“Politics,” Fleur repeated with a stunned look that mimicked the disbelief in her voice.
“Politics,” repeated Twilight, continuing her task of leading the pair into the maze. An amused grin spread across Fleur’s muzzle as she she shook her head.
“Do you know I’ve been trying to talk to you about that exact subject for months now? But it seemed like everypony was conspiring against me. My efforts were interrupted by the Queen, Cadence, Silverhorn, Celestia, your guards...” A light tittering broke Fleur’s list before she simply finished, “Yes, I would love to talk politics, so long as you’re ready.”
Fleur’s eagerness would have unnerved Twilight if anger hadn’t taken hold first. She knew better than to think those “interruptions” were unintentional, and the thought of everypony interfering made her indignant. Who were they to prevent ponies from talking to her; who designated them as her gatekeepers? Luna was allowed, of course, but everypony else? They had no right. And to think she thought Fleur had been avoiding her!
“Oh, I believe I’m ready now.” A hint of anger reached her voice as a tense smile spread across her muzzle.
“Perfect!” Fleur answered. “Now, I’m sure you’ve talked with the other parties, just based on your proximity to Cadence and the Queen; so, would you mind sharing who exactly you’ve spoken with? I would like a chance to address any… mm, misconceptions you may have heard about what we stand for.”
The crunching of leaves filled the gap in the conversation as Twilight considered Fleur’s request. If her head was clearer, she would be more reluctant to divulge anything to Fleur, but not now. After how they treated her, no pony deserved her blind loyalty.
“Cadence and Silverhorn. Luna rarely talks about politics; we really only talk about magic and my studies.”
“Right, of course. I’m sure Cadence has a few choice things to say about me, right?” Fleur asked, teasingly bumped into Twilight.
Twilight smiled back, doing her best to not blush from Fleur’s blunt acknowledgment. “Yes, you two don’t seem to be on good terms, but,” Twilight cleared her throat, forgetting the blood in her cheeks, “that’s not really what I’m here for, is it? We don’t have to like each other to work together. At least, if we can find common ground.”
Twilight almost turned a corner before she realized that Fleur had stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, Twilight turned to look, feeling like perhaps she had made too many assumptions. Fleur only looked back in astonishment. “Goddesses! Well, you’re certainly not coy, are you?” Twilight mentally sighed, knowing that no offense had been given.
“But you are right, you know; I really don’t like Cadence.” Fleur once again began to walk, this time, walking next to Twilight. “But I do like to think that shouldn’t be a barrier between you and I. You and I can find friendship in our cause.”
Twilight took a quick breath to fight the blushing before she spoke again. “Of course, but first, I need to know what that cause is. Cadence and Silverhorn have told me, of course, but I’d like to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. Due diligence and all.”
Fleur nodded absently, humming a light tune. “Well, that’s simple enough. An overview, right? Left up here, Twilight,” Fleur instructed.
Twilight nodded.
“Alright, easy enough. Do you remember the last time we spoke?” Twilight nodded again, remembering their talk about the Queen and the Princess. “So, since then, I’m sure Cadence has told you all about her belief in equality and fairness for every pony, yes?” Twilight almost answered before Fleur continued on. “Now, Cadence’s ideals do sound wonderful, don’t get me wrong. In fact, if they were possible, I’d be the first pony helping her.”
“But ideals don’t always survive off of paper, do they?”
Fleur stopped their movement by placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and pulling her closer. “Let’s be honest. Ponies like you and the Queen are beyond what any common pony could do. Ponies like you can work wonders that most ponies can’t understand. They cannot understand the scale of your magnificence, and as such, they never give you your due.”
Twilight’s eyes meet Fleur’s and saw something flash through them.
“And why not? Because nopony else recognizes it! That’s the result of being surrounded by a sea of chaff, of mediocrity!” Fleur’s voice was filled with disbelief. “And if those pony cannot understand greatness, why should we listen to them about anything?”
Twilight continued to stare mute, unsure how to answer.
Fleur’s, noting the silence, took a breath before continuing on in a softer tone. “It’s not their fault, however; it is simply how we were born. Do you think the farmers could understand the complexities of business anymore than actuary could till the land? Of course not, and to have them try is a waste of both ponies!”
“That’s why nobles need to be the sole rulers; they are bred and born for the role. Sure, there are excepts, such as you, Twilight, but why write rules for exceptions?” Fleur laughed with a hint of cruelty. “No, no, it is only logical to leave it to the nobles. The ‘equality’ that Cadence preaches would do nothing but muddle the system, making a whole mess of it. It would ruin the purity of the nation if we had farm ponies writing our laws, only weakening us from within! And what type of equality would that lead to?" Fleur released Twilight's shoulder in order to accent her exclamation with a hoof stamp. “ Sure, those lower ponies may be lesser than the nobles, but they are far better off being lesser in prosperity than being equal in ruin.”
“That’s why we must put our best hoof forward and allow the leaders to lead; unfortunately, that cannot be accomplished with the system we have now. Queen Luna has done a great job, but her sole leadership has left generations of fresh fruit rot on the vine. Why not use what we have to form a Council of Nobles, each speaking for their city or district, be better? Each pony could bring their intimate knowledge of their location while pooling together their leaderships to lead the Empire to prosperity!”
“Now, I’m going to say something that you won’t want to hear; for this Council to work, the Queen would have to step down as sole ruler. Of course, Queen Luna, as a noble, could still participate in ruling, but only as part of the Council. And while the Queen might not realize it yet, this Council benefits her just as much as it benefits Equestria. She can finally be relieved of the burden of ruling. Think about it Twilight; the Queen would finally get a break, no more being overworked and underappreciated. She could be a free pony for the first time in centuries!”
Fleur turned to Twilight with a coy smile. “And Luna’s retirement could only benefit you, no? Luna could be your queen instead of Equestria’s, letting her solely focus on your relationship as Master and Student. You would get the tutelage you want while the country prospers. And that’s not an ideal that’s stuck on paper.”
As a motherly smile signaled the end of Fleur’s points, Twilight’s mind raced, contemplating what Fleur had told her. She was...right in a way? The nobility, well, the educated nobility at least, certainly knew the ins-and-outs of the empire better than most of the common folk. Luna likely knew more than even them, but Luna was overworked, and she needed some time off, something Twilight couldn’t get out of her. If Luna was relieved as queen, that meant there would be more time for just the two of them. More time meant more chances for Twilight to get Luna to love her back, which meant that marriage wouldn’t be just a vague dream.
Twilight shivered. Dare she even think about marrying the Queen, especially so soon? And how could she put the wants of one pony over an entire nation? Luna knew best, so it was only logical that she needed to stay in power. Also, Cadence’s plan didn’t sound as impossible as Fleur thought it was, and Twilight’s suspicion of the noble pony just couldn’t be put off. She remembered that night in the library still, and while nothing had come of it, that she knew of, at least, it still seemed suspicious.
One day, she would have to ask directly about that, but not at this moment. Twilight knew that there had to be some sort of compromise. The common ponies deserved their own voice, but Twilight knew just how rooted in ignorance that voice would be. While Twilight’s existence seemed to prove Fleur wrong, she couldn’t deny that nobles, on the whole, were simply more equipped to handle the burden of leadership. Sure, it was due to their privileged positions, but that didn’t change the reality.
Ugh, I guess this is why politic ponies are always arguing but never resolving anything. This is hard!
Twilight finally shook her head, looking up towards Fleur. “I admit, on the surface, it sounds like your plan could work. But… I have some lingering questions tha-”
Fleur politely, yet quickly cut her off. “Of course Twilight, you can ask me all the questions you want, but perhaps now isn’t the best time? I’ll be expected back in the gardens soon, as will you. We can’t leave our ponies waiting, yes?”
Twilight confirmed Fleur’s statement, “Of course. Do you have another time in mind?”
Fleur pursed her lips, thinking for a second. “I think I have a solution to that. A friend that’s agreeable to our cause is hosting a dinner party in a few weeks, and all the like-minded nobles are sure to be there; it’s the perfect place to answer your questions. We’ll sit close, and if I can’t explain something well, one of the others will be able to. Doesn’t that sound lovely?” she asked.
The sudden invitation put Twilight off-balance, unsure of what to say next. Unsure of what to say, she simply responded, “That would probably be our best bet.”
“Splendid! I’ll ensure that the invitation arrives within the next few days, so be sure to keep an eye out. Now, shall we take our leave?”
Twilight shook her head. “Go on without me, I’ll be out shortly. I just need some time to process alone.”
“Of course, Twilight, take all the time you need.”
With that, Fleur left, leaving Twilight to her muddled thoughts.
Her loyalty to Cadence demanded that she ignored the invite, but Cadence’s political party didn’t have all the answers. She wanted to be a good friend, but she couldn’t just blindly follow anymore. Twilight needed to find her own path, but could she do that if it put her at odds with Cadence? Perhaps… perhaps she should go. If nothing else, she could simply tell Cadence what went on at these closed-door meetings. Yes, that seemed best. She would make the best of this party, either as a member or as a spy.
Twilight sighed as she started to walk back out of the maze. Well, she wanted to get involved, and involved she was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As promised, a few days after her conversation with Fleur, an invitation arrived, and what an invitation it was. The envelope, instead of traditional manila, was pure white and the edges were lined with actual gold. Turning it over, Twilight saw that the whole thing was sealed with a sapphire that had been carved into a house crest. Twilight was stunned that something this valuable had just been dropped off at her room; this small parchment was probably worth weeks of food at the orphanage. Yet, Twilight felt like something was off about the invitation. While the opulence certainly matched Fleur’s taste, the sapphire certainly didn’t have anything to do with Fleur’s hou-
Hold on.
Twilight took another look at the family crest and realized that it wasn’t Fleur’s, but Blueblood’s. Ugh. She knew Blueblood, and while she also knew that Fleur could not continue her cause without the help of such an entrenched noble, she was annoyed that Fleur considered Blueblood a friend. On top of that, the party would be at his house. Twilight groaned to herself. How delightful.
The week between the arrival of the invitation and the party flew by until, before she knew it, Twilight was looking at her dress, a chiffon pink and lilac dress, in the mirror. The whole outfit was tied together by her mother’s necklace. Simply put, she looked stunning, if she did say so herself. Even the wide brimmed hat covering her mangled horn couldn’t ruin her look. Too bad she would have to leave Eclipse at home; while the sword would have completed the look, it wouldn’t help her make the best first impression.
Unfortunately for Twilight, she still had six hours to wait before the party started, which left her alone with her thoughts.
Really, she couldn’t say why she got ready so early. She also couldn’t say how butterflies had found their way into her stomach. Goddesses, she felt like she was going to keel over from anxiety. It was a little ridiculous. It was just a dinner party after all; she had been to several with Luna already, this one couldn’t be that different.
Or could it? This would be the first one that she went to both willingly and alone. Normally, Luna would have to drag her along, allowing Twilight to fade in the Queen’s shadow. This party, however, would leave Twilight the focus of attention. All the opportunistic groveling and fawning that the Queen dealt with would now fall on her, and honestly, Twilight wasn’t sure if she would like that.
Because Twilight had stupidly allocated so much time to get ready for the party, she had nothing to do but to sit and ponder all of the ways the night could go poorly, from some overeager noble bothering her all night to spilling wine on her dress. As she fretted, Twilight’s anxiety turned to hunger, yet she didn’t allow herself to spoil her appetite; if everything else went poorly, she would at least get a meal out of it. A noble like Blueblood would never let his party be ruined by subpar food. But, Twilight pondered, maybe there’s still enough time to have an apple before…
Twilight’s heart leapt when she saw the time. It’s already six forty five?! I only have fifteen minutes left left? How in all of Equestria did it get so late? Twilight anxiously groaned as she activated the lift. Had she really wasted five and a half hours worry?
Jumping off the lift, Twilight hiked up her skirt and hurried through the castle halls as her guards trailed behind. Useless guards, Twilight thought in frustration. These ones hadn’t even remembered her schedule. With the guards Luna left behind, the castle had a target painted on it; well, it would have if an immortal sun goddess hadn’t also remained behind.
As Twilight ran towards Blueblood’s, she was reminded of how eerily similar the house was to the castle. Only the lower, inner wall of the castle separated the Blueblood’s from the castle. In fact, when she flew over the estate during the first chariot ride, she had mistakenly assumed that it was just another part of the castle, since the only sign of separation was the lower, inner castle wall. The original builders had obviously been tasked with matching the castle, and they had succeeded. The stone looked like it was mined from the same place as the castle’s in the exact same hue. There was even a garden groomed to look exactly like the castle’s, just separated by a line of stone. As Twilight approached the estate, she saw that even the entrance looked like the castle’s great doors, just slightly scaled down.
As she approached, she noticed two things. First, she could hear the din of the party that had already started. Twilight silently cursed for letting herself get caught up in pointless distractions. The second was the unicorn butler that had already begun to hurry over to greet her. As he approached, he quickly bowed, his horn barely avoiding scraping the ground. “Good evening Ms. Sparkle. My name is Fine Service, and Master Blueblood has instructed me to be your guide this evening. Would you allow me to guide you to the party?”
Twilight blushed; she hated when ponies bowed to her. “Please Mr. Service, there’s no need for bowing and Ms. Sparkle. Just call me Twilight. And um, yes, please lead the way.”
The butler bolted up with the same speed that he went down. “Of course Ms. Twilight. Before that, however, Master Blueblood instructed me to give you the tour.”
“Oh, of course, but perhaps I should make an appearance first?”
“Master Blueblood was explicit in me giving you the tour before anything else. He thought that it would help you understand the sacrifices his family has made for our glorious country.” The butler’s words were flat, leading Twilight to believe he had given this speech many times before.
Twilight felt a twinge of annoyance. Blueblood’s bragging would make her even later. Twilight took a breath to calm herself, not wanting to lash out at the butler. “Alright Mr. Service, lead the way.”
As they started to walk down the hallway, the similarities between the estate and the castle grew. As she walked, Twilight realized that this hallway was almost exactly the same as the one she ran down exiting the castle. Even the portraits of the great heroes of Equestria that lined the walls seemed to have been taken straight off the castle walls. It was sort of creepy.
After turning a corner, Fine Service stopped at a pair of large doors and opened them with his magic. He stepped out of the way, signaling Twilight to enter, and as she did, the lights magically lit revealing the contents of the room. It took everything Twilight had to stop herself from running right out of the room.
The moment she entered, it was like a billion eyes settled on Twilight at once. Paintings ranged up and down the walls, with portraits covering the bottom rows and various scenes occupying the very top. While some were battles, others where political meetings, and others still were just idyllic landscapes, all the scenes and portraits had one thing in common: the same stallion with the same long, flowing, blond mane, the same bleach white coat, and the same suit top. The same white face plastered row after row, and Twilight felt like all of them were looking right at her.
Creepy
Fine Service, who entered after Twilight, stepped back in front. “This is the Hall of Blueblood,” he explained, gesturing a hoof to the portraits. “The current Master Blueblood is the eighty-third, each serving their country in an exemplary manner.” His hoof lowered to point at the one closest to the door. Twilight squinted her eyes, trying to tell the difference between the eighty-third blueblood and his neighbors, but the paintings were identical.
Well, at least the painter has an easy job, Twilight quipped to herself, softly chuckling. Fine Service, taking no notice of the laugh, continued on.
“Consider Blueblood the First. Her majesty, Princess Celestia, bestowed upon him the title of Duke for his heroics in the Battle of…”
For the next half an hour, Fine Service monotonously lectured Twilight about the glorious history of the House of Blueblood, and it took everything she had to stop herself from yawning. Even Twilight, who loved history and studying, couldn’t take anything from something so blatantly biased. Twilight finally understood how some ponies felt when they said they hated studying, because this was torture. She got the most wonderful lecture on the history of the Bluebloods. Of course, this was rather sarcastic, as it was actually rather… awful. Twilight loved history, she really did, but when it was so praising, so biased, she simply couldn’t enjoy it.
Thankfully, around the tale of Blueblood the twenty-third, Twilight’s stomach rumbled, which prompted Fine Service to cut his speech and apologize profusely for keeping her so long. He even seemed genuine. She assured him it was fine, of course; it wasn’t his fault that Blueblood wanted to make her late.
Fine Service lead Twilight back towards the entrance, where the dining hall was located. As they approached, the sound of clinking glasses and chatting ponies grew louder and louder, reminding Twilight how late she was. She blushed as she entered the hall, although most of the noble ponies didn’t seem to notice how late she was. Fine Service stepped aside silverware and When Twilight entered the hall, the hustle and bustle instantly assaulted her ears. All told, she estimated around forty nobles ringed around a great table, one currently devoid of food to her chagrin.
The first pony she noticed was Blueblood, who was seated directly opposite the entrance. He was laughing loudly with an empty wine glass held by his magic. Twilight assumed that it wasn’t his first. Fortunately, only one pony noticed Twilight’s entrance; unfortunately, that pony was Blueblood.
Blueblood stood up, causing the attention to be directed towards him. “The magnificent Student Sparkle! So glad you have finally graced us.” All the noble ponies then turned towards Twilight, who had already turned red at the comment. All she could do was nod at the sneering noble and walk towards Fleur.
As Twilight walked towards Fleur, the nobles returned to their individual conversations, ending Twilight’s brief walk of shame. Twilight pulled out the chair that Fleur had reserved for her, noting the almost empty wine glass in front of the noble pony. “May I?”
“Of course Student Sparkle,” Fleur said cooly. As Twilight sat, Fleur swirled the remaining wine, simply quipping, “You’re quite late, aren’t you.” Twilight caught the slight slurring and disapproving tone; she was obviously a little tipsy and annoyed with Twilight. It soured the mood, but she took a breath before quipping back.
“One of Blueblood’s servants was instructed to give me the full tour.” Twilight eyed Blueblood, who has seated a few seats down at the head of the table. He was levitating a new glass of wine and laughing with someone to his left, to absorbed to notice the pair of ponies a couple seats to his right.
Fleur’s demeanor became more empathetic, obviously understanding the prank that Blueblood had played. “I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t know he would do that, or I wouldn’t have allowed it. Although, I’m sure he just wanted you to understand the measure of the Bluebloods. His family has done great things for Equestria,” Fleur leaned it close enough to whisper, “even if the current head is only resting on their laurels.”
Still annoyed at Blueblood, Twilight took the chance to jab at Fleur. “Hopefully these aren’t the noble leaders you want to put on the Council.”
Fleur sighed and continued to whisper. “There are a few like that, I won’t lie. For the time being, we do need their resources, but rest assured, they will never be the ones making the decisions. But,” Fleur put her muzzle close to Twilight’s ear, “that doesn’t mean we can’t milk them for all they have. A few honeyed words and promises of power is all it takes to open their coffers.” Fleur pulled back out to finish the wine in her glass and wave down a server for another.
“That’s a bit… parasitic, isn’t it? Even if it’s just Blueblood, don’t you feel a bit bad?”
Fleur took a sip from her new glass and shrugged. “Of cour-”
“Dinner is served!” A loud voice interrupted as the hall was flooded with servants, all levitating silver platters. The sheer amount of magic surprised Twilight; she had never seen so many servant unicorns serving one pony before. She was sure that the room could have been lit by their magic alone.
Fleur, however, was not as taken with the display as Twilight, and continued on without giving the servers a second thought. “Of course I do, Twilight; I don’t want to treat them like this; I have to.” Fleur sipped her wine again as a bowl was placed before her. “And besides, I can’t blame Blueblood for being boorish anymore than I can blame these servants for being meek.”
One of the maids shot Fleur a dirty look. Fleur couldn’t be bothered to notice, but Twilight couldn’t ignore it. She itched with irritation. Fleur’s blatant dismissiveness was starting to bother Twilight. How could she say such things about ponies right in front of them without a second thought? They might have been server ponies, but they were still ponies. And while Fleur kept saying she felt bad, she seemed to treat the wine in her glass better than the ponies giving it to her. Regardless of how she felt about Fleur’s ideas, Twilight hated the distasteful way she treated lower class ponies.
Twilight couldn’t hold onto that feeling for long, however; the food had been severed, and her stomach took over. In front of her was a rich soup that smelled strongly of tomatoes that looked heavenly. Being sure to thank the server, Twilight took a spoonful. After that first taste, Twilight had to stop herself from levitating the bowl up to her muzzle. Obviously, Twilight wasn’t the only pony who liked the soup, because the once noisey conversations turned into the clinking of spoons against bowls. A few ponies broke the silence, complementing the chef’s work, but otherwise silence. Twilight welcomed the calm.
As Twilight drained the last of her soup, the empty bowl was immediately replaced by a small salad. Twilight looked up in shock, realizing that the entire time the room at quietly, the server ponies never stopped gliding around the room, barely making a sound. “Efficient, aren’t they?” Twilight noted, eagerly diving into the greens in front of her.
Fleur dabbed at her lips with a napkin and gave her a smile. “Oh yes, Blueblood has quite the help. And the food is excellent. I must get the name of his chef.”
The two fell back into silence as the dinner continued. After the salad, the main course arrived - a wonderfully prepared eggplant lasagna, that dared Twilight to take bite. She dug in as soon as the magic surround the plate dissipated, unable to hold back any longer. She leaned over the food and wolfed it down. Soup and salad were fine, but nothing could stop Twilight in the face of a meal like this. She act as quickly as she could while not spilling any sauce on her lovely dress.
Twilight’s eagerness was not matched by Fleur, who managed to retain her refinement. Twilight also thought she heard a scoff from Blueblood’s direction, but she was too hunger to look up from her plate. She had learned in the lower cities to eat what was in front of you quickly, because it could be gone at any second. No pony could take what was already in your belly.
Twilight sat back against her chair. The lasagna was completely gone. In fact, the only part that remained was her wine glass. She had been so occupied with eating that she only took a couple of sips. Looking over at Fleur, she was amused to see that Fleur had obviously preferred the drink; only about half of the lasagna was gone, but the wine that she had received only minutes ago had been drained.
Fleur had apparently come to the same conclusion. “It appears as if we’re quite the opposites, no?”
Before Twilight could agree, a harsh laugh broke from the head of the table. “Yes, it is quite obvious that Student Sparkle comes from a lower station, isn’t it?”
Twilight looked to the head of the table to see Blueblood with a sneer on his muzzle. That stupid sneer aggravated Twilight angrier than being late or the embarrassing entrance. “And what’s that supposed to mean, Blueblood?”
“Well, no pony of pure birth would ever eat like that.” Blueblood shook his head. “But I shouldn’t be surprised, it’s not like lower ponies could ever be proper. I suppose that’s why the separation only made sense; probably the one decent thing Luna has done.” He brought his glass to his muzzle. “That’s why I will never understand why that idiot decided that you were worth elevating. Truly a fool.”
Twilight felt her fury rise as magic built up under her hat. She was ready to strike. She even felt dangerous. “What did you say about Queen Luna?”
Fleur raised a hoof between the two parties. “I’m sure he didn’t-”
But Blueblood wouldn’t be silenced. “You heard what I said about Luna. She’s a fool who has been doing nothing but ruining the empire. She’s been a weak ruler, and the best thing she could do now would be to die so she could at least fulfil the role of martyr.”
Twilight scowled. “Was that a threat against your Queen?”
Blueblood laughed at Twilight’s righteousness. “Oh wow, you really are loyal to that bitch, now, aren’t you? I wonder, is it because she fucks you real well? You her whore? Well, you slut, what brothel did she find you in?” Blueblood polished off the rest of his wine. “You think if she liked bedding scum ponies she wouldn’t have left them to rot.”
Fleur stood quickly, stopping Twilight from striking. “Blueblood, stop it, now.” Her eyes burned with cold fire as she attempted to suppress the drunk with a stare alone. Twilight to shivered a bit. This Fleur was the one that Twilight saw in the library; this was the Fleur that Twilight was afraid of.
Blueblood, however, was too drunk to sense any danger and only perceived an attack on his authority. Blueblood pulled in close, but not to whisper; he spoke loud enough so every pony in the room could hear him. “Fuck you, you conniving bitch.” The room, which had mostly be captivated by Twilight’s outburst now went completely silent. It was clear to everyone that this exchange could no longer be written off as a joke.
Twilight mimicked Blueblood and stood up as well. Blueblood took it as a sign and coolly walked past Fleur and right up to Twilight. The noble was close enough for Twilight to smell the alcohol on his breath. “Next week, we duel, you fucking slut.” He sneered. “Unless you’re a worthless coward.”
With that, he stomped past Twilight, departing the hall without another word. The other nobles took the hint that the party was over and started to leave as well. Twilight also wanted to storm out, but Blueblood had taken the only exit. She had to wait or risk running into him again. Soon, the noble ponies left her alone with her thoughts and the sound of cleaning.
As the minutes passed, Twilight begun to release the magic she still held in her horn. When she finally let it go, Fleur walked up besides her. “I’m sorry, Twilight,” Fleur said with a tone of sympathy rather than apology. “Blueblood obviously had too much. I promise you that this is not the type of pony we want leading the Empire.”
“I would hope not.”
They stood in silence for a moment before Fleur asked, “How are you going to prepare for the duel?”
She looked at Fleur in disbelief. The way Fleur asked, it sound as if Twilight had accepted the drunken challenge. Twilight took a deep breath to fight the fury that was welling up again. “I’m not going to, that’s how. Why would I let myself be goaded into something so dangerous by a drunken boar?” Twilight asked, surprised at the amount of anger that found its way into her statement.
With that, Twilight turned coolly and headed towards the exit. For her, this conversation was over. Fleur, on the other hoof, thought otherwise and followed Twilight out into the hall.
“Twilight, you can’t decline!”
Twilight stopped short and turned abruptly towards Fleur. “Why can’t I?”
Fleur, surprised at the turn, stopped short as well. “Well, Twilight, you’ll look weak.”
Twilight laughed. “Why would I care about that?”
“Because it reflects poorly on Queen Luna if one of her students is too afraid to fight, and that puts her in danger.”
Twilight’s heart sank.
Fleur noticed the change in Twilight’s demeanor. “Look,” Fleur continued softly, “even losing the duel would be better than capitulating. You can train a bad duelist; you can’t train a coward.” Fleur placed her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. There’s good news, though. Because Blueblood was the challenger, you get to decide the terms of the duel. It’s an advantage I would recommend not wasting.”
Twilight’s head buzzed; it was all too much. “So I have no choice?”
Fleur nodded gravely. “But there will be referees; you’re life won’t actually be in danger. Worse case scenario is a couple of weeks in bed, but you need to accept it. Just go back to the castle and talk to Silverhorn. He’ll be able to explain, okay?”
Twilight’s heart started to pound as the reality of her situation sank in. If Fleur was telling her to talk to Silverhorn of all ponies, this was serious.
Twilight nodded, and ran out of the estate and straight for the castle. She made it back in record time, but rather than going to see Silverhorn right away, she let her anxiety drive her right to her room. She shut the door behind her and jumped beneath her sheets. Her heart was the only sound she heard as laid down flat. She tried not breathing; she tried to disappear.
Why did I even go? I knew it was a bad idea, but I went anyway. I knew something like this would happen! Twilight thought. If she was being honest, she didn’t actually think that before hand. But in hindsight, her anxiety forced the blame on her.
In between bursts of shaking and calling herself stupid, Twilight’s mind went back to the duel. What did it mean? She didn’t even know what a duel entailed for Goddesses sake! Was it going to be a magic duel or one with swords? Was she allowed to use Eclipse or did she have to use a standard blade? Could she even fight if it was a sword? Roamane still annihilated her in the training fights, and while he was a legend, those weren’t real fights. Could she take down a noble that had been trained his entire life? These questions haunted Twilight, making her unable to seek Silverhorn, the pony who could help her.
Twilight worried until she finally fell asleep; it’s tiring being hard on yourself.
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A week later, Twilight arrived at the arena. It was time to duel.
As she sat on a bench near the arena, Twilight’s knees continued to shake. She was wracked with anxiety. Yes, she had trained with Roamane, but Twilight knew more than any other pony that sometimes, preparation couldn’t save you. Sometimes, there was a question you couldn’t answer, and with so much riding on this duel, could she afford that?
As she sat shaking, Twilight didn’t do her usually tricks to try and combat this feeling; in fact, she was counting on it to save her. Much like the exam before, Twilight found that her best work came under pressure. She was hoping that it would be true today too.
Twilight looked to the sky and saw the match was drawing closer, meaning that she had to get ready. While her wobbling knees still kept her from stretching, Twilight begun to warm up her best quality. She practiced her magic by levitating a few pebbles that had broken off from the bench. She wanted to be sure that her choice of horn covering, a tightly wrapped cloth, wouldn’t prevent her from her best spellcasting when she needed it most.
After a few minutes of complex levitation and tricks, Twilight was sure that her magic was as sharp as ever. Despite herself, she began to feel confident. Maybe she coul-
The sound of metal meeting stone startled Twilight. She looked behind her to see her weapon of choice, Eclipse, lying in the grass behind her. The white cloth illuminated as Twilight levitated the blade in front of her, checking the sword for any marks. It was an unfounded fear, of course; Eclipse wouldn’t be injured by a fall like that, especially right before a battle. Twilight could tell it wanted this fight; she heard its indistinct whispering all night.
Or perhaps Twilight simply overly dramatized the whole affair.
Twilight was still in the middle of inspecting her blade when a referee called her into the arena. She shot up, adrenaline compensating for her wobbly knees.
As Twilight entered the arena, she was greeted with a wall of chears. Surrounding the arena was a collection of nobles. While even including their servants, they didn’t number more than a hundred, for Twilight, this was a lot of ponies. She felt her heart run wild. The duel was already hard enough; why did there have to be so many ponies watching it?
In an effort to relax, Twilight searched for faces she knew. She quickly spotted Cadence and Silverhorn to her left and Fleur to her right. She smiled grimly. At least she knew there would be ponies who could pick up her pieces when she failed.
She nervously laughed to herself as she entered the circle directly opposite her opponent, Blueblood the ninetieth, son of Blueblood the eighty-second, the Great Drake Slayer. That’s really all Twilight could credit him with; being the son of a great pony. He had done nothing to match his father, and the only thing he had managed to accomplish was being a pain in Luna’s rear. When he goes, he should be dubbed Blueblood, the Royal Pain.
Twilight genuinely laughed at her own pun. At least she could find the humor in her bleak situation. Blueblood, couldn't find that same humor, however. When Twilight laughed, Blueblood scowled, and despite hating the stallion, Twilight had to look away.
Looking up towards the highest point, Twilight saw Celestia seated next to a large, empty chair. Twilight felt her heart fall. Of course Luna had not come back from war for something so petty as a dumb duel. Twilight knew that the army needed its fearless leader more than she needed her Luna. Still, she couldn’t help from feeling dejected.
“That bitch isn’t here to save you.” Twilight spun around and faced Blueblood, who smirked at the mare. Twilight felt her anxiety transform into rage. In an instant, she remembered why she had to win: she had to win for her Queen.
“I’ll do it Luna. I’ll win,” she whispered to herself. Great, she had found her confidence. Now all she had to do was wait.
She wouldn’t be left waiting for long, however; within seconds of Twilight reaching her starting point, a referee strode between her and Blueblood. The crowd, which had been cheering since the duelist entered, quickly silenced themselves.
The referee cleared his throat and proclaimed loudly, “On my mark, you two will begin your duel. Standard rules apply, which means no intentional killing blows. You fight until your opponent yields or until they can no longer stand. Because Duelist Blueblood issued the challenge, Duelist Twilight, you will set the stakes.”
Twilight breathed deep and spoke loud. “Should I win, Blueblood will pay the sume of five thousand bits to a charity of my choosing in the name of his Queen, Queen Luna.” She had thought about what she wanted to be rewarded with, but forced charity was the only thing she wanted from this brute. “And should I lose, I will resign my position as Student of the Night.”
The crowd mumbled; they were clearly surprised at such a risk. If this Student valued the title so lowly, some of these nobles would have bought her off.
Blueblood wasn’t surprised, however; he knew the real cost. If Twilight lost, she would abdicate her title, but if he lost, he would be forced to abdicate his pride. For both of the duelist, these were equally important.
She nodded her hand, Eclipse floating by her side into a ready position. It was the only way she could show her confidence. Losing simply wasn’t an option, not for this.
“Ready” Twilight and Blueblood readied themselves.
“Three.” Twilight closed her eyes and focused her magic.
“Two.”
Twilight eyes shot open as green light spilled from the sides of her pupils. The power had worked; her vision had been amplified, allowing her to see her opponent in a new light. At least in a fight, he didn’t wear his smug. He was clearly focused. Twilight’s terms had seen to that.
“One.” A flash of light filled the space before them as Sunny fired a flare.
Twilight squinted, but Blueblood, who was obviously used to the dueling environment, sprang into motion before Twilight could properly see. He jumped forward, and with a feral scream, swung his sword. A great wave of sapphire magic fired from the sword’s arc.
It might have actually hit her if he had managed to stay quiet for a few seconds, although that’s not really Blueblood’s strength.
Twilight breathed quickly and flicked a gravity rune from her belt. Right as the wave past, the rune activated, causing Blueblood’s spell to crash against the magic barrier that separated the arena from the crowd. She was planning on taking Roamane’s advice of keeping her secrets early in the fight.
Frustrated, Blueblood charged forward with another scream. He swung again, sending another blue wave towards Twilight.
Too close… Twilight thought. Gotta get away. With a grunt, she focused her magic into her horn, poofing herself out of existence.
A millisecond later, she poofed back, this time, standing where Blueblood had started the duel. Blueblood, hearing her apparate behind him, skidded to a stop and swung his sword from behind, sending a giant wave covering the entire arc. Twilight rolled to the side as the magic sliced the air.
Twilight quickly jumped back to her hooves as Blueblood galloped close enough to slash at Twilight with his sword. Twilight put Eclipse between her and Blueblood’s blade, but right as the metal clanged together, he slammed into her muzzle with his shoulder, sending Twilight sprawling to the ground. Slightly dazed, Twilight instinctually teleported just in time to dodge another feral strike. She appeared back at her starting position. The fighters had returned to their marks.
Twilight felt a trickle of blood on her muzzle as she struggled to her hooves. She was breathing heavily. She could continue to teleport around the arena for hours, but the physical contact would be the end of her soon.
This needs to end quickly.
With that thought, Twilight’s horn flared with green magic as she conjured her new spell. The horn’s light lightly enveloped the unicorn as runes flickered into existence across her coat as purple lines connected to pink symbols. After a few seconds, the intensity on Twilight’s horn subsided, leaving Twilight’s eyes blank with white magic.
As Twilight breathed deeply, she felt the runic power surge through her and amplify her senses. Luna had only show her this after some coaxing, but with this magic, even a bookworm like Twilight could perform the most taxing physically challenges. It would save her in this fight.
It would also burn through her remaining magic quickly. She needed to act fast.
With another deep breath, Twilight focused her eyes on Blueblood, who stood at the other end of the arena, baffled by the transformation. She could see the beads of sweat forming on his neck. She twitched her eyes and isolated Blueblood’s existence. She could hear his haggard breathing and his heart beating rapidly. The duel was getting to him too.
With a knowing smile, Twilight readied Eclipse in front of her as Blueblood overcame Twilight’s brilliance. He rushed towards her again, sending yet another wave. Twilight sidestepped the wave and quickly jabbed Eclipse at Blueblood, who had attempted to use the wave as a distraction.
Blueblood was momentarily surprised at both Twilight’s speed and movements, but he quickly regained composure. He swung wildly, haphazardly sending wave after wave of blue magic mere centimeters away from Twilight. The mare parried most of his attacks before one slipped through, striking her on the side.
Twilight yelped as the blade nicked her hind, not quite deep enough to draw blood thankfully. She quickly sent magic into her hooves before jumping far away from Blueblood. As she landed, she felt her back hooves touch the barrier. There was no where left to go.
Even with this powerful magic, Twilight still didn’t have the instincts to win. She might be able to match Blueblood’s speed and power, but not his ferocity. And already, the magic was taking its toll. Her coat was already drenched and she could already feel herself weaken. Now she really needed to end this duel.
Seeing Twilight heave, Blueblood charged once again, this time sending two magic waves. Twilight ducked under the waves, but this time, she was too close to the impact sight. The magic burst from behind sending her sprawling forward on the ground.
Right as she landed, muzzle first, Blueblood’s hoof collided with her. Her head jerked up from the impact; Twilight had to focus on maintaining the magic now. However, before she could, Blueblood’s hoof collided with the back of Twilight’s head, sending her muzzle back down into the dirt. Twilight felt her consciousness slip for a second, causing her enhancement spell to break; as it did, the magic dissipated, giving Twilight enough energy to wake up again.
Twilight looked up from the dirt. Some had gotten into her right eye, so she couldn’t see very well, but out of her left, she saw Blueblood, with his back turned, waving his sword towards the audience. Twilight silently groaned to herself. How did this buffoon beat her enhanced form? Then again, Roamane had managed.
Twilight groaned again as she saw the referee trott closer to her, checking to see if she could still stand. Twilight wanted to stay down, but as she closed her eyes, Luna’s face flashed in her mind. She didn’t fight for herself; she fought for her Queen.
Twilight struggled to her hooves just before the referee had called the match. As she stood, the ringing of her ears drowned out the noise of the arena. She could only hear three things: her heart beating, her haggard breathing, and a voice.
I can help.
Eclipse. His whispers were starting to get to her now. Let me help, he urged. Did she really have a good reason to say no? Her head was too fried to think of a reason not too.
Blueblood slowly strode Twilight with the same smug smile from the other night. He obviously thought the match was his, and Twilight couldn’t blame him. It really did seem like it was over.
It will be over if you don’t give me control.
Oh great, now the sword was reading her thoughts! Was it going to start?
I’m just stating the obvious. For your information, I only want to help you. I can help you. Just let me.
Twilight blinked in surprise. That string of sentences was by far the longest Eclipse had ever spoken. And it was trying to convince her it only wanted to help. Bizarre.
Even at his slow speed, Blueblood was almost within striking range, and Twilight was still struggling to stand up.
Well?
Twilight ground her teeth. Fine! Shut up! You can help!.
Eclipse glimmered with green magic as its tendrils touched her horn. More so than her previous spell, Twilight felt her senses enhance, but her reflexes no longer felt like her own. Instead, she felt like she was being guided along as Eclipse lashed out at Blueblood.
The noble, who was lining up a finishing blow, was put off balance as Twilight’s shoulder collided with his muzzle, dazing the stallion. His magic dissipated, causing the longsword to come down across Blueblood’s flank. He let out a cry of pain as red dyed his right hind.
As Blueblood turned to check his injury, Eclipse came down across Blueblood’s chest. In an instant, the noble crumpled into a pile on the ground.
Twilight stood over his unmoving, groaning body, adrenaline pumping through her, heart pounding. She had won. She might have cheered if she wasn’t dead on her hooves. Eclipse, however, remained silent. It was obviously just another win for the blade.
As Twilight closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, something wet her hooves. She looked down to see the blood pooling around her. Nausea set in and blackness tinged her eyes. She felt the her magic cut off as the strength cut out of her legs.
Wow. Was that what hurting somepony felt like? Her vision went black completely as her throat started to close up. She took a shaky step back, but lost her balance and the ground rushed to meet her.
Twilight went out like a light.