.

“Now then, let’s see if we can’t cheer ourselves up further with a sweet—“ the Princess was cut off.

“Nice try, doctor’s orders!” The filly triumphantly said in response to her teacher’s attempt at a ‘fast one.’

Crud…

After failing to best Twilight’s attention span the alicorn of the sun brought her younger counterpart to the dining hall where the filly’s parents awaited them. Making up an excuse about double checking certain paperwork, Celestia left the room for a good twenty minutes to meet an expected contact. After sitting in a designated area in the gardens she turned her head at an ‘empty’ corner.

“I see you’ve brought your trademark invisibility cloak, Mr. Trick n’ Veil Time…” the Princess said quietly.

“Well, you did say to travel incognito. Not to mention the fact that it was you who specifically hired me; I figured this job was probably of national importance,” concluded the hidden figure.

“You could say that. Now, how about you remove that extra garment before somepony finds me talking to that hedge behind you,” the solar monarch said with a snicker.

With the sound of a ‘whoosh’ a new face emerged from the shadows. In an instant, Celestia was able to see the marble coloured pony with golden eyes, his chocolate mane, a black fedora hat, and the signature tan trench coat.

After giving a polite bow the figure spoke, “So… you wanted to know all about that sonic rainboom that caught the attention of all the meteorologists a few days ago?”

Without hesitation the Princess replied, “Yes, what details did you find?”

“Straight to the point I see. Very well, I did dig up some rather interesting facts,” was his response.

“Those being?” Celestia pressed on.

“Turns out… the whole thing was instigated by a young multi-coloured filly named Rainbow Dash while competing in a race. Quite the fitting name for a pony who can create something like that at an early age. Even got a cutie mark to show for it too,” Trick n’ Veil Time stated with some curiosity.

“Wait! A sonic rainboom, a once in a lifetime pegasus technique, was performed by a child?” the alicorn dropped her jaw as she stated her disbelief.

“Yep, strangely enough her friend also managed to get a cutie mark around the same time. Talk about coincidences, right? The private investigator said after a chuckle.

For Celestia, this was all very serious (and very incedible) information. The sonic rainboom, a rare event that had triggered Twilight’s ascension and awakened her special talent, was conducted by another filly who’s probably the same age. Three cutie marks, two prodigies and one alicorn transformation were all somehow connected by a single event. These were not coincidences, probability was too low.

After leaving Celestia to ponder riddles facing her, the detective spoke up again, “While you’re sitting there thinking away Princess, I should probably add this bit as well.”

“Add what?” Celestia was eager for more.

“While I don’t think this little interesting bit has any direct correlation to that filly’s stunt, some of the kids have mentioned a very peculiar sighting,” Veil Time kept feeding the royal’s curiosity.

“A sighting… What kind of sighting?” the alicorn demanded.

“Well… supposedly, they saw two adult unicorns arguing on a lone cloud. One of these unicorns, a pink one with a purple poofy mane, was yelling some nonsense while slowly ripping a scroll up. The other one, lavender coat with straight purple bangs and a pink streak, convinced the first to let go of the scroll while uttering something about how to fix friendships. After that, some baby looking purple lizard or dragon caught the parchment just as the light show in question took place. They disappeared into some portal thing seconds later,” the private eye gossiped away.

“That… that doesn’t make sense!” exclaimed Celestia.

“Well, it doesn’t until you add the part where the lavender unicorn also adorned a pair of wings,” he added nonchalantly.

Celestia turned her head quickly with wide eyes as she caught the triumphant smile on the detective’s face. He knew! He somehow knew!

“You! You snooped into my palace didn’t you?” the Princess accused the private investigator.

“What did you expect? You called me up less than a day after a kaiju of sorts broke through your roof for the entire world to see, all within minutes of a ‘once in a lifetime’ event that you hired me to investigate explicitly. The fact that I was paid directly with cash (instead of a bank order) and that you didn’t try to use one of your guards were good indicators that you didn’t want anypony of particular importance to get wind of this. I don’t go into politically motivated cases blindly your highness,” finished the sharp witted detective.

“Hmm!” Celestia pouted.

“If it’s any consolation, Twilight Sparkle is a good kid. She’ll certainly be a force to change Equestria for the better. I’ll make sure to keep tabs on her in case some upstarts decide to get any bright ideas,” Trick n’ Veil Time replied.

“How generous of you,” the Princess added as if to question the offer.

“Not all children’s cases end with ‘happy ever after’ Princess. Things might be looking up right now, but no future is guaranteed with the number of enemies she’s made in the establishment. I hope I’ve answered everything you needed to hear,” the private eye said with concern.

“More than you can imagine, thank you,” the giant alicorn said with a warm smile.

With that, the detective nodded and wore his cloak once more. In an instant, he vanished under the veil and he was nowhere to be seen.

As Celestia made her way back into the dining hall she thought about everything that happened during the past few days in light of this new information. She considered the implications.

So, Twilight is somehow connected to this ‘Rainbow Dash’ and her friend thanks to a common point of commotion. On top of that, an adult matching Twilight’s appearance and the newly born dragon are seen trying to stop another pony from destroying an important document of some kind. Once that’s done a portal opens up to take them to places unknown, but where? Wait a minute! Star Swirl had a forbidden time traveling scroll! That has to explain it! The other pony must have been trying to prevent its further usage, perhaps to stop Twilight from preserving the flow of events. That’s the only logical explanation I can think of.

Then there’s the friendship related talk. What could that possibly mean? Of course, her cutie mark! Why didn’t this occur to me when I first met her? Was I too distracted by her wings? Damn, I can’t think straight on an empty sweet tooth! Her symbol is exactly like the Element of Magic, accompanied by five other stars.

“It is my belief that Twilight, despite tapping into ethereal and awakening her new found powers, still has a significant portion of her abilities locked away in a dormant state.”

Twilight, your special talent isn’t magic in general! Well, it is… but not on its own… Your talent… Your destiny, lies with the Elements of Harmony! You are tied to those other fillies with the strongest magic imaginable, friendship! Is this the will of the tree? Has harmony itself sent me an agent to succeed where I have failed? No! That would imply I’d be placing her in danger for my own behalf, just to return my sister. The Elements would never allow me to do such a thing; they would surely bring divine providence in such circumstances. FETLOCK BUCKING WITHERS, I NEED MY SELF PRESCRIBED CHOCOLATE DELIGHTS!

Calm down! You’re just suffering from withdrawal symptoms… Twilight can’t catch you eating cake while she’s asleep, can she? Never mind that! Twilight Sparkle… you’re not just another alicorn, you’re thee alicorn. You will have more power than I, Cadence or Luna can possibly imagine. You may not know it yet, but you have a very important role to play as the steward of friendship.

AND FRIENDSHIP MEANS LETTING ME EAT WHAT I WANT!

Ahem! As such, you’ll never have to worry about being alone. You will always have ponies to rely on and open up to, something I’ve missed for a very long time…

LIKE CAKE?

SHUT UP BRAIN!

“One! Two! Work it buddy! Three! Four! Party on! Five! Six! Bust a move! Seven! Eight! Aaaannnnd shake it!” came the voice on the record player.

Celestia was in the middle of her first lesson with Twilight, a levitation exercise with a cardio routine. The Princess still wasn’t exactly thrilled to have to do unnecessary workouts, nor did she particularly like replacing her regular regalia with sweat bands. Of course, this was all due to Twilight’s insistence as she and the physician came to an ‘understanding’ of sorts. It also didn’t help when sugar and cocoa consumption were withdrawn, leaving the huge alicorn in a foul mood (made fouler by the fact that she couldn’t take it out on the filly innocently responsible). Nothing was left but to take it all out on the drill that she was doomed to do.

“Oh, you’re doing good, keep it up!” continued the voice on the vinyl.

Twilight continued trying to hold onto a 30 Kg weight as she danced along with the music. While lifting such an amount on her own was no longer a challenge since the exam, keeping it in the air for minutes at a time (during physical activity no less) was a strain. Despite her will to hang on, sweat as pouring down her head and her endurance was waning. She struggled to keep her concentration at the last moments when the recording was at its end.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnd break! Good workout munchkins, love the form. Tata for now, Rich Hair will see you soon,” Mr. Cinnamons' voice concluded as the needle slid away.

Once the music ended the filly dropped the weight as she was out of breath. After taking the next few minutes to recover the little alicorn turned towards her humongous counterpart drinking from a glass of ice cold water. Once Twilight received one of her own she managed to recover some energy and stood on her hooves.

“Fhew, that last song was very loooonnng,” said the filly.

“I have to say… It’s been a while since I had a good scuffle,” replied the Princess.

“You see? I told you this won’t be too bad,” Twilight chimed with a sense of accomplishment.

“Says the filly who nearly fainted by overexerting herself,” Celestia teased.

“Uhm.. Well… I tried to lead by example?” the young alicorn attempted to justify with embarrassment.

The princess saw the stumble in her student’s confidence and pressed on with a snicker, “Is that so? My gosh, three days into your ascension and already you’re trying to undermine my position. Oh, whatever shall I do?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—“ the filly uttered in a panic.

“And it feels like yesterday when we were able to confirm your new form,” the white alicorn added dramatically.

“But… it was yesterday,” corrected Twilight.

“Are you questioning her royal highness’ faculties my dear student?” Celestia grinned playfully at her remark.

“N-no! But, then again… Alzheimer’s is a problem after sixty and only gets worse over time. Compound this by several centuries and other pre-existing conditions like your diabetic issues, you can expect severe dementia sometime in the near future. If not, right now. You do remember who I am, right? How about the word ‘teacher’? Do you know what a teacher is?” the smaller alicorn let her concerns get the better of her.

Why do I feel as though I’ve gotten hit in the back of the head with a frying pan?

“Yes, I do Twilight; and for that remark… somepony’s getting noogies,” the Princess said with a twisted smile.

“Nooooo!” Was all her precious little student was able to muster when she got scooped up.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Folio Juniper was seasoned among the royal guards, a well-respected one at that. However, unlike his co-workers, his personality was rather flowery. He always went about in a cheery manner that made the most hardened in the service of the crown feel relaxed and at ease. Light hearted was the best two word description anyone ever gave him.

As he hummed along in the hallway he heard some distinct sounds coming from the exercise room in the form of high pitched grunts and a familiar voice.

“I’m sorry, it appears my Alzheimer’s is acting up. Can you please remind me who’s best teacher pony?” Celestia demanded as she continued to rub her hoof over Twilight’s head.

“That—that’s not even grammatically correct!” the filly let out.

“This will only end if you answer the question,” the solar monarch replied.

“You—you are!” the little alicorn gave in.

In quick succession the Princess let go of her student’s head and allowed the filly to recover.

“Having fun your highness?” the guard mused.

“Just giving my student a demonstration in earth pony strength. For educational purposes of course,” Celestia feinted her ‘instructor’ role.

“Meanie!” Twilight was crossed.

“Now, now… it isn’t pretty for an adorable young lady such as yourself to act out in spite,” Juniper reassured the grumpy filly.

While the little alicorn grumbled to herself the stallion reached under his armour and pulled out a purple rose. With no explanation as to where he had gotten it or how he was able to keep it under his gear the guard handed the peace offering.

“Here, this should cheer you up,” Juniper added.

Twilight looked at the rose, smiled and replied, “Thank you, it’s nice to see somepony with manners around here.”

She then took the flower, took a sniff and placed it in her mane. Celestia just rolled her eyes at the act.

“Always one for the ladies,” the much larger alicorn joked.

“Just trying to lighten the mood your highness,” the stallion calmly replied.

“Who’s this?” Twilight questioned.

“This is one of my guards, Mr. Folio Juniper. Of course, it’s probably more accurate to call him my unofficial gardener. Flowers are his expertise, I often get the suspicion that he’s been rearranging things in the Royal Gardens,” Celestia teased.

“Not my fault the landscaper doesn’t have enough variety,” the guard championed.

“What else do you do?” the filly became curious.

“I bring smiles to the many wondrous souls of the world,” he proclaimed.

“More like, flirts with all my female employees,” the Princess said with mischief.

“You mean like the flying chariot tycoon Hover Cues?” Twilight mentioned without restraint.

In an instant, Juniper’s ‘flowery’ demeanor froze and perennials (that were hidden under his metallic wardrobe) began to deflate, and wilt. Clearly, being compared to an egotistical playcolt wasn’t the best compliment he ever had. Celestia, on the other hoof, was trying her best not to burst her guts open in laughter as both her forelegs were pressed against her mouth. This was followed by the guard falling to his side as if a statue was tipped over.

“Why does everypony act so weirdly when I meet them?” the filly exacerbated while poking the stallion.

Celestia rubbed a tear from her eye and gained enough composure to relate, “Oh, Twilight… Sometimes you are just too priceless.”

After taking some minutes to get a bucket of water, Juniper was finally up and went at attention. Once he realised his predicament he chuckled embarrassingly to try and win back any professionalism in his image.

“You’re rather goofy Mr. Juniper,” Twilight remarked.

“Well… it’s not every day you get shot through the heart,” the guard spoke in pain.

Chuckling at that, the child couldn’t help but proclaim, “You’re funny; I like you.” She then proceeded to hug him.

By that point the stallion was blushing visibly as he took in the (not so condescending) compliment.

Celestia noticed the reaction and mused, “My, my… Does the blessings of your new highness move you so?”

Realising his predicament, Folio explained, “Well… it is said that those who have been given an alicorn’s first benison can expect great fortune, infinite opportunities and hearty days.”

“If that’s the case, then perhaps you can cash in on your ‘infinite opportunities’ by foal sitting Miss Sparkle here for the next couple of hours as I deal with afternoon court,” the Princess played along.

“I—of course your majesty!” the guard stuttered.

Celestia smiled and then replied, “Great! Now if you’ll excuse me I must deal with a rabble of inbree—I mean a gathering our most ‘noble’ fillies and gentlecolts who no doubt have questions about the state of ‘our realm.’”

Within a minute, Celestia replaced her sweat bands with the usual regalia she adorned. Once she applied the necessary spell cleansing and perfume, the Princess left the room. Folio Juniper, the lone guard watching over the exceptional filly beside him, was left to his own devices.

With nothing else to do, he turned his head towards the miniature alicorn and asked, “So… what do you want to do?”

As if ready to respond, Twilight floated a book to him and requested, “Can you read this to me, please?”

The stallion took the book in his hooves to observe its content as he replied, “Well, I don’t see why no—this is a journal article published by the Equestrian Psychological Association!”

“Pretty please?” was the only response he received from the filly.

Unable to fight off those big puppy eyes, Juniper sighed and gave in, “Alright! I guess it would only be right for a guard such as myself to learn a thing or two about trauma, erratically hostile behaviour and ways to approach such people.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Twilight exclaimed while bouncing in a circular pattern.

Folio mumbled quietly to himself, “I wonder if there’s anything in here that deals with you?”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Celestia sat in her usual spot in the throne room looking down at the crowd of nobles and other ponies of interest. Some of the more ‘prominent’ families looked hostile while others wore expressions of concern.

The princess hadn’t made any official announcement about the incident a few days prior and segments of the population were demanding answers. Of course, Blue Lord and his closest associates already knew the details. As for the others that were outside the royal circle, they had yet to know the full extent of what was true and what was false when it came to the rumors.

Just behind the aristoponies were members of the press. Their associations went from the Canterlot Citizen, the Hayseed Bugle, the Manehattan Times, and (oddly enough) Ponies’ Choice Magazine. While the event wasn’t an official press conference, journalists nonetheless took the opportunity to follow close behind the nobility due to their unusual gathering. Despite only having less than a hundred nobles and their family members from the Canterlot region, this rare (albeit small) collection almost felt like a micro-meeting of the estates.

As they finished piling into the hall, none dared to be the first to speak. Thus, for the first two minutes there was an eerie silence. Celestia, wanting to break the ice, spoke first. She stated, “Well now, I know you didn’t come here to have tea time with me. How about stating your piece before I run off with my staff to create new taxation guidelines for Revenue Equestria?”

Perhaps out of response to the implications that would bring for the affluent ponies in the room, one green stallion trotted forward. He replied, “We-we are here because of conflicting information with relation to the school incident, your highness.”

“Conflicting you say?” the Princess raised an eyebrow. She had been in this song and dance routine before, but decided to play feint anyhow.

The green stallion continued, “Well... you see… There has been talk with regards to one of the students. They say, among other things, a young unicorn created a magical burst on a scale never previously recorded in history. They also say that this said unicorn may or may not have grown a pair of wings. Uhm… Please correct us if this information is inadequate.”

Celestia raised her head. After making a throat clearing gesture she spoke up, “What you have told me thus far is true. Three days ago, sometime in the late morning, a unicorn pony did transform into Equestria’s newest alicorn.”

At that point, a well-dressed mare opened her mouth, “Then, is it correct for us to assume that the Blue house has produced a ‘worthy heir?’”

The Princess gave a deadpan reply, “I’m sorry to say that this particular pony is not a member of the Blue family, nor a part of the other ‘major’ houses in Equestria.”

The mare pressed on, “Then, which of the more minor families is this prospective student part of?”

Celestia merely uttered the words in a matter-of-fact approach, “None…”

There was a stir in the crowd. At that point, another stallion with a brown coat, a white mane, a monocle and a top hat demanded, “Are—are you saying that this child is a member of…”

He looked to his rear to see the reporters in the far back, taking notes. It was unwise for him to use derogatory words like ‘peasant,’ ‘simpleton,’ ‘plebe,’ ‘hedge-born,’ ‘churl’ or (his personal favorite) ‘crooked-nose knave.’ Instead, he opted for something more positive. He exclaimed, “The common virtue?”

“If that’s the way you wish to describe the vast majority of the populace, then yes. The pony in question is NOT from the heredity pool we currently have,” Celestia said with a subtle hint of pride.

While the second stallion had the wits to choose his words carefully, others were not so prudent. One mare at the front of the herd (who hadn’t cared to observe the journalists too closely) lost all composure and stuttered loudly, “You mean to say we are to swear allegiance to some second class alleyway, guttered filth? Or, perhaps you are considering the sensible option of blocking any eligibility this young upstart may have to the throne based on her ties to the slums?”

As Celestia was about to express her displeasure towards the mare, another particular voice from the crowd decided to deescalate the situation.

“Countess! Such rash and inflammatory words are of no use here. They are uncalled for and bear no precedence in devaluing what is clearly a miracle. Also, Canterlot has been slum free for over two centuries thanks to vigorous socio-economic initiatives and social safety nets,” blurted Fancy Pants.

“Why, if it isn’t the champion of the gutter crawlers himself? What brings you here Mr. Pants?” demeaned the Countess.

“Champion? You give me too much credit. The populace have more than enough agency to represent themselves. As a matter of fact, they have been doing so quite consistently since the ‘Nopony at it Codes’ were written. I am merely just a sympathiser who puts on a number of charities,” Fancy lectured while rubbing his monocle and pulling his blue mustache.

“Don’t ever mention those documents! Our families were ruling Equestria just fine until they were written! It is because of them that our birthrights are a shadow of their, once, former glory,” shot back the Countess.

“Be that as it may, Equestria has certainly benefited from them. However, we are sidetracking the main topic at hoof. The primary reason why we are here today, at least I hope, is to ascertain the wellbeing of a new prospective sovereign. Not, as I fear, to bring up old arguments about blood-line privileges,” the well-groomed mustached stallion stated.

“Hm!” was the Countess’ only response as she turned the other cheek.

Fancy Pants turned towards Celestia with a calm smile and asked, “Now, then… I believe, your highness, you are about to finish your statement on the matter?”

Celestia’s face returned to its simper form and she stated, “Yes, thank you Mr. Fancy Pants. As I was saying, this child isn’t from any of the ‘prominent’ families. Be that as it may, an alicorn is still an alicorn and you WILL accept the pony as such. As for health related concerns, you needn’t worry. All tests results with relation to ascension will be made public in due time. Any questions about a coronation will also be put off for a later date. That is all!”

As the crowd left the room (some grumbling, others whispering) there stood alone one familiar stallion who was eager for a personal audience.

“So, I take you have something else you wanted to ask me?” the Princess inquired.

“Quite so!” replied Fancy Pants.

“You want to see her don’t you?” Celestia cogitated verbally.

“Please…” the stallion put on his best begging face.

The ruler laughed, “Well, you always have been the most sensible of the group.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Back inside the room, Twilight and Folio were working on a map of the brain to understand the different components in the left and right hemispheres of the cerebrum. Specifically, they were looking at case studies involving the occipital lobe after the severing of the corpus callosum through lesioning. Needless to say, the guard was rather uncomfortable with the topic while his little care pressed on with child-like curiosity and enthusiasm.

“So if physical damage were to manifest in the left side, not only would partial visual impairment be an issue, but linguistic skills would fall dramatically while spatial cognitions remain unaffected,” the filly surmised.

As Juniper was rubbing his head with this information, a knock on the door came as a sign of salvation.

As Celestia opened the door she looked at the busybodies in what seemed like a study session. She questioned, “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, your highness. Although, I probably know more about physiological psychology then I can ever think possible,” deadpanned the spent guard.

“Should I ask?” Celestia inquired.

Folio Juniper showed her the book in question and bluntly stated, “That depends; do you want to read her a bedtime story from this?”

“You know what? I think I’ll pass,” the Princess replied.

“My, my… quite the knowledgeable filly we have here. You’re quite more than just the powerful child everypony has heard about,” Fancy Pants remarked cheerfully.

“But, knowledge is power,” Twilight stated as if to question that last statement.

“So it would seem,” the mustached stallion mused playfully after being ‘told.’

Celestia, wanting to introduce the two, chimed in, “Fancy Pants, meet Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle, meet Fancy Pants.”

Twilight gave the well-groomed stallion a look after shaking his hoof and blurted, “But, he doesn’t wear pants. I mean, he’s wearing everything else except the pants. Wait! What if his pants are so fancy that he can only wear them on special occasions? Or, they're soooo super fancy that they look exactly like his fur?”

Fancy Pants laughed at that, there was something about this new alicorn that he was enjoying.

“So, some of the rumors were true! I believe you and I will get along just fine. Now then, as for my name… I’m afraid to say that it is more of a metaphorical reference to my demeanour rather than pure fashion preference,” interjected the pony with the monocle.

“Metaphorical pants? How much do they sell for? Do they charge extra for simile presses?” Twilight mused in her purposeful attempt at a joke.

“Not if you’re as cute as a button,” Fancy played along.

“Does Princess Celestia always surround herself with flirts like you and Mr. Juniper?" the filly retorted.

Wait! What?

“Quite often! Though she seldom admits it, she finds us easier to work with than others. Why?” asked noble stallion.

“Well, I did once read about royals in Saddle Arabia who often had many companions in something called a ha—“ Twilight was interrupted by a golden horseshoe covering her mouth.

Juniper then spoke up, “So, what happened at court today?”

While Celestia shrugged, Fancy Pants replied, “Oh, you know… Same old, same old… Just a few nobles not liking the news and some old fashion grumblings about the Nopony at it Code.”

The guard looked confused, “The nopony what?”

“Nopony at it Code, a legal document established nearly three centuries ago after an upper pony by the name of Gros Pierre took charge when Princess Celestia was out of the country for diplomatic reasons. They say he had a heart of stone when he started cutting the heads off the Canterlot masses whenever they spoke out. When Celestia came back, he and the Jack O'lantern Club were removed from the palace. Thus, to this day nopony in Canterlot puts out a pumpkin on Nightmare Night even though it’s still very common elsewhere,” Twilight lectured.

Celestia raised an eyebrow at this and responded, “Very astute my student.”

I asked this once and I’ll ask it again! Do you ever read from the kids section?

“Ahem! Yes, once the events were over I drafted down legal reforms that ended most of the hereditary privileges, added equal treatment under the law and laid the groundworks for the Bill of Rights. All in the hopes of avoiding a repeat of those days, hence ‘nopony at it,’” the Princess explained.

The guard blinked and asked, “Alright, but what does this have to do with Miss Twilight Sparkle?”

Celestia sighed, “Long story short, some nobles are not happy with the current arrangements.”

Just as the day’s frustrations were building up, the door opened once again to reveal Dr. Rubber Glove.

“Something I can do for you ‘doctor’?” Celestia recoiled. She clearly didn’t want to be reminded of her involuntary dessert strike.

Rubber Glove merely smiled and said, “As a matter of fact, yes. I need to speak with that student of yours.”

“I’m right here,” waved the filly.

“Ah, good! I have something special for you,” doc stated confidently.

“For me?” Twilight was unsure of what to make of it.

“That depends, have you been a good little filly?”

“Oohh... Yes! Yes! I’ve been keeping track of Celestia’s cake intake and helped on her exercise routine,” exclaimed Twilight.

“Good, because I have something here that should help you along as well,” Mr. Glove replied as he gave the little alicorn the package.

Excited to see her gift, Twilight ripped of the packaging to see the item the physician wanted her to have. “A scooter?” the lavender pony asked.

“Yes, a scooter. As you are no doubt aware, you need to learn how to utilise your wings to enable flight. Since I know you will be mainly attending the school for gifted UNICORNS, it is prudent that you find the time to practice your other physiological attributes as well,” Mr. Glove explained.

“Okay, but how will this help me?” Twilight asked.

“Simple, you’ll use your wings to propel yourself while riding. By exercising your pennon muscles and other magical abilities you should be able to learn how to fly within little time,” finished the good doctor.

“Hmm…” Twilight hummed as she rubbed her chin.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Sometime later during supper hour…

Shining Armor had been gone for weeks. It wasn’t the first time either, Royal Guard training was certainly time consuming. He had wanted to come home earlier, but weekend passes were usually revoked for one reason or another. Sometimes a pony didn’t even have to do anything particularly wrong to get it removed. Thus, he was quite surprised that this weekend he was given a full pass despite some clumsy behaviour. He didn’t know why, but they just told him to go home for a few days.

Actually, he had some idea as to why, some incident happened at the school where Twilight was taking her entrance exam. Did something happen to her? Was she hurt? Nopony at boot camp had any idea, not even the senior officers in charge of the facility. This made him feel even more anxious to see his family again.

Once he arrived in Canterlot he was immediately escorted to the palace, all the guards he met along the way were tight-lipped about the whole affair. Every other pony merely shrugged or had other odd looks about them. Did he really want to know? Was he really prepared to face the truth, no matter how ugly it might be? Was he there simply to hear how his sister had supposedly died? Was he trotting into the bowels of despair like a death row inmate doing his final walk? Every echoed step he took on the palace floor damaged his calm. He was barely able to keep his composure in check.

There it was, the door to the dining room. Shining’s nerves were at their breaking point, he couldn’t hold it together any longer. His slow push of the door turned into a slam that thrusted the barrier open to the point of nearly unhinging. The ponies inside immediately focused their attention on the new arrival.

Realising he had thrusted himself upon the centre stage, Shining awkwardly made his way forward until he saw his parents at the side. Once he noticed them in his peripheral vision the stallion ran over, knocking a few chairs along the way.

“Mom! Dad! Where’s Twilight?” the young cadet demanded.

“Calm down Shining, we’ll explain everythi—“ Night Light tried to say, but was ultimately interrupted.

“How is she? Is she hurt? Does this have anything to do with that dragon in the papers? Where is it? I’ll skin it if I have to!” proclaimed the panicked Armor.

At that point, Velvet chimed in, “Shining! Big breath in, big breath out… Listen, your sister is doing fine. She had a ‘little’ incident a few days ago and things are kind of hectic at the moment.”

“So, what? Princess Celestia is keeping her locked up or something? Where is she? I won’t rest until—“ he was about to finish until…

“Hi mom and dad—“ Twilight tried to say while zooming by. On her return trip she continued, “Hi Shiny—“

Shining Armor just blinked. It didn’t quite register with him that a lavender demon on wheels just passed him.

“Mom and dad, what was that?” Shining asked while still avoiding a reaction.

“That was Twilight, son,” Night Light explained.

“As you might have noticed, she’s been in a growth spurt of sorts,” Velvet explained.

“What kind of growth spurt?” Shining, who still wasn’t reacting, asked.

As if on cue, Twilight zoomed back towards her family and halted the scooter right in front of them. She then smiled and inquired, “Hey B.B.B.F.F., how’s it going?”

A neutral Shining Armor then replied, “Hey sis, it’s been a while.”

“I know, right? Check it out, I got my cutie mark,” the little sister proclaimed.

“That’s not the only thing you’ve gained,” the big brother remarked.

“Uh… Shiny?” Twilight looked worried.

“Twilight, why do you have wings?” the young stallion decided to cut right into the heart of the matter.

“Oh, these? Well, the story is really complicated. So, to make it simple, I hatched a dragon and now I’m an alicorn. You know? Like Princess Celestia and Cadence,” she spouted matter-of-factly as if this information was something in the norm.

“Oh! Is that all? I guess I was worried for nothing,” Shining stated while barely able to keep his poker face.

“Uhm… Shiny?” the little alicorn looked worried.

*THUD*

“Every time!” Twilight exclaimed in frustration.

Four days after ascension and life in Canterlot was rolling by as normally as it ever did. Perhaps the only thing that happened out of the ordinary during this day was the busy lines at the newspaper stands. The prospects of a new alicorn pony were at the forefront of everypony’s mind. Publishers left and right were clamoring for more information beyond what was said in Celestia’s court. Speculations were high and papers of all stripes were spinning away. The headlines were as followed:

Trots News: Commoner Infiltration, Equestria Now at Risk!

P.N.N.: New Alicorn! Will Your Child be Next?

Ponalist Worker: Proletariat Princess!

Equiner: Celestia Has Secret Love Child

The Pun: Nobles Outraged Over ‘Bloodless’ Heir

E.B.C.: Populace Outraged over Countess’ Slurs

The Equestrian Post: Will New Alicorn Roster Affect Relations With Zebrael?

Charley Horse Head Blow: “Peasants like this one are the reason why we can’t have nice things!” (Insert cartoon noble with deflated horn)

Royal Equestrian Air Farce: Celestia takes time off from walking on water to lend a paddle to new blood.

Colt Mare Repot: Elitists Losing Out by Not Being Elitist Enough?

Just as the stallion behind the stand made a yawn there came the whooshing sound of wheels and flapping wings that passed by. He blinked, tried to see the source of the noise. However, it was already out of his view.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight rode her scooter through Canterlot’s streets. All around she witnessed the white marble structures and purple spires in a way she never experienced before. The world had expanded dramatically for her when her means of travel allowed her to go farther and quicker than ever before. Whereas once she trotted slowly with her small hooves in her local neighbourhood, she was then able to traverse much of the city’s districts within mere hours. It culminated in a sensation that the filly loved.

As Twilight made her way down the road she saw ponies her age playing hopscotch and several ball games. The filly hardly paid attention to them before her ‘incident’ when she went about with her books and, to some extent, still barely gave them too much eye contact. However, the same could not be said for the other children who didn’t fail to notice the wing propelled scooter rider. Some kids tried to chase her, others stared with intrigue as pegasi were rare in the capital region (with the exception of the palace no doubt).

Of course, Twilight Sparkle was neither pegasus nor unicorn. This fact meant little for the children who only saw a mixed pony. Their curiosity was certainly noted, but soon found themselves back to their games and antics. For the adults however, many of them knew what the filly was and reacted accordingly with stiff postures. Some were probably close to dropping their jaws on the pavement if it weren’t for the fact that seeing a princess in public was already the norm due to Cadence. Indeed, Mi Amore Cadenza’s time foal sitting Twilight and playing with her in the park meant that ponies were used to seeing royalty among the crowd. Then again, seeing a NEW alicorn for the first time prompted a reaction nonetheless.

Twilight paid no heed at the complex nature of her social settings and stayed largely oblivious to the facts. Instead, she focused on her trip through town until she arrived at the large playground in the gardens. As she turned a corner covered by hedgerows, another filly was in her path.

“Look out!” Twilight yelled in vain.

The little pony who realised her situation quickly turned her head away from the approaching scooter and braced herself on her forelegs. Unexpected in the eyes of the lavender alicorn, the other filly didn’t run. Instead, she bucked.

*WHAM*

In just a split second, Twilight Sparkle found herself and the scooter falling backwards. Once she hit the ground the Princess’ student rolled over until a bush put an end to the tumbling. It took her a minute to recover, but she amazingly stood back up without being worse-for-wear.

“Ah my gosh, you ‘kay there partner?” cried the orange one.

“I—I’m fine,” replied Twilight with a sense of dizziness.

“Well, y’d better watch where ya go next time,” exclaimed little Miss ‘buck in the face.’

“Sorry, I was learning how to use my wings,” was the lavender filly’s response.

“Wings? I thought pegasi our age all knew how to fly by this poi—why does ya wear a tip like a unicorn?” the new filly was confused.

“Because it’s my horn,” Twilight added matter-of-factly.

The orange pony gave the strange looking filly a focused look with a tone of suspicion. Clearly, she didn’t quite believe what she was seeing. She interrogated, “So… you mean to tell me you got both wings and a horn?”

“Yep,” Twilight didn’t hesitate to say.

“Ah don’t believe ya,” the orange one added.

“Oh yeah? Well, I don’t believe you either,” Twilight tried desperately for a comeback.

The orange filly looked at her rather dryly. She added with a raised eyebrow, “Believe me about what exactly?”

“Everything! Your freckles, your blond mane, your orange coat… all of it! I mean, for all I know you can just be a false projection of my senses trying to make me doubt my existence. However, I would have to exist in order for you to doubt said existence. Therefore, you can’t ‘not believe’ me which makes your statement invalid,” the lavender filly stated triumphantly.

The orange pony, not having read any philosophy, looked flummoxed at what she interpreted to be a load of horse apples. She responded, “That—that’s the dumbest thing ah ever heard. How can ah be the one that isn’t reel when you clearly can’t have wings and a horn?”

“Because I do have wings and a horn. You’re the one who assumes I don’t despite pointing out that they are there. If you’re trying to argue that a pony with wings and a horn doesn’t exist with a pony that does, and said pony believes that he/she does, then that pony would have to exist for you to argue with it in the first place. Take that apparition!” Twilight felt a sense of victory over her orange acquaintance.

The other filly (after face hoofing herself) replied, “Okay sugar cube, let’s get two things straight. First of all, if you’re arguing that ah don’t exist then doesn’t that mean by your logic that ah do and ye don’t? So, you can’t argue that ah’m not reel.”

The little alicorn realised the flaw of her argument, “Hmm… I guess I need to go through Desk Heart’s Method again.”

The other filly continued, “Second, those wings could be fake. You know, fancy schmancy costume, spell or what not.”

“But Princess Celestia’s doctor already checked, he said I was an alicorn. He’s even going to publish the results and everything,” blurted the increasingly impatient winged pony.

“An ali—what now?” the country filly asked.

“You know, an alicorn. Pony who’s unicorn, pegasus and earth… all wrapped into one,” Twilight added matter-of-factly.

“A three-in-one pony? But, ah thought only Princess Celestia was like that? That’s what they teach us in school,” the newcomer was perplexed.

“Nope, there are a few other ponies like that apparently. I’m the new one, just after Cadence,” the little alicorn explained.

“Who’s Cadence?” the orange pony inquired.

“You don’t know who Cadence is? She’s pink, has a heart for a cutie mark, likes to foalsit, ring a bell?” Twilight was surprised that this orange filly didn’t know who she was talking about.

“Oh… You mean Princess Mi Amore Cadenza? Wait, she an alicorn? Ah always thought she was just a winged unicorn or something. You know, like her momma is one of them fancy unicorn nobles that got married to the delivery pony or other,” she added with shock.

“I asked Princess Celestia about the process and it doesn’t work that way. You have to tap the magical plane or something to that effect.” Twilight quickly responded.

“Magical plane?” the second filly raised an eyebrow.

“Yep, I went there. It was all starry and peaceful… Well, there was the exception of a faucet pony who was all weird,” Celestia’s student replied.

“Uh huh…” the country gal really didn’t quite know what to say at this point.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A short while later the two fillies left the hedgerows for a clear spot in the grass beside a cherry tree. Twilight took the time to explain the story of her ascension when she went to take her test at the School for Gifted Unicorns. Of course, the young farmer pony had a tough time believing the story. She paid close attention to Twilight’s overall demeanor to see any possible hints of a liar. As far as she was able to tell, the lavender pony was as honest as a rooster waking a barnyard at the crack of dawn. Still, the whole thing did seem farfetched in her eyes.

Twilight, having finished her rather tall tale, took the next step and asked, “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Oh, me? Ah’m Applejack, pleasure to meet ya…” A.J. couldn’t finish.

“Twilight Sparkle,” the lavender pony filled in.

“Twilight Sparkle… Hmm… Ah guess it does kinda suit ya, especially with that cutie mark,” Applejack concluded.

“Thanks,” the little alicorn beamed.

“So, ya really are Princess Celestia’s student?” the orange filly asked.

“Yep, I started my magic lessons yesterday,” Twilight felt a sense of pride.

“And you started using a scooter to help with yer wing usage?” Applejack inquired increasingly.

“As per the doctor’s request,” the lavender pony replied without hesitation.

“Then who’s helping ya with yer earth pony side?” the country filly went to the heart of the matter.

“Come again?” Twilight became confused.

“Well, the way Ah see it, Princess Celestia’s helping ya use yer unicorn side and the doctor’s helping ya with yer pegasus side, but nopony is helping ya with yer earth pony side. How can ya be a proper alicorn if ya ignore what us earth ponies have?” reasoned the Apple family member.

“I… I haven’t thought about that,” Twilight reasoned while face hoofing herself.

Placing a hoof on the alicorn’s shoulder, A.J. reassured, “Well, then it’s a good thing Ah’m here. Ah know a trick or two that ah can show ya right now.”

“Really?” Twilight got herself in a state of excitement.

“Sure, Ah might be too young to be bucking a huge apple trees, but something along the lines of a large bush or this here small cherry shrub should be okay,” the orange filly stated.

“Bucking?” the alicorn questioned.

“You know, hammering an object with yer hind legs. It’s quite simple actually; you just roll them up, suspend yerself with your fore hooves and then release like a wound-up spring,” Applejack explained.

With those words, the young farmer gave a demonstration with the tree in question. Soon enough there were cherries falling to the ground in well placed piles, as if they were meant to land in specific points.

“Wow…” Twilight said.

“Impressive, huh? That’s the Apple family’s technique right there. Now you try it,” instructed the erath pony.

With that, the alicorn filly placed herself where Applejack had stood and braced herself for the kick. It took her a few tries to properly balance herself on her fore hooves in order to get the proper posture. Once she was able to hold the position she quickly swung her hind legs to make contact with the trunk.

After about ten seconds of nothing happening, A.J. spoke, “Uhm… Sugar cube, you’re gonna need to add a lot more force into it. Remember, you’re not just kicking it with yer legs. You have to swing the whole body for the motions to work, pivot it!”

Twilight tried again. This time, the branches actually shook a little. But alas, none of the cherries fell. Her new acquaintance told her to keep going until they did. Thus, the alicorn kept at with improving results each time. Still, the cherries were holding out. She managed to get the technique right, but there was still something missing to loosen the fruits.

Suddenly, the lavender pony thought about what Dr. Ruber Gloved said about her pennons. It wasn’t just the muscles she needed to use, strong pegasus wings alone were not enough to attain flight due to their physical size. No, pegasi were able to lift themselves off the ground thanks to the unique type of magic they exerted. It wasn’t the obvious visible magic that unicorns used when spellcasting, but it was there nonetheless.

Thinking about it, Twilight reasoned it must be the same for earth ponies as well, albeit in a different way. It wasn’t a secret that they were better with plants than the other groups. They were also good at manipulating other geological features such as rocks to make gems. Not to mention many of the technological innovations from the past few centuries were predominantly created by earth pony inventors. Therefore, it was reasonable to assume that earth ponies didn’t exercised their magic through the physiological appendages attached to their bodies like pegasi and unicorns did. Instead, they used it via proxy in objects they interacted with.

Twilight took another look at the tree and saw something she never noticed before when she was a unicorn. Well, ‘seeing’ was too strong a word, but she knew it was there. There it was, the type of magic that flowed through all aspects of matter (inanimate or not) and the other type that remains in all living things. She then asked, “Uhm... Applejack, can you show me how you did it again?”

“Sure thing,” the orange filly replied with confidence.

As Twilight observed A.J.’s second bucking she noticed the false illusion that her eyes played on her the first time she saw the action. It wasn’t her body that the orange filly was winding up (well, she was but that wasn’t important), it was the subtle flow of magic that exerted itself through the rear hooves. As it turns out, the brute force of the impact didn’t affect the trunk at all. Instead, it was the transfer of the metaphysical energy that caused the tree to vibrate and drop the cherries in predetermined patterns. The alicorn finally understood how the mechanics worked.

Feeling ready, Twilight decided to take her place once more and made her pose. When the lavender pony wound up her hind legs she felt something that wasn’t there before. In the centre of her body was a growing density of energy that she was deliberately maneuvering towards her rear. As soon as her hind legs were ready, her bodily magic wound up like a catapult that was ready to launch a cascade of stones. With one quick motion she released her inner mana as she swung her body. Once impact had occurred, the transfer of magical vitality echoed inside the trunk. From there it made its way up into the branches where the moment of truth played out.

With a satisfying snap, something fell from the tree. Twilight turned quickly around to see the (not so proverbial) fruits of her labour. Three cherries, that’s how many fell to the ground. Not the most impressive haul, but she did it. She actually used her new earth pony characteristics for the first time. Granted, bucking was only one way to use her new-found abilities, but it was a start.

“Well, ah’ll be! It took me weeks of practice to even get that far, ya must be some sort of natural,” Applejack blurted.

“Uhm… Well… I just saw how you did it and tried to repeat the process,” explained the fluttered lavender filly.

“Then that makes me quite the teacher. Heh, heh… I knew I did the right thing by leaving Manehattan,” proclaimed the earth pony.

“You live in Manehattan?” asked Twilight.

“Well, not quite. Ah’m actually from a town not too far from here called Ponyville. That’s where the Sweet Apple Acres is located, been a farm gal since ah was born,” A.J. began her tale.

“Then, why were you in Manehattan?” the alicorn inquired.

“Ah thought ah wanted the sophisticated life in the big city with ma aunt and Uncle Orange. But… it wasn’t for me. Ah didn’t quite fit in with their fancy hogwash. Ah got homesick like something fierce. Then, out of nowhere I saw the best rainbow ah ever laid eyes on; it pointed me right back to home. So, ah left, deciding ah had enough of that two bit high-life and wanted to go back to the farm. Home is where the heart is after all,” concluded the orange filly.

“Wow… That’s amazing, but then… Why are you in Canterlot?” Twilight became curious.

“It was on the way, figured ah could probably board a train or something,” Apple Jack exclaimed.

“Then, shouldn’t you be at the train station?” the lavender pony asked.

“Ah thought ah should see the sights. You know, since ah likely won’t be coming here for the next little while,” A.J. reasoned.

Twilight pondered for a few seconds. After careful reflection she got an amazing idea, “I know where you could go!”

“Where to?” the young Apple asked.

“There’s a shop nearby called Donut Joe. They make the best pastries in all of Canterlot,” little Miss Sparkle proclaimed.

“Ah don’t know Twi, I kinda need the money for the ticket,” Applejack was worried.

“Don’t worry, my treat,” Twilight answered.

With her woes defeated, the earth pony couldn’t help but answer, “Well, shucks! I guess ah can’t say no to that. Thanks twi!”

“Just one thing though,” the alicorn tried to put her serious look on.

“What’s that?” asked Applejack.

“Race you!” the demon on wheels challenged.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

It was a quiet at the shop. The slew of customers from the early morning rush had dried up. It was unlike anything Donut Joe had seen. He had a number of ponies who came in that morning. While the numbers alone weren’t unheard of, their demeanour was. Everywhere, ponies were deep into their magazines and newspapers. Not since the coronation of Me Amore Cadenza did so many ponies took such an attentive interest at the news. Then again, how many times did a supposed foal become an alicorn?

As he was cleaning, an unexpected and yet familiar sound came through the door. Knowing his favourite regular was in, he turned around to see the biggest surprise of his life.

“Ha! Ya didn’t think ah could actually keep up, did ya?” Applejack exclaimed.

Twilight panted, “Heh… heh… You’re good, for an apparition.”

“Ya still going on about that?” the orange pony retorted.

Donut Joe stared long and hard at the filly who had come to his shop on multiple occasions. He blinked and rubbed his eyes just to make sure he actually saw who (and what) was in front of him. There was no mistaking it, Twilight Sparkle was definitely there. The only thing that really caused him a moment to freeze up mentally was the things poking out of her back.

As the shop keeper finally had enough of just watching the two kids talking to each other, he decided to speak up, “Uhm…”

Twilight turned around to face the baker she enthusiastically replied, “Oh, hey Mr. Joe! Long-time no see. Listen, can me and my friend have seats at the counter? Oh, and can I also get some menus?”

“Huh… sure… uhm, Twilight?” Joe wanted to ask.

“Yes, Mr. Joe?” the alicorn filly replied.

“What’s that special thing you’re wearing?” the shop owner didn’t quite know what to say.

“Wearing? I’m not wearing anything special. Well, other than this helmet,” responded the lavender pony.

“Then, what are those things on your back?” Joe went straight to the point.

“Those are called wings. You know, those appendages that birds and pegasi use?” Twilight was unsure of how to respond.

“I know what wings are, I’m just curious as to why you have some,” the donut specialist inquired.

“That’s easy! I was at the School for Gifted Unicorns to take an entrance exam when I hatched a dragon and created a magical explosion. Things started to hurt, but I went into a starry place where a faucet pony told me to come back. Now, I’m an alicorn,” the filly recounted.

“A faucet pony?” Mr. Joe blinked.

“I think she was a pony, didn’t get to actually see her. She just kept hiding while rambling about being who she is,” Twilight explained.

“Huh…” the baker didn’t quite know if he can believe the story.

“She was kind of rude. But it’s okay, now I’m Princess Celestia’s personal student because she decided to help me train in magic,” the child beamed.

“Can you excuse me for just one minute?” the shop keeper requested.

“Uhm… sure?” Twilight didn’t quite know how to answer such an odd question.

Donut Joe quickly left the room for the back kitchen. While the pair of fillies couldn’t see anything, they did hear the unmistakable sound of a freezer opening and a tray of ice cubes being flipped over. Next, the heard the sound of the water tap filling the sink for about a minute. Once that was done they listened in as Mr. Joe took a deep breath. This was followed by a plash, as if something was being dunked into the water.

The donut maker lifted his head back up and exhaled, “This is real! This is actually trotting real!” For the first time, he actually acknowledged that everything he heard about in the paper from his customers was all coming together right in front of his eyes. All his senses of disbelief dissipated and his entire world was thrown upside-down.

Taking about another minute to recover, Donut Joe resumed his posture to return to the front. Once there, he asked, “So, what can I get you?”

Twilight and Applejack looked at eachother (with some worry), but simply replied.

“I’ll have the cream cheese icing,” the lavender filly said.

“Ah’ll have the strawberry Danish filling,” the orange one followed suit.

“Coming right up!” the shop keeper went about his usual routine. The rest of the visit went as one was able to expect.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After the escapades in the donut shop, Twilight and Applejack went to tour other parts of the city. The orange filly liked particularly the view from the battlements over the gate. She was able to see for many miles and even got a glimpse of her home town in the far distance. Another locale they visited was the palace itself. The farm pony had some reservations about that, she worried about getting stopped by the guards for wandering in places that she shouldn’t be able to see. Needless to say, her fears were quickly dashed when she saw how open the palace really was.

The palace, despite what many non-Canterlot ponies thought, was not merely the home of the ruling Princess. Instead, it was a vast network of public structures and recreational facilities. Twilight was particularly fond of the library, even before gaining access to a certain wing that was Celestia’s private collection (the collection that doesn’t contain some of the more classified spells) of manuscripts and original prints.

While there was a staff member or two present in certain areas at all times, the only real security lay in the inner parts of the complex where the living quarters and the throne room were located. Even then, many of the guards merely shrugged or gave a two second look. After all, who was going to stop Twilight Sparkle from inviting a friend?

Thus, they spent the next few hours playing tag and hide-and-seek. It was a heated competition where one filly tried their best to outdo the other. So far, Twilight was better at looking through possible hiding spots, but Applejack was the faster runner of the two. Their playful drive kept at it until they finally needed a break, little did they head the civil servants that occasionally spotted them.

As they rested up, they heard an unquestionable argument being made across the hall. The area the two fillies stumbled upon in their many games was the bureaucratic section of the palatial complex. While Applejack didn’t know who were involved, Twilight heard a mare’s voice and immediately identified who it was. There was no questioning that her mother was angry, not just stern or ‘disappointed’ angry, but in a yelling quarrel that was rarely seen. The lavender filly raised her ear to listen.

“How dare you say that about me!” echoed the voice of Blue Lord.

“Oh, I'm sorry! Not a fan of that one? How about, mop face? You know, for that large ugly bush over your lips!” Twilight Velvet retorted.

“Do you realise who you are talking to? I am a prince!” the Blue family figure reminded.

“A ‘Prince’ in name only!” Mrs. Velvet shot back.

Blue Lord became visibly livid with that remark. He pressed on, “I have influence in this castle beyond what a meager serf like you can comprehend! With my word alone you can be thrown out of work and arrested for slander!”

“Pffft! Good luck with that Bub, it’s not like you know how modern law or a countrywide bureaucracy even work,” the mother said dismissively.

“I never! Such insolence in the face of your employer!” the ‘Prince’ was increasingly aggravated.

“Employer? Please! You never stepped one hoof into civil administration in your entire life. As long as you’re not a senior ministry official or from the board of misconduct, you can huff and puff all you want. Of course, I suppose Princess Celestia could fire me on the spot if she wished for it. Then again, I think we both know who she’d support if you went straight to her about this,” Velvet felt a surge of confidence with herself.

“You conceited plebe—“ Blue Lord was interrupted.

“Conceited? You come here, interrupt my work and take me aside… All so you can try and harass me into giving you my daughter!” the fuming mother threw at the stallion.

“Believe me, I would not want that miscreant if things were to my accordance. However, with events developing the way they are, I must act for the betterment of our society. You may have managed well in the production of strong unicorn offspring, but your lower social standing is a taint that’s ill-suited to the higher echelons of Equestria. Your… daughter… cannot be expected to succeed if she continues to associate with you,” explained the elitist noble.

Twilight Velvet was angry, never did she think anypony (even a noble) could be so forthright with their ill intentions. Betterment of society? She knew that this lowlife only cared about HIS social wellbeing. His social darn’ witist views aside, he was also a pragmatist who tried to bend the world to his liking. Blue Lord knew there was nothing he can do to stop Twilight Sparkle’s ascension, but damn it if he didn’t try to control her as a member of HIS family. Velvet wanted nothing more than to hit this mustached after-birth. Luckily for her, she didn’t have to.

*WHAM*

Out of the corner of her left peripheral vision came the very subject of this whole discussion. In quick succession she spun around and gave the Lord of Misery and Sadness the buck.

“I’m not going to say that I’m disappointed,” Celestia spoke while sitting in her calm and stoic pose.

I’m so proud of you Twilight!

“Nor am I going to display any displeasure at the turn of events,” she continued.

BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT WAS THE BEST NEWS I'VE HEARD ALL WEEK! SERIOUSLY, HE FLEW FIFTEEN FEET?

“I will however remind you that there are more tactful ways for dealing with confrontations of this nature,” the Princess kept leading on.

So that I may avoid paying settlements out if or when this should happen again.

“After all, it is unbefitting for a bright young lady such as yourself to lose one’s temper when facing a heated situation,” the mentor kept up her message.

Because I really don’t want ponies to think Princesses can go ‘medieval’ on them. Seriously, it took them like two centuries to figure out I abolished ‘Lèse-Majesté’ laws. And that was because my nephews and nieces kept using them!

“Now, I know why you got upset. It’s perfectly reasonable in your predicament. However, I must remind you that as a new alicorn your raw abilities will outpace your capacity to control them. It is therefore imperative to avoid lashing out at others when under such emotional strain. Remember, one rash mistake and you can accidentally hurt ponies beyond healing,” Celestia kept lecturing.

‘Newest Royal Kills Prince Blue Lord,’ the tabloids would have a field day.

Then again, the pain in your ass would be gon—

No! No! No! Morbidlestia, stay out of this!

You know that buck bucket had it coming.

Lecture Twilight now, laugh at picture of bandaged Blue Lord latter.

I WANT CAKE!

Sigh…

“So, what do you say?” Celestia asked her student.

Twilight immediately turned towards the bruised, swollen and wrapped ‘Prince.’ After taking a few seconds to breath inward she replied, “I’m sorry I kicked you Mr. Blue Lord.”

“Hmm!” the head of the Blue family huffed.

“I mean, if I had stayed calm I would have remembered that it isn’t entirely your fault because you suffer from psychotic depression. Sure, the way you acted was wrong. But, had I reminded myself about the psychological irregularities commonly shared between you and others in your home, then I would have gotten the nearest social worker instead. So… no matter how angry I become, I should never hit ponies with mental illnesses. For that, I humbly apologize,” the lavender filly finished.

“I—wha—you—eh!” Blue Lord lost all abilities to speak as his eye twitched.

“Oh my, Twilight… Your apology was so profound that it moved my ‘nephew’s’ heart to unprecedented heights. He lost all manner of words thanks to your exceptional speech,” Celestia mused along.

As the good ‘Prince’ was starting to recover from what he deemed the biggest insult of his life, Celestia spoke again.

“Now then, I believe it is your turn my dear ‘nephew’ to ask forgiveness for your own behaviour in all of this,” the Princess suggested.

“You can’t be—“ whatever Blue Lord tried to say was cut off when Celestia lowered her muzzle to his ear.

“May I remind you of the fact that you committed several breaches of your palace privileges? Snooping through secure records under the Protected Information of Employment Act to locate the position of a civil servant for your own personal matters is strictly forbidden. Also, don’t even get me started on harassment and threats of wrongful termination. Come to think of it, uttering threats of using your palatial authority and social standing to fire somepony for your adoption scheme can be considered an act of blackmailing under law. Do I need to say more?” the large alicorn whispered just loud enough for the offender to hear.

Blue Lord’s eyes widened and he was in a cold sweat. Despite all his efforts to cover up his trail over his document expedition in the employment archives, his ‘aunt’ still managed to place one over him. Then it suddenly dawned on him that he was witnessing a subtle side of his ‘Aunt’ he wished he didn’t see. The most powerful known pony in existence was pointing metaphorical daggers the same way a tyrant could conduct a political purge. Yet, she was doing it with a politely angelic smile and a motherly tone. With no other option, the ‘Prince’ relented.

“Uhm… Yes… I suppose I did allow myself to go overboard with my own behaviour. I apologize for any transgressions that were caused during my… ‘Depressive stupor.’ It won’t happen again,” the bandaged pony exclaimed.

Swallowing his pride was a slap on the hoof when compared to the alternative, the entitled unicorn figured. Of course, he wasn’t entirely off the hook. Blue Lord knew that he and his associates were going to be watched extra carefully from then on. Without another word he silently left the hallway.

With her ‘nephew’ out of the way Celestia turned her head towards another peculiar pony in the room. Understandably, the little orange filly looked rather nervous. She was meeting the Princess for the very first time and under less than desirable circumstances. Without any other defence, the little pony gave a worried grin (and a low bow) in the hopes of staving off the wrath of the sun. Instead, she got something else entirely.

Celestia merely reciprocated a small chuckle and responded, “Now, now… we’ll have none of that formality here. Especially from a guest.”

Applejack’s tension eased somewhat at that.

“So tell me, are you a member of the Apple family?” the Princess inquired.

“Eh—how’d ya know?” A.J. was quick to ask.

“Oh, I’ve had dealings with members of your family for quite some time now. I must say, their kin-wide reputation precedes you,” the white alicorn teased.

“Well, ah mean… We do have family spread out all across Equestria, some of ‘em owning businesses and what not. Ah guess that would explain it,” the orange filly reasoned.

“And I assume you’ve met Twilight just earlier today?” Celestia quizzed.

“Yep! Met this nice Sugarcube down by the park where I taught her some good ol’ fashion bucking… For trees of course!” Applejack tried to correct herself.

“Interesting, please do go on,” the Princess invited.

“After that, we went to the local pastry shop to get some sweet donuts from somepony named Mr. Joe. It was good. Well, many not as good as Granny Smith’s apple pie, but not too shabby if ya ask me. Then, she showed me around town where ah got to see the sights. Once that was over we went straight here for a game of ta—is there something wrong ma'am?” the farmer pony’s narration of events took to the side when she saw Velvet’s reaction.

“Twilight made a friend? A friend! An actual to Celestia friend?” Velvet uttered while picking up her jaw from the floor.

“Is there something wrong with that,” the Princess raised an eyebrow at the mother’s reaction.

“Wrong? Nothing’s wrong! It’s just that Twilight has always been a social recluse. I honestly figured that my baby becoming an alicorn was much more realistically possible than actually making a close friend,” Velvet explained.

Really?

“Alright Miss Apple, what’s your secret? How did you manage to pull off what I and my husband failed to do numerous times?” the adult mare pressed in a rather interrogative manner.

“Uhm… Well… Ya see…” Applejack was trying to avoid releasing details about their first meeting.

“She bucked me off my scooter and we had an epic battle of wits with the course of existence on the line,” Twilight replied with excitement.

“…She kicked you, fought and you became friends?” her mother asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” chirped the lavender pony.

“Uhm… Ah think she may have left out a few key details like—“ A.J. tried defending herself.

Of course, it no longer mattered what the orange filly was saying. Velvet had retreated inside her mind as she coped with the most unlikely news in the world. After spending a minute or two staring in blank space with a crooked face and a half opened eye she merely concluded, “Huh… Defeat your rival and they instantly become your friend… Shining Armour’s comics as a colt were right! Ah! I knew I should have enrolled Twilight in a martial arts club. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”

“Eh… Is she going to be all right?” Applejack was worried.

“It’s normal, my mommy does that sometimes,” Twilight explained.

“Two peas from the same pod,” Celestia chimed while looking at her student.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After time passed and Miss Velvet was able to recover herself the group decided to move in the direction towards the balcony. Once there it didn’t take long for a few servants to bring forth a tea pot and some cups. Once everything was settled on the table the group began individualistically adding their creams and sugar without a word. It was then that the Princess spoke again.

“So, Miss Applejack…what brings you to Canterlot? Did a branch of your family decide to settle in the capital? Or, perhaps they’re here as part of a business arrangement? Delivery of some sort?” Celestia pried.

“Nah, I came here by mah’self your highness,” the filly replied.

“Really?” the older alicorn became curious.

“Yep, all on mah own after spending a few days on the trail,” A.J. explained.

“Would you mind filling me in on the details of this adventure?” Celestia was eager to know more about this young member of one of the more notorious entrepreneurial families in the land.

“Ah reckon ah should start from the beginning,” the country pony eagerly replied.

So, for the next half hour Applejack recounted her tail of leaving Sweet Apple Acres for her prosperous aunt and uncle in Manehattan. She went into great lengths about her journey there and the (un)surprising turnoff that was the ritzy lifestyle that Mr. Orange had immersed himself in. Truly, it seemed as though some of the more affluent members of the kinship had left their agrarian roots. Price of success as any assumed. After all, Manehattan’s upper class (while strictly non-noble) had a notorious reputation for falling for the same elitism at times (albeit with less emphasis on blood ties). Of course, it wasn’t these details that caught Celestia’s attention.

“So, you’re telling me that you decided to leave aunt and uncle based on a rainbow you saw?” the Princess pressed with failed subtlety.

“Well, ah mean… It’s not like ah decided this at the drop of a hat. Ah didn’t like what the sophisticated life meant and ah missed my granny and big brother something fierce. All those half-truth conversations, all those masks on everyponies’ faces… They were tearing mah heart a new one. So, when ah saw that rainbow pointing the way back home… It was all the convincing ah needed to go. That… That is why ah’m here right now. Ah need to go back, not just because ah’m homesick. It’s the only thang that feels real to me. Like if it’s the only place ah can find an honest life and be who ah truly am. Ya’ll understand right?” Applejack finished.

Celestia nodded with a warm smile, “I think I understand perfectly what you are going through. I myself had to put on a so called ‘mask’ when dealing with some of the ponies you described at your uncle’s banquets. Needless to say, I can relate in having a space where one can be honest with one’s self and who they truly are.”

“Yeah, it hasn’t been easy acting like somepony you’re not. You know what Princess Celestia? Ah like you. Ah mean, ah think everypony likes you, but they don’t know you. Me? Ah met ya and ah can appreciate a pony who tries to find ways to be honest when everypony around them ain’t,” the orange filly boasted with confidence.

“Glad to have the vote of confidence. Speaking of home and honesty, when do you plan on returning to Ponyville?” the ruler added.

“Well, ah was going to take the train. Let the steam engine do the rest of the trekking for me,” A.J. answered.

“The train you say… Tell me Miss Applejack, have you ever flown before?” Celestia wanted to know.

“Fly? Ah don’t think there’s ever been an earth pony that can fly. Well, maybe except ya’ll because yer part one of us. Then again, there is this mad science pony in town that keeps trying. Never gets it right with his fangled machines, but who knows right?” the apple pony concluded.

“Is he the one with an hour glass cutie mark?” the Princess asked.

“Ayep,” Applejack stated.

Celestia sighed, “He never gives up. Still, good to know that stubborn stallion is still nearby.”

Twilight whispered into her friend’s ear, “Must be a flirty type, Celestia likes thos—“

“I can hear you my student,” the older alicorn responded rather coyly.

In a panic, Twilight backtracked, “Uhm… I mean he must be a very nice pony who’s just a kindred spirit based on his intellect!”

Celestia merely rolled her eyes at Twilight’s reply. At any rate, she continued, “Anyways, back to the topic on hoof. Would you like to fly Miss Applejack?”

“Would ah? Well, if it were possible I suppose. Ah’d have a nice story to tell when ah get back to the farm,” the orange filly said.

“Well, you’re in luck. As it turns out, I have in my possession a few Pegasus drawn chariots. It would be no trouble for my guards to send you home, if you wished,” the Princess added.

“You’d do that?” A.J. was in disbelief.

“A friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine,” was Celestia’s confident response.

“Gee, thank yer very much Princess. I’d save me the cost of a trip,” the orange filly considered the economic benefit and a rare opportunity.

“You are most certainly welcome my little pony,” the ruler responded with a smile.

“So, when do ah leave?” A.J. inquired.

“The team should be ready in about an hour, so I recommend you take the time to relax and enjoy yourself,” Celestia added.

“Ah reckon ah should,” the farmer pony agreed.

“I’m glad to hear it. Now then, I have a few matters to deal with. So I’ll see you before you leave. Oh, one more thing, thanks for helping Twilight with your…. Technique,” the Princess winked.

For the next little while Twilight and her new-found ‘buck-a-roo’ were sipping their tea and exchanging embarrassing stories about their older brothers. Of course, sipping might not had been the right term in Applejack’s case. Finally being true to herself, the filly gulped her tea down and belched. A.J. may not had been back at the Sweet Apple Acres, but she felt as though she was home already.

As the final hour passed and the chariot was ready, Applejack turned towards Twilight one final time before leaving. She said, “Thanks a bunch there Twilight, it’s been a lot of fun. We’ll definitely have to do this again someday.”

“Definitely, at the next battle,” the lavender alicorn claimed with excitement.

A.J. laughed. She then continued, “Well, the way ah’s see it, you’re like family now. If yer ever wind up in Ponyville, make sure to look me up at the Sweet Apple Acres. Next time, it’ll be mah turn to treat ya to Granny Smith’s good ol’ apple pie, apple crumble, apple fritter, apple cider, apple… Well, ya’ll get the idea.”

“I’m sister to a ghostly apparition now? Neat! I’ll have to tell Shining about this,” Twilight replied.

Applejack rolled her eyes and merely added, “Yeah, yeah… Anyways, see ya around Twi.”

“See you later,” Twilight waved back.

With that, the farmer filly was on her way. She took whatever she had and sat in the carriage. With one word from Celestia, the two pegasus guards were airborne. In less than thirty minutes, Applejack found herself over a very familiar sight. It was one that she had missed greatly. There they were, the barn, the fields and the two most important ponies in her life looking up at her waving. Upon recovering from their initial shock, Big Mac and Granny Smith went up to the gate as they saw the chariot land a few hundred meters away. Not hesitating, the young orange filly jumped off the carriage and made her way.

Applejack ran, she ran faster than any other time in her life. She ran so fast that the distance between her and the front yard fence dissipated in a blink of an eye. When she was just a few trots away from her brother and granny, A.J. leaped into them with tears of joy. The sensation of longing was so immersive that the orange filly never even knew about the appearance of three distinct apples of her flank. Thus, her journey of self-discovery came to an end. The old and unwanted farmstead that Applejack left behind was gone, in its place stood what she had been looking for… Home…

When the long overdue hug was over and the guards had left, Applejack went up into her old room to unpack what little she had with her. Ignoring the crying of her baby sister Apple Bloom in the cradle, the orange filly began to write in her diary.

Dear Mom and Dad

Everything’s been hard when you left, everything was out of place and nothing felt right. To escape from it all, I went to find the sophisticated life in the big city with Uncle Orange. However, what I saw there wasn’t me. There was nothing that helped fill the void I was missing.

In a long journey to try and find Applejack (me), I ended up finding out who she wasn’t. So, when that beautiful rainbow guided me back home I jumped for it within a heartbeat. Of course, you both already knew that part.

What was new, however, was my meeting with a purple (or lavender?) filly about my age. At first, I thought she was just another lie like those being woven by Uncle Orange’s friends. She just couldn’t be real. I could not have been more wrong. Twilight Sparkle was real, not just real but down-to-earth honest too. I mean, a lot of it was some philosophical mumbo-jumbo, but you get the idea.

Anyways, it was probably foolish on my part, but instincts told me she was family. I even said as much before leaving. I don’t know why, but that’s just how I feel about it. Yes, I know! We just met and all, but sometimes you don’t need logic to know these things the way they are.

Ironic isn’t it? I left not long after losing two of my closest kin, only to return with a new addition of sorts. I really do hope I get to see her again. No! That’s wrong, I know I will. I have no doubt in my heart that I will see good old Twi again. My instincts are telling me so, and they’re the most bluntly honest mechanism a pony has.

I also met Princess Celestia too, but I can write about that later. For now, just know I’m finally where I’m supposed to be.

Love,

Applejack

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

It was getting dark and the pair of alicorns were trotting towards the dining room to meet with Twilight’s parents once more. But as they walked Twilight wanted to ask something, a thought stuck in her mind ever since the confrontation with Blue Lord.

“Uhm… Princess Celestia?” the lavender pony asked.

“Yes Twilight?” Celestia responded.

“I’ve been thinking about something,” she meagrely added.

“What’s that my student?” the Princess awaited what came next.

“What Blue Lord did to my mom… It wasn’t just because of his condition, was it?” Twilight was treading carefully towards her point.

“No…” Celestia admitted sadly.

“Did he try adopting me because I’m… well… this?” the little alicorn emphasized her wings.

The solar monarch sighed. She had hoped that Twilight wouldn’t catch on to these difficult matters until she was older. Of course, that was a bit too much to hope for in a realistic world. She replied, “Yes…”

Twilight thought carefully about her next question, “Celestia, are more ponies like Blue Lord going to do things like that because I’m going to be a Princess too?”

The older alicorn was surprised, not just by how quick Twilight Sparkle was catching on to these things, but also by the fact that she purposefully left out the title in order to discuss this on an interpersonal level. However, before she could answer Twilight added more of her thoughts.

“I don’t want ponies to treat me differently or hurt my family because of some royal title. It wouldn’t be right, I don’t want to have something if it means others will get hurt by it,” Twilight revealed.

“Twilight Sparkle, are you saying you don’t want to be a Princess?” Celestia raised an eyebrow but understood the weight her student felt.

“I’m not saying I don’t want to be a Princess forever, I just don’t want to see those around me suffer for it. Not to mention I’m scared of what will happen when I go to your school and ponies start seeing me for something that isn’t truly me. Could we perhaps… Delay this?” Twilight responded with her conversation with Applejack in mind.

Celestia thought about this suggestion, a considerable one. For a moment she thought about her niece. Cadence never really had trouble adapting to her new title, as long as she was an official member of her family there was not a pony alive who would touch her. However, that was different for Twilight. Celestia’s student needed time, time to not only fit in the political landscape, but be accepted by those who would otherwise harm her. Also, Cadence had come to accept the pomp and glamour that were entailed in the privileges from being royalty. She embraced it with her own unique flair that came from being the alicorn of love (and being the incarnation of a long dead Princess of a certain empire). Twilight on the other hoof, she was much more humble, down-to-earth and would never accept being placed on a pedestal. All the qualities necessary to foster friendship.

Indeed, Celestia’s student was always going to have a policy of ‘first among EQUALS.’ The filly didn’t know it yet, but that was the role the universe decided to hand her. Something as artificial such as a title was meaningless. Celestia knew that, but she never could do away with it completely. On the other hoof, Twilight was willing to toss it to the side without a moment’s hesitation. Celestia was secretly proud of her for it.

Finishing with her careful reflection, the Princess replied, “Twilight, you have nothing to fear. I understand your anxieties fully and support your suggestion. But, I do have one question for you.”

“What’s that?” the lavender filly asked.

“Do you know what kind of alicorn you are?” Celestia placed forward.

“What kind of alicorn?” Twilight was puzzled.

“Remember that conversation we had a few days ago? I mentioned that I was the alicorn of the sun and Cadence was the alicorn of love,” the Princess explained.

“Oh, I remember now. But, to answer your question… I don’t know.” chimed the younger pony.

“Are you sure?” Celestia pressed.

“Well, this all happened when I hatched a dragon. What if I’m like the alicorn of the draco-ponies? What if I grow scales and my wings turn bat-like? What if I start to breathe fire and accidentally burn down a whole town? What if I have to leave years at a time for the dragon migrations? That would be sad… Wait! Maybe I get to learn a special dragon language that allows me to create shouts of magic? Or—“ a hoof to the mouth was all Twilight needed to indicate that she was rambling on.

“As entertaining as the idea is, I don’t think you’re going to be the ‘Princess of Draco-Ponies’ as you would put it,” Celestia explained.

“Aww…” her student was disappointed.

“However, I do know one thing for certain. Until your purpose, your raison d'être, as an alicorn is discovered… You will only have access to the basics of your alicorn abilities.” Added the pony who raised the sun.

“So, I need to find out what kind of alicorn I am in order to complete the process?” Twilight figured.

“Precisely my inquisitive student. So, here’s the deal. I’ll hold off your official coronation and in return you will look for what your purpose as one of us entails. Sounds fair?” Celestia offered.

“I guess, how long do you think this will take?” the eager student inquired.

“Weeks, months, years, decades or a century, who knows? All I know is that you owe it to yourself to find out. When you do, all will be revealed to you then. Just remember, the life span of an alicorn is very different from any other pony, so try not to rush anything,” the Princess finished.

“And until then I won’t be royalty?” Twilight raised an eyebrow at that.

“Officially, no. However, don’t expect all your problems with Blue Lord and his ilk to go away that easily. You are after all a ‘Princess in waiting’ and ponies may treat you with the same reverence reserved for myself and your foalsitter regardless. My staff will surely see you in this manner even when you decide not to sway any authority over them,” Celestia replied.

After carefully weighing her options, Twilight Sparkle came to an important decision that affected her for years to come. She knew she couldn’t make the confrontations with the nobles disappear entirely, but she was able to mitigate it. She also wanted to have some sense of normality with ponies like Applejack who saw past the ‘royal’ aspect of a pony. It was no contest, she stated, “Alright, deal!” She offered her hoof in a gesture of agreement. Celestia smiled warmly and shook it, knowing full well how all this was going to develop in the near future.

As the two walked towards the dining room entrance, a peculiar figure bolted through the doors to greet the youngest alicorn.

“Twily! Oh, my gosh! When I heard the news I had to fly back from Cloudsdale in order to see it for myself. How have you been? Does that mean we can hang out all of eternity? We are so having an alicorn sleepover party! Auntie, you have to come too!” Princess Cadence rambled on in her uncontrollable excitement at the prospects.

Twilight, who was being hugged rather tightly, merely added, “Cadence—can’t breathe.”

There will be some interesting years ahead.

It was five days after ascension, as always, the cloak and dagger of politics was ever present within the palace walls. From every hallway to every garden table, the wheels of gossip, rumors, intrigues and alliance pacts were turning. While this was nothing new, this was made more apparent with the bountiful grease that loosened the gears earlier that week. Nobles and rich ponies alike did what nobles and rich ponies did. They danced the days away in their little cliques of ‘mutual interests.’ Aristocratic synthesis was at its finest and the papers were only too eager to add fuel to the fire. Filly alicorn sightings were all the rage as the ‘missile pony’ rode through the streets.

Of course, Celestia herself fared little better in the scheming department. What she stumbled upon this past week alone trumped over fifty lifetimes of planning. Every idea, every potential bearers she sought, and every trick in the book she unleashed to try and kick-start a bunch of rocks had failed her. Instead, everything quite literally blew up in her face the very moment Twilight Sparkle entered the picture. She knew the filly had to be the bearer of magic, what other explanation was there?

Sitting once again in a reclusive spot in the garden (just beside the hedge), Celestia waited patiently behind a small circular table with her usual pot of tea. Without giving away any mischievous intentions, she just sat there in her stoic position, sipping away while her contact made his way. With little surprise on the Princess’ part, Trick n’ Veil Time lifted away his invisibility cloak to reveal his signature outfit. Without saying a word he sat down at his end of the table and poured himself a cup.

Nothing happened for the first few minutes; Mr. Veil added simply some cream and sugar to his drink and took off his black fedora hat. After placing his garment to the side, the elusive private eye took a sip. As if by response, Princess Celestia also took a sip, and the two went back and forth as if they were synchronised by that gesture.

Taking a deep sigh, the detective decided to finally break the ice, “So… You wanted to know some details with regards to that orange filly Miss Twilight met morning last?”

Celestia nodded and replied, “Indeed, Mr. Veil…”

“What do you want to know?” he asked.

“Did it happen?” the Princess demanded softly.

“The cutie mark? It did show up, just as you had suspected. Got to say, it was definitely a strange request to have me tail your coach and spy on a lost little filly,” Trick n’ Veil added.

“Not without good reason, I assure you,” Celestia explained.

“Do tell…” the detective stated with some not so subtle sarcasm.

At first, the Princess didn’t reply. She merely looked into her tea cup, reminiscing her youthful years as she stared into the liquid. Celestia sighed and said, “Mr. Veil, how much do you know about classical and pre-classical music?”

The detective raised an eyebrow, “Are you talking about the eras or the styles?”

“Eras,” the Princess answered.

“So, music from pre and post-unification… Can’t say I’m an expert on it, but I have worked a few cases involving the theft of art pieces and literature from that transition period,” the private eye responded.

“Would you happen to know some of the songs written by a mare named Solus Blues?” Celestia asked.

“Her? Shucks, she’s to music what Star Swirl is to spell craft. There isn’t a single filly who’s gone through band class without learning the basics of her theories on melody. Some of her folk songs are still being taught as we speak,” Trick n’ Veil Time explained.

“Do you know what some of these ballads allude to?” the Princess continued her round-about.

“About the harsh life that was present during the time of the windigos and the numerous conflicts as a result of the three tribes not getting along in the midst of famine. Not exactly the clean, silly and whitewashed story you see on stage at Hearth’s Warming Eve,” the detective answered.

“Quite, there’s a reason why the genre is based on melancholy, difficult labour and soulful love. After all, what could a pony expect amid such hardships?” Celestia reasoned.

“True to the name, but I don’t see what this has to do with your current curiosity over this little… Pattern. I mean, I can understand how important the connection is between Miss Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, but I can’t see the same significance with this filly,” the trench coat figure stated.

The large alicorn sighed, took a minute to recollect her memories of a bygone age and then began, “A long time ago, in a place that was later abandoned, there lived a musical mare who tried to break the cycle of loss and loneliness that had plagued her entire life. To do this, she made two children vow to never leave each other alone. They would always keep one another company and make sure everything went fine. One would always be together in times of utmost trials.”

“A good precaution as any from a pony who had to live through the sorrow brought by the experiences of starvation and war,” Trick n’ Veil concluded.

“Yes, a good precaution that worked… for a while… Because in time, one of the siblings did ultimately feel neglected and needed her family to help reassure her insecurities,” Celestia pressed her sad tale.

“So, what happened?” the private eye demanded with morbid curiosity.

“Her sibling broke the promise. The bright lights of notoriety had made her blind to all that she placed in the shadow. Thus, they began to fall alone when the neglected lashed out rather violently,” the Princess admitted painfully.

“How bad could it have been?” the detective added with some reservations.

“Have you ever studied the figure behind Nightmare Night?” Celestia asked nonchalantly.

“That bad?” Mr. Veil emphasised.

The Princess nodded. She wasn’t accustomed to divulging anything from her past, especially when it came to personal matters. At any rate she pressed on, “While I can’t tell you the exact details for security reasons, the nature of that farm pony you followed is very much tied with Rainbow Dash, Miss Fluttershy and my new student.”

“Should I be expecting a few more alicorns to pop up?” the private eye mused.

“Now you’re being silly… Well… As far as I know… I already have my hooves tied up with just raising one new ascended at a time. Hopefully, I won’t have to start a royal day care centre or something to that effect,” Celestia fathomed.

“This just in, Princess Celestia removed from power by a unanimous vote in the Royal Council due to the lack of snack time,” Mr. Time added sarcastically.

The white alicorn rolled her eyes.

That’ll be the day when I get overthrown by a nonarchy. Or is it an octarchy since Cadence will be in the Crystal Empire—

I want cake!

Damn you Gluttonestia—I mean brain! Peanut bucking crisps, can my sugar levels be any lower? You’ll rue the day Doc!

“Kidding aside, are you sure there’s not some convoluted century old scheme that I should be worried about?” the detective added.

“Hmm… Nope!” Celestia replied carefully.

Technically it’s not lying if the plot is more than a century old.

“Of course, there is one things that still bothers me about all this,” the Princess leaned forward to give her concern.

“What?” Trick n’ Veil wanted to know more.

“Why…” Celestia whimpered.

“Pardon?” he said while also leaning in.

“Why… did she not invite ME?” the Princess admitted.

“Why, what?” the detective let out.

“Twilight brought her new friend to Donut Joe and didn’t think of sending one of the guards for me! I was stuck in the screech pit listening to that dreaded mess from those broken gramophones all morning!” Celestia placed her hoof above her horsehead and then rolled on her back while pouting to add to the drama.

Trick n’ Veil looked at her with confusion and added, “Uhm… I think that ‘screech pit’ is called Day Court and those gramophones are called Nobles and lobbyists if my memory serves me correctly.”

Celestia looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and asked, “Is there a difference?”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Meanwhile… (Blue Lord’s viewpoint)

Blue Lord was in no mood for joy. Then again, he was ever hardly in the mood. Of course, what made this day more intolerable was his conspicuous look. What else was there to be expected when one had several bandages, braces and a cast or two on one’s body? It also didn’t help that much of the swelling still lingered. The ‘Prince’ was a mess and his attempts at wearing his best jacket and other attire to cover up as much as possible only went so far.

Worst of all, he was having a really difficult time when it came to his son’s education. He tried hiring tutors from Princess Celestia’s school for Gifted Unicorns, but they were all lacking. They tried fostering a sense of equality and compassion for peers of lesser decent or class; poisons that the ‘responsible’ father had to purge. After all, who were they fooling with such double talk?

Blue Lord knew Equestria wasn’t built on ‘equality’ as the propaganda claimed. It was founded when the superior of blood among the unicorns persuaded the earth ponies and pegasi to give up their democracy and military meritocracy respectively. After all, mob rule was anarchy and appointing offices by ‘hard work’ or ‘qualification’ was a façade at best. Who were those educators fooling? Peasant farmers didn’t know about the intricacies of forming a government. Their predisposition sought to it with their lack of intellect. Thus, governing of the peasants, by the peasants, for the peasants was never going to succeed.

The martial regime by Commander Hurricane was somewhat in the right direction. She knew order can only come from a hierarchical affair. At least she understood that competence and rigid systems needed to be placed over pandering to an unruly majority. However, her regime also failed because it suffered from the same flaw as the chancellorship. Her system believed in ‘universality’ in advancement. What a preposterous sentiment! What, should those with superior genes through generations of pure mingling just allow any simpleton rise through the system just because of a few convenient skills or some arbitrary notion like ‘seniority?’

As far as Blue Lord knew, the unicorns had it right from the beginning, which is why their system dominated national politics upon unification. Sure, earth pony and pegasi nobles were added later, but that was after their superior bloods were weeded out from the fluff and muck. All that was left were wealthy individuals who tried emulating their noble superiors. Some of them showed promise, one day they might be pure enough to join their ranks or at the very least take secondary positions. But until then, they were flocked with weasels and other unwelcomed elements.

Thus, for Blue Blood… His father was making him undergo a proper education based on reality and not some wishful fantasy sludge. The only problem of course was his slowness. Sure, his blood was pure. No questions there. He just needed to grasp it, wield it. He needed to take, not give. Differentiate, not mingle and pollute. Conviction, not compassion. He needed to understand that his blood was an anvil and his will must be a hammer to correspond with that. They were the descendants of Princess Platinum and King Bullion, they were even the descendants of alicorns or those who bore them. Celestia was never quite clear on the details with him. Either way, governorship was their family’s right and their right alone. It didn’t matter what the ‘No Pony at it Codes’ said, it was always their right.

Of course, that didn’t quite matter at the moment. Not wanting to drown in yesterday’s disappointments Blue Lord decided to go to the uppermost establishment, the Prancing Monkey. One of the oldest places of refinement in Canterlot, it was home of the highest gentlecolt’s club in the land and where national policy initiatives were discussed openly among its patrons. Why, even the staff had to be lords and ladies at minimum when applying for work. It was after all, their starting point to the art of intrigue, political dealings and alliance making. What better way than to learn directly from their betters?

At any rate, Blue Lord made his way towards a seat at the far end. Immediately, there were stirs in the atmosphere. Some glanced at the ‘Prince’s new look. Some giggled, some raised their chins, others whispered to one another. No doubt the rumors were circulating about his little escapade with the new alicorn’s mother. I wasn’t his fault, of course. She needed to understand that her filly was too pure for them. Her filly needed to be combed off from the rabble and be brought up to do the things his son had to do (hopefully with less difficulty). She couldn’t be allowed to waste all her potential at magic and other talents with poison from the lesser culture of commoners. Couldn’t that mare realise he was only trying to save her child from such a society with its low morals?

With a swift wave from his hoof a waitress came around with his usual order of scotch. Without any other word he merely grabbed it, tilted the glass back and forth and then sipped all to himself. Sure, the palace doctor recommended to stay away from alcohol, but who was he to listen to yet another commoner that Celestia liked to employ to help her ‘equality’ hoax?

As the bandaged stallion began to relax, another figure decided to sit at his table. She carefully looked at him for a minute and then spoke, “So, having girl troubles now Bluey? I heard you got yourself a ‘crush’ after being ‘hit on.’”

Blue Lord looked up and saw the usual suspect, “Ah, Countess Hemlock. Last I heard of you, the common slugs were giving you names for your display at that announcement.”

“All I said was the truth, nothing more. We can’t be sharing our status with a bumpkin now, can we?” she returned.

“No, we cannot. Which is why I took the liberty of correcting things,” the injured stallion replied.

“More like trying to monopolize what you already have. It’s rude to try and change the balance of power among the families in here Bluey,” the Countess shot back.

“I am a Prince, why should I care for what some of the lower nobility say in such regards?” reasoned Blue Lord.

“Because you are not a CROWN Prince. You know just as well as we that your title means little, compared to Celestia’s. Can you truly say that you are her equal in the affairs of the state? Can you honestly say that she cannot just remove your status whenever she desires it? You are still subservient like the rest of us, remember that! So, don’t expect us to sit idly by while you change the rules of the game in your favour,” Hemlock replied.

“Such venomous words, there’s little wonder why a family notorious for its apothecary business to name you after poison,” was the wounded stallion’s comeback.

“Like I said, I state the truth, no matter how much it may bite,” she teased.

Doubting the actual amount of honesty that goes into the Countess’ words, Blue Lord had time to think while drinking his scotch. He didn’t like her one bit, a feeling that was highly mutual among nobility. There was little love between competing elites after all. Of course, being more careful with his words he did ask, “Think what you will about my affairs. The only question left is what are you going to do about it?”

“Depends on who you ask. For some, it’s the same angle you are trying. There are many right now who are doing what they can to lineup this little ‘problem’ with their families. I have no doubt they’ll be approaching the filly’s parents with propositions left and right,” The Countess said.

“But, what about you? How will you handle this? I highly doubt proposing a marriage alliance will go swimmingly after your actions in the throne room,” he added.

“Like I said, Alicorns are above us and she’s a plebe. I will not be made subservient to plebes,” Hemlock stated.

“Hm! If that’s the approach you wish to take, then I won’t stop you. However, I should warn you that you will likely fail and the Blue family will play feint as if this conversation never took place,” blue Lord answered.

“Oh? Is there something I should know about?” the Countess was curious.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” was his vague response.

“Fine then, keep your secrets!” Hemlock pouted.

Blue Lord signaled to have another drink.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Back in the Castle…

Twilight Sparkle was busy practicing a new spell. It wasn’t very complex nor very straining, but it did test her focus. In front of her was pot filled with earth and a small green stem popped above the surface. What the little alicorn was trying to do was concentrate the magic flowing from her horn into a photosynthesis amplifier to help this small stem grow into a blooming flower. It wasn’t easy by any stretch, especially when one had an amazing pool of magic to begin with. It was like trying to sprinkle water, no more than a cup’s worth, while working with a filled tub.

At any rate, she did manage to double the stem’s size just before she overpowered the spell and the plant wilted just like the first ones. Still, it was an improvement. The entire precision of the procedure was balancing out the amount of U.V. rays, soil nutrition and water that went into the absorption process. Not enough nutrition and the flower could starve during the acceleration phase. Too much water and it could drown. Too much focus on U.V. rays and it could dry up and burn. All in all, the whole spell was too volatile for implementation in mass agriculture. It was just not practical enough. What it did accomplish however, was helping students learn the basics in manipulation.

Any complicated spell needed the caster to refine and reform their manifested aura into a purpose. That purpose was usually defined by filtering raw magic through a model. It was a bit like how mathematicians, cartographers or recording instruments used raw data to create meaningful information. They usually had to funnel their findings through defined markers and then repurpose them with additional filters. Magic when cast by a pony’s horn was in the same light, except the meanings and definitions were all mentally crafted. Everything from the emotions one wished to harness to the multiple intents that needed to be paced. It’s the reason why magic was practiced differently across species and cultures, because the implementation of magic relied entirely on the embodiment of perceptions. The way in which one constructed their worldview and the holistic foundations that accompanied it were always going to be the basis for how magic was used.

Thus, the photosynthesis spell was a brilliant teaching mechanism for this lesson because it demonstrated two things: First, the deployment of magic was a holistic affair and not the sum of its individual parts or steps. Second, extrinsic measurements such as the amount of magic one could tap or the comparing of raw abilities were fallacies that meant little without honed skills. In Twilight’s case, this was especially true. The way in which she tried to cast this particular spell was like watching a construction pony shove a nail meant for a dinky hammer with a sledge. Because by then, she had ruined dozens of small stems in the hope of blooming at least one flower.

The little alicorn tried it all, she had calculated the proportions of nutrients, water and sun light that were needed to spark a healthy growth. The frustration was there and she began to devise ways to use her newfound earth pony abilities to bypass the exercise. Unfortunately, she didn’t grow up on a farm, so it wasn’t like she could just popup flowers at random with just the use of seeds, soil and a watering can. Plus, Princess Celestia strictly told her to use only her horn. Folio Juniper was also there to look after her and flowers were his specialty, so she wasn’t able to pull off a roundabout way of getting this done.

Twilight sighed, “I’m still not getting it!”

“Take your time Miss Twilight… Seriously, you quite literally have the rest of time to take. Or, at the very least a few millenniums. Either way, just stay calm and be patient,” the guard added.

“But, they just keep wilting!” the little alicorn grumbled.

“That’s because you’re concentrating too much on the things going into the flower and not on the flower itself. You got to show that plant some love,” Folio replied.

“Should I bring Cadence in here?” the lavender filly was confused.

“Not that kind of love, missy. You’ve got to become one with that flower. Use your magic to feel it, talk to it,” were his words of wisdom on the subject.

“Hey mister flower, can you please bloom? Please…?” Twilight asked politely and received nothing but silence as a response.

“Do it, or I’ll get very hungry! I’ve eaten flowers before and will do it again! Do not test me, I know you are chewy and taste good with ketchup!” the little alicorn affirmed.

“Eh… maybe we should take a twenty minute break? You know, to clear our heads and all that?” the guard suggested.

With that, the two went to the nearby kitchen to get some lunch. The cooks were very quick to respond when they came along. They had prepared cucumber subway sandwiches, garden salads and rice pudding for dessert. Overall, it was a good meal and thoroughly enjoyable. For the most part, Twilight managed to cool her head and was able to momentarily forget the flowers that refused to bloom.

The little alicorn’s mood had improved and were replaced with giggles in response to Folio Juniper's small antics. Apparently, leaving a rose under the seats of a few female staff members with a note signed ‘anonymous’ was enough to rile them up. Obviously, the stallion played feint when asked about them. Of course, these were all new members of Celestia’s personal workforce. Seasoned mares new better than to react to such teasing by the infamous culprit.

As the pair were just about done a letter arrived for the guard. As he opened it Twilight asked, “Who’s it from? Is it a love letter? You must get a ton of those.”

“For your information Miss Twilight, this is a list pertaining to members of the royal guard,” Juniper replied while showing his charge the paper’s content.

Twilight took a quick glance at some of the names and added, “That’s a lot of stallions confessing to you at once.”

The guard facehoofed and said back, “Again, it’s not that kind of letter. This is a list of royal guards who are to run the security apparatus at this year’s Grand Galloping Gala.”

“Oooohh… What’s the Grand Scalloping Gala?” the lavender filly was curious.

“One, it’s ‘Galloping.’ Two, it’s an annual ball of sorts that happens in the main palace structure. In other words, it’s like Princess Celestia’s open house for celebrities, rich snobs and other influential ponies. Tickets are usually reserved several months in advance and the only other way for anypony to enter would be through royal invitations,” Folio explained.

“So, it’s that big party that happens every year that nopony in the neighbourhood likes? My parents usually complain about the scruffy noise coming from the ponies with brown snouts. Though, I don’t know why it’s always the same group causing trouble,” Twilight inquired.

“Actually the brown commen—You know what? I’ll just say ‘yes’ to that,” the stallion concluded.

“Why? Is it Princess Celestia’s birthday or something?” the little alicorn wanted to know.

“I… I actually have no idea about that. Come to think of it, none of us among the guard or service staff really know when the Princess’ birthday actually is or how old she might be,” Mr. Juniper felt somewhat inadequate at not knowing that information.

Twilight’s eyes sparkled with an idea, “Then why don’t we get her something?”

“Pardon?” the guard looked confused.

“It’s simple, everypony complains about the party or otherwise cause trouble because they don’t know what they’re celebrating. So, if we get her a birthday gift then ponies will start remembering why the gala is celebrated in the first place. Thus, everypony will be much cheerier than when they didn’t know about the significance of the occasion,” the filly concluded.

The guard blinked, “Uhm… Twilight, as much as you’re trying to do some good here I don’t actually think that the gala is Celestia’s bir—“

The rest of his speech was interrupted by Twilight and her trail of thought, “Hush… I need to think. Let’s see… What to give Princess Celestia? The gift can’t be bought, she already has all the money in the world. Make something? Okay, but how?”

The little alicorn pondered away with a hoof under her chin. She was so enthralled by the idea that she simply just stared up at the celling. After a few short minutes, Folio Juniper decided to prod her with his fore hoof to get her out of the trance. As he was just about to give up, Twilight pulled her head back from the clouds. With a determined smile on her face, she leaped off her chair and made a mad dash for the practice room they were in before.

Before the guard was able to catch up to her, the room lit up brightly from a distinct purple aura. Once he reached the door, Juniper saw what was happening. Twilight was once again attempting the photosynthesis enhancement spell. Though unlike before, she was putting everything into it. Normally, this would have been cause for panic. But, the little alicorn was doing it. The tiny stem was growing tall and wide to the point where the plant was visible from the doorway. Then, it happened. The blooming began and the flower was at its peak.

Just as Folio gave a sigh of relief, he noticed something odd. The plants they had been using were all tulips; however, this one was slightly off as it had hairs on the petals’ edges. From what the guard was able to discern, it looked like a hybrid cross between tulips and…

Just then Twilight, being rather proud of herself, took a moment to smell her creation; she was rubbing the plant’s hairs with the tip of her nose. In just one second the petals enclosed themselves around the filly’s snout. This was naturally followed by a little pony’s ‘eep’ as she tried to pull away. Clearly, making gifts via magic was going to take some time.

Folio Juniper sighed and said, “Alright, next lesson is on how NOT to perform chimera enchantments.”

“So, let me get this straight. Twilight finally succeeded in casting the photosynthesis spell?” Celestia asked.

“Yep,” replied Folio.

“But, not before accidently unleashing the chimera effect to produce a hybrid?” the Princess’ disbelief continued.

“Pretty much,” the guard continued.

The oversized alicorn was still uncertain about the whole affair. She sighed, but pressed on, “I can understand the mix with the venus fly trap. But, that doesn’t explain why it’s producing pearls.”

“Ah, that’s the kicker isn’t it? Me and Twilight might have had a conversation where scallops were briefly mentioned. It could have been stuck on her mind,” he answered.

“That still shouldn’t have been possible,” the caretaker of the sun retorted.

“Did I mention that Twilight’s parents had a few textbooks in marine biology lying around? She wanted to read about ocean based magic at some point.” Mr. Juniper added.

Celestia let out another breath and began to utter, “One of these days… Twilight WILL read from the children’s section.”

The stallion chuckled, “If I were you I’d be more concerned with her year standing at the School for Gifted Unicorns. Clearly, she can go through first year UNIVERSITY courses with little problem. Honestly, you’re better off with tutors at this point.”

The Princess groaned while rubbing her forehead, “If she excelled this much at academics, why wasn’t she discovered sooner? You know, before she blew up a classroom?”

Seeing the mix of awed disbelief and frustration on the sovereign, Folio had to confess, “Well, after the psychology review I asked her parents something similar. Apparently she’s been homeschooled.”

“Homeschooled…?” Celestia deadpanned.

“They refused to go into details, but there was an apparent traumatic incident during magic kindergarten and Twilight was taught from the household ever since. That was how she was able to go through material beyond her own age,” he explained.

“I know standardised education is not designed to make students excel quickly, but really?” the royal expressed with continued scepticism.

Folio Juniper shook his shoulders. Clearly, there wasn’t much left to surprise the pair at this rate. Twilight Sparkle was WAY ahead of her peers when it came to academic prowess. How? That still needed some clarity and the only ponies able to shed light on that were the filly’s own parents. Well, them and some records at the Ministry of Education that oversaw all of Equestria’s school systems, and materials for children to learn at home.

This was common for fillies and colts who either couldn’t afford to go to the public system, who didn’t have access to schools due to geography or who wished to be taught privately. In any case, there were several options available for ponies from all walks of life. This was especially useful since ponies didn’t pursue formal education above basic levels or even beyond the scope of their cutie mark. In fact, most ponies expected to enter a trade or join an apprenticeship based on their talents. This wasn’t to say that there wasn’t room for further studies. After all, just because a pony had a worthwhile talent, it didn’t necessarily mean that said talent translated into an economic benefit. All it meant was that those who were able to begin their career paths early, did so.

Just as Celestia thought things were not able to become any more complicated, a certain caretaker ran into the room in an urgent panic.

“Your majesty!” she said. “We have a small problem; the castle’s foal’s wing is on fire!”

The Princess, once more, let out her frustration, “What is it this time?”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight was at home with her family and all was calm. She and Cadence were in a corner playing with Miss Smarty Pants and other dolls. Not surprising, the youngest of the alicorns built herself another infamous book fort to try and repel the invasion of the warmongering pink menace that was her foal sitter. Once again, defending the true words of hard-cover against the unholy texts of magazines.

On the other side of the living room was the guard initiate Shining Armor, who was taking note of the carnage like the ancient author Hetrototus on battles millenniums ago. While this scene wasn’t new, the extra pair of wings in the mix was. He did recover from his initial reaction a few days ago, but the shock remained all the same. He calmed down, of course. However, this placed the future of the entire family in uncharted waters.

He was no longer sure of himself. The growing stallion knew he wanted to serve Equestria, was certainly willing to put life and limb for the Princess(es). Saving her Royal Majesty like a knight of old was certainly the dream of every colt who thought of joining the guard. Of course, the problem was that endangered mare was probably going to be his own sister.

That brought the young stallion to the point of being a nervous wreck. Never before had he actually contemplated the hazards of his future work like he did then. The possibilities of assassination attempts, abduction, being a political prisoner… Heck, the whole incident involving his mother and the ‘Prince’ only helped to make such dangers evident. Granted, his sister managed to get the better of that confrontation, but the hard reality check it gave him was nonetheless felt. He was conflicted, on one hoof he wanted to do everything ponily possible to keep his sister safe, the other was dreading what threats awaited her entailed.

Of course, there was the possibility that he was probably going to be forced to quit his training altogether. After all, if Celestia’s distant family were counted as minor members of royalty, what did that make him and his parents? Everypony was talking about how Twilight was going to become a Princess herself, some even just assumed she was one already. Did that make him some technical ‘Prince’ like Blueblood or his father? Did the guards even allow such members among its ranks? Even if they did, they were going to be hesitant on deploying him anywhere near a hot spot of trouble. He doubted his superiors would give him border duty, less he be at the forefront of an invasion, get captured and used in a ransom scheme. He had become a potentially valuable target that could pose an unnecessary danger to other front line personnel. If that was the case then he'd be stuck doing rear echelon work for his entire career. The path he had chosen for his life was no longer certain.

Suddenly, the front door began to boom.

*Knock knock knock!*

“I’ll get it!” Twilight said and promptly left the room.

Not being able to hold his deathly silence anymore, Shining Armor spoke up, “So, heir to the throne? Princess of Equestria with crown and all?”

Night Light chuckled a bit but knew where his son was coming from, “Boy, you’ve been here for the past few days and only now you get around to talking about it?”

Shining frowned, “Pardon me if it took that long to process an extreme event that changes everything! I mean—this is as abnormal as it gets!"

Velvet raised an eyebrow, “Since when anything involving Twilight has ever been normal? Remember when we went to go see her graduation... before yours?”

“Oh, come on! You can't honestly compare me with that bar level. Besides, I’m receiving mine at the academy!” He groaned. “It’s not everypony who can just skip ahead SEVERAL years.”

Night Light interjected, “Now… now… I think what your mother is trying to say is that your sister has a knack for… surprises… Heck, we were just as shocked when Twilight—you know, I don’t actually know what she did. All I remembered was… cactus? Anyways, next thing we knew, there was Princess Celestia wrapping our little unconscious darling in a blanket. After we argued with the professors, there they were… two lavender wings on her back.”

“And the Princess’ reaction to all of this?” Shining expressed with continuous disbelief.

“Casual,” his father replied.

“Casual? CASUAL? No, ‘oh look! A usurper, better quash her with my hooves.’ Or how about, ‘let’s turn her to stone! I could use an extra garden ornament’ Or even—“ the son was briefly paused by a blue aura that kept his mouth closed.

“Are you suggesting that auntie is a mean old crow who would do such cruel things to monopolise the throne for herself?” It was Cadence’s turn to add a point in her calm demeanor.

“N—No! Of course not, Cady! I was just—uhm… You know… Eh…” The young stallion didn’t have anything else to submit to the discussion.

Cadence sighed, “Why are the cute ones always so dense?”

“What?” Shining didn’t quite hear.

“Nothing! Now listen, you’re worried about how Twilight is coping with all of this. Right?” the pink alicorn asked.

“Right…” the initiate replied.

“And you’re worried about all the potential problems that you and your parents will definitely face because of all of this, right?" she continued.

“Yes…” Shining followed suit.

“Then, don’t. I was in that same boat years ago and turned out alright. Wouldn’t you say?”

“I guess so…” He admitted.

“Trust me, Celestia is supportive of having more alicorns around. Each and every one of us has a unique type of gift that we share with our fellow ponies. She will do everything in her power to make sure anypony who even thinks of harming Twilight, or take advantage of her, will run for the hills.” She reassured.

“But, will she be enough?” Shining didn’t want to doubt her sister’s foal sitter, but he needed to be a hundred percent sure.

“Absolutely, with her protection, none of the nobles would even dare try what Blue Lord did. I mean, what are they going to do? Storm in and ask an under-aged filly a hoof in marriage?”

Twilight walked back into the room with an irritated expression on her face.

“What’s the matter dearie?” Velvet questioned.

“I kept telling that stallion dressed like a rich pony that it wasn’t Nightmare Night yet, but he wouldn’t listen!” Twilight voiced.

Everypony in the room was perplexed, they all looked at one another in confusion. Then, Velvet asked, “Nightmare Night?”

“Yeah! And you know what’s worse? He didn’t know the rules, I had to explain to him that I was supposed to give the candy when he’s at the door. Not the other way around.” The filly then floated in her magical grip a box of chocolates that was red in colour and in a heart shaped pattern.

After everypony took a few seconds to recover their jaws from the floor, an angry Shining Armor spoke up, “I’ll go get him.”

Just as he was about to leave, his father blocked his path with a forehoof and then declared, “No! No! You’re still a cadet and a criminal record would just undermine your chances of becoming a guard. Allow the adults in the room to take care of this.”

Just as Shining was about to voice his thoughts, Night Light spoke again in a calm and menacing tone, “Trust me, this is a dad's job."

As her husband left, Velvet tried to abruptly change the topic, “So, Twilight… I saw that plant you made during magic practice.”

*Paff!*

The filly deflated, “Yeah… It was supposed to be a tulip for Celestia. I wanted to make a whole pack of them, but something went wrong with the spell and it became part venus fly trap.”

*Bam!*

The mother went with it, “You don’t say? I think it’s very lovely in its own unique way. It helped us get rid of the flies and mosquitoes around the house.”

*Fwump!*

Twilight beamed, at the very least her failure was not a total waste if it had useful applications.
Velvet continued, “But I do have to ask, why does it spit out pearls? Not that I’m complaining.”

*Bash!*

“I was thinking about scallops at the time of casting, needless to say everything just kind of mixed in the spell.” The lavender alicorn explained.

“Combining plants and molluscs, is that even possible?” the mother questioned.

“Apparently,” her daughter replied.

*Smack!*

“What’s that noise?” Twilight was concerned.

“Oh, nothing. Just your father practicing his ‘secret hoofshake’ with a new acquaintance,” Velvet proclaimed.

*Crunch!*

“Lovely weather we’re having today,” Cadence uttered to change the topic.

“I agree,” Shining articulated to stave off the awkward silence.

*Ka-pow!*

“AND STAY OUT!” Night Light shouted.

Within a minute of hearing those words, the ponies in the living room saw the fatherly stallion enter with a happy expression on his face. In a cheery manner, he asked, “So, who’s hungry?”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The next half hour was spent at the dinner table where fresh salads and other gourmet appetisers were laid out and eaten. Velvet even broke out the cheese fondue as a means of forgetting recent events. As for her husband, he decided the make his favorite pepper kababs sauced in honey.

All seemed serene until a portal was unleashed in the hallway. Night Light turned to react at the break and entry with a chair, except what he saw when the flash ended was none other than Celestia herself.

When the Princess stared at him in his frozen pose, she let out, “Sorry to barge in like this, but I need to ask my student a favour.”

The father promptly dropped his telekinetic grip on the chair and it lowered to the ground. “Oh! Uhm… Right this way,” he announced while trying his best to hide his flustered demeanor.

As the pair trotted into the room, Twilight saw her teacher and waved, “Hi, Princess.”

Celestia put on her warm smile and replied, “Evening, Twilight. What have you been up to?”

The filly, who was eating dessert by this point, showed her mentor the heart shaped box. She asserted, “Eating chocolate.”

The white alicorn became curious when she saw the expensive assortments, she instantly knew a high quality dessert when she saw one. She asked, “Oh? And where did this box of goodies come from?”

“A pony dropped it,” came the matter of fact answer.

As Celestia turned towards the group for a more complete explanation, Cadence conversed, “Don’t ask! Also, have a pardon or a good defence lawyer ready if a random noble tries to pin assault charges against Mr. Light.”

The Princess blinked, “Is there something I should be concerned about?”

“Believe me, the less you know, the better. Just relish in the fact that as a witness, I say his actions are justified,” the pink alicorn proclaimed.

“Well, then… I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it,” Celestia concluded before turning back towards Twilight. “Now, the main topic at hoof.”

The lavender filly perked her ears up to listen to her mentor speak, “Remember when you had to hatch a dragon egg during your exam and you succeeded beyond all expectations?”

“Yeah,” the student uttered while nodding.

“Well, it seems we need your help in getting him to behave. By behave, I mean ‘not burn down my castle.’” The Princess affirmed.

“Uhm… I think I can help. What do I need to do?” the filly wondered.

“For now, try approaching him. He’s been acting up recently and the caretakers are being pushed away by his uncontrollable crying and fire breath.” Celestia explained.

“Then, how is Twilight supposed to help the situation?” Shining asked sternly only to realise his hard tone escaped. “Eh… Your highness?”

If the out-of-line question and blundered correction fazed the large alicorn in any way, she didn’t show it.

Instead she just offered, “Private First Class Shining Armor, boot camp trainee and applicant for the academy.”

Off guard and in a panic over the fact that the Princess knew who he was, the young stallion stood at attention like a statue. His face was expressionless and his chest was puffed out.

Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!

“I understand that as an older brother, Twilight Sparkle is very dear to you and you place great emphasis on her safety. Is that correct?” she asked.

“Yes, your Highness!” He replied.

“I see… Does that imply that her wellbeing is a higher priority than myself?” the Princess voiced in her stoic but serious demeanor.

Shining didn’t know how to respond to this trap of a question. He knew answering either choice would be bad. Although, his sister was on her way to become a Princess anyway, so it wouldn’t be considered treasonous if he sided with his family. Then again, as a pony who’s trying to get into the Royal Guard, he is technically answerable to Celestia and nopony else. Thus, he was probably going to lose his chance if he denied her. Knowing he was about to lose either way, he decided to go for broke and leveled with his ruler, “Yes! Your majesty!”

I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die!

Expecting the worst, the guard-wannabe awaited for his fate. Instead, he was on the receiving end of a mischievous grin.

“Cadence was certainly right about you. Honest, straight to the point and knows where to place his priorities. You’ll definitely go far,” the Princess remark.

During Shining’s moment of confusion, Cadence spoke, “That was mean auntie, placing him in the spotlight like that.”

Celestia gave her niece a playful expression, “A little teasing never hurts anypony. Besides, you know what happens when I fill my guards’ ranks with those worshipers. Why do you think I removed shock spells from the training manual?”

“It was still kind of mean,” the niece grumbled.

“Then, let me make it up to you by giving this,” the Princess replied while handing the pink alicorn a small bundle of items.

“Why are you giving me a note of reservations for two at the waterfall-side restaurant and a pair of tickets to go see the Wonderbolts?” Cadence puzzled.

“Don’t worry, I approve. I doubt I could keep you from such a firm flank any way,” Celestia whispered into her ear while smiling innocently as if no mischief was at play.

It took a minute for everything in Cadence’s mind to click. Once they did, her face went red and she exclaimed, “Au—auntie!”

Good… Good… Let the embarrassment flow through you.

You think we should show him her photo album?

Do it! I shall enjoy this with chocolate cake at my side.

“Uhm… What’s happening?” Shining asked.

“Nothing! Just—go help Twilight with the dragon problem!” the flustered tomato coloured alicorn blurted.

With that, the lavender filly gathered her saddlebag and the elder sibling followed suit. Neither knew what to expect, with the exception to the fact that they were dealing with a fire breathing newborn. Once they were ready, Celestia’s horn started glowing and with a flash of light they were gone.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The next thing the pair saw was a hallway back in the castle. There were scorch marks everywhere and emergency fireponies dampening what remained of the flames. In the centre of the damage was a burned doorway where all the attention was focused. Once their presence was known, one of the fire crew members approached the ruler with due haste.

“Your highness, the flames have been contained to that small room. However, the source of the blaze is still at work. We’ll need to find a way to stop him before any more structural damage can take effect,” the fire pony reported with a salute.

“Very good,” She stated before facing the filly. “Twilight, I believe this is where you can best help us.”

Shining Armor was in doubt, “Not to question your judgement, but how is my baby sister supposed to deal with a fire breathing lizard?”

“What has training taught you about dragon interaction thus far Armor?” Celestia asked.

“Simple, if you want to live, don’t!” the cadet deadpanned.

“And baby dragons?” the Princess pushed.

“Same rule applies?” he tried to answer.

The large alicorn rolled her eyes but remained in her calm posture. She exclaimed, “When a dragon hatches from its egg, it forms an instinctual bond with the first maternal figure they identify. Part of its natural survival faculties.”

“Okay, but I still don’t see—Wait! You’re not thinking that Twilight—“ he wanted to say.

“Is the likely culprit? Probably, her lack of presence up ‘til now would explain his ferocious tantrum,” she reasoned.

The initiate sighed with a small hint of irritation, “Let me guess, you want me to use my shield spell (which you probably read about) and escort my sister inside?”

“If you’d please?” Celestia politely added nonchalantly.

Without trying to show his groan, Shining Armor levitated his sister onto his back. He took a deep breath, prepared the magical sphere around his body and went for the door. To his credit, he was able to ignore the fires raging around him. The telekinetic ball, which he had perfected since the day he earned his cutie mark, held out. Once he pushed through, Shining saw the creature that was the cause for all the new troubles in his life.

There he was, the scaly infant abomination, crying like any other baby looking for attention. The only difference, of course, was his flaming breath. Why the newborn decided to act out then and not earlier that week when he was separated from Twilight was still anypony’s guess. Regardless, the young stallion pushed forward and managed to get right beside the pyromaniac.

Though, once there the two ponies didn’t quite know what to do. They weren’t being bombarded by flames anymore, but that didn’t make the heat any less present. Hoping to gain the creature’s attention, Twilight called out, “He—hello!”

Instantly, the basilisk halted his bawling as the memory of that voice clicked into his head. He turned himself around and there she was, the lavender pony who he identified as his maternal interest. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Purple eyes peered into green ones with slit pupils. In that moment, the lavender filly took her chances and hopped off her brother to confront the tiny beast.

“Twilight, come back inside!” Shining pleaded as he watched his sister leave his protective shield.

His sister didn’t listen. Instead, she closed the gap and spoke again, “Hi! I’m Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, master of book forts and hatcher of eggs. I defend the land of Libreria against the dark influence of Cadence from the Magazinic Empire, a lawless place of tabloids, celebrity gossip, perfume ads and overly complicated fashion trends.”

The dragon didn’t answer, instead it went back to its usual (yet milder) whine. Trying to preserve the pace of progress with the infant, Twilight dug a hoof into her saddlebag and drew out one of the pearls that had been collected from her new plant. She spoke, “Don’t cry! Here, I have shiny marbles you can play with.”

She held the calcium bead with her levitation abilities and placed it over the dragon’s face in order to grab his attention once more. Once the object caught the newborn’s eye, he grabbed it with his tiny claws. After a moment or two of interaction, the hatchling placed the pearl into his mouth where he chewed on it. He wasn’t able to break it outright with his egg tooth, but that didn’t stop him from slowly licking it away to render the object more malleable.

“Aww… He’s eating the pearl… Oh, wait! He’s eating the pearl!” Twilight exclaimed as she realised what was happening.

“Best to leave it be my student, there’s no sense in going in-between a dragon and his food. Twice true if a gem of any kind is involved,” Celestia noted after walking in.

“But, I thought pearls weren’t considered the same as rubies, sapphires, diamonds and the like,” Shining Armor reasoned.

“Technically, you’re right. Pearls are not the same as geologically created minerals mined or grown on rock farms, but they’re a bond of calcium and carbon called aragonite,” the Princess lectured.

“Calcium carbonate, a cousin to the more stable calcite and made by a protein substance called conchiolin. Now that I think about it, that’s probably why Spike apparently likes it so much,” Twilight thought out loud.

Celestia was bewildered, “Can a pony please explain what you just said?”

“Oh, I just saw how he used the baby tooth he had at the front of his mouth. So, I thought ‘Spike’ was a good name. That was clever, right?” the lavender filly patted her own head in embarrassment.

The large alicorn blinked and reworded herself, “What? No, I meant everything else you spoke.”

“Grade twelve advanced chemistry, obviously,” deadpanned the smaller counterpart.

Celestia stared in silence as she was taking this in. She muttered, “Grade twelve advanced chemistry…?”

“Well, yeah! I wasn’t going to get my secondary diploma without it,” Twilight didn’t understand why Celestia had an odd look on her face.

Shining sighed, “Twilight, not everypony who gets homeschooled graduates within a few years from leaving magic ‘you know where.’ Nor do such ponies apply to go to another school afterwards just because the regular system doesn’t specialise in mage craft.

“WHAT!” the wide-eyed Princess unintentionally exclaimed in her forgotten Canterlot voice.

It had been three weeks since the ascension of Twilight Sparkle and things were in rapid development for the little alicorn. After careful testing and school record searches, it was determined that the lavender filly already had most her necessary academic credits up till high school. The only thing that she was missing were the applied magic and a few theoretical spell casting centred lessons that the School for Gifted Unicorns was famous for.

With this in mind, Twilight’s lesson plan was drastically revised. While most of her core lessons were already going to be taught by Celestia directly, the amount of time she was to spend with the student body was reduced considerably more than expected. In the end, the only formal classes that she was to take were the few obligatory courses that she couldn’t skip. Consequently, Twilight had plenty of free time for personal endeavours. It was for that reason that the Princess herself had planned to add a few extra tutors for wing care, flight training and cloud walking. Needless to say, the filly was in for a very unorthodox education (not that she wasn’t used to such things).

At any rate, Twilight Sparkle found herself in a large reception hall with her parents. The pristine marble coloured walls were adorned with decorations and a huge ‘welcome’ banner was erected at the entrance. All around the room there were tables filled with trays of desserts, snacks, punch bowls and coffee pots. In the centre, there was a cake so large that it was half a story tall. The occasion was to congratulate all the new incoming students that passed the entrance exam and were then officially admitted into the school.

As for the students themselves, they were usually divided into two distinct camps. The first was made up of fillies and colts that were actually gifted. This group come from unicorns all over Equestria, displaying powers and intellect beyond what normal ponies were able to display. Naturally, they were very diverse and had a large number of oddballs within their cliques.

The second group were made up of the affluent, they were usually from local families that were either rich, nobles or both. These ponies weren’t typically gifted per se, but parental and/or social pressures did force many of them to study and practice under enough prior tutelage to warrant them a pass at the entrance exam.

Thus, the divide between the passion of learning and those looking to fulfil the obligations of social standings were clearly present in the attitudes of the children (as well as their parents) in that room. Of course, the fine line between these two factions was always blurred and crossed by many looking to maneuver in the complex day to day affairs of the student body.

The most timid of all the kids in this, however, was none other than the lavender filly. Shy and self-aware of the attention she was given, she hid behind her mother.

Velvet spoke up, “Sweetie, you can’t hide between me and the table all day.”

“Y—yes I can,” Twilight responded meekly.

Velvet rolled her eyes, “This isn’t magic ‘you know where,’ you’ll be fine.”

“But everypony keeps looking at me,” the filly stated.

“They’re just curious about you; you’re not exactly a regular member of the herd,” her mother replied.

Twilight puffed her cheeks as she took offence, “I can be regular!”

Velvet rolled her eyes while displaying her sarcasm, “I’m sure you can.”

As the banter between mother and daughter was about to continue, a certain colt bumped into the lavender filly.

“Watch where you’re going you grape simpleton!” the blond maned and white furred boy exclaimed with bravado.

“Uh, I wasn’t going anywhere. You’re the one who trotted with your chin held high and your eyes closed,” Twilight explained.

The new pony shook his head dismissively with denial, “I—I was merely practicing the conventional stroll that is befitting of my standing, young peasant.”

“I’m a present? Hmm… I don’t really consider myself a present; I’m not much of a bow fan,” the filly pondered at that.

“What? No! What I said was—“ the colt tried to explain before being cut off.

“Oh, I get it! You’re one of those flirty types,” Twilight concluded with a chuckle. “You should meet Princess Celestia, she likes the flirty ones.”

The blond pony was baffled, “Huh…?”

“Is that why you were doing that strange ostrich walk? I’ve once read a book about mating rituals of Papua New Birdy. It usually started off with this special kind of dance, although shaman magic was often implemented,” Twilight rambled.

“Eh…” the colt was at a loss for words as he was creeped out in ways not made apparent to the filly.

“Just teach her in the birds and the bees they said… It’ll be just like any other homeschooled topic they said…” Velvet grumbled.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Meanwhile…

Celestia was trotting around the halls of the school in a vain attempt to try and reach the big hall. Needless to say, she got stopped along the way by many parents looking to introduce their children. Some were enthusiastic, others were merely ‘big names’ trying to show off their heir apparent. Thus, she traveled along at a painstakingly slow pace to reach the podium (as well as the giant sweet tooth prize) that was at the other side of the never ending building.

As she went along, dodging more waves of eager subjects who want audiences, a familiar voice sprung up. The well-mannered stallion said with amusement, “My… my… A little early in the morning for hide and seek games, your highness?”

Celestia peeked her head out from the oddly placed curtains to see her familiar friend and uttered, “Ah… Fancy Pants, I wasn’t expecting you here.”

The stallion chuckled, “Just merely congratulating a young nephew of mine. I take it you’ve been rather avoiding the crowd?”

“Delays can be a tiresome affair. I would rather much get to the main room as quickly as possible,” the Princess explained.

“Well, then… follow me your majesty. I know a quiet route that’s seldom trotted,” Fancy Pants offered.

Celestia sighed, “Well, it can’t be any slower than it already is.”

Thus, they travelled along as the well-groomed stallion left his remark, “By the way, I can’t help but notice your figure has… firmed up somewhat. Have you been working out during your spare time?”

He knows! He can see my bone thin flesh! I’m horrid; where will Celestia’s followers consecrate when perfection is ruined?

“Don’t be silly, my figure has always been pristine,” the Princess declared.

“I have to disagree with you on that, you’ve become slightly extra fit,” Fancy Pants countered.

He lies! Celestia cannot retain her followers without her precious ‘junk in the trunk!’

We needs cake, we needs it now! Curse diet! Curse it! We hates it forever!

As the pair made their way down the corridors they finally stumbled upon the doors to the hall. When they were opened and saw a very peculiar sight.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As Twilight kept rambling about a barrage of facts and theories, the young colt found himself stuck in a one-sided conversation that he wasn’t able to get away from. In a desperate bid, he spoke up, “Uhm… As much as that whatever it is you are saying is ‘interesting,’ I must be off.”

“But, you still need to know about the exotic chicken dance that was said to have been performed by the ancients. How can you possibly be an ostrich walker if you can’t increase your range of bird-like moves?” Twilight argued.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll send for you and your cut-out wings if I ever need such assistance,” he scoffed while failing to get away.

“These wings aren’t cut-outs! They’re the real thing, I got them during my entrance exam when I made time and space go all wimey. Oh, and a dragon was born; his name is Spike,” the little alicorn professed proudly.

The colt’s head went into overdrive as the gears started to finally turn as it all clicked into place. He exclaimed, “Wait! You were there when it happened? And those wings are real?”

His eyes went wide as the truth sunk in, “Oh, sweet Celestia! You—you’re THAT one.”

The blonde unicorn grew pale (paler than usual) as he realised who he had scoffed at. Part of him was scared at the fact that he just bumped into and disrespected the new alicorn everypony was talking about. On the other, jealousy sunk in. For all his life, the young colt had been told time and again by his angry father that he was a pony born of stature. As such, he needed to exercise authority over other ponies, talk them into a position of subservient status. He was born better, so he needed to act better in response. Why shouldn’t he? He is a Prince after all.

Yet, there she stood; the filly who just broke all bounds of birthrights. All the maids and butlers he overheard almost never stopped talking about this pony. ‘New Princess of Equestria’ they claimed. Some even considered looking for new job opportunities at the palace since there were likely to be openings as a consequence. His father too had reacted, but not for the better. He saw in him an anger born from a sickening mockery; it felt as if every glance he took towards his son was the aura of disappointment. In just one fell swoop the commoner, who he should had been exercising his stature over, went and made him the unimportant fool. Fate, as it turned out, was a mean old jester.

Needing answers, the colt spoke up, “How did you do it?”

“Do what?” Twilight asked.

“Your wings, how did you get your wings?” he blond pony’s question became aggressive.

“I’m not sure—“ the filly tried to respond but was cut off by the dissatisfied unicorn.

“Do not play games! Did you drink the blood of a pegasus? How about a pact with the Dark Mustanghood? Did those bearded grey basket cases at the top of the mountain have anything to do with it? Were you bitten by a black magic spider? Did you use horn enhancement products? Or, did you find the hidden thirteenth floor of the castle? Well…?” the boy exclaimed in rapid fire succession.

Twilight, being rather uncomfortable at that moment, meekly let out, “I hatched a dragon egg… That’s it… I kind of had a magical explosion after that.”

The colt’s eye twitched, he was definitely not getting anywhere. Everything the little alicorn described, he already knew from the gossip and papers. No, he needed more. However, just as the young unicorn was about to press on, Velvet stepped in-between the pair while holding a scolding look.

“I think a little Mister Somepony is forgetting his manners,” the filly’s mother asserted with the authority that was impossible to achieve without parenthood.

The white furred and blond maned young one looked up with a growing sense of fear in his eyes. He explained, “Please, you must understand; my dad’s been extra cranky with me lately. He won’t be happy unless I find a way to do whatever she did!”

Velvet raise an eyebrow but remained vigilant while replying, “Your father?”

The colt choked back, “Ye… Yes! He—“

“Blueblood! What have I told you about looking meek in front of others? Honestly, how do you expect to become a Prince if you can’t even stand up to knave stock—“ Blue Lord tried to berate his until he was promptly cut off.

“YOU!” Was all the lavender alicorn’s mother had to say.

The ‘Prince’ turned his gaze to meet the familiar voice while exclaiming, “Oh, it’s you. I should have known you were behind my son’s cowardice.”

It was at this point Blueblood had decided to take refuge behind Twilight as he did little to hide the fact that he was scared. Celestia’s student couldn’t help but notice the dread that the colt was feeling.

“Just what in Tartarus are YOU doing here?” Velvet demanded from the displeasuring stallion.

“Making my son get acquainted with his lower compatriots. After all, the lesser nobles need to know who they owe patronage towards,” Blue Lord explained as a matter of fact.

“Well, that would explain a few things. I can’t imagine your son even remotely passing that entrance exam,” Velvet slipped unapologetically.

“Preposterous! I would never jeopardise my son by making him share a classroom with the likes of yokels and their populist agendas. That’s why he’s under the strict regime of the best tutors money can buy; only the finest for a relative to the crown,” the arrogant stallion quipped back.

The mare rolled her eyes while sarcastically replying, “Rats! And here I thought being the PRIVATE student of the crown herself was a good deal. You know, because there’s nothing like a super genius gone demigod.”

As Blue Lord groaned in response, Velvet couldn’t help but grin in victory at her little banter. Was showing off one’s own child like a trophy in a heated argument, between parents, good form? Perhaps not, but something could be said about the feeling of triumph.

“Hmm! A few nights of dinning with Princess Celestia and the above-average peon is already forgetting her place,” the stallion replied.

“Well, ain’t that a… kick in the head.” Velvet declared.

Watching the reaction that she had expect, Velvet grinned at the sight of a venomous eye twitch. Nothing like memory lane coming back to bite a pony in the flank.

Suddenly, as the adult squabble was heating up, a screech was heard. Everypony in the room turned their gazes towards the centre of the large hall where the oversized dessert was sitting. Ponies didn’t know what to make of it at first, but the top layer started moving until something akin to a face was visible.

There were a few murmurs among the souls in that room, but things were rather quiet; as if waiting for some sort of reaction. It came in the form of a loud roar when the top part of the dessert moved the bundt pieces that made up its mouth. The results left the crowd in pandemonium as they ran to and fro.

It was at that point that the monstrous cake (quite literal in this circumstance) started moving in the direction of the filly alicorn. As it was hopping along the floor, the cake grew thin arms with pointy claws for fingers of a light brown colour; they appeared to be made of cinnamon sticks. In any case, the beast caught up to its lavender target as it towered over the child.

Twilight tried to levitate the mountain of pastries away, but things didn’t turn out that way. For some reason, telekinetic abilities weren’t affecting the creature at all. It’s not that it was too heavy for Twilight, her magic just didn’t have any effect. She then tried other spells to stop the creature; little beams here and there that involved every little thing she knew, but the effects were the same.

It was at this point that the oversized cake took the opportunity to grab the young alicorn by her tail to lift her up into the air. The filly struggled, but it was to no avail as she saw her oncoming doom. The frosty creature’s mouth opened once again to show its razor sharp teeth and an unnatural looking throat that looked like a magically induced wormhole of sorts.

Twilight, unable to get away either by spells of her own wing power, closed her eyes and awaited the end that never came. As the cinnamon hand was about to drop her in the mouth of doom, a table hit it squarely in the face and the beast released her prey. The filly dropped to the ground at the monster’s base.

Once it recovered, it saw the assailant in all her glory. The cake shrieked, unhappy that this large white alicorn had interfered with its intended victim. In response, the beast took on a fighting stance as it prepared to fight this pony; an act of confidence owing to the fact that it was immune to outside magical threats.

However, rather than causing fear or caution in its adversary, this alicorn gave a toothy smile. The beast didn’t know what to make of it at first, but then it felt a sense of unease as it noticed those lustful—No, predatory eyes.

Celestia spoke, “So, is there a reason why my favorite afternoon tea-time snack is making such a ruckus?”

The two story cake didn’t like where this was going.

“If you wanted to play a game of role reversal, then please… go right ahead and play it,” the Princess expressed with growing confidence.

The beast continued to hold its fighting stance.

“If you wanted to make things interesting by ignoring the laws of magic, then go ahead and do so. Scribble on them and cross whole sections out if you’re feeling brave,” the huge alicorn suggested. “But, there’s something about me you ought to know.”

The pinnacle dessert lunged forward, only to have its punching arm broken in two by a bite at its elbow joint. Startled, the beast hopped back a few meters away as it tried to process what just happened. As for Celestia, she held a piece of the severed limb in her mouth, probably to give it a taste. Then, she dropped it and licked the edge of her lips.

“I am an old, slightly bitter and somewhat tired mare who has to play nice with overly spoiled elites, pretend to care about their mundane affairs and try to keep their more malicious intents in line. I have stood for a thousand years alone with regal and politeness, not having the luxury of the no-nonsense approach. As such, I’ve often coped with two things I loved: tea and cake,” the Princess proclaimed with a maniacal tone.

The frosty monster quivered in fear as it glanced its eyes around for the nearest exit.

“However, due to unexpected circumstances I was placed on a diet. A diet! For nearly a whole month I was without my oh-so-lovely sweet tooth fulfilling joy. I don’t care what my physician says, I need my cake; I WANT my cake; and you know what else…? I’M… GETTING…. MY… CAKE!” Celestia concluded in her Royal Canterlot voice as her jewelry was replaced by a bib.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twenty minutes later…

The Princess was laying on her side a guards and members of the investigation unit poured through the doors to examine the scene of the ‘incident.’ Right behind them, Doctor Rubber Glove was allowed access to aid the only reported casualty, Celestia herself.

He trotted pass the witnesses under questioning and came upon the sight of ‘battle.’ There it was, the remains of what used to be layers upon layers of sugar loafs, slabs of sweets and blocks of goodness that were compiled into one cake AND meant for hundreds of ponies. The top parts were gone completely, the lower section were bitten at quite heavily and the mid-section (what was left of it) rested the large alicorn on her back.

Rubber Glove gave a sigh, “All I wanted was to lower that blood sugar of yours. Honestly, what am I ever going to do with you?”

Celestia belched, then look up. With her warm smile fully returned to its pristine glory and said, “Do what you will. I’ve already won.”

Meanwhile, in the corner stood a prestigious mare who was quite displeased with the results of her plan. Clearly, she needed to step things up for her next encounter.

Oh, wow… Look at all the big marbled buildings! They must have, like, the most super-duper-best parties ever,” a small filly exclaimed enthusiastically.

The expressionless stallion looked at her and knew just what type of trouble this newly energetic filly was capable of. He asked, “Calm down, Pinkie. We’re here on official business, remember?”

“Obviously, why do you think I’m talking about parties?” his daughter replied with a smile.

Raising an eyebrow, he continued, “Well, that’s part of it. But, do you know what our job in all of this is?”

“Sure, to move the plot along,” the energetic pony with her unusually recent curly hair announced.

Igneous Rock Pie frowned at that response, missing the actual meaning of the statement. He began again, “Does your mother let you kiss her with that mouth, young lady?”

“Of course not. That’s your job, silly,” Pinkie said flatly with her never-ending grin of innocence.

The stallion sighed, “Honestly, I knew that rainbow was nothing but an omen. What’s next, a series of apocalyptic events?”

Upon hearing that statement, Pinkie frowned. She replied, “Don’t spoil the moment, daddy.”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Meanwhile…

Celestia was sitting among the garden hedges, once again, waiting patiently for her contact to arrive. Taking what time she had, contemplating on the events of two days prior was key. In some ways, this eventuality was expected, in others… surprising. The Princess knew with absolute certainty that Twilight’s abrupt transformation into an alicorn would attract negative attention (everything from envy, to exploiting motives, to revulsion). But, an outright attack in broad daylight at a public venue in the heart of her own school was certainly a level of boldness nopony predicted. Worst of all, the means of the approach involved non-orthodox resources and abilities.

Mentally noting the implications this brought up, she took a sip of her favorite tea. As if on cue, when she placed the cup down, a certain pegasus came to view.

“Always one for the theatrics, Trick n’ Veil,” Celetia voiced.

“You’re one to talk, at least my entrances don’t usually involve an eating contest,” the trenchcoated detective added with a chuckle.

“Still the witty sort, I’m surprised the guards didn’t try to ban you from Canterlot all together,” she replied with a smile.

“They let you in here, didn’t they?” Veil retorted.

Celestia rolled her eyes.

“So, mind telling me about this latest incident involving a certain dessert that felt the need to be ironic?” the private eye requested.

“That, Sir Veil, is the million bit question, isn’t it?” the Princess said rhetorically.

“A little too early in the morning for riddles,” the stallion stated flatly.

“Turn-about is fair play, as they say,” the large alicorn chuckled.

“Fair point, what have you got?” he conceded.

“First, the ‘dessert’ in question wasn’t the product of the usual bakers that I had contracted to cater that event. As it turned out, there was a switch in delivery wagons. Second, the company hired for both deliveries were paid fully in bits with no bank notes. Third, the pony responsible for that second shipment used fraudulent I.D.s that traced them back to an abandoned house. The only known occupant died months ago,” Celestia answered.

“You don’t use your staff from the Royal Kitchen?” the detective asked.

“I like to support former graduates by extending a helping hoof to their businesses; it also gives them the opportunity to give back to the school as a fitting gesture. Besides, putting all my eggs in one basket in an environment where money is exchanged for gossip and favours is generally a bad idea,” she explained.

“I guess I’m not the only one you look upon to outsource your work,” he mused. “But so far, all this is the result of a standard investigation, I’m assuming there’s more.”

The Princess sighed, “Yes, unfortunately… while eating away at the creature, I uncovered a sphere of scarletite, a metal substance known for its metaphysical conductivity.”

“I’ve heard of it, locals of its native soil call it Hihi'irokane, the so called ‘self-heating alloy.’ With life comes magic, and that thing can absorb and bend magic to a specific shape or use, depending on whoever molds it… No wonder that monstrous cake came alive,” Trick n’ Veil uttered.

“Correct as always,” Celestia praised him. “However, its most significant property is absorption. Once formed into its desired purpose, spells and other fine-tuned magical forces cannot effect it directly. Most mages would be powerless to counter it. Twilight’s greatest strength against it became her weakness.”

“Speaking of,” the detective interjected. “I was listening in and she mentioned something about a ‘vortex’ of some kind. This all happened as she was about to be ‘eaten.’”

“From what I’m able to uncover from the ball, it was forged to also hold a micro-universe fueled by the very magic gained during the absorption phase. However, once that process stops, it simply collapses in on itself,” Celestia expressed.

“Well, that’s one way to get rid of an alicorn; trap her in a pocket plain of existence that soon stops… existing,” the stallion concluded.

The Princess shuddered, “I’d hate to think of what would have happened in that process. But anyways, the real question from all this is… How did this get here? That substance is heavily restricted and only small amounts are permitted for research at any given time. Anything else involving a substantial sum would have to be directly approved by me. Its distribution is also severely monitored on a multinational front, any bulk is flagged and documented, going in or out of the country.”

“I’m assuming the Royal Guards and other local law enforcement agencies are about to start a shakeup at the docks?” Veil reasoned.

“Customs, port authorities, not even the known smuggling rings are going to be left unexamined,” Celestia proclaimed.

“I’m guessing my next job will be even less above board?” the private eye inquired.

“What I’m doing is a series of official actions, all confined to the legal limits that prevent unwarranted search and seizure. Plus, the sweeps will be known by all the loose lips in the legal enforcement branches. How effective do you think a standard operation of this kind can be?” her statement was rhetorical.

“I know you have plenty of former clients and other connections that partake in rather clandestine work; use what you have to slip ahead of the searches and gather as much as you can from behind the scenes. If the perpetrator has access to such rare commodities and can hide himself this thoroughly, then unofficial channels will be needed to help unmask him,” Celestia concluded.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do in-between foal-sitting sessions,” the stallion replied. “Just make sure your next guest doesn’t cause too much trouble.”

“Next guest?” the Princess tried to ask, only for the marble coloured pegasus to have disappeared.

She looked around for any signs of Mr. Trick, but was soon interrupted by a secretary.

“Your majesty, the shipment of new gems for this year’s gala festivities has arrived. We’ll need you to sign off on the order,” the bureaucrat instructed.

Celestia mentally groaned, knowing how the detective can manage to out-tease the Princess when it came to dispensing information.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight Sparkle was in the palace library to study up on all kinds of material she never had access to before her entrance exam. Luckily, being the personal student of Celestia (among other things) gave her the golden ticket to visit the place during off-hours and holidays. As such, she wasn’t in a position to be interrupted by anypony with perhaps the exception of Folio Juniper (who had been assigned to watch over Twilight in response to the second school incident).

On her study table were about a dozen or so books on the arcane and Starswirl the Bearded. The lavender filly had learned about him before thanks to the more basic texts on the subject of magic from her home-schooled days. However, with this spell craft centred material, she was quickly getting to know his work with much greater intensity. Even other brilliant ponies like Icy Pluton’s Laws of Motion were given better justice in these pieces of academic literature.

The little bookworm was definitely enjoying herself until a familiar pink pony decided to interrupt the session.

“You really shouldn’t read so close to the pages, otherwise you might go blind,” the newcomer said.

Twilight blinked, snapping out of her trance-like state, she turned around to meet the intruder. Looking at her rather crossly, she replied, “Even if that were remotely real and I become blind to the world, I shall not be blind to truth.”

“Well, the truth is, you’ve been reading here waaaaay too long for it to be fun. What you need is a break,” the pink pony reasoned.

“Words of heresy coming from those who rot their brains with the trash sold in shop stands!” Twilight proclaimed.

“I beg to differ, fashion consultants and makeup experts are just as sound as any scientist you read about,” she shot back.

“Loose science is screwy science!” The lavender pony retorted.

Cadence gave a sheepish grin, “Well, then… A fight is inevitable.”

With that, the non-aggression pact was broken (again) and the two bitterly hostile powers resumed the millennium long war. Immediately, Dittatora di Cadenza went on the offensive with a noogie to the head and enclosed her pincer move with her other hoof for the hug.

Twilight was temporarily trapped, but managed to slip out in a full scale retreat towards one of the library’s wings. The Long March under the tables was the instrument of her salvation. Once there, she sought to her defenses and began her well-rehearsed fort construction like the engineers in Roam’s legions.

Meanwhile, the pink menace stockpiled on loose leaves from the paper 'mines' in her controlled province of the Front Desk Counter. Folded gliders were to be her instrument of victory. The following blitz was long and terrible; bombardment was merciless. The conflict had reached new levels of depravity.

As the war drew on, the foreign observer by the name of Juniper mentally groaned. The damage to the gardening tips section was becoming irreversible.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As Mr. Igneous Rock was discussing with one of the guards about his delivery, Pinkie took a hop off the cart and bounced around at her own leisure. Nopony was giving her any direct attention and staying still managed to leave her vocabulary. So, she decided to bounce around the big castle that was begging to be explored.

Leaving a little note she grabbed from the inside of her mane, the poofy filly went off on her little adventure. As she travelled down the pristine marble hallways, government workers trotted to and fro as the busy tenures of bureaucratic functions remained active as ever. Papers, clip boards and diagrams were being carried all around. As it turned out, Celestia’s efforts to streamline the different ministry branches started to bear fruit.

Of course, they were not the only ones wandering about. Guards were divided into two distinct categories: One, those who mingled and played nice with the tourists while directing such groups through the palace. Two, everypony else who stood vigilant at all times, apparently looking out for some newfound trouble.

Of course, the bouncing filly didn’t pay them any mind, instead went along her little hop into the deeper parts of the castle. As she went a long there was a twitch in her tail, one of those new signs that Pinkie only began to feel when an event was about to play out. Immediately, she stopped and turned her head towards a large doorway. Without hesitation, she slowly pushed it open to see what was causing her new senses.

*SPAT!*

Without any warning, a high speed paper glider collided with her face and she found herself laying on her back. She uttered, “Note to self, twitchy twitch means that something in the air will hit you. At least, that’s what I think it means.”

With that, she flipped herself back on all four hooves to investigate the phenomenon further. As she finally entered the room from which the paper object flew, she came across a horrific scene. Everywhere she looked, she witnessed the brutal destruction of a field scraped of life as bombed out craters filled the land. Trees were reduced to broken trunks and a tint of grey flooded her vision.

“Oh, my gosh… Somepony’s roleplaying!” Pinkie exclaimed.

With that, she shut the door behind her as she travelled the muddied wasteland in search of survivors. At first, nopony was found, just tall canyon cliffs and abandoned stations. Suddenly, there was a noise! Without any other options, she made a dash for the wooded area in the distance.

“Looks like I better hide behind these potted plants,” the curly filly instructed herself.

Once she made her way into the countryside, and knew that she was safe, Pinkie peered through the bushes to observe an ongoing battle in the distance. Out in the distance, soldiers laid lifeless on the ground, forever scaring the landscape. Nopony had even bothered to bury them throughout the senseless carnage.

“That’s a lot of ruined origami ponies,” she said in dismay.

Breaking into the open, she trotted through the fields in the hopes of searching for any still-living souls. However, none were to be found in the immediate area. But, she didn’t give up, there had to be at least one soldier who was clinging on for dear life.

“Let’s see… Nope… Nope… Broken… that one’s ripped up—there!” our heroine shouted as she, at last, found a trooper still among the living. He had apparently broken his foreleg when thrown several feet by an explosion. In no time at all, Pinkie Pie did her part in mending the limb with bandages and a hard surface to set it on.

“This scotch tape and paperclip should do nicely,” she explained to her patient.

Once the patching was over, Pinkie placed the wounded soldier on her back. After he had been carefully placed, she moved out to look for his regimental headquarters. But, no matter where she went, no such place came to view. Then, with great surprise, the sight of areal movement caught their attention.

“Oh, look! More gliders,” the filly pointed out.

It wasn’t long until the sound of bombardment began and the pair had to go for cover. By hiding behind one of the canyon cliffs, they were able to view the ongoing fight from a safe vantage point. As they observed, several of the flying bombers were shot down by anti-air spells and cannons, as if to prevent the massacre of the previous battle.

“Huh, somepony’s using a slingshot,” Pinkie noticed.

With the active front discovered, the lone medic in this great conflict went to get in contact with the wounded soldier’s side. This way, he’d be able to seek better medical care and make a full recovery. The only question, however, was based on their reaction. Would she be fired upon on sight, or would she be brought into the fold?

Such inquiries didn’t take long to answer; a fortress laid on the horizon. Sure enough, it was under siege by the flying menaces from up high. By the look of things, the defenders were putting up a brave front as bombers that got too close ended up as burning wreckages that fell from the sky. One after another, they fell with an unmistakable ‘woosh’ right before the crash that punctured the earth.

This was it, Pinkie needed to move. She charged up the hill, dodging the incoming onslaught as she went. Luckily for her, nopony had spotted the curly filly and she was able to close in on the back entrance to the base. Without too many obstacles getting in her way, she was able to reach the gate of the concrete structure.

“Wow, this is some serious book fort building,” the heroine praised.

Once at the door, the nearby sentries took vigilant stances towards the newcomer. However, once they saw their wounded comrade on her back they decided to let her through. Once permission was granted, a small slit in the gate opened up and she passed through to get into the courtyard. Afterwards, she received an escort to the medical wing where she plumped down her charge unto one of the stretchers. In no time, the medical staff took him way for the intensive care unit. Pinkie did it, a life was saved.

“Phew… That’s one job done, what to do next—“ the poofy pony tried to finish.

“Hey, you! If you got free time to frolic around, then you have time to help us defend this base,” a mare with a grey coat, various grey toned dreadlocks and a pair of polka-dot shorts.

As Pinkie straightened up to attention, the figure spoke again “Casualties are mounting and we need every abled pony up on the wall. The enemy’s bombers are overwhelming us, get to the cannons and help bring the down.”

Pinkie gave a salute and answered, “You got it, doll.”

“This is no time for flirting!” the commander shot back.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight didn’t know what else to do, she kept shooting down the paper gliders with her slingshot, but there was no end in sight of them. Cadence must have had a pretty big pile of loose leaves to work with. Desperately trying to hold on, she continued to fire in hope that her own stack of projectiles could outlast her opponent.

Suddenly, as she was reloading, an almond nut shot past her head to tear apart one of the foal sitter’s creations in two. Twilight blinked. Before long, a whole set of small objects were launched in quick succession and good precision. It wasn’t long until all of the telekinetically controlled gliders were torn to pieces and fell to the floor below.

“Huey, we sure taught those meanie bombers a lesson. I wonder what else they’ll throw at us?” the unknown filly chimed with enthusiasm.

Twilight jumped with surprise, “Wha—wha—wha…”

“What a coincidence, that’s my teacher’s name. Nice to meet you Wawawa, I’m Pinkie Pie—Well, no… That isn’t my technical name, that would be Pinkamena Diane Pie, but nopony other than my parents call me that. So, just Pinkie would be fine,” the curly pony interjected.

Twilight, at a loss for words, didn’t quite know what to make of this random development. This new and energetic filly that she didn’t know just appeared and defeated Cadence’s gliders (almost single hoofed). She had to ask, ‘Uhm… Who are you?”

The other filly laughed, “Silly pony, I already told you I’m Pinkie Pie. Are you sure you don’t need your hearing checked out? I can’t imagine imaginary bombardment being good for the ear drums.”

“What—No! I mean how, and why did you get here?” the little alicorn started the interrogation.

“Oh, that’s simple; I came across a wounded soldier out in Canter’s field over there,” she replied while pointing at the direction of the open area. “So, I came here to get him help. After that, the one in charge over there ordered me to come here and help you out.”

Twilight turned her gaze towards Ms. Smarty Pants, her favorite stuffed companion that she had promoted to the rank of general in order to muster the troops. This was strange as she never outwardly spoke to anypony, especially strangers. Smarty Pants was shy like that. With irritation, she demanded, “You spoke with her?”

“Yep, but she didn’t like being called ‘doll’ for some reason. I think she thought I had a crush on her,” she explained.

Twilight sighed, “Well, if she spoke to you, then she trusts you. So, I guess you’re okay.”

Pinkie chuckled, “Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be? Wait… Can you tell if somepony’s about to get a fever or have a stomach ache? You know, like a pony with senses?”

“Senses?” the alicorn inquired.

“Yeah, you know, like a hoof shivering or your tail shaking when something is about to happen,” Pinkie explained.

“Uhm… No, I don’t have those,” Twilight muttered.

“You sure? Because I do, the twitchy twitches. Don’t know what they mean, just that flying objects apparently will probably hit me in the face,” the lecture continued.

“That… kind of sounds impossible,” the alicorn objected.

“Says the pegasus with a horn? Or… are you a unicorn with wings? Half empty or half full? Hmm… Ooh! Ooh! What if you were like, a pair of twins, one of both groups and then you collided at nearly the speed of light to form a micro singularity that combined the two of you to become one super pony?” Pinkie suspected.

“No,” the lavender filly said flatly.

“Are you sure…? Because that would be an amazing origin story, Stand Ink and Marevel should get on that,” the energetic filly replied.

“Hatched a dragon, tore universal fabric, became an alicorn,” Twilight responded, having told the story of her current form enough times to shorten it.

“Neat,” Pinkie inferred.

“So, uhm… what do we do now?” the lavender filly was at a loss with everything happening around her.

“That’s easy, now we go beat up the meanie with all the gliders,” Miss Pie suggested.

“Oh, right! Forgot about that. We need to fix the castle. I’m thinking we can build a few more wings by expanding the east side,” Twilight added.

“Sounds complicated, then again, I’ve organised house parties with less than a few minutes of prep time,” the bouncing pony answered.

“I have the plans here. Everything has been numbered and charted,” the fortress leader announced with pride.

“Cool, I’ll get on that,” Pinkie declared, before hopping out of view.

As Twilight took the time to observe the distance for any sign of enemy movement, she heard the sound of a collapsing wall right behind her. In an instant, she thought a lot of books just got damaged. The picture of horror raced through her mind as images of scratched covers, bend pages and other unimaginable cruelties came into view.

However, when she turned around to see the extent of the damage, all the books that had been removed from the wall were neatly stacked based on their genera and library code. This caused a massive amount of relief as they weren’t ruined up in a big mountain pile. Of course, such sentiments were short lived when she realised the wall that had been demolished wasn’t the East side that she had wished.

“Pinkie! That’s the wrong one!” she replied with irritation.

“Huh?” her new friend asked with a smile of innocence.

“The East battlement is that one,” Twilight pointed to her left. “It’s specifically written on that paper.”

“But, the paper says that THIS wall is the fourth one,” Pinkie defend. “Conventional wisdom states that wall number four must always be the one to come down since it is the least necessary. You need to label better.”

As Twilight was about to make a counter-argument to such reasoning, a new wave of enemies emerged to refuel the assault.

“Aha! Your defences are down, prepare to be stormed!” Cadence announced.

“Uh oh…” the smaller alicorn whispered.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Lieutenant Pinkie Pie found herself in the midst of a terrifying situation. The wall had been breached by none other than herself, and the forces under Princess Twilight and Commander Smarty Pants of the Principality of Hard Cover were on the ropes. Defences were being lastingly reassembled by the troops for what was to be a do-or-die showdown of the century.

Immediately, she reached her artillery unit to launch a last minute barrage of the desperate kind. Had there been any other pony in this situation, the battle, and indeed the war, was probably going to be decided once the enemy came through the gap in the walls. Unfortunately for Cadenza of the Magazinic Empire, Pinkamena Diane Pie was not any other pony. This type of last moment improvised planning was her strong suit since the colourful sky filled her life with a new sense of meaning. She was not going to let her newfound friend down in her most desperate hour. No, this was going to be her finest one in this never ending conflict.

Pinkie went into action, rounding up the troops and their batteries, she prepared the greatest last-stand party of a lifetime. Her first order was to change the load to her special Pinkie-partyorific special, the one she had ben perfecting behind the farm’s shed.

“They’re closing in, mam!” one of her non-commissioned officers shouted.

“Wait for it…” She replied.

“They’re going to be on top of us real shortly!” another declared.

“Wait for it…” Pinkie didn’t waver.

“They’re getting past the wall!” a corporal asserted.

“Now!” the pink filly yammered at the top of her lungs.

With that, the cannons roared as volley after volley hammered into the invading troops, sealing their fates. While regular cannon balls were able to produce large amounts of damage in their linear path, Pinkie didn’t use any. Instead, blasts of hot confetti broke whole lines and the enemy was stopped dead in its tracks.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Cadence couldn’t quite believe it. All those origami paper soldiers she had in reserve were being blasted away by a previously unknown confetti cannon that somehow popped into existence. The pony firing the device was even stranger as the young Princess had never seen her before.

In any case, the spell she had used to control the little paper figures was cut off and she found herself increasingly alone as the unfolding disaster became apparent. She was vulnerable.

Not letting up on the tactical reversal, Twilight took the opportunity to muster what troops she still had and trotted through the open wall. Leading from the front, she slid her hoof across the floor to announce her charge and the finely-folded figures lined up behind her. Pinkie, too, joined in with the company of a familiar wounded soldier who had recuperated enough to come to her aid.

“Now, now, Twilight… There are highly constructive and unilateral ways to resolve our differences that don’t lead to further bloodshed—“ Cadence tried to reason, but to no avail. The counter-attack began and the second alicorn knew she was finished.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Celestia found herself exhausted. Between looking over an entire gem shipment as part of the heightened checks, to looking for the farmer’s daughter from said shipment after she went into the city-sized maze of structures that was her palace. Without any luck on the latter, the Princess decided to trot towards the library to check on the two young alicorns in her current care.

As expected, Juniper was standing vigilant in front of the closed doors, with no possibility of anypony going in or out without his knowledge. He looked like the archetype role model for the guards, with perhaps the exception of flowers blooming out of his armour.

He gave her a courteous salute as she walked by to open the door. When she did, things were silent, almost too silent.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Celestia tried to react, her horn lowered at an angle to strike at her assailant. However, upon a second or two of assessment she noticed the shower of multi-coloured confetti that was around her. Juniper, for his part, rushed into the room at the first sign of commotion. Subsequently, he too found himself in the trickle of rainbow paper that deflated the tenseness of the situation.

Breaking away from the confusion, the Princess raised her head to witness the odd scene playing out in front of her. In peculiar fashion, Twilight and Cadence were both sipping tea and enjoying cupcakes in the company of the former’s stuffed friend. Dangling above them, a banner displaying the word ‘armistice’ was in full view.

How did that get up there?

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie and I’m super-duper excited to meet you… Cupcake?” the pink earth pony declared while offering the wonderfully decorated dessert on a plate, as if there was a state of normality in the given situation.

Celestia raised both her eyebrows, “And… who are you?”

The curly-maned pony blinked without changing her cheerful expression. She responded, “Seems like I need to repeat myself a lot today, are you sure this castle isn’t cursed with the onset of deafness for all who occupy it?”

It was Folio’s turn to speak up, “Okay, hold up! How exactly did you enter the library when I was watching over the one and only entrance?”

“The backdoor,” was all Pinkie conveyed.

“There is no backdoor!” the guard asserted.

“Of course there is, silly. How else could I have entered?” she expressed.

Celestia was at a loss for words. Rather than think this one over, for the moment, she decided to just grab the cupcake and enjoy the fact that a ‘missing’ filly had been found. After all, freebies only came on rare occasions. With a shrug, she took her spot at the table and accepted things for what they were.

Interesting years ahead, indeed. Wonder what else the spirit of Murphy has in store?

You know what? Don’t think about it.

The taste of chocolate icing and other sugary substances danced wildly in Celestia’s mouth. Without so much as word, she expressed involuntarily her delight for the one-of-a-kind cupcake from the enigmatic earth pony. The bliss of nirvana came with every bite. Whoever this Pinkie was, she sure knew her way in the culinary arts.

As she ate, she could see the three young ponies going about with their little party of sorts. Twilight was pouring tea for her doll while Cadence was quietly sipping. Miss Pie, on the other hoof, was glaring down at the tea sets we had. Well, to be specific, she was glaring down at the one with the number four printed on its side. Apparently, she found a set with numerical values. She turned it around so that the print faced away from her. Once that was done, she immediately returned to her bouncy, cheerful self as though the incident never occurred.

Meanwhile, Folio was frantically running around the perimeter of the library to look for this ‘back door’ that the new guest spoke of. Suffice to say, he didn’t see anything remotely resembling another entrance anywhere. He even tried looking for loose vent-hole blockers a small filly might go through. So far, nothing proved fruitful. Defeated, he came grumbling back.

“Any luck?” Celestia sked, knowing the answer.

“Nothing, are you sure there aren’t any secret passage ways or illusion spells at work around here?” the guard responded, trying to hide his frustration at the conundrum.

“If there were, I didn’t add them. The others had already been accounted for during construction,” the Princess replied in a nonchalant manner.

The stallion was deadpanned, “You’ve actually installed personal trap doors and the like to go around the castle?”

“Maybe, how else do you think I sneak in and out during tea break?” the large alicorn mused.

Folio went with the obvious answer, “Teleportation?”

Suddenly, Celestia did the unexpected. She smiled politely, giving that motherly face that said ‘keep trying’ and patted the second adult in the room on the head like a cute child looking for answers.

“You know I’m a fully grown stallion, right?” the guard uttered.

Celestia didn’t respond visibly at first, just continued to stroke his mane. When she did speak, whispered, “Believe me, when you live to be over a thousand and have to deal with entitled mare babies, everypony’s a child.”

It was at this point that the pony that caused this conversation jumped in out of nowhere, “Speaking of children, Twilight told me you were teaching here personally. Is this true?”

Juniper flinched at the sudden interruption, all the while Celestia kept her composure. She acknowledged, “Yes. Twilight, being the gifted pony that she is, has caught my attention. As such, I have decided to teach her personally as no other instructor can keep up with her talents.”

Pinkie smiled, “So, you’re like, a royal tutor?”

The Princess smiled and addressed, “I guess I can’t deny that; I certainly enjoy playing the part.”

Twilight, overhearing this, declared to Cadence in a triumph, “I told you she likes flirting with stallions.”

Celestia facehoofed, “Tutor with a ‘T’ Twilight!”

Now she’s comparing me to Hay’nry.

It was at that point a giggling Cadenza jumped in, “So auntie, how many made the category of number six?”

The Solar Princess groaned, “Cadence, not helping.”

“Oh…? Are you saying you divorced or beheaded ALL of them? You know auntie, as the Alicorn of Love, I cannot condone such behaviour. You need to take better care of your spouses if you want to be happy,” the teenager declared in amusement while pretending to have the aura of seriousness.

“Yeah Princess, stop being so mean to your lovers! I don’t want to have to see a nice pony like Fancy Pants going to the chopping block!” Twilight added with vindication, unable to see through her foal sitter’s joke.

It was at that point Juniper held a hoof over his mouth as he was rolling frantically on the floor to try and prevent laughter from escaping. His cheeks reddened as he attempted to keep it in. Meanwhile, Cadence had no such reserve about showing her amusement, so her metaphorical gut exploded at the scene. She too ended up on the ground at Celestia’s expense.

The oversized mare stared at the ceiling with a deadpan expression while uttering to herself, “Discord, if you are involved in this in any way—“

“Poor, poor auntie…” Cadence voiced between breaths. “You like to tease others but you can’t take the heat.”

“Oh, I can take the heat, I just have to play nice with the two of you. But, if you don’t want me to wait until you’ve grown up, then I guess I can start early. Isn’t that right Mi Amore Clutch-enza? I think we all know the real reason why you went out of your way to foal-sit the little sister of an up-and-coming looker,” Celestia shot back with a grin.

The teenage alicorn went red like a rose, “Uhm… Well—You’re one to talk with all the rumors flying around about you and several guards! And don’t get me started on the butlers… Honestly, they should just change the name of Canterlot to Stallion-Grab.”

With that, the senior and junior royals took off the gloves and went into a dissing match. Each took turns to pretend they were the other while taking part in some undignified activity. Celestia played the love machine that didn’t know when to keep out of ponies’ personal business. As for Cadence, she went for the image of a gluttonous old mare who just couldn’t stop eating away at the pantry.

“Éclair, éclair, my kingdom for an éclair!”

“Oh look, ponies with marriage issues, better make them frisky to save the day. After all, what’s a few civil rights violations for a head of state?”

“They’ll be rolling me over the mountain when I’m full. They’ll be rolling me over the mountain when I’m fuuuullllllll.”

“There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation, unless I’m personally there to peep for my own amusement.”

“Here’s to weighing you, kid.”

“What we got here is a failure to consummate.”

“You’ve got to ask yourself this question: Do you feel chewy? Well, do ya, plum?”

“From this day ‘till the ending of the world, we in it shall be remembered-We few, we happy few, we band of buckers; for he today that Cadence spells with me shall be my lover.”

“We cannoli let you do that, Celestia.”

“Cadence, you can’t have them make love in here, this is the war room!”

“If you cannot fly, then run, if you cannot run, then walk, if you cannot walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward… to the dessert table!”

“We do these things not because they are easy, but because they need to touch lips!”

“You need to touch lips, with something other than sugar!”

“Tough talk coming from somepony who still hasn’t asked her favourite eye candy out on a date!”

“Why would ponies be interested in candy made from eyes? That’s just gross,” Pinkie interjected, halting the heated exchange.

It was at that point the exchange stopped with Twilight’s reply, “Maybe they’re just regular candy in the shape of eyes, you know, just like those gummy worms?”

The poofy filly’s ears perked, “Oooooooo… Gummy eyeballs, the snack that watches back. Has a nice ring to it, they should definitely make some for Nightmare Night.”

“Yeah, and they should also make them sticky so that we can stick them to our coats. We can be the googly eyed monsters like in that book I read,” the lavender pony agreed.

“Yes, and we shall have a party to welcome all the googly mooglies so that they can have infinite smiles on their ever observant faces,” Pinkie Pie announced.

“The result of which will be an alliance to finally crush the Magazinic Empire and all those who have partaken in the Printers’ Heresy!” the youngest alicorn cried out in zeal with a raised hoof to emphasize her point.

The two ponies that had been squabbling up to that point remained silent as they stared blankly at the two fillies, who were caught up in their own little world. With the heat of the moment deflated, the Princesses just sat back down to enjoy more confections. Munching away, they all partook in extra tea for the occasion.

However, as Celestia was about to pour herself a cup, Pinkie Pie knocked it away when she noticed the number ‘four’ printed on the side. Immediately, the curly pony’s cheerful expression returned like before as she handed a replacement dish.

Intrigued, Celestia casted an illusion spell on the new blank mug to re-create the (apparently) dreaded numerical value. On cue, the filly tossed the tea-holder with a scowl and supplied another with her usual cheer. Again, the Bringer of Dawn repeated the process and got the same result. She conducted it a few more times to see a break in the pattern, but it always remained.

At some point, Celestia stopped experimenting with the miniature vases and asked the culprit directly, “Why do you have such disdain for the number four?”

Pinkie, who hadn’t said anything throughout the episode spoke on the matter, “Because ‘four’ is for squares! Ponies that are square are just two dimensional and always fall flat. My aim, as the future best party planner in Equestria, is to have depth. With depth, there is volume to a pony’s character and efforts. By having extra dimensions, I can bring the best enjoyment out of others that want—no, need to smile as they look up at the world around them. We live in a multi-facet existence, so I too have to accept multi-facetism when bringing cheer to the many ponies of the world.”

Celestia pondered this odd (and questionably unrelated to the numerical value) answer. Not knowing what else to say, she admitted, “That is quite the thought provoking answer for someone your age. Honestly, you remind me somewhat of Twilight with the way you can analyse things around you with such a young mind.”

After she finished, the Princess took her (now filled) cup and sipped the delicious blend of earl grey. As she did so, Pinkie replied with all her enthusiasm, “Thanks, I aim to be bright and colourful, just like that explosive rainbow I saw that inspired me to get my cutie mark in party-making. After all, nopony deserves to live their lives in a dull grey atmosphere devoid of happiness.”

Celestia spat her drink.

“So, I do what I can to make both partyers and non-participating onlookers laugh away their troubles. Life is too short to overlook having fun. That’s why it’s important to break boundaries whenever possible,” the filly concluded.

Recovering from the initial shock, the Princess tried to open her mouth and ask a series of important questions. But, another figure arrived, ruining the rare opportunity. This new stallion spoke, “Pinkie, there you are!”

Celestia turned her head and saw a light brown coated pony with grey side burns and a Quaker hat. He looked to be of tradition stock and pragmatic in his business ethics. Even his tie was of older fashion, he was as straight as a pony could get; kind of reminded her of a certain painting she once saw on the subject of farmers.

As the stallion tried to approach his energetic daughter, he noticed the company they were in. Removing his hat and comencing a bow, he said, “Surely thou art not her honourable majesty of the realm, Princess Magna Caelesta, Custos Solis? I am called Igneous Rock Pie, son of Feldspar Granite Pie. Forgive all the trepidations and trespasses of Pinkamena Diane Pie, daughter to the clan of Pie, for she has gone unwatched as I went to affirm an accord from thy crown to partake and haul the gems upon our persons.”

Boy that was a mouth full, haven’t been greeted by that name in a while. I guess I better say something.

Celestia used her best poker face and replied, “Rise Igneous, son of Feldspar Granite. Yes, I am indeed the Princess of Equestria as my unique appearance would suggest. Rest assure, for you need not fear the actions and overall nature of your daughter. Her presence here, as surprising as it may be, is neither unwanted nor resentful. There need not be shame or a rigid standard of etiquette to bar citizens from those in the profession of governing. To do such would be counter-productive to the nature of our enterprise. Nay, Pinkie Pie has done a great service by undermining the industry of boredom and the performance of lethargy upon this day of celebratory glory.”

Wow, I’m really going all out with this one.

“Indeed, she has caused such ramifications on many the occasion,” the earth pony answered in that same straight-stallion fashion. Then, he whipped himself around to face his daughter and continued, “Come, Pinkie… our business is complete and we must away to the nearest (and cheapest) inn for the long journey tomorrow.”

“Oh dad, you don’t need to talk in gibberish gobbly goop when I’m around.”

As the pair was about to leave, the huge alicorn stepped in to ensure her one and only chance didn’t slip away. She voiced, “Wait!”

Immediately, the other ponies in the room looked at her. Noticing the unexpected spotlight due to her own impulsive act, Celestia recollected herself to continue speaking in her usual stoic demeanour, “What I mean to say is… Our palace has many bedchambers and can easily accommodate several travelers at any given point. Since your shipment has been ordered directly by the crown and your daughter has already made herself a welcoming guest, it would be rude of me not to offer you lodging for the night. Twice true if you have to accumulate extra expenses due to the long journey.”

Igneous pondered for a moment. As a proud hardworking stallion that identified with his sense of fair play, he didn’t appreciate when clients gave him more than what he was owed. He wasn’t in the business of ‘tips’ as it were and often accepted any extra costs as the price for his enterprise. But, room and board in the capital were not the most economical even on the lowest end of motels. Plus, food had to be another matter as they needed to eat at some point. Besides, who was to refuse an offer made by their ruler? Pinkie Pie seemed happy to spend time around her new friends. Giving a firm nod of approval, he made his choice, he was going to stay the night.

In an explosion of confetti, the ‘armistice’ banner was replaced by ‘slumber party.’

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Supper had transpired without any major incident. Igneous conveyed a short grace towards the ancestors while removing his hat. Both Night Light and Twilight Velvet looked at him with intrigue, partly for his old mannerisms and partly because it contrasted with the energetic pink filly that sat next to him. Had this meetup happened to anypony else, the two parents might have paused at the oddities brought forth. However, since this was directly related to their daughter, they mostly brushed these concerns aside. After all, the occasional dinning at the palace, followed by their family’s strange magnetic effect on alicorns and the unconventional life of their baby girl made it all seem like another ordinary day in paradise. Heck, Velvet was wearing a pearl necklace made from a chimera plant in their living room; which incidentally fed a dragon.

Night Light laughed, “Only you, Twilight.”

Speaking of, the young alicorn was sitting beside Pinkie and her foal sitter, discussing what they knew about their so called ‘transformations’ as one described. Suffice to say, both of them knew very little about the mechanics of the affair, only relying on their own experiences and what Celestia had told them.

“So, you’re saying that each alicorn’s magic works differently?” the curly maned filly asked.

“Pretty much, Celestia is the Princess of the Day, so her powers drawn from the sun. Me, I’m the Princess of Love, so I’m geared towards the emotional side of things. As for Twilight… we’re really not sure at this point. I mean, she’s great with the arcane, can master a lot of spells I have trouble with. But apart from that, we’re really not sure,” Cadence admitted.

“Maybe she’s the alicorn of other alicorns. You know, since she’s not magically specialised in any one field,” Pinkie reasoned with an unknown shiver in her ears.

The foal sitter chuckled, “Probably, but that still leaves out how she’s connected to… it.”

“It?” Pinkie inquired.

“It’s hard to explain, auntie calls it the Ethereal Plain. It’s like a place where all the world’s magic intertwines in an endless space. From what she told me, all alicorns are directly connected to it in different ways, that’s how we access our unique powers,” the teenaged pony recited.

“So, your horns work differently?”

“In some respect, but the changes go much deeper. Our whole physiologies are affected based on how we tap into the plain from the moment we become ‘one’ with it. Like I said, these things are hard to explain. Even Celestia can’t fully comprehend it, at least, that’s what she says. Take me for example, as the alicorn whose ‘raison d’etre’ stems from a series of emotions of the heart that are both platonic and intimate. It therefore comes to no surprise that my special abilities have me connected with ethereal on a number of physical levels including, but not limited to, hormonal and psychological effects on the body,” Cadence revealed.

“Ooooohhh… So, you use your body to secrete chemical reactions that compel other ponies to do the huggies?” Pinkie concluded.

“N—no! Of course not! It doesn’t work like that! I hope… It just means I can draw out their feelings from deep inside their subconscious,” the flustered pony retorted.

“Okay, that makes sense. But, if it’s true that the ethery place taps your body differently because of your super special lovey dovey talents, doesn’t that mean your uhm…‘stork delivery mechanism’ has a direct line? What if you like, one day, get married and have a baby? Wouldn’t it be exposed to the special magic plain and become an alicorn before it’s born?” the party filly pointed out.

Cadence blinked at that suggestion, Twilight tried to write down notes on a piece of napkin for further study since this was probably important. It took a full minute of consideration before the teenager could formulate a response, “What? No, you’re overthinking it.”

The whole idea was dismissed from that point on. As time flew, they all ate dinner and the conversation had been quickly forgotten in the midst of other activities beyond the dining hall.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

In the dim hours of the night, the girls slept away as they were overcome by exhaustion from their frantic pillow fights and numerous other adventures. They each had been assigned a pony-sized pillow as they shared an overly large bed up in the Royal Residence. As for the adults, they were assigned separate lodgings down the hall so as to remain close at hand. Celestia remained in her own suite with a violet decorum, a study and a hearth at the end.

Without a doubt, they were in the most secure complex throughout the entire super-structure with guards on patrol 24/7. To top it off, some of the leading scholars specialized artifact incantations were given personal commissions to help devise counter-measures for any and all known substances with rare magical properties restricted for general purpose. Suffice to say, the incident at the school was not going to repeat itself in the heart of the castle.

Of course, as time went on, Twilight grew restless in her sleep, rolling and grunting all the long. When she finally came to, she found herself in need of a refresher to put her back under. With a hop from the bed, she led her way to the doors. Pushing one open, she trotted down the hall and made her way into the bathroom. Once there, lit up her horn to telekinetically grab one of the cups placed on the side of the sink.

Unable to see the actual faucet at her height, the lavender filly flapped her wings to try and see if she can generate any lift. Needless to say, the newest alicorn was still unable to hover. She even attempted to ‘feel’ the magic inside her just like the time she practiced her earth pony capabilities in the hope of extending that wound-up sensation to her feathered appendages. However, this act of boosting what little she could do with her wings was a futile gesture. In the end, she just resigned herself to merely playing the guessing game in trying to get a drink without having the aid of visually seeing the flow of water. After a few attempts she managed to fill the plastic chalice enough to warrant acceptance and turned off the valve.

Heading back, Twilight drank her thirst away as she was prepared to go to dreamland once again. However, as she was about to push the door to the bedroom, a blunt pain was felt. Somepony had hit her in the back of the head, prompting her to fall to the ground out cold.

“Alright, we got her. Now let’s dip!” A mysterious henchpony proclaimed.

“Just in time too, the next patrol will be due soon,” his partner affirmed.

Without so much as uttering another word, the duo placed their captive in a bowling ball bag and made for an air duct. Performing like clockwork, they managed to both remove and reattach the metal grid (while entering the shaft themselves) within thirty seconds. Such was the feat of truly professional crooks. Of course, the real kicker to this entire operation hinged on the fact that one of the capers was a skilled unicorn who had to cast a number of spells during the procedure.

“Hehehe… Those nincompoops, they think they know all the little nooks and crannies that run along the walls of the castle, but not even their blueprints have a detailed understanding of the air circulation vents, especially since they were added with renovations,” the first bragged.

“To be fair, it’s not like anypony was expecting a working shrinking spell to become a special talent,” his friend complimented.

“Too true, who could possibly guess that even these very small passages can be enough for the likes of a burglar? But honestly, they must be pretty stupid if they think that a tiny duct that isn’t pony-sized like in the comic books would be non-traversable,” the horned foal-napper reasoned.

A few minutes later, the second one spoke again, “By the way, if there are no actual full scale plans showcasing the ventilation system, how do you know where we’re going?”

“Trial and error,” the unicorn simply added.

“Wait, you’ve actually took the time to map out this maze yourself?” the other figure was perplexed.

“Yep, how do you think I manage to sneak off with dirt around here? Blackmailing high-ranking officials and nobles is such a lucrative business,” he added.

“But, why settle on just that when you could have used this trick to get something worthwhile like the crown jewels?” the partner marked.

“And do what with them? Anything expensive here would automatically get flagged as stolen, no auction house of jewelry broker would buy them. Even the black market wouldn’t touch anything belonging to Celestia, less they want unneeded attention. Best way to end a criminal’s career if you ask me. Not to mention carrying heavy objects, even when shrunk, is dificult,” the unknown figure replied.

“Why is that?”

“First rule of physics, matter and energy cannot be destroyed, just transferred. A five hundred pound grand piano is still five hundred pounds even when a hundredth of its size. In fact, it’s probably worse because the mass is a hundred times denser. So, if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s just you, me and the kid, we’d probably fall through the duct’s floor. Hence why I use a number of other spells like sound-breakup to stop the clanging,” he finished explaining.

“Heh, I guess nothing is ever as convenient as we like it to be,” number two concluded.

As the pair spent the next fifteen minutes trotting through the labyrinth of ventilation shafts, they managed to find one of the exits just on top of the school section. Once on the outside, the unicorn lit up his horn to reverse the many spells casted on the group and soon enough they were all big again.

However, as they did so, a certain bagged pony started kicking and wrestling in the hopes of getting out.

“Coming to, already?” the second figure questioned.

“Damn, I knew alicorns were tough, but I didn’t think this filly would recover so quickly. Come on, help me restrain her so that she can be knocked out again,” the unicorn commanded.

Doing as he was told, the other foal-napper tried to pin the feisty brat to the ground, but received a buck in the face (through the sack) for his troubles.

“Urgh!”

With that, the bag dropped off the ledge and bounced off various structures until it crashed through a window. Knowing the job was blown, the pair ran for it in a panic before the noise brought trouble. Their employer was not going to be too happy about that.

Of course, Twilight suffering the worst of it, took a few moments to collect herself as the disorientation dissipated. When her vision returned and removed the sack from her head, she was greeted by a very strange sight. All around her there were a number of ponies, some in her age range, all wearing red hooded robes. One of them, a pegasus looking creature with bat-like wings, was standing in a hexagram circle looking intently at her.

“Uh oh.”

Without question, Twilight was in a panic. All around her were strange looking ponies in blood-red robes in what appeared to be a room dedicated to a number of incantation rituals and other sinister practices. On the floor, there was a hexagram drawn with what appeared to be chalk. All around her, murmurs stirred as the unknown cultists whispered frantically to each other. Of course, the one member that stood out the most was the unknown bat-like pegasus in the centre of the mass. The young filly felt mesmerised by his unkempt grey coat, his furry ears, his dark-blue mane, and most important of all his cat-like golden eyes.

Twilight didn’t know what to feel. On one hoof she was frightened to no end, on the other she was curious to a fault. After all, it wasn’t every day an odd pony variant that didn’t conform to the three primary types just roamed around in society (alicorns being the big exception). Of course, as much as Twilight was observing him, he was scrutinizing her. This pony was twice her size and didn’t flinch when looking downward toward the unexpected guest.

“Uhm… Hello?” She tried the polite approach.

As he was about to answer, the strange creature cleared its throat. However, the usual sound was replaced by a screech that echoed with a eardrum-busting shriek. Some of the robed figures even placed their fore hooves over their ears to keep out the high pitched noise that was ringing.

Unnerved, Twilight uttered in alarm, “Please don’t hurt me! I’m too young to be used as a sacrifice, I’m not… uhm… meaty enough! That’s it, all bone!”

Some of the disguised ponies actually gagged at that, others merely showing subtle signs of disgust. A few even looked at each other, wondering what type of thought process went into accusing them of cannibalism. There were a few giggles.

Then, the bat pony groaned in a Manehatten accent, “Sheesh, forget to take a lozenge and ponies left and right start to think you're Nosferatu. Seriously, I can tellz somepony to ‘bite me’ and there’s a good chance they’ll think I mean it.”

One of the leading hooded figures then spoke up with excitement, “Forget your lady skills Snarky, what we got here is a genuuuiiiine miracle from the eternal brimstones themselves. Yes, my fillies and colts, our prayers have been answered. Hallelujah! May the powers of the demons be upon us!”

“May the powers of the demons be upon us,” the remainder of the group calmly replied in chorus.

Twilight definitely felt confused and rather lost at what she assumed were the quirky antics of her abductors. She wanted to say something, but held her tongue as the preacher-like teenager continued his oratory performance.

“For you see my children, magic is about the collection of mana. Mana, which is utilised to alter reality, is the foundation to bend the world to our wills. We must not be set into conforming to the forces of our existence, but to become wielder of that force. Let not fear, dogma or the superstitions of others cloud this vision. For those things breed stupidity and doubt, the two great sins that will ensure that you lose that mana and whatever magical abilities you attained with it. So, do not let the ‘other’ be in control of your own lives, for you and only you may be master,” the young preacher concluded.

“Yeah, stick it to the mare! …or stallion… You know what? Doesn’t matter, just stick it to ‘em!”

“Indeed, PRAISE THE FLAME!” the teenager commented.

“Praise the flame…” the chorus repeated.

“Now then… on to tonight’s business. Our dear beloved guest had quite dramatically, quite unexpectedly (and quite conveniently) dropped into our humble temple to share with us her knowledge and expertise into that which we seek for ourselves. So, Miss Sparkle… tell us a bit about yourself,” the priestly pony asked.

“Uhm… I think I just got ponynapped, my head hurts and… I’m hungry. Can I have something to eat before you slit my throat?” Twilight conveyed.

“Now, why would we do such a thing?” the increasingly friendly preacher inquired.

“Maybe if we drink her blood we can become immortal or perhaps even alicorns oursel—ouch!!!” Was all one of the hooded colts could say before getting slapped across the head by an older student.

The lavender filly grew increasingly sceptical, “So, you didn’t just abduct me for some ritual death and subsequent feast?”

“About that, you jus’ kind of randomly dropped through that window over theeerez,” the bat-pegasus interjected. “We ain’t gots nothin to dooz with that.”

Ignoring the blatant grammatical butchery, Twilight did look towards the supposed point of entrance and saw the broken glass from the impact. Accepting their story to be true, she relaxed herself and let out a breath she didn’t know she was keeping. Apparently these ponies were not going to hurt her in any way.

“Phew, I thought for a minute I was going to have my neck cut open to pour out libations for some sacrificial alter and then have my bones and/or intestines separated so that they may be sent to the fire once the meat has been distributed. You know, like ancient Spur’ta,” the alicorn explained.

Once more, the other robed figures chimed in, “Isn’t that the thing that jingles, jangles and then jingles again?”

“No, you idiot! She’s talking about the place, not the song.”

“You know what I’m thinking? I think we definitely should get our parents to sign off on a trip to Las Pegasus.”

“And do what? We’re too young to gamble, they won’t let us in even if half of us are rich—“

“Silence!” the teenage priest roared, immediately shutting those who were off-topic. “Right then, we don’t actually sacrifice ponies. That would be bad, for a lot of reasons. Occasionally we’ll sacrifice a goat or a sheep, but no ponies.”

“What about Mrs. Ruler Smack, she’s a mean old goat,” a member of the crowd offered.

“Nah, I looked into it. We can’t label a pony a goat and then use that as a legal defence.”

“Darn!”

“Misses who?” Twilight wanted to know.

Snarky answered, “Ruler Smack, language instructor. You’z lucky, you don’t have to meet her. You’ve already got all your non-magic affiliated credits. Don’t know why she doesn’t just retire. Probably staying around to spread the misery.”

The filly paused for a moment, “Wait, you go to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?”

“Well, not quite. Got me on the student exchange program. Geography, history, home economics, you name it. Anything that doz’nt require a horn and I’m there,” he admitted.

“I do believe we are still getting side-tracked, fillies and gentle colts,” the preacher pointed out.

The bat-winged pony turned towards him and exclaimed, “Oh, right! I suppose ‘em introductions are in order. I’m Snarky, toughest thestral in Bronclyn.”

“I thought you were a nocturne?” one of the bystanders noted.

“Threstral, nocturne; same difference,” he shrugged.

The alicorn hesitantly replied, “Well… I’m Twilight Sparkle, toughest… ehm… toughest dragon summoner in Canterlot.”

Snarky chuckled, “Heh, no kidinz”

Not really knowing what else to say, the lavender filly pressed on the small talk to get her bearings, “So… what is this place?”

“Great question!” the preacher commented as an unknown spotlight focused on him. “For you see, you now tread upon holy ground. Everything you see around you are the artifacts of our sacred shrine. Get ready to be in awe, for WE… ARE… THE CHURCH OF TARTARISM!”

Finishing his speech, the unknown priest struck a pose in order to emphasise his theatrical persona. That is, until the desired mood was broken.

“I thought we were just a club?” one of the background figures commented.

Breaking from his dramatic stance, the central pony spoke again “My children, do not fret the technicalities, for they are merely instruments to an end. So, focus on the goal and not the bureaucratic paper work that seeks to define this space of ours; for we transcend such things.”

Something clicked in Twilight’s head, “Wait, Tartarism? You actually worship Tartarus, you know, the place where all those demons are locked up?”

“The one and the same,” the junior priest confirmed eagerly.

“Uhm… why?” was all the filly could offer in disbelief.

Smiling, he began, “Because, my dear Twilight, we here at this fine congregation are all after one thing and one thing only… Power! Economic power… industrial power… political power… heck, even magical power! Whether we are born in it through the affluence of our parents or are seeking it by rising up from the common masses, we here seek that which all aspire but very few obtain. By gaining access to the abilities of these legendary creatures, we can bend and reshape the world to our wills.”

“SO SHALL IT BE DONE!” everypony else in the room chanted in unison.

“That sounds evil,” Twilight admitted.

Upon hearing this, the preachy pony laughed. He responded, “I suppose it does. But, think of it this way. If a painter wants to become the world’s greatest artistic master, does he not have to contend with the dreams, aspirations and naked ambitions of other ponies with similar goals? Will their hopes not be crushed by him merely rising to the top? For every pony that succeeds at something in life, there is one that ultimately falls short. Even if he doesn’t use dirty tricks and his conduct is honourable, his competitors will have to accept to become second best or be shattered as their dreams come crashing down. Is it their fault that they don’t have the same level of talent or that the art world decides that their style isn’t as valuable?”

The alicorn filly wanted to interject, but the logic behind the other pony’s argument was sound enough that outright rejection without constructive thought wouldn’t be the best counter-point. She allowed him to continue, “It’s the same thing for all of our aspirations in life. In order to gain everything we crave and want, we will ultimately have to step on other ponies along the way, crushing all they have to give. Is it right? Nope! Is it wrong? We can’t quite call it that either. So, we are at a cross-roads. We can’t represent righteously moral, nor can we be the degenerate immoral; we are therefore neutrally amoral. We provide the means to fulfil one’s own ambitions, but path and methods must be chosen by the one who wields it.”

Twilight took a minute to absorb everything this pony was telling her. After carefully thinking through, she replied, “So, what you’re telling me is that you’re not trying to advocate evil by stealing demonic powers for your own ends. You just happen to be giving the means for such by offering certain ponies some unknown magical properties that can be used for a sort of ‘law of attraction’ that can ultimately be harnessed to have beings submit to an individual’s will. Is that correct?”

“More or less,” the teenage colt affirmed.

“Does Princess Celestia know about this irresponsible scheme?” the lavender pony asked.

“You kidding me? Every club in this school has to get her approval before setting up; that includes everything from names; purpose; you name it,” another background interjected.

“Yeah, I remember this one time when we were supposed to be called ‘Skull and Bones,’ but the pirate group already took it.”

“Celestia allows you to abduct monstrous creatures from their natural habitat and/or prison for your own benefit?” Twilight commented while raising an eyebrow to state her doubtful expression.

One of the robed figures begrudgingly let out, “To be honest, we haven’t exactly gotten one yet.”

“What about that one time when we met a bug bear? Didn’t we catch that?”

“Nah, a filly from the monster hunting club managed to get it first with all these agent-looking adult friends of hers.”

“Focus, ponies!” the young priest shouted, getting their attention once more. Returning his gaze to the alicorn filly, he conveyed while posing in a defiant stance, “I’ll admit. Our ‘demon capture project’ has fallen short of expectations over the years… However! We will not be deterred! Our hard work will bear fruition and our luck will turn around! As a matter of fact, I believe it already has.”

“Say it so!” the ponies in the room collectively declared.

“Really, How?” the lavender pony had to ask why things were going to be different.

Putting on a grin, the preacher exclaimed, “Why, isn’t it obvious? Because you’re here!”

“Me?”

“Yes, you!” he said while pointing.

At this point, Twilight felt herself being brought back into the spotlight. Re-becoming self-conscious of all the attention she was getting, she looked across the room to see all the hooded figures that were difficult to read. Their collective gaze felt like a piercing spear as thy stared into her very soul. Some were expressionless, others had a range of grins of anticipation. Needless to say, the young filly crawled behind the bat figure as she shied away from the eyes that were upon her.

Unwilling to take it anymore, she inquired, “Uhm… why me?”

“Simple, is it not? You’re an alicorn. Think about it, overnight you went from a simple unicorn in middle-class Equestria to dragon wielding super-mage-princess. In that single moment you held more magical power than every known faculty member in Canterlot, and perhaps even Princess Celestia, combined. You’ve practically ascended godhood, all because you wanted to hatch an egg. Heck, that test was rigged from the beginning and you still managed to pass it. So, tell us Miss Twilight, what’s your secret? How were you able to pull off something like that? Pegasus blood? Mastery of the four elements? Calls from the void? Special in-life currency? Beatle juice? No, wait! This has to do with that dragon, doesn’t it? So, I was right? Monster or demon taming is the way to go?”

“Hey, Spike is not a monster!” Twilight interjected.

“Spike?” It was the priest’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“The dragon you’re talking about. His name is Spike and he’s a nice little baby. So, don’t go around and treat him like he’s anything less!” the small alicorn defended.

It was at this point some ponies started to jot down notes. Apparently they found this information to be valuable.

“Interesting, so, you’re saying he’s like a companion? Fascinating, tell us more,” the preacher pleaded.

Clearing her throat, Twilight continued, “First off, yes. I take good care of him and when I can. Every other time it’s usually one of Princess Celestia’s caretakers that does it. Secondly, he’s not the reason why I’m an alicorn… Well… at least directly. It’s because my surge allowed me to break the space-time continuum and go into this place called Ethereal where all the world’s magic flows through, thanks to a faucet being.”

“Faucet being?” The teenager inquired while writing down the necessary corrections for his scriptures.

“Yes, called it! Void theory is correct!” one of the background figures proclaimed in triumph. Some of the other ponies in the room started to grumble as they went passing down the betting pot towards the winner.

Finishing his notes, the priest set down his pencil to re-skim what was jotted. He uttered to himself, “Let’s see here… Uh hu… living faucet… the magic void… O.P. creatures that can break the physical realm… Alright, now we just need is to convene, make a few edicts about trying to bend void to one’s own interest and I think we’re done.”

“So, how do we go about doing that?” a background pony asked.

“I don’t know, party and game night?” the preacher suggested.

The rest of the group looked at one another with smiles and replied, “So say we all!”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Truth be told, despite the dogma, talk of goat sacrifices and worshipping of demonic powers by students who want to have it all at the hour of midnight, the herd Twilight found herself in were mostly made up of fantasy role players and other book enthusiasts. Nothing at all like the blood-rituals and dark pacts that she envisioned. In fact, the very preacher who was organising all of this was called Echo Tongue. Apparently, he was more focused on the theatrics of a priest’s role, rather than the actual scripture enforcement. In some ways, he was probably the biggest role-player of them all.

So, once the actual ritual (that she interrupted) was done the club pretty much partook in hanging out with all their table-top games and snacks. Ignoring the hexagrams and hoods, everything looked like a regular club. Regardless, Twilight was definitely going to ask Celestia about this odd group when she got back.

For the next hour, the little alicorn discussed some of her favourite topics ranging from Star Swirl the Bearded’s laws of magical dynamics to books like The Caster and the Rhyme. It was needless to say that only a portion of the older students could understand her discussions. Apart from that, she got in on a few card games and enjoyed herself; the abduction practically forgotten.

Of course, as time went by, Twilight found herself being watched. What started out as a feeling grew to suspicion as one unknown figure, who still had his hood on, kept glancing in her direction. Every time she turned her head, the pony simply faced another direction to play the ignorant. He looked like trouble, but conflicted. The lavender filly decided her best course of action was to bide her time until an opportune moment to catch him in an act of no-good.

That time came when she went to get a drink from the punch table. As she had her back turned when reaching for a cup, the other pony came in close. That was it, she sprang to action and tackled him to the ground.

“Alright, who are you? Were you there for the cake incident or did you come on your own?” Twilight demanded as she lifted the hood of the colt, only to be surprised with who was underneath. “Blueblood?”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Leaving the club behind, two ponies made their way to the outside balcony to get some privacy. At first, nopony said anything; the son of Blue Lord was rather nervous. As for the lavender pony, she was just boring an interrogative gaze that was drilling through the colt’s head. Her only break was when she took a sip from her punch. This went on for about another minute until Twilight cleared her throat.

“So…” she began. “Nice night, isn’t it?”

“Oh! Uhm… Yes, quite nice.” He meagrely added.

“Blueblood, why are you here?” the alicorn finally went to the heart of the matter.

“Uhm… I discovered the words of the flying spaghetti monster?” the Prince desperately offered.

Twilight raised an eyebrow of doubt.

“Okay, I joined because I was trying to become more powerful and learn to wield authority,” he admitted.

“So, they let in a non-student into the club?” she asked.

“Not quite, I used my family’s influence to acquire certain… beverages for the teenagers in the group.” He sheepishly corrected.

Twilight went wide eye and gasped, “You got them… Coka-Pona?”

Blueblood blinked, but decided it was best to go along with it, “Sure, let’s go with that.”

The school did refuse to sell pop drinks after all.

“But, why go to all this trouble?” the filly had to know.

It was at this point that the white coated pony snapped, “Are you really that dense? It’s because of you!”

“Me, again? How is any of this my fault?” Twilight demanded.

“How is any of this NOT your fault?” Blueblood said rhetorically. “Cadenza is one thing, the story of a lost Princess with unknown origins is palatable. But you, a known peasant pony, coming along has rocked the boat. Do you know how many ponies up high got upset with what you’ve done? My own father is one of them!”

The filly thought over for a few seconds, but needed more details. She inquired, “Care to elaborate?”

The colt beside her spent a minute to take in a few deep breaths as the initial anger started waning. Once he calmed himself enough, he continued, “My father, whom I’m sure you’ve met, is not a very happy stallion.”

“Well, your family does have a long history of chronic depression. He probably just needs to go to a weekly psychotherapy session. Also, I think you should move houses since there’s an apparent geographical contributor,” she noted.

“What? No! He isn’t sad, he’s just grumpy! Listen, as far as I can remember, my father always expected more from me. It didn’t matter what I accomplished, in his eyes those weren’t victories. He always sets out high standards, high standards that are difficult to meet. He’s strict, always telling me how I should properly behave as a Prince. On occasion he would compliment me, but never too overtly.” Blueblood explained.

“Sounds like a stick in the mud,” Twilight expressed with disdain.

“Perhaps, but I always believed it was his way of believing in me. Why else would he place such expectations? But then… you happened! Ever since that incident at the exam room my father stopped looking at me the same way. It was as if… as if he was somehow disappointed. So, that’s why I’m here, to learn how to ‘bend the world in my favour’ as they call it.” He finished.

“You actually believe in what they’re doing?”

“Not really, but if by the off chance that it can help me get a pair of wings like you, then I must persist.” The colt informed. “Which is why I need YOU to tell me in perfect detail how your little ‘breaking of physic and going to ethenaral’ happened.”

Twilight recalled the events of that day, “It’s called ethereal and I can’t tell you much more than I already have. I tried to break open the exam egg, but couldn’t since I didn’t get my horn to work. —Come to think of it, I was really nervous, so that might have been the problem. — Anyways, things didn’t look too good until a loud boom from outside startled me enough to push me into a panic. Once that happened, the dam broke and my magic just kind of burst out like a tsunami. As for the place I went to, I didn’t stay there long. I heard a voice, she assured me that I wasn’t dead, but still needed to find the exit before bad things happened like the school blowing up. After I returned, I woke up some time latter and the rest was history.”

Blueblood said nothing at first, he didn’t even show signs that he understood what she just said. However, slowly but surely, a tense expression on his face revealed itself as he uttered to himself, “Are you saying… all of this is because of a fluke outside your control?”

Before Twilight was able to answer, the blond maned pony went hysterical. Of course, this wasn’t comforting one bit to the filly. His laughing seemed wrong, like the cry of a banshee. Head to the sky, the colt let out a giggling howl the likes of which that were only heard around Nightmare Night. She was scared.

But soon enough, the volume died down as tears began to slip down Blueblood’s eyes. His upward grin morphed downwards while his chuckles sounded more like crying. In that very moment, the answers that the colt needed to hear sank in and his existential hopes faded to dust.

“There’s no way to emulate your accident or have you send me to that place, is there?” Blueblood began.

“No, I’m sorry…” Twilight sadly confirmed his deduction.

That was it, the valves opened up as the sudden realisation that no matter what he did, Blueblood was never going to please his father again. He was going to have to bear his angry episodes for perhaps as long as he lived. The Blue family was never going to be royals they should be and it felt like his fault for not being able to do more.

However, as the dark pits of despair were taking hold, something stopped it in its tracks.

“Come on Blueblood, don’t get all sappy! So what if you can’t become an alicorn? I think you have it good already.” Twilight interrupted.

“Really, what could possibly make my life worth it right now?” he shot back angrily.

“Well… for starters, Princess Celestia is your aunt, right? How many other ponies get to be family with somepony amazing like her? I’m just lucky to have her as a teacher. If you talk to her, I’m sure she might help you deal with your dad. Heck, if she’s like every other aunt in the world, she’ll probably spoil you too.”

“Really?” he winced with teary eyes.

“Absolutely! Besides, you also have something else that a lot of other ponies like you don’t, friends,” Twilight affirmed.

“Friends? I don’t have any friends,” Blueblood uttered.

“I’m your friend, and ponies that are friends with me are also friends to Cadence and Shinning. So, that’s three off the bat,” she declared.

The colt was taken aback, “Wait! You consider me a friend?”

“Sure, why not? I mean, I didn’t really have friends either until recently. I don’t know why, but they just seem to pop out of the woodwork; they don’t even judge me because of these,” she replied while pointing to her wings.

“Really?”

“Yep!”

“But how? My father always told me that I should look down upon peasants and lesser nobles, since they always want to abuse you if you let them,” he said in confusion.

Twilight explained, “Some might, but as a ‘peasant’ pony myself, I can say most are not that bad. You shouldn’t judge everypony based on their walk-of-life. None of us can make things as simple as we’d like it to be. Just look at the Tartarists; noble and non-nobles alike can be greedy. Yet, despite that, all they’re doing is trying to find ways to make their dreams possible. Not to mention they’re probably busier hanging out as group rather than unleash some world-domination plans. – Now that I think about it, I can see why Princess Celestia lets them be. — So, get to know some ponies. Perhaps you’ll find individuals that can go through invisible doors or ghostly sisters.”

“What?”

“Read Desk Heart, don’t ask questions,” the alicorn replied while raising her cup, “Now then, cheers to friendship!”

Unsure of what to do, Blueblood raised his hoof, pretending to have his own drink and followed up with, “Cheers?”

Twilight chugged her juice down rather quickly, not really paying attention to the odd taste she was receiving.

*Hiccup!*

“Boy, that was some weird punch, it didn’t even taste right,” she exclaimed.

“Wait… Did you pour your cup from the clear bowl or the red bowl?” he began to notice something that was off.

“I dunno, wh –hic—why?” the filly said with red cheeks.

“… I think we should bring you inside,” Blueblood added.

“Yay! Piggyback ride!”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As Blueblood came back into the room with a clearly intoxicated filly on his back, Echo Tongue spotted the pair to see their condition.

“So, did you manage to work things out?” the priest asked.

“To some extent, but that’s not the issue right now. Remember that blood-red wine I got you for your… ‘communions?’ Well, she managed to get her ‘punch’ from the wrong bowl. I don’t think she’ll be able to leave here until morning.” The colt added.

“Oh well, I guess I can’t tell her that we’ve decided to make her both a Saint and a leading religious figure,” the preacher sighed.

*Knock knock!*

The door busted open as Folio Juniper broke in with full battle gear, followed by a few other guards from the night watch. “Twilight!” he exclaimed.

It was then that a bubbly alicorn looked at the familiar pony and waved at him, “He—hic!—Hey, Juny! Guess what? I'm religion!”

She passed out, subsequently drooling on the poor young Blueblood that was carrying her.

“So, is anypony ready to speak with me regarding the matter?” Celestia requested in a calm, yet non-nonsense tone.

Nobody spoke up, the entire group was dead silent on the issue. Not a single pony was going to call names, even if they were all lined up in a tight formation by the Princess herself.

“Nopony, nopony at all? You do realise that bringing alcohol unto school grounds—older student or not—is a major violation of core rules? Such a breach can easily translate into months of detention or even a short-term suspension altogether. Are all of you really going to keep quiet on this?” the sun cutie marked giant pushed on.

The students didn’t answer, choosing their right to zip it as all ten of the senior students in the group were all still as statues while Celestia trotted around them like a drill instructor. To all the other ponies’ amazement, a blond maned unicorn in particular, these upper-years were holding out in the quasi-interrogation. Blueblood never saw anything like it, he was sure that these wannabe lords and lucky commoners were going to rat him out. As far as he knew, none of them had any reason to cover for him. There was no investment in keeping the young ‘Prince’ around after the whole charade was uncovered. He didn’t even attend their school, these gifted unicorns could have cut their losses by branding him the scapegoat. Yet, there they were, mouths closed like iron gates. The son of Blue Lord was pondering on the nature of their foolhardy resistance.

“I can see a sense of defiant loyalty in your eyes. While I would normally commend such courage, the transgressions your club face are too serious for me to overlook,” she repeated.
Still silence…

Celestia closed her eyes and sighed, “Very well, as nopony is willing to take responsibility or point towards those involved, I have no choice but to suspend the Church of Tartarus for the time being. Therefore, all group activities, room reservations and night time affairs are at a halt until further notice. Details regarding the length of this, as well as other unmentioned restrictions, are to be announced at a later date. Be thankful that Twilight Sparkle’s good word is prompting me to show some leniency with your group.”

As much as they tried to hide it, the ten ponies in line released a breath that they had been holding, expecting the worst to be over.

“Now then… most of you have classes this morning, I expect no tardiness when you arrive. You’re all dismissed,” the Princess (and headmaster) announced.

As soon as Celestia gracefully left the room, every teenage hooligan in that formation dropped to the floor as their legs gave out. It took a full minute before their fearless leader uttered anything.

“Well,” Echo Tongue began. “That could have been a lot worse. Looks like our dearly beloved Saint pulled through; this is practically a slap on the hoof.”

Some of them began to chuckle, taking in the bittersweet victory that had been narrowly won after an hour upon that violet gaze. Some of the younger students, who had to bear witness to the whole affair, rushed to their sides to help them recuperate. Soon enough, a few of them were back on their hooves.

As the celebratory mood had gone into full swing, like a gang of robbers that managed to make a clean getaway after the heist of the century, one minor point managed to bring the cheers down. Blueblood stepped forward with a face that was perplexed.

He spoke, “Why did you do it?”

“Do what?” quipped the priestly figure.

“Why did you stay silent? You could have told them it was me, make something up like how I snuck the wine in. All you needed to do was turn me into the fall-pony and your club would have been saved. What do you have to gain by holding your tongue?” the colt continued.

“You mean aside from more bootlegging in the future by keeping our source anonymous? Well, to tell you the truth… there really isn’t much for me, or anypony else here, to profit from this.”

“Horse apples! As a pony of noble birth and a preacher of realpolitik in its most amoral form, everything you do is an investment. Peasants seek mobility, aristocrats seek dominance; it is only through the social capital that is our birth rights that you and I can play as chess masters in this game,” Blueblood explained in a matter of fact.

“Ah, yes… the patron-client relationship. Favours owed and favours lent in the cat-and-mouse that is Canterlot. That might be true in the capital, my child,” Echo reasoned. “But, you forget that beyond the city walls our titles mean very little, if anything at all. Can you truly say that your place as ‘Prince’ holds any sway in Manehattan, Baltamare or Las Pegasus? No, what I preach is something more and can be utilised for all walks of life. Only through our own will can we command the other powers that be, just like what you are about to do.”

The white coated unicorn raised an eyebrow, “Me?”

The priest grinned sheepishly while grabbing the colt by the shoulders, “Yes, child! You! Twilight might have slipped something about some unnamed issues and some subsequent desire to talk to the big ol’ Auntia. Now, the demonic forces that be may not have granted me abilities in foresight, but I’m willing to bet that a conversation might be a tad bit difficult if you have to explain our little arrangement.”

“Hm! It’s not like she could do anything to me, I don’t even attend this second rate school.”

Ignoring that back-hoofed comment, Echo persisted, “Perhaps, but she would have sent you straight to big bad Lord of Blueness, which is the last thing you want.”

Shocked, Blueblood protested, “Wait! She told you?”

“Kid, if daddy issues came in a cologne bottle, your fragrance would be chocking up the air in this very room. Heck, you’d even have your own brand, I’d be called Bleu Le Malheureux.”

The white unicorn groaned in response.

“But in all seriousness, she didn’t tell me much. All that was mentioned was –and I quote—‘please cover for him, he really needs to talk with the Princess.’ This was followed by a big ol’ pair of puppy eyes that could break the most structurally sound walls of apathy that one can build over the innermost part of their soul… It was devious,” the priest shuddered. “Besides, what kind of preacher I would be if I just left one of my flock in the rain? Well, today is you lucky day because you get to practice what we’ve been preaching.”

“Wha—“

“You are going over to the Princess and you are going to demand to have a talk with her! The world is yours, bend it to your will!”

“Now I know you’re cra—“

“Are you the master, or the mastered? Take charge of your own destiny and go speak with Lady of the Bright Fanny! She awaits—“

“Okay, okay, okay! Jeez… I’ll go!”

With that, the young unicorn dashed out of the room in order to find Celestia. Thanks to his newfound confidence, he hoped to try and get his Aunt to smooth things over with his father. With any luck, Blue Lord might start reversing his harsh tone and other negative behaviours.

“Seriously, Echo… Lady of the Bright Fanny?” one of his colleagues brought up.

Smiling sheepishly, the preacher replied, “What else was I going to call her… Bum Shine? Sunny Side Rear? Dawn Bottom? Keister Roaster? Third Degree Buns?”

“What about Sun Butt?” one of the younger club members voiced.

“Nah, that ain’t original.”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Taking a leisurely stroll down the halls of her own school, Celestia took the time to inspect her surroundings as fillies and colts were running about to get to their classes. Some were inspecting their saddle bags for all their materials, others were merely rushing towards their next destinations. As a few minutes past, the sounds and sights died down as the students made their merry way. However, one particular set of trotting hooves continued on.

Figuring the pony to be a skipper, she unexpectedly came to a halt and inquired, “shouldn’t you be in class by now, my little pony?’

“I’m afraid I don’t go to this school, auntie,” a colt responded.

Surprised, Celestia quickly turned around to see her pursuer. After taking a second to register the familiar features the little unicorn had, her memory started clicking and dots were connect, it was the son of Blue Lord. Backpedaling two steps when he saw the Princess conduct the swift turnaround, Blueblood had to steal his nerve in order prevent any further recoil. Unable to say anything for a moment, the surprise had gradually faded into an awkward stare.

“Uhm… hi?” the colt attempted to say.

“Oh, hello ‘dear… nephew.’ Is your father here? I don’t believe he scheduled any appointments with me,” Celestia replied before frowning as unpleasant memories surfaced in her conscious. “Not that he ever cared for such courtesies.”

“Uhm… actually, he’s not here.”

The Princess raised a curious eyebrow.

“What I meant to say was that… I’m alone at the moment, what with the club being suspended and all,” the little unicorn explained in his attempt at conversational talk with a nervous smile.

Getting perplexed, she stated, “Wait, you were in that group just now?”

“Yes! I mean… I was just one of the background ponies, you know? You were probably too preoccupied to notice me after I met your guards last night.”

“Huh…” Celestia slipped. Admittedly, she didn’t pay too much attention to the full list of club members in the post-action reports for both the foalnapping and the unexpected liquor bust.

“So, I thought I would go see how my aunt is doing. You know, because I never get to hear much about you. You know, through my father and all.”

The large alicorn rolled her eyes, knowing full well the ongoing disdain the two adults had for each other. She replied, “I imagine you wouldn’t.”

Ignoring the noted displeasure, Blueblood pressed on, “In any case… I thought it would be good to take a… visit! That’s right, a visit to see how my favorite auntie is doing.” As he finished, he raised a hoof in order to showcase some bravado in order to make his point is convincing as possible.

Celestia said nothing, all she did—all she could do—was express a blank expression of confusion and disbelief. Once again, she had been caught utterly surprised about something. A situation that was becoming somewhat frequent since Twilight’s ascension; it wasn’t every day that a recluse dropped out of kindergarten, graduated from high school level education from home, then went back to the public system to enter a prestigious magic-based institution and became an alicorn. In fact, her nephew approaching in a friendly manner was definitely on a list of things she never thought possible, given the long distance that grew between the Princess and the Blues over the centuries. Even the mysterious Pinkie Pie was more plausible than that.

“You don’t object, do you?” the colt asked with concern.

“What, no! It’s just… unexpected,” she replied while keeping any fluster in check.

“Well, then… surprise?” Blueblood offered nervously.

The silence lingered between the humungous mare and the little blond unicorn that was perhaps only twice the size of Twilight.

“So, then… you want to see the palace?” Celestia offered with some uncertainty.

“That sounds… great,” he conveyed as politely as he was able to make it sound despite his own visible trepidations.

What’s he up to?

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After taking a stroll towards the main castle complex, Celestia arrived in the main dining hall with Blueblood skidding just behind. Not knowing what else to do, the Princess continued to play the role of tour guide as she gave the nervous child a brief summary of anything they came across; hallways, decorum, windows and the occasional display were all subjects for topics she broached off the cuff.

While the colt did his best to pay attention, he didn’t quite understand all the history behind the art and architecture. Needless to say, thoughts about trying to approach his aunt about a problematic father were rather distracting from the whole affair. Then again, Celestia herself seemed to be avoiding something by ranting on a little too much. After all, rarely did any of his ‘nephews’ or ‘nieces’ approached her for anything other than some self-serving nonsense that usually merited drowning out. While some of it was tolerable, the current generation she needed to deal with had it far worse.

Is he part of some plan I’m not foreseeing?

Perhaps Blue Lord is using his son in some new angle of attack?

“So, as you can see, this is where I usually entertain guests, foreign dignitaries and a few well known pastry chefs whenever they come and visit.”

It was Blueblood’s turn to give a questioning look as he asked, “Pastry chefs?”

“It is imperative to keep a good relationship with anypony who can bake exquisite sweet delights. Otherwise, the world will fall to evil forces,” Celestia insisted.

“I do not think there is any malicious force in the world that would incite conquest on such a scale, let alone one that can be fought off with desserts.”

“You’d be surprised. Just imagine how things could have changed thousands of years ago when the three tribes had to fight off the Windigo spirits. Think of how easy it would have been to defeat them if ponies were too busy munching on cake instead of fighting each other. Why else do you think we celebrate Hearth’s Warming Eve, to remind ourselves of how we foalishly drove our species to near extinction due to short-sighted politicians in the middle of a famine?” she asked while chuckling. “Nay, it is the fulfilment of our collective sweet tooth that keeps the dark ones at bay.”

“uh-huh…” the blond unicorn was sceptical with the explanation.

“It’s true, how else do you think I’ve managed to keep Equestria safe for the last thousand years?”

“Through diplomatic maneuvers?”

In response, Celestia raised a hoof in a teaching fashion and lecture, “By eating cake, all is possible. For without it… civil strife would prevail, the economy would collapse and ill forces of the magical kind would roam unopposed. Also, wars; we cannot forget about wars.”

“…I do not think so much could be at stake with your gluttonous trend,” he admitted.

With a righteous expression, the Princess lamented, “Do not underestimate the power of sweets, they can make governments rise and fall on a whim. Desserts, especially, can tell much about political affairs, trade networks, cultural aesthetics and history. By understanding soul foods, one can understand how somebeing might think, how they can act and who they are in terms of identity. In fact, I knew this tactician once that was able to defeat his enemies by simply observing what they eat.”

“Admiral Carriage Drawn, the puller of victory. Understood his opponents by studying their culinary arts,” another voice interrupted.

Celestia turned to see her pupil before replying, “Once again, you’re very astute, my student.”

“Thank you, Princess,” was Twilight’s cheerful response before waving to her friend. “Hey, Blueblood!”

“Salutations,” he greeted shyly.

The two children never noticed it, but the overly large alicorn in the room was shifting her head back and forth to examine each of them, not entirely expecting this development.

“You two know each other?” Celestia slipped.

The lavender pony perked up, “Oh yeah, Blues B. is a lot of fun. He gives the best piggy back rides, ever!”

The colt blinked, “Did you just call me Blues –“

“Wait, now piggy backs and nicknames?” the Solar Guardian couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing.

Okay, something is definitely happening, does that pompous, inflated chin tilter have no shame?

“Heh… heh… heh…,” the unicorn couldn’t help but feel flustered, if not embarrassed outright.

Pondering on what to do next, Celestia was machinating anything to see what her ‘nephew’s’ new scheme entailed. With one attempted assassination and an abduction that nearly succeeded, backed by Blue Lord’s obvious disapproval of Twilight’s ascension at his expense (on top of his regular levels of irritability), meant he was prime on her list of suspects. Granted, even she had to admit his lack of brains in certain departments. But, proper motivation had a way with distilling brain matter when the blunt approaches failed.

“Ooooo… I bet this one’s a party pony extraordinaire,” exclaimed the pink filly with her trademarked flamboyantly curly mane.

“Ep!” Blueblood yelped at the sudden intrusion from behind.

“Hehehehe, this one’s all jumpy. Are you a jumpy pony Mr. Piggy Back?”

Trying to formulate a response, the ‘Prince’ let out an inaudible, “I… a… wha—“

“Lots of ponies seem to be name ‘Wha’ around here. Is that a Canterlot thing, like tradition?” the energetic pony pressed.

“I think it’s because you startled him, Pinkie,” Twilight chimed in.

After a good few seconds of chuckling at the colt’s expense, the daughter of Igneous Rock decided to introduce herself. She went over all the details of her adventures through the heartland of Equestria with her father and the gem filled cart. More than once, she stopped to demonstrate facial reactions and poses that defied pony physiology. She went flat, she inflated in the form of a balloon and she even stretched her neck like a loon.

The ‘Prince’ tried to keep up with this strange hyperactive creature that had pillaged the laws of physics. He turned towards Twilight once or twice throughout the story to receive some kind of answer to this conundrum, but the alicorn merely payed attention as if nothing was wrong. In fact, not one of the ludicrous gestures had so much as fazed the Princess in waiting. At that point, the lavender filly either didn’t notice the offence towards biology or had accepted it. Given recent events in her own life, it was believed to be the latter.

“So, with the wall gone, Cadence was all like ‘MUHAHAHAHAHA! Now, nothing shall stand between me and victory. Prepare yourself, Twilight Sparkle, for the full might of the Magazinic Empire will be upon you!’ Then, with no other alternatives and our backs to a corner, I took out my amazingly devastating party bombards and waited until the enemy came in at close range. Once they past the outer defences, I was like, ‘fire!’ All the canons went off at once and a shower of confetti blew them away. And, that’s how I ended up here. Isn’t it an amazing story? It’s like reading from the Ponyssey!” Pinkie elaborated.

“I was… interesting, Miss Pinkie.” Blueblood replied.

The filly snorted, “Silly pony, it’s not Miss Pinkie. It’s simply just Pinkie… Well, technically it’s Pinkamena Diane, but nopony remembers that, so Pinkie it is.”

“I see…”

Just before the awkward silence could tarry too long, the party pony ran off and vanished in a blink of an eye. As he was about to open his mouth, she reappeared with dessert on a tray.

“Cupcake?” Pinkie Pie offered.

“Uhm… sure?” the colt didn’t quite know what else to do.

Grabbing the delicacy with his telekinetic hold, Blueblood brought the pastry near his muzzle where he took with his hoof. After carefully sniffing it for whatever the strange pony might have added beyond normal ingredients, he took a small bite as to minimize any unwanted effects. His reaction was instantaneous.

In his mouth, Blueblood experienced sensations he never thought possible from a confectionary. The taste, the texture and the moans he couldn’t stop making all played a part in lapse of rationalism that remained skeptical of the whole event. For that briefest of moment, he forgot everything about his father and the subsequent hardships from upholding the family prestige. Never before had the young colt felt so awestruck about sweets, not even his estate’s own chef was comparable.

To an outside observer, Blueblood looked as though he were having a stroke, followed by dilating pupils. However, just before Twilight was able to mount any comment of concern, the colt jolted his muzzle downwards to devour the cupcake like a bird pecking at its seeds.

“Nobles really do act like ostriches,” Twilight concluded, remembering the strange walking technique where aristocrats held their snouts upward.

Eventually, the unicorn had to stop when he realised he ran out of cake and was chewing through the paper cup. Letting go, he elicited a few chuckles from the two fillies while Celestia remained stoic and observant.

“Heh… It—it was of adequate standing,” he tried to assert in the hopes of preserving his princely image; unfortunately, he forgot to wipe the icing off his face. So, when he made a proud pose, the immediate response was a fit of giggles.

Dumbfounded once again, Twilight levitated one of the silver plates to show his reflection. Realising the mess on his muzzle, the colt sheepishly took a napkin to clean himself off. Sadly, he managed to smudge it further before a golden light took control of the cloth and finished removing the sugary substance from his coat.

“Oh, uhm… thank you,” Blueblood reciprocated.

“No problem,” Celestia replied carefully, hiding any signs of suspicion.

Turning around, he addressed Pinkie Pie with the usual posh, “I must say, your culinary skills are… above the basic standard for a peas—“

“Party planner,” Twilight corrected.

“Pardon?”

“The right word is party planner; or enthusiast; or baker; or better yet, friend,” she concluded.

“Friend?” Blueblood raised an eye brow.

“Yes, friend as in friendly, because that’s what she’s being,” the smallest alicorn asserted.

“Friends with Blue daba dee daba pie, daba dee daba pie dabadeedabapie!” Pinkie chanted while bouncing around the two in a circle.

“Should I be worrie—“

“That’s normal, I think,” Twilight quickly added.

“Are you sure?”

“Sur, lots of creatures use elaborate rituals when confirming a pact or relationship. Plus, you ate her cooking, another sign of social integration and kinship linkage in many cultures,” the lavender filly explained.

“Really?”

She nodded and replied, “Of course, I read it in a book by Prance Bow Hats, the famous ethnographer.”

The unicorn blinked, “Ethno what?”

“You mean, you haven’t read him? He’s like, super important! Well, maybe not as important as Star Swirl the Bearded, but important enough.”

Blueblood had no idea who she was talking about nor how to respond, opting for a blank stare.

“Twilight, I don’t think my… ‘dear nephew’ had any opportunity to undertake cultural studies,’ Celestia added.

“But, why not?” she asked, bewildered. “If he’s some sort of Prince, then shouldn’t he be taught how to discern foreign customs and practices? What if he has to communicate with an ambassador or delegation?”

It was then that the young alicorn went into a panic. She gasped in alarm, “What if he like… you know… uses the wrong hoof when greeting somebeing or shows disrespect by discussing business straight away without making friends first, or your tables manners are off?”

The lavender filly lost it and grabbed the white coated uncorn, shaking him almost violently while exclaiming, “Don’t you see Blueblood? You could anger another kingdom’s royalty and make them start a conflict! Then… Then things would be bad! It could be long and horrible—“

“Twilight,” the pristine sun-guiding mare chimed.

“You could accidently feed them ingredients that are an affront to their beliefs, causing a religious crusade—“

“Twilight.”

“It would be total war where diplomatic solutions would be impossible—“

“Twilight…”

“Which could end disastrously with super-mega spells—“

“Twilight!”

“And those lucky enough to escape it will have to live underground for decades, if not centuries—“

“TWILIGHT!”

“Resurfacing only to find the survivors transformed into violent beings of immense cruelty—“

*Splat!”

In that instant, the lavender filly broke from her panic induced rant, halting her the shakeup she was giving the colt in her hooves. Taking a few seconds to assess the situation, she realised the familiar symptoms of her mental attack and the unintended victim. The young alicorn released Blueblood, watching as he dropped to the floor with a bad case of dizziness and sea sickness. It was only after a minute did she notice the chocolate mousse that had been dumped on her head, sticking to her mane and fur.

“Thank you, Pinkie,” Celestia expressed.

“No problem!”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As Twilight was being cleaned up in a corner bathroom by one of the maids with a bucket and towel, the Princess and the two other children were waiting patiently outside; one of them twitching franticly. Blueblood gave her one of his many questioning looks, but was rebuffed by what the pink one had determined to be her ‘senses.’ As to what this entailed she had no idea, explaining how they were still new to her. As such, she didn’t have the opportunity to catalogue them at that point in time.

Meanwhile, Celestia resided herself once again to study the unicorn’s behaviour. Reading all his body language and his facial expressions, it was difficult to come up with any concrete conclusions about his motives. On one hoof, he displayed no signs of deliberate manipulation. If anything, the colt seemed lost and confused in the situations around him. His weak smiles and flustered state were genuine enough. On the other, he was hiding something. Whatever it was, it bothered the boy.

The bearer of the sun was probably reading too much into the situation, but an unsettled feeling filtered her judgement. It had been the first time in several generations that her long-distance ‘family’ (if one could call it that anymore) had approached her without the obnoxious pomp that she had come to expect. Sure, Blueblood was still a child and Celestia had hoped secretly for him to be better than the current head of the household, but the contrast felt alien.

Truthfully, the less desired part of her had given up on the Blues long ago, only ever associating with them on matters of business. Some past members had been good (to some extent), but she remained distant. At best, they were acquaintances… and yet… the word ‘auntie’ struck her. It wasn’t the simple ‘auuuuuntieee’ or ‘my dearest aunt’ that she had grown accustomed to over the centuries. No, this ‘auntie’ was the kind that Cadence pronounced. It felt genuine.

Yet, despite the welcoming change, her guard was up. Blueblood was still keeping something hidden in all of this, like that kept horribly secret that somepony wasn’t sure to utter. He was nervous, especially around her. In all likelihood, he was a conscious pawn in a wider scheme. After all, meeting Twilight after being tossed through a window was unlikely a coincidence. She wanted to press him, but the future element bearer had exited the washroom as clean as whistle.

“So, what should we do next?” the lavender filly exclaimed.

Pinkie jumped in, “Well, I would love to make another party, but I’m about to leave soon.”

“Huh—“

“Pinkamena Pie, the cart’s ready! We better start moving soon if we want to make it back on time,” the voice of Igneous Rock Pie proclaimed.

“Coming daddy!”

Before the curly filly was able to hop off towards the exit, Celestia halted her with a hoof.

“Before you go, I need you to tell me about this rainbow you saw during your cutie mark discovery. Where did you see it?” the Princess inquired.

“That’s simple, it came from the direction of Cloudsdale. I should know, I saw it on a map when getting here.” Pinkie Pie replied.

Celestia smiled, almost smirking at the opportune find that had once again fallen in her hooves. She had found the fourth, probably fifth if Rainbow Dash’s friend was candidate as well. She was one step closer to identifying the whole set. Her sister was coming back, there was nothing to stop that anymore, but with the elements reactivated the nightmare would end. She could have her family again, her close family.

“Thanks,” the huge alicorn whispered.

“You’re welcome,” the filly replied while bouncing off.

Twilight followed to give her send-off, “I’ll just go say bye to her.”

As soon as the two were gone, Celestia turned to Blueblood.

“So, ‘my nephew,’ I think it’s time you tell me why you’re really here,” she calmly demanded.

“Huh?”

“Don’t play coy, Blueblood. You’re as subtle as a fish out of water. So, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” the colt responded.

“A bold lie as any, and unwise in your situation,” the Princess affirmed.

“…”

“Please, Blueblood… I don’t personally blame you. If anything, you’re probably a victim that’s been roped into these predicaments.”

The pale unicorn didn’t know what to say, his aunt’s words surprised him. Never did he thought that anypony would take heart to discuss his parental predicament. No soul ever took the time to notice.

With this unexpected source of encouragement, he began to speak, “My father—“

“Ordered you to befriend Twilight to lower her guard, am I right?”

“What?”

“He wanted you to get close so that he could manipulate her for his nefarious schemes,” Celestia concluded.

The colt recoiled, “That’s not—he didn’t—I don’t understand.”

“In all likelihood, you won’t. That’s what being a pawn is about,” she explained.

Shaking his head, he protested, “Listen, my fath—“

“BLUEBLOOD!” an angry voice shouted.

“D—d—da—“

“Don’t you dare ‘dad’ me! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! You’ve skipped your morning course on proper etiquette and class discipline, how do you expected to keep our family’s position on a rigid social latter if you can’t keep service ponies in their place?”

“But—“

“No buts! I have it in mind to fire that geography teacher,” Blue Lord exclaimed.

“Don’t do that! She’s the only one that I like,” his son protested.

“Which is why I should, she’s too soft with you—“

“Hey! Leave him alone!” a third voice jumped in.

“Oh look, if it isn’t the star prodigy herself. Why don’t you run along and leave the grownups to family matters,” the ‘Prince’ added dismissively.

Twilight (having jumped in front of the colt) narrowed her eyes, moved one hoof forward and spread her small wings in an effort to be in a fighting stance. She repeated, “I’ll say it again Mr. Blue Lord… leave… him… alone…”

Chuckling venomously at the display, the mustached unicorn replied, “Glaring, authoritative and a dominating presence. You’ve taken to your new position well, quick learner. If only some of that were to rub off my son.”

“He doesn’t need to know how to be intimidating, making other ponies submissive is not what being leader is about,” she retorted.

“And yet, it’s quite effective, case in point,” the stallion said while pointing her out with a hoof. “Needless to say, you would do wonders if you were part of our house—“

Celestia chimed in, “Twilight, walk away from this. Everything that happened last night was just so this creep could get under your fur.”

Upon hearing the statement, Blue Lord raised an eyebrow. After realising the implications, he smiled rather crookedly and replied, “Last night? BUHAHAHAHA! You actually think I had something to do with that?”

“You’re a good suspect as any,” she quipped.

“Perhaps, but do you honestly think I’d be stupid enough to confront an ascendant directly? Even a young alicorn is nothing to trifle with, I should know. Healed injuries aside, our family still possesses the personal diary of Princess Platinum. She wrote quite extensively on exactly what your kind are capable of surviving… or inflicting…”

Princess Platinum would roll in her grave if she knew how despicable her descendants turned out.

Hiding her disgust, Celestia continued to press the matter, “If that’s true, then why send your son to make contact with my student? Surely you have much to gain by manipulating her by proxy.”

Blue Lord scoffed, “I wish! But sadly, my son has never been one to grasp how to influence anypony in such a manner. Aside from his skills with maps and graphs, he’s always been slow amongst the herd.”

That was the blow that broke the camel’s back. As the colt, who had been the subject of this argument, winced at the snide, Celestia felt a horrid shock. She had never liked the Blues, not in a long time, but the gall it took for him to say such blunt things about his own child was a low she never thought he’d stoop to. However, before she had a chance to say anything on the matter, Twilight’s mane erupted in flame, her coat a bright burning yellow.

“You take that back!” the filly yelled.

Dismissively, the stallion added, “Oh, come now. It’s not the first time I had to explain this to him, one has to be resourceful in order to exceed in this world. Why else do you think I’ve had to take a more direct approach with his education? Besides, what do you have to gain by defending him?”

“Nothing, he’s my friend, something you should learn how to make!” Twilight stated defiantly.

Blue Lord shot back, “Hm! Friends… The only friends one has in life are those of a patron-client relationship. One does a deed for a master and that master rewards them with support. I should know, every noble looking to make a name for themselves are all members of my network among the aristocracy. How else did you think we managed remain the most prestigious house all these centuries?”

“By polluting Solus’ good name,” Celestia remarked.

Rather confusingly, the ‘Prince’ asked, “Who now?”

“Who? You don’t even know, do you? Have all your family’s records truly forgotten her?” the Princess inquired, not truly believe what she heard.

Blue Lord merely shrugged, he wasn’t about to get worked up over somepony that his own family tree neglected to have. Of course, he still had a flaming alicorn to contend with.

“Leave before I call a social aid worker,” Twilight demanded.

Ignoring the chronic depression jab, the mustached unicorn decided to concede for the time being. He wasn’t about to prod the emotions of the filly that sent him flying twenty feet and caused enough blunt force trauma that it took weeks for medical spells to heal him. He promptly responded, “Have it your way, but I still expect my son to be back by night fall. Otherwise, his geography teacher will have to find other pastures for work.”

After he left the room, Blueblood just sat there on his haunches. Watching this unfold, the lavender pony extinguished herself and ran to comfort the poor colt. He wasn’t depressed, none of this was new to him. But, he wasn’t exactly happy either. Twilight pulled him into a hug.

As for Celestia, she watched it all unfold without uttering a word, regretting certain assumptions she made. She hadn’t been mad with Blueblood, nor did she act scornfully when confronting him. She said it herself, he too had been a victim. So, on the surface she had acted reasonably. Yet, despite all that, she couldn’t help but feel one emotion she hadn’t felt in nearly a millennium; regret. For as long as she was able to remember, she mostly left the Blue family to their own devices; opting to ignore their degrading attitudes over the generations rather than intervene. As it turned out, she too had room to grow and was in uncharted waters.

As the Princess continued to secretly beret herself, one of the pastry chefs comes along to take her dessert request. The staff member asked, “What will it be all for tonight, your Highness?”

Upon careful consideration, Celestia replied, “Orange with extra zest.”

The kitchen expert looked at her rather curiously. He replied, “You do know that’ll make the flavour bitter, right?”

“It’s all I’ll be tasting tonight,” was her final comment on the subject.

“Quite the view, isn’t it?” the elder mare said.

“Indeed, thy see all the glory that emits from our new kingdom,” the dark-blue entity replied.

Another jumped in, “Yeah, a new kingdom that we’re going to have to manage; organise; build up its logistical networks; decide its economic policies; standardise harvest seasons by centralising weather manipulation and celestial movements—“

“You make this seem as though it were a huge chore,” chimed the former.

“Of course it is! Just imagine what would happen if we ever screwed up, the mob would run us out of town with torches and pitchforks. We could be responsible for widespread famine, would cause untold devastation and absolute poverty could be rampant. And then—“

“Celly—“

“Everypony would be at each other’s throats again, breaking up an already fragile unity!”

“Celly.”

“The windigos could come back, finishing the job they started!”

“Celly…”

“All of ponykind could be extinct and worst of all… Star Swirl would be terribly disappointed in us—“

“Celly!”

The young adult pony abruptly stopped her panic-induced rant to look at her mother.

Puffing her chest to show her airways at work, the older pony began to lead the secrecies in soothing habbits, “Now, breathe in… and breathe out…”

Following in her forebear’s hoofsteps, the white coated daughter began to calm down. Soon enough, the episode was over and normality returned. Once, the pony was finished with her exercise she spoke up, “Okay, I think I’m good now.”

“Really, Tia? Thou must always do that? Tis getting old,” her sister quipped.

“I can’t help it, this is a huge responsibility we’re taking. I don’t know if we can do run a kingdom, the responsibility is enormous,” she admitted.

After a slight giggle, their mother replied, “the fact that you feel this way is proof enough that you’re the perfect candidate for the job. At the very least, you can’t be as bad as those numbskulls who’ve began this decades-long mess.”

“Not exactly a high bar to reach,” the pony grumbled.

The mother sighed, directing her children ever closer to the unfinished castle’s balcony.

“Come, look down there,” she motioned. “Tell me, what do you see?”

Lulu replied, “I see a unicorn lifting stone.”

“Good… what else?”

“An earth pony doing the masonry?” Celly confirmed.

“And up there?”

“A pegasus doing roof tiles?” the first announced.

“Exactly!”

With their findings affirmed, Solus sat in her position as triumphal as ever, her young adult children still puzzled about the point she was trying to make. Uncontrollably, she sighed, “you two can really be dense at times, you know that?”

Irritated, Lulu spoke up, “I fail to see the significance of a few ponies—soon to be our subjects—working on this brand new castle.”

Looking deep in her eyes, the elder one gently smiled. Placing a hoof on the forehead of the dark-blue mare, she petted her until the alicorn frowned at the gesture.

“The significance, my dear pussycat,” she began before ministrations. “Is that a mere generation ago these ponies would have been at each other’s throats. In fact, you two never grew up with the tribal divisions that bled into the years of famine and raids that I knew since I was a filly.”

While saddened by old memories resurfacing, she pressed on, “So many losses, so many atrocious deeds; very few foals will ever know just what types of tragedies their parents have inflicted upon their fellow equines.”

“Hmm! Those windigos were certainly troublesome,” Lulu concluded.

“Oh? What makes you so sure they are the ones responsible for ponykind’s plights?” the mother asked her confident daughter. “Last time I checked, the unicorn elites decided to take control of the celestial objects in order to impose their own day and night cycle. Then, when everypony else felt the disruption, the earth ponies placed a trade embargo. However, once the ban had negatively affected the pegasi’s own food supply, they lashed out via weather storms. Soon enough, the environment was destroyed, the ecosystem was ruined and the climate fell very rapidly as a result. In that sense, the winter beasts that came after were no more than vultures preying on weakened creatures that perverted nature into political tools and weapons.”

Trying to argue, Lulu opened her mouth but was unable to say anything. After a minute of her moving her lips with no audible sounds in an attempt to thwart such logic, Celly jumped in to comment.

“What made the unicorn elites begin this spiral of disasters?” the older alicorn asked.

“Good question, they and the earth ponies never did get along all that well. One group saw their rivals as dirty vagabonds while the other saw them as smug puffers that looked down on everpony else. There was some truth to this—and there still is—but the real root of the problem began with the trade deficit. Some nobles got too big for their britches. It was no secret that their talent in magical spell craft gave them a sense of superiority over their fellow ponies, even other unicorns. For them, the strict hierarchy that they imposed was justified. However, for all of the conveniences that spells brought and how easily unicorns could build monumental castles due to levitation, they were not great innovators,” Solus explained before pausing for a breath.

“Meanwhile, the earth ponies’ ability to grow food had amassed the tribe an immense surplus. Soon enough, this created a positive feedback loop in the form of inventions, tools and infrastructure to keep up with population growth and a more complex economy. Soon, this maximum efficiency made them out-produce and out-manage the other tribes. So, the unicorn rulers, not liking the fact that these supposed serfs were getting the better of them tried applying their magic in ways to break their dependence on the earth-ponies’ exports.”

“They did all sorts of things, even try farming themselves. But, spells just couldn’t substitute for hard labour and natural earthly affinities, so success went only so far. This infuriated the nobles, especially those who believed that earth pony egalitarian democracy was an affront to their rule. Some even wanted to wage conquest to show the hornless ponies their ‘place’, but population differences and the lack of modern forges for arms meant that attrition favoured their neighbours. Plus, there was the real possibility that the pegasi would join the earth ponies, since they too relied on their food surplus. So, an alternative solution was presented, one that was sitting above them.”

“Let me guess, that’s when they tampered with the sun and the moon?” Celly added in a somewhat deadpan fashion.

Her mother nodded before continuing, “At first there was some resistance by the mages and ethical concerns were brought up. Even a much younger Star Swirl was horrified at the prospects and was nearly deemed a traitor for such. But, the ambitious aristocrats who thought of the idea managed to sway King Bullion’s father of its success. After all, by manipulating day and night, the unicorn tribe could increase its own crop yield at the expense of the earth ponies. Thus, their deficit could be fixed and they would no longer have to be swayed by outside influence.”

“Question!” Lulu interjected. “Why didn’t the pegasi have a problem with the earth ponies? Were they not in a trade deficit as well?”

“The pegasi had long been manipulating cloud weather by that point. It was partially due to this that the earth ponies succeeded as much as they did. So, both groups were more or less on equal ground, trade wise. It wasn’t until the halt of food shipments and the irregular celestial rotations started affecting the sky dwellers that the commander decided to strike back at both groups in order to knock some sense into them, and restore the old accord. But, like all good intentions, poor execution led to unforeseen consequences and decades of war was the result. In the end, only the dropping temperature and degradation of the land brought the ceasefire necessary for the three tribes to sit down and talk.”

“That went well,” Celly commented with sarcasm.

“Well enough that rather than work together, the ponies just upped and left, crossing the unexplored land bridge until they reached the continental East where you two were born” Solus added before finishing off. “The rest… well… you know…”

The white alicorn sighed, “It’s still hard to believe Clover, Cookie and Pansy asked us on behalf of Star Swirl to become the Princesses over most of ponykind. Seriously, it was completely out of the blue.”

“You don’t hear me complaining,” Lulu added.

“Well, after a lifetime of pent up anger at the political elite from all sides, ponies were ready to usurp the tribal heads in favour of somepony new. You two being the tri-ponies that you were, it only made sense that you could make decisions that didn't play favourties with one tribe over others.”

“Speaking of, are you ever going to tell us when this happened or what kinds of ponies we were before all this?” Celly inquired.

“As far as anypony knew, you two were born this way,” the older mare added.

“But, ‘tis a lie!” Lulu complained.

“A necessary lie,” she said sternly. “Listen, if word got out about what types of ponies you were at infancy, usurpers would come along and accuse you of favouring different population groups. Your reigns would end before they could even begin and everything that bearded mage, and those three brave ponies have fought for would be for nothing. Many scars still remain and conflicts could brew up again. So, best to leave that with me to the grave.”

The two young adults looked down in dejection.

“It still feels cruel, mother.” The dark-blue pony commented.

“I know, pussycat… I know… I’ve had to live through many of my own twists of bitter reality since the days of my fillyhood. It’s not easy to live through an era of bloodshed and watching villages burn. But, all the more reason why I need you to help me keep the charade up. Ponies can finally start living in peace again. So, please… do it for me… for my wish for a peaceful country we can all call home,” she pleaded regretfully.

Defeated, the two finally capitulated in unison, “We understand.”

Relieved, Solus whispered to them in a hug, “Thank you.”

They stayed that way for several minutes, unmoving in their snuggle above the balcony. At least, until Lulu brought up a point.

“What about the existing leaders of the three tribe? Sure, we can work with Commander Hurricane in establishing the guards and Chancellor Puddinghead could help us build the mayoral elections for the towns and cities under our banner. But, can we trust the unicorn nobles not to do anything foolish? After all, was it not their jealousy, greed and sense of superiority that brought about the cataclysms in the first place?”

Then, Solus’ shrewd smile returned. She added, “Oh, I’ve already taken care of that. Most of the entitled lot will now serve you directly in the royal court in order to ‘advise’ you and make petitions. By being so close to the central government, they’ll be under the assumption that they stand above the rest of Equestria like their hierarchy suggests. However, your ability to veto any dumb proposals they have will keep them from achieving the actual political power they seek. Remember, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“Using their own vanity against them? What brilliance, mother!” the darker alicorn chirped.

“What about Princess Platinum? She didn’t seem too happy with us taking charge. That tramp even called us Blank Flanks—“

“Celly, watch you language! Calling her a tramp is an insult to diamond dogs everywhere,” her mother warned crossly before bursting into giggles. “Hahaha! Okay… but seriously, you shouldn’t worry too much about her. She’s nothing like her grandfather and is willing to let bygones be bygones. She did make amends with the other tribes, did she not? I’m sure she’ll warm up to you soon enough. And if all else fails, I’ve arranged for my brother to marry her sometime in the near future.”

Lulu frowned at the revelation. She contemplated, “Wait, you don’t mean uncle Blue ba—“

“Please do not call him that, he has his good qualities,” she chimed.

The white alicorn jumped in, “Yeah, for an ass! He’s atrocious, he’s horrendous, he’s—“

“The only other surviving member of our family,” she stated flatly.

“Listen,” Solus began again “I know he isn’t exactly the most likeable pony out there in the world. I can’t say I haven’t had disagreements with his behaviour or general attitude, but by getting him to court Platinum we’ll have brought the only other royal family into the fold. With this, any hope for pro-Unicornian aristocrats looking to stage a coup would be lost. By making her descendants into subservient relatives, all the other nobles will fall in line.”

Irritated by these complex political maneuvers, Celly exclaimed, “Why can’t we just get rid of the nobility if they’re going to be that much of a pain? It’s not like the other unicorns are going to be upset with us.”

The older mare sighed, “Maybe someday Celestia, but for now it’s more important to look like we’re working with the old guard rather than against it. Believe me, you’ll have all the time in the world to defang them bit by bit. Just like you’ll have all of the time in the world to look after the Blues to follow in my brother’s hoofsteps. Who knows, some of them might become powerful allies in court? I’m sure one or two good ones will pop up eventually.”

“If you say so,” the daughter slipped with some visible irritation.

For the net few moments, Solus looked upon the new kingdom. From one end of town to the other, she observed how daily life played as shops closed for the day and ponies were walking home. Slowly but surely, the horrors of the war-filled life she grew up with was washing away. One’s day was beginning to be a drab of monotony rather than survival. Everything she ever dreamed of was coming to reality. Better yet, her own children were the ones selected by either chance or fate to lead that dream. Ponykind was going to thrive under their careful guidance and the hopes of many would be fulfilled in the process. Once she was done inspecting the would-be city bellow, she gazed up towards the setting sun.

For her, it was beautiful. But deep down, it reminded of her own remaining time upon this world. Closing in on her twilight years and with bodily woes from all her years of hardships, she knew that she could only stay around for so long. Her own mortal life will fail, dragging the last embers of the struggles between the tribes with her. She was like an old preacher watching over the young entering the luscious valley from the mountain top, just barely grasping the bountiful future ahead of them. She was not capable of living to see even a fraction of it, but just being able to lay the foundation stone was enough.

“I really envy the two of you, my dearest pussycats. There’s going to be so much ahead of you, if only I had the eternal youth to see it all. You’ll get to do great things, see and experience wonders that only fairy tales may tell. Heck, maybe you’ll get to watch other alicorns pop up.”

“If that happens, does it mean we’ll have to share? The kingdom I mean?” the dark-blue one whined.

“Lulu, don’t be selfish! We’re in way over our heads as it is, having some help would be welcoming—“

Halting her rant by the sound of their snorting mother, the mare was unable to hold back at the quip.

“Mother, this is serious! We have all this work in front of us and she’s focusing on her share of the spoils," the older sibling shot.

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

Are too!”

“Am not—“

“Girls!” their parent shouted.

“Yes?” the alicorns said in unison.

“Don’t get worked up over future eventualities. Right now, your main concern should be consolidating what is being offered to you. As for assistance, you’ll have all the help you’ll need in creating the central bureaucracy. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to worry about the other stuff,” lectured Solus.

“But, what if we do run into another alicorn?” Lulu asked.

“Then the three of you will just have to decide what to do,” she concluded.

“Oh, alright!” the dark alicorn grumbled.

“Now, now… don’t give me that frown. Celestia’s right, you’ve got a lot on your plate. So, work hard and make sure that this country holds up to the promises made by those who come before you. Do that and I guarantee you’ll have the best kingdom, the world over.”

Lulu didn’t say anything, she merely nodded in agreement. However, before any other reaction could be offered, Solus placed her hoof on her daughter’s forehead and began to give her a noogie

“Aaah! Halt thy aggression!” Lulu bellowed.

“No way, I’m not missing out on this. I have to get in all the noogies I can before your coronation tomorrow.”

In an attempt to resist the assault, the darker pony tried breaking away from her mother’s grip, only to struggle every step of the way. It wasn’t until Celly’s thoughts interrupted the scene with another burning question.

“What’s going to happen to the sun and moon now that the tribes are united?”

Letting go of Lulu (and providing the desired respite from the attack), Solus turned towards her other daughter to explain what Star Swirl had told her.

“Well, according to Mr. Beardy, the mages will continue to move the celestial bodies. Albeit, in a more compromising manner. Essentially, they’ll move in almost exactly the same pattern as they would naturally.”

“Why?” the lighter pony inquired.

“Simple, the circular rotation of the sun and moon aren’t perfect. On occasion there will be subtle deviations. Over time, these slight deviations cause the two orbs to align or crisscross in what they call ‘eclipses.’ There are two types, one at night where the moon becomes blood-red, one during the day where the moon blocks the sun.”

“And we have to prevent these eclipses from happening because…” Lulu chimed.

“Two reasons: One, it makes the day and night cycle less efficient for everyone. Yes, not just ponies, but all beings. Two, they are often associated with bad omens of dark magic, spirit possession, demonic forces, etc… etc… Cultures from around the world have displayed their dislike for eclipses in myths and legends. So, as a peace offering to the other sentient species for years of celestial abuses, we’ll eliminate them entirely.”

“Huh… a good way to turn all those who would otherwise hate us into instant friends,” Lulu commented.

“And just like that, foreign relations are in your favour. You wouldn’t need to spend so much on the military, allowing for most of the new country’s resources to go in infrastructure, schools and other essentials for rapid prosperity and growth.”

Stunned at the ease they’ll have in their newfound positions, it clicked in Celly’s mind that her mother had been manipulating things their way for quite some time. She voiced her suspicions, “You’ve been planning all this for a while, haven’t you?”

Grinning, the cunning mare humbly replied, “To be fair, Star Swirl was the brains behind the whole operation. As you know, he was the one who went behind the backs of all three tribe leaders to propel you here. The least I did was play along… and tweaked things here and there.”

Shivering, the white coloured pony added, “Mom, you can be scary sometimes, you know that?”

Winking, Solus spoke with a sly in her voice, “A lady must have her secrets, my dear pussycat.”

Opting to forget the abilities of the puppet master that their mother had perfected, they switched off to other topics as daylight drew to a close. The sky, serene in all her might, quickly darkened as the sun set itself in the distance. Soon enough, the bonding moment came to an end and the three decided to retire for the night. But, before they could walk towards their bedchambers, the old mare stopped and asked her children one more question.

“Before we part, there is one more thing I have to say. From the moment you take up those crowns tomorrow there will be many unforeseen trials awaiting you. Limits will be tested and uncertainties may arise. But please… for the sake of everypony, as well as myself, will you two do everything in your power to stay together? This bright future should belong to the both of you, so don’t ever stray from one another.”

Taking a moment to reflect this request, the two young alicorns looked at each other and smiled. Confidently, they exclaimed in unison, “We promise!”

All went black.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Celestia woke up from her sleep, the alarm still ringing in her ears. Promptly, she slammed the snooze button and lifted herself out of bed. Dredging forward at an awkward pace, she went for the mirror in order to prepare for a new day of raising the sun, court sessions, bureaucratic management and teaching the little lavender alicorn that had entered her life. However, as soon as her reflection came to view, she quickly noticed the streak of tears pouring down her face. Once again, she had dreamed of the happy days of her youth and the promise she wasn’t able to keep. For all of Equestria’s peace and prosperity, everything her cunning mother ever wanted, Luna’s absence from it all was something she couldn’t excuse.

Wiping her eyes, she began to head for the door until a plate and a note by the desk stopped her.

Dear Princess Celestia, yesterday Blueblood was feeling kind of down from that conversation with his father. So, I brought him to Donut Joe’s to knock the blueness out of him. However, this time I decided to save you a Hoofton cream since I noticed you weren’t cheery yourself.

Your faithful student, Saint and future co-ruler,

Twilight Sparkle.

“Aww… that’s so sweet of you,” the alicorn commented as some happiness returned to her.

P.S. I also checked with Doctor Rubber Glove to see if your diabetes would act up again if I gave you this. He said your humungous flank should be fine. Personally, I don’t think your rear is that big. Well, it’s huge, but not disproportionately huge when compared to the rest of your overly large mass. I tried explaining this to him, but all he did was laugh. Ponies are hard to get sometimes.

“…”

Celestia cut out the last part of the letter, tore it up and vaporised it until it became dust in the wind. She went on to enjoy her donut.

It had been a full week since the incident with Blue Lord and the palace was busier than ever. Events were unfolding rapidly as that year’s Grand Galloping Gala was approaching. As the countdown clock ticked away there were a number of artisans, caterers, sculptors, planners and landscapers working in overdrive to complete all the necessary preparations for the annual event. Chief among them was the notably luxurious decor that was going into the main hall.

While the heart of the Gala didn’t change much from one year to the next, rare occasions did lead to thematic alterations. This was especially true when nation-wide events left a noteworthy mark in the minds of the usual attendants. Not surprisingly, another ascension had fit such a profile and an alicorn statue made of ice was erected in the center of the room.

Celestia didn’t much care for the icy monstrosity, but with the mix of nobles, celebrities and business leaders all talking virtually about one thing, the ‘celebration’ of a promising rein by newfound blood seemed to have taken center stage by decorators. The Princess had to hold her urge to place a sombrero on its head, a bow-tie on its neck or a clown nose on its muzzle… Which is why she planned to do it during the party while nopony was looking.

As for Twilight herself, she was at school partaking in the tradition of extracurricular activities with the (officially defunct) Church of Tartarism. With their main club suspended on the books, members had to occupy themselves with other sanctioned clubs as a means of ‘branching out’ until their temporary disband expired.

While some were upset with the news, others took advantage of the little alicorn’s revelations about the ‘other side’ and began writing. As a result, the philosophy group was swamped with a large (and quite eager) influx of members. Little did anypony know at the time about the boon that was about to sweep Equestria’s academic and free thinking communities.

However, some found themselves in the book club of fictional writers. It was here that the small lavender alicorn was spending her time outside of Celestia's lesson plans. All the while, Folio Juniper was sitting there with a tie and suit as the official 'supervisor,' doing the mundane job of editing the students' works. Not surprisingly, he and a few other noteworthy guards were given jobs on and off the school grounds to bolster security around their main charge in light of recent events.

Nearly done with the latest submission, he spoke out loud the final lines of the text, “The grey curtains drew back, revealing white shores, the far green country and a swift sunrise.”

Lowering the papers, the colt looked up at him and asked, “Well, what do you think?”

“It was--”

“That's stupid, Hay R. R. Token! Everypony knows the afterlife is all blue and starry,” one of the junior writers commented.

“Nopony asked you, Horse Nor' Well! All you ever write is some sappy Tyrant Princess fics. I mean, come on... 'Big Sister is watching you?' What kind of propaganda is that? All you're good for is that conspiracy dung,” he shot back.

“At least I'm not the one who just randomly pulls eagles out of a hat!” Nor' Well returned fire.

“If words cut me, do I not bleed?” a third jumped in.

“You stay out of this, Shake Spurs, if I wanted to join the drama club I would have done it long ago,” he retorted.

“Yeah, go bite your hoof at somepony else,” Hay exclaimed.

“Hm! To bait fish with you all!” the interrupter spouted while walking away.

Noticing a common trend of arguments among the room's members, the guard nonchalantly brings himself close to one of the teenage students and asked her, “Is fighting common in this club?”

The older filly tilted her head from her type writer to look at the stallion and replied, “From time to time, you'd be surprised how much writers can dish out at each other. Passions and criticisms run wild in here. Authors spend as much time scorning and arguing with one another over styles, grammatical violations, and themes just as much as they type their stories.”

Juniper grimaced, “Talk about the might of the pen. Lots of bad-blood ink at their disposal.”

Upon hearing the joke, the filly's eye twitched, “Please... If you're going to start throwing puns around like my dad, do so over there with Dr. Suits. He's always using wonky phrases to go with that oddly dressed cat of his.”

After carefully looking at the colt in question, the guard noticed a rather timid student in the corner with a well groomed mane just beside the cat writer.

“What about him?” Folio pointed him out.

“That's Love Craft, our horror enthusiast. Don't approach him, he's been obsessed with the idea of a giant, godly tentacle monster as of late. Probably gets his ideas from those Neighpon comics he's reading.”

“And him?” he selected another.

“Write It Asimov, he's into science fiction, mostly deals with robots and the like. Don't tell him that his three laws of robotics are dumb.”

“What about that one--”

“Huge Ego, always writing about miserable folk,” she interrupted before sighing in frustration. “Honestly, he gets one book publication and he acts like it'll be adapted into a musical.”

“Uhm... Sorry I asked?” Folio offered awkwardly.

Breathing in, the older filly began, “It's fine, if there's one thing you should learn here it's that aspiring authors have their... quirks... So, it's best not to get too involved in their little worlds.”

Hesitantly, he added, “I'll... keep that mind Miss...”

“Margins At Woods,” she promptly replied.

Meanwhile, Twilight was busy helping a group at the other end near the windows who were discussing plot points for their series, My Little Android, as it gained a very widespread audience with an overly enthusiastic fan base. In it there are three basic subgroups: the Boards, the Codes and the Displays. In the centre of such a society were the Coms, androids that carried the traits of all. At the heart of the discussion was how to deal with the upgrade of the main character, a subject of some controversy.

“I'm telling you, the fans will be in an uproar!” one of them stated.

“Of, come on... readers have been suspecting this for a while now. They'll be thrilled with the news,” another re-insured.

“But, what about the whole 'immortality' thing? The audience will get mad if we just have him outlive all of his friends right out of the blue,” the first pointed out.

That was when a third jumped in, “Couldn't we just make some difference between the so-called 'artificial' Coms vs. the 'natural' ones?”

“We can't, volume six will establish that the Cyber Brothers aren't Coms by birth either. Once that happens, we won't be able to go back on our lore in any way,” another writer interjected.

As the argument was getting nowhere, the young alicorn stepped in with a solution. She asked, “What if you just say nothing on the subject and leave it a mystery?”

Horrified, the first pony chimed in, “Are you insane? We can't just keep quiet about this, all of our unexplained female fans, the Sisteroids, will be up in hooves.”

Twilight pondered at this, acknowledging the conundrum and found a way out. She proposed, “What if one of you slips out to some of your fans that Spark Plug isn't going to outlive his friends?”

“That would be contradictory to all the evidence and world building we're doing,” the second rebuked.

Unswayed, the lavender filly continued, “Not if you do it correctly. If one of your writers were to let the comment slip in an informal way, then fans will be arguing among themselves about the validity of the statement. After all, one pony's opinion is not considered an official statement, so it leaves them something else to discuss.”

Another writer rubbed his snout, “Hmm... I see your point, but it's still risky.”

“Then make it as vague as possible, that way the off-hoof remark can be interpreted a number of different ways. The result should be that fans will be arguing over this non-helpful information for years to come. Thus, you can put off clarifying anything about the question of immortality until the end of the series, if not indefinitely,” she concluded.

Stunned, the third pony in the group declared with glee, “It's brilliant! Now we can get the best of both worlds, Plug becomes a Com and we can avoid the backlash by letting the fans imagine what they want. This is the perfect scheme!”

Quickly, the group went back to work with a new sense of purpose. They still needed to figure out which staff member was going to deliver the comment, but there was no doubt that the unofficial and vague language was going to divert the criticisms away from them. Instead, all that energy would be placed in fan discussion circles. It wasn't dishonest, technically, it was just giving the ponies sweet nothings for the ear.

However, as the colts and fillies were writing away, a familiar phase popped in while remarking, “Now, that is utterly devious of you.”

Recognizing the voice, Twilight turned around to see the preacher himself. She responded with both excitement and regret, “Oh, how's it going, Echo Tongue? Sorry you lost your club after I asked you to keep Blueblood's involvement with the punch a secret.”

The teenager merely scoffed, saying, “I'm doing fine my Demon Princess, and don't you worry your pretty little head about the Church of Tartarism. The club may be down, but it's not out. In fact, I dare say this has given us a new set of opportunities. But, that's beside the point; you really can be quite the scheming little filly.”

The little alicorn flustered, “Well—it's just something I learned from Princess Celestia when I told her about this group. She said that good story tellers often left open-ended details whenever critical moments and lore are introduced. Furthermore, should fans get into heated debates and start asking serious questions, it's sometimes better to give them reassurances without actually revealing anything.”

“Interesting... I'll definitely need to add commentary on that in my philosophical prose under my new pen name, Neat Cheese,” the preacher commented.

“Why Neat Cheese?”

“Because my intellect will be mind numbingly gooey! I shall turn the fabric of morality on its head, the very foundations of pony knowledge shall melt in the omelette of nihilism,” he explained.

*Stomach noises*

“Now I'm hungry.”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Having finished enough book writing activities for one day, Twilight packed her saddle bag and went to fetch her scooter. All the while, covert guards were keeping their distance in a variety of disguises. Replacement teachers, the grumpy janitor, even the flexible pony under the potted plant were secretly part of the security detail around their young charge. Of course, the little alicorn was oblivious to them, not even suspecting the pony sized box that was suspiciously moved at every corner. One unicorn recruit tried using some self-made invisibility spell. It almost worked but the warp effect around his body and his big blue glowing horn, as the aura itself could not be masked, gave him away. Turned out that the cloaking effect didn't take into account the magical aura that was necessary to maintain it. One of the 'profs' had the good sense to slap him across the forehead until he reneged for a more conventional form of blending in.

Despite this, they were doing their job and nopony suspected a thing. While Juniper was the official chaperone, everypony else on the task force had managed to go unnoticed with all of their constant change of disguises. They even adopted self-destruct paper notes as to not leave behind a trail. Why, one guard by the name of Private Perking was already on his 30th costume, wearing an old stallion's beard and sun glasses. He was nonchalantly feeding the pigeons at the park bench.

In any event, Twilight had no trouble finding her scooter, blasting off like a purple rocket to grab a bite to eat at Donut Joe's establishment. She trotted in, got her regular special and got out within a few minutes, hopping back on her wheels with a mouth-held paper bag. The filly's wings had come a long way from their first appearance in terms of power and stamina. While still uncomfortable with the thought of flight, she quickly adapted to the role of being Canterlot's own Tartarus Rider. She was mastering her pegasus magic in record time.

Speaking of, there was one guard who had the bright idea to conduct over-watch on a cloud some hundred feet above. Avoiding public eyes, he dragged it along with him as he followed the filly on her excursions. Surprisingly, nopony paid much attention to it, safe for a colt who tried to point to his mother about a confused looking cloud that didn't know which way to blow. She reassured him that it was probably still being set up according to the weather schedule.

No longer stopping for anything, Twilight scooted her way towards the palace for some afternoon Lesson-lestia time. Apparently, a full day of school didn't deter the young mind from further academic pursuits, especially when it involved some new advanced spell. She continued along, oblivious of the cloud that followed her.

Eventually, she made her way to castle grounds where she passed the double doors at the entrance, two gold plated guards saluting her as she zipped by. Continuing on her way, she bunny hopped some shallow stairs as she traversed the main floor, spreading her wings for a controlled landing. It wasn't quite a glide, but it was a sign of improvement in the usage of her new limbs.

At any rate, she rode down the halls, carefully navigating around the cleaners, guards and other staff. By then she was closely becoming a master in the art of scootering, her mind thinking that she was probably on her way to becoming a pro like the griffin, Tawny Hawk. Suddenly, she tripped, tumbling and rolling unto the floor at break-neck speed with nothing but a helmet and pads to protect her.

By the time she regained her senses she was alone. Confused with how she fell, Twilight went to check the scooter and the floor behind it in order to see what removed her balance. Strangely enough, she couldn't fine the cause of her crash; not a pebble, not a crack, not even an object that otherwise would have obscured her path. The filly thought nothing and almost remounted her wheels when something else caught her attention. In front of her stood a bright glowing door, something that had not existed in that hallway before. She knew, she had passed it many times.

Before she could ponder about the conundrum, the doorway opened and a flash of light mesmerized her, placing the little alicorn in a trance-like state. Behind her, she could hear another pony galloping behind her location. He apparently yelled something, but she couldn't quite make out what he said. All she heard was a 'thud' from some sort of tackle, she wasn't sure.

Still in her trance, she stepped forward and crossed the doorway...

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight emerged from her uncontrollable state and regained her lucidity. All round her was beautiful garden, the likes of which was only matched by Celestia's personal hideaway. Everywhere she looked there were hedges, various flowers, fountains and marble statues of various figures. Yet, she couldn't help but notice something subtly off about it all.

But, the most intriguing thing was the round table in the far off corner where a mare was calmly sitting with a cup of tea. On the vacant end, Twilight noticed, were a vacant cushion seat and another cup of fine porcelain.

The mare gestured to her, “Please, sit down.”

Unsure of what to do at first, Twilight hesitated. But, that calm and reassuring smile slowly won her over. At least, enough to comply with the invitation. Carefully, she made her way to the cushion and relaxed herself.

Watching this all unfold, the mare kept up her stoic appearance. Very politely, she offered, “Would you like some tea?”

“Uhm... Yes please...?” the filly replied with uncertainty.

Giggling, the other pony added, “I imagine you have quite a few questions. Please, do ask away.”

Not sure of where to start, Twilight begins with the big one on her mind, “Wher—Where are we?”

Keeping up her angelic smile, the mare replied, “Where do you think we are?”

“I'm not sure. I was in the castle one minute and then I wound up here,” the alicorn admitted.

“Take a shot,” she pressed.

Twilight thought about it for a minute before answering, “This place is different, very different. It almost seems surreal upon close inspection. In fact, things feel differently too. The castle door that led me here wasn't normal, probably magic of some sort.”

“Good, you are mostly correct. However, that door isn't the only thing that's magical. As a matter of fact, this entire space is supported by magic. They call it a reality marble,” the mare explained.

Twilight gasped at this information. Never before had she seen the well famed phenomenon that not only projected, but created a reality within the confines of an area around a pony. To materialize one's own inner world unto reality was something very rarely done, the exception being the most advanced mages.

“Oh my gosh! How did you do it? Did you use a secret spell book? Are you some sort of archmage?” the filly squealed.

Chiming in during the barrage, the mare politely answered, “As much as I wish it were so, I'm afraid neither of those options are sufficient. You see, I found a work around while using... unorthodox substances with the help of business connections.”

The adult thought it best not to specifically mention the crystallized scarletite used in the procedure.

Twilight raised an eye brow, “You're not some sort of mage doper, are you?”

The mare coughed, “come again?”

“Some spell casters cheat by taking drugs to boost their focus during duels and your cutie mark is shaped like a needle--”

“For your information, this cutie mark is the result of my talent in the sciences of the apothecary. My family has run a very successful medicine firm for generations!” the mare retorted in a somewhat peeved manner.

“Sorry,” Twilight weekly expressed with her ears folded.

Realizing that she broke her guise, the mare recollected herself and fixed her posture. She reassured calmly the filly, “Please excuse me, I do get quite worked up and act without thinking. My family is known for its wild reactions.”

The alicorn didn't say anything else, just stared as the older pony filled her cup, pouring from the kettle with her magic. It was then placed on the saucer and paced along to the filly. Slowly but surely, Twilight took a few sips as the conversation began anew.

“I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here,” the mare said.

“It would be kind of nice if you did,” responded the filly.

“Well, you see... I wanted to have a little chat, from pony to pony. But, due to complications, I had to resort to these measures,” the mare reassured her.

“Okay...”

“And things surrounding my family are always filled with such complications, so discretion is the better part of valour,” she explained.

“Your family?” that got Twilight's attention.

“Quite,” the mare affirmed before pointing at some statue. “Do you know who that is?”

Twilight turned her head to take a look, noticing a white sculpture of a refined stallion with an aristocratic wig. Admittedly, she couldn't place a name to the face. Yet, something seemed familiar, she didn't quite know why.

Giving up, she communicated, “I don't know.”

“Not many ponies do, at least in detail,” the mare replied.

“Was he famous?”

“In a manner of speaking, he was quite the ambitious politician in his day.”

“A politician?”the alicorn voiced.

The mare didn't respond right away, merely going into deep thought. When she did spoke, she asked, “Tell me, how good you are at history?”

“Oh, I'm very good. I aced my high school courses in a matter of weeks. Celestia was very impressed,” Twilight eagerly stated.

Not showing any signs of surprise, the mare continued, “What do you know about Gross Pierre?”

It was at that point that the alicorn's energetic smile faded and was replaced by one of disgust. Shamelessly, she reacted, “Nothing good. He was the one who took over when Celestia left the country on important matters. He and the other bullies executed ponies left and right, he had a heart of stone.”

Waiting for the expected tirade to end, the mare uttered, “Ah, yes... That's the popular narrative, isn't it? Tell me, have you ever read Play Trotter's Republic?”

Twilight tried to recollect if she did. She knew of the philosopher's name, but she found it difficult remember any texts on the subject since she had been more interested in magic and science rather than political pros. Then again, she would probably need to familiarize herself with them if she was going to be Princess someday. What better time there was to start?

“I'm afraid I haven't” she replied.

“Understandable,” the mare acknowledged with a nod. “In his treatise, he describes society by its three divisions of ponies. There are the producers, the auxiliaries and the guardians. One farms and knows craft, one serves as the military force and the other rules. The first two are concerned with the material world through the visible form, the last contends with the ineligible, i.e. The world of abstract thought, art, philosophy and morality.”

Meanwhile, Twilight listened. But, there was something about this lesson she didn't particularly like.

“In his views, the failure or success of society hinged on the ability to organize these three classes. Conflict arises as a result of doing otherwise, too much petty squabbling over resource management. Therefore, politics must be directed by the philosophers since only they can comprehend true justice by abstract thought. This, little deary, is the society Mr. Gross was trying to build. As an aristocrat who was deeply troubled at the inefficiencies that kept the industrial age back, wanted to propel Equestria far ahead of all its neighbours. Thus, when destiny offered him the opportunity, he jumped at it. As a result of his ambition, Celestia had him crushed in battle with the help of the Duke of Weighing Tonnes, forever stripping his family of all its rights and possessions. All because they had the drop on him,” the mare finished.

The lavender filly, having listened attentively, asked a relevant question about the mad pony's downfall, “How did she do it?”

“I just told you, she crushed Gross Pierre by dropping the Duke on him, from high up,” she replied rather annoyingly.

“So... what does this have to do with us meeting today?” Twilight asked after sipping more of her tea.

Upon hearing this query, the mare returned her smile rather sharply. But, this wasn't serene like Celestia's it was wicked, between grin and snicker. She answered, “That, my dear alicorn, has everything to do with why you are here. For you see, for this ideal society to be constructed and for me to recover what my ancestors have lost, an upstaging whelp like you needs to be out of the way.”

Before the filly could even register what the mare said and ask for clarification, a sharp pain rang out in her body. Her chest pounded, her throat ached and her eyesight began to blur. In an instant, she felt cold as she stumbled to the ground and blacked out.

“Well,” the mare commented. “That's that.”

After taking a few minutes to savour the moment victory, satisfied with her work, she signaled the two ponies from the recent abduction attempt out of hiding. Without a word, they stuffed the body into a bag and exited the magical pocket of reality. Hemlock was pleased with herself.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Celestia sat upon her throne, listening away at the meeting of the ministries. It wasn't a terribly exciting affair, just a growing pain from all the bureaucratic reforms from all those weeks ago. Sure, it gave her more time to teach Twilight and attend her school, but some issues were just unavoidable. She pretended to listen while dazing away in her thoughts. No doubt, she was due for some dessert time as her alter egos were mucking about as imaginary figures in the room.

The 'troll' in her was goofing off and making all kinds of nonsense.

You know what we need? Boop buttons! Boop Buttons for everypony! Just hand them out like Wind Free!

Meanwhile, the one with the pink mane was in the corner, flirting with a secretary.

Hey, cutie! Want to convert all humans? You know they can't resist this flank. And neither can you.

But, just as Morbidlestia was taking measurements for a crocodile pit for a certain 'nephew,' a wounded guard rushed in with some bad news.

“Your highness, the unknown assailants got past our watch and took her!”

All the ponies in the room stopped dead in their tracks.

Her imaginary doubles vanishing, Celestia let out her frustration in the most serene manner she could muster.

“Ah... Shit!”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Meanwhile, two hench-ponies were at the city wall, prepared to dump their cargo over the edge. Unbeknownst to them, the cadaver’s heart had started beating again.

To say that Trick n' Veil was surprised was the understatement of the century. Right there in front of him lay a guard from the task force who had just been ambushed by an unknown assailant, bruised and battered. Worse still, Twilight Sparkle was nowhere to be seen, missing thanks to a vanishing door. He tried pressing for more information, but the swiftness of the abduction made it clear that there was little else he could learn. Despite returning to Canterlot with some leads in the investigation into the scarletite source, the perpetrator struck again. Mentally, he was kicking himself for being a minute too late to aid in the kerfuffle. Outwardly, he tried to remain calm and collected.

Once the sound of other guard hooves began to echo in nearby hallways, the private eye redressed himself in his invisibility cloak. Keeping his cover from anypony outside the small group of trusted task members was about the only advantage he had at on hoof, which would be severely reduced should his involvement get leaked. In any event, these ponies were more than capable of sounding the alarm and alerting the Princess of the new development, so he wasn't about to waste time on such distractions.

Needing to act fast, the marble coloured pegasus flew outside to look for any possible portal exit points. While his knowledge on the subject was limited, he knew that for any way-points to extended into the castle needed to have some geographic proximity in order to sustain itself. At the very least, the guilty party wasn't operating outside of Canterlot, no matter what magical phenomenon was at work. He soared to the sky to try and pick up any hint of a disturbance.

Privately, he knew the chances of finding anything were minimal. In all likelihood, whoever was behind this was smart enough to exit indoors. Yet, his vigilance never failed as he looked stubbornly everywhere, hoping to see some sort of getaway.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Peering over the edge, the two thieves were about to dump their cargo off the battlements and let it fall down the mountain. Privately, a small sense of guilt or displeasure over the job ate at some small part of their minds. Robbery, breaking and entering, blackmail and even abduction were par for the course for these criminals, but accessory to murder was a new one for them. Perhaps some psychological line had been crossed, it was possible.

Neither of them showed regret, just a visually understood sense of getting the job over and done with. Once it was finished, they could take the biggest paycheck of their lives and happily retire on some private island somewhere half-way around the world. They could live the high life for the rest of their days and forget that they had ever taken part in this scheme.

Of course, as one slowly took the bag off his back, the pair hesitated. They remembered the last time the little alicorn was in that bag and how she had miraculously freed herself with a swift kick. Something inside them was telling the burglars to check the sack to make sure she was actually dead. On the other hand, something else in their heads didn't want them to check, fearing what would happen if they so much as glanced at the face of a dead filly.

“You think she'll come back to haunt us?” one of them asked.

“Are you dumb? Since when have you become superstitious?” the other replied.

“Hey, man! We are dealing with an alicorn here, you know? She already died once, according to the rumours. What if she, Celestia and the pink one are all... undead?”

“You're full of it! What, you see one kid bite the dust and now you start shirking after everything we've done? After getting promised that huge payday and foalnapping somepony? Grow a pair!”

Before the other could retort, the sound of an annoyed groan came from the bag.

“Did you hear that?” the nervous one inquired.

“Probably just some air escaping the lungs,” the second stallion shrugged. “Now, are you going to help me dump the evidence or am I going to have to--”

The groan came again, except it was louder and accompanied by some movements.

“Z—Z – ZOMB – B – B—B”

“Tsk! Damn it Hemlock, you botched up the dosage!,” the level headed one interrupted. “Quickly, let's push her off now before she comes to--”

The filly didn't wait for him to finish. Immediately, she went into panic mode and started kicking and screaming. The crooks found themselves wrestling with the bag as they tried hastily to dump her over the edge.

However, their little scene wasn't so subtle and it didn't take long for Trick n' Veil to pick up the struggle from the air. Suspecting foul play, he dived relentlessly down to stop the crime in progress. To his luck, the filly's screaming confirmed any lingering doubts and he body-slammed the unicorn first as he was likely the more dangerous opponent.

“Yipe!” the second goon squealed as he jumped backwards with the sack still within his hoof's grip. As he did so, Twilight was propelled upwards, hitting the top of the wall. In a split second, she rolled out of the bag and fell over.

Realizing what he had unintentionally done, the private detective halted his attack as he watched in slow motion the small alicorn propelled off the side and down the mountain. He look towards the criminal that he had just beaten in a single blow and then towards the one running away without a care for the girl tumbling to her death.

Veil hissed with frustration, knowing that he had to let his only culprits go. Releasing his blood lust, he dived from battlements to rescue the one thing that mattered in this situation.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight was both fascinated and scared. Ever since she gained her wings the thought of flight had been in the back of her mind. She recalled vivid dreams where she soared high with pride, like some sort of call from her newfound natural instincts was at work. She was mesmerized.

But, she wasn't flying; she was falling. Worst still, she was spinning and couldn't find any stability to work with. As Canterlot drew further and further away another stark realization crossed her mind. She was going to hit ground at maximum velocity, lethal for just about anypony.

Frightened, Twilight did the only thing she could do and closed her eyes in order not to see just how long she had before going 'splat.' The only comforts she had in that moment were flashing images of her parents, of Shining and of her recent mentor as they kept her company on this one and only trip in the sky.

“Open your wings!” a mysterious voice shouted.

The filly didn't know who this was, but her wings were firmly shut on her back. She was to scared to do otherwise, so she strayed curled up.

“I said open your wings!”

The small alicorn still couldn't do it.

“For Celestia's sake, you need to stabilize yourself! Open them up!”

She wasn't sure she could.

“You can do it, Twilight!”

The fact that this strange voice knew her was a surprise to say the least. Without knowing why, she trusted it and her fears faded away. In a last ditch of courage, the lavender pony broke her locked curl spread her feathered limbs.

The effects were immediate as the uncontrollable spinning stopped, her body finding some steady position in which to drop from the sky. She felt the air carrying her, the filly no longer being a flailing ball.

When Twilight finally mustered the courage to open her eyes, she witnessed a sighted that she never thought possible. She was flying, or at least gliding her way down to earth at a steady pace that no longer felt deadly. The unavoidable destination below was not going to become her permanent grave site. The view of the countryside she witnessed was unparalleled and the experience, exhilarating. The little alicorn couldn't help but squeal with delight at this awe inspiring sensation.

Delighted at her newfound abilities at controlled descent, the lavender pony tilted from side to side to turn towards new directions. It didn't matter where, just so long as she could master the art of wind surfing with her largely unfamiliar pegasus abilities. However, despite only truly experiencing said abilities in such a fashion for the first time, natural instincts took hold and Twilight found herself doing twists and turn without ever so much as calculating mentally on how to do it. She was even able to see air currents, a feat probably aided by when she had seen Applejack's earth pony magic at work as it required observing the unobservable. She couldn't tell if this was a unique alicorn ability or if this was something inert within all pegasi who could feel these fluids while in the sky.

However, in the midst of her joyful glide through the sky, Twilight failed to notice a strange buzzing noise that was becoming louder and louder. Once she did notice it and looked around, it was too late.

“Look out!” the mysterious voice warned to no avail.

CLANG

Twilight hit something. Or, more accurately, was hit by something that was metallic by design.

“What the deuce?” a brown earth pony exclaimed when noticing a purpleish object hit his right wing. When he went to inspect what it was, he was surprised to see it was a filly of all things. In truth, he hadn't expected flying company of this sort since he had flown just bellow the Royal Mountain since it was rare for pegasi to fly in that area, preferring higher up towards the city. But, before he could contemplate this further, a second pony rammed against the cockpit and all Tartarus broke loose. He, or they to be precise, were going down. The pilot had no choice but to try emergency landing procedures near his home.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Councillor Mare was quietly sipping coffee in her quaint little office in what could be dubbed 'town hall' by the local constituents. For years she had done her voters proud and she took pride in her public service record. She even recently found new sources of money to help finance public education. Granted, most of the credit was due to a filly who somehow managed to sew pageant costumes with literal jewels on them. The school play was sold out thrice over, and it was outdoors too. You know, the type that can theoretically have as many spectators as one desired.

Regardless, the school district was pleased and many ponies were whispering about her possible run for mayor at some point in the near future. Overall, things were looking up for this local politician. But, as she tried to focus on her paperwork, a few muddled screams echoed in the background. She turned to the window and peeked outside to see what was going on.

In the distance she saw Time Turner on one of his latest contraptions, with two other ponies in tow. After some exaggerated upward and downward movements, the flying machine hit the ground near the Doc's laboratory/workshop with black smoke coming out of the engine compartment. Luckily, nopony was harmed.

The elected official sighed, “I tell you, that stallion can really give a mare grey hairs.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight prodded herself off the metal wing she was stuck on and pulled herself from the wreck. As she looked back, she could finally see the object in full detail. Studying its different components, she identified it as some sort of flying machine. In a day that had already revealed many new and exciting things, this contraption was icing on the cake.

Of course, as she was studying the intricate structure, another pony pulled himself up and asked, “Um... Begging your pardon, but would you mind telling me why you and your friend felt the need to drop by?”

Twilight, remembering that there was a pilot at the helm replied, “Oh! Uh...”

“Not that I mind ponies dropping in, quite like it frankly, but social calls are always far less inconvenienced when a 'heads up' is given.”

“What?”

“Oh dear, I seem to have made a funny. Anyways, my name is Time Turner. You are?” the stallion asked with a courteous chuckle.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

The brown coloured pony inspected her with a hoof to his chin, “Hmm... wings... horn... wait, would you happen to be the same Twilight Sparkle that Celestia is teaching? My, you really are as young as she's says.”

“You know Celestia?”

The stallion replied with an energetic smile, “Oh, she and I go decades back, centuries even. Why, there was one time we fought off big fat blubbery things-- Or... was that the time when I taught her how to lubricate a crank shaft? Things became rather blurry after our first rough ride.”

“Wha--”

“Ah... such fond memories... How much I yearn for the days when all it took to impress a mare was showing off our steam engine,” Time Turner uttered in his nostalgic state.

“Uh...”

“Because I invented that, you know? The first ever rail line was founded by yours truly. From Manehatten to Fillydelphia it stretched. Now, tracks dot Equestria from coast to coast. So I have gone to look at other scientific pursuits, such as flight,” the stallion finished saying while pointing at the broken airplane.

Twilight turned her head towards the craft and then back at the inventor, “So, I take it you are one of Celestia's old flirty pony friends? She talked about you once.”

Instantly, the stallion blushed before speaking up, “Well, I supposed we also did some flirtatious activities along the way...”

“How can you live for centuries if you're not an alicorn?” the lavender pony went straight for the big question.

“Ah... well... You see... it all started with a traumatic event as a foal when I went to discover my cutie mark and then this big blue box appeared suddenly out of nowhere and--”

Time Turner was abruptly interrupted by a loud clanging sound coming from his transport. At first, nothing seemed out of place, but Trick n' Veil rolled to the side where his cloak was peeled off, showing the trench coated marble stallion with the wind knocked out of him. The pilot was the first to comment, “Ah... So you're the second one that slammed into my aircraft, forcing it to ground. And who might you be?”

The detective didn't answer at first, just groaning in pain for about a minute or two. The entire ordeal had severely dazed him. Briefly, Time Turner went inside his shop to get an ice pack and place it over the poor pegasus' head.

“Feel better?” the brown earth pony asked.

The private eye painfully responded, “What... the buck... was that?”

Time Turner beamed, “Ah, yes! I was just explaining this to Miss Sparkle over here, that contraption would be a flying machine... otherwise known as an airplane. I picked the name myself.”

“Airplane? That will never stick,” the sore pony complained.

The creator huffed in his distinctly Trottingham accent, “Hmp! Well, when YOU invent a flying mechanical device that doesn't require natural wings, you can call it whatever you want.”

With that, the infamous doctor went to assess the damage to his aircraft, not minding the fact that a stranger was laying there on his property. Popping the hood, he was met with a dark cloud of smoke that indicated total engine failure. Soon enough, he grabbed a bucket of water and a wrench to cool off the inner device so that he could disassemble the various components. He wasn't going to allow this minor setback to stop his slow, but steady progress towards a working prototype. After all, he had been working on his designs for hundreds of years.

Meanwhile, Twilight (after having recognized the voice from her fall) approached the detective pony in order to get some much needed answers.

“So, um... like he was saying, who are you?”

Still recovering, the private eye looked at the Princess-to-be and tried to come up with an acceptable answer. Unfortunately, due to the daze, his mind was not in the best state to fabricate a story. Realizing that his cover might have been blown in that exchange with the goons from earlier, he opted for the straight answer. He began, “The name's Trick n' Veil Time, kid. I'm a private detective”

“A private detective? Why would a private detective be following me?” The alicorn asked with surprise.

“Kid, you remember that time when that cake tried to eat you?”

Twilight added hesitantly after remembering that horrifying incident, “Yes...”

“Do you also remember when you were stuffed in a bag and dropped in that club house?”

“Uh-huh...”

“That's why, you made a lot of enemies in town. Some of them, no doubt, want you gone and the Princess brought me in to keep tabs on all those willing to try,” Veil explained.

“Oh, so you're like the Royal Guard?”

“Something like that, but I tend to deal with the more... 'under the table' aspects of the job. I handle things a typical guard doesn't go near.”

“Like what?” the filly inquired.

“Oh, this and that... dens, back alleys, and black market deals to name a few.”

Twilight gasped, “You mean like Fetlock Holmes? I always liked his stories! Did you read Study in Coronet? How about A Scandal in Hollow Shades? Or... The Galloping Valley Mystery? Or--”

The lavender pony's hyperventilation came to a stop when the private eye placed a hoof on her muzzle, silencing her before speaking himself, “While I do appreciate the comparison Miss Twilight, there's another conversation that's far more important. Firstly, shouldn't you be on the ground like me? I seem to remember you getting clipped by that metal wing from the flying death contraption.”

“It's called an airplane!” someone shouted in the background.

“Point is, shouldn't you be... you know... hurt?”

“Actually, the impact kind of pinched. But, I felt okay afterwards,” was Twilight's response.

Trick n' Veil pondered at this, “hmm... It seems like alicorns are made of sterner stuff. Alright, next set of questions... What do you remember before getting bagged a second time? Did you see who made that magical door appear? What about their cutie marks? Where were you taken?”

The filly tried to reply, but as soon as she opened her mouth she realized her memories were a bit of a blur. “I... I don't remember,” she admitted.

“Nothing at all? This could really help the case,” the detective pressed.

“Well, I think I saw in a garden... and I was drinking something... tea maybe? But then, everything started hurting and I blacked out.”

“Tea, you said?” Mr. Veil grew quite curious at that little detail.

“Ye-yes! It was definitely tea. But like I said, everything was aching and then I fell asleep.”

The pegasus paled, more so than his marble coat allowed. He immediately knew what her statement meant. The stallion replied, “Twilight, that wasn't some normal tea you drank and you didn't fell asleep. You were poisoned, somepony tried to kill you.”

“WHAT! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Somepony get a medic or a nurse! I need stomach pumping! I need stomach pumping! I need--”

“Calm down! If you were still affected you wouldn't be standing up right now,” Trick implored.

Twilight stopped running around in a circle like the panicked filly she was. Clearly, had the poison stayed in her system, she wouldn't be making the fuss she had made then and there. Deciding to think this through rationally, the little pony decided to follow instructions and calm herself. Whatever peril she had been in was over. After a sigh of relief she sat on the ground next to her saviour.

“Okay, so I'm not in danger anymore what do we do now?”

Struggling to move his legs, the marble stallion replied, “Well... first order of business-- once I can get up-- is to send a letter straight to the palace to let the Princess know that you're currently alright and our whereabouts.” He then turned his head towards the would-be aviator and asked, “Hey, hour glass butt! What town are we in?”

“Ponyville,” came a distant reply from the tinkering Time Turner.

“Ponyville?” Twilight chirped. “I have a friend in Ponyville, I should go visit her. Oh, um... do you want to come too, Mister Veil?”

“Nah, go ahead. I don't think your attackers will show up here, not after today's events. With any luck, they probably believe they’ve done you in. Besides, I doubt they know we've 'flown' this far from the capital,” Trick commented while looking at Canterlot in the distance. If one good thing came out of that air collision it was that it brought them much further away from the bottom of the mountain then they would have been otherwise. The perpetrators had effectively lost their target.

“In any event, I'll just stay here and write up that letter,” he concluded.

“Okay, see you later,” the filly waved before scurrying off to see the farm pony she met not long after ascension, leaving the detective to lie on the ground.

Taking a few more minutes to recover, Trick n' Veil finally managed to get up and stretch his sore body, giving it a shake to make sure everything was alright. However, as he extended his wings, pain shot up through his back. He was in no condition to fly all the way to the city. Noticing this, Time Turner chimed in with an offer, “I take it you need help with this letter of yours?”

The private eye grumbled, “I don't think I want anymore 'help' from you and that death machine.”

“Hey! I'll have you know that I have a very good track record for these-- hehehe... track... I made another funny. You know, because I invented that too,” the brown pony mused at himself.

Trick n' Veil groaned some more.

“Don't fret, I have an alternative solution at my disposal,” Time Turner reassured before going into his shop and trotting out with a muffin in hoof. The detective raised an eye brow as he watched the inventor placed his leg in an outstretched position. Before he could question the act, a young pegasus swooped down like a hawk upon its prey in order to grab the pastry. In an instant, the muffin had vanished, leaving only crumbs around this new googly eyed filly's snout.

“You called, doc?”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight was walking along the town's main road, passing a number of adults that were giving her strange looks. She didn't mind, these weren't the first batch of ponies to reacted in odd ways to her presence. As far as she was concerned, they were going to shrug and get over it eventually. When she got to the centre of town she managed to spot a local farmer's market.

Eagerly moving towards one of the stalls, she popped her head over the counter to speak with the merchant, “excuse me, miss? Can you tell me how to get to Sweet Apple Acres?”

The mare behind the counter blinked a couple of times, unsure of what she was seeing. However, like any good Ponyville resident, she pointed up the road and provided further directions. The lavender pony thanked her and ran off, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared. The mare then looked down at the hard carrot juice bottle she kept under her desk, examining it while contemplating some sober thoughts. “I think I need to quit,” she moped to herself.

Fortunately, Twilight couldn't hear her. She was already out of the market and on the path leading up to Applejack's home. In fact, she was running faster than she had ever done so before. An unlikely feat considering her 'bookworm' lifestyle, even when factoring the physical exercise routines that sometimes accompanied magic endurance training with Celestia. Perhaps only the excitement a filly could feel was working in her favour.

Sadly, the excitement also worked as a double sword and Twilight didn't pay as much attention to the road as she believed was needed. In her gallant effort at running with a mind partly day dreaming about her friend, she bumped into another metallic object, forcing her backwards. Rubbing her muzzle with surprise, she noticed marshmallow coated filly with a dark violet mane in a 90 degree angle from her, carrying a shovel and bag. This stranger was apparently crossing the road do dig up some unknown objects.

Meanwhile, the filly also took a deep interest in her, staring down at Twilight from head to hoof. Without saying a word, she rummaged through the bag to find a couple of fashion related magazines stored away. She flipped through the pages to find some intriguing articles about trends and hot juicy topics. Finally resting her eyes on the story most prevalent of the issue, Purple is the New Black. In it, there was a clear picture of the new alicorn on one of her many scooter escapades. The unknown girl with gems for a cutie mark looked attentively at the picture; then at Twilight; then at the picture; then at Twilight; then back to the picture; then back to Twilight.

Awkwardly, the alicorn tried introducing hersself, “Um... Hi! I'm Twilight Sparkle, what's your na--”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEH!”

The atmosphere became very tense in the palace's throne room. As a matter of fact, the entire complex was in a lock down. But, unlike the guard who were sweeping every inch to no avail, Celestia had to deal with an entire whole other problem. She had to sit there and explain to two emotionally distraught parents why their daughter (who had been under round-the-clock watch) was missing.

The Princess didn't like this development one bit. The foalnapper had done his or her homework very well, finding weaknesses in the magical wards with an unknown teleportation gateway. This plan was a masterstroke of genius by somepony who knew what they were doing.

“My dear little Sparkle… Oh, please be alright.”

“I can reassure you, Miss Velvet that your daughter will be found and returned safely. In all likelihood, the abductors are probably just looking for ransom money. It would be against their best interests to hurt your child.”

It was a lie, Celestia knew from the very first incident that the chances were that somepony very well did have intentions to conduct bodily harm on Twilight. Of course, while that protected her student from many conventional means of injury, she didn't like any scenario where her captors could test its limits (the Princess certainly hadn't tried finding out herself for obvious reasons). On the other hoof, they may very well keep her prisoner indefinitely for some other nefarious purpose. Regardless of the goal, Twilight was definitely in a heap of trouble.

It was without reservation that the caretaker of the sun sounded the call to rally her Captain and his senior officers, various intelligence officers, and the chief of the Royal Equestrian Mount Police. There was even message being prepared for the Wonderbolts to join the inevitable search. With this gathering of all of the realm's law enforcement organizations, a measure of reassurance was given to the parents of the (then) extended members of royalty.

Celestia turned towards her lead guard to give him the floor, “You're Highness, a little over an hour ago an unknown number of perpetrators used some sort of door-like teleportation pathway to bypass all of our heightened defences, including most of the task force designated towards the protection of Prin-- eh… Lady-in-waiting Twilight Sparkle. In fact, only one member was present at the scene in question and was quickly beaten to the ground upon interception by an unexpected figure from behind. Currently, the guards have been scrambled all across Canterlot. Since such a magical feat would require large sums of energy, doubly so in order to go any substantial distance, we do not believe that the source of the infiltration came from beyond the city’s limits. That being said, amber alerts are being issued all across the region. The gates and train station are being watched and swept as we speak.”

Once the Captain finished explaining the situation, one of the intelligence officers stepped in about possible links with the other incidences. “Since each event with regards to the filly's safety all happened differently, there are very few distinguishable patterns to go on. However, what we do know for sure is that each episode passed quickly and with little to no actual perpetrators acting in the open. This latest affair in the castle hallway appears to shift somewhat from the subtle approach, suggesting that the guilty party is becoming brazen and impatient. They have certainly become bolder, if not more desperate, in their methods. Whoever is behind this has clear political motivations for conducting these attacks. We can therefore assum--”

The investigative guard couldn't place another word in as a loud crash permeated in the throne room thanks to one of the stain glass windows breaking. Everypony looked to see, witnessing a prized frame with an iconic image of Celestia shattering to pieces from blunt force. When studying the cause of the damage, all anypony could see was a partly dazed and partly confused grey pegasus filly with a scroll held tightly in her mouth.

Dropping the paper, the unannounced filly inaudibly spoke, “I just don't know what went wrong…. I mean, one second the Princess is there and the next I'm in a window.”

The Captain reacted immediately, “You hear that? She tried to body-slam the Princess! Seize her!” In quick succession, the other guards in the room surrounded the pony in question from all sides to prevent her escape.

Confused, the unannounced pegasus looked up to see the commander look down with stern eyes, as if trying to peer into her soul.

“Who are you? Why have you come to do harm to the crown? What's the name of your organization?”

“Huh….”

“Is it the Ilumi Naughty again? What about the Knights of the Tin Caps? Neo Sombrans... the Steed Liberation Front... Brumbies United... Black Hoof... the Free Manesons... Answer me, who are your affiliates?”

“Uhm... I got this note from the doc.”

“The docks? Are you trying to abduct members of the crown out of the country? A kingdom is sponsoring you? Outrageous! We don't negotiate with terrorists--”

One of the other officers jumped in, “I don't think that's how it goes.”

“Explain,” The Captain requested.

“Well, first, we're supposed to hear her demands and THEN reject the terms of ransom.”

“Fine,” the superior exclaimed before turning back to the filly. “Bubble pony, what are your demands?”

“Muffins.”

“Outrageous! We don't negotiate with-- eh…. What?”

“My fee is a dozen muffins for long range trips, I expect a combination of blueberry, banana and chocolate chip.”

The head officer looked quizzically at the pegasus, “You pulled off the crime of the century…. for muffins?”

Deciding not to let the scene drag on, Celestia lit her horn and grabbed the scroll to read its contents. After about a minute of this, she let loose a smile and proclaimed, “False alarm, ponies. We know where Twilight is now.”

“WHAT?” shouted Velvet and Night Light.

“As it turns out, the attackers dropped her and now she's in Ponyville along with an old friend of mine and a third party I hired to keep a lookout for her. She's in safe hooves.”

“Oh, thank Celestia!” Velvet exhaled in relief.

“Well, I didn't really do anything. But, you're welcome nonetheless.”

Twilight's mother facehoofed, ignoring the Princess' whimsical grin.

“So, uhm... are you going to fetch her?” Night Light asked.

Celestia thought about this for a second, “Hmm…. I think we'll let her stay put for a while.”

“May I ask, why?”

“According to this, our elusive assailants didn't know where Twilight Sparkle went either. If I were to send somepony to pick her up, they'll draw unwanted attention. Better to keep her out of the lime light for now. At least, until the upcoming gala is over.”

The father grimaced, there had been a ton of pressure for him and his wife to show up. Truth be told, just about anypony wanted to go there at least once, them included at one time. But, since the ascension, there had been unexpected political undertones towards his family that soured that sentiment. Even if they had been given free entry and V.I.P. status.

“Well, at least some ambitious ponies won't get the chance to introduce their colts…. or themselves for that matter….” Night Light stated with some moniker of satisfaction.

Velvet placed a foreleg on his shoulder. “Now, dear…. That only happened once... and he's still in the hospital for it.”

As everypony was about to leave, returning to their regular duties, Celestia was poked on the leg. She turned to see the grey pegasus filly who was still there throughout the conversation.

“Twelve muffins.”

“Would you settle for cake instead?”

“No currency exchanges.”

“Crud.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH”

“Please stop that!” Twilight pleaded while covering her ears.

Lowering the volume of her squee, the newcomer caught her breath and tried to regain her composure. Needless to say, her excitement was showing more than any of the 'proper lady' act that she was fond of.

“Oh, my! Where are my manners? I really should introduce myself more tactful—but I appear rather dreadful right now! All this…. dirt on my otherwise lovely coat from digging these wonderful gems I need for new ensembles. If only royal visits had been posted ahead of time I could have looked right and proper. Oh, woe is me!”

“Not a Princess,” Twilight corrected.

“Pardon?”

“Not a Princess, haven't been crowned yet. Probably won't be for a while. I'm just a…. filly in waiting?” the alicorn explained before getting cut off by a hoof to the snout.

“Tisk tisk tisk…. technicalities aren't important, darling. It's all in the meaning we ascribe, semantics if you will. You were practically on the cover of every magazine I read. You have no idea how your lovely dusk complexions are inspiring new lines of clothing. Why, just look at all the different articles here,” the dirty unicorn retorted while pointing at one of the articles.

Twilight took the soft cover monstrosity in her telekinetic grasp and began reading the various fashion related news and tips. Sure enough, there were a number of suspicious looking pink stripes, purple accessories and lavender dresses with various looking star patterns. This surprised the young alicorn, not because she had been oblivious to the fact that many grownups made a big deal of her transformation in the news, but because the whole thing had taken on levels that were usually reserved for actors, models and the Wonderbolts.

“Wow…. I had no idea that things like this were happening outside of Canterlot--”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEH!”

“Not again,” Twilight yelped as she plugged her ears once again for a second drum-bashing round of agony.

“How could I ever forget to ask? Canterlot, what's it like? Are the fancy get-togethers and garden parties as sheek and dreamy as as they say?”

“Uh….”

“You know what, don't spoil it with pungent details, just the overall features would be fine. I want to experience the glamour for myself. Oh, how I wish I could leave this small hamlet behind and go off to high society with all the other successful fashionistas. It would be a dream come true,” she exclaimed while gesturing her foreleg to make a point of sigh over her forehead.

“What's wrong with Ponyville?”

“Ponyville? Well, nothing overtly. The rustic theme is charming, in its own way. But, I want to expand my horizon, see the epicentre of all that is fashion and high society. And who could forget about that once-a-year gala? Oh, just the thought of not being there causes my aching heart to bleed.”

“Uhm, that's probably a murmur or a ventricular problem, you might want to go see a doctor about that.”

The unicorn looked at Twilight with a perplexed expression that could tell just about anypony else that medical knowledge beyond the flu or common cold was sketchy at best. But, for the former, it was all matter of fact that came from reading journals to pass the time after completing all of her home school exams.

Responding to the white pony's unspoken question, the alicorn said, “It's what I read.”

“Right….”

Not knowing what else to do, Twilight tried breaking off the conversation in order to continue on her way to reach Applejack's home. “So…. uh... nice seeing you-- ah!”

Before she knew it, a foreleg was wrapped around the back of her head as the unicorn grabbed the lavender filly in a tight hold that she didn't expect.

“Oh, darling, we've only just begun,” the white filly said eagerly.

“We have?”

“Quite, I mean, how can anypony expect a lady of your prestige to just walk around in your…. shall we say…. utilitarian design. I mean, just look at that saddle bag. It's so…. plain...”

At that point, Twilight had gotten annoyed. “Hey! There's nothing wrong with my bag, it looks nice.”

The unicorn winced at that remark and declared. “Nice? NICE? It needs to look SPECTACULAR!”

Whatever protests the alicorn may have had were abruptly cut off when the other unicorn enveloped Twilight in her telekinetic grasp. Then floating, the lavender filly was stuck mid-air as her newfound acquaintance dragged her off towards home for a much needed update in decor.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As it turned out, this strong willed filly called herself Rarity, a fitting name for somepony who was highly determined and good with gems. Particularly, she was good at finding them since the sack she had been carrying before Twilight's arrival had been full of them. As it turned out, the discovery of her special talent had involved a gemstone finding spell that yielded a mother lode that could make the luckiest of rock farmers envious. Naturally, Rarity had further utilized the spell since then with a great degree of success, hence why she was covered in dirt due to one of her digging expeditions.

When she got home she took it upon herself to take a nice and relaxing bath; however she soon stepped out to get to work on Twilight's saddle. While she didn't particularly like the plain design with its unvarnished cork leather, she did respect the pragmatism behind it as she discovered the weight load. To her amazement she found several heavy books on advanced magical theories, a biography on Starswirl the Bearded and other assortments of peer reviewed journals that Rarity couldn't even begin to understand. Of course, there was another prize that caught the young (and highly impressionable) filly. “Pearls? You carry pearls with you? Well, I know royalty has to come with certain expectations and perks--”

“It isn't like that,” the alicorn protested. “They're actually from a chimera plant I created a few months ago.”

“What's a chimera?”

“It's a hybrid between two or more species. In this case, the plant is half fly eater and half scallop. I use them to help feed my baby dragon.”

Rarity reacted to that, “You have a baby dragon?”

“Yes.”

“Big fire breathing reptile thing?”

“Hey! Spike isn't a 'thing.' He's also very small, smaller than you or me. I've been taking rather good care of him,” the alicorn added proudly. “With a little bit of help from a grownup or two…. sometimes... when I'm not studying... or learning magic from Celestia... or reading in general...”

“Oh, I see….” Rarity found herself impressed. “And how did you acquire this 'Spike?'”

“I hatched him on the same day I received my wings.”

“You don't say?” The unicorn took a big, long look at the appendages in question. In a way, she couldn't help but be envious of Twilight, she was the embodiment of everything she had ever dreamed.

“It must be so nice, being as lucky as you are,” Rarity sighed.

“Lucky?”

“Well, yeah! I mean, how many of us secretly wish to become a glamorous alicorn princess and have it come true?” she explained. “Tell me, what's it like being so close to the fashionable peerage?”

“The nobles?” Twilight clarified? “I don't know, I don't hang out with them.”

The unicorn, who had been daydreaming of such encounters, exclaimed, “What?”

“I said I don--”

“I heard what you said, darling.” Rarity pointed out in the confusion, “I just don't understand the meaning behind it.”

“It's like I said, I don't--”

“Hang around them, yes,” the white pony affirmed. “I've got that part. I'm just wondering, why?”

Twilight began elaborating on her time since ascension, detailing all of her little adventures around the castle and home. Stories of great battles fought in the name of hard cover books against the evils of soft cover magazines and tabloids. A good length was reserved for the cunning tactics of Commander Smarty Pants and the artillery Captain Pinkie Pie. She also told the story of the eccentric costumed stallion who didn't understand the rules of Nightmare Night, much less its date. She told her the tale of when she and her brother saved the castle from an upset Spike who craved for the alicorn's attention. She told the tale of when she raided the temple of the lost Tartarists and became a living Saint in the process. She told the tale of how she settled the long dispute between the Boards, the Codes and the Displays in the land of Androids... or rather inside the writer's room. And yes, she also told the tail of when she vanquished the would-be adoption methods of Blue Lord himself.

“So let me get this straight…. you BUCKED the Prince?” Rarity asked in disbelief.

“Yeah.”

“As in…. kicked him with your hind legs?”

“Well, there was more to it than that. You have to put your whole body into the motion in order to achieve the maximum level of force. Oh, and don't forget the part about the exertion of earth pony magic, that's also important if you want to perfect the technique.”

The unicorn twitched an eye. “That's even worse!”

“He was being mean to my mom,” Twilight justified. “Besides, he got better.”

Taking a few minutes to compose herself, Rarity had a hard time believing that a Princess could conduct such an unladylike faux pas with a simple shrug. But then, what did that say about the Prince's behaviour who supposedly triggered such wrath?

“Well,” the unicorn continued. “I see you are cut from the adventurer variety. Saving the castle from a fire is certainly a heroic gesture. But, what about the pageantry, the lime light, the grand spectacles?”

“Never thought about any of that,” the alicorn admitted. “Although, I have been working on something for the gala.”

Rarity's eyes shot up with glee. “You mean the Grand Galloping Gala that's coming up?

“I don't know why, but Princess Celestia keeps hosting it every year even when she doesn't appear to care about it. So, I figured this must mean there's something significant enough for her to keep the thing around.”

If the fashionista filly was surprised about Celestia's apparent lack of interest in the year's biggest event, she didn't show it. Rather, the fact that the Princess kept it going on an annual basis despite her attitude intrigued her. “Go on….”

“Well…. I thought about it and hypothesized that it's probably her birthday. But, since everypony forgot about that part, it makes Celestia sad. So, in order to cheer her up, I'll give her a birthday present.”

Rarity placed a hoof to hr chin in order to ponder Twilight's plan. “Hmm…. I must admit, your idea seems... improbable... Although, I've never heard of anypony mention the Princess' birthday before. As a matter of fact, I don't think anypony knows the exact date.”

Twilight brimmed with joy, knowing her theory was holding some water. “You see, if nopony knows when it's Celestia's birthday and nopony knows why she hosts the gala, then that must be it.”

The unicorn still held unto her skepticism, unsure if her focus of idolization was on the right track. On the other hoof, she had doubted her horn not that long ago when it dragged all the way to that rock in the middle of nowhere. Yet, the significance of that event could not be understated. Part of her had to ask if this too was her destiny in manifestation.

“Well, will you help me?” the alicorn asked.

Rarity couldn't quite tell what her motivation was. The ambitious part of her had wanted the chance to go to Canterlot and take part in the one annual event that mattered. There was no way in Tartarus that she would consciously pass up that opportunity. But, to know that Princess Celestia herself needed help to enjoy the splendour by a call to adventure from the very pony that she had read about in the papers…

“I, Lady Rarity, will not abide by such misery! You have my sewing needle!”

Twilight beamed, “I do?”

“Darling,” Rarity affirmed. “To bring a smile to a pony's face is what fashionistas are all about. It's the whole point!”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” the lavender filly repeated as she enveloped her new friend in a hug.

“Not a problem, Princess.”

“Not a Princ--”

“Details, details, details...”

“You're so nice, I can't wait to tell all about you to my other friend in town.”

That comment caught Rarity off guard. “You already know somepony from Ponyville? Who is NOT me?”

“Yes, her name's Applejack,” Twilight nonchalantly informed.

At that point, both of Rarity's eyes twitched. “Applejack? As in, the uncouth farm hick with the country accent?”

“Yes.”

“WHAAAAAAAT!”

It was late in the afternoon and it was getting close of super time at Sweet Apple Acres. In what was another busy day of helping her older brother, Big Mac, around the farm, Applejack was vigorously learning the ropes. Ever since she got back from Orange's urban estate, the bright coloured filly had been doing her best to tackle daily chores and other tricks of the agricultural trade. While she still had a long way to go, the proud Apple pony had truly learned where she belonged in the world. It proved the old adage, home was where the heart was.

Where once she had left to discover what type of pony she wanted to be, the young farm hoof found herself coming back around to follow in her late parents' hoofsteps. In truth, this was likely why she wanted to get away in the first place, probably the only way a filly could deal with grief. But, one heroic journey across Equestria and an extended stay in her uncle's house later had taught her a valuable lesson about herself and nothing, not even what happened to ma and pa, could change that.

With great enthusiasm, Applejack got down to working on maintaining the family farm that had been passed down through generations of her proud forebears. Whatever reservations she might have had about her future before were gone unquestionably. Apple bucking was in her blood and she was determined to be the best at it.

As quitting time rolled around, however, the farm pony's activities got rudely interrupted by the most unexpected of sources.

"YOU. NOW. EXPLAIN!" came the command of a slightly irked Rarity.

Applejack had to rub her ears a bit. "Gosh darn it, Rares! Would it kill ya to use some volume control? And what are ya doin' out here anyway? Shouldn't you be digging up more pet rocks or something?"

That comment only further aggravated the fashionista. "Firstly, for your information, I dig up gems. Gems! Secondly, how did you do it?"

The orange filly looked confused. "Do what?"

"Don't play games! How did an uncouth pony like you managed to befriend somepony like a Princess before I managed to meet her?"

"What in tarnation are you on about--"

"Applejack!" a third, and familiar, voice chimed in.

The orange filly quickly turned her head, recognizing the voice of the very pony she had met in Canterlot during her long travels to and from the big city.

"Well, I'll be darned! Look who decided to drop in and visit."

"That's one way of putting it," the alicorn replied.

Without hesitation, the farm pony shook quickly Twilight's foreleg with all the enthusiasm that and heart that defined her character. To her delight, the lavender filly responded with the same level of cheer, further annoying the unicorn as she noticed the visible grime on Applejack's coat. At least, Rarity did clean herself up after she found herself accidentally meeting royalty at the most inconvenient of times.

"So, how have ya been Sugarcube?"

"I've been doing great, Celestia keeps teaching me new things every single day and I managed to make some more friends," Twilight responded with much jubilation.

"Ya don't say? Anypony of interest Ah might like?"

"Well, there was this pink earth pony who--"

"Hello!" Rarity interrupted. "Still looking for answers over here."

The pair looked towards the unicorn, forgetting the hysterical filly among them.

"Answers for what, Rares? Can't ya see we're making polite conversation here?" Applejack inquired.

The fashionista, who was all but annoyed by this turn of events, went straight for the perceived issue. "That's just it! Where did you of all ponies get the time to get acquainted with Royalty?"

Twilight corrected, "Lady in waitin--"

"Details!"

"Gee, Rares, what's got ya set in a bind?" Applejack replied. "I mean, I know yer a Queen for drama, but this'd be taking Princess Celestia's cake."

The unicorn's response was a combination of dirty looks and a low growl for the farm pony she had all but ignored in school. She hadn't particularly disliked the orange filly or her respective family, the Apples were just outside her immediate interests. Applejack, like the rest of her kin, were a background feature of Ponyville's history, a history that Rarity wasn't particularly fond of being rooted in. The marshmallow coated filly had dreams, ambition even, to follow and getting out there in the real world as a fashion designer took priority. Twice so once her cutie mark appeared, making her path all the more clearer for her. So, for Rarity to hear that the perceived antithesis to everything she aspired towards upstage her in any way was a slight in her eyes.

"Just tell me," the unicorn continued to demand.

"Why are ya interested anyway?" Applejack countered. "It ain't like yer had any interests in anything I did before."

"That's because, apart from murdering the Equish language, you never did anything like this before. Honestly, here I am trying to build my repertoire as a fashionista," she gestured towards herself, "and get acquainted with high society." Afterwards, she pointed at Applejack, "Then you, the stetson-wearing barn gal, come in and manage to get the better of me by getting familiar with the Princesses. How is that possible?"

Suddenly, things started clicking in the orange filly's mind. "Wait, ya come here, barging in the Apple family's homestead with a sour look about ya're... because ya jealously offended that Ah met Twi here first?"

The twitch in Rarity's left eye at the pet name calling said everything A.J. needed to hear. In a few seconds, Applejack smiled, then giggled, then cackled to the ground where she was rolling left and right.

"PFTHA HA HA! Oh, Celestia! That's just precious! The wannabe Princess of Daydreams from class is actually jealous of me because Ah bumped into Twilight and had tea with Princess Celestia first!"

Another wave of shocked overcame the bewildered unicorn over that newer, yet unintended, revelation. "WHAAAAAAT! You had tea --T.E.A.-- tea with the Princess of Equestria?"

It didn't help when Twilight also chimed in with innocent enthusiasm, "Oh yeah, she gave us snacks after we played everywhere in the palace."

By that point, Rarity was making inaudible sounds instead of speaking. The young alicorn, worried, poked her to make sure she hadn't been petrified by a cockatrice in any way. "Uhm... Rarity?"

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After taking some time to pick up the unicorn's jaw from the ground and shove her along, the group managed to get as far as the house where Granny Smith and Big Mac were waiting for the young Apple. To their surprise, she had not only brought home friends, but the infamous newly discovered alicorn from Canterlot. Applejack's extraordinary travelling tales took centre stage in the minds of the pair, remembering the unique chariot taxi service that brought their growing filly home.

Needless to say, Granny and Mac took a liking to Twilight almost immediately when introductions were shared. Any thought of formal greetings and other fanciful talk was thrown out the window, to Rarity's silent dismay. For the unicorn's part, the whole thing seemed like a vivid dream, a surreal experience like a fairy tale story straight out of the Adventures in Wonderland or a melting clock painting. She followed along, giving replies whenever called for, but wasn't quite as lucid as earlier. Suffice to say, processing was still ongoing.

Meanwhile, Twilight was engaged in conversations about her tree bucking experiences on her first encounter with A.J. The good nature and friendly atmosphere almost made the story telling into an extended family visit. After a while of repeating certain tales, Granny Smith turned towards Applejack, imploring her and her brother to go fetch supper in the oven.

"Ya know, Ah haven't seen Applejack this chipper since before the accident with, well... Ah'm sure you know about it by now."

"Know what?" Twilight asked.

"Applejack's parents, I remember the announcement in class," Rarity reported.

"Eh, yes... that's the one," the happy grandmother affirmed with a pained expression. "Poor girl, she was hit the hardest."

"Truly, that's why she dropped out--"

"My grand kid did no such thing, youngeon. That's just some drivel them troublemakers were spreadin'. Nah, we sent her off to live with her uncle, Mr. Orange, we did. Left for Manehattan the followin' week." interjected the older mare.

Things click inside the mind of the young unicorn at the table. "Wait, Orange? The business tycoon? You're related to him?"

Suddenly, Rarity's appraisal of the Apple family needed readjusting.

"You know him?" Twilight inquired.

"Know him, why, he owns a major firm that hosts many of the city's fashion shows. He has a strong hold on one of the magazine publishers as well."

"Bleh, magazines," the alicorn very quietly muttered.

"Yep, my son-in-law always did like to go big on everythin'," Granny smirked. "Should have seen how he proposed to my daughter."

"Why, I had no idea the Apple family was that connected." Rarity blurted.

Chuckling, the elder mare continued, "Surprised? We may not look it, but we run businesses all over Equestria, the farmin' just so happens to be the bulk of our bread and butter... eh, no pun intended... But, anyways, let's not get sidetracked."

Pulling open a drawer, Granny Smith showed the pair a recent photo of Applejack dressed in a rather ritzy dress.

"Oh, my..." the unicorn voiced, taken unexpectedly by the charm and grace that the filly hic showed.

On the other hand, Twilight noticed a different detail of interest. "She doesn't seem happy."

"Right you are, young one. When all was said and done, my little Apple packed up to try and start a new life in the big city. It's what she thought best and Ah didn't object, the Orange family was more than happy to take her in, providin' everything we couldn't. You name it, best schoolin', easy livin', not to mention a ticket into the most prominent social circles. But, none of all that fanciness provided a lick of help to mend the heart."

"I know this part," the alicorn filly stated, "she didn't like being there, said something about 'not being honest.' So, she left and I met her in Canterlot on the way back."

Upon the old mare's nod, Rarity spoke up, "Wait, she left? Left... that life?"

"That, she did. Decided she was more at home here, livin' earnestly like her parents before her, a way of life she wanted to be proud of."

Rarity felt a pained guilt for all the insults and backtalk she conducted with regards to the country pony. In fact, as she looked back on it, she never really took the effort to learn why the earth pony never took interest in the various girl conversation points at school. It was so easy for Rarity to interact with the other fillies, but Applejack was that one stubborn mule who felt apathetic. The unicorn thought this pony just lacked any concept refinement due to her upbringing, but the reality was quite different.

Coughing, Granny concluded, "Anways, when she got back here, she was the happiest little filly any old mare could ask for. Well, the bonus chariot ride also helped. but in any case, Ah just wanted to say thanks for whatever ya did. Little Applejack's got more life in her than ever before."

Blushing, Twilight stumbled, "W--well, I didn't do a whole lot. Just had fun with her."

"Either way, on behalf of the Apple family, thank you," old Smith finished while giving the lavender filly the most sincere hug that Rarity the white pony had ever seen. Part of the unicorn wanted to protest out of social etiquette, but even that felt empty by that point. Suddenly, there was something more to Alicorn royal stature that she missed in all of her focus on pageantry and decor. Another part of her, reminded of a certain school play, started to think things a little differently.

About a minute after she let go, the subject of discussion herself reentered the room. "Granny, the bowls are set up and--WHAT IN THE HAY? Is that what I think it is, ya showed it to them?" Applejack shouted accusingly as she pointed towards the perceived embarrassing picture of herself in the snazzy and decadent outfit.

Panicked, Grany stuttered, "Oh, well... ya see--"

"Why, yes, who knew Applejack of all ponies can carry so much poise and... grace..." interrupted the unicorn bemusedly. "I never knew you could show off your... feminine side, Miss Rough & Tumble."

Embarrassed by the barrage of teasing, A.J. Tried to shrink away, but the grinning unicorn was not letting up. "Just to think, all this time, the dirt and hay Applejack had a secret glamour streak she never showed to the rest of us Ponyville girls."

"I--I" the orange filly stuttered with a more Manehattan accent.

"And what's this? Actual proper speech? My, aren't we the fanciest of the bunch? To think, I missed out on so many opportune moments to discuss fashion, school crushes and countless other lady topics."

"Wait a hoofen minut--"

"Oh, yes, your hooves do need to be kept with great precision. I should get you an appointment with my manicure specialist immediately!" Rarity declared before enveloping A.J. in her telekinetic grip.

"Why, Granny?" was all the farm filly could say before being taken out of the room to her dismay.

It took a moment to go by before the old Smith could say anything. "What just happened?"

"I think Rarity just covered for you," Twilight suggested.

"Huh..."

Confused, Big Mac chimed in, "Am Ah missin' something?"

"Oh, nothin' too important, youngster."

"Hm?"

"Your sister's getting a makeover."

"Ah..." the young teenage stallion grumbled nonchalantly. "She always gets the chances to feel like a princess."

Both the old mare and young filly exchanged a look of confusion.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Some time later, Applejack found herself getting the entire special treatment package. It started with a, in Rarity's words, a much needed bath, a simple coiffure for her rich blond hair (albeit much less comprehensive than with the Oranges) and the promised manicure treatment. While the unicorn's own instructions did keep the specialist from changing the earth pony's natural style, A.J. was nonetheless annoyed by the whole affair.

"How are we doing, darling?" Rarity asked.

"Ah think Ah liked ya better when ya were bemoaning me and complainin' about my lack of class," grunted the orange filly.

"Now, now, it's not like the stylist is giving you a perm or turning your hair into a cone," the unicorn shrugged. "I made sure he kept it all straight and free."

"If Ah had a horn or some fancy magic rock, Ah'd turn ya into a cone," Applejack kept complaining.

"Too bad, I already broke open all the rocks around town. Turns out there's some really nice gems in the area. They've certainly helped inspire my new ensembles," the unicorn playfully added.

Snorting, the farm pony remarked, "Ah swear, Ah leave town for a bit and then the very pony who complained about mah dirt lovin' goes around digging holes in it herself. Now she's gone all nice and what not."

"Don't be rude, dear. Now, then... where was I... Oh, right! You should see what creations I've been making since the pageant. I've got this dress with the cutest bow and a sapphire button in its centre. Then there's that had I've been working on, I've used jades on the lining. Oh, and then there's that pair of boots with the ruby accents at the top--"

"Rares," Applejack affirmed, "Why are ya really doing this? Pulling the nice pony for a change and not givin' me the cold shoulder?"

"Now, now, your left hoof still needs work--"

"Ah mean it, ya darn fashion wannabe."

Knowing that the conversation was soon going to spring up despite all attempts and steering the topic, Rarity took a deep breath. "You really can't just sit back and relax, can you?"

"Ya call this relaxing? More like I'm being sent off to the torture chamber, might as well put me on the rack while ya're at it."

Rarity pouted, "Hmm! Well, if you must know, this is my way of making an apology."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Apology for what? For fillynapin' me and putting me to the lash?'

"Always with the snark," the unicorn sighed. "No, for not understanding you."

"Ah don't follow..."

"Then let me explain it in a way even your thick skull can register," Rarity retorted. "You see, I know we haven't been always on the best of terms, going on the wrong hoof if you will."

"That's an understatement," Applejack quipped.

Ignoring the remark, the white pony pressed forward. "Point is, I never really appreciated Ponyville with all it has to offer. I always thought ahead, looked to the future where I can soar to great heights. So, I neglected to take the time and capture any of the beauty that was here. You get where I'm going with this, right?"

Dumbfounded, the earth pony stumbled, "Eh... Ah guess? But, what this have to do with me?"

"I'm getting to that, darling," Rarity explained. "You see, I never really did take you as seriously or as wholeheartedly as I should have. I always thought your simplicity to life was just your lack of drive or vision, unwilling to attain anything beyond the horizon."

"Yer tryin' to apologize by insultin' me now?" Applejack deadpanned.

"...I was told about your time with the Oranges and why you departed soon after."

The farm filly was surprised by that, she wanted to reply but Rarity continued. "When I noticed your absence from school after the--well... After the incident... I thought the worst of you, convinced you had given up on any pretext of forging ahead. But, as it turned out, you wound up where I wanted to be and doing many of the things I wanted to do. Yet, rather than relish in it like I would, you threw it back for something closer to home, quite literally..."

Noticing some distress, Applejack asked, "Rares, what's gotten into ya--"

"I gossiped, Applejack. The rumours about you dropping out, I helped spread them. Sure, I wasn't the only one, we were all speculating, but my running mouth didn't help the situation... I'm sorry." the unicorn confessed.

It all clicked into place, ever since the earth pony left town there had been a lot of nasty things said behind her back. She wasn't there for it, of course, but the viciousness still made itself felt.

"I shouldn't have done it, you were hurt. You needed a helping hoof, but I was too self absorbed to give it. Being a fashionista is always about giving confidence, displaying beauty and helping ponies smile when they need it. I didn't, I was too caught up with my own ambitions to remember that."

For her part, Applejack wasn't sure what to feel. On one hand, she disliked all the whispers that went on after the accident. Kids and parents alike were doing it, which helped drive the filly to decide on leaving. The reactionary side of her felt like bucking something. But, that feeling had dissipated when she came back. Her newfound confidence on staying helped her rationalize the talk as wind, something that blew hard under the right circumstances, but would soon dissipate.

Applejack replied, "Ah can't say Ah'm not the least bit upset over the way things went. Truth be told, ya're the first to come and actually talk to me about it outside my family. Don't get me wrong, Ah do appreciate this, but what's bringing this on? We haven't been exactly two peas in a pod before all this."

"Well," Rarity added shyly. "Recently, as you know, I've gained my cutie mark by aiding that pageant with its decor. I tried every trick in the book, but nothing worked. At least, not until my horn dragged me to this big old dumb rock with the biggest gem stash I've ever seen. I mean, it had to be pried open with a rainbow wave, but I had it. You should have seen the costumes, they were the most spectacular garments I've ever made. The dazzle, the twinkles, the sparkles and the shine... It made ponies happy, happier than even I expected. Soon enough, I realized I had no longer just achieved my goal, but went passed it to give something back, just like she did."

"She?" the farm pony inquired.

"Our mutual friend, I heard how she helped you along the way," the unicorn explained.

"Oh..."

"So, perhaps a mutually friendly demeanour is in order?" Rarity offered.

Unsure of the proposal, the earth pony asked suspiciously, "Ah don't know, yer not goin' to get mushy all the time like the drama queen you are?"

"Oh, just shut up and hoof it out you numbskulled farm hick!" the white pony demanded in a pout.

Grinning, Applejack let out of laugh before shaking, "Now that's the Rarity Ah remember."

Once the mood began to lighten, it was then that a thought just crossed the Apple filly's mind. "By the way, why did Twi ended up in Ponyville? I thought she would have at least sent a letter beforehoof."

Placing a foreleg to her chin, Rarity too pondered this. "I'm not entirely sure myself, I met her rather unannounced myself. But, she did mention that she needed help with a task of hers, something about Princess Celestia's birthday."

Meanwhile, a brown earth pony, once railroad magnate, was whistling away as he continued to work on his flying machine as the sun was beginning to set. As for the Grand Galloping Gala, it was only a few days away.

It was early morning and Twilight found herself helping with the dishes from breakfast at Sweet Apple Acres. After spending the night with Applejack and Rarity in what she deemed her first slumber party (which she did not prepare for or had study materials to work with and thus was quite frantic at first), the little alicorn was getting ready for a busy day of activities with her newfound friends.

Luckily, Trick n' Veil recovered enough to go check up on her, allowing Twilight to send a message back to her parents as to her whereabouts and who she was with. The detective mentioned something about the 'Muffin Express' in which letters could reach Canterlot in record time. As a result, Twilight was able to get in contact with her worried parents and the Princess herself. Her teacher gave instructions for the filly to hold firm for the next few days, but the lavender pony disregarded hesitantly that last part since she herself was planning to throw Celestia a birthday surprise. Besides, everpony knew that when an adult said to stay away it really meant the opposite. Ponies had forgotten what the Grans Galloping Gala was all about, and Twilight was going to do her best to ensure they all remembered.

The first order of business in the mad plan was helping Rarity collect materials for the party dresses. This meant digging up more gems, picking up fabrics and finding other key components. The second phase consisted of finding a suitable present in the midst of Ponyville or its surroundings. The unicorn suggested using some of the precious stones for that endeavour, but Twilight quickly countered that Celestia had enough jewellery as it was and didn't need an extra piece. Rarity, for her part, couldn't fathom having enough jewellery, but Applejack affirmed that jewels would probably not be unique enough of a gift for the pampered luxurious Princess to make it special on any personal note. Regardless, the matter was set aside for the time being as all options were still open. The third and final matter to deal with was the strange brown stallion from the day before. The three needed Time Turner to have his flying contraption repaired and ready if they were ever going to make it to the palace on time, especially with the surprise they were planning.

As such, both Twilight and Applejack were preparing to go out with shovels towards the marked dig site on the map. As for Rarity, she was already working on the designs at home. So, off they went to the hills where the rocks lay. Luckily, the region in which Ponyville resided in had no shortage of such places. Forming part of what was called the Applelachian Mountain Range, the jagged peaks weathered down over the course of millions of years into the smooth rolling elevations that made up the landscape around the town. Naturally, there were plenty of rich minerals to be found. Why no mining operations were developed was a mystery that only Celestia knew. Perhaps rock farming made such expensive ventures economically nonviable. Regardless of the case, that didn't stop amateur diggers from seeking their fortunes, or at the very least acquiring shiny decor.

So, off the pair went to unearth some gems for their friend. Thanks to Twilight's astute learning, it didn't take her long to master Rarity's stone finding spell, unveiling them before the group even so much as lifted a shovel. One by one, the lavender pony was able to check every box on the list of prized geological items to be found. Topaz, ruby, tourmaline, turquoise, sapphire, opal, morganite, garnet, emerald, etc... It took at least an hour of digging just to get the desired amount.

"Gee, Ah hope we got all of 'em," Applejack commented.

"Well, going by the list, we should. Did you want me to check it agai--"

"No, no! That's--er... alright."

"You sure? I mean, I only managed to quadruple check everything when we counted. If we want to be on the safe side, we could--"

"It's all good, sugarcube," the orange filly affirmed in a panic.

"Really? Do you remember how many emeralds we have?" the alicorn tested.

"Erm... those be the blue ones, right?"

"No, those are the sapphires."

"Ah thought saps were the red ones."

"No, those are typically red."

"Typically?"

It was then that another figure perched on a small cloud, fifteen feet up, keeping watch, interjected into the conversation. "While it is true that most rubies are red, they sometimes take up pinkish or even dark purple complexions. The reason for this is because of the chromium within its crystal composition."

The two ponies looked up, almost forgetting that a third companion was with them.

"I had no idea you knew about gemstones, Mr. Veil," Twilight commented.

Grinning slightly with pride, the pegasus offered, "Believe me, when you run a detective agency like I do, dealing with valuable objects is second nature."

"It can't be all that valuable if yer can dig it out of the ground, collect them on a farm or grow them yerself. They're just pretty little knobs ponies put on necklaces or in Rare's case, clothes."

"In their raw form, no. But, when gemstones are cut, polished and refined to a degree, they go up in value. Some even more so if you include magical properties like ruins, enchantments, curses, focus points to cast spells, you name it."

"That sounds really dangerous things to handle there. Ya deal with those often?"

"Often enough," the stallion explained before ranting. "You'd think people would learn not to put precious family heirlooms in the middle of treasure rooms with glass casings with pitiful locks. Honestly, since when have pressure plates and light beam tripwires ever worked? Ponies get too caught up with Daring Do styled traps and gimmicks to realize that shatter proof windows, bared chimneys, blocked vents and bank vaults are their best bet against thievery."

"But those sound boring," the alicorn exclaimed.

"Yeah, boring and practical. But noooo... every rich pony has to have trap doors and perfect sphere boulders that are more trouble then they're worth. It's no wonder the thieves' guild under the sewers in Riftcolt have it so easy. I have to negotiate with them to release 'lost' items every other week. Then my clients blame me for the heavy ransoms they have to pay."

Curious then, the lavender filly inquired, "Is this thieves' guild behind all the robberies of expensive gems and magical artifacts?"

Breaking off from his rant, the private eye recovered himself and answered calmly, "About half. The other half is either by weird cultists going on and on about blood oaths and revenge or Arsene Hoofpin."

"Wait, ya met the infamous Hoofpin? He's the talk of the town in Manehattan. All the upper crust seems to do is either gossip or complain about him whenever he broke into somepony's fancy home."

"Yeah, but don't get too excited. He mostly just steals to impress this on-and-off marefriend thief, a griffon by the name of Fujicaw--"

"You! Purple pony, you find gems, yes?" a newcomer announced.

"Speaking of thieves..." Trick n' Veil uttered as he sized up the unexpected diamond dog that came out of hiding.

Confused, Twilight spoke, "Who's this pony he's talking about?"

Applejack dryly responded, "Ah believe he means you, Twi."

"What?" the alicorn interjected. "My coat's lavender, it's totally different."

The canine shrugged, "Purple pony is purple, now hand over gems like good purple pony."

Irritated, Twilight shot back, "I am NOT purple! You see this coat, that's lavender, a completely different shade."

Rolling his eyes, the thief added, "Yes, different shade... of purple, just like your mane." To make his point, he directed a paw finger towards the filly's head.

"That's eminence," the annoyed filly explained. "You would know that if you actually spent time reading up on fur complexions."

"What difference does it make? One is light purple, and the other is dark purple. Therefore, purple pony is still purple," the diamond dog concluded. "Now then, give me those gems and nopony gets hu--"

Of course, the assailant couldn't finish what he had originally wanted to say. Irritated, the little alicorn lifted him up into the air and dragged him closer until they were at eye level. "Now, listen here you goof ball, I may not lift my leg up while in the bathroom, I can lift boulders the size of your whole litter combined. So, do... not... call... me... purple... It's lavender, L. A. V. E. N. D. E. R., lavender."

Surprised, but not lowered, the diamond dog pushed back with his own remarks. "What problem with pony, did I bruise pride? Maybe it swells big and round, like a grape, like big... purple... grape..."

Twilight, red in the face, was fuming.

"Aww, what is wittle pony gonna do? Eh, me not afraid of you, you big fat grape pony."

Just then, Twilight, for some unexpected reason, felt calm, collected and smiled. It was a troublesome, creeping, mischief and most tantalizing of all smiles. The ignorant diamond dog just unleashed a storm of epic proportions.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rarity had been busy making three thematically different dresses for the upcoming occasion. While most would panic at the short notice and high-profile venue at which they were to be worn, the young unicorn revelled at the challenge. She worked furiously to try and express the values and feelings of her and her newfound friends. Rarity knew what she wanted already, glamorous decor, pristine and proper, kindly approachable, cultured, but above all, assertive. A thick luxurious dress with thematic gems and a tiara were for her.

Applejack's attire was also easy enough, pass all the hick or yokel. What she would appreciate was rustic, homey, lively yet simple. Her dress would encompass earthly colours and ranch-like themes, exploit her natural beauty (that she kept largely hidden) but accentuate her strength, not afraid to get down and dirty if need be. Some wooden bark leather would suit her nicely on that end. Overall, A.J. needed something that said, 'warmly hospitable, yet direct and to the point.'

Lastly, there was Twilight's garments. That was the most challenging to think about. So much conflicted thematically. As a Princess (to be), only the most elaborate would do. Great thick cape or robe, glorious crown and many other symbols of authority. But, she had to bust that dream bubble before it got too far. The filly was too... casual for that type of pomp. No, majesty, or at least the way Rarity conceived it, was not going to be the solution. Rather, it had to be redefined in a way that suited the pony wearing the dress. Just like the days before the pageant, the unicorn was stumped, sketches crumpled and tossed everywhere on the floor.

With no other alternative, Rarity looked back at their first encounter to find anything that could drive the necessary inspiration she needed. Unfortunately, nothing was coming to mind. She tried looking at Twilight's saddlebag, hoping for a spark of some kind. She still didn't have any ideas and there was little to go on. The bag itself only carried books and pearls, which were nothing more than dragon feed in Twilight's eyes. Would a dragon themed dress with scales work? The filly had to ask herself that silly question and almost immediately laughed it off. It would be presumptuous for an alicorn to wear anything that suggested that they were the 'Princess of Dragons,' even she was the caretaker of one (ignoring the maids and nurses that did most of the work). The rest of the fire breathing reptilians would certainly take offence to that, causing who knows what type of diplomatic debacle.

Suddenly, the white coated filly remembered something, Twilight's retailing of her life since the destiny changing event that brought her to all of Equestria's attention. The stories of 'heroics' were certainly added drama, especially the one about the mysterious pink one who appeared out of nowhere, but they were fairly consistent with her increasingly friendly approach. Between her mastery of academics and magical interests beyond even many adults in such fields, the prodigy star of Canterlot could easily command the respect and admiration of those around her. This didn't even consider how well connected she was before her ascension, becoming familiar with Princess Cadence. Yet, her down to earth nature and humbleness ran counter to her allotted position. She was, for lack of a better word, ordinary in many ways. Rarity had gotten a headache just from thinking about this conundrum.

When the filly was just about to give up the thought experiments and theme building for a star celebrity that was too dense of realize that she was one, she remembered the other day when Twilight had that heart to heart with the elder Apple, Granny Smith. The white pony thought back about how, without doing much at all, the alicorn's unexpected play date with A.J. aided her recovery from an emotional scar. All without seemingly making any real effort, just being there at the right place and time as companion. It was like the story of a small ripple, a tiny insignificant ripple, becoming a large wave. Or, how a tiny spark begins a bright burning blaze. The person making it may not know or understand the consequences, but due to the domino effect, would bring about said consequences nonetheless.

"Spark..." Rarity whispered to herself, then smiled. She had it, she had her inspiration. She tossed aside all the other sketches of elaborate designs and got to work drawing out what she envisioned. Twilight would look the part of Princess yet, but one better suited to her personally whether she knew it or not.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Some time after their excursion through the hills, Twilight and her group returned to Ponyville and shopped at a number of stores, collecting every item on Rarity's list. While they had been somewhat exhausted from digging earlier that day, they managed to breeze through town (not without some odd looks of course) thanks to their newfound canine friend, carrying bags like the gentlecolt he was. At least, that was how it seemed at first glance. But, in all likelihood, avoiding another round of throwing up fur balls was his greatest incentive.

"Are we done now, oh great pretty pony lavender?" the diamond dog repeated.

"Hmm..." uttered the filly, rechecking her list. "I think so. Do you need anything, Applejack?"

The orange pony answered, "Nah... Ah don't need nothin' else at the moment. How about you, Mr. Veil?"

"Meh... not unless you have the secret password to enter a secured shelter where a certain mob boss I'm searching for is hiding," the detective added nonchalantly.

Chuckling, Applejack replied, "That's a good one. Ya really got a good sense of humour."

"I wasn't kidding on that last part. Some schmuck actually did lock himself and scattered the password pieces all around Equestria; I've been trying to find them since."

The earth pony's giggles abated and instead showed a questioning glance. However, rather than explaining that story, the private eye just continued walking as if the conversation never happened.

Soon enough, they returned to Rarity's home with the contents she asked for. After knocking at the door, the filly in question made her way to the entrance to greet the gang. When questioned about the addition to the group, Twilight merely shrugged and said that he was a good diamond dog. As if on cue, he made a remark about how 'lavender pony was best pony.' The white filly glance at the other two for clarification, but they just shied away, not wanting to bring up circumstances. Just to make things more confusing, the dog let out a meow, leaving the fashionista even more perplexed.

"So, any idea why Twilight snapped like that?" Applejack whispered to the pegasus with the trench coat.

"I don't have full details, but I believe her folks mentioned something about bad experiences in... magic kindergarten..." he quietly responded. "They said not to push the 'purple' button."

Applejack shivered.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As Rarity's work progressed, everypony else went to Time Turner's laboratory in hopes of seeing if his flying contraption could be fixed. To their somewhat disappointment, the odd stallion had many troubles repairing each component after the collision. Undeterred, Twilight delved eagerly into the brown pony's research into the field of aeronautics. The others, not quite the engineering sort, mostly just explored the mysterious home with all its doodads, gizmos and other contraptions that piled up over the years. Suffice to say, there was enough there to make a museum of inventions. Trick n' Veil was certainly listing a number of questions, especially those related to old pictures taken during the construction of the first railroads and other industrial feats that came out of Trottingham over a century and a half earlier. Oddly enough, the crazy stallion had been in many of them, with cutie mark and all. Granted, hour glass marks were somewhat common, the striking resemblance was hard to dispute. Suddenly, the wack job's stories had a bit more credentials. He decided to dig deeper.

As for Applejack, she continued to peruse all the engines and other objects, trying to kill time while her friend was busy going over advanced calculations and physical laws to gain an appreciative understanding of the aircraft's mechanics. Suffice to say, the orange filly didn't listen (primarily because she couldn't wrap her head around the conversations), opting to goof with whatever didn't seem dangerous. While she didn't very much care for the industrial machinery and early automated systems on display, she was impressed with the small locomotive in the garage. Every inch of its making from the boiler to the greased piston tubes that made up the hydraulic systems were certainly the mark of hard work and care for details.

For a while she contended herself with imagining that she was a train conductor or the engineer at the front. It got her thinking about how far away an apple from her orchard would go before arriving at its final shipping destination. The fact that her farm's, as well as those belonging to the rest of her family, businesses extended for hundreds of miles was certainly impressive by all standards. Maybe one day those boundaries would extend further once Turner's machine powered flight caught on. Granted, the practicality as it stood at the moment was questionable, considering the use of pegasi towed chariots and cloud haulers, not to mention helium balloon ships. And those didn't even need coal or other types of fuel. So, aside from getting earth ponies and unicorns up into the sky for dream fulfilling activities and joy rides, the flying machine's use would probably not garner any economic backing, at least for commercial purposes. While the farm pony contemplated the future, a grey crossed eyed pegasus with a letter in in hoof dropped in on her from behind, causing the former to jump with startle.

"Muffin please."

Panicked, Applejack ran back into the garage where the pair of academics were discussing the finer points of the airplane's design, reviewing its frame.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"The wings are too small and the tail too short," stated the alicorn.

"Come now, I did all the calculations and the shape is just right," Time Turner countered.

"But, did your calculations take into consideration the lack of magical aid?" Twilight quizzed.

"Pardon?"

"You're basing your formula inputs on pegasi wing capabilities. But, pegasi wing spans aren't large enough on their own to create the necessary lift, that's why their own inert magic helps them."

Time Turner blinked. "Pegasi use magic when flying?"

Twilight facehoofed. Of course, the scientist overlooked this fact. Only Twilight and a select few were given any type of explanation into alicorn ascension and the idea that all three pony types were magical in nature. Magic was mostly thought of in terms of wizardry spells and cutie marks, not physical abilities, something that Twilight also assumed until her physical changes. Even Applejack didn't seem to understand what she was doing when teaching her about tree bucking. This stallion had assumed he was the antithesis to magic this whole time, ignoring the fact that he had been using in a way that helped him interact with the natural world. For all these centuries, Time Turner had not once questioned this misconception. As far as he knew it, pegasi could fly and walk on clouds because of some biological differences alone. So, the knowledgeable filly gave him the talk.

"Great scott! So, Celly has been holding out on me this whole time. I'll have to speak with her about this at some point."

"In any event, you'll need to compensate parts of the design to create more lift, just like a bird with its larger wing span to body ratio. Same with the tail, otherwise your centre of gravity will be too high and your stability in the wind will decrease."

Time Turner chastised himself in frustration. For years, he had taken inspiration from the wrong species to master the basic mechanics of flight. Looking back, the fact that he had gotten his creation off the ground at all was a miracle. So, in a way, he certainly gotten other things right like the engine power required and then some, the one area of expertise where he had no equal, given he invented them. Heck, his newest model, focusing on internal combustion, was something way ahead of its time and had a great deal more to offer in terms of energy efficiency.

However, before he could think further on the plane's current breakthroughs and much needed improvements, a certain orange filly was ran into the shop, being tailed by the mail pony. Sheltering behind Twilight, Applejack finally calmed herself from the jump scare and took a good look at the pegasus who was at fault for it.

"Dang nab it! That bubbly varmint frightened the willies out of me."

"All I did was ask for a muffin."

"Now, now, Ditzy, you know not to scare guests, or strong hoof your snacks."

"Didn't have a choice, the Princess tried to sneak out of payment with what she called... credit? Anyways, I had to make her do good on it by applying delivery fees on top of shipment," the grey pony explained.

"All for the best," Turner reasoned. "You know you can't eat all of them at once."

Derpy grumbled, "But that's not the worst. The Etiquette Arts group wanted me to use their stupid machine where I can only unlock one special combo flavour at a time after doing forty deliveries for them. They said something about a 'sense of pride and accomplishment.' Who are those cheap sticklers trying to fool? I had to get my friend, This Knee, to kick some sense into them."

"Well, hopefully they'll have learned their lesson and won't try to cheat you out of your hard-earned baked goods in the future."

Ditzy didn't reply, she may have been a klutz, she may have been bubbly, she may have been dense and naively jolly, but when it came to her favourite food, she was no fool. She was always vigilant when it came to who owns what to the self-proclaimed muffin mare (filly). As for the letter, the small alicorn opened it to find a note written by her parents, once again informing her to stay put at Applejack's until the end of the festivities. The lavender filly, with her mind already made up, ignored this. While they were perhaps right that the gala would not be fun for her and security still a concern, she had a mission to complete.

As the group reconvened, Twilight and Time Turner began reworking the aircraft with a combination of engineering sketches and magic, as well as employed raw muscle in the form of a Diamond Dog who had been busy until then with licking his fur (another unfortunate side effect). Between these three and the added assistance of the other two children, progress went much quicker than expected and the plane was modified heavily. In some areas, rebuilt entirely. They even managed to add two small passenger seats with some belts. The fillies' ride to Canterlot was virtually complete with only minor touch ups that the brown stallion could take care of on his own. After just a few hours, the group went back to see Rarity's progress with the dresses.

Upon arrival, Twilight and Applejack were just stunned with the work that went into their new fancy cloths. The farm pony had a long green skirt in a ranch fashion similar to Mild Western fashion, stetson boots and all. There was even a hat. The proud Apple filly was mighty impressed that she got something very much her. Rarity's garments were no big surprise, fancy pink dress with a tiara to finish it off. However, it was Twilight's outfit that was the most mesmerizing.

The articles in question contained a night blue cloak with silver stars and accents, a complementary hood and a cutie mark pendant where the top button should be. But, that wasn't all. On the Manikin's head sat a crown of reeves with Twilight's pearls all clustered in the little branches like petals. As for the centre piece, it was a pure white diamond cut in the shape of a bright flash.

If Twilight's jaw could hit the floor, it would have due to the awe from the display.

Nervous, Rarity tried to explain of the pieces in question, "I know it might be a bit presumptuous since you're not accustomed to royal attire. But, I did decide to go for a more a la nature look and--"

"That's so wizard!"

"I beg your pardon?" the fashionista inquired.

"The hood-cape thing you made, it looks like some mage pony would wear. And that circlet makes me think of one of those rare magical artifacts. You know, with all those enchantments to buff up spells or add protections. Shining's table top games uses them. Anyways, it looks so cool!" the alicorn lecture.

Embarrassed, Rarity tried to add, "Erm... Well, yes... I might have taken certain inspired liberties from your magical excellence. Needless to say, I did not enchant it, as you would describe."

"Oooooh... This is going to be so much fun. I have to go see the book store or the library--does Ponyville have a library? I'll find out latter.-- on how to enchant objects. This will be a lot of fun."

Just as Twilight was getting lost in her plans, a voice of reason stepped in. "Er.. don't want to bust yer bubble none, but don't we still need to find the Princess a present?"

Snapped back into reality, the alicorn panicked, "Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about it!"

As the lavender filly was becoming frantic and about to unleash one of her episodes, a knock on the door interupted things. Rarity went to answer the door, but nopony was there. Instead, there was a package on the steps with a note attached. After carefully reading it, the filly was even more puzzled and went back in to deliver the goods to her newfound alicorn friend.

"Uhm... I'm not sure what to make of this... Twilight, this is for you."

"For me?" the confused young mage replied before taking the note.

Hello Twilight,

Pinkie Pie here. I totally heard about your gift finding troubles. So... I decided to lend a hoof in order to help you with your super duper big birthday surprise. Isn't that neat?

I would totally join you, but I'm busy taking secret notes on everypony's likes, dislikes, birthdays, special anniversaries, future welcome dates (you're on that list by the way, but don't tell yourself that) and other party related materials for when I move to Ponyville. It's going to be fiesta central, you can count on that.

I would help you more, but the eagles say they can only do deus ex twice per trilogy.

Good luck and have fun,

Pimkamena Diane Pie

After reading the new letter, the alicorn sighed with relief.

"We're okay, girls. Celestia's gift has just been covered."

"Covered?" Rarity questioned. "Do you even know what it is or who this Pinkie Pie actually is?"

"Oh, I know her. As for the gift, my mom always says that when someone tries to offer you something for free, don't look too deeply into it."

Worried, the unicorn commented, "I don't think your mother is the leading example of reason and precaution here."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Meanwhile, Time Turner was still busy fine tuning his invention, getting it ready for the next day's flight.

"Hmm... I don't know why, but I feel as though we may have forgotten something--"

"SWEET CELESTIA!" Trick n' Veil yelled.

"Oh, right! Now I remember."

The detective had been the most stunned in all of his mystery solving life. His jaw as low as his muscles allowed it to go, his wings spread out more rigid than he ever had them. The reason? After carefully digging into the nut job's photo album he found an old grainy picture of the Princess laying on a recliner. Her eyes were sultry, her mouth was teasing, and she wore burlesque attire from a corset to straps and thigh high stockings. Even the skirt was short and transparent enough to enhance the view of her flank. Of course, the biggest prize was the lip stick smeared kiss mark on the print. Bellow was written the message 'hot as the sun.'

Some secrets were purely unsolvable, like Pinkie. Others were, in Trick's case, probably better left alone.

An hour after the drop…

“So…” the Countess began. “The body was dumped over the side like we planned?”

“That is correct. We went up to the battlements and ditched her off the mountain, like we agreed upon.”

“And nopony saw you?” she pressed.

“Who could have? It’s not like the guards keep any actual sentries up there. Plus, thanks to your portal doors, we were in and out before anypony could suspect a thing, all before the palace could even react to the initial abduction. As far as they know, the filly is still alive.”

“Then, all is to plan,” she concluded.

The henchpony nodded. “Our little Princess is sleeping with the fishes at the bottom of the ravine, literally.”

“Good, with her out of the way, my family will finally have its long overdue revenge. That little common wench should never have ascended.”

“Gee, you really had it in for her,” the second burglar commented before the first smacked in upside the head, reminding him of when to keep quiet.

The lady huffed, “She was a disgrace to her own kind. The very moment she grew those wings, her mere existence became a sin.”

“Yeah, yeah…” the first goon slurred. “We get it. Family legacy, vengeance and all that. Is our payment ready?”

“Hmm!” the Countess quipped, half irritated by the attitude. “If you must know, the money has already been deposited into your offshore accounts via the laundering scheme we agreed with. Do you require the confirmation number so that you may see for yourself?”

“That won’t be necessary,” he explained. “Now then… by the time the Grand Galloping Gala begins, we will be already on a ship bound for Saddle Arabia. So, just use your reality marble to get us a concealed exit away from your mansion and we’ll take it from there. We haven’t seen each other, we don’t know each other, and there isn’t a money trail to speak of. At least, not one that can be proven in court. So, with all that said, I think our business is concluded.”

Going through the magical door one last time, the two crooked ponies slowly opened it to check and see if any witnesses were in the alleyway. With nopony in sight, the pair exited and made their way unto the main street. As they trotted towards the train station, the second goon asked the unicorn, “Hey, do you think it was a good idea to leave all that stuff that happened out of our report? I mean, she’ll probably find out sooner or latter.”

“Like it matters. We did out part, she botched up hers by getting the wrong lethal dosage for whatever poison she used.”

“Are you sure? I don’t think a large pharmaceutical owner with anatomical knowledge would make that big of a mistake,” he countered.

“Doesn’t matter. By the time she figures out anything, we’ll be long gone and somewhere where there’s no extradition treaties. Let her deal with her own damn problems while we snuggle with harem mares.”

“Isn’t that just a stereotype? I heard only royals or similar high-ranking members of society actually have designated--”

“Don’t care, they’re all horses over there any way. I’m sure some will play the part, now that we’re rolling in coins.”

As it happened, their train soon pulled up, allowing them to embark ahead of schedule. Secure in their private cabin, with no flying detective to spot them, they sat back and relaxed as they could contemplate retirement, or at the very least, a good long break. After all, it wasn’t like they didn’t fulfil their end of the bargain. Besides, the seasoned unicorn burglar had always remembered his false documents and cutie mark makeup. Even should the Countess try to sell them out (likely in a plea bargain), the trail would be cold. Of course, being in international waters by the time something went wrong was never a bad idea.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Two days later…

With Time Turner’s plane all fixed and modified for the trip, the three fillies were waiting along the runway to hop aboard with their dresses. The brown stallion, for his part, conducted another test flight to make sure the new design was stable. To his delight, his flying machine worked like a dream thanks to the overhaul of the fuselage for the extended wings and tail. Overall, he had much better control of his aircraft and greater lift.

Once he landed, Time Turner began refueling and underwent the maintenance checks to ensure everything was spot on for the trip. Never before had he went as far or as high as Canterlot itself, merely skirting the base of the mountain where Twilight clipped his wing. Fortunately, everything was in order and he was ready to begin takeoff. After giving the signal, the three little ponies boarded and took their seats, Twilight going as far as to put away the present box. Trick n’Veil decided not to join them, insisting that he fly on his own, not wanting to enter what he called the ‘death machine.’

Before they left however, the private eye approached the alicorn about her plans. “Are you sure you want to do this, Twilight? I think the Princess was very clear about staying put for security reasons.”

“Of course, Celestia has to be at the gala, but she doesn’t like it and that’s no fun. So, we’re going to drop in and make our own gala, the kind she can enjoy again,” the alicorn explained while leaving out the fact that this was, in fact, a surprise birthday party.

The detective shrugged. There was no point in trying to make Twilight stay. Given recent events, the filly was probably not as much in danger as he had once assumed. Besides, if the culprit was indeed highly connected as he predicted, then any actions at the palace would expose him or her on the spot. So, the likelihood of another attack tonight was minimal.

Still, who knew how far a desperate enemy would go. Then again, by that same token, why haven’t there been any other moves by said pony since the incident at the wall? Was there perhaps a lack of information of some kind? Surely, the goons who were responsible for dumping the ‘body’ would have reported back about the development. Did they assume Twilight died in the fall instead? Was the inaction sign of somepony unsure about their next move? Veil chastised himself for not getting to the pair before he had to fly off after the someday-princess, losing his only direct lead.

Either way, the night promised to be an eventful one, would-be assassins or not.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The gala was beginning, once again, without a hitch. The first guests walked into a palace with all the trimmings of splendour and luxury. Cocktail servers were prepped, caterers were called in, chefs were sharpening their knives, wine cellars opened, and orchestras were fine tuning their instruments. The minute-by-minute schedules were as superb as ever, made even more so that year by the special occasion that prompted a much larger festivity that year, ascension.

Just as it had been planned, by some very prestigious ponies who took that year’s lead in organization, a large ice sculpture of an alicorn was added in the main hall with bejewelled decorations placed throughout the room. Rock farmers certainly earned an extra boon that year, selling a record high volume of gems to create an Amber Room of sorts, a precious work of art for the ages to represent the wealth and might of Equestria…

Celestia planned to dump the whole room in the dragon lands in about a week, let her scaled neighbours have a feast of their own. The Dragon Lord wouldn’t mind the extra snack.

The sculpture was definitely getting a sombrero and a clown nose when every pony wasn’t looking. The organizers will be hunting the guilty party for hours, not realizing that Celestia would be behind the caper. The Princess did enjoy her little amusements and distractions from boredom.

As the first guests were entering the grounds, Celestia could make out some of the Nobles coming in with various business tycoons and celebrities. Naturally, the current Duke of Weighing Tonnes was already at the tables to sample the night’s cuisine. Others were dealing with the press, getting their photo ops in at the red carpet before passing the gate to relax with the gathering.

Of course, the one pair of ponies that stood out from the most, and quite awkwardly at that, was a noteworthy couple responsible partially for the year’s biggest news point. Night Light and Twilight Velvet looked abashed, nervous and completely out of place from the crowd that normally looked down on them with their stiff upper lips. Some of them still did, but more out of envy than indifference. But, none of them knew the Princess as intimately as they did, ignorant of the lax attitude she bore; dessert addicted slob being a prominent trait.

Fortunately, many of the guests were not as callous and provided genuine congratulatory speeches and greetings. Velvet practically expressed glee when she met action stars like Colt Eastwood or stunt performers like Crib Angel. The mare was something of a daredevil herself and enjoyed thrills like bungee jumping in her spare time. Naturally, she had many excitcing conversations.

That left Night Light with the unfortunate business of dealing with parents who tried introducing their kids. Some of them were genuine, showcasing Twilight’s fellow classmates and writers’ club members. His daughter had an apparent knack for editing and consultation. But, others were, quite suspiciously, showcasing their colts rather than fillies. It didn’t take a gifted pony to figure out the implications and subterfuges involved. Fortunately, the new royal father was called off by Shining Armour with ‘orders’ to present him to Princess Cadenza before tensions boiled over.

That brought up another unexpected guest, Twilight’s brother. Strictly speaking, his training was supposed to have ended already. His time at boot camp had certainly gone well, he passed it with flying colours. But, without explanation by his direct superiors, the young and promising unicorn had been admitted into the officer academy. It was not a move the youthful lad was particularly fond of, preferring to put in some ‘grunt time’ as he called it. To his credit, the college was known to produce snooty officers that went straight to commissioned desk jobs rather than field commands, so he knew where he stood with his peers. But, orders were orders, so Corporal Armour was indeed an officer candidate and wore attire reflecting the fact. He wore a buttoned black shirt with red linings and shoulder tassels, all the hallmarks of an officer’s uniform, save for bars since he was still a cadet.

Celestia knew it was a bit underhoofed to play favourites with guards who were proud enough not to ask for it out of integrity, preferring to go up the ranks through gradual merit. But, the boy’s position was increasingly under the political eye. Sister turns into an alicorn on one hoof, getting the sheepish attention from a second on another. Either way, the Princess had to move him up the social latter quickly and bring him into the family (so to speak) if he was to have any hope of being protected from the machinations that were probably already being planned against him. If nothing else, Cadence never complained about seeing her favourite colt in a nice clean uniform, just as Shining never complained about that red dress.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Time Turner was doing his final checks from the cockpit, all three fillies were strapped with seat belt with loose hats and other garments tucked away. Once he knew everything was ready, he began takeoff procedures, starting the plane and listening as his engines roared to life. The propeller soon spun afterwards, and the flying machine began to move over the runway. Speed kept increasing, pushing the little ponies into their seats as the world below shifted. They were airborne.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Countess Hemlock was overly cautious. It had been a few days since the abduction and not a single public announcement was made pertaining to the fillynaping. The girl was dead, but nopony else knew that. If anything, they assumed probably that this was a ransom operation, likely by a criminal syndicate or foreign powers entirely.

Even so, why hide the fact? Preventing a public panic? Perhaps, but it would seem counter productive not to inform all levels of law enforcement about it. How else would they conduct a nation-wide search? What about the PR disaster that would unfold if the public found out about the crime before an official announcement was made? Conspiracy theorists would blame an inside job almost immediately, especially if everypony found out because of the body’s discovery. Something seemed off in the way everypony was calm about the whole affair.

Still, the mare couldn’t well ignore the annual gala just for that. It would drive suspicion towards her. So, putting on the regalist attire she had, she ordered her coach fetched and prepared her makeup. With any luck, this would be a first step in avenging her family, a family that the world had forgotten after its purge from society. After all, if she killed one alicorn, why not more? She saw what her poison remedies did to the brat. Maybe all it took was the simplest method, drugs were much easier to manipulate and smuggle than that magical absorption metal that was always under scrutiny.

So… she went off.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Night Light was having a much better time now that he was away from those pestilent child gold diggers. He saw it coming, but that didn’t make the experience any less aggravating. He was thankful that no actual grownups came to ‘offer’ marriage alliances of any kind, nor hit on his daughter directly (not that she was there to begin with). Rumours around the last jerk who tried it made sure of that. It was like this big open secret that everypony whispered about. Still, the thought of using one’s own kids to do the dirty work instead was no less distasteful. He had to make mental notes for how he was going to vet such ponies once Twilight was in her teenage years.

Speaking of teenagers, one pair, on the verge of legal adulthood to boot, were enjoying themselves quite nicely just nearby. It was a funny thing to see, his son and another familiar alicorn getting on. When he met his wife all those years ago, he knew she was a maniac for crazy adventures. They certainly drove him crazy, which was why they became an unofficial part of their wedding vows. Since then, their kids managed to turn the dial up to eleven. It was never a dull moment when you suddenly found yourself becoming extended members of the Royal family and looking after a baby dragon. Oh, and few assassination attempts. Did he forget to mention that? All that was missing were long-lost super villains, world-saving quests and super powerful ancient treasure artifacts to complete the picture.

“Contemplating life’s great mysteries?” Celestia cued from behind.

“No, just how crazy the past few months have been. I marry a thrill-junky and this is what happens,” the stallion joked.

The princess felt like adding the fact that things were only going to go up from there, what with Twilight’s ascension being directly tied to a battle that resulted in a time travelling paradox, the inevitable return of Nightmare Moon, the inevitable return of the Crystal Empire and Sombra, and a lot of other things the elements of harmony probably had in store for her. But, that was, in all likelihood, impolitic. The last thing her student—well, protege if she was being honest—needed was an already worried parent keeping her a shut-in. Harmony knew what She would do if she started worrying about the filly like she was her own daughter… Well… she supposed the feeling would be nice.

“Life is full of unexpected events, Mr. Light. Some of them are blessings, some of them are curses, but a whole lot of them fall on both ends of the spectrum. Things we don’t appreciate at first often lead to good payoffs. Others seem like lottery-winning dreams come true, until new challenges and struggles offset the enthusiasm,” Celestia imparted.

“And my daughter, where does she fit in that analogy?”

“Honestly,” Celestia admitted. “There’s a lot about her that threw me off at first—still does. But, I think the blessings will far outweigh any curses that she comes across.”

“You think?” Night Light added with a raised eyebrow.

“Trust me, there’s a lot more to her than even I yet know, let alone can control. But, if there’s one thing I can safely say for certain, it’s that she’ll come across many great friends and allies along her journeys. No matter what life may throw at her, she’ll have many good hooves by her side.”

“Maybe,” the stallion admitted. “She calmed certainly down a lot since the transformation, not as many panic attacks. She’s certainly much more social. It’s as if whatever barriers had inhibited her from connecting with ponies just upped and left. I think she’s starting to move on from magical kindergarten—”

“What exactly happened there?”

“Things…” the blue unicorn uttered.

“Well,” Celestia said while trying to be reassuring. “Whatever the case, I’ll be there to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If she falls, I’ll spread my wings and keep her from crashing.”

“I hope so.”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Hey, I can see Canterlot!” a little alicorn exclaimed.

“Stupendous!” Time Turner replied. “What better night to finally show my new gift to the world. Pony Times will mark me down in the top ten most influential inventors of this century.”

“Why would you want to be on the Times’ list?”

“Why not? I made the list last century.”

“But, magazines are eviiiiiiiilllll,” Twilight whined.

“I hate to bother you two,” Rarity interjected. “But, where are we supposed to land?”

Both Time Turner and Twilight gave her a blank stare.

“You didn’t think of how we were supposed to go down, did you?”

There was more silence.

“Ya mean to tell us ya both forgot about this part?” Applejack chimed.

“Not to worry,” the brown earth pony reassured. “We’ll just conduct landing procedures on the main boulevard between the city gates and the palace. There should be plenty of room for us to stop.”

The two Ponyville fillies gave the stallion a look of skepticism.

“You’re sure?” Rarity questioned.

“Positive.”

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Countess Hemlock’s arrival had been surprisingly uneventful. Everything from the coach’s approach, to her disembark, to her entry, and to her announced presence had gone as smoothly as ever. Somehow, she had half-expected something—anything—to happen. It was strange, she knew nothing would connect her to the abduction, so she had nothing to fear. Yet, something felt not quite right, like a chip on her shoulder.

She didn’t know why she began to develop paranoia. Perhaps it was merely post-murder jitters brought on by the reality of her actions sinking in. There was certainly no turning back, she made her move against the crown just like Gross Pierre did so long ago. All she had to do then was keep her cool and wait for her next opportunity. That is, until she entered the amber room and saw Twilight Sparkle’s mother and her whole evening became very uncertain.

There she was, Velvet, conversing with dare-devil celebrities, having the time of her life. This went completely contrary to what any sensible parent would do when their child was missing. Hemlock thought the whole display seemed surreal. Why would a mother act like she didn’t have a single worry in the world? The Countess almost wanted to shake the mare, question her sanity. Jitters? Unease? It was only then that the unicorn noble started contemplating the fact that something was probably wrong… and it wasn’t Princess Celestia magically teleporting a sombrero hat unto the sculpture while everpony was distracted. The mare noticed, but it didn’t seem rather important at that moment. It wasn’t like she was given time to think about it before the next minute brought upon the night’s chaotic scene.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Time Turner was making his final approach for landing. By positioning his aircraft on a northern descent, he was preparing to pass the southern gates as promised and land in the middle of the wide-open street that was used as the capital’s main road. Theoretically, it had all the available space for a runway. This, couple with the fact that it was nighttime meant that the boulevard should have been cleared.

However, theory had a way of not coinciding with reality. Due in part to that year’s extraordinary gala celebrations, something of a carnival was happening outside the palace walls. It also didn’t help that ponies thought the flying machine was part of a unique act and not the desperate transport that it was. So, nopony bothered to get out of the way, forcing the pilot to pick up speed in order to avoid running bystanders over. Or worse, slice them with the propeller. The result was that the plane was going too fast, still somewhat in the air and not stopping quick enough. The fillies were in a panic as the landing gear managed to hit one of the vendor carts, causing unknown damage to the wheels.

The brown stallion eventually pulled back the stick in order to fly over the coaches still lined up near the red carpet. However, doing so meant that he crashed through the main gate of the palace, entering the main hall where the airplane’s engine finally stalled, causing the craft to hit the floor, nose first, and break the propeller.

As for the fillies, they flew across the room. The rough-and-tumble Applejack was lucky and landed in a fountain. However, Rarity sat further back and was tossed much further, angling her to hit the sharp and pointy gems on the wall. Closing her eyes for what was supposed to be an ironic end of sorts (given her rare stone finding spell and namesake). Those spike-like jewels would have left a bloody mess.

This fate was changed when the unicorn filly felt a pair of forelegs grab unto her midsection, followed by a twist in direction, mid-flight. Rarity opened her eyes to see that she was floating in the air. Well, not floating per say, somepony else was doing all the work.

“Tw-Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you just save me?”

“I think so? I saw what you were about to hit, so I—”

“Flew,” Rarity finished.

The lavender pony blinked, almost not believing the statement. She looked around, judging the relative position of herself and her friend with that of the floor. Sure enough, she was still up in the air, wings flapping. It took the small alicorn a good long moment to register what was happening. When she did, she had the brightest smile on her face.

Meanwhile, Celestia had been slightly disappointed that her prank crumbled to bits, literally. The ice statue had tipped over and shattered. She didn’t even had time to add the clown nose or any other attire. Then again, her subtle approach to mess with every pony was no longer needed. She turned to see a happy filly prancing in the air while making squeaky chants of ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ The euphoria of the moment was so grand that Twilight actively forgot she was carrying the unicorn filly along for the ride. So, as the former spun and twirled, the other became dizzy and started to get nauseous from the whole affair. Clearly, Celestia’s definition of fun had just begun.

“Twilight,” the Princess spoke.

“Yes?”

“I hate to interrupt your moment, but I think your passenger wishes to go back down.”

“Pl-please…” Rarity winced.

“Oh-uhm… Sorry,” the lavender pony sheepishly replied before setting the unicorn on the ground.

As Twilight lowered Rarity and went to go check on Applejack, who was crawling out of the fountain soaked to the bone.

“Okay, remind me never to do anything like that again,” the orange filly grunted in her shrivelled dress.

As Applejack was getting help to dry herself off, another more familiar pony was having a heated exchange with the private eye about the not-so-soft landing of his machine.

“I told you it was a death trap! Should never have let the girls ride in it!”

“Nonsense, it flew perfectly as intended. What’s one or two minor hiccups while landing?” the Trottingham accented stallion replied.

“Minor hiccups? You didn’t even consider how you were supposed to get your piece of junk on the ground.”

“You didn’t either, and you were supposed to be the cynical voice.”

“Don’t pin this on me, playcolt. If I had half a mind I woul—”

“But you do have half a mind, that’s the issue.”

“Why, I aught to—”

“Now, now, gentlecolts, be nice,” Celestia exclaimed while stepping unto the scene.

“Why, Plum Suns, it’s been far too long,” Time Turner teased. “How has life been treating you these days.”

Rolling her eyes at the very suggestive nickname, the Princess responded in a rather cheerful tone, “Oh, things have become a bit more entertaining with the addition of Twilight. How about you, my Steam Maker? Still working on that internal combustion engine?”

“You know me, nothing satisfies my passions more than to find new ways to set alight something on the inside. Hot liquid exploding at the point of spontaneous combustion, driving pistons ever forwards and backwards. What could be more worthwhile than releasing all that energy at once?”

“Well, aren’t we Mr. impatient? I still remember when you were taking your sweet time with the slow approach, build up that heat gradually by working for it. It was a real art form to see you read all those little signs and signals, gently playing with the nobs until the pressure was just right. You were always so gentle when fiddling with the boiler until the gauge was at the optimum point. You even lubricated each and every part by hoof.”

“Ah, yes…. Those were the days… But, we all know that quick methods are the future for us busy bodies. Besides, the efficient solution has its own pleasures, less messy too—”

“For the love of Equestria, just please stop,” Trick n’Veil whined with a scarlet face.

“What? We’re just discussing the fine inner workings of maintaining a long-lasting relationship between heat source and fuel.”

Celestia nodded. “Some stallions just don’t appreciate all the complicated steps and mechanics involved with energy release. They just press a single button and think they can call it a day, no respect for anything beyond their driving abilities down a track.”

An audible ‘you tell them’ was heard in the background, coming from Velvet. All the while, other mares in the room began complaining about the room’s temperature hike, causing confusion among a quite a few husbands who hadn’t noticed any such differences. However, just as everypony was fixated on the scene near the plane, a certain Countess had to pick her jaw off the floor. She didn’t know how, she didn’t know why, all she knew at that moment was that it was time to leave… as far away as possible…

Hemlock made a quiet exit from the Amber Room, checking to see if everypony was still distracted every few steps. As she was just about to go out the door towards escape, the voice of a filly snapped at her.

“You!” cried Twilight, sudden memories coming back.

“Oh, buck me on a stick!”

“You!” Twilight cried.

“Oh, buck me on a stick!”

For a moment, Hemlock dared not move as the glaring filly marched towards her. The alicorn's eyes were like daggers, increasingly inspecting its target, all in silence. Tension built and the Countess was feeling rather exposed in that predicament.

“What kind of tea was that?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The tea, the one you made. What kind was it?”

“I don't know what you're talking about. I don't remember serving tea--”

“Don't be silly,” the alicorn retorted. “That was definitely not coffee. I should know, mom always tries to keep the bean bag away from me. Says I'm too young, but how else am I to read the hardcover historical encyclopedia or the archaeology textbooks in one night?”

“Eh...”

“I mean, how else am I to be edified enough to confront the possibilities of destiny?”

“Edo...what?”

“You know, broaden perspectives and avoid the mistakes of ponies from the past?”

“Well, I can't say I have had any interest in history,” Hemlock lied.

“Are you sure?” Twilight doubted. “I kind of remember our conversation, something to do with the history of rocks.”

“That wasn't me, what kind of mare would dabble in something like that?”

Just then, a pink party balloon popped without any explanation as to why it happened or who had ordered party balloons in the first place.

Furrowing her brow, the little alicorn pressed her suspicions. “Are you sure? History is a fun topic. Maybe not as much fun or exciting as magic, but it's close. Although, Princess Celestia doesn't seem to want me reading it. She insists I read baby books, but I don't get them at all. Each pages only has one or two sentences, they use annoying rhymes and the topics are just silly. I mean, who thought they can make a story about a cob in a hat or Green hay and pans? And the language? It's as though the author wants to insult the inteligence of fillies everywhere. I would rather read about Daring Do, at least she makes things interesting by jumping over spike pits, snake nests and perfectly round boulders.”

Pausing, Twilight then made a few realizations. “Now that I think about it, why does she need to jump? Isn't she a pegasus? Also, is it really archaeology what she's doing? She seems to damage temples and other historical buildings while robbing them of their treasures, rather than meticulously take the time to document and preserve the structures. I mean, I know she has to beat Professor Ahuizotl, but does she have to destroy all the important stuff in the process? We can learn far more from the structures themselves rather than the dusty trinkets they hide.”

All the while the filly was listing her criticisms, a timid author within earshot looked rather uncomfortable. Yearling decided to sneak away, less she be discovered. All the while, she made a guilty whistle.

“That's quite the—ehm... fascination,” the Countess replied.

“I know, right? My dad says I'll probably grow up to be an adventurer like my mom. But then, when he thinks I'm not listening, he calls her a... thrill junkie? How is junk a thrill? I don't get it.”

Hemlock didn't like what was going on one bit. She knew she had to leave, but couldn't do it in a way that wouldn't raise alarms. She tried her best to disengage the conversation.

Damn Celestia, I need an out.

“Listen, your highness-”

“Not a princess yet.”

“Well, your... uhm... Twilight.”

“Not my Twilight, I am Twilight. I can't be my own me, that would be silly.”

If only I could strangle you!

“Regardless, I unfortunately have other ponies to see right now. So, I'm afraid I'll have to be going.”

Once she heard the Countess' words, the little pony was dejected. “Aww... but it we were having so much fun.”

“All good things have to come to an end sometime.” Hemlock's words hid a darker truth that was supposed to apply to the filly in front of her.

“I guess so,” Twilight lamented. “You know what, Miss? I like you.”

And I want to kill you!

Keeping the anger at bay, the Countess doubled her effort to hide the anymosity from seeping into her looks and speech. She calmly answered, “Perhaps another time?”

With her spirits raised, Twilight couldn't help but respond. “Really? Oh, boy! This will be so much fun! We should definitely have another tea party.”

At that point, Rarity jumped into the conversation. “Tea party?”

“Oh, yes. This lady makes great tea parties. She has the best garden and statues. The tea itself was also wonderful, can really knock somepony dead.”

Poor choice of words.

“That's nice and all, but like I said, you're probably thinking of somepony else.”

“Oh, no. I'm sure.”

“Sure about what?” interjected another, much elderly, pony.

By that point, Hemlock was having a heart attack. Apparently, Princess Celestia and the other two ponies involved in the crash site came over to check on the fillies. The three of them seemed to have put off their banter, making the mare situation even more dire.

“Like I was telling Rarity, this pony makes the best tea parties. The place was beautiful and we even discussed history, and philosophy.”

Celestia then gave the unicorn a curious look. “Is that so?”

“Oh yeah, and you should try her tea. It's to die for.”

Whyyyyyyyy? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

“Tea party?” Trick n'Veil asked. “When was this? I don't ever recall you ever going to a tea party. And I should know.”

Unfortunately for the trench coat wearing private eye, that gave him a lot of worried looks from strangers.

“Not that I was stalking her or anything. Just part of the security detail, folks.”

“It was so much fun, she even got to showing me how she uses and extends her reality marble.”

“What, me? Of course, I can't use reality marbles. I mean, that would require somepony like Starswirl the Bearded.”

“Which is why you used a magical amplifying substanc--” she was saying before another memory came to mind. When she recalled it, her ears drooped.

“Oooh... But I fainted. I'm sorry.”

“Eh...” the Countess squeaked.

“You put in all that effort and I just had to pass out. That wasn't wizard.”

“Wizard?--”

“Can you forgive me?”

Hemlock was looking rather uncomfortable at that moment. On one hand it was odd to get a puppy eyed apology from the victim of a failed murder attempt. Puppy eyes she just wanted to drive rusty nails through. On the other, there was virtually every unwanted party listening-in and looking at her. Against everything she wanted, the Countess had the spotlights and she wanted out –really out— before anything else rather incriminating could be said.

Between the panic and confusion, Hemlock just replied gingerly, “It's alright. I'm sure you didn't mean to.”

For a moment, the filly this all concerned was gleaming with joy once again. While the Countess' heart skipped, she thought she had dodged a bullet. Unfortunately, fate was not so kind.

“Wait a minute! Mr. Trick said I blanked out because of poison.” This was followed by a gasp before Twilight resumed. “Miss Hemlock, I think somepony tried to poison you!”

By that point, said Hemlock was no longer thinking critically. Whatever rational part was working had completely cracked, broken under pressure. Nothing she said or did now could cover the deed up. Without even thinking, she went along with this absurd somersault conclusion.

“Really? Wow! Who would have thought? Never expected that.”

“I know, right?” the filly affirmed. “It's a good thing somepony got their dosages wrong, otherwise you might have died.”

“Yeah... Real shame for them...”

“Uhm... Miss Hemlock... are you alright?” the little alicorn added with concern as she watched the mare's failed composure continue to erode. The unicorn started to look... wonky. She had this unsettling broken smile on her face. It sort of reminded the would-be princess of Pinkie Pie... if Pinkie Pie had something off about her.

“Fine... just fine... just... got to go home... You know, check on my tea... make sure it's safe...”

“You sure?” Twilight asked skeptically. “You don't look so good.”

Hemlock giggled. “Just... need a vacation from all of this... A looooong extended vacation... far away... from here...”

For a moment, the lavender pony didn't know what else to do. The Countess kept giggling and giggling. For a moment, she was beginning to feel scared.

Suddenly, the giggling stopped. “Okay, see you!”

The Countess waved her goodbye, then ran off through the nearest exit.

“Was it something I said?”

Twilight turned towards Celestia, “Should we go help her?”

“Don't worry,” the Princess said sternly. “Countess Hemlock will get all the help she needs.”

As if on cue, she gave Trick n' Veil a firm nod, signalling the chase.

“This case just busted itself wide open!” the detective cheered as he flew past the crowd to catch up with the hysteric mare.

Celestia then faced Twilight's older brother, ready to give him the order for pursuit. “Corporal Shining Armour--”

The young stallion saluted. “You don't even need to ask.” He then ran off.

Not able to understand why the sudden tensity of the atmosphere around her developed, the lavender filly was puzzled. “Is there something wrong?”

Celestia placed a hoof over Twilight's shoulder and exclaimed, “We'll tell you when you're older. Now, why don't you go introduce everypony to your friends?”

With great excitement, the little alicorn exclaimed, “Okay!”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Hemlock was running for her life. In just under a few minutes, the babbling filly just exposed her to all the worst ponies in the world. From that moment onward, she would be a fugitive of the law. Her company and vast estates would be seized. Her life's work, and those of her forebears, were up in smoke.

That little rotten bitch! Couldn't die when she was suppose to!

It occurred suddenly to her that her two hirelings must have lied to her in some fashion. She cursed their names for having ripped her off and allowed things to come to this. On the other, they shouldn't have been able to because the filly was already dead when they went to dump the remains.

How? How could I have gotten the dosage wrong? Poison is one of my specialties! I never gotten a dosage wrong in my life!

How or why no longer mattered for the time being, she reminded herself. Soon, the castle guards would be running her down and she needed quick getaway. Luckily for her, she knew many of the secret passages under the city. Once she cleared the palace, she could easily make her escape from the capital.

I haven't lost everything, I still have years worth of laundered funds and secret accounts under false identities. I can pay for a crew to smuggle me across the border, no problem. Once I'm on the outside I can reestablish myself. What was the name of that free settlement again? Klugetown, that's it! That dirty hole has been a haven for pirates and brigands for years. I'll be like a needle in a stack of other needles.

Truth was, Hemlock already had dealings in Klugetown. It was through their black market that she acquired all the various contraband goods she ever needed. The place was also the perfect dumping ground for sub-standard medicines and experimental drugs. A great place to cut development costs and not get sued over the unwanted side effects. Plus, she already knew how to counterfeit many of her competitors' stocks on the cheap.

This won't be so bad. In a few years I can rise up and become Queen of that little hub of villainy. Pirates everywhere will want to sell my counterfeits from the Zebriki Coast to Saddle Arabia. I'll even be able to afford my very own fleet of air ships. No more ethics board, no more safety regulations and no more Celestia. It'll be everything that I could ever want! I'll show that Sun Harlet! I'll be like a Phoenix rising from its ashes.

Interrupting the mare's thoughts, a strange looking pegasus with a trench coat and fedora was hot on her tail. Hemlock needed to lose him before anything else came into effect. She swung right at a corner and continued towards a bar. Trick n'Veil was not letting up, but the mare threw a janitor's mop towards his face. He banked left to dodge, then banked back towards the right to avoid the bucket. So far, neither side had the upper hand.

As Hemlock entered the bar, she dove under the tables, waiting for her assailant to follow. Veil complied and rushed after her. But, the unicorn used her magic to pull all the tables together to form a shield while pelting chairs and bottles. To his credit, the pegasus weaved quickly enough to be missed by several objects. However, his flying skills were not enough to avoid all the projectiles and was hit several times.

Making sure that her pursuer was incapacitated, Hemlock took the fleeting opportunity to run once more, ignoring the bartenders and tenants who began to make an uproar.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“So let me get this straight,” Night Light said. “Celestia sends you letters that specifically tell you to stay put and you interpret that as 'let's go crash the party.' Is that right?”

“Well, yeah. Everypony knows adults like to talk in double-speak. Besides, I needed to give Princess Celestia her pre--”

At that moment, Twilight's face contoured as the sudden realization that she had completely forgotten about the one thing that was most important in her trip. She quickly made her way to the crash site and opened the trunk compartment. For a minute, she feared the worst as the cake would have been turned upside down and splattered due to the impact. Fortunately, said fear had abated when she saw the box perfectly balanced upright despite the compartment being at a steep angle. She took a quick peek inside and didn't see a single sign that the cake was violently thrown about. There wasn't even a single speck of icing on the sides of the cardboard container to hint any sort of movement. Twilight almost wanted to question the inept display of physics at work, and how Pinkie's handiwork could accomplish this, but such thoughts were set aside due to the relief. Instead, she just grabbed telepathically the dessert and proceeded towards Celestia.

“Happy birthday!” the filly proclaimed.

The Princess blinked for a moment, puzzled at the scene. “Twilight, what makes you think that this is my birthday?”

The little alicorn giggled. “Well of course it's your birthday. Why else would the castle put on a party when ponies know you hate it? It's because ponies forgot what they were supposed to be celebrating, which is why everypony just calls it a gala to not question its origins. So... happy birthday!”

Celestia opened her mouth to correct her student, but then closed it to ponder. Truth was, nopony remembered why the gala was ever created. She did, but that was beside the point. Moreover, nopony knew her actual birthday either. Of course, that was an intentional political decision made not long after Equestria's founding. It was all part of the myth that she and Luna were alicorn eternal. It was a silly myth, anypony with a lick of sense could easily see through it, but tensions between the three tribes still existed back then and the sisters needed to appear as neutral as possible. Any information that could lead somepony to discovering where they were born and thus their nature at birth were carefully removed. Come to think of it, Celestia herself wasn't even sure when she was born anymore.

After thinking it over, the Princess looked around the room and saw curious onlookers unsure of what to make of the situation. Some were slack-jawed and fretting about. One, Twilight openly declared that Celestia didn't much care for the stuffy annual event. So much for polite subtlety and saving face. Two, some were actually whispering to their valets to secretly fetch gifts, as if they could actually do that in front of her without her knowing. The alicorn could do without the presents, she didn't need more suck-ups. But... watching ponies run around in a panic while trying to maintain composure seemed like the most entertaining thing she could watch. Besides, who's to say this wasn't her birthday? Celestia herself certainly couldn't after thousands of years. She looked suddenly forward to watch the whole pile of mischief that was occurring before her. So, why not let the dam break?

With a reciprocating mischievous smile, Celestia replied cheerfully, “You are absolutely correct, my student. One hundred percent in fact. What a clever little pony you are.”

After making a triumphant pose, Twilight turned towards Rarity. “You see, I told you it had to be her birthday.”

“Indeed,” the white unicorn replied, though still suspicious about the circumstances.

Of course, Applejack, still dripping wet from her fountain dive, was not one to linger on such suspicion. “Well, what are we waiting for? Somepony help me dry up so we can get this shindig started.”

One drying spell later and mayhem ensued. All the while, the Princess was enjoying her oh-so-delicious cake. She didn't even bother to eat properly as she chewed bites like a slob, leaving icing marks on her muzzle. She didn't care, most of the guests were too busy running around to notice, which was just fine with her. Night Light, Velvet and Cadence, for their part, couldn't help but laugh at the surreal scene.

“Why is everpony going crazy?” Twilight asked without any response. “I don't get it.”

“Sweet sunny apple sauce spread!” Time Turner chimed in after a good chuckle. “Hot Flank, don't ever change.”

Celestia gave the brown stallion a wink.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

With that pesky pegasus out of her way, Hemlock gave the guards the slip by taking one of the secret passages thanks to one of her copied blueprints of the whole palace complex. Her thieves-for-hire were at least good for something. In some ways, this was a risky proposition since some of the head guards were in on the secret. But, since she was discovered to be a well known portal expert, what with her reality marble, there was a good chance the specific officers in-the-know would assume she'd try to use a magical means of getting away. So, she at least had some time to get out before they caught on. All well and good for her, because she had at least one more trick up her sleeve.

Before it became the seat of power, Canterlot had been a prosperous mining town that dug deep into the mountain. That meant the secret tunnels had undocumented passages that connected with the abandoned mine shafts and deeper parts of the sewer system. Rumours about these hidden paths existed of course, but nothing anypony ever could verify. Some tourists even had a name for it, the Catacombs Two, as if there was supposed to be a first catacombs of some sort. One fiction author even called it the 'Court of Miracles.' a place where a secret society of thieves stored all of Equestria's lost treasures. Again, stupid. Then again, others claimed the name 'Miracle' is an ironic name, referring to a hideaway for young lovers to make love or for exiled ponies to die.

As Hemlock descended further into the dark abyss for about an hour, she finally came across a literal light at the end of the tunnel. Upon peeking through the hole, she found a cascading waterfall that came from above, illuminated by moonlight. Upon recognizing the landmark, the Countess cheered. She made it, she was outside the city. While the rest of the guards were busy in the castle, she would sneak off the mountain and into the night. Despite all of her misfortunes that evening, fate would have her escape and begin anew. Her life among cut-throats wouldn't be easy at first, but her resourcefulness would allow her to rise. All she had to do was take one final plunge down the falls and she would be scot-free. Nothing else would stand between her and the Southern border.

The mare took a few steps back, ran forward and made her jump. As she did so, she closed her eyes, anticipating the rush of air and eventual splash. However, neither of which came. Hemlock didn't understand it, it didn't feel like she was falling at all. Irritated, she opened her eyes and found something quite different.

“Tried practising your synchronized diving routine were you? Well, unfortunately, the only thing you're accomplishing tonight is a flop.”

The Countess, alarmed, tried freeing herself from the stallion's telekinetic grasp by shacking violently. When she began falling again she thought she had succeeded. Sadly, the unicorn switched from telekinesis to a bubble shield. Unwilling to accept defeat, she slammed her bubble prison in hopes to break it.

“Don't try to flatter yourself, lady. I might not be as good with magic as my sister, but shields are my specialty. Not even a steel tipped drill could help you get out of that. Believe me, I've checked.”

As much as Hemlock wanted to refuted the claim, she didn't have anything on her to break through this spell. Begrudgingly, she stopped her assaults and tried to think of a new strategy.

“Giving up so soon? I thought you were more persistent than that.”

“Persistence isn't the same as being pigheaded,” Hemlock retorted. “How did you even know about the passages? I see the officer's black shirt and red epaulettes, but no rank insignia. Your pay grade can't be high enough to have access to these kinds of secrets.”

“Oh, this place?” the stallion remarked with a somewhat sheepish grin. “My marefriend and I happen to go spelunking from time to time.”

Young lovers indeed.

“I noticed you vanished from thin air after the bar fight. While everypony else was looking at the magic wards for signs of portal activity, I made my way here. Figured you weren't dumb enough to use the same trick twice and go the route we'd least expect. Not surprising since it was suggested our perp already knew the ins and outs of the palace complex to get around our security detail.”

“Clever,” the captive mare admitted. “Since you're such a smart pony, I'll skip the small talk and get straight to the point. I'm sure you got enough active neurons to see opportunities where others miss.”

The stallion raised an eye brow. “Opportunities?”

“You see, this isn't my first—what do those plebes say? Rodeo? Roundup?--It doesn't matter, you get the point. Smuggling, money laundering, I've done whatever it took to get ahead of the competition. Best part, nopony has been able to prove it or even catch on to my network of under-the-table affairs.”

“Go on...”

“My family has done anything and everything in the past couple of centuries to return to the gentry and publicly erase our linkage to one of Equestria's most notorious political... activists. As such, we have a lot of undocumented capital. You name it, foreign bank accounts, hidden deposits, buried stashes, the works as you might say.”

“I think I see where this is going.”

“Good, then we can save ourselves some time. So, here's how it works, you let me go this instant and I'll give you to a hidden stash. I'll even give you the account number and code so you can verify it tonight before I leave the country. That way, I can't screw you out of this deal. I get what I want, and you get set for life without the tax pony asking questions.”

The guard pondered this for a minute. “Hmm... how much are we talking about?”

“Two million bits. I'm not asking you to put a knife in Celestia's back, just turn a blind eye and pretend you didn't see me, which is easy enough to do what with the maze of tunnels you needed to navigate.”

The stallion nodded. “Yes, it would indeed. But, one question.”

“Shoot.”

“What about the new Princess? The one you did try to stick a knife in?”

“That little runt? There's nothing I can do about her now. All my legal assets will be seized. I have to get out of Equestria or I'm toast. What do you care? By tomorrow morning you'll be eating brunch in a tux at the most expensive establishment while buying timeshares. If anypony asks, just say it was overseas family inheritance.”

The would-be-officer hummed at that. “Funny you should mention those two little words, family and inheritance. My sister just got a big inheritance boon herself quite recently. Do you know what she's going to receive when she gets older?”

“What?”

“A crown.”

“A crown? Why would she get tha--” In a moment of realization, Hemlock's complexion grew pale. Her eyes grew as big as saucers and she felt cold sweat dripping down her neck. Her heart pounded away at her chest. The filly had a brother. She knew about him and his recent recruitment into the guard, she knew from her meticulous research on the family. She couldn't do anything directly towards them, the family home was too well covered by the Solar Whorse's agents. Instead, she focused on other gaps in the security structure. After all, what were a few semi-plebes to her? She never counted on the brother's mental capacity or magical prowess. Once again, she tried slamming her way out, with desperation fuelling her efforts.

“By the way, thanks for telling me all that. Now we'll be able to go through your financial records with a fine tooth comb and nab whatever other associates you may have on hoof,” Shining Armor quipped. “Looks like you won't have anything left when you get out... if you get out that is...”

“You piece of shit!”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Half an hour after the Countess' capture, Blue Lord watched as the mare was being transferred to jailers, still in a bubble, under armed escorts. His position on the balcony gave him the perfect view of the whole affair. Inwardly, he sighed.

“My dear Hemlock, did I not warn you about this very ending? You only have yourself to blame. What, did you not think you were the first pony in a thousand years to try and assassinate an alicorn? Tisk, tisk... I must admit, your first attempt with that ball of scarletite might have worked. Sending the alicorn in a collapsing pocket universe powered by her own magic? That certainly just might have done the trick. You do certainly deserve praise for that spark of ingenuity. But, the opportunity was squandered. Just like Gross Pierre, you were too theatrical in your approach. And because of him, the nobility's political influence was greatly reduced. Now, you will suffer his fate, as your family rightly deserves for its arrogance.”

After taking a pause to sip his wine, the elder gentlemen continued his lament. “The Blue family has known about the physical resistance and healing factor of the Royal Sisters since the days of Princess Platinum. Who do you think was the first to try and slip in the knife? But, no matter what she did, the pair simply wouldn't die. Poisons, blunt force trauma, arrows, nothing worked.”

He then took a quick peek at the moon. “I can't say alicorns are truly immortal. Even Celestia was forced to banish her own sister out of desperate necessity. So, even they have their limits. Still, they do come close and that's all that matters for conventional means. Platinum certainly had no chance. The worst part of it all was that the two sisters simply had no idea they were being targeted. Those two were so busy pranking each other that they simply thought each attempt was just part of their little games. The mare only realized how hopeless things were when Princess Luna launched her out of the castle like a rocket with the help of the royal's favourite booby trapped throne... for fun...”

With the quick use of his horn, Blue Lord levitated his ancestor's diary to open the page depicting Platinum shaking hooves with Princess Celestia and Luna. “Once the unicorn understood the futility of her efforts, she made amends for her past slights, acquiesced her claims to the throne and married the sisters' uncle. Since then, we Blues have taken on a policy of influencing the alicorns over direct challenge. I can't say we have succeeded. But, where we failed with the sisters, we can succeed with the next generation.”

As he continued to marvel at the plight of Hemlock, an unknown servant appeared.

“Sire, we have one.”

“Do you now?” the stallion inquired. “It has taken you long enough.”

“Apologies, Prince Blue Lord. But, capturing a shapeshifter is by no means an easy task even under the best of circumstances.”

“Hmm... Quite.”

“Twilight, get back here! ...Please?” Folio Juniper begged as he chased his charge through the hallway.

“Never!” the little alicorn triumphantly proclaimed.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Half an hour earlier...

Twilight Sparkle had always been the type of pony to defy expectations in terms of academic prowess, magical skills and just plain everything. She never really tried to, that's just how it was with her. Never in her young life had anyone ever expected her to accomplish so much and be at the centre of so many events.

For instance, she was the youngest pony to ascend in recorded history. Recorded history being the key phrase as Celestia's beginnings have vanished through the passage of time. So far, Celestia had been tight lipped about it. In any case, other feats include hatching a dragon; graduating from high school before being at the right age necessary to apply at Celestia's school for gifted unicorns; surviving multiple assassination attempts; becoming a pioneer in mechanical aviation; attaining the status of Sainthood within certain sects; breaking the space-time continuum; some unofficial modelling for an upcoming fashion designer at her Grand Galloping Gala debut; being 'wizard'; acting as book editor; getting widespread national fame; and most important of all... she's making friends.

That last part, in all its irony, happened to be the most difficult for somepony whose barely gone outside to socialize since magic kindergarten. Twilight Velvet still had difficulty believing it... more-so than everything else.

That night, near the end of the Gala festivities, the lavender pony had accomplished a whole different feat. She discovered the power of caffeine. This wasn't the tea caffeine that all little fillies are accustomed to with their little tea parties. This had been something much more potent... pure, unadulterated coffee.

Without warning, Twilight had strolled to one of the tables in order to grab a cup of tea for her, Rarity and Applejack. However, perhaps through the lack of labels, the young alicorn mistook the substance and stumbled unto a new world sensations she never thought possible. At first she thought it must have been more poison, but her doubts grew when time became slow and everything felt serene. Never before had she entered this state of nirvana.

Without warning she zipped past her friends at a speed that made one of the nearby Wonderbolts blink. All he was able to register was a lavender beam that trailed the outgoing projectile. To him, it seemed like some mysterious magic was at work. Of course, to Twilight, it was practically magical. She felt like a rocket, she could at least think at the speed of one. As each second passed, a stream of calculations and thoughts shot through her mind as if all the universe's great mysteries were unfolding before her. There were so many things she wanted to do, so many things she never had enough time for. Suddenly, in the flash of a moment after drinking from that rich substance, that all seemed to change. Twilight felt like she could do it all. So, she tried.

Her first target was the Canterlot Library. The guard positioned outside didn't even recognize the speeding bullet as it lifted the front doors off its hinges, allowing the unidentified beam to enter the closed building. The doors were then telekineticaly slammed shut in crooked angles once the alicorn was inside. Upon witnessing the grand splendour of bookshelves, Twilight went to work immediately to read a whole list of books she had waited to see. One by one, she flipped through the catalogue as she raided continuously the archives section. The filly's ability to absorb information was so heightened that she could read whole chapters in mere seconds. No hard cover was left untouched, ancient tomes, first additions, treatises, manuscripts and scroll collections were all pilfered through like a robber cleaning out a vault. Except, this wasn't a robbery and Twilight herself even managed to re-shelve items that were not in their proper place.

When Twilight was finished with the wing, she was left with a number of unresolved appendix issues and mysterious references that needed studying. Based on the library's own filing data, a lot of the material in question was located in the Royal Archives under the more restricted sections. For a split second, the pony chafed at the notion that only the Princess and key mages could access the materials. In another, she remembered she was also a princess... sort of. She was a lady-in-waiting... a pre-princess... no, a proto-princess... Yes! That sounded more technical and important. Proto-Princess Twilight was the title the filly thought up to invoke in case anypony tried to stop her from breaking and entering restricted areas. The again, did it count as breaking and entering in her case? Twilight wasn't sure, so she just thought not to break anything on the way in. Legal definitions mattered after all.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The guard outside had been examining the serious damage to the doorway of the library, still amazed as to how two heavy doors could just be lifted off their hinges and placed back in a poor fashion. As he prodded one of the doors to test its stability, the lavender beam broke out, flinging entrance wide open and throwing the stallion back. The last thing he recalled was a sparkly residue of lights before coming to his senses.

As the unknown flying object sped into the night, other ponies still about noticed the strange streak as it made its way back into the main palace complex. After finding an open window, the alicorn flew past the sentries in her bullet speed and landed inside. Rummaging through one of the shelves, Twilight noticed a number of high level spells that she eagerly wanted to try out. Without much forethought, started casting some of them at random.

Soon enough, all the lamps started walking around with flamingo legs and some of the gargoyle statues became alive. The two quickly got into a fight with one another as gargoyles hated light.

“Oy! Shut yer blazen beams of not-dark or wez toss ye!”

Twilight didn't much appreciate these antics as it distracted her from her reading. So, she quickly found the janitor's closet and animated the brooms to get to work on cleaning the mess up and maintaining order. Not liking the brooms from interfering in their crusade against the lamps, the gargoyles vacated the area and exited towards the hallway.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Princess Celestia had just gotten back from overseeing Hemlock's transfer into the jailhouse until transportation could be arranged to take her to the maximum security prison. Suffice to say, her fun mood from the chaotic events had been dashed by the development of these unfortunate events, sobering the moment. She sighed in sadness as there was unlikely anything else of disruptive quality that could liven things up.

“Oy, Sun Arse!”

The huge alicorn halted herself.

“Yeah, I'ma talking to yez, you blimey plot of beams!”

Celestia had to take a moment to register what was happening. Apparently, a pack of living, breathing gargoyles smack talking her.

“Fer too long wez been burnin' up by yez makin' it not-dark! Wez now wantin' yez to be makin' dark all the time!”

There was something quite novel about the way these brutes came out of nowhere and made demand for her. Perhaps she could still enjoy herself after all. “Sorry boys, but life would be pretty hard if daytime didn't happen and we couldn't grow our own food. Photosynthesis and whatnot. Have you ever thought of living inside some catacombs? You'd fit right in, no bones about it.“

“Oy, this bloke thinks she can be cute with us! Well, maybe we ought to teach this Beam Plot a lesson. Come on boys, lets give 'er a taste of the old WAAAAAGHHHHH!”

“Not as fun as the cake monster, but I'll take it,” Celestia replied as she happily jumped into the melee.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

With the gargoyles gone, Twilight was able to resume her studies in peace as she continued to cast a number of high incantations at speeds never thought possible. Transformation spells, reinforcement buffs and even a summoning ritual was tried. That last one was part of a book called the Book of Necronomic Spells. She didn't quite understand what necronomics meant. She assumed it probably had to something to do with some form of economic models. To her disappointment, nothing seemed to have happened.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Cheery Jingles was a happy little colt. He was stargazing with his father in the backyard when a sudden quake tor open the ground behind them. Neither knew why the backyard was opening up, but such concerns were answered when a pile of bones began to rise from its burial position.

Cheery wanted to scream, but stopped when he noticed the bones were part of a cat's skeleton, reminding him of his first family pet. Such suspicions were confirmed when he identified the collar around the undead animal. Suddenly, the skeletal remains leapt at him, doing everything in its power to nuzzle its still living companion.

As the undead cat rubbed up against him, Cheery Jingles looked up at his father with distraught. “You told me he ran away!”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Finally, after making frogs rain down on the Royal Gardens, Twilight found one of Starswirl's own special spells. This one, to her amazement, allowed a pony to temporarily go back in time in an enclosed loop. Twilight thought that that was sound, no sense in actually travelling through time to change things. Who knew what would happen. So, she didn't see the harm in trying it out.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Unicorn Twilight was feeling depressed. She had run out of things to read again. Books, journal articles, even her parents tax returns were all examined. She even gained recently her high school diploma ahead of Shining, who was not poised to graduate for another month and then go off to boot camp. But such accomplishments didn't seem all that great. What she wanted to do most was learn magic. She mastered the basics with what reading materials she had available, but nothing more. Standard education was pointless at anything more than basic. Instead, she resigned herself to the occasional special magic books her parents could afford and learn from that.

In order to compensate, Twilight thought long and hard about applying for the school for gifted unicorns. Part of her still had reservations was that she had no real desire to socialize with other students, in fact she had no real desire to leave this house much. But, there was nothing else to do about it if she wanted to become the best spell caster she could ever be. She just wished one day Princess Celestia might notice her, the insignificant filly who was inspired by her Summer-Sun performance.

As she pondered away, a disruption came in the form of a warp that appeared in the middle of her room. When it was over, the unicorn noticed what had appeared... another uni—pegacorn? It was wearing a strange robe and tiara.

“Hi! I'm from the future,” it spoke.

“Um... hi future... who are you? You look a lot like mom and I, are you my future sister or something?" The unicorn asked hesitantly.

“Uhm, sure—we'll go with that. How are you?”

“Okay, I guess...” the filly lamented. “So why are you here, and more importantly why do have wings? Are they real? Mom was seeing the milk pony, wasn't she? I always knew he was being too flirty.”

“What? No—Listen! Soon you're going to apply for Princess Celestia's school, right? You need to go.”

“Why?”

“Make tonnes of friends.|

“But, I hate friends! Friends are just... unfriendly and a nuisance. I would rather read books.”

“But you get to read books and make friends! Yougottogoyougottogoyougottogoyougottogo!” the weird pony protested while jumping up and down.

“Alright, I'll go! sheesh!”

“Yay!”

“It's not like I was planning to NOT go. I don’t know where else to learn advanced magic spells,” the unicorn grumbled.

“Just think about all the books you could read from Princess Celestia's personal library; ten books; a hundred books; a thousand; ten thousand; twenty thousand; twenty thousand books to read within the first year! You'll love it!”

That got Twilight's attention. “Personal library? Why would the Princess let any regular old filly like me go to her personal library?”

“No time to explain, must go! Stop staying at home like a closet pony! Not like magic you-know-where.” the strange filly spat before disappearing.

“I'm not some stupid closet pony,” the unicorn shot back at nopony while shivering. “I can't help it if other ponies have a social problem with me. Stupid sister lookalike making me remember magic kindergarten.”

Once she was able to calm down, the lavender pony decided to step outside her room to get some fresh air.

“Where are you going?” Nightlight asked.

“Public library, I want to see if they have a book on memory erasure spells, don’t like remembering… By the way, watch out for the milk pony.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

When Twilight reappeared back in the archives, she paused to see if anything changed. To her satisfaction, they didn't. With the closed loop affirmed, she was ready to continue her escapade in these new spells. However, hoof steps came.

“There you are,” Folio Juniper said. “I've been look everywhere for you. Do you know how worried your friends were when you ran off like a rocket?”

“Friends? Oh, that's right! I should go show them all the cool spells I learned.”

“You mean the spells that have been causing havoc around here?” the guard added rhetorically.

“Yeah, neat huh?”

Folio wasn't too pleased with Twilight's current definition of 'neat.' If anything, he himself was rather worried. “I think you might have drunk a little too much coffee--”

The alicorn interrupted him. “Was that what that was? I should probably drink some more if I want to read the rest of these shelves.”

“No, you will not! You are going to calm down before you can conjure anymore damage--”

“To the coffee table!” Twilight shouted as she zipped out the door.

“Nuts!”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Present...

Twilight was scampering like no other filly could scamper. Unfortunately, it seemed as though whatever this 'coffee' did was running out of juice. That last batch of spells must have been more draining than she thought. As a result, she was slowing down, giving Folio enough chances to catch up to her.

Unwilling to accept defeat, she took a sharp turn towards the gardens where many of the frogs still hopped about. She leapt for the fountain and flew up one of the statues. She didn't get away from Juniper, but she did cling to high ground that gave her time to rest and think of an escape.

As soon as the alicorn was able to catch her breath, Folio appeared.

“There you are. Come down from there,” the guard all but order between breaths.

“No way! Not until I get a clean shot at the coffee table.”

“Twilight,” Folio complained. “You're too young for coffee. Now get down.”

“Insolence! I have seen the light of caffeine's workings, I will not be denied this immortal truth!”

“There's no truth, it's just making you hyperactive. Like, Pinkie Pie hyperactive. Could you please come do--”

“No!”

Juniper sighed. “Don't make me order you like a scornful adult.”

“Won't work!”

“It's an established principle that children do not drink coffee.”

“Then I rebel against the establishment! Stick it to the mare! Buck her!"

Folio facehoofed. “Twilight, you're an alicorn, you ARE the mare.”

“Well... uh...” the filly was then puzzled. She tried quipping a come back, but she found her faculties slowing down. She really needed more of that coffee. “The aristocrats!”

“That line doesn't even work here. Just please come down?”

“Never! I have seen the top of the mountain, and I shall never fall from... frooo...” the lavender pony attempted to say as drowsiness was setting in. The words were never finished as Twilight fainted and collapsed.

Rushing forward to catch the falling pony, Folio caught her with his back, the blow softened by all the flowers growing over his armour. The filly safe and secure, the guard turned towards the exit, avoiding the frogs still hoping everywhere. Taking one glance backwards, he was able to see Equestria's next Princess snoring away. He snorted, it was hard to believe that such a young foal could be at the epicentre of so much trouble, both from within and without. Whatever the future would hold, he thought, it would encompass many interesting years.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Meanwhile...

"So what have we learned?" Celestia remarked.

"Not-darks don't play fair," a twisted statue complained while covering its irritated eyes. Little did he know that a creature of the night was susceptible to solar flares, one of the Princess' patented spells.

"Oy, yer know wez got beat by a beamy plot that flashed us."

"Shut it!"

In the very late hours of the night, the castle courtyard was nothing but a quiet ghost town. Just a few hours previously there had been live music, a mountain of sitting cushions, and guests that presented themselves from far and wide. Politicians, celebrities, business tycoons and those lucky enough to win tickets from various contests all gathered for the annual slog that was the Grand Galloping Gala. All of them were conversing, drinking and eating quite happily until flying contraptions fell from the sky, would-be assassins, needed catching, ponies went stampeding in a mad gift hunt and frogs littered the garden. To the mere mortals, the event had been something of a disaster. But, to Princess Celestia, sunny alicorn ruler extraordinaire, it had been one of the best nights in a very long time. She even had a couple of beaten gargoyles to show for it.

When the party died down, ponies left one by one, usually towards the guest chambers-turned-hotel for the night. Well... most ponies... The current Duke of Weighing Tonnes didn't even make it to the exit and passed out under one of the catering tables, using the cloth as a blanket. He was soundly snoring away, no doubt dreaming about dancing sugar puffs or prancing gingerbread mares. Celestia always did like his family's quirks. Celestia could even recite the names of every pastry chef that came from that house. Needless to say, the Princess had been caught more than once teleporting into their kitchen to sample new creations in the middle of the night. Most of the time they just fed her more. Nothing like a little joie de vie when feeling peckish.

The Princess always chuckled whenever she looked back at how she first gave that silly title. All she had to do was throw the biggest and fattest stallion she could find at the notorious Gross Pierre and presto, hero of the nation, rewarded with a a fancy house and a stipend. Talk about the horse shoe luck on the stallion's part. Let it forever be known that even in Equestria's darkest episodes, Celestia still managed to preserve her sense of humour. A foolish title for crushing the foolishly entitled.

As she continued to trot towards the doorway, the alicorn felt a tiny magical tremor coming from the ethereal domain. The princess quickly dashed in the direction where the disturbance felt strongest and witnessed the bubble that notified that this was a time-spatial disturbance. In many ways, it had reminded her of Twilight's disastrous test about half a year ago, though the phenomenon was much less chaotic. If anything, its refined quality suggested that this was a spell at work, just like...

Whoever was casting the effect began to materialize, hitting the floor with a resounding thud upon contact. Celestia tried to get a view of the caster but had difficulty due to the warp effect. It wasn't until the spell finally stabilized that she was able to get a peek at the intruder that could replicate Twilight's feet. When she did get a good look, she could see that the mare had been nopony else but...

“Twilight?”

On cue, the new mare in the room turned to face her and looked up at the large alicorn.

“Princess Celestia?”

“Am I supposed to be anypony else?” the sun pony teased.

“Well... no...” Twilight admitted before recovering from her distraction. “Quick, what year is it?”

“Well, your entrance exam was several months ago, so--”

“Yes, I did it!” the smaller mare exclaimed with jubilation. “Starswirl's complete time spell CAN be modified.”

Confused, Celestia responded, “Starswirl's—modified? What do you mean exactly?”

Interrupting her victory prance around the worm hole, the intruder cam to a halt for what was undoubtedly a lecture. After clearing her throat, Twilight's double explained, “As you well know, before Starswirl disappeared, he dabbled in time traversing spells. The most common one under low level restrictions is the ability to reappear back in time at a not-too-distant point. This, of course, only last a few minutes at most and creates its own closed loop as to not cause any paradoxes in the sequences of events. However, unbeknownst to most ponies, there is another spell that doesn't adhere to these safety restraints and is far more complete.”

“I am quite familiar with the spell you're talking about. The scroll is under much higher security restrictions and is for all intents and purposes classified due to the dangers it poses. I'm assuming somepony managed to—or will manage to steal it at some point, given reported sightings of you during the sonic rainboom event.”

The duplicate blinked at that. “Wait, you actually have reported sightings of me?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, the foals near the race track were quite consistent about your description. It was hard not to notice, what with the heated exchange you had with the other mare.”

“Huh...” Twilight was genuinely surprised about that. “Celestia—eh... my Celestia rather—didn't mention anything about that. I guess she didn't want to tell me anything before ascending--”

*Bang!*

Before she could explain further, Twilight twisted her head towards the startling noise. Apparently, Pinkie Pie had followed her and was showering the room with confetti.

“Hi, Twilight!” the party mare exclaimed with a dramatic wave.

“Pinkie! How did you even follow me here and... are those party cannons?”

“Yep.”

“Why did you even bring them here?”

“To avoid confusion, silly.”

“Come again?”

“Well, you use Stargrumpy's spell to see if you can look at alternative timelines of ourselves, right? That would make running into ourselves a bit of a problem since we couldn't see which pony belonged to which timeline. So... I thought I'd bring my party cannons along so that we can identify ourselves as the party cannon ponies, or cannon ponies for short. Isn't that great? Party cannon ponies from a party cannon world.”

“Uhm... I'm not sure that's really necessary. We're supposed to be fillies at this particular time. I don't think we'll need to differentiate ourselves by being 'cannon ponies' as you like to call us.”

“Okey, dokey, lockey!” Pinkie cheered as she bounced away with her artillery pieces.

Turning once again to her would-be mentor, Twilight added, “Sorry about that. That's Pinkie Pie, you'll get to know her quite well.”

“Already have.” Celestia replied.

The lavender alicorn didn't quite catch that. “What...”

“Oh yes, I first met her when you and Cadence were playing war games in the library.”

“That can't be right,” Twilight corrected. “I haven't met her until the Summer Sun Celebration just before Nightmare Moon's return.”

The Princess pondered this. “You don't say? Perhaps you should tell me more about when and where you are from.”

“where—oh right! The explanation. Let's see, where was I again? That's right, Starswirl's spell.”

After clearing her throat, the older duplicate pony began again. “As you've probably already guessed, I'm not the Twilight you would be familiar with. I... and Pinkie, are from another world. Well... more like the same world but in a divergent timeline.”

The white alicorn mused the idea. “If that's true, why come here?”

“Well, after fixing the time paradox left by Starlight Glimmer in her attempt as stopping me and my friends from coming together, there were a number of fissures still left over. In short, a ripple in time and space where infinite possibilities exist. Thus, even though the sonic rainboom event is now fixed in place, there are slight deviations caused by the ripple.”

“In short,” Celestia affirmed. “Setting the sequence of events back in their place has caused a tissue scar of sorts for alternative paths to emerge from that one event.”

“Exactly!” Twilight beamed. “That's why I'm here, to study some of the paths of slight deviations after the sonic rainboom took place.”

“Interesting... So, how did you come up with this experiment.”

“Oh, that? I took a few observation notes from a cat with a duel existential state. From there I experimented further.”

“And exactly how did such a cat come into being?” Celestia asked worryingly.

“Discord's idea. He gave it to Fluttershy for her birthday. Said something about it being a... Schrödinger breed? I'm not really sure about the details. Best not to think about it too hard when he's involved.”

“Fluttershy's so lucky.” Pinkie complained. “All he ever gave me was a squirt gun with the name 'Chekhov' engraved on it. I'm not sure I'll ever get the chance to use it.”

“Di—Discord?” The Princess staggered at just the mention of the name.

“Then again...” the pink mare muttered. “I could always save it for—Ah, I'm sure it won't be that important.”

“Discord actually managed to free himself?”

Pinkie quirked. “Isn't that what we implied?”

Celestia let out a sigh. “Another thing I—no, my Twilight will have to contend with.”

Noticing her dejection, Pinkie Pie promptly gave the oversized mare the biggest hug she could give. “Cheer up non-cannon Princess, Discord isn't so bad. All he really needs is a friend to share his laughs with. He just doesn't know it yet. You can't keep spreading chaos forever and ever if nopony else can join in on the fun.”

“I hope you're right, Pinkie. The last thing I want to do is deceive my student with regards to future threats anymore than what I'm already doing.”

“Oh, it wasn't that bad,” Twilight stated in her attempt at comforting her would-be mentor. “I mean, our Celestia only hid her forewarn knowledge about the return of Nightmare Moon on the Summer Sun Celebration in order to help me make proper friends on my own because I was a complete shut in. Without that, we may not have been able to beat her.”

“I suppose there was some necessity to—Wait! A shut in? That doesn't sound like you.”

It was Twilight's turn to be confused. “Not like me? I was practically stuck in my own little world while studying in one of your towers. I barely managed to keep any acquaintances, even with other avid readers like Moon Dancer. Celestia told me that she tried everything, only when she finally sent me to Ponyville did things change.”

“And when did she send you to Ponyville exactly?”

“I thought I told you, it was during the Summer Sun Celebration, the one marking the thousandth year of Luna's banishment.”

At that, the overly large alicorn seemed troubled at the news. “So you're telling me... that in your universe... I kept you HERE in relative seclusion until you were an adult?”

“Well...” Twilight tried to explain with a bit of apprehension. “She was overly protective, probably because I was just a small insignificant unicorn who hasn't seen the wide world at large.”

Celestia blinked. “Twilight, when did you ascend?”

“After the Princess instructed me to complete Starswirl's unfinished spell, about a year after Luna returned. She didn't explain why or the risks involved, just asked that I complete it. You should have seen the mess the town was in after all my friends had their cutie marks switched.”

“That... doesn't sound quite ethical. I mean, I'll have my student complete the same spell at some point, but not with that lack of precautions, or transparency... I hope.”

“It wasn't so bad,” the lavender pony explained. “The only other major test that she made me do that I can think of is when the Crystal Empire reappeared. In that scenario she wanted me to retrieve the Crystal Heart and place it on its mantle without anypony's assistance. It worked well at first, but when I was trapped, I had to make a difficult decision between saving the kingdom and passing the Princess' test. So, I got Spike to help me just before impending doom struck the city and Sombra was banished forever.”

When the smaller alicorn was done explaining, Celestia made an expression that looked somewhere ewteen horrified and apoplectic.

“Twilight.”

“Yes?”

“Why would I, Princess Celestia, make you undertake a test about breaking my instructions in order to do the morally upstanding thing while thousands of lives are at stake?”

“To think for myself and get acquainted with making difficult decisions for the greater good.”

“I imagine this was done leading up to your ascension?”

“Actually, yes. Why?”

“...”

“Princess?”

“I think your Celestia and I need to have a talk,” the great big alicorn declared.

“Okay...” Twilight carefully added. “You're acting like my transformation shouldn't be happening that way.”

“It didn't.”

It was Twilight's turn to blink. “Didn't? Don't you mean it won't?”

“No, didn't, because it already happened--”

“WHAT!” the lavender mare shouted.

“Do you remember your entrance exam and how that catapulted you to being my student?”

After taking the time to do her breathing exercise, Twilight spoke up. “Yes. That's when I got my cutie mark.”

“That's not the only thing you earned.”

At first Twilight didn't understand the underlying meaning of that statement. However, the implication soon donned on her and she stared back at Celestia with her jaw to the floor.

“H-How?”

“Her surge was so extreme that I didn't have time to stop it. I can't say I know what transpired after that, but Twilight tore a hole in the fabric of the material reality and went straight into the ethereal realm. I'm guessing she stepped in because before I knew it, the filly returned to us and the tears were fixed.”

“She?” Twilight inquired.

“The Lady of the Faucet, she who lets flow all the magic into the world from the fountain of ethereal.” Pinkie replied. “And all those whose feats that require enough magic will briefly ascend to her domain. From there, they shall return to the materium as a living Saint in her honour to forever maintain the balance of all life upon the world.”

The lavender pony looked to her friend with a new sense of puzzlement. Never before had she witnessed her pink fellow producing such sermon. “Pinkie, since when were you into theological studies?”

“I'm not. I just found this pamphlet on the floor near the courtyard,” the cannon mare rebuked while holding up the leaflet for the other two to see.

Upon closer inspection, Twilight and Celestia read the paper. The later inwardly sighed, the filly's contact with the cult group was already having an effect on the larger world with multiple sects starting to form. The adult version of her student was rather intrigued by such developments.“The Faucet Witnesses? Who's this Faucet and how come alicorns are regarded as Saints?”

“Faust, actually. You've never met her, but she resides in her own realm beyond the ethereal. Legends say she had a hoof in forming this world's magical forces that have imbued life in the planet's first seasons. I'm not entirely sure of her true nature or purpose myself, but she seems to have a certain influence on fate. I'm assuming she must have intervened to mitigate the near-disaster in that classroom. The rest is the result of some misunderstandings.”

“Oh,” Twilight replied with some trepidation. “You seem very casual about this mare—if she can be called that--, given her deified-like nature.”

The Princess shrugged. “I played with her a couple of times on poker night. Suffice to say, she's very hard to read, even for me. Very teasing too, I think she can literally be one step ahead of everypony else, as if writing us into a grander story.”

“Even me?”

With a nod. “Yes, Pinkie, even you.”

As the pink mare grappled with the apparent limits of her anomaly, Twilight considered her next question. “If she can literally see and expect things to happen before they do, then why did she felt the need to reveal herself to your student personally?”

Celestia smiled. “Like you said, the fissure in time left by this Starlight Glimmer created many deviations of possibility that coexist along side your own version of reality after the sonic-rainboom became fixed. I'm sure probability made it so that events could happen in a sequence even Faust couldn't predict.”

That seemed like the probable conclusion. Even Pinkie acknowledged the possibility and whined, “Discord will be jellyyyyyy.” The other two giggled, finding amusement at the notion that the Lord of Chaos brooding over being outmatched in random anomalies.

“Speaking of unexpected activities.” Twilight pointed at the pamphlet. “Aren't you going to make a public decree to correct this?”

The Princess merely shrugged with a leftover plate of cake in her magical grip. “There is some vague element of truth to it, from a certain point of view.”

Just before Twilight was about to protest, Celestia continued. “Trust me, trying to deny ponies of anything, especially something of spiritual persuasion, only brings more attention to it.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A thousand years earlier...

“We are NOT thou blessed Goddess of the sun!” a young white alicorn shouted.

“Only a true Goddess would deny her divinity. All others are mere pretenders,” a member of the crowd retorted.

“What? Well then fine, we ARE a Goddess!”

“SHE IS A GODDESS!!!” the ponies cheered.

As Celestia face-hoofed herself from the dumbfounded catch-22 she found herself in, Luna was grumbling alone in her corner. The clear lack of recognition she was receiving from the visiting 'Day Breaker' cult was aggravating and rubbing salt upon an ever increasing wound.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Present...

“Trust me, trying to correct ponies can be more trouble than it's worth. Better to just let things fizzle out.”

Twilight was skeptical at said words. “Uh-huh...”

“On that note,” the Princess pronounced between bites into her dessert. “Twilight—well... my Twilight... she's already coming along with meeting the other elements. Probably will be meeting the last two soon at this rate.”

“That's strange. I wonder what could be causing us—well them I guess—to meet so early?”

“Probably because the elements gravitate towards one another, something I'm sure is being furthered along by the fact that Twilight--”

“Non-cannon Twilight!” Pinkie interupted.

“Right, non-cannon Twilight. Things may be furthered along because her element isn't as dormant as it might have been when you first began your ascension.”

The second alicorn thought about it, but such a hypothesis still left some details unclear. “When you say 'began my ascension,' do you mean when I was tinkering with Starswirl's spell?”

“Nope, before that.”

“Before?”

Celestia decided to explain herself further. “Back when you took your first step, but couldn't complete it on account of you couldn't fully grasp the power you had.”

“You don't mean--”

The mentor stand-in, nodding, affirmed Twilight's realization. “That's right, your ascension began the very moment the filly, Rainbow Dash, performed her sonic rainboom and you unleashed your surge.”

“How would you even know?”

“Trust me, if your surge was even only half as potent as our Twilight's, then it's almost certain that you took your first step in becoming the embodiment of the magic of friendship.”

“So, does this mean I—well... filly me already uncovered her magic completely?”

“Not quite,” Celestia stated. “She may have been a step ahead of you in ascending, but she only has the basics in terms of alicorn abilities. She has yet to discover her true source of power.”

Twilight rubbed the chin of her muzzle and thought about this new information. “This certainly explains a lot of what Princess Celestia—eh... our Princess Celestia was doing.”

The other alicorn beamed. “Did you think that it would be within my power or right to decide somepony else's ascension for them without their knowledge or consent?”

“Didn't you just show disapproval at the other you for treating the rescue of the Crystal Empire and its ponies as a test?”

Celestia smile returned to brooding . “Don't remind me.”

Truth was, the Princess had no idea how her counterpart would react in different situations, she wasn't even sure how she would. In fact, Celestia wasn't sure what choices in reaction were even available to her. She didn't think letting Twilight know about the elements of harmony and Nightmare Moon ahead of time was a good idea, something she learned from handling Sunset, as much as some might revolt at the ethical implications and breeches in trust involved. Then again, was extending the secrecy and machinations to the return of the Crystal Empire a reasonable idea? Artificially making a situation that involved saving thousands of lives more difficult just to satisfy a social experiment and speeding things along seemed repulsive. Even princesses needed to draw lines... especially princesses...

Speaking of, her Twilight was no mere unicorn either. Celestia wasn't sure she could actually hide anything from her in any type of legal capacity. Granted, she wasn't an official Princess as of yet, but as the little pony got older it would be more difficult to keep her out of the loop of state secrets. Not to mention things were developing a lot faster on the element front. Was the other Celestia trying to make up for keeping Twilight in Canterlot and delaying her student's personal growth (and possibly sooner ascension)? She supposed if filly Twilight were still a unicorn she might have been much more worried about her safety.

The Princess groaned, no matter what the specifics and reasoning, there was something about the other Celestia's decisions and ploys that left a bad taste in her mouth. Thinking about it frustrated her. In fact, she didn't feel like thinking at all, just roll up a hundred newspapers and smack something.

“Anyways,” Twilight interrupted. “We probably should get going. There's a lot here for me to digest and think about.”

“Poker nights are Wednesday if you are ever interested. Regulars include Time Turner, A.K. Yearling, a grape eating duck, Rick, the Dragon Lord Torch, shrunken of course, and the Blue Mare Group.”

The lavender pony thought it over. “I'll think about it, it'll be interesting to talk to a Celestia that isn't my mentor.”

“And I'm sure you not being my student will likely be just as interesting.”

After the pair waved the Princess goodbye, they reopened the portal and jumped through, Pinkie humming all along as she carried away her artillery piece. After they passed through, the spell dissipated and the massive energy maintaining it ceased. As the world around her returned to the quiet lonely night, Celestia refilled her empty plate of desserts. There was a lot of information about the upcoming years she needed to comb over and plan accordingly. But, she still had one more item on her to-do list that took priority.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Some time later in another reality...

“Sister, it's time to raise the sun,” Luna shouted. “Sister?

The Princess of the Night was once again annoyed that Celestia had forgotten to set her alarm clock as dawn was approaching. Luna could see a faint light coming over the horizon, but the sun clearly needed that one extra magical push to get it to complete its rise. She went to the bedroom to wake her up, but she wasn't there. Upon further reflection, the answer was obvious. “Of course, she went to the kitchen again. Typical, always making breakfast before anything else.”

As the dark alicorn walked down the corridors and made her way to the dining area, looking for the big white gluttonous monster of a sister, she began to hear a sound. At first she didn't know what it was, but as she drew nearer it sounded like Celestia was mad about something. Furthermore, shrieks and smacks were audible in the same direction. As she drew near, worrying about what might have happen to her daylight counterpart, she saw a most peculiar sight.

“Bad Celestia! Bad!” An angry white alicorn, no different from her Sister, kept hitting the actual Princess with rolled up pieces of newspaper in the most undignified ways possible. Celestia—her Celestia—was cowering on the floor with forelegs over her head, desperately shielding herself from the unexpected righteous furry.

“You know what, I think I'll just raise the sun this one time,” Luna slipped nervously as she backpedaled and walked away from the scene. The less she knew, the simpler life would be.

“So, exactly why did I come here again?” Spitfire asked rhetorically, already aware of the idiotic answer a certain wing leader was about to spout.

The stallion took another long look in his hoof mirror, tucked his scarf, fixed his aviator jacket and took another shot at combing his mane, trying to minimize the spots of grey creeping in. In his typical deep voice he added politely, “By the grace of the most generous of princesses, her Royal Highness has seen fit to recognize my skills and tasked me with a matter of the upmost importance.”

“Can I get the subtitles, preferably with less Canterlotian drama?”

If Winder Rider felt slighted or irritated in any way by the flippancy, he didn't show it. He opted for layman's language. “Look, orders came from on high at the request of Princess Celestia. She wants help teaching our newly bred Princess-to-be how to fly, now that she's able to get airborne.”

The news about Twilight Sparkle's escapades during the Grand Galloping Gala had been hot in the presses for two days, becoming a major talking point for newspapers and magazines alike. Articles such as Attack of the Night Witches, Paw of the Dead or The Apothecary Plot heavily romanticized the whole string of events, almost playing them out like novels. The op-ed pieces were no better, spinning political or special interest lenses left, right and centre. One of the newspaper stands they passed on the way had an interesting collection.

Trots News: Mayor Orange Grump of Cloudsdale told reporters, “We need total shutdown of these new airoooplanes taking over our skies. That stallion inventor comes from Trottingham, which is a dung hole place. FAKE WINGS!”

Ponalist Worker: Proletariat Princess Strikes Back! Countess Cartel Unravelled!

P.N.N.: Two day since Hemlock's arrest! Ancestry to Gross Pierre uncovered! Read as we continue to cover this story each and every day non-stop with no new information! No other more pressing local stories matter!

The Pun: Flying Terrorist Stallion Ruins Gala for Gentle Folk

E.B.C.: Gentry Plot Foiled, Heroic Stallion Recognized

The Equestrian Post: Night of Long Presents Shopping!

Royal Equestrian Air Farce: Flying Contraptions? Use a Chicken Cannon

Colt Mare Report: Necroose Nekoose On the Loose!

Equiner: Neighbourhood Reaper Kitty

Charley Horse Head Blow: (Cartoon of a masked Celestia holding a professional wrestling belt)

Global Hooves: Teenagers Rave the Caves, the New Moral Panic

“That's nice and all,” Spitfire acknowledged. “But what does that have to do with me exactly?”

For his part, Wind Rider kept his expression neutral. “Unfortunately, I have a lot on my plate already. So, I need somepony else to deal with this matter.”
The mare protested. “Wait, what things? Didn't this order come to you personally? What could you priorities more than this?”

The older stallion sighed. “Look Spits, sometimes a good leader has to delegate tasks rather than take them on themselves. You should know, you're quickly becoming a favourite for the next round of promotions.”

It was true, Spitfire was certainly in the runner up for the upper echelon of the team, but all that meant was more paperwork and more time teaching candidate flyers. She didn't mind that last part, of course, drill instructing came natural to her. Still, she still felt like she had gotten the raw end of the stick in this particular case.

“Delegate my flank, you've gotten yourself out of doing actual administrative work so regularly they might as well call you Flee Rider. It's the only thing you do faster than flying. It's no wonder you didn't go up past wing leader. Besides, it still doesn't change that you were ordered specifically to do this.”

To his credit, Wind actually kept his posture and cool expression relatively unchanged. It had stiffen somewhat under the unflattering remark ponies kept giving him, but he weathered it all the same. “I understand, Spits, but teaching other flyers has never been my department despite my level of skills. Speaking of, I'm also not getting any younger as you may have noticed.” He pointed to his greying mane. “I don't have a lot of time in the Wonderbolts left and there are still a few records I need to set before I'm retired.”

That was certainly true, Wind Rider wanted to set the best records he could possibly have before he was forced to call it quits. It was also true that he had already broken the pre-existing ones that were there before his career, but the better his times improved, the more long lasting they would become in the annals of recorded flight. To him, holding those records for as long as possible was far more important than aiming for the top job. Captains came and went, but his records and techniques could be remembered for generations. Anything else was a distraction not worth his numbered days.

“Don't think I don't sympathize, Wind. But, disobeying the Princess isn't exactly a good career move, even if you are on the way out. What do you think will happen if little Miss Sparkle told Princess Celestia, who she has regular contact by the way, that you were a no-show?”

Rider shrugged. “A reprimand, maybe? I sit out one of our shows, which would give me time for more practice. What's one more chew-out from the captain for an old stallion like me?” After putting on his salesman face, he added, “Besides, it's not so much disobeying orders as it is... subverting expectations—yes, that's it. Why settle on an old hoof when a much more qualified trainer is present?”

“What--”

“Thank you, Spits. I'll remember to return the favour sometime, maybe put in a good word higher up the chain, no?”

Before Spitfire could so much as respond, Wind Rider flew off at top speed, waving goodbye. As she collected herself, the irritation set in. If there's one thing the mare hated, it was being dumped with somepony else's problems. After a few moments of bellows and curses, she got on with her newly saddled job, muttering under her breath the whole way.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight Sparkle was busy trying to follow her teacher's instructions as she painted. While she paved her canvas with brush strokes, the filly found her efforts less than desirable. Even when she was a unicorn, Twilight never had any aptitude for the arts, save perhaps calligraphy. As such, it was one of the few fields she did the bare minimum to get accredited during her days of homeschooling. As an alicorn, she found the craft of painting much more difficult than before. Her telekinetic strokes were too hard, her brush stabbing the paper or streaking violently in every direction she focused on like a slash. Whatever adjustments the filly had to make in her proficient use of magic after the transformation overlooked clearly some of the finesse required for certain motions she rarely had to deal with, to her increasing chagrin. With some amusement, the overly calm teacher tried to diffuse the situation.

“Now, dear child, when I said to beat the Tartarus out of that brush, I didn't mean bash it like a murder weapon,” he explained in his soothing tone.

Frantic, Twilight exclaimed, “But I can't get it to move like I want to!” She pointed to the messy canvas with holes to emphasize her plight.

The teacher merely chuckled and replaced calmly the parchment with another.

“And there in lies the problem, dear Twilight, trying to control the flow of the brush.”

“Isn't that what painting is?”

“Oh, hardly,” he assured with a calming tone that would even best Celestia's serene demeanour. “What a real painter does is let the brush move them, let it fly like a leaf on the wind, let it go.”

“Let it go?”

“Let it go.”

“We get it, she's going to be a Princess!” an annoyed choir filly exclaimed, having been force to recite the lyrics numerous times.

Paying the pony no mind, the teacher continued to help Twilight with her brush strokes until the door opened, revealing a yellow coated pegasus with an orange mane and a blue yonder dress uniform, indicative of the areal contingent of the greater EUP Guard that worked outside the capital. With her trademark aviator sunglasses, she gave off the impression of a calm and cool character as she scanned the room for her intended point of attention.

“May I help you?”

“Cob Ross, right? Didn't you used to be a training instructor for the guard?”

Surprised at the mention of his former occupation, the teacher quizzically furrowed his brow. There were few people who knew of his last job. “I did my time in her highness' service, yes. Got tired of all the yelling, so I chose a profession where I can speak softly and paint happy little clouds.”

To that, the mare cheered. “Thought so, the beard and afro can't hide that distinctive voice.”

Ross rolled his eyes, “Everyone is always on about the voice. I like to think it's all in the delivery.”

“Speaking of deliveries, I'm here to pick up somepony.” The pegasus turned her gaze towards the filly, still very much trying to paint a landscape with all the skills and eccentricities of a Buckasso original. Spitfire couldn't exactly make the shapes out.

“Is that supposed to be a melting clock or something?”

Twilight dropped the brush and began to headbutt the canvas with all the serenity of Equid Munch's The Scream.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After a very terse exchange between an alicorn's face and paper, the former was given a quick wash and left behind the paint apron in the art room rather than bring it to her locker as it was customary. Satisfied that she wouldn't have to deal with the accursed object any longer, she went about her way, that way being out the door where the pegasus was waiting.

“Not much of an art fan, are you?” the mare chimed with a faint smile. “Never was good at the whole paint schtick myself. Hence why I fly for a living.”

Whatever good cheer the Wonderbolt attempted to bring with her flippancy, it annoyed Twilight more than anything. For all of her excellence in studying any topic she set her mind on, the filly could never quite grasp the practical application of artistic pursuits. Sure, she had a firm grasp of all the major artistic styles and their place in history, she had a good academic understanding of techniques and symbolic representations, but she couldn't develop the temperament required to stroke a brush. Sure, pen and pencil she could do, did very well in fact, but she was at a loss with paint.

“Oh, come on. Leave that sour face behind, there won't be any paint jobs where we're going.”

“And where exactly are we going, Miss?” the filly inquired.

The question caught the pegasus off guard, for one the little pony used 'Miss' instead of her name like many excited fans did. Two, it seemed quite clear that they were going for flying lessons.

“You don't know? I thought they told you.”

“Told me what?”

“You know... That you were being picked up by The Wonderbolts for flight lessons.”

Twilight shook her head.

“Nopony? Not even a message or something?”

The alcicorn rubbed her chin as she pondered about any recent papers. After a moment she decided to check her back pack, rummaging through her belongings until she found a note at the bottom.

“I think the Princess wanted me to study wing maneuvers, or something like that.”

To illustrate her point, she pulled out a book titled Flight Patterns and Wing Symmetry. It was rather big, at least by Spitfire's estimations. The sketches mathematical theories that popped up as the pages flipped were enough to give the mare a headache.

“Alright, I get the point. You know a couple things. Could you put the book away... please...” the pegasus pleaded while fixing her sun glasses into place. Spitfire knew her theories well, but there was only so much classwork she could handle. Yet, that filly just soaked up advanced materials like a sponge. How she planned to teach her was going to require some re-evaluation.

Twilight replied, “So, is there going to be a test to this, should I study more?”

“No test,” Spitfire affirmed. “At least, not the kind you're thinking of. What you're going to be doing is mainly applied stuff.”

“Oh...” The filly's ears folded. “I don't do so good on applied tests.”

“Oh, relax. This isn't a woodworking shop, it's flying. You'll be fine.”

After a few more reassuring words and some good old Wonderbolt pep talk, the pegasus managed to get the little alicorn to lift herself off the ground and begin hovering.

“You know...” Spitfire added. “You seem awfully calm given that I just said I was a Wonderbolt. Most foals would usually squee or rush to get an autograph.”

Twilight just shrugged. “You're not the strangest pony I've met.”

The pegasus didn't quite understand what she was hearing. She had been taken aback, flabbergasted even. This had been completely different from what she was expecting from a crowd of foals. This pony, alicorn or not, seemed almost uninterested to the usual fanfare. She treated her as just some... oddity... “Not the strangest? What do you mean, not the strangest?”

“Have you met Pinkie Pie?”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chitty Chitty Chitin was having a really bad couple of days. Before his troubles began, he left the hive to do his usual round of undercover work in Equestria. At first, everything went by uneventfully as he travelled around in multiple aliases. In fact, he favoured assignments outside since it gave him much more autonomy and leeway than other drones might otherwise receive. Aside from the usual quota of siphoned love he needed to take and provide to one of his handlers at the dead-drop, he had virtual freedom to do what he wanted. As a result, he was able to partake in some finer hobbies.

Using his natural ability to manipulate and create disguises, Chitty was able to become an effective con artist, smuggler, thief, bookie fixer, etc... From organizing betting rings to embezzlement, to ponzi schemes, this changeling had a hoof in it all. Some of his aliases had quite the notoriety in the underworld. This was fine for Chitty, if the law or even a rival criminal ever caught up with him, he could simply disappear by using one of his other alter egos. In fact, he cheated life insurance companies a couple of times by using this trick on his more above-board identities. As a result, he became very wealthy.

It was quite simple, he used what he called his 'renegade' personas to commit his criminal activities and embezzle the profits, then have that money legally transferred to the bank accounts of his 'paragon' identities who did nothing wrong. In fact, he even owned a couple of the small banks involved, again through other aliases. Just like with his personalities, he separated them between the ones who took part in the embezzlement and the good honest ones where everything would end up.

For years this series of schemes had gone on smoothly. Chitty ensured always that it did, keeping track of all his personas, their jobs, locales, property ownership, living status, etc... His web was so large and convoluted that even if investigators discovered some of the illegal links, he could sever said links by allowing his fictitious personas to take the fall and end it there. This happened once when he was busted in a sting operation where he was caught with a full warehouse of contraband. The changeling allowed himself to be arrested, jailed and then staged a 'failed' escape where his alter ego supposedly drowned while swimming to freedom on account that nopony saw him again. He even kept the wanted poster as a memento.

Once the money trail was complete and it ended up with one of his legitimate identities, he could do what he wanted with it. He bought pent houses, yachts, luxury condos, expensive wine, art, and he even paid large sums at charity events. That last part even garnered him positive recognition among social circles and he was even given an aristocratic title. He was known in high society as Sir Money Eyed. While some would say that his philanthropy was ironic given his criminal identities, Chitty always told himself that despite breaking the rules (both openly as a criminal and covertly for the hive), he never hurt anypony, except for other wealthy ponies but they were all crooked in their own little ways. So, the changeling went along with no care in the world... until one of his secret ledgers with some of his listed personalities was stolen from his Canterlot home.

Chitty had always been careful with his ledgers, especially the master ledger he kept in his most secure vault. However, since this particular book belonged to one of his 'paragon' forms, he kept his guard down and left it in a locked drawer with no significant value, in a house filled with locks everywhere. To single out this one drawer among many meant somepony was on to him, or knew at least he was not all he seemed to be. If the content of those pages were ever discovered, he could be discovered in part. Sure, most of the network would survive, but Sir Money Eyed, his social connections and parts of his wealth would vanish. The changeling would lose years of work and he wasn't ready for that. So, he went off to find it before any irreparable damage could be done. Fortunately, he made sure his ledgers were enchanted with a tracking spell and was able to locate it rather quickly. Less fortunately, what he hadn't counted on was the pressure plate that activated a rune circuit that triggered a paralysis incantation once he grabbed the book from the abandoned house's night stand.

When Chitty finally came to, he found himself locked up in a dark confine, likely in a cellar, and a unicorn inhibitor ring attached to his disguised horn. He spent hours trying to loosen the ropes around him, but his captor was thorough, preventing him from even biting his way out. When he thought he made a bit of progress, the cell door opened up, the perpetrator himself came for a visit. To the changeling's surprise, the identity of said individual was somepony very familiar in Canterlot's high society.

“Oh good, you're finally awake.”

“Bluelord?”

“The one and the same,” the mustached stallion stoically replied. “Now I'm sure you have many questions--”

“This is a travesty! Nay, criminal to the highest order! Only that dimwitted Hemlock could be so bold. When her Highness finds out about this, she will--”

“My Aunt is none of your concern, Sir Money Eyed. Furthermore, I find your claim of boldness quite laughable, considering how a literal insect, to my great surprise, managed to infiltrate the lower tier of our ranks.” Bluelord sighed. “Honestly, giving out titles to nouveu-riche, we really have to be more exclusive than that. What was the Princess thinking?”

As the unicorn was giving a disapproving shake at nopony in particular, the changeling had to think. While most changelings would begin to panic in this type of situation, Chitty was far too much the seasoned con. So, probed very carefully.

“So, if you know what I am, then why am I here wasting time talking with your ugly mug and not some guard? You don't seem to be in any hurry to turn me over to the crown. What, are you planning to make my coming-out party a spectacle for one of your soirees at the old estate?”

To the changeling's amazement, the moustached fool chuckled at the jest. “Oh, wouldn't that be a splendour? But alas, the reason why I sought out one of your kind out is for a small project of mine.”

“Let me guess, pin the tail on the donkey?”

“No, more like finalizing vows.”

Chitty's brow furrowed. “Listen Bub, I'm flattered and all, but I'm not that love-hungry. Besides, bondage isn't really my thing.”

Blue Lord huffed. “As if an un-elegent creature such as yourself would even qualify as a candidate for partner among our kind.”

“Now when you say our, do you mean mean ponykind in general or just ponies like you, you elitist piece of sh--”

“Ha! As if a society of leaches could ever comprehend the feelings of the creatures they pounce on and drain.”

“Well, our Queen is set in her ways.” The changeling allowed himself to smile sarcastically. “If it were up to me, I'd just open an escort service. We'd probably make a killing just off you Canterlot brown nosers alone, all wanting some quality time with a copy of some famous hot model. I can already imagine all the Fleur-de-Lys clones prancing around. Why, we could even have a sultry version of your dear old aunt.”

To emphasize his last point, his face shape-shifted into a smaller version of Celestia, making the most alluring moans while

Bluelord gagged at the display. While it was true his familial relationship with the Princess had always been superficial, having some fifty generations of separation, give or take, with possibly other ponies being slightly closer genealogically, he found the act no less repulsing. “Such debauchery! As if we'd ever allow that.”

Changing back into his Money Eyed form, the changeling continued, “True, you Canterlot types are all about maintaining a family friendly entertainment district, encouraging hypocritical moral values that poorly reflect your high class social standards. We'd need a better venue, some place not afraid to get down and dirty in the open, like Las Pegasus. Now there's a city that understands anarcho-capitalism.”

“Riveting...”

“But like I said, the Queen is stuck in her old ways. She has no drive for innovation and industrious thinking. Instead, she likes to keep tight control over all aspects of love capture and distribution, which is both counter-productive to the overall goal and stagnant. When she wants more love, she just sends out more spies, but more spies mean higher risks of detection and more time spent trying to maintain better covers and managing black sites. Highly inefficient. Instead, she needs to loosen the reins, allow a free flow of ideas and letting drones keep more of their love and sell it off. Changelings would then be motivated to improve extraction techniques, open up business fronts. Forget the old cloak and dagger methods.”

As Chitty continued to explain, bordering on rant, his ideas about better feeding the hive, Bluelord brought him back to the subject at hand. “As much as I like to hear about your... love economy reforms... I'm afraid I have other business with you.”

“I already said I'm not interested--”

“Not vows with me you dolt of a knave! There is somepony else I'm after and wish to make arrangements with.”

“Who?”

“A certain... ascendant... if you will.”

The changeling didn't quite know what the stallion meant at first, but after thinking it over it was his turn to gag. “Eww... is that even legal? I thought betrothing the young was out of fashion centuries ago?”

“Oh for goodness sake, listen! For better or worse I have to deal with this new Princess, one way or the other. I need to have control over her upbringing if things are to change the fate of the great houses. For a thousand years the birthrights of our cast have slowly diminished, whether it be through legislation or diluting us with business tycoons, tycoons who just see their newfound prestige as just another badge for the trophy cabinet without any inclination as to its meaning. Any attempt at swaying my Aunt against this course has been futile for generations.”

“Yeah, that No Pony At It Code really did a number on the old landgravanes and what little power bases they had.”

“All thanks to that bellicose gambit from that stupid hot head.” Bluelord begrudged. “It gave the Princess every pretext imaginable to diminish the power of the Lords in court.”

“So what do you have in mind exactly?”

the unicorn didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared off into the distance, lamenting on his course of action. “I need to gain legal guardianship over her. Unfortunately, I've been bared from any direct means of adoption. Therefore, I require a novelty solution.”

“And this involves me, how?”

“My son... He's roughly the same age as the upcoming Princess, if he marries her, I can assert legal guardianship in accordance to feudal marriage customs from some ancient gentry law with regards to minors and estate inheritance.”

Chitty blinked. “Those are still on the books?”

“They're buried very deeply, but they have not been repealed.”

“For which I'm sure the Princess will annul once she learns of the scheme.”

“If it is determined as a matter of fact that it is indeed a scheme and that I'm being coercive.”

Chitty raised an eye brow. “And how exactly would you not be?”

“I'm not a fool, the Princess would suspect foul play immediately and check for any and all possible signs of spells, geass, hexes, trances, potions, even subtle forms of suggestion. She would test for every mind bending technique, gland chemical compounds or plant based narcotic potions known to exist, magical or otherwise. There is absolutely nothing on the black market that she isn't aware of. That's where you come in.”

The shape-shifter was hesitant to speak, but got the gist of the plan. “I think I see where this is going.”

“Changelings have a natural hypnotic effect that is alien to all conventional means that are in the hooves of other creatures. There's absolutely no test at this point that is designed to detect it. Believe me, I've checked. Even the Princess has blind spots.”

“I highly doubt that will deter said Princess.”

Bluelord stroked his moustache. “Quite. She will hound me, spy on me and do everything in her power to make me reveal what I know. But, so long as she can't prove how I can control the filly and her parents, she can't act directly. She'll be forced to begrudgingly sit by as her student is wedded. And of course, since both the bride and groom are minors, I'll become the legal caretaker and supervisor until they become of age. By which point, my work will be a fait accompli.”

“Interesting plan,” Chitty admitted. “However, what makes you think I'd go along with it?”

“Aside from the fact that I can turn you in right now?”

The changeling shrugged. “Been there, done that. I'll escape and hide with a new identity. That's the wonderful thing about being a changeling. You're gonna have to try better than that.”

“Strange-love,” the stallion countered.

That caught Chitty's attention. “Come again?”

“Back in your house my servant uncovered detailed reports on certain drop points where you frequently deliver the... excess of your labour. They seem to be coordinated by a place that oversees all love extraction operations in this portion of Equestria. This 'Strange-love' seems to be a recurring code word for this hideout.”

“Crap,” the changeling grunted. He had been so preoccupied with his own personal ledger that he didn't even stop to see what other documents might have been missing. He had REALLY let his guard down while in Canterlot. In his defence, Chitty locked other documents separately. So, it wasn't the first time the burglar broke into his home, he must have scoured the place multiple times while Chitty wasn't looking.

“I don't know when you need to report back. But, I suspect if I can leak this to the guards quickly enough and have them organize a raid, your superiors would be caught off guard. I can imagine the treasure trove of intelligence they would find. I wonder just how much of the hive's network we can unveil and eliminate?”

“Double crap!” This was definitely not a good day for Chitty. Blowing his own cover was one thing, but exposing the spy ring would devastate the the whole hive and would bring down the wrath of the Queen on him.

“Here's my offer, you do what I say and I'll let you and the rest of your agents free reign to steal as much love as you want—provided that you don't target the aristocracy of course.”

The changeling couldn't believe what he was hearing. “You would give our agents that much leeway?”

As a response, Bluelord made a stern face. “Don't think none of you will be on a leash. I know for a fact that you can't harm your victims physically. Furthermore, all captured ponies are to be returned in a reasonable amount of time and without anypony noticing.”

“Even with those conditions, it's still very generous of you,” the changeling counter suspiciously. “What's the catch?”

The stallion waved him off. “Catch? Just make sure your work remains hidden and you keep your dirty little fangs out of the gentry quarters, then do what you will to the lower masses for your sustenance. So long as you don't get Princess Celestia's attention and force me to act publicly to save face, then what do I care?”

Chitin didn't really believe he could trust the Prince's statement. On one hoof, he was likely telling the truth when he said it didn't matter to him what changelings did to commoners, so long as it wasn't pushed too far. On the other, both him and the hive's Queen had their own ulterior motives and would likely betray each other when one of the parties saw the other as no-longer convenient. Granted, until then, love extractors would be able to do their job with less risk.

True, Chitty still saw the Queen's way of manipulating ponies via stand-ins and ambient proximity to love sources as old fashion. Deal or no deal, is was just too inefficient for his liking. Operating openly with a business was much better, his time learning pony economics have thought him that, unlike she-who-sits on her throne all day. But, so long as things stayed the same, he was obligated towards doing what he could to ease the feeding process for the hive. The changeling really didn't like his options.

After a long sigh, the shape-shifter inquired, “Fine, when do I start?”