//------------------------------// // Trusting Each Other // Story: Born a Princess: Forgiveness is Magic // by Nebbie //------------------------------// Twilight awoke to Pinkie jumping up and down atop her. "Aah! What the hay!" Spike and Rarity groaned, but kept in their little embrace as they opened their eyes. "Twilight, wake up, the river and wind went crazy!" Pinkie said as she bounced over to the now-raging river, a howling wind blowing her mane to the side. "Well great..." Twilight replied with a yawn. Dash stretched and got up. "I'm sure I can just fly you all over," she said confidently before flying a bit above the river, but found herself moving erratically in the wind, and fell into the water, struggling to swim against the current or even keep her beak above the water. "Help!" Fluttershy screamed and sprung into action, flying over and and barely managing to grab Dash's claw, pulling her to the shore. Dash rapidly clawed her way back ashore and coughed up water. "Okay, just give me a moment before I try again..." Rarity slipped out of the sleeping bag and set Spike atop her back, then got to work packing the sleeping bags back into her saddlebags. "Darling...I love that you're willing to carry us, but after seeing that, I think the chance of even you getting across, let alone ferrying all of us, is far too low for my tastes." Twilight stood up and put a hoof to her chin. "Perhaps I could teleport us?" Spike shook his head. "To a shore you can barely see? Come on Twilight, I know you're capable of a lot, but you know what could happen if you miss..." "Ooh, ooh!" Pinkie piped up as she leaned over the edge of the water. "What if we ask the big purple sea monster who looks upset?" Twilight squinted, then lit her horn as she saw a huge serpent rise from the waters just upstream. "Pinkie, get back! I can take him!" The purple serpent with orange hair and a long mustache that stopped short on one side suddenly started crying. "What a world, what a world!" he shouted between sobs. "Um..." Fluttershy started as she trotted closer to the shore and upstream. "Is there something we can help with, mister...?" "Steven. Steven Magnet. And I doubt that, I was just swimming here, minding my own business, when suddenly, this tacky little indigo cloud of smoke whisked past me, and tore half of my beloved mustache clean off! And now...I look simply horrid!" he replied with a dramatic fall into the water, splashing everyone, before resting his head against the shore. "Oh come on, really? A mustache? Of course we get a cool-looking giant serpent, and instead of being a cool monster trying to eat us, it's just another Rarity," Dash remarked with a frustrated tone. "Hmph, rude, even for you. Multiple of me could accomplish much better things than simply playing cat and mouse with ponies," remarked Rarity as she came up to Steven and inspected his lips. "...but he is indeed 'cool', with such lovely luminescent scales, an expertly-coiffed mane, and a fabulous manicure!" "Oh it's so true!" sniffed Steven. "But it's all ruined by missing half of a beautiful mustache...Mister Magnet, I believe I have a solution to this crime against fabulosity! Unfortunately I don't have any comically large scissors so...would you mind coming close for a moment, darling?" "Oh, I'm hideous!" Steven shouted as he threw up his arms. "Do what you must! Anything to end this nightmare!" Rarity nodded with a look of determination, then bit into one of his scales, and pulled it out harshly, then rapidly swung it, cutting off a bit of her own tail. "Oh dear! The violence," Steven cried. "Why would you do something so awful to your lovely luscious tail? Is this...solidarity with my hideous state?" "Oh heavens no, darling. Short tails are...in this season, and I just realized my tail is the perfect length...now hold still," Rarity said as she levitated her tail into place and then tied it in with what was left of the right side of Steven's mustache. "Ooh, my mustache! How wonderful! How can I possibly repay you for this selfless act of sacrifice?" he asked. "Ferrying us across the river so we don't drown would be quite fine, darling," Rarity replied as she put on her saddlebags. "Oh, it would be my pleasure, but I'm afraid my scales are much too slippery for that," he said. Pinkie bounced up to his ear and whispered. "Well, if you're sure..." Steven said, before suddenly grabbing the group in his hands, raising them up, and dropping them into his mouth. All but Pinkie, who giggled, screamed as they fell. Pinkie went in first, and pulled an umbrella from her tail that she opened in his throat, blocking it. Rarity and Spike landed next to her, with Twilight, with Fluttershy and Dash behind. Fluttershy slammed down onto Twilight's stomach, making her spit and pucker her lips...right as Dash's rear came down with the spot just under the tail meeting them. Twilight's eyes went wide, one twitching a bit, and she groaned. "Whoa, hey back there! Heh, I was just thinking a cheek kiss when you went off at me that first time, but lip to lip? Makes up for threatening me earlier," Dash said with a chuckle. Twilight pushed the griffon's rear off with a forehoof and wiped her mouth for a moment on the fur of the other one. "Eugh, look, we need to get out of here, for all we know, Steven Magnet made a deal to stop us, and that umbrella won't last forever...I just need to cast a teleportation spell..." She took a moment to concentrate, but her horn, having just the slightest spot of sea serpent spit on it, fizzled out. "Oh no..." "Twilight!" Spike shouted. "You're scaring us, more than this little surprise. Just trust Pinkie and Rarity on this, please." Twilight sighed, and suddenly, everything shifted, with the whole group launched up and out by a hacking Steven Magnet. "There you are. Sorry to give such a fright, the pink one said you liked surprises!" Steven Magnet said as he began swimming away. Twilight blew a bit of her mane out of her face before getting up. "Au revoir!" Rarity called back to Steven. "Spike, how's the tail looking back there? That little trip didn't make it worse, did it?" "Uh...I did what I could, but it's a little ragged," he replied. "And if you wouldn't mind, could I take a nap? I didn't exactly get all my baby dragon sleep back there, with all there is to worry about..." "Of course, darling, we're all a little scared. Well, except Pinkie, but eternal night promises lots of parties. I'll keep you well and safe," Rarity said as she patted him. Within moments, Spike was snoring softly. "Speaking of needs..." Twilight started. "I'll catch up later, I need to see a tree about a pony." "We'll slow down a bit darling, but don't take too long, these woods are clearly treacherous," replied Rarity. Twilight nodded and trotted into the foliage. A while later, Twilight sighed and stepped forward, only to find her hooves stuck in a pool of muck and sinking fast. "Ugh, and now quicksand? Well, a little spell can take care of th-" Suddenly, vines latched onto her horn, blocking it from charging. She tried to flap her wings next, but they too were restrained. "Oh no! Help! Somepony!" Twilight cried, looking around in fear. "Twilight!" Spike replied as he ran up to her, then blew a puff of dragonfire that burned away the vines from her horn. Twilight took a deep breath and casted a spell that blew away the vines and quicksand, letting her gently fly to Spike and give him a hug. "Oh Spike, I shouldn't've gone alone..." "Ya got that right. Rarity insisted I give you your privacy or I wouldn't be getting any more cuddles, but...well, I remember the last time I left you alone in a bathroom for one minute and we had to buy the restaurant new walls," Spike replied with a deadpan expression. "Hey, it was two minutes, and that griffon had...right, right," Twilight admitted sheepishly before hurrying to catch up with the group, Spike in tow. When she'd caught up, she saw them looking at a chasm with a bridge that was out, and on the other side seemed to be the castle. "So, we fly across and bring up the other side of the bridge, right?" Dash spread her wings. "Probably faster than ferrying all of you over...and Fluttershy can coordinate pretty well with me, so...you up for it, Fluttershy?" "Mm-hmm", Fluttershy replied as she gently took off. "This'll only take a minute," said Dash as she followed suit, disappearing into the fog with Fluttershy. Rarity turned to Twilight. "So, I trust Spike found you alive and well?" she asked with a grin. Twilight cleared her throat. "He saved me from drowning, actually. Now look, I like that you two get along, but he's my little brother, so don't try to control his behavior toward others or I might just have to acquaint your fanciest brush with a part of your body it should never meet." Pinkie popped in between the two. "She means your b-" Rarity jammed a hoof in Pinkie's mouth. "I am well aware what she means, thank you. I'm...sorry Twilight, truly, I was out of line and you nearly paid the price for it. When we're back from all this, I promise I'll buy you both a day at the spa, to make it up to you." Twilight smiled and levitated Spike onto Rarity's back. "That sounds wonderful. Hmm, shouldn't those two be done by now?" Spike put his claws up to his mouth. "Oh no, what if there are enormous eels that pop out of the chasm and...got them?" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Enormous eels, on land? Spike, that's silly; they're probably just having trouble seeing the rope," Twilight remarked. Pinkie took Rarity's hoof from her mouth. "Oooor, Black Snooty's super special team of unicorns is offering Fluttershy her dream position of being a star in her mane if they betray us and join the Lemon Hearts flavor conspiracy!" "Darling, I don't know if it's a mushroom you ate, some kind of poison from those pukwudgies that attacked while we waited for Twilight, or whatever was on my hoof, but you clearly had too much of it," Rarity remarked. "I'll go check on them..." Twilight said, flying over the chasm. On the other side, she landed behind a rock, and with the combination of fog and darkness making it hard to see, promptly used a spell to outline nearby living creatures. She could see Rainbow Dash...with Fluttershy's rear end sticking out and flailing, much like Rarity with the manticore earlier. Twilight panicked and hid fully behind the rock, breathing rapidly for a few moments, then cautiously peered out. "Oh, uh, hey Twilight!" replied Dash. "Fluttershy's uh..." "O-off trying to find some rope, I'm sure..." Twilight said with barely even a hint of nervousness. Dash sighed. "No, I can't do this...I...she's in my stomach." A muffled sound came from Dash's belly. "Wait, I consented and fed myself t-!" Dash slapped her side. "Fluttershy! Don't lie to protect me! Good gravy. Look, Nightmare Moon's minions made me an offer and..." "Dash, use the thing she gave you, hurry!" Fluttershy added. Twilight's eyes went wide. "They said if I proved myself with Fluttershy, then used some knockout powder on you, that they'd make me top Shadowbolt. And well...I just can't lie like that." Dash said with a scratch of the back of her neck, and a head hung low, as she dropped a little bag to her side. Twilight put a hoof on Dash's shoulder. "It's okay. I can't blame you for being scared. Now can we get the bridge put up before worrying about Fluttershy? I don't entirely trust those three together to stay safe." Dash laughed and flew to bring up one corner, while Twilight followed and brought up another. As the other three came into view, Twilight casted a spell, and Dash began upchucking. Spike cringed from atop Rarity's back as Fluttershy came out looking much like Rarity did earlier. "Good heavens, her mane!" shouted Rarity. Twilight used a spell to dry Fluttershy. "Nightmare Moon was behind this. I'm suspecting now that every single problem we ran into was her doing," replied Twilight. "Oh, she's named Nightmare Moon? Well no wonder none of her pranks were any fun!" remarked Pinkie. Fluttershy flipped her mane back to normal effortlessly. "Um, if she's been watching us all this time uh...shouldn't be prepared before we go in the castle? Or uh...perhaps consider surrendering?" "Fluttershy, please darling, we're all a little scared of facing her, but if the worst she can throw at us was back there, I'm sure we'll be fine even if we were to...lose. Anyways, there is definitely one thing I need, and that's to use the little filly's room...excuse me," Rarity stated as she trotted away with Spike still on her back. "Uh, little dragon's room too..." he added. "Me three!" Pinkie happily shouted as she awkwardly trotted behind the two. Dash looked to Fluttershy and cleared her throat, and soon Fluttershy quietly followed behind Pinkie. "Wow, all four of them at once?" asked Twilight. Dash rolled her eyes. "You eggheads are always bad at reading the room. Fluttershy hasn't had to go since I pounced her." "Oh...ew...um, but...then why did she...?" asked Twilight with a look of confusion. "Look, I just wanna be sure we're on the same page here...I'm really sorry I nearly sold out, okay?" Dash said with a sad look. "Oh. Well, I'm new to this whole 'friendship' thing, but what comforts me is that you couldn't go through with it. I mean, it shows that you aren't just putting on a display for us like some ponies might be, that you really do have that heart of gold Rarity thinks you do, even if it is a little buried in there," Twilight said with a grin. "Heh, I guess I do... And uh, about Minuette..." Dash replied, not meeting Twilight's eyes. Twilight took a deep breath. "We can talk to Gilda about finally apologizing for what she did once this is all over. You know, thinking on it, it isn't easy being a griffon with those instincts, is it?" Dash breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head. "Nope. I've gotta come clean with you, I ran into the previous librarian and well...it was just like what you thought could happen if my mouth was open and...then she kept making jokes about it and I didn't feel like interrupting her to spit her out right away, and with a full belly...I kinda fell asleep, but I really didn't mean to! I just wasn't thinking an-" Twilight put a hoof to Dash's beak. "Dash, I already decided to trust you. I know you meant well." Twilight then cleared her throat and looked over Dash's shoulder. "Alright, I can see all four of you are done with things and just waiting in the bushes!" she shouted. Rarity trotted out first, with her usual disarming polite chuckle, and Spike again on her back. Pinkie pronked out behind her, and Fluttershy slowly trotted out last. "Everyone ready?" Twilight asked. With nods all around, except for a thumbs-up from Spike, she charged ahead to the castle. Inside the castle, the group entered a large room to see five orbs held up by spokes on a pedestal. Dash flew up and grabbed an orb, bringing it down. "So, any idea how we get them to show the sixth?" "I don't know how we prove we're worthy, it might be a test of ability," Twilight replied as she carefully levitated an orb down. Fluttershy grabbed a second orb as Dash did the same. "Maybe you could use your magic!" shouted Spike as Twilight brought down the last orb. "It's worth a shot...but stand back, everyone!" Twilight said as she charged her horn and the others got behind her. Suddenly, the wispy indigo smoke of Nightmare Moon's mane swirled in a tornado, moving the element orbs away from Twilight, before she appeared and stomped down, reducing them to fragments. "You little foals, thinking you could defeat me! Now you will never see your princess, or the sun. The night...will last...forever!" She finished with a maniacal laugh and teleported away. "Oh no, what do we do now!" cried Spike. Twilight pondered a moment, looking to the five orbs and her five friends, then a nearby part of the castle being lit up. "Hmph, she only thinks she's won. Let's give her a nasty little surprise...everyone grab some of those fragments and follow me!" The others looked to each other, confused, but did as she said, and galloped with her into another part of the castle, up a spiral staircase, and into what looked to be a throne room, with a smirking Nightmare Moon seated at the far end. "Here to grovel for positions in my court? The offer's still on the table, Dash, with the change that the ones you have to...dispose of, are that mayor and a few ponies in Canterlot." "You thought you could destroy the elements of harmony just like that?" asked Twilight. "The spirit of the elements is right here!" Nightmare Moon blinked as the orb fragments started to levitate around the ponies. "What? No, no, that's impossible!" she growled, then glared as she fired off a bolt of magic right at Twilight. Twilight gasped as the bolt raced for her, only to be blocked by Spike diving in the way, a loud bang heard as it struck, looking to be right in his belly. "SPIKE!" Spike rolled over, groaning. "Ow...my back. This floor's really bad for landings." The fragments he had carried swirled around him, seeming to form a shield. "Wait, WHAT? That should've torn you to pieces!" screamed Nightmare Moon. "He's..." "The embodiment of the element of loyalty!" Twilight barked back at Nightmare Moon with a glare and a grin. "He'd never leave my side, even if it meant taking a hit to his! And he's not the only one here who embodies an element... Fluttershy calmed an upset manticore with her kindness, Pinkie boosted our morale with her laughter, Rarity got the aid of a kindred spirit with her generosity, and Dash couldn't let us down with her honesty!" "But...you still don't have the sixth element!" cried Nightmare Moon. Twilight grinned. "Oh, but we do! The sixth element is...the magic of friendship!" The six of them levitated up as an orb formed above Twilight. "And it unites them all!" A rainbow formed from the six, and swirled around Nightmare Moon. "Noooo!" she cried as she glowed and seemed to shrink in place. The six meanwhile landed on the floor with several thuds. "Ugh, my head," said Dash. "Ooh, my tail...no longer has split ends. Well, can't win 'em all," stated Rarity. "At least you've got a lovely necklace that matches your mane, and has your cutie mark," said Fluttershy. Rarity inspected it. "Hmph, well, these elements have a good fashion sense." Dash checked hers and smirked. "Awesome." Suddenly, the sun came up, shining through the windows. "Thank you, my little ponies!" said Celestia's voice as an orb of light came out of it, revealing the princess. "Celestia!" Twilight shouted as she ran up to her, while the others bowed. Celestia patted Twilight's shoulder. "You did quite well, Twilight. You and your friends should be proud of yourselves!" "Thank you, princess," Twilight replied, while Dash did her dance with Spike. "Now, about my dear sister..." Celestia said as she trotted to where Nightmare Moon was. Among smoldering bits of Nightmare Moon's regalia was an indigo alicorn who whimpered in fear. "I suppose you're feeling a little less maniacal without your head saturated in dark magic, Luna?" Celestia asked. Luna sniffled and nodded. "I'm so sorry...I was...awful. I just wanted recognition, but...not at that cost...all of Equestria would've suffered." "It's okay. I'm just glad that you're finally back. 1000 years may have been necessary to drain most of your dark magic, but it was a long time to be without my sister," Celestia said as she laid next to Luna, and put her muzzle against her sister's neck. Luna cried a bit and nuzzled Celestia back, standing up as Celestia did the same, and the two hugged. Back in Ponyville, Twilight watched happily as Celestia and Luna trotted through the streets to cheers from happy townsponies. "Well Luna, I think they quite like you now that you're a little more...approachable," said Celestia. Luna nodded. Pinkie popped up in front of the two. "And you know what you're getting now that you're new in town?" "Uh..." Luna started...looking nervous. "A PARTY!" Pinkie replied as Lyra jumped up and down nearby. "Um, princess, one last thing before Pinkie has us stuffed full of cupcakes and cider," said Twilight. "Yes?" replied Celestia. "About my status..." Twilight started, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. "Just being an element bearer won't make you a princess again, but it's quite a good bit of progress. Plus I think a pony who can bear the element of friendship, with a dragon and a griffon friend, would be quite perfect for mending relations with those two races to prove she can be a ruler," Celestia finished with a smile before resuming trotting through the streets. Dash landed next to Twilight. "Well well well, sounds like you need me..." Spike came up to her other side. "And me, I guess." "I wouldn't have it any other way," Twilight said confidently as she put a hoof around each, with only Spike returning to make it a full hug as Dash just grinned. "Hey y'all," Applejack shouted as she approached the three, looking to be covered in a bit of dirt. "What'd I miss while I was uh, incapacitated?" "Uh, a lot, but why were you...?" Twilight asked, looking to Dash. "Did you..." Dash nervously chuckled. "See uh, Moondancer wanted me to test something, you know, so there aren't any accidents... AJ's a good friend and volunteered as the guinea pig." "I see...well, I think I can make one more friend today. Whaddya say, AJ?" Twilight asked with a smile. "I reckon that'd be swell as a pig in mud! Oh but, speakin' of, I should clean up first. You go on ahead, and I'll be there to give a hoedown at the party!" "I'll meet ya there!" replied Twilight.