//------------------------------// // The Invite // Story: Alicorn Battle // by Masters-of-the-Elements //------------------------------// Alicorn Battle Chapter 1: The Invent Greetings Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student, I here by invite you and your friends to Canterlot for a special event that my sister and I are hosting. Sincerely yours, Princess Celestia. Twilight frown as she turned over the letter she got for her mentor and second mother, trying to figure the meaning behind the summons. The letter had arrived early last night, with six fully paid train tickets and a map. She gathered up her friends and told her what was happening. Since it was a summoning, the entire group cleared their calendars and went home for a good night rest. The train ride to Canterlot has been nothing but brainstorming the reason behind the summons. In the end, they all had decided to just wait and see what the princess had summoned them for. Unfortunately, this had a negative effect on Twilight, and she began to panic. It had taken the others everything they had to calm down their friend for a bit. This had returned once they had reached Canterlot and got to the castle “Take it easy, sugar-cube,” Applejack said reassuringly, putting a comforting hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Ah’m sure there’s nothing to be fretting over.” “Nothing to be “fretting” over...?” Twilight said in a mix of fright and irritation. “When the princess summons us, it usually means something big is happening, so excuse me of I feel like “fretting” over something, okay?” Applejack took her hoof off of her friend’s shoulder and took a step back. She sighs lightly, and looked at her friends, mainly Pinkie Pie. The pink party pony, like getting some silent message, bounced in front of Twilight, and put on a red rubber nose. She squeezed it twice and then a pie right into Twilight’s face that she pulled out of thin air. “Do you have to throw a pie into my face each time I start to panic?” Twilight asked in slight annoyance. “Because you asked for it, silly,” Pinkie Pie said whimsically, and happily bounced into the castle before any pony could say anything else. With a heavy sigh, Twilight’s horn lit up as she cast a spell that caused the entire pie and the tie to disappear to parts unknown. She looked at her pink friend as she disappears into the castle, annoyance clearly written on her face. She let out another heavy sigh as she walked into the castle, with her friends following her. “I didn’t think anypony would take me seriously when I said that,” the studious unicorn mutter bitterly. The group was heading to the throne room, where they expect the sun princess to be. To their surprise, a guard told them that the princess wasn’t in the throne room, and the follow the map that the princess had given them. With that, Twilight took the lead and began stirring her friends in the direction the map was showing her. The group was lead into the farther part of the castle, and near a wing that was off-limits to normal ponies. Twilight stopped dead in her tracks and gawk at the large doors in front of her. The doors were unique to say the least. The left door was dark blue with the picture of a full moon on the center. The right door was a bright gold color and had the sun in the center of it. Unfortunately, Twilight’s friends didn’t notice her stopping, and ran right into her. They fell onto it each, and made one big mess. The six friends struggled to untangle themselves form the mass of hooves and tails, and finally separated after a minute. When the group was finally free, and back on their hooves, a certain rainbow mane mare shot a glare at her egghead friend. “What the hay, Twilight? Why did you stop like that?” Rainbow asked in half irritation, half annoyance. Unfortunately, Twilight wasn’t listening; her complete attention was back on the door. Her eyes were wider then saucers, and look like she could pass out at any time. Rainbow cocked an eyebrow at this, and looked at the door. “Yes, it a very pretty door,” Rainbow said sarcastically, looking at her friend. “Now let’s go in.” The rainbow mane pony turned towards the door and reached for the handle with her right hoof. Twilight panicked when she saw this, and her horn lit up with magic. Rainbow’s hoof was mere inches from the handle when she felt something yanked on her tail and sent her flying away from the door. “NO!” the unicorn screamed as she used all of her might to send her Pegasus friend flying down the hall. Rainbow’s scream faded as she disappeared down the hall, leaving behind four confused friends, and one slightly panting friend. The other turned and looked at Twilight, ready for some answers. Rainbow Dash put a stop to that when she same zooming down the hall, and get in Twilight’s face. “You better had a good reason for doing that, egghead?” the cyan pony said in a low and sharp tone. Twilight, unfazed by her friend’s words and action, pulled away from the Pegasus, and waved towards the door. “THIS is the door to the princesses’ private wing, you need their permission just to enter!” the studious unicorn said in mix respect and fear. “You and your friends had permission to enter, ma’am.” Slightly startled, Twilight and her friends looked to their right and saw a standard royal guard, standing stoically. Twilight frowns, curious as how she missed that guard before? “Beg your pardon, kind sir,” Rarity said politely as she took a step towards the guard. “But what do you mean?” The guard, stoic as ever, simply replied, “Princess Celestia herself stationed me here to inform you that you have her permission to enter. She’s expecting you in the first room on the right.” His task done, the guard gave a quick, slightly respective bow, and walked off. The girls watched as the guard disappeared into the hall, and faced the door. Twilight swallow a small lump that had formed in her throat, and called her magic into her horn. The door glowed slightly, and opened easily. The entire gasp as they stepped into wing and saw something they weren’t quit expecting. The floor of the entire wing was covered in a soft gray carpet and pictures of different ponies covered the walls. Some of them were pictures of ponies famous throughout Equestria’s history. Others were pictures of ponies the girls had never even heard of. Any questions the girls had were put on hold when they came to the first door on the right. The group suddenly become nervous and looked toward Twilight, the only pony who was really familiar with the leader of their land. Twilight needed to push back another lump that formed as she walked up to the door and nervously knocked on it. “You may enter, Twilight Sparkle,” said the casually voice of Princess Celestia as the door opened with a soft golden glow. Twilight took a hesitant step into the room, and suddenly gawked as she came to a dead stop. Unfortunately, the others were following her, and once again, collided into her, causing them to fall into another mess. The six were able to separate themselves quicker this time, and all filed into the room. Unfortunately, this action had once again irritated a certain pony, and like normal she quickly voiced it. “Twilight, I swear to Celestia, if you do that one more time I will buck you so hard, you’re grand-foals would feel it,” Rainbow said angrily. “Well, Rainbow Dash, I hope that isn’t true,” a soft voice said with a bit of disappointment in it. Rainbow Dash gasped and spun around and gasped again when she saw the state of Princess Celestia. Gone was the regal attire, replaced with a simple gray sweater that fit smugly around the large pony’s frame. The princess’s mane and tail were no longer floating in some invisible breeze, and the mane has been done up in a small bread, resting comfortable against her right side. Finally, the princess was wearing what appears to be reading glasses. “P-Princess…?”Twilight asked in shock. Princess Celestia giggle slightly, secretly amused at her student and subjects’ shock. “Yes, my faithful student, it’s me.” Celestia frown slightly as she noticed that her subjects were still gawking at her. She let out a small sigh, and got up from her seat. This seems to snap the ponies of their stupor, and they bow with respect. “You don‘t need to bow, my little ponies,” she said gently. “And don’t worry either; this form you see me in now is one I take when I want to conserve my magic. Now please, have a seat.” Twilight blinked twice and looked around the room, noticing things about it for the first time. The room was large enough for a group of 15 ponies to move freely, if wasn’t for the large crystal in the center of the room. There were two tables on each side of the crystal, long enough to sit seven ponies easily. Twilight walked up to the table and notice that one of seat had been set for her. She frowned a little when she saw a strange hoof shape groove in the table. “Princess, what’s this all about?” Twilight asked hesitantly as the princess and her friends took their seats. “Today is somewhat special for Luna and myself,” Princess Celestia said somewhat sadly. “I promise I will explain more later. Luna, are you ready Sister?” “Yes sister,” Luna replied, surprising Twilight and her friends. The studious unicorn looked in the direction of the voice, but due to the crystal, couldn’t see the younger princess clearly. She did, however, see that Princess Luna also had guests as well. Who these new ponies were, however, she didn’t know, nor would she get a chance to find out either. She saw moment from the corner of her left eye, and looked as Celestia placed her right front hoof onto the table, into the groove. “Please, my little ponies put your hooves into the groove. I promise you nothing bad will happen,” Celestia said kindly. The group, ever trusting of their princess, did as they were asked, and put their hooves into the grooves. Celestia then closed her eyes, and concentrated her magic into her horn. Twilight looked at the crystal when she heard it start to hum. Her eyes widen slightly when she saw the crystal glowing in gold and a navy blue, meaning Luna was also using her magic on it as well. Her attention was brought to the table when she noticed a faint glow. Her widen yet again when she saw the groove had lit up, and she, being a unicorn, felt magic flow into her body. “Princess…!” Twilight said in slightly alarm. “What’s going-” Twilight, unfortunately, didn’t get too finished as she was blinded by a suddenly flash of light, exploding out of the crystal, and she felt herself entering into a magical sleep. “Welcome to…Alicorn Battle!” Was the last thing Twilight heard before losing consciousness.