//------------------------------// // 21 - Holding It In // Story: Mantles // by Ponky //------------------------------// CHAPTER TWENTY ONE HOLDING IT IN Spike met the vigilantes at the edge of the forest. His injured claw was paler than the rest of the scales on his body. “Spike, you know that something is wrong with Twilight,” Mare Do Well said in a bold tone. “She’s not acting like the mare who raised you, the mare you love. Will you help us breach her castle and confront her directly? We need to know what happened to the Princess of Friendship.” Eyes closed, Spike slowly nodded. “I will. I’ve thought of nothing else all night. I’ll admit, I’m terrified to know the truth. But, in the end, I’d rather know than hide while Equestria falls apart.” “Thank you, Spike,” said Mare Do Well. She could see some of the other vigilantes celebrating in the corner of her eye. A voice came from behind them. “And if you’ll let me come along, I too will fight to right this wrong.” Mare Do Well turned to see Zimbaya, bandaged and bowing. “Aren’t you, like, the king of zebras?” asked Razorwing. “What are they doing without you?” “I am the leader of my tribe,” said Zimbaya. “Without me, they will yet survive.” Razorwing shrugged. “Cool. I’m all for bringing a warlock as long as he keeps his creepy mask off.” “Synapse,” said Mare Do Well, “do you have the staff?” Synapse brought it out from under his cloak and gave it to Mare Do Well. She approached Zimbaya and stared him in the eyes. “Twilight is to be questioned, not killed,” she said. “Do you understand that?” Zimbaya’s face hardened. “Believe me, hero of purple and blue, I want more answers than any of you.” Mare Do Well nodded before hoofing him the staff. As soon as he touched the wood, the glass ball at the top sparked with green bolts of lightning. The vigilantes twitched, but the magic simply rushed over the length of Zimbaya’s body. His bandages fell to the grass and he stood up straighter, stretching his neck. “Ahhh…” he sighed, muttering something in his own language with a smile. Razorwing blinked. “Ahem…” he said loudly, stretching out his spear-punctured wing. “Any chance you could render me airborne again, Invader Zim?” Zimbaya pointed his staff. A gentle swirl of greenish magic passed through the hole in Razorwing’s armor, and the pegasus shuddered. “Whoo-ho-ho-hoa!” Razorwing’s eyes rolled back. “That was amazing.” He did a quick backflip and flew circles around the little group. “Wow, it worked! Thanks, Zimmy!” Kimbaya nodded, and Mare Do Well relaxed. “Good. We’re all here.” When Razorwing landed, Mare Do Well took in her strange new team. “I realize that we’ve not known each other for long,” she said, “but we are very clearly connected by more than just a desire to lift this nation back onto its hooves. We are inspired by the very best of Equestria, and disgusted by its worst. We have already shown each other our power and trusted each other with our lives. There is no reason to wait any longer. “When I first put on this costume, I never thought to face Princess Sparkle myself. I believed I was starting a revolution, and that the ponies of Equestria would rise against her regime and demand a better world. I believed it was the only thing one mare could do. “Now, I see that, in a way, I did begin a revolution, but of a very different sort than I expected. You five are the ponies that have risen from the masses to challenge Princess Sparkle. And now we have a mighty dragon and an impassioned warlock at our side. We are a force to be reckoned with, and the Princess will soon hear our demands. The Elements of Harmony will return to the hearts of all Equestrians, and the changes of the future will be welcome ones.” “Woo!” Razorwing shouted during another backflip. “I’m pumped! Let’s do this!” “For Equestria,” said Facetfire. “For harmony!” said Spritemare. “For the truth,” Harness said, stomping his hoof. “For the truth,” echoed Spike, “and for Twilight. She’s still in there somewhere. I know it.” “Then let’s find her,” said Mare Do Well, “and the Elements with her. Spike, do think you can carry four of us?” Spike dropped heavily to his front claws and crouched low, extending one wing like a ramp for the equines. “Let’s find out,” he said with a long, toothy grin. (/\/\) Each flap of Spike’s enormous wings caused the air to tremble. Razorwing and Spritemare had to fly far above him to avoid the drafts, but it didn’t seem to bother Facetfire, soaring in her flames like a crackling comet. Razorwing cupped his hooves around his mouth and shouted down to the ponies on Spike’s back. “This is awesome! We look so cool!” he said. “The armored pony does not seem to realize this is not a dream,” said Zimbaya. “He just gets excited,” said Mare Do Well. “But he’s a good fighter.” “Hmm.” Zimbaya said nothing and peered over Spike’s spiny head at Canterlot. The castle’s marble shimmered in the Sunlight. “Should we have waited until nightfall?” asked Harness. “No reason,” said Mare Do Well. “It’s not as though we’re sneaking in.” She heard a quiet chuckle under Harness’ mask and smiled. “I’m not sure how much help I’ll be,” said Synapse, lying on his belly behind them. Mare Do Well knelt in front of him. “You were tremendously helpful in Ponyville,” she said. “Stay out of the fray when you feel that you must, but don’t underestimate your value to us.” Synapse snorted a laugh. “You sound like him,” he said, gesturing at Zimbaya. “You may be the most powerful asset we have,” Mare Do Well said. “Don’t forget that.” “I understand, really, but… something’s wrong,” he said, pointing to his horn. “I went into the forest to let out the magic I had absorbed from the cords, but… I don’t know, it doesn’t feel right.” He touched the jagged end of his horn and winced. “I’m going to be careful.” “Please do.” Mare Do Well touched her hoof to his. “No need to push yourself past what you can do.” Synapse nodded, then rested his head on his crossed hooves. Mare Do Well moved to Harness’ side. “Is he all right?” asked Harness. “I hope so. Spike! We’re almost there! How would you like to proceed?” “Dragon style, if you ponies don’t mind,” he called back. “Dragon style? What does that mean?” yelled Razorwing. “It’s loud, for one.” With three strong pumps of his wings, Spike rose above Canterlot and dove toward the castle. His passengers grabbed onto whatever scales or spines were nearest them as the wind whipped through their manes and cloaks. “Rrrraaaaaaauuuurrr!” Spike let out a stone shattering roar as he approached the castle. Gold plated guards leapt to attention all around it, staring bewildered at the sky. “Yeeeeaaaah!” Razorwing rode the jet stream behind Spike’s lengthy tail. “Draaaagoon styyyyyllllle!” Spike pulled open his wings and turned upright near the castle’s main entrance, clawing at the air with another menacing roar. The equines jumped off his back and landed within the castle gates. Spike spun around and smashed in the castle doors with the blunt of his tail, right above the heads of the royal guards. “Call in every able bodied soldier!” shouted a guard. “This is a Sun Class emergency! I repeat, Sun Class emergency!” “Sound the alarm!” said another. Within seconds, a magically amplified siren wailed to the Canterlot skies. “Move!” said Mare Do Well. “Everypony inside as fast as you can!” Spike swept a claw over the entrance, knocking aside several of the guards. From within poured many more, and the golden armor of reinforcements shone from the far sides of the castle, fast approaching. Harness charged ahead, tackling guards and tearing away their armor with his powerful hooves. Facetfire frightened them with bursts of flame, keeping a white fire burning brightly around her body. Razorwing flew over them, tapping several of their helmets and cutting off chunks of their protruding manes. Spritemare ran at a group of three guards. They snarled, ready to grab her, until four more of her burst out from her stripes. The guards squealed like fillies and ran from the flying zebras. Mare Do Well jumped from soldier to soldier, kicking their heads as she went. Many of them fell unconscious in her wake, leaving a path for Synapse to follow. At least thirty guards holding swords in their magic filled up the castle’s open doorway, shouting their own noble warcry. Zimbaya acted quickly, raising his staff above his head. Its glass ball flashed, and a wave of shadowy liquid crashed over them all, pushing them farther into the palace. The vigilantes rushed inside. “Mare Do Well!” cried Spike. She spun around in the splintered doorway and looked up at the dragon. “What is it?” His face scrunched. “I… I can’t come with you.” Mare Do Well nodded. “I understand, Spike. You knew Twilight better than anyone.” “I mean, yes, but… I can’t fit.” Mare Do Well looked up at the relatively small entryway. “Oh.” “I’ll stop anypony from coming in behind you,” Spike said. “Good luck, Mare Do Well.” She nodded, then followed her fellows into the castle. Spike clenched his fists and brought them down over the entrance. The roof and walls crumbled, blocking the path of approaching soldiers with heavy rubble. Mare Do Well galloped out of its cloud of dust and skidded to a halt between the rest of the vigilantes. “What’s the delay?” she asked them. Harness pointed onward. Mare Do Well followed his hoof with her eyes and gasped. “Now might not be a good time to let you know I’m here,” said Lyra in Mare Do Well’s head, “but please excuse my language when I say: oh poopy.” At the end of the palace’s entrance hall, standing at the foot of the double staircase that led to the throne room, Shining Armor glared at the vigilantes with glowing red eyes. Several guards stood at the ready behind him. Around his neck, visible just above his heavy gold-and-violet armor, was a bright red gemstone embedded in dark and decorative metal. “The Alicorn Amulet,” Mare Do Well said aloud. “I remember that thing,” Facetfire said in a whisper. “A showpony used one just like it to take over Ponyville when I was a filly.” “It’s dangerous?” asked Harness. “Extremely,” said Mare Do Well. “Be cautious, everyone.” “Mare Do Well!” called Shining Armor. “We don’t have to do this. Leave the palace and destroy your suit. That goes for all of you. Let the Princess rule the nation her way. Things will improve with time.” “Will they, Captain?” Harness shouted. “Can you promise me that?” Shining’s glowing eyes narrowed. “Pip? Is that you?” Harness took several long strides ahead of the crowd. “Have you buckled, then? Does she own you through and through?” Shining bared his teeth. “Don’t say that, Pip! She’s my sister! She doesn’t own anypony.” “But you’re not fighting back anymore, clearly. Maybe you never were.” “How many civilian deaths have their been at the hooves of rogue guards in the last two years, Pip?” Shining asked. “How many rallies have ended in bloodshed? Zero! You know that? Zero! You think that’s an accident?” “Whoa, wait, what’s going on?” asked Razorwing. “I used to serve under Captain Armor in the Royal Guard,” said Harness. “He was on our side back then.” “There is no your side and my side, Pip!” Shining pointed a shaking hoof. “I’ve worked my tail off to make this city safer and protect my sister from the likes of you. I never meant for it to seem that I was against her.” “All those secret meetings, all those plans to shake things up. And for what? Just to waste another day under a silent Princess?” “We weren’t shaking things up, Pip, we were calming things down! Trying to create a stable world!” “Nothing’s stable out there, Shining!” Harness yelled. The sound was rough and surprising. “Ponies are living miserably and dying miserably. Things need to change now, not in a hundred years when nopony remembers what she used to be! Whatever Twilight thinks she’s doing is wrong!” “Her name is Princess Sparkle!” Shining screamed back, and unleashed a burning blast of magic at the group of vigilantes. Synapse rolled forward and caught the magic. It swirled around him while his broken horn drank it in; all the while a strange whine rose in pitch. He smashed his horn into the gleaming tile beneath their hooves. A glowing crack surged through the floor and exploded under Shining Armor and his guards. Shining quickly formed a shield around himself, but the others were thrown by the blast, landing all over the hall. Shining growled at their writhing bodies and galloped at the vigilantes. Synapse stumbled backward, holding his horn with one hoof. Mare Do Well jumped in front of him. “Get ready, everypony! This is good practice!” “Are you sure we can do this?” Facetfire squeaked. “We can overwhelm him,” said Mare Do Well. “Fly at him, Facetfire! As fast as you can!” Facetfire grimaced, but quickly obeyed. Her body burst into sizzling flames and she shot at Shining Armor like a cannonball. Shining stopped his charge and jumped to one side as Facetfire blazed past him. “Spritemare, go!” “He won’t kill any of us,” said Harness. “He’s a good stallion.” “Counting on it,” said Spritemare. Her clones returned and flew at Shining like giant killer bees. He made another shield around himself and shocked the clones with bolts of red lightning. They seized up and dropped to the floor immobilized. “Ah!” Spritemare shouted next to Mare Do Well. She clutched her shoulder. “I… I always feel what they do, but that was worse than usual.” Lyra shouted in Mare Do Well’s mind, “Time to try out the zebra stone, Bloom!” “You sure?” Mare Do Well asked. “When else are you gonna use it? Go, go, go!” Mare Do Well pulled a striped gemstone from her belt and swallowed hard. “Hold still,” she said to Spritemare. “Huh?” Mare Do Well smacked the stone against the ground and stabbed its pointiest edge into Spritemare’s shoulder. “Yoouch!” Spritemare screamed, flinching away from Mare Do Well. “What was that?” “Uhhh…” Mare Do Well lifted the hat off her own head and dropped it over Spritemare’s braids. “It’s a blend of two spells, one for enhanced focus and one for duplication,” said Lyra. “Usually the duplication spell is used for little things, like keeping a copy of a letter or conjuring extra coffee, but I bet you’ll make better use of it.” “Wait, you’re the special magic in Mare Do Well’s hat?” Spritemare asked. “Aren’t you that snappy green unicorn in Ponyville?” “Sure am! Now watch out!” Spritemare ducked under a red bolt from Shining Armor. Mare Do Well stood fast between Shining and Synapse, while Razorwing and Harness slowly flanked Shining at a distance. As the magic spread through her blood, Spritemare’s brain felt like it was breathing. “Whoa…” “I can feel it, too. Hope that means it’s working.” Lyra cleared her throat. “Mind putting me back on Mare Do Well?” A hoof reached down from above without Spritemare moving a muscle, transferring the hat back to its proper owner. By the time Lyra could see through Mare Do Well’s eyes, the space above their heads was filled with more tailless zebras than either of them could count. “Oh my gosh…” said Mare Do Well. “I think it worked!” chirped Lyra. Spritemare stood stock still, her hooves spread wide. Behind her mask, her eyes were flitting around wildly. Her long, thin braids twitched in rhythm with her slowing heartbeat. “I didn’t just kill her, did I?” asked Mare Do Well. Spritemare lifted her head and stared at Shining Armor, who was slowly backing toward a pillar. The swarm over her head moved like a storm of locusts, covering Shining’s shield in layer after layer of stripes. Though he tried to shock them away, every zebra hit by his lightning vanished, replaced by another one that quickly joined the battle. “I can’t tell if this is awesome or disgusting!” shouted Razorwing over the sound of the zebras’ wings. Mare Do Well pointed at the mass. “Get in there, Razorwing! You too, Harness, go!” “Nyyeuugh, I hope I don’t have weird dreams about this!” said Razorwing. He galloped at the ball of Spritemares, which parted to make way for him. Harness received the same welcome on the other side. Just as they disappeared into the swarm, Mare Do Well heard a shattering sound, followed by shouts and grunts of struggle. “Can you tell me what’s going on in there, Spritemare?” she asked. Spritemare was silent, her braids bouncing in an invisible wind. A red blast exploded from Shining Armor, throwing back the zebras and Razorwing. Harness had latched his forehooves around Shining’s middle, trying to break off his armor. Shining grabbed the stallion in a red aura of magic and pushed him away. Occupied, he didn’t notice the ball of fire launch at him from behind. Harness dove away just in time. The fireball hit Shining’s flank and set aflame his tail. Shining yelped and put out the fire with his magic as thirty or so zebra’s tackled him one by one, smashing him into the ground. More red lightning arced from both his horn and the Alicorn Amulet around his neck, but the zebras reappeared faster than he could obliterate them. “Take the amulet!” Mare Do Well yelled to Harness. He made his way through the Spritemares and reached for the amulet, but as soon as he touched it he was thrown high into the air. “I don’t think anyone can remove it but the wearer!” said Lyra as Harness dropped hard to the ground. Mare Do Well felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned, expecting Synapse, but instead found the stony face of King Zimbaya. “Tell your friends to stand away,” he said. “Let me stop him, if I may.” Mare Do Well nodded. “Harness, Razorwing, Facetfire, get back!” she yelled, then whispered to Spritemare, “I’m hoping you’ll know what to do.” Zimbaya approached Shining Armor slowly. With every step, he raised his staff a little higher. Its green glow began to rival the light from the Amulet. “Who are you?” Shining asked. He struggled against the zebras, pulling a hoof free only to have it grabbed by three more of them. “What is that thing? No! Don’t kill me, please! Don’t kill me!” Zimbaya closed his eyes as he strode on, chanting to himself in his rhythmic language. The glass ball above him brightened to a blinding gleam, forcing the vigilantes to look away. “He’s not gonna kill him, is he?” Lyra asked. “Yuuuuureeeeeeebee kuwe peeehhh-taaaaa!” shouted Zimbaya, standing on his hind legs to lift the staff as high as he could. Shining Armor screamed. Zimbaya twirled the staff behind him, spun around once, and lanced it forward to tap against the red gem in the Alicorn Amulet. The entire room went completely, supernaturally silent. Mare Do Well peeked beyond her hat. The staff and the amulet were molding together in a quivering, molten glob of magic. Their lights had both gone white, along with Shining Armor and Zimbaya’s eyes. A massive shockwave accompanied the shattering of both the staff and the Amulet, pushing every onlooker to the walls of the great hall. Spritemare’s clones evaporated, and Zimbaya collapsed in front of Shining Armor, both of them motionless. “Sun above…” said Razorwing, plastered flat against a wall. Mare Do Well peeled herself from stone and looked around for Synapse. The moss-colored stallion was breathing hard by the rubble of the entrance. She galloped to him and helped him to his hooves. “Are you all right?” she asked. He nodded, though he was in no state to speak. “Stay here,” said Mare Do Well, and she sprinted to the center of the room. Zimbaya was groaning, but his eyes were open. “Can you stand?” she asked him. Zimbaya nodded, so she helped him up, wary of Shining Armor lying very near them on his back. Harness limped to join them. “Your staff,” he said. “Is it…?” “Power takes power to put in the past,” he said. “Nothing so dangerous ought to long last.” “So the staff and the Amulet,” said Razorwing from behind them. “They’re both gone?” Zimbaya smiled. “I hear in your voice that the thought makes you sad, but trust me: the loss of them isn’t so bad.” He looked into Mare Do Well’s eyes. “Without it, however, I’ll be of no aid. You must face the Princess yourselves, I’m afraid.” Mare Do Well sighed. “I understand. Thank you for your help.” Facetfire got their attention with an exasperated cough. “We could barely beat a normal unicorn with a fancy necklace,” she said. “How are we supposed to go up against the Alicorn that raises the Sun and Moon?” “We don’t have to beat Twilight,” said Mare Do Well. “We just need her to listen.” “Please…” Shining Armor groaned. Everypony stepped back and looked down at him. “Please,” he said again, “don’t hurt her.” Mare Do Well crouched next to Shining. “We won’t. I don’t even know if we can.” He chuckled weakly. “You can. Oh, believe me, you can.” He closed his eyes as tears began to drip from their corners and stream to the floor. “Twily… she’s not evil. Sh-she’s not some monster, like everypony thinks. She’s just scared. She’s so confused.” “So are we,” said Razorwing, “but we haven’t sent Equestria into a horrific downward spiral.” Shining groaned in pain and rested his head to the side. “Twilight has made… mistakes. Many terrible choices. But she’s not evil. Please, don’t hurt her. She just… needs help.” “You’re not dying, are you, Captain?” asked Harness. Shining managed another laugh. “No. But I don’t think I’m getting up for a while. Even if I do, I won’t follow you in there.” “I will stay here to ensure he does not,” said Zimbaya to Mare Do Well. “Please, for Zecora, go find what we sought.” “Go ahead, face her if you must,” said Shining Armor. “Just remember, Twilight’s as confused as you. She doesn’t have the answers you’re looking for.” Mare Do Well faced the curving staircases. “We’ll see about that.” (/\/\) Apple Bloom missed the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She spent nearly all her time with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, of course, but… it was different. Their Cutie Marks had come with their fair share of new adventures alongside new and unexpected problems. She was bored. In the end, that’s what it came down to. She knew her special talent, and she painted whenever she could. Making art was a beautiful experience and gave her feelings of purpose that nothing else could, but it wasn’t enough. Living with purpose was such a different experience that crusading for it. These thoughts weighed down her mind while she slurped a hay smoothie at Sugarcube Corner, watching Pinkie Pie flit around the place fulfilling orders and entertaining customers. But there was something off about her. Maybe Apple Bloom was projecting her own feelings onto Pinkie, or maybe her mind was attuned to locate other crusading souls. Either way, she waited for a quiet moment, and then approached the counter where Pinkie was counting the bits in the register. “Thirty nine, forty, forty one, forty two…” she was saying when Apple Bloom caught her eye. “Oh, hi there, Apple Bloom! Gosh, you’re getting taller every day!” “Incrementally, yeah, I s’pose that’s true,” she said, grinning. “Pssshh! Miss Big Words McSmarty Head, over here. When are you going off to college, anyway?” “Not for a few years yet, Pinkie. Say, I gotta ask… is something bothering you?” Pinkie smiled, but her eyes didn’t change. “Pshaw! Of course not! Why?” Apple Bloom sighed. “I don’t know, I can just… tell, I guess. You’re not quite yourself lately. A little less bouncy and a little more thinky, maybe?” Pinkie blinked a few times, then snorted loudly. “Oh, Apple Bloom. You’re so much like your sister it’s weird sometimes!” She sighed and rested her cheek in one hoof. “Yeah, okay, fine. I guess I’m a bit preoccupied, if we’re on the topic of big dumb words.” “Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Pinkie bit her lip. “I… don’t wanna say. Not here. Got any time to spare?” Apple Bloom nodded and, invited with a sneaky beckon, followed Pinkie Pie up to her room. “Okay,” Pinkie said in a whisper, checking the hallway before closing her door. “What I’m about to show you is top secret. I haven’t told anypony else, and I’m not gonna!” “Whoa, really?” Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Why’re ya showin’ me, then?” “I don’t know, ‘cause you’re a good kid?” Pinkie shrugged. “None of my friends would understand, especially not Twilight. But I know you won’t tell, right, Apple Bloom?” “Pinkie Promise,” she said, crossing her heart with a hoof and pressing it into her eye. Pinkie giggled. “Good. Okay… you might wanna sit down.” “Huh? Why?” Beaming, Pinkie Pie opened a painting on her wall like the door to a safe and revealed a big red button. She smacked it with full force, and the entire wall in front of Apple Bloom slid into the ground, revealing a blue-lit laboratory filled with shining machinery, rows of strange potions, and an enormous board covered in pinned equations, pages from ancient books, and detailed diagrams. Apple Bloom’s jaw dropped and she stumbled to her haunches. Pinkie laughed again. “Better late than never!” she said. (/\/\) Though the throne room was lined with four brightly colored stained glass windows, it somehow seemed lifeless and dark. The strip of carpet leading from the doors to the throne itself was black. At its end, slumped in the regal chair, was Princess Sparkle, a far different mare than the bookish neighbor Mare Do Well had grown up knowing. Twilight’s limbs and snout were as long as Celestia’s. Her mane and tail flowed out in an ethereal nebula, glittering with stars like Luna’s, but colored with shades of indigo and pink. Her Cutie Mark, though large, looked dull, and her slanted eyes would have been beautiful if not for the bags underneath them and the choking darkness behind. “What do you want, Mare Do Well?” she asked in a slow, tired voice. Its timbre was the most familiar thing about her. “Where are the Elements of Harmony?” Mare Do Well responded immediately. Despite being at opposite ends of the long, narrow throne room, neither party needed to shout to be heard. The acoustics carried their voices as if over the surface of water. Twilight snorted. “I don’t know where the Elements are.” “Yes, you do.” Mare Do Well took one step forward. The vigilantes behind her followed suit. “You sent Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to the Moon. Only the Elements have the power to do that. You took them from the Tree.” “I did no such thing,” spat Twilight, finally lifting her eyes to frown at them. “I banished them by my own power. I am a thousand times the alicorn Celestia ever was, exactly as she designed me to be.” Razorwing tilted his head. “Huh?” “I have no need for the Elements, and neither does Equestria. If that’s all this is about, you can turn around and go back to the ponies who praise you.” “The Tree of Harmony is dying, Twilight,” said Mare Do Well. “The entire nation is in danger.” Twilight barked a cold laugh. “Oh, please. The Tree of Harmony is nothing more than another of Celestia and Luna’s machines. Don’t you understand? Ponies don’t need the Elements. They aren’t the natural fruit of a magical tree, they were created by wicked sisters who sought to rule Equestria and saw an opportunity during Discord’s reign.” Mare Do Well’s throat dried. “What are you talking about?” “Where were the Elements during the founding of Equestria, hm? Waiting in an ancient tree? How did Celestia and Luna discover them? Stumbled upon them in a cave right next to their castle? How wonderfully convenient.” Twilight scowled. “The Elements of Harmony were fabricated. They are a lie created by dictators who sought nothing but control. They are a cage within which powerful ponies want their underlings to live. “But ponies are not meant to be caged. Ponies are free beings with ranging desires. They ought to be left to their own devices and learn about life for themselves, not dragged through perfect lessons until they are exactly the product that their perfect leaders demand them to be!” “That’s nonsense!” shouted Harness. “The Princesses loved this world.” “They loved ruling this world,” Twilight said, “but ponies were not meant to be controlled by those with power. Each pony is a power unto itself.” “Celestia and Luna used their power to keep Equestria safe,” said Spritemare. “Did they, now?” Twilight jaw jutted forward. “And my friends and I, we were just, what, tools in the hooves of the Alicorns? They were powerless. Yes, they had enough magic to keep the cycles of day and night in motion, and for that they were revered as goddesses, but the moment they perceived any threat to their power—be it from each other or from an innocent filly failing her entrance exam—they devised subtle plots, using any means necessary, to maintain control.” She looked away, shaking her head. “That was their true power, I suppose. Planning. Immortality offers few joys, but patience and foresight are some of them.” “Why would the Princesses do that, Twilight?” Mare Do Well asked. “It doesn’t make any sense. What would be the purpose of maintaining control if not to help others?” Twilight’s eyes hollowed. “Ponder the reality of eternal life, then ask me that question again.” She sighed heavily. “When you cannot die, your choices are simple: become a monster, or become a god.” “Your decision was obvious,” Razorwing grumbled. Twilight began to twitch. “I am no monster, nor am I a god! I raise the Sun, I raise the Moon, and that is all!” She pointed to the world beyond her castle. “I exercise no control over these ponies, I allow them to do what they will! It’s not my fault that guards kill and gangs rise. This is the real world, a world without the machines of the Alicorns. Alicorns are in the wrong. They are freaks of nature, the cancer of our kind. Celestia and Luna were emotionless shells, terrified of their own lives! I have rid this world of those dictators, and for this you all hate me!” “Celestia and Luna were our Princesses,” said Mare Do Well. “You, Twilight, are the dictator.” “No!” Twilight shrieked. Her horn flashed, and a beam of magic shot at Mare Do Well. She dove out of the way, and the vigilantes rushed to various tactical corners of the room. “Why am I the only one cursed to understand?” Twilight shouted. A freezing wind swirled around the room. “Ponykind had purpose before the rise of Alicorns. They worked hard, and worked together. That is Harmony, not this sickening city of bureaucrats and the upper class judging those below the mountain! Tiering ponies was just another method of controlling them, don’t you see?” “You’ve spent far too much time thinking about this alone, Twilight,” said Mare Do Well. “Equestria was a better place under the Princesses. Ponies were happy. How can that be bad?” “They were living under lies!” Twilight screamed, shooting more magic from her horn. The vigilantes jumped and dodged, skirting along the edges of the throne room. “Happiness without truth is a deplorable way to live!” “Is it?” asked Spritemare. “Even if the Princesses were trying to stay in control, if it resulted in the safety and happiness of their subjects, were they really doing wrong?” “Their methods were banishment and assimilation,” said Twilight. “Get rid of threats, or turn them into copies of yourselves. Look what they did to me!” Her horn glowed brightly, and the entire castle shattered above them. Each broken section of the walls burst into flames. “Look what they did to me!” Twilight screamed again in a multi-layered voice. In an instant, the castle came back together, as though nothing had happened. Twilight stared daggers at Spritemare. “I am immortal! I am omnipotent! And they would have me bow to them while my friends died at their hooves!” “Twilight, calm down!” shouted Mare Do Well. “You’re wrong about that! The Princesses didn’t kill Pinkie Pie!” “I expected more of you, Applejack!” Twilight cried. “Surely you could see through their lies? Of all the ponies who loved her, surely you could see!” Mare Do Well’s heart beat faster as her eyes went out of focus. (/\/\) “Golly, Pinkie… what is all this?” Apple Bloom eyed the blue-tinted room and approached one of the strange, chrome machines. Pinkie squealed delightedly and wrapped Apple Bloom in a random hug. “Oh, I’m so happy to finally show somepony! I’ve been collecting this stuff for years, ever since Twilight became the Princess of Friendship.” Apple Bloom gave a closer look to the diagrams in the back. “Are those alicorns?” she asked. “Alicorn anatomy, yeah,” she said. She hopped to the back and pointed to an alicorn with its limbs spread inside a circle. “This one’s called the Vishooveian Pony. Alicorns fit perfectly inside a circle and a square! Isn’t that crazy?” Chuckling, Apple Bloom said, “This is all pretty crazy, Pinkie, but I’ve come to expect that from you, I guess. What’s this all for?” Pinkie grabbed Apple Bloom’s cheeks between her hooves and looked deep into her eyes. “This is the secret part. What I’m about to tell you, you can’t tell anypony else. Ever! Unless it works. Okay?” Apple Bloom winced. “Unless what works?” “Apple Bloom… I want to be an alicorn.” Pinkie lifted her hooves above her head and beamed from ear to ear. “Ta-daaa! Isn’t that exciting!?” Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow. “What?” “I wanna be an alicorn!” Pinkie said again. “Twilight did it, so why can’t I?” “Uhh… because Twilight’s a unicorn?” Apple Bloom suggested. Pinkie waved a hoof. “Pfff! Unicorn shmoonicorn. Earth ponies have just as much magic as the next guy. We just don’t have a way to channel it. But, see, that’s exactly what I’m working on here.” She pointed to one of the machines. “This is a replica I’ve been building of an ancient device that’s said to have turned Celestia and Luna into the first alicorns.” “A device? Pinkie, I don’t think that’s how it works.” “I know, right? Neither did I! But it turns out, according to these old books I found—” She smacked her hoof against some yellowed pages pinned to the board. “—chaos magic has a really hard time against biometric machinery. Apparently, blending machine and life creates some weird balance of chaos and order, so neither form of magic does much to them.” She shrugged. “Anyway, some really smart ponies built machines that would give the traits of all three pony races, and I guess back then they believed in, like, power in threes or something? So they were pretty dang desperate to stop Discord, they thought a three-bee super pony would help, and voila! They made alicorns!” Apple Bloom had to smile at Pinkie’s enthusiasm, if nothing else. “And if they could do it, so can I, right? I’ve gathered the ingredients with the knowledge I’ve accrued, so… why not try, at least?” She looked to Apple Bloom pleadingly. Her huge blue eyes glistened with desire. “Where’d you get these things?” Apple Bloom asked, tapping the base of the chrome machine. “I made this one!” Pinkie stuck out her tongue and rubbed her elbow on on a smudge in its shine. “This stuff grows all around the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Isn’t it cool? It’s, like, part plant, part science!” Pinkie giggled. “Gosh, Pinkie.” Apple Bloom shrugged. “I don’t really know what to say about all this.” “Say that you’ll help me!” Pinkie shouted. “Come on, Apple Bloom! I have everything we need, but there are a lot of experiments to try and I can’t put everything together on my own. Won’t you help me?” She leaned in and whispered, “Of course, we’d have to keep it waaaay on the down low, but… it could be fun!” Apple Bloom’s mind was reeling. Was it even possible? If there was a pony on Equus that could turn herself into an alicorn, she thought, it was Pinkie Pie. And even if it didn’t work, what was the difference between crusading for a Cutie Mark and crusading for wings and a horn? Maybe this was exactly the kind of adventure she’d been thirsting for. “Y’know what, Pinkie?” Apple Bloom grinned. “I will help you. Why not? Let’s make you an alicorn!” “Weeeeee!” Pinkie jumped in the air and clicked her back hooves at least eleven times before coming back down. “Hahaha! That’s the best news ever! Thank you, Apple Bloom, thank you, thank you!” “Calm down, Pinkie!” Apple Bloom yelled, but she was smiling, too. (/\/\) “Calm down, Twilight!” Mare Do Well yelled. “I’m not Applejack, and you’re not the Princess of Dusk. Shining Armor was right, we’re all very confused. There’s something we’re missing. Let’s stop fighting and figure it out.” “What are you doing, Mare Do Well? Haven’t you been listening to her?” asked Facetfire. “She’s insane! There’s no reasoning with her. We need to take her down!” “Weren’t you the one doubting we could do anything at all?” Razorwing said. “Now you want to kill her after seeing her destroy and reassemble her own palace in seconds?” “Facetfire is right, she’s too dangerous,” said Harness. “Our only hope for Equestria is to appoint new leadership, and I don’t think she’ll agree to that peacefully.” “She’s immortal! What do you expect us to do, send her to the Moon?” “Could we?” asked Facetfire. “Synpase, could you do that?” “Synapse is in no shape to be arguing, let alone sending alicorns to the Moon!” Mare Do Well shouted. “Could… could he really do that?” asked Twilight Sparkle. The vigilantes shot surprised looks at her. “Yes, he could!” said Facetfire. “He absorbs magic and spits it back out! He could stop you!” “Facetfire, shut up!” yelled Spritemare. Twilight’s eyes flashed. Her horn began to glow with intense light. “Fools! If you believe yourselves capable of carrying harmony to the hearts of Equestria, do so at your own peril! Alicorns were never meant to walk this world, and now it shall finally be free of them!” The magic warbled around her horn, growing into an enormous, teardrop shaped aura that she launched unhindered at Synapse. “No!” screamed Mare Do Well. Synapse caught the magic around him. It swirled, ebbed, and sparked over his body while his broken horn drank it in. When all of the magic had sucked into his horn, Synapse looked at Mare Do Well. His sparking eyes were heavy with sadness. Seconds passed, and his body began to shake uncontrollably. “What’s happening?” asked Facetfire. “Shoot it back! Banish her!” Synapse grit his teeth and stared directly at Twilight. She brought a foreleg to her chest, her face painted with fear. “This,” said Synapse, “is not the way.” The light in his eyes went out, and he crumpled where he stood. The room was quiet. Mare Do Well galloped to Synapse and felt his pulse. “He’s gone,” she said softly. She looked at Harness. “He’s dead.” “He held it in,” muttered Spritemare. “It was too much, and he held it in.” Twilight stepped off her throne and backed into one of the colored windows. Her tired eyes were enormous, shocked. She dropped to her haunches and let her wings hang limp at her sides. As tears began to fall from her snout, she bowed her head and wept. “Yeah…” said Razorwing in a very quiet voice. “I know how that feels.” The other vigilantes said nothing. They gathered together near the throne. No one breathed. Twilight cried in silence. “Why, Applejack?” Twilight asked. “Why are you doing this to me?” “I told you, Twilight. I’m not Applejack.” “Oh boy,” said Lyra. “I see where this is going. Good luck. I’ll talk to you later.” Mare Do Well lifted the hat off her head and dropped it at her side. With a shaking hoof, she pulled down her mask and revealed her face. “I’m Apple Bloom.” “Buh!?” said Razorwing. Facetfire’s eyes bulged. “No way!” “Apple Bloom?” Twilight blinked, shaking her head. “But… but I thought…” “I came to Canterlot for school and found it in shambles,” Apple Bloom said in her real voice. “My friend Harper was murdered in cold blood for no good reason. I had to do somethin’, Twilight. I never intended to face you like this, but when others joined me and we realized exactly how bad it’s gotten, I had no other choice.” Twilight swallowed hard. Her breathing was shaky. “I don’t understand. How did you know about Pinkie Pie?” “Who is Pinkie Pie?” asked Spritemare. “She was one of my dearest friends,” said Twilight. “She embodied the Element of Laughter. She was a truly remarkable mare, full of love and energy and life.” “I remember when she died,” said Facetfire. “It was horrible. Ponyville was so sad for months, and nopony knew how it happened. There wasn’t even a proper funeral.” “Pinkie Pie was killed,” Twilight said. “She was killed by the Princesses because she was trying to turn herself into an alicorn.” “No, Twilight,” Apple Bloom said, pushing through tremors in her voice. “You have it all wrong. The Princesses didn’t kill Pinkie Pie. I did.” (/\/\) “Ready? Setty? Now!” Apple Bloom dumped two vials of liquid into the top of the machine. She scurried down the stepladder and dropped to the Everfree Forest floor, diving behind a nearby boulder as fast as she could. She waited for some kind of sound: an explosion, a sizzle, a metallic whine, any or all of the crazy noises these experiments had produced over the last two months. But nothing came. Apple Bloom poked her head over the rock and sighed. Pinkie Pie lay on her belly in the machine, lightly squished between two rounded metal plates like an uncooked panini. Pinkie looked sad. “Nothing?” she asked. Apple Bloom shook her head. “Nothin’.” Pinkie groaned and slid out of the machine, flopping onto the ground and staring at the treetops. “That’s the last mixture I could think of for this machine. Darn it!” She pounded her hind hooves on a pile of leaves. “I thought for sure this would be the one.” “Well, how many more machines could it be?” asked Apple Bloom. “We’ve tried nearly a dozen.” Pinkie rolled over and shook dirt out of her mane. “Ehhh, what’s the point? Thanks for trying to help me, Apple Bloom, but… clearly I’m not meant to be an alicorn.” She drooped like a dying flower. “Awww, don’t say that, Pinkie.” Apple Bloom trotted closer. “Why do you wanna be an alicorn, anyway?” “Uh, duh! Because alicorns are amazing!” She wrapped one foreleg around Apple Bloom’s shoulder and pointed to the sky with the other. “Flight! Magic! Wisdom! Alicorns have it all, baby!” She stepped away and adopted a much milder kind of smile. “Besides… Twilight’s going to be lonely by herself when… y’know, in a couple thousand years, she’ll miss us. If I can figure out how to turn myself into an alicorn, then maybe she won’t have to.” Apple Bloom smiled. “That’s a mighty sweet thought, Pinkie. But… maybe that’s just somethin’ Twilight’ll hafta figure out on her own.” Pinkie Pie sighed. “Maybe. I won’t give up just yet. I’ll put another machine together and get a hold of you when it’s ready. Eeee-if you still want to help, of course.” Pinkie batted her eyelashes over big, blue eyes. Chuckling, Apple Bloom nodded. “Sure thing, Pinkie Pie. I understand. The crusade ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” (/\/\) “It was… horrible,” said Apple Bloom. “She was all… mangled. We must have been close… her bones were longer, and she had somethin’ like a horn and… somethin’ like wings.” She shuddered. “But… she didn’t survive it. And it was my fault.” Twilight’s brow pressed heavily over her eyes. “But… the machine I found in the woods had been sabotaged. It was melted with magic, hidden under sticks and leaves.” “I went straight to Applejack when she died,” Apple Bloom said. “I was shaken up somethin’ terrible. She’s a good sister. I made her do it, but… she helped me make it look like an accident. We melted down the machine with the leftover potions, not magic. Tried to hide it.” “Apple Bloom…” Harness breathed. “It was wrong, I know.” Apple Bloom began to cry. “I always knew, but now more than ever, it was wrong. I shoulda been honest straight away. None o’ this would’ve happened. But I was… I was so scared! I-I didn’t know what had happened, I didn’t know what to do! So I kept it a secret all these years. It’s eaten me alive.” Twilight was speechless for a long time. “I’m so sorry, Apple Bloom,” Razorwing said softly. “I should have talked to you… about Aether. Maybe we could have—” “You did try to talk to me, Razorwing,” said Apple Bloom. “I wouldn’t let you. I was afraid it would come back to Pinkie Pie. I couldn’t bear to tell anypony.” “I thought…” Twilight’s gaze was empty and unfocused. “All the evidence pointed to the Princesses. I thought they had killed her in her attempt to become an alicorn.” “Why did you think that?” asked Spritemare. “Seems like a big jump.” “I-I…” Twilight closed her eyes. “It was such terrible, terrible timing. Celestia had just told me her plans to appoint me ruler of Equestria while she and Luna explored the world for other civilizations. We had very frank conversations about her role in my life, about immortality. I asked specifically if my friends could become alicorns with me so we could live and rule together, the way she and Luna did. But she told me it was impossible.” She grit her teeth. “She told me I would have to watch them die, but that I’d get used to it. That I would always remember them.” “Surely she said it… in a kinder way than that,” said Harness. Twilight rolled her leaking eyes. “Yes, of course she did. She had such a way with words, didn’t she?” Twilight’s anger caught in her chest and she doubled in on herself, sobbing. “Don’t hate Celestia, Twilight. This is all my fault,” choked Apple Bloom. “I thought Pinkie Pie had found a way,” Twilight continued. “A way to stay with me. And that since it didn’t fit into Celestia’s perfect plans… they killed her!” “It wasn’t them,” said Apple Bloom. “It was me, Twilight. I killed Pinkie Pie.” “It was an accident,” said Harness. “Nopony killed her. She died. It was no more your fault than it was Celestia’s.” “I was furious!” Twilight wailed. The ground shook with her words. “I hated them! I hated myself for believing in them!” “I’m so sorry!” Apple Bloom cried. “I banished them! For a thousand years, I banished them to the Moon!” Twilight collapsed, sobbing into her outstretched foreleg. “I banished them… to the Moon…” As Twilight’s breathing steadied, while Apple Bloom’s tears dropped from her chin, a strange, warm light entered the throne room. Like a living mist, the light twirled wistfully around them all. Rays made their way from one pony to the next, surrounding Twilight and the vigilantes in dancing ribbons of white. “What…?” Twilight sat up, watching the magic in awe. “It can’t be…” Apple Bloom traced the light back to Twilight’s own horn. “What is it?” she asked, sniffling. Twilight shook her head. “It can’t be,” she said again. Suddenly, all six of their bodies lifted into the air. The light brought them close together. A surge of calm energy filled them from head to tail, and for the briefest of moments their consciousness became one. Twilight hovered in the center. Her mouth hung open peacefully, as though she was asleep. And when she opened her glowing eyes, a blinding flash engulfed the chamber, and she felt something metal materialize behind her horn.