10 Days until T-Day
10 Days until T-Day
7:50 am
Ponyville Library, Twilight's room
Derpy poked her head out from the cloud and let out a large yawn. She hopped up and stretched her wings, then looked towards Twilight.
“Ready for....”
But her voice trailed off as she noticed the bed was empty. She cocked her head in confusion, wondering why Twilight had had to get up so early.
Trotting down the stairs, she found Spike blearily eating breakfast. He dropped the food off his spoon more often than not—he must have been really tired.
“Have you seen Twilight?” Derpy asked, sliding over a bowl for herself.
Spike nodded. “She left like an hour ago.”
“Oh... I didn't even wake up.”
“You're a heavy sleeper,” Spike grumbled. “Maybe I need to get me one of those clouds.”
Derpy cocked her head. “Was Twilight being loud?”
“She was testing joint teleportation for distance and accuracy. Sometimes it didn't work.”
“Meaning?”
Spike pointed to the wall, where Derpy noticed, for the first time, that there was a book embedded in the wall. Not like it had been thrown there; as if it had appeared there from inside.
“Oh,” Derpy said, nodding her head in understanding.
“Yeah.” Abandoning his cereal, Spike took a bite of his ruby. “Fully splinched. She wasn't very happy about that one. But it's not like she can practice outside. She's gotta stay hidden and she couldn't hold all three spells at the same time.”
Derpy nodded. “Do you think she'll be able do it?”
Spike grinned. “She's Twilight Sparkle. I think she'll manage.”
10 Days until T-Day
11:00 am sharp
Ponyville Library, common room
Rainbow Dash hovered in front of the gathered pegasi. She wore the thick, protective woolen clothing that Rarity and Twilight had designed, and had just finished making earlier that morning. Not that the garment needed adjusting, mind you—Rarity's design was perfect. Rarity had just decided that it needed a little extra spark, and so Rainbow Dash was proudly sporting a large, full-color, interwoven logo of her cutie mark on the back. It was hot, but the other option was wearing rubber and that chafes something AWFUL when flying. And if the wearer in question is a stallion... don't even go there. (1)
“All right, you sorry excuses for pegasi!” Rainbow Dash began, in a quite authoritative voice. She was enjoying herself immensely. “Today we begin fight flight training! Now, I know you can take dogfighting classes at Flight School as electives, but we're going to work on something a bit different this week. We're outnumbered, outmatched, and it looks like we're gonna lose; but with a little strategy, we will come out on top.” She pounded her hooves together on the last phrase to accentuate her point. She scanned the crowd, doing her best to look intimidating. “Those who feel like they're strong cloudpushers, line up on that wall. If you prefer flying fast, line up with that bookshelf. If you don't like doing either, or if you happen to enjoy playing with lightning, come up to the front.”
As the pegasi divided themselves, Rainbow Dash continued. “This is all subject to change, so be open and ready for anything.”
“What makes you so sure this is going to work?” somepony asked.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Because this is Twilight's plan, and if the egghead says it'll work, then it'll work. Now move it!”
“Nopony's seen her in days!” the pegasus protested. “Maybe she abandoned us, you ever think of that? She skipped town to save her own flank and abandoned us to a crazy psychopath!”
Rainbow Dash was ready to issue a complete and thorough dressing down, when suddenly the speaker's wings glowed purple and flared out, fully extended. Every pegasus there (and that meant every pegasus in town that wasn't too sick to show up) noticed—and every pegasus laughed.
Twilight's voice rang out through the laughter. “Maybe what you don't see is as important as what you do see.”
Rainbow had to wipe a tear from her eye. “What she said. Now move!”
10 Days until T-Day
11:35 am
Empty field close to Sweet Apple Acres
Rainbow Dash flew, wearing heavy weights to slow her down. Hey, you don't expect the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria to slow down or pass up a training opportunity, do you? She flew fast, up, down, through the clouds...
Suddenly, a lightning bolt hit her. The magic embedded in her woolen suit protected her from the burn and any injury, but the force did knock her back in a rolling fall. She recovered quickly and met the eyes of the pegasus who had shocked her.
Derpy looked sheepish. “Sorry!” she said.
Twilight had been watching from atop a cloud, and was more than a little bit impressed. “Actually, that was right. You're supposed to shock the enemy.”
“Woo hoo!” Derpy celebrated by jumping again on her cloud—sending an accidental shock into the two pegasi propelling it. They didn't have protective suits on, and, mildly stunned, began to fall, but Twilight caught them with a quick burst of her magic. Already seeing a hundred ways this could go wrong, the unicorn cleared her throat. “Derpy,” she said. “How would you like to be promoted to the wind-tunnel squad instead?”
Derpy's face fell. “You just want to get rid of me,” she said sadly.
Twilight verbally backpedaled furiously. “No, no! It's not like that at all!”
“You're a bad liar, Twilight,” Derpy said dolefully. Then she perked up again. “Can I be ground troop instead?”
Twilight had a sudden vision of Derpy running into the town water tower—and knocking it over right on the advancing army. “Actually, that might be a good idea.”
Derpy skipped off happily... until she skipped off the cloud she had forgotten she was on, and began falling flank over teakettle towards the earth. She quickly beat her wings to regain control, smiled sheepishly, and headed back down to the ground.
“That pegasus....” Twilight said, confusion written all over her face.
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, she's something else.” She turned back to the others. “Well, you see how it works. Get movin'!”
Twilight watched as the pegasi began putting her plan into action. It looked fairly impressive. As she did some quick calculations, she noticed something.
Where was Fluttershy?
10 Days until T-Day
1:35 pm
Everfree Forest
Still invisible, Twilight wandered through the forest. She had had to take many long ways around, because Trixie had set up wards that would trip when strong magic passed through, almost like she was fishing for Twilight. Trixie had certainly gotten stronger, but the wards themselves were not too complex and suffered from poor wording, especially on defining the end ranges, and so Twilight was easily able to avoid them.
A sudden worry occurred to her. What if something had happened to Fluttershy? Or Zecora? What if Trixie had captured them? What if Trixie had imprisoned them? Were those the same thing? Why didn't she think of this sooner? She froze, split with indecision on which of her friends to visit first. Fortunately, her path had led her closer to the zebra's hut than Fluttershy's cottage, and the decision was easily made.
10 Days until T-Day
1:42 pm
Zecora's house
As Twilight approached, she noticed something was different about Zecora's house. The most noticeable change was the new appearance of Trixie's cutie mark, burned into the wooden door.
Inside her hut, Zecora looked up at the sound of tapping. She relaxed slightly, as this set of taps were more friendly-sounding than the first set. “A visitor! Who could it be?” Zecora opened the door, smiling, and saw... nothing. She cocked her head in confusion. “Is my visitor one Miss Nopony?”
Scampering hooves soon changed her mind, and she shut the door behind her. “Twilight Sparkle! A surprise for sure. Your mixture is not quite yet pure. I had thought I still had two days yet to brew them how you wanted it?”
“Thanks, Zecora,” came Twilight's disembodied voice, “but I'm actually here to see how you're doing.”
Zecora shrugged. “My health is good, my teeth are strong, my mane and tail grow straight and long.”
She heard the sound of a hoof hitting a forehead. “I meant, has Trixie found you yet? I was afraid she'd taken you and captured you or something and forced you to brew her some evil poisons or something.”
Zecora laughed. “Fear not, Twilight, I am safe and sound. Though her scouts did come around.”
“What?”
Zecora pulled a small kettle off the fire and poured out two cups of the hot drink inside, seemingly oblivious to Twilight's worries. “Yes, they came earlier today; but do not worry, I chased them away.”
Twilight began to fret. “You're not hurt, are you? How did you do it?”
Lifting up her cup, Zecora bit her lower lip as she reflected on what had happened.
The group of four ponies surrounded the zebra. Their leader, a dark-eyed pegasus mare, began the interrogation.“So, you're a zebra.”
“I surely was last time I checked, and I don't think that has changed just yet.”
“So what can you do? Brew potions? What is this grass and mud in this pot?”
Zecora's expression became offended. “That's my soup. You are quite rude. Do I show up and diss your food?”
“t's prolly better than the swill we're served,” one pony muttered, earning himself a sharp smack from his companion.
“What could you possibly offer us to leave you alone?” their leader continued.
Zecora smiled. “My services, for as you see, I am what is known as, a call pony.”
“A call pony?”
Her question was answered when Zecora stood, and walked really close, destroying all concept of personal space. Running a hoof up along her wing, Zecora brought her mouth close to her ear and whispered, “Upon my cutie mark I bet, I can give you a night you will not forget.”
The leader literally flew out of Zecora's house, with the other three soon following, but not before issuing a few more threats and leaving Trixie's insignia burned in the door. It was all hollow threats, though. Zecora had seen plenty of those in her lifetime, and knew the signs. They would not be visiting her again any time soon.
Zecora shrugged and hid a slight blush as she took a sip. “Such trivial things don't matter much. I simply used my zebra's touch.”
She heard the sound of Twilight's sigh of relief, and then watched her cup disappear as Twilight took it in her magic. “Thanks, Zecora, that helps a lot. I'm going to see Fluttershy. I don't think she could handle one scout, let alone four!”
Zecora let out a slight giggle behind her own cup. “If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that you could give your fears a rest.”
“What? Why?”
Zecora turned and pointed to a smaller, covered pot simmering over a smaller fire, off to the side of the large one. Twilight had not seen it when she walked in. “I was certain that they would be back, so I decided to go on the attack. It is a paste, thick, green, and goopy, that looks like sick but not as droopy.”
Twilight really didn't need that image in her head.
“I spread it around Fluttershy's cottage with care.” Zecora couldn't suppress a smile as she finished her thought, “For it just so happens to attract bears.”
Ah. Fluttershy couldn't take on one pony, but she could easily handle a bear, assuming that the bear wasn't already her friend. She was funny that way. And Twilight would have bet three books that no scout would return anywhere near the possible home of a bear.
“I think I'll go see her anyway.”
“She is your friend, I think that's fine. Come back and see me some other time!”
10 Days until T-Day
2:30 pm
Fluttershy's cottage
Fluttershy sat on her couch and pushed over a cup of tea to the green pegasus, who still had not shared her name. She picked it up and took a small sip. Her eyes lightened. “I think this is my favorite,” she said. “It's nice and minty.”
Fluttershy smiled over her own cup. “It's one of my favorites, too,” she said, taking another sip. “The poison lemongrass adds such a nice flavor.”
The green mare spewed her drink out and clambered back over the sofa, her clipped wings flapping furiously (but ineffectually) in a desperate attempt to escape.
“Wait! No!” Fluttershy said, holding her hooves up. “It's just a name, see? I'm drinking it too!”
The mare stopped flapping, but her wings remained extended, and her breathing did not slow.
“It only affects unicorns. We're fine, I promise.”
The other pegasus didn't seem convinced, but Fluttershy remained gentle. She took the other mare's cup and took a sip. “See? Perfectly safe.”
The other pegasus slowly returned to the sofa. Fluttershy had no idea what she had gone through, but whatever it was, it must have been unimaginably rough. It had taken her forever to get the pegasus to leave her room, and trying new food had been the next hurdle. She smiled disarmingly. “I promise, not everypony else is out to get you.” She paused. “Though sometimes it feels that way...”
This conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Instantly, both pegasi fled back to the comfort of the bedroom, diving under the bed and shivering in tandem.
Suddenly, it occurred to Fluttershy that she couldn't convince the other pegasus to be brave if she herself was not brave. Steeling herself, she pulled herself out from under the bed and bravely answered the door.
To her surprise, the doorway was empty. She looked around, wondering if it were an animal or perhaps a pony pulling a prank—until the door shut on its own. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise.
“Fluttershy. Don't faint.” (3)
Fluttershy bit her lip and remained standing.
Twilight Sparkle materialized from the air and smiled. “Hey, Fluttershy!”
“Oh, hi,” Fluttershy said, hoping she didn't sound suspicious.
If she did, Twilight didn't notice. “You weren't at pegasi training today, and I was just coming by to see how you were doing.” Her eyes widened. “There isn't a spy hiding here, is there? You haven't been captured and tortured for information, have you?”
“Oh, no!” Fluttershy said. “I just... I... Um... I just didn't come because...” Her eyes darted around the room nervously, before she looked up again. “Would you believe the feather flu?”
Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully. “No, because you used that excuse last time.”
“How about the pony pox?”
“No, and that's even accounting for how often you volunteer at the clinic.”
“Would you believe poison joke?”
Twilight blinked. “No, Fluttershy. No, I would not.”
Fluttershy was starting to sweat now. “Would you believe that I was just afraid of being surrounded by a lot of ponies again?”
Twilight paused. “Actually, that one I would believe.”
Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief.
“But I thought you had gotten over that?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy hid her face. “It's... a work in progress,” she stammered.
Twilight sighed, relieved. “Oh, that's good. Because, I'll be honest here, for a second there I thought you had found a member of Trixie's army and were hiding her here under your bed or something.”
Fluttershy's eyes widened, and she was sweating bullets now. “Oh, of course not! I mean... that would be rather silly, wouldn't it?”
If Twilight noticed her nervousness, she didn't comment. “Yeah. Guess I'm just a little nervous for this, even though I have prepared...” She paused and pulled out her checklist. She glanced at it before biting her lip. “Have you been helping Zecora?” she asked.
Fluttershy shook her head, grateful that she wasn't in the spotlight anymore. “No. She wouldn't tell me anything else besides she needed lemongrass. Which is harmless, except to unicorns.”
Had Twilight not been otherwise occupied with her checklist, she would have become slightly suspicious. But, being unable to see the forest for the trees (4), she didn't. Instead, she rolled up her checklist and nodded. “All right. Then I'm heading back to work with Rarity on something else that I can't tell you about on the off chance that Trixie has discovered and learned how to use the mind-reading spell.”
“There's a mind-reading spell?” Fluttershy asked, worried. (5) What if her friends could see the thoughts running through her head?
“Yeah, but it's really painful for the pony on the receiving end. It's been banned for a couple hundred years, but it's still around. It's really bad. A few ponies have gone insane because their mind got looked into for too long.”
Fluttershy stared in horror.
“Well, that's all for me. Good bye, Fluttershy. I'll come by and see you soon, as soon as I figure out a good place to put you in my schedule. I already had to cut pegasi training supervision short and move back helping with Rarity just to see you today.”
Fluttershy hesitantly waved good bye as Twilight disappeared and then left, in that order. Turning around, she took a steadying breath. So what if there were scary things out there? She had to be strong for her nameless friend! So what if there were big, mean, scary ponies who could hurt you and make you go insane and leave your animal friends all alone?
Two seconds later, she was beside her bed, lifting up the bedsheets. “Scoot over, please,” she said, before scrambling under and quivering next to the green pegasus.
10 Days until T-Day
7:30 pm
Carousel Boutique
Twilight worked slowly now, more than a little bit exhausted. The part of the plan that involved Rarity and Project Pinkie was a great idea... but took more magic than she had previously planned for. Rarity had worked nonstop for most of that afternoon on her own projects—generosity doesn't pay the bills, darling—and Twilight had worked right alongside her. Together, they had made a good team.
Well, that is, until the Cutie-Mark Crusaders had decided to burst in, make a general mess, and attempt to earn cutie marks in pet grooming. Their subject, Opalescence, had said no.
Repeatedly.
With her claws.
On an unrelated side note, they had also discovered that they weren't the Cutie-Mark Crusaders Nurses. And Rarity was also now out of gauze.
Twilight had just finished putting the finishing touches on yet another patch when there was a knock on the door.
She vanished instantly, and Rarity opened the door. To her horror, there stood Lyra and Bon Bon.
“So... fitting time?” Lyra asked.
“Well, I... you see... I...”
“But you promised,” Lyra said, putting on her puppy-dog eyes.
If there is one adjective that describes Lyra, it is “emotional”. When she's happy, she's happy. When she's sad, she's devastated. When she's angry, she's furious. And when she wants something...
Rarity's resolve broke down like a snowball in summer. “I did, didn't I... Very well, come in. And shut the blinds, please.”
10 Days until T-Day
8:10 pm
Carousel Boutique
Two very happy ponies left Carousel Boutique, their saddlebags bulging with various items of personal clothing.
Rarity exhaled. All things considered, it had gone well, but there was the issue of Twilight. As if she knew she was being thought of, the purple unicorn materialized on top of one of Rarity's bookshelves, high up and out of the way.
Rarity looked up, and a feeling of dread crawled through her as she realized that Twilight was looking thoughtful, apprehensive, and excited all at the same time.
“Rarity?” she asked. “I... I think I... you know... for purely scientific reasons, of course... might possibly kindof want one of those outfits, too.”
Rarity had the sinking feeling that she had started something that would balloon into something larger and come back to bite her in the flank. This was coupled with the feeling of pride, that shy Twilight (who had remained stubbornly single throughout the years) was finally coming out of her shell.
So, of course, there was no possible way that this could end well.
Now completely conflicted, she settled for smiling and levitating a quill. “Whatever you like, dearie,” she said.
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1840854
All hooves on deck!
1840880FIRE AT WILL
I love it. Even more. Nice job.
MOAR. PLZ.
so i gusse there not going to use matchlock guns in tixie army, becasue if she have gun to the griffon kingdom and got there weapons and uncons was useing them i bet ponyville is doom.
2704250
Nope, nothing like that in this universe. Just brute force.
2704261 i look at the pic and theres 21, are there more in her army, becasue if that's it than twilight win she out #
2704275
Yeah, Trixie has a lot more in her army. More than live in Ponyville. But Twilight is smarter, so she's going to win.
2704285 saermter mean not a win all the time, look at the romans they was high tech with steel technlge and weapons that make ohters look like noting but they lost to a goupe that out # them by 10 to 1 that use battle tacks that is burtle.
the battle of the roams vs the barbarians, and gusse what the barbarians won out in the end.
That what i think this battle maybe like twilight is book samert but is she battle saermt. Tixie how ever been on the road way more the twilight ever did, so she have battle epx under her.
Remmber tixie was a show ponie wiach mean she have to think fast and think sermt at the some time not like ok i do this type of fast i mean think fast like 10 out comes if i do this kind of.
i love reading battles of the old and new, twilight is book saermt with battles she mest have read on books of war, but tixie mest have done more than reading a book, for crying out load she have a god danm army.