//------------------------------// // The First Encounter // Story: The Balance // by Path_of_cloud //------------------------------// Celestia raised the sun with a heavy heart. She found herself surrounded by the six young mares in the humble cottage of Fluttershy that her sister and she would be leading into the Everfree Forest, right into the base of six of the world’s most dangerous threats. Luna was so sure that they were the heroes the world needed, but she had never seen the reports over the years she had been gone of the destruction and blood that had been left in their wake. In truth, she knew specifically of four of them. The other two had somehow stayed hidden, but she never doubted they were just as bad. Wrath, Discord, the Minotaur representing Sloth, and the Pegasus who represented Pride had proven themselves to be far less than trustworthy or merciful. The graveyards they had filled. She lead them to the edge of the forest to one of the few paths that wound into the strange wood; Discord’s magic had never truly disappeared from it. Celestia wasn’t even surprised to find a glowing, flamboyant sign with a giant, glowing arrow pointing to the path. Under the arrow, a message was written: Hello Tia, Lulu, and other assorted Elements of Harmony. To make your hike more fun I have enchanted this path to lead you directly to us and filled it with amusing, non-lethal traps. Any attempt to enter the woods through other means will instantly transport you out as will attempting to go off the path. See you on the other side! -Love Discord! To say Celestia was unpleased, as was the rest of her party, was an understatement. Almost fourteen hours passed since their entrance into the woods. What should have been a few hours of walking depending on their destination had turned into one of the strangest and longest walks she ever had, and they still weren’t done. With no idea how far from their goal they were, Luna had made the wise decision to set up camp as it got close to when she had to raise the moon, least they send Equestria and possibly the world into a panic. Discord’s traps had been set in such a way that they would have to waste obscene amounts of time on each one. Bubble gum spider webs had been the first, they were easily noticeable and presented no real risk to the mares themselves; however, a number of creatures big and small had been caught within the sticky confines. Fluttershy had made it clear they were not leaving until every one of them was safe and the webs properly disposed of. Despite the urgency of their situation, they all saw the potential of the danger to the wildlife of the forest and agreed. It had taken hours to cut each animal out safely. Those in a panic were exceptionally bad, but Fluttershy’s ability to calm them was vastly helpful. Things continued on like that: sand-traps made of tapioca pudding, a pair of talking signs claiming that one lied and one told the truth, a sphinx made of brown sugar, and, worst of all, a pitfall with the world’s bounciest trampoline at the bottom. That trampoline itself was a simple jump down and over to the other side, but Pinkie Pie had other, more fun plans. It was as if the mare had never seen something so amazing and no matter what anyone tried she would somehow escape and return to bouncing on the trampoline screaming, “Weeeeeeeeeee!” as she bounced above the trees. In the end it took the combined magical power of both Princesses and Twilight to magically hold the sugar-charged, party pony in the air as they walked away. The same pony had left to use the little fillies room moments ago while they were all around the campfire. Pinkie burst out of the woods, a giant grin on her face. “That trampoline is the best!” A dumbstruck Twilight looked at her in a way that was hard to describe, a mixture of anger and curiosity. “You went back!?!” “Well it’s not like we’re doing anything else silly, duh.” Twilight started pacing, entering lecture mode. “Pinkie, this is serious! We don’t know where Spike is, how he’s doing, or anything else! And you’re-” “I know, I know.” Her hoof steps stopped. “What?” “Well, this afternoon when I was jumping I saw boulders flying through the air, a torrent of flames, and about four specs flying through the air in what looked like a very impressive show of aerial feats. It looked like some kind of training; it was really fun and crazy to watch!” The unicorn’s mind started processing the information, an important question still left unanswered. “Where? Where did you see them?” “At the old Castle of the Alicorn Sisters. When I was bouncing above the trees just now I saw a big emerald bonfire looking thingy there. I bet they’re telling campfire stories and toasting marshmallows. We should tell stories and toast marshmallowy goodness! Can we, Twilight, can we?” “Maybe tomorrow night when we’ve caught up with Spike.” “Oh, they’ll totally taste better with Spike and our new friends; good thinking, Twi!” There was a short pause. “How come you didn’t tell me any of this before?” “You didn’t ask before.” Pinkie’s voice took a suddenly serious tone, an abnormality for the springy party mare, “He’s going to be okay, Twilight.” She tried to fight back the tears. “How can you be sure?” “I’m Pinkie Pie, silly; I know when my friends are in danger. Even Luna seemed sure that he was fine.” She pressed against Twilight, sharing her warmth to fend off the night’s cold from her friend. “But Celestia’s… I’m not even sure. I can’t tell if she’s afraid or worried, or something completely different still. Celestia’s never been wrong before. If there’s one certainty, one truth my life is built on, it’s that Celestia always knows what’s best.” “She’s anxious, Twilight. It’s been a long time since she’s seen her friend or her love, which is especially complicated. You might find this hard to believe, Twilight, but Celestia has made mistakes; she may be a sun goddess and a ruler but she’s still a pony at the core. No one is perfect not me, not you, and not her; we all make mistakes.” Twilight hated to admit it, but she knew Pinkie was right, no matter how much she wanted to argue against her. “When did you get so smart?” “I’m not smart; I’m Pinkie, uh duh.” Pinkie got up and bounded away. “I got to go cheer up Rarity. You’re the smart one, Twilight!” “That mare is so random.” Still, she had provided Twilight with a lot of information and quite a bit of reassurance. It would be easier to sleep tonight, but right now she needed to do some calculations. If she assumed that they kept up the same pace as they had today, then they would reach the castle just before sundown tomorrow. That would have been good news on its own, but coupled with the emerald flames that could only belong to her number one assistant, she could be positive of his location at the castle. Of course, that did leave the matter of the, ‘training,’ Pinkie had described. Were they training Spike? He could not fly, so it seemed unlikely, but at the same time, everything she had learned since his capture insinuated that he was the one they were trying to prepare. It did not make any sense, no matter how she looked at it. There was one thing Twilight knew though, as she looked over at the pink mare trying to comfort their fashionista friend. She could see it in those blue eyes, an icy rage that could rival a dragon’s own. Celestia have mercy on the souls of any who got in the way of the usually sophisticated mare and her own number one assistant, because Rarity would not. She could share what she learned and her hypothesis on distance, time, and Spike’s training tomorrow, right now there was a bed in Rarity’s ridiculous mansion-shaped tent calling her name. As the sun rose over the horizon, a certain purple dragon could be seen doing pushups with a minotaur on his back. “935. Switch to your right hand only.” “I… hate… you.” Spike’s entire body felt as if had been beaten, chewed on by timber wolves, and finally stampeded over by buffalos, but the results were unarguable. While his body had put on relatively small extra muscle, he had gained a much higher control of the new muscles that came with the transformation. He felt powerful, and the draconic blood flowing through his veins loved it. It was clear to him now why so many dragons felt superior to other races, but thanks to his pony upbringing he understood that such power was a gift that should be used for the betterment of all. It was after all, one of Celestia’s favorite sayings. As he worked through the rest of his warm up, he focused on the information Wrath had provided him with last night. The battle-scarred stallion told him that his friends would be arriving by sundown most likely. He could not wait to show off his new body… especially to a certain white unicorn; although, he was afraid that the sudden change might scare them or that they might not recognize him at all. Such thoughts were hard to focus on as his body burned and screamed. Soon they would all be with him, and, above all else, it made him smile. In the shadows watching his young disciple stood Wrath, blending to a point only his crimson eyes gave him away. “Hello, Pride, Lust. Something you wanted to share with me I assume?” The golden pegasus and the changeling moved beside him. Pride looked at the dragon, judging every movement. “Why haven’t we started the most important part of his training?” “If we must fight something we haven’t the slightest bit of useful information on would it not be better to make sure all of us are fully equipped?” The earth pony never wavered from his target. “If Spike were to lose control as he is or as he was before we started even, how would we stop him? The answer’s simple: We wouldn’t; at least, not without seriously injuring him or even killing him. The young drake already has his trigger and he has discovered his control, but without both here starting his training with the kind of power he posses would be reckless.” Lust turned and looked at the stallion. “Then why hinder the Elements’ movement? Would it not have been best to get them here immediately? Or to at least spirit away Generosity?” “No.” Pride understood, it was a connection that Wrath and he had shared from their pasts before all of this. “He needs to know how to use his body, not just move it. The better his control, his understanding of himself, the more he’ll be able to draw out.” “And while he learns, what of the rest of us? Trixie, Discord, and I are tapping into our reserve power to maintain this heightened training. Unlike them, I can’t just replenish my power with sleep and nutrients. So, unless you’re planning on having an orgy… which will be pretty weird considering at most we have two girls among us and all of you are straight.” Even Wrath had to smirk at the somewhat crude comment. “I have a feeling you won’t have to worry about recharging for long. It’s not like you have to be the recipient to draw on the latent energy, after all.” “Be careful Wrath, I of all creatures know that love and lust are not to be meddled with,” Lust started walking away in search of Trixie, “especially by one who has closed himself off and turned his heart cold and black such as you.” Pride had to hold back a snicker at the underhanded slap. “You know, it really irks everyone when you act like you know things they don’t and you aren’t going to share? “ His eyebrow raised in mock surprise. “This, coming from you, really?” “I’m in a unique position to judge; after all, who else would know better than a prideful bastard about secrets.” The scene in front of him had changed to sparing, the two combatants trading blows back and forth, but none ever seeming to hit the minotaur. “I didn’t really think it needed to be shared. Celestia, Luna, and Discord haven’t seen each other in a long time. I guess when you had to guard the bedchambers back then it seems more obvious. Let alone if Trixie manages to get her hooves on Twilight Sparkle. Lust might be fed for a year from either one.” Pride chuckled a little. “Ah, yes, well, that does make sense.” The air around them suddenly became very heavy and serious. “Even with this kind of insane training, he’ll never be up to the standard Powerhouse, you, or I have reached. There’s not enough time, let alone the fact he’s never seen combat… never killed.” “We can only give him the tools, Pride. Maybe it’s for the best his life has been so soft. I can’t help but feel maybe there’s hope for the rest of you to know that kind of happiness if he can.” “Have you seen my mansion? I assure you, I’m plenty happy. And what about you, don’t you deserve to be happy?” Walking towards the drake, ready to spar, he looked over his shoulder. “Money doesn’t buy happiness. I’ll always be a necessary evil, but the rest of you don’t have to be. You’ve already moved off this blood covered path of mine, it’s time you all started considering trying to be happy again.” Pride just shook his head as his fellow Sin walked away. “Old fool.” The sun worked its way across the horizon just as the ponies below dredged their way through the forest and the dragon sharpened his skills among his elders’ ever watchful eyes as a purple hue overtook the sky. The dare devil flight pony that was Rainbow Dash was getting very sick of not being able to fly as she battled her way through vines that seemed to have overgrown the path since their last visit. “Are we there yet? We’ve been at this for almost two days! I just want to fly again! To feel the wind through my feathers and the sun on my back, is that so much to ask for?” Standing safely behind her and the range of the thrown foliage, Applejack rolled her eyes. “Relax, Sugarcube, ain’t gonna lose your wings if you don’t fly for a couple days.” “How would you know?” “Ain’t never bothered Shy. Right, Shy?” Before Fluttershy could chime in meekly, Twilight spoke up. “Girls, calm down. If my calculations are right and the sun is where it’s supposed to be, then the castle should be,” her horn lit up in a magenta aura as did all of the vines blocking the path in front of them like a wall, before moving aside like some sort of living gate revealing their destination, “right here.” At the same time, a giant speaker appeared above Discord’s head and meowed in the cutest and quietest alarms ever. “Oh, guests. Everybody, we’re on!” As the Elements of Harmony walked up to the castle door an eerie silence seemed to overtake everything. They had expected anything and everything from an ambush to a giant pie catapult, but instead the place simply looked abandoned. Celestia and Luna’s horns lit up opening the castle door. Each stepped in carefully, ready to spring, except for Pinkie Pie who was bouncing along happily. Suddenly, the light sprang on, confetti flew from cannons, and a giant banner in the middle of the completely restored grand hall read, “Welcome Home, Sunbutt and Lulu!” causing all of them to jump in surprise and, in Pinkie’s case, happiness at what appeared to be a party. Appearing out of a giant pink puff of smoke was Discord in a party hat with a blowout that sounded less like a whistle and more like a round of applause. “Draconequus Prince of Chaos, at your service, so to speak.” “Discord!” Celestia’s eyes were like lasers aimed at his very soul. “What have-” Before getting the chance to finish, Luna jumped at the prankster, pinning him to the ground. “Is it really you? Are you back, Seeker?” Tears slowly slid down her cheeks. “Hi, Lulu. It’s complicated, but I’m okay now, promise.” His lungs hurt as the air was hugged out of him by the elated mare. “One thing though, it’s Discord now.” And just like that, the hug was over and Luna had jumped back. “No. No! You’re Seeker, not Discord. You have to be.” Something that looked like true emotional pain seemed to take the creature of chaos’ features as he looked away from the two Alicorns who had loved him, saved him, and condemned him. “I’m not Seeker anymore, and I’ll never be him again. Even if I wanted to, I could never get my original parts back, they have long since passed and even if they hadn’t… This is who I am now. I did those horrible things so long ago, and I’ll bear the name I took as a constant reminder.” His head turned and power emanated from his body. “I AM DiScoRd! God of Chaos! Sin of Gluttony! Now, would anyone like some chocolate milk? No. Well, you’ll have to excuse me if I have a glass, yelling like that is hard on the throat.” From out of the shades behind him walked a familiar cloaked figure. “You and your dramatics.” “Says the pony who-” Twilight and Rarity stepped in front of their friends focused intently on the stallion. “Where is he!?!” They gave each other a quick glance before their horns lit up, ready to strike. “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced, well not all of us at least.” He took his cloak in his mouth and pulled it off in one flourish, leaving the mares to gawk at the scarred kidnapper and his demonic eyes. “Name’s Wrath. As I’m sure you’re aware, I’m the one who’s set this little get-together up. As for the young drake, he’ll be down momentarily I’m sure. He said something about her being appalled if she saw him all sweaty and dirty from training.” Fluttershy’s nurturing instinct seemed to take over as she saw the wounds carried by the stallion. Only her common sense and fear held her back from inspecting them closer to see if anything could be done. “Do they hurt?” She covered her mouth with her hoof as she realized the words had somehow come from her. He smiled softly at the mare, or as softly as one so battle-worn could. “Sometimes. It’s for the best though, reminds me of my failures, and pain is a small price to pay for that.” This time Celestia spoke up, “It’s been a long time, Wrath. I’ve heard about what you’ve done.” “What you wouldn’t.” “You do not get to play judge, jury, and executioner! None of us do!” “And yet, I have for over a thousand years. You do not get to lecture me! Safe in that castle, protected by guards, as monsters calling themselves ponies, dragons, minotaurs, griffons, and everything in-between roamed the land hurting, even slaughtering innocents.” An accusatory hoof pointed directly at him. “And what makes you different? Tell me, Wrath!” “Nothing. I accept that mantle happily to save their next victims, to avenge all those I couldn’t. You’ve done a lot of good Celestia, but not even a goddess can destroy the evil in a heart, not without taking away free will.” Luna placed her hoof in front of Celestia’s mouth. “I think we can all agree this is not the time or place for this. It is nice to see you after so long, Wrath. I have missed my friend greatly.” “It’s nice to see you as well Luna… and Celestia.” Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Celestia regained control of her emotions, a trick often used when dealing with aggravating nobles. “It is nice to see you, even under these circumstances. The four of us again in one room, hard to believe as it may be. But we aren’t alone, are we? And I don’t mean the girls. Where are the rest of the Sins?” “You could look behind you,” a voice called out. Every head snapped in the direction it came from, finding a minotaur lazily leaning up against the wall next to the door they had entered. “I’m a little disappointed the pink one was the only one of you who noticed me coming in. True, I barely breathe or move in anyway, but still.” He moved across the room, passing right by the Elements of Harmony and took his place among his own as if it were nothing special. “Name’s Power House, Sin of Sloth and lover of sunny days and shade.” Applejack spoke honestly and from the heart, “Ain’t ya a little muscular to be Sloth?” “I get that a lot. Minotaurs grow up being trained for physical labor. Of course, when your Sin gives you the power of perfect efficiency, each good meal, each push up, goes a long way.” “Enough about him, it’s time you met a real Sin.” Free falling from above, Pride hit the ground like a feather striking his signature heroic pose. Pinkie broke into a small fit of laughter at the display, physically crippling the pegasus's stance. Celestia on the other hand appeared quite downtrodden. “I had hoped that I was wrong about it being you, that you had perished, Tru-” Dash sprang forward like a bullet. “That’s True Shoot! The first leader of the Wonderbolts, but… you… you disappeared during the Gryphon-Pony skirmishes hundreds of years ago. There’s statues in Cloudsdale in your honor. Everyone at flight school learns about the original Wonderbolts and their heroism.” “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, but you must be mistaken, I know this stallion.” Rarity was positive of her identification. “His name is Golden Touch. He happens to be the richest pony in the kingdom; we met at one of Fancy Pants’ parties. It was quite the honor, since he’s rather well known for being an incredibly reclusive pony.” “Ah, Miss. Rarity, it is nice to see you again.” He smirked, as his ears perked up at the sound of claws on marble. “You see, you are both right and wrong. I have long since abandoned the name True Shoot.” His voice came out sour and full of spite. “That name should not be worshipped; it should be cursed. That heroism on my part was nothing but a lie,” Dash was genuinely confused. “What do you mean?” “Wrath, do you mind?” A nod from the black stallion told him to continue his story. “I’m sure you know the legend. How I led my team of the greatest flight masters in Equestria into battle against unbelievable odds. How our sacrifice and bravery stirred the gryphons into agreeing to a truce and allegiance that has held for generations. The whole thing is a lie.” Twilight, Dash, Fluttershy, and Celestia seemed shocked, but the other four were more confused, unaware of the tale. “The real story involves a foolish prideful idiot of a leader whose subordinates had put their lives in his hooves. We were losing the skirmishes by sheer number and left with little other choice than to attack and run. During one of those assaults, we gained intel on a massive strike against Equestria. Hundreds would be flocking through our border to invade Equestria… we were twelve. And of those twelve, one had been seriously injured during that very mission, leaving us only eleven able bodied Wonderbolts. I ordered Sleek Wind to gallop as fast as he could, his right wing broken and useless at his side, to the Castle to get reinforcements. My team was made up of the most elite and well trained military fliers Equestria had to offer. And it would have taken any one of them, an hour or two by air, on hoof it would take four to five days. We had six hours until the attack, but I wasn’t about to let some weak gryphon fliers pass my line. We could have had our own air force there in time to repel the attack, but I just wouldn’t admit we were outgunned.” Everything from his voice to his body displayed how he felt about the story. There was sorrow, resentment, and regret as his shoulders sagged and his boisterous nature all but disappeared, but, above all, there was an unwavering importance in every word. It was a story he would always remember, always be haunted by. His eyes closed as the memories replayed in his head. “I led those ten true heroes to their deaths because of my pride. I watched as they fell, one after another around me… and I snapped. Feathers flew from my wings, striking my enemies dozens at a time. Each one I hit suddenly became overcome by pride and turned on his fellow gryphon, tearing them to shreds over imaginary insults or a need to be strongest or any number of other things. They began massacring each other. Those who retreated and were lucky enough to escape ran back and told the story of the demonic pony whose feathers could make the closest of friends slit each other’s throat. The king and queen feared their subjects turning on them and struck up a truce within less than a day. As for me, I was going to run every one of them down, but that’s when Wrath and Power House appeared. They basically beat me back to sense, reminding me of my allies and why I fought, the honor that I had seeked, and how I betrayed it.” To some it felt as if something had been omitted from the tale, but no one said anything. “After that, we traveled around a bit. I… gained an appreciation for what Wrath did and does. I took on the name of Pride, and eventually Power House left our little group and I followed shortly after. At that point I moved to Canterlot and started amassing a fortune.” He smiled a little, obviously quite happy with his financial prowess. “When you have all the time in the world, it becomes very easy to learn to predict and control commerce to make quite a bit of coin. Of course, I created a fake identity for myself, never appeared before the Princess, and as time moved on I would ‘die’ and my ‘son’ would take over. Essentially, I created an entire family lineage of wealth and power that was only ever one pony. Time allowed me to garner my resources, to learn business, and to live my never-ending life in luxury. As far as anyone here need be concerned, I am simply Pride.” Turning his head towards the darkness behind him he shouted out, “Hear that dragon, I’ve kept my word!” A deep earthy voice and the smell of brimstone traveled through the air as a large shadow began moving, emerald slitted eyes visible, “I never doubted you for a second, Pride. Hey, Twi, I hope you haven’t let the library burn down without me for a few days.” Twilight’s lip quivered as she looked up into those eyes. “Spike?” Next to her, Rarity stood holding her breath. A claw came out of the darkness, a rich shade of purple. The rest of the transformed dragon soon followed, along with a number of gasps. “In the flesh. So, what do you think of the new look?” The shock was short lived for Rarity. Like a force of nature, pure anger powered her horn as Wrath found himself pinned to a column. His body inched further and further into the cracking stone. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?!” He looked into her now glowing eyes, seething with power and hatred. “Ah, magic powered by pure emotion, hard to resist. I was expecting this from the Element of Magic or one of the Princesses, color me impressed.” “ANSWER ME!” Spike charged at her. “Rarity, stop!” As soon as he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I’m okay, so just stop.” His claw ran down her back calmingly. “I’m right here.” The magical aura around Wrath disappeared, allowing him to land on his hooves. Cracking his neck, he addressed the white mare, “We didn’t do anything the young drake didn’t agree to. He accepted his new form to better protect all of you. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for him, I assure you. You’re lucky to have someone who cares so much.” A sudden dampness on his chest scales alerted Spike to the emotional roller coaster the mare he loved was currently riding. “Rarity-” The sorrow in the beautiful voice was clear as her voice wavered, “Why do you always do this? You put yourself in danger, fighting diamond dogs to protect me, jumping of the Crystal Castle after the heart, allowing yourself to be kidnaped, and then you shrug it off like nothing happened. You just keeping putting yourself in danger to try and save everyone else. Why?” He could not help but chuckle a little, earning him a sharp poke in the chest from her horn. “I guess hanging around the six of you just wore off on me. You’re my friends after all; what else could I possibly do.” Nestling further into his chest, she basked in the heat of the dragon’s eternal flame. “Stupid dragon.” “Well, I won’t deny that.” “I just need a minute here… I smeared my makeup all over Spike’s chest.” The remaining Elements shared a smile as Discord and Pride rolled their eyes. Twilight could not help but feel her own heart warm a little at her two friends starting to come together. “Of course, Rarity.” Suddenly next to them, Pinkie appeared to be randomly teleporting around Spike. “I like your new look Spike, you’re all muscular and cool looking, not that your original shape wasn’t cool, but this is like rockin! Get it? Cause he’s a dragon. I crack myself up.” Pinkie started giggling uncontrollably. Rainbow Dash was busy eyeing up Spike most obvious change. “I have to agree with Pinkie, you look awesome! I bet those wings of yours have quite a bit of kick to them. Later, me and you are racing dragon boy, and you too, ‘Pride’, can’t let a chance to race one of the greatest fliers Equestria has ever known escape. You should consider yourself lucky I’m giving you the honor.” The golden stallion shook his head. “Maybe she should have been the Sin of Pride. Well, I’m happy to put a fledgling in her place.” Suddenly in front of her friends, Pinkie gave them all a cold stare. “How are you all forgetting the most important thing about having Spike back?” Her limb seemed to stretch out unrealistically far as she pulled Spike and Rarity into the rest of the Elements. “Group hug!” There were a series of, “You’re squeezing too tight,” and “I think you’re breaking my ribs,” from the mass of bodies. A strange voice came from above, “Awe, how cute. Shame though, all that love and so little lust.” From one of the balconies above flew down a changeling with a red back plate. “I mean, just look at him. Here, let me help.” Pink flames suddenly encased her body, and from out of them came a perfect replica of Spike. “Muscles, beautiful wings, fierce teeth and claws to drive the mares crazy with a little bit of danger thrown in, how is it that this is the kind of, ‘jumping on him,’ you’re all doing?” Fluttershy’s, Twilight’s, and, hidden in Spike’s chest, Rarity’s cheeks lit up a brilliant crimson, all for entirely different reasons. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and the two princesses were not as easily flustered though. Spike seemed downright bemused. “Enough, Lust.” “What can I say,” the fire returned, leaving the changeling behind, “I enjoy a little teasing, in and out of the bedroom.” In a flash of cyan light, a familiar silver maned mare appeared next to the other Sins. “The Great and Powerful Trixie, agrees. Lust is ruining a very touching moment between friends and comrades.” Twilight’s mouth was stuck agape, she had yet to reach Envy’s chapter in the book. “Trixie? You’re Envy? I mean it makes sense I guess, but…” Perking up almost immediately at the mention of her name from the favorite pony, Trixie smiled brightly and waved. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle. Trixie has been looking forward to seeing you again, let alone training you.” “Training?” Twilight gulped as she imagined the horrors Trixie would put her though. “Ah, there’s the lust, delicious.” Clearing his throat to get everyone’s attention, Wrath spoke calmly, “As Trixie has been so kind as to share, yes, training. I think it’s time we discussed why we’re here.”