//------------------------------// // Secret Moon // Story: Chrysalis's First Sleepover // by Chaospaladin //------------------------------// “What a curiously named game,” Chrysalis thought aloud, watching Pinkie grab the board game box from the stack in the corner. “I just know you’re going to love this game, Chrysalis. It just screams ‘you’,” Pinkie said. Twilight’s smile broadened as she helped Pinkie set up the game. “I couldn’t agree more. This game is all about deductions and bluffing. You have to really use your head in order to win. I almost feel like you get a home field advantage or something here.” Chrysalis pursed her lips in doubt. “Something similar was mentioned about the previous game too. Will this also require acting like a maniac?” Twilight giggled as she organized the game pieces with her magic. “No, but it’s more fun if you roleplay it. Imagine that we are all members of a cabinet in charge of trying to reform the struggling Equestrian government that’s on the brink of collapse. As loyalists, we have a duty to ensure we pass all the good policies to make sure we save Equestria.” The first object to go on the table was a gold rectangular board with the word ‘Loyalist’ branded on the top. Five squares were connected in the middle, the fifth square marked with Celestia’s emblem of a fiery golden sun. Twilight continued. “When the loyalists pass five good policy votes, they win.” “I’m sensing this won’t be an easy feat,” Chrysalis guessed. “That’s right, because there’s another group who is attempting to change all of Equestria into their own twisted image; the separatists and their evil leader, Nightmare Moon.” Twilight placed a similarly shaped midnight blue board labeled ‘Separatist’ next to the loyalist board. Six squares were on this board, except each square outside the first and last had written text. The final square had an emblem of Nightmare Moon’s cutie mark. “This is where things get interesting. Two separatists and Nightmare Moon herself have infiltrated our ranks and are hiding among us. If the separatists get six bad policies voted on, they win. I’ll explain some of the more intricate rules as we play, but the best part of the game involves these envelopes. Take one, but don’t open them yet.” Twilight hovered a stack of eight blank envelopes in the middle of the table. Everypony took one at random, leaving the last one for Twilight. “Pay close attention, because this is the most important part of the game. Inside the envelopes are slips that will explain whether you are a separatist or a loyalist. Unless a rule says otherwise, you can never reveal your slip. It is for your knowledge only.” The gears started churning in Chrysalis’ mind. “So that’s it. We will have no idea who the separatists or loyalists are, relying on our wits to tell one or the other apart.” “Exactly!” Pinkie exclaimed. “There’s a few special twists in this game, but let’s get started and explain along the way rather than sit here and talk about it.” “Good idea, Pinkie,” Twilight nodded. “Alright, go ahead and open your envelopes to see what side you’re on.” Chrysalis used her magic to carefully remove the thick plastic slip inside the envelope as well as two square chips, one with a green circle and the word ‘yay’ and the other with a red X and the word ‘nay’. On the slip was a picture of a regal-looking white unicorn stallion with a smooth, slicked-back blonde mane and bright azure eyes that reminded her of a particular prince for some reason. Underneath the stallion was a single phrase embedded on the center: Loyalist. It took considerable effort to contain the surprise on her face. She had hoped to get a spot in the separatist faction to really cut loose on manipulating the ponies around her. Then again, being the ‘good pony’ was a refreshing change of pace, albeit seeming like a boring path to venture. Confirming her selection, Chrysalis inserted the slip back inside and looked up at everypony else’s expressions. Each of their faces struggled to look as unassuming and passive as possible, likely trying to avoid revealing which side they were on. Smart move. Once everyone seemed ready, Twilight brought out a deck of seventeen cards, each with the words ‘policy’ written on the back and an eight-sided die. “Okay, everypony,” Twilight started, “now that everything is set to begin, fold your hooves on the table, lower your head, and close your eyes. And no peeking until you are told to do so… Chrysalis.” “Tch, like I care about peeking.” Chrysalis scoffed as she followed the directions, secretly burning with curiosity. “Go ahead and take it from here, Pinkie.” “Okie dokie, Twily! Alright, listen up! Whoever’s a separatist and not Nightmare Moon, open your eyes and look around. Make sure you remember who is who and keep that secret.” As a tense silence followed, Chrysalis was struck with a cold realization; the separatists would know exactly who belonged with what faction. Why Nightmare Moon had to keep her eyes closed was a mystery, but the separatists had a critical advantage. Villains always did have the best advantages. Chrysalis sighed, reminiscing on the good old days of tyranny and infiltration. Good times. “Now, if you are Nightmare Moon, keep your eyes closed and raise your hoof.” Another beat of silence. Chrysalis shifted uncomfortably, struggling to keep herself from peeking. “Good! Now everypony return to your starting position. Back to you, Twilight!” “Thank you, Pinkie. Eyes open, everypony!” Chrysalis’ eyes fluttered upon, taking quick stock of the sudden shift of atmosphere. Applejack and Rainbow threw scrutinizing stares at everypony, especially Chrysalis. Rarity, Starlight and Twilight looked calm on the surface, but their eyes were filled with intensity and alertness. Fluttershy was grinning to herself for reasons Chrysalis couldn’t imagine while Pinkie Pie was smiling widely. “Ooh, I can tell this is going be a good game! Everypony’s so tense!” Fluttershy chirped. Twilight smiled. “This is where the fun begins. I’ll go ahead and roll this die to randomly pick a player who will go first. Going clockwise, it will be me, Chrysalis, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Starlight, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie.” Shaking the die in her hooves, Twilight rolled it towards the center of the table. Chrysalis held her breath. Four. Fluttershy squeaked. “Oh, wow, so I’m the first Princess? Oh, o-okay. Let’s see…” As her eyes scanned the room, she landed on a confused Chrysalis. Suddenly, an idea seemed to pop in Fluttershy’s mind. She smiled, and said, “Chrysalis, I choose you to be my Chancellor.” “Seriously? You’re picking Chrysalis for the first Chancellor? Whatcha up to, Fluttershy?” Rainbow’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “I-I-I’m not up to anything!” Fluttershy raised her hooves in defense. “I just wanted to show her how the game plays during each turn. The first turn is the safest turn, so we wouldn't risk it one way or another.” “It’s all good, Sugarcube,” Applejack waved off, “whether either of them are separatists or not doesn’t make a lick of difference this early. Best to see how this plays out. Let’s vote on it.” All but Chrysalis nodded in agreement. “Princess? Chancellor? What does this have to do with the game?” Chrysalis asked. “Remember how Twilight mentioned we were tasked to help the government?” Fluttershy asked. Chrysalis nodded. “Well, each turn represents an election term, where a Princess is picked as a candidate. That Princess, in turn, designates a Chancellor to help pass policies with. Then everypony, you and I included, will vote on whether this election will pass or fail. If majority votes pass, then we go to the next phase of the turn. But if the number of fails is equal to or greater than the number of passes, then that election fails and, effectively, skips the turn.” Chrysalis’ eyes lit up as everything clicked. “I see. So if I suspect somepony is a separatist that’s about to become the next Princess or Chancellor, I can vote against them.” Fluttershy smiled. “That’s right. Now, let’s pull out the ballots. Or rather, the chips inside the envelope. Once everypony decides whether they want to pass or fail this election, we will all reveal it on the count of three.” After a few seconds, the ponies and one changeling queen withdrew the desired ballot chip and held them face down on the table. “Okay, so one… two… three!” The ballots all flipped face up simultaneously. Eight passes. “Yay! Now we get to create a new policy from the policy deck.” Fluttershy cheered. Her hoof hovered above the policy deck as she explained the next set of rules. “When you look at the policy cards as a Chancellor, you must select a policy and play it face up to show everypony. All other cards go to the discard pile while still remaining face down, which I will show you once I go through my part. Nopony is allowed to see what the other results were and we cannot speak until after you revealed the policy. We’re going to vote together now, so make sure not to say anything until after you voted.” Chrysalis nodded and watched with interest as Fluttershy drew three cards from the deck, keeping the results hidden behind her hooves. Fluttershy gulped, going wide-eyed. Taking one of the cards and putting it face down next to the policy deck, Fluttershy slid the other two towards Chrysalis, keeping those face down as well. As Chrysalis took the cards into her hooves, the air thickened with tension. The other mares burned holes into Chrysalis’ head with their stares. She peered into the two policy cards. Both cards had blue faces, the word ‘Separatist’ printed on them. “THIS IS TOTAL BULL—” “Chrysalis! No talking!” Twilight cut in quickly. With a growl, Chrysalis angrily slammed one of them face up on the first square of the separatist board and the other in the discard pile. Suddenly, she jerked a hoof at Fluttershy as if it was a weapon. “You’re setting me up! Both of these cards were separatist!” “T-that’s just bad luck. There are only six Loyalist policies in the deck. All the other cards are Separatist, so sometimes we will be stuck with the bad ones.” “Or,” Rarity aimed a sly grin at Fluttershy, “there could have actually been a loyalist card among those three, but a certain Princess is trying to play coy. I’m willing to trust Chrysalis’ reaction that she was thrown under the cart, but you can’t fool me, Fluttershy. I bet you’re actually a separatist trying to throw us off!” “Let’s not forget Chrysalis,” Twilight chimed in, “she’s really good at faking expressions and shock to get what she wants. Remember how she fooled us during the last game?” Doubt flashed in everypony’s eyes as they cast suspicious glances towards Chrysalis, whose jaw hung agape. She growled, “Why that conniving little… look, I’ll prove that these cards are all—” “Nuh-uh, Chryssi!” Pinkie halted her before she could reveal the unused card. “You can only reveal the policy you put into motion. No matter what.” “That’s Chrysalis to you, Pinkie,” Chrysalis seethed, feeling sore about the concealment ruling. “Well that’s not fair! Twilight gets to call you Chryssi!” “Only Twilight has my permission to call me that.” “Oho, exclusive pet name basis with each other? Color me intrigued, Sparky,” Rarity tossed a sly glance over at the facehoofing Twilight. Applejack shrugged, “if what we saw those two doin’ at the entrance was any indication, there’s probably more intrigue than we would ever want to know.” “Oh hush!” Twilight glared at the chuckling mares. Despite the welcomed distraction, Chrysalis found herself troubled. This was a bad start, and it didn’t help that her reputation as a cunning manipulator was going to be used against her, especially if she continued getting all separatist choices. The game had barely started and Chrysalis already wanted to scream out of frustration. Confound these ponies and their silly games. “My turn to be princess, and I already know who I’m gonna pick for chancellor!” Rainbow beamed as her eyes swept the table and landed on her target. “Hey AJ, why should I make you a Chancellor?” “Because I’m an honest apple, and I can honestly tell ya that I’m a loyalist, just like you, RD,” Applejack proclaimed. “Now hold on just one minute.” All eyes turned to Rarity and her scrutinizing gaze. Rainbow quirked an eyebrow. “What’s yer argument, Rarity?” asked Applejack. “‘Honest apple’? Nevermind the times you’ve lied in the past, but your Element holds no bearing here. I think she’s hiding something.” “‘Scuse me?” Applejack glared. “My honor as bearer of the Element of Honesty holds true no matter where I go. Yer just tryin’ to confuse good ol’ RD because you’re a lyin’, good-fer-nothin’ separatist!” Rarity gasped. “How dare you compare me to those scoundrels? That sort of tactic is something a separatist would say. Don’t you agree, Rainbow Dash?” “Uh…” Rainbow looked between Rarity and Applejack, scratching her head. “Well, it’s hard to say.” “Interesting,” Twilight stated as she gave Rainbow Dash an appraising look. “Honesty is indeed a critical virtue to carry no matter where you go. I think you made the right choice here. If there’s anypony here making themselves suspicious, it’s you, Rarity. No offense.” “She has a good point,” Starlight added as an aside. Rarity faltered, a hint of doubt flickering in her eyes. “T-that’s preposterous! All I am saying is that simply saying you’re going to be honest in this game because of your element is rather unfair. What if she was a separatist?” “Then the separatist power would help Rainbow figure that out for us if Applejack picks separatist,” Starlight countered. Chrysalis blinked. “Powers? Separatists get powers?” Starlight nodded. “Different powers trigger depending on the separatist votes. See the text on the board?” Using her magic, she floated the board over to Chrysalis. “Once the separatist vote triggers, the Princess at the time will get to use the power if it’s a one-time ability, such as the upcoming ability.” Chrysalis frowned slightly. Villains apparently got all the good stuff while the loyalists got nothing. She read the text for the upcoming ability. The Princess investigates a player’s identity card. That was indeed a powerful ability. Figuring out who was aligned to one side or the other would be a critical asset to winning this game. This give Chrysalis an idea; if she could get a pony to target her with that power, she could show undeniable proof that she was a loyalist. During her reading, she noticed the other squares had abilities too, deciding to read ahead to gather intel on how future turns may progress. The next ability was an interesting one: The Princess picks the next Princess candidate. Chrysalis kept that in the back of her mind, recognizing that she would likely never get picked for that power. When she read the next power, her jaw dropped: The Princess must kill a player. “We can kill other ponies?!” “Am I the only one who is a little worried about how excited she got just now?” Starlight quipped. Twilight gave Chrysalis a deadpanned stare. “Not literally, Chrysalis.” “If I didn’t know you, I would assume you were being a smartass, Twilight,” Chrysalis snarked. “And if I didn’t know you, I would assume you might get too creative about that separatist power,” she shot back. “Anyway, it’s exactly as it sounds; whoever gets that power has absolute authority to take a single player out of the game for good. And once they’re out, they can’t talk and can only spectate the game. The next separatist vote has the same power, but also the ability for both Princess and Chancellor to agree to discard all the policies without revealing them. Pretty important since the separatist would win if another separatist policy would get added.” The escalation of the game was clear. When the separatists gained power, the rules of the game would change drastically. If she was going to stay in the game and win this, she needed to ensure she earned the trust of everypony before the assassination powers were activated. Otherwise, she was positive she would be the first person to be taken out. Chrysalis’ only path to victory was to make friends. Nodding to Starlight, the unicorn placed the board back on the table. Attempting to gain favor while also discerning who was a separatist was going to be quite the balancing act. For now, she could only play the waiting game and seek opportunities to make herself out to be a loyalist. Rainbow contemplated her decision for awhile longer before eventually arriving at a decision. “I’m gonna stick with AJ. If she’s a separatist scumbag, we’re gonna find out with this turn. Let’s vote.” With that, the game moved into the voting phase, everyone picked their choices and, Rainbow counting off, revealed the votes. Eight passes. Applejack smiled at Rarity. “Glad you could see things our way, Sugarcube.” “Hmph. I’m still not a fan of the idea, but alas, I have no counterpoint… yet.” “Yeah, yeah, we’ll see once we pass this policy.” Rainbow waved off, drawing three cards from the policy deck. As she picked a card out and slid the rest to Applejack, the farm mare’s choice was instant: a card with a gold face that had the word “loyalist” on the front. A collective sigh of relief was released as Applejack placed the corresponding card on the gold board. Even Chrysalis had to admit the tension was surprisingly thick. But knowing her team received a point in their favor was exhilarating. “Ya see, Rares? I’m a good-natured, honest loyalist. No foul play here,” said Applejack. Rarity, in turn, released a sigh of relief. “Well, Glad to see my fears were proven to be unfounded.” When her eyes went towards Chrysalis, a sly smile spread on her lips. “My, my, looks like you’re starting to get invested in this game, Chrysalis.” When all eyes fell on her, Chrysalis straightened herself up and wiped the smile off her face. “Nonsense. I’m just glad my team scored a point in this silly game.” “There’s nothing to be shy about, Chrysalis!” Pinkie reassured, beaming. “This game is super fun! There’s so much intrigue, backstabbing, and mystery involved. What’s not to like?” Chrysalis hesitated, noting the expectant looks on the their faces. Feeling just marginally embarrassed, she scoffed as she waved off Pinkie’s statement. “Whatever. I suppose there’s just a little bit of a redeeming factor in this silly game of yours.” “Whatever you say, you big softie. It’s my turn now.” Starlight giggled, ignoring Chrysalis’ pointed glare. “Let’s see…” Her eyes swept across the table, surveying the stares of the ponies in the room. When the eyes fell on Rarity, they lingered. “Rarity, why should I pick you as Chancellor?” “The answer is clear, is it not? I am a noble and purehearted pursuer of the truth to save our glorious kingdom and overthrow those nefarious separatists!” “And trying to win the award for being the more overdramatic mare in the room,” Chrysalis said. “Don’t be such a fun police, Chrysalis. The game is far more fun when you invest yourself into it. Just imagine it; the fate of the kingdom lies in your hooves. The enemy is hiding in plain sight, just waiting to trip you up and make you suspect your closest friends of treason. But you must stay resolute and keep your eyes sharp! Question every motive! Pursue every clue! The tension! The suspense! The—” “You marathoned that ‘Manehattan Noire’ series recently, didn’t you?” Starlight cut in with a knowing grin. Rarity paused, flushing as she averted her eyes. “...It’s a timeless classic.” “You’re a timeless classic," Applejack snarked. “Shush, you! Ahem, anyway, you can rest assured that only the loyalist policies would get passed in my hooves.” Starlight smiled. “Alright. Do any of you girls have objections?” Chrysalis growled mentally to herself. As much as she wanted to argue that she should be picked Princess, she had no solid ground to hold her argument. All she could do was hope that Rarity picked loyalist with her choice. With no objections giving, the two moved into the voting phase. Starlight drew three cards. The moment she glanced at them, her face twisted into discomfort as she passed two to Rarity. Rarity gasped, grumbling as she placed her policy down. Separatist. “Rarity, you traitor!” Rainbow barked, pointing a hoof at her. “I swear I’m not! I was given two separatist policies! It’s Starlight who sabotaged me!” “I don’t know,” Twilight started, “you’ve been awfully aggressive with your questioning and pressure. That’s a separatist sort of move to keep a pony from thinking things through.” Chrysalis couldn’t argue that point. The faster one kept things moving, the easier it was to trip somepony up. She couldn’t deny that Rarity’s credibility was looking rather bleak. “Hold on, everypony. Rarity is totally innocent in this,” Starlight intervened. “All three of my cards were separatist, so please don’t blame her for it. This round was kind of a bust for us.” Chrysalis’ eyes narrowed. Fluttershy had said something similar during her turn. Yet, the likelihood of drawing three separatist cards twice in a row sounded a bit too far-fetched for her liking, even if eleven of the seventeen cards were separatist. But wait, now the next power is active. Seeing an opportunity, Chrysalis decided to seize it. “Starlight, you should have the power to see identity cards now. Please use that power on me.” Starlight blinked in surprise. “Really? Usually players would attempt to point this power at whoever they think is a separatist.” “Oh ho ho, I think I know. Chrysalis, you sly changeling!” Pinkie beamed. “You wanna show everypony that you’re a loyalist. Good thinking!” “Yeah, that’s pretty smart. Gotta admit, I really want to know what Chrysalis’ alignment is,” Rainbow said. “Certainly sounds like a compelling argument,” Starlight said, “but I’m not going to pick you, Chrysalis.” Chrysalis frown. “What?! Why not? You will get to prove that I’m a loyalist!” “I don’t need to look at your identity card to know where your loyalty lies, Chrysalis. Besides, there is one pony in this room that I need to figure out. That pony, is you!” Starlight pointed her hoof at a surprised Twilight. “Really? Why Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “She has been poking holes in everypony’s argument since the start. Also, if she’s a separatist, it’s better we know now rather than let her stay hidden until the end.” Chrysalis, though annoyed she couldn’t have proved her innocence this turn, couldn’t resist wanting to know Twilight’s alignment herself. “Huh. I reckon I hadn’t thought about Twi being a separatist spy, but it makes sense with the way she’s been prodding everypony’s reasonin’. If dat were da case, she would be mighty dangerous. Yeah, definitely voting for Twi on this one.” “W-wait, I haven’t been poking holes in every argument!” Twilight defended. “You’re always poking my holes,” Chrysalis quipped with a sly grin, eliciting a blush from the ponies in the room, especially Twilight. “Hey, I only did that once and— I-I mean, I don’t poke holes in all of your arguments!” Twilight recovered, sweating bullets. “So about these holes you’ve been poking—” “Zip it, Pinkie,” Twilight interrupted, clearing her throat. “Anyway, I have nothing to hide—” “Except for all those self-insert stories with Cel—" “Nothing to hide!” Twilight glared heatedly at the snickering Chrysalis. Pulling out her identity card, she slid it towards Starlight while keeping the face of the card hidden. Starlight picked it up, breathed a sigh of relief, then gave the card back. “Yup, she’s a loyalist. That’s good news for us.” Chrysalis blinked. She was expecting Starlight to reveal the identity for all to see. However, thinking about the wording, the power simply said to investigate the card. Whether it was true that Twilight was a loyalist or not would only be known to Starlight, who Chrysalis had begun to believe was a loyalist as well. Though nothing was conclusive, at least there were some positive signs of fellow loyalists. “Now, with that done, looks like it’s mah turn to be a Princess, and I think I know who I wanna start with. Pinkie, why should I make ya a Chancellor?” “Because you want the loyalist to win, silly! Vote for me, and I’ll guarantee an awesome victory and a helping of booze for all!” “Now you’re speaking my language! All hail Chancellor Pinkie!” Rainbow cheered. “How about we don’t mix alcohol and deduction games together?” Twilight asked. “Oh, don’t be a wimp. A little bit of cider ain’t gonna hurt!” “Normally, I would agree. But I brought something a bit special for tonight that I'd rather save for later,” said Applejack. Chrysalis pondered on asking about this mysterious beverage Applejack talked about, but chose to let it slide for now. “I say let’s skip on the booze for now and just focus on winnin’ this game.” “Okie dokie! Ready to start when you are!” Pinkie readied her voting chip, as did everyone else. On the count of three, they revealed the votes. Eight passes. “Alright! Now let’s get ta votin’!” Applejack drew three cards from the deck and passed two to Pinkie. Pinkie’s face morphed into anger as she slammed down a face-up separatist policy on the board and pointed at Applejack. “You’re a phony! A big, fat phony!” “Hey, watch where you’re pointing that hoof! Don’t blame me because we got a bad hand! ‘Sides, I voted loyalist last time, so ah am innocent!” “There’s no way we had a round of separatist cards that often! You’re lying through your teeth!” “Now listen here, I’m tellin’ ya I ain’t a dirty varmit, nor am I calling you one! But iffin’ ya tryin’ ta shift the blame at me, I reckon yer loyalties aren’t as pure as you’re claimin’!” “You take that back! I’m super duper loyal to Equestria!” As the two bickered, Chrysalis frowned. Three separatist passes, all claiming to have been dealt bad draws? Now that was too much of a coincidence. Somepony at this table had been lying about the policies given to them, whether by another player or from the deck. Chrysalis was able to narrow down five potential suspects; Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Starlight. Though Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie did something to show the biggest red flags for being separatist. However, Fluttershy, Starlight and Applejack were the ones who dealt the cards leading to it. She knew she was onto something here, but needed some sort of clue to help her narrow down the suspects. “That’s enough, you two!” Twilight interjected, silencing Applejack and Pinkie Pie, who glared daggers at each other. “What’s done is done, and we have to deal with it. The main thing to worry about now is the second phase of the game.” “The second phase?” Chrysalis echoed. “Oh no, and to think we are so far behind before this phase!” Rarity gasped. Her expression turned dead serious as she regarded the confused changeling. “Now that the separatists have three points in their favor, they have an alternate win condition open to them. If you recall, two separatists and one Nightmare Moon hides among us. From this point on, if Nightmare Moon is elected as chancellor, they will win.” “What?!” Chrysalis slammed her forehooves on the table. “That’s unfair!” “Which is why we need to find Nightmare Moon, pronto!” Applejack declared. “However, that ain’t all that’s changin’. We get to the next ability now; I get to pick the princess for the next turn. For the next Princess, ah am gonna choose you, Chrysalis.” This drew a gasp from the rest of the table, and a shocked stare from Chrysalis. “Wait, really? Why would you do that?” Chrysalis asked. Applejack smiled. “Mah family raised me better than to deny a friend a good time, and things have gotten hairy when you haven’t even had a chance yet. Now granted, still not sure if you’re a separatist or not, and this could make things worse for all of us, but I wanna make sure you’re having fun too, just in case things get sour before you had a chance to play.” “O-oh. I see. Thank you, Applejack,” Chrysalis spoke cautiously, still stunned by her kindness and the smiling faces around the table who nodded in agreement. Perhaps, she began to realize, she'd misjudged these ponies. Suddenly, the fact Twilight imprisoned everypony inside with her didn’t seem so bad anymore. “Awww,” Fluttershy cooed, “Chrysalis is so cute when she blushes.” “W-what? N-no I’m not!” Chrysalis barked, feeling her face glow hot. “You totally are, you big softie!” Starlight joined, grinning ear to ear. “Silence! A queen doesn’t do things like blush or be soft!” “No, instead they put up a strong face to hide their sensitive side.” Twilight quipped. Chrysalis glared. “Keep it up, and I’ll show you my ‘sensitive’ side!” “Does it involve holes?” “Silence, Pinkie!” Chrysalis decided to rescind her previous thoughts. Confound these ponies. “Hmph, getting back to the game, I think the pony I will pick for my chancellor will be….” Once her mind was back to focusing on the game, the pressure of her choice was all too real: if Chrysalis chose wrong, it was game over. She likely couldn’t pick anypony she tagged as a possible suspect, which left Rainbow and Twilight. The choice seemed simple from here, as one of them had been scanned and identified as a loyalist thanks to the separatist power. “I’ll choose you for my chancellor, Twilight.” This time, Twilight was the surprised one. “Oh! Well, thank you, Chrysalis, it would be my honor to be your Chancellor.” “U-um, Chrysalis? Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked hesitantly. “I-I mean, I don’t have anything against Twilight, but we can’t pick somepony blindly. If she turns out to be Nightmare Moon, we lose.” Chrysalis almost missed the annoyed look that flickered on Twilight’s face. But rather than bring it to light, she kept it in the back of her mind. “I’m sure. After all, Starlight uncovered that she’s a loyalist. Probably the safest bet at the moment.” “Sounds about right. Let’s vote on it,” Starlight agreed. Though there was some hesitation from the group, nopony offered an alternative before voting went into place. Eight passes. Chrysalis waited with bated breath for a few seconds to see if Twilight declared herself Nightmare Moon. Once it was clear the game was still going, she exhaled a sigh of relief. So far so good. Now it was time to draw her three and see what the options were. Two loyalist. One separatist. Running the math in her head, the previous hands must have had very little loyalist cards, adding merit to some of the claims of bad draws. With only two cards in the deck left, it dawned on her how much the odds were stacked against the loyalists. The next few turns were going to be absolutely critical, especially when the loyalists only had one policy in their favor against three. However, if there was a time to make a gamble, it was now. Chrysalis took a loyalist policy card and slid the other two to Twilight. If she was a separatist, now was probably the time for her to pick the separatist vote to to further their lead. Once the cards were in her hooves, Twilight picked one and revealed it face up on the appropriate board. Loyalist. “Yes! Take that, foolish separatists!” Chrysalis cheered ecstatically. Finally she could do some good for her team. “Great job, you two! Now we just need three more to win!” Starlight smiled. “That’s right. Let me go ahead and shuffle the deck to create a new stack.” With her magic, Twilight shuffled all the cards in the discard pile, sliding it under the two remaining policy cards. The chances those two cards were loyalist were fairly low, which worried Chrysalis. With the voting phase done, now the turn order was restored. “I suppose I shall hoof the crown of Princess to Pinkie Pie. I trust it will be in good care?” “Yup. Hold my beer and watch this!” Pinkie nodded, put on a ‘serious’ face as she made Chrysalis hold onto a half-empty can of beer with the word “Alamo” emblazoned on the side. Where in the world it came from, she had no idea and decided not to ask. After a minute of pondering, her eyes set upon her target and dramatically pointed at her. “Rarity, I choose you!” “Whoa, now hang on, Sugarcube,” said Applejack. “Nothin’ against Rarity, but she flipped a separatist card not too long ago. What if she’s Nightmare Moon?” Rarity gasped. “Applejack! How could you accuse somepony as lovely as moi of being something as vile and sinister as Nightmare Moon?” “Hey, I’m just tellin’ it like it is. I don’t think we can trust anypony who flipped a separatist card. Ya need somepony honest, like me. Although, I suppose you could go for Starlight as well if ya don’t feel comfortable picking me. After all, she did help us find a fellow loyalist.” “Hmm. True. I could go for you or Starlight. Thinking about it, Starlight wouldn’t be a bad pick. Hmmm….” Pinkie’s eyes lingered as they landed on Starlight. “I’m kinda leaning on Starlight for this one. She hasn’t really made much of a fuss or anything.” “Oh. Um. About that…” Fluttershy squeaked as the eyes turn towards her. “J-Just because somepony is quiet doesn’t mean they are not separatist. I know I may look suspicious saying this, but Nightmare Moon is usually the, um, most reserved player.” Chrysalis’ eyes widened. How could she have forgotten one of the most important rules of infiltration? Hiding one’s presence was quintessential to maintaining a low profile and slipping into places unnoticed. Assuming the girls knew about the rules ahead of time, whoever Nightmare Moon was had to be playing it extremely safe in order to not get caught out. In which case, that automatically made Fluttershy the number one suspect. If so, then why did she state such a thing out of the blue and risk singling herself out? Was it a mind game she was playing? Was she actually a loyalist? It didn’t make sense. “That reminds me,” Twilight’s eyes narrowed, “didn’t you win the last time we played this game because you were Nightmare Moon?” Fluttershy shrank in her seat as the eyes around her grew more suspicious. “U-um, I-I-I don’t remember all that well.” “Oh yeah, that’s a good point. In which case, I’m gonna go for Rarity, since she’s been one of the loudest!” Pinkie declared. Rarity blinked owlishly. “Erm, I suppose I’ll take that as a compliment?” “Not gonna lie, I feel like this is a bad idea.” Applejack said. Pinkie shrugged. “Gonna go with my gut on this one. I’m sure we’ll be fine.” Again, Chrysalis caught a flicker of irritation from Twilight. It was clear she wanted to say something, barely struggling to contain it. Probably the argumentative side of Twilight threatening to burst. Settling on Rarity being the chancellor, everyone took a vote. Seven passes. One fail. “Sorry AJ, looks like you got outvoted. Better luck next time,” said Pinkie. Applejack merely shrugged. Thankfully there was no declaration of victory by voting in Nightmare Moon, moving the game to the voting phase. Pinkie placed her hoof on top of the deck, eyes closed and entering a state of complete focus. A minute passed. Then two. Then three. Sweat began to pour down the side of her face, drawing concern from her friends. “What do you think you’re doing?” Chrysalis asked. “Shhh, give me a minute,” Pinkie muttered in a hush whisper, “I’m trying to channel the heart of the cards…!” “JUST DRAW THE CARDS ALREADY!” Everypony yelled. “Okay already! Sheesh!” Pinkie pouted as she finally drew the three policy cards. Once she passed the two cards to Rarity, she cast her policy: Loyalist. “See that? Loyalist! Take that, non-believers!” Rarity boasted proudly. “Well now, would ya look at that? Looks like I was wrong about ya.” Applejack said. “Alright, so far so good! We just need two more loyalist policies and we’re home free,” said Pinkie. “Looks like it’s your turn, Twilight! Let’s win this thing!” “That’s exactly my plan.” Twilight’s gaze moved to the policy deck, staring at it contemplatively for a few moments before moving to her designated target. “I have a pretty good feeling about this choice. I’m gonna go with Fluttershy.” “Hold on, Twilight,” Chrysalis spoke up suddenly. If her guess was right, the chance of Fluttershy being Nightmare Moon was disturbingly high. “Didn’t Fluttershy just talk about the quietest one being Nightmare Moon? Of all of us, she’s been the quietest one here.” “Yeah, not gonna like, that’s looking mighty suspect, Twilight,” Pinkie added. Twilight looked calm about this decision. Almost too calm. “Funny you should mention that. That’s exactly why I don’t think she’s Nightmare Moon. Fluttershy is more than smart enough to not single herself out as Nightmare Moon. However, there’s something I want to see with Fluttershy; if she’s a separatist or not. Being this close to victory, we need to thoroughly check everypony to make certain who a loyalist is.” “I really hope you’re right, Twilight. We’re getting pretty close to the finish line.” Rainbow said. “I’m positive. Let’s vote on it.” With no other objections, all the players casted their votes. Five passes. Three fails. Chrysalis had a feeling that she and Pinkie would be voting no, but the surprising turn was Rarity, who gave Fluttershy an apologetic look. “Nothing against you, darling, but I too believe it’s a bit too risky.” “It’s okay. I understand.” Fluttershy smiled. Chrysalis had to stop and wonder about Fluttershy. She hadn’t declared victory, so she was clearly not Nightmare Moon. Yet, all the signs seemed to have pointed to her until now. At least Twilight was correct in her assumption of her not being Nightmare Moon. The two initiated the voting phase, Twilight drawing three and passing two to Fluttershy. A worried look fell on Fluttershy as she cast her policy. Separatist. The tension in the air instantly thickened as the group gawked at Fluttershy in stunned silence. Applejack was the first to break the silence. “Fluttershy, you sneaky varmit! You’re a separatist!” “W-wait a minute, I’m not a separatist!” “Sorry, Fluttershy, but you can’t talk your way out of this one,” Twilight’s piercing gaze shot through the petrified Fluttershy. “There were definitely two separatist cards in the pile, but I did give you the only loyalist card in there. That’s twice you’ve doomed us, and this late in the game, we can no longer take risks.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock. “T-Twilight! This whole time… you’re a separatist!” “But that wouldn’t make sense,” Rarity pondered. “Starlight cleared Twilight when she checked her identity card. Not to mention, you were the one who gave Chrysalis bad cards too. Though it’s clear you’re not Nightmare Moon, it is looking rather clear that you are a separatist.” “B-b-but I—” “Sorry, but we can’t trust you, Fluttershy. I have no choice but to invoke the power vested in me to do what is necessary to save our kingdom.” Chrysalis started pondering what Twilight was talking about, but then she remembered the separatist power coming into play: kill a player. It was clear who Twilight was about to take down. “But I’m not a separatist! Twilight is trying to fool us all!” “Sorry, separatist spy, but nopony is going to fall for your tricks!” Twilight said. “By the order of the Celestial Council of Friendship, I hereby sentence you to execution!” Chrysalis didn’t know what fascinated her more; that a council of friendship was issuing an execution, or how natural Twilight seemed to be in giving out said executions. Perhaps, Chrysalis mused, she had been a bigger influence on the friendship princess than expected. “However, I have but only one question for you, though we all know the answer: Are you Nightmare Moon?” Twilight asked. Surprised and betrayal rippled through Fluttershy’s expression, eventually compounded by defeat. “No. No I’m not.” With a sigh, she folded up her cards and items in the envelope and placed it at the center of the table. Fluttershy had been killed. “Oh my gosh, you killed Fluttershy!” Rainbow exclaimed. “You monster!” Pinkie wailed. She wiped a tear away. “And to think, she was only a few hours away from retirement…” Twilight took in a deep breath, as though maintaining her composure. “Sorry about that, everypony. I know there was no way she was Nightmare Moon, but with only one separatist and Nightmare Moon herself at the table now, our chance of winning this game is much better.” Those last words echoed in the back of Chrysalis’ mind. Increasing the chances of winning. Something about that previous moment bugged her that she couldn’t shake off. “With these assassinations, I find it strange that we don’t vote on something that major.” “That’s why separatists are a scary thing to deal with,” Starlight said. “As they grow in power, they take away choices. That’s why we need to get those policy votes in before Nightmare Moon’s elected or the separatists get power, especially with the way the cards have been.” “Exactly. I do believe it is Chrysalis’ turn.” Chrysalis was ready to burst with excitement. This was her chance to turn this game around and get in some loyalist votes. So far, the suspects for Nightmare Moon were Applejack, Rainbow, Starlight, and Pinkie Pie. It was a tough call to make, but if there was any pony in this room she had gotten a positive bead from, it was Starlight. While she may have been involved in a separatist vote, the way she played so far showed some semblance of trust to rely on. “I think for this turn, I will choose Starlight Glimmer.” “Whoa, hold on a second, Chrysalis; why not pick Rarity? We just proved she wasn’t Nightmare Moon a second ago.” “Yeah! I mean, I know she picked separatist before, but she picked loyalist earlier. I think she’s a safe bet,” Pinkie added. “Which is why we need to save her for next turn,” Twilight stated. “After all, we only need two more votes to win. When Starlight passes the loyalty vote, we can secure the win by making Rarity a chancellor.” “That seems a little too risky, don’t you think? I imagine it’s simply better to pick me and secure what we can,” Rarity countered. “If we leave the last round to chance, that also poses too much risk. Why don’t we vote on this and let the results see for themselves?” “Or talk it out a bit and make sure we’re doing the right thing.” Rainbow added. During the ensuing arguments, Chrysalis watched with piqued interest, noting that Starlight had yet to speak in her defense. Seeing as the next few turns were going to be the most crucial, it made sense to try and come up with a strong plan. But something kept prodding the back of her mind, screaming that something wasn’t right with this whole set up, and this feeling intensified with Fluttershy’s execution. “Right, Chrysalis?” Chrysalis looked up from her thoughts, noting that Twilight had asked her a question. “What was that?” “I asked if you agreed with my theory on this?” Twilight repeated “Oh. Right. Yeah, definitely.” She lied. At the very least, the argument on leaving Rarity to be the last one to help secure a victory sounded like a legitimate plan. “Exactly! So let’s vote and try to secure the loyalist votes!” With no other arguments to interject, the group began picking their votes. Chrysalis’ hoof touched the pass chip, her mind racing to figure out what was bothering her about this. She decided to start from the beginning. “So on the count of three. One…” Chrysalis thought back to the first turn of the game. Fluttershy started with her being chancellor when everypony else thought it was an odd choice. Under normal circumstances, Fluttershy being a separatist would make sense considering she gave her only bad cards. However, noting how she herself got two loyalist cards towards the very end of the deck, the probability Fluttershy indeed got three separatist cards was not as impossible as it seemed. Then it dawned on her; what if Fluttershy was actually a loyalist? “Two…” Her theory so far hinged on the idea that Fluttershy was a separatist. But if she was actually a loyalist, then that turned everything she thought she knew about the players on its head. In that case, if she was right about Twilight being a separatist, and Starlight, who checked her identity card was the one who said Twilight was a loyalist… Chrysalis broke into a sweat, remembering a critical detail: Nightmare Moon, though a separatist, did not know who the other separatists were. That meant she would have to rely on her mysterious allies to give her the best possible opportunity. Suddenly, the answer Chrysalis had been trying to figure out clicked in her mind. Though she didn’t have all the pieces to the puzzle in place, she only had one chance to save this game, and it was now. “Three!” On the count, everypony cast their vote for the election. Three passes. Four fails. Surprise coursed through the ponies in the room. Twilight in particular looked at Chrysalis in shock, who had just failed her own election. “Chrysalis, what do you think you’re doing?! You’re the one who wanted to make Starlight chancellor in the first place!” Chrysalis grinned wickedly. That reaction from Twilight was all the evidence she needed to realize she made the right call. “I’m saving Equestria from falling into separatist hooves.” “What do you mean, Chrysalis? Have you figured it out?” Rarity asked. “Hmph, of course I did. I admit, I was fooled from the start, but now I know the truth.” Chrysalis stood up and jerked her hoof at Starlight. “Starlight, you’re Nightmare Moon!” Everypony gasped in shock. Starlight reeled back, pupils shrinking. “W-w-what? That’s insane! There’s no way I’m Nightmare Moon!” “That’s right!” Twilight also stood out of her seat, glaring daggers at Chrysalis. “That’s a pretty bold claim, Chrysalis, but you’re wrong! There’s no way she could be Nightmare Moon!” “Objection!” Chrysalis slammed her hoof on the table, making everypony jump. “All of the clues point to Starlight being the culprit!” “Interesting. Got any evidence to back up that claim, Chryssi?” Twilight sneered. “Of course I do.” The grin on Twilight’s face dropped. “What?” Chrysalis dramatically pointed her hoof at Twilight. “Think back to Rainbow’s comment about you poking holes in everypony’s arguments. I thought it was strange at first, as being antagonistic is a good way to get you suspected. But now I know the truth; it wasn’t just you trying to play Tirek’s advocate, but you trying to send signals to Starlight that you were a separatist!” “Not so fast!” Twilight slammed her hooves just as strong as Chrysalis did. “That is purely conjecture! I simply needed to show everypony both sides to an argument to help find the truth!” “Is that right? Then why did you stop doing so after Starlight looked at your identity card?” “Urk!” Twilight reeled back for a moment, struck hard by the counter. After a moment, she regained her composure. “That’s not a fair argument! Of course I’m going to slow down after getting pushed back from doing such a thing. If I continued, that would only make me look even more guilty, so take that!” Chrysalis hissed. That was a fair counterplay. However, she knew she was onto something big here. A major conspiracy was bubbling just underneath the surface, and Twilight was in the center of it all. The question remained of how she would convince the others that her argument did have weight. More importantly, she couldn’t let herself get distracted from targeting Starlight. “That’s a fair assessment, though I may have been more inclined to believe that if you hadn’t gone after Fluttershy so mercilessly. When she started throwing wrenches in your plan, I caught the look on your face. In fact, it wasn’t until she argued against choosing Starlight as chancellor that you realized you needed her gone because of the slight chance she suspected Starlight of being Nightmare Moon!” Twilight growled. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Chryssi, I didn’t go after Fluttershy because I wanted to. Are you already forgetting how she gave you separatist policies and chose the separatist card in mine? Unless you’re a separatist, you can’t refute that!” “Not so fast! I can absolutely refute that, and it’s all thanks to something I’ve noticed earlier with the deck. During my turn, I found two loyalist cards, which were near the bottom. The previous turn had at least one loyalist card, likely part of the remaining two cards before we had to reshuffle the deck. Now, Twilight, correct me if I’m wrong, but considering there was only one loyalist vote before my turn, it’s easy to guess that the chances that Fluttershy was actually telling the truth was fairly reasonable. Am I right, Twilight Sparkle?” “It’s not impossible, but it’s just as possible that she did draw a loyalist card and attempted to place blame on you! “Exactly, just as it’s possible that she didn’t draw any loyalist cards! Looking at that possibility, the chances of it happening again are rather rare!  I’m willing to wager that the last two separatist votes that resulted in this are the ones to suspect the most. Now tell me,” Chrysalis’ grin widened, “who were the last three princesses who did such a thing?” For a brief second, Twilight tensed. Eyes from around the room narrowed suspiciously at Twilight. “Wait a second… son of a biscuit, she’s right! Starlight, Applejack, and Twilight were all princesses during those times!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Wow. What a twist!” Pinkie breathed. Rarity said nothing, but the surprised look on her face as she looked at Chrysalis told the queen all she needed to know; her point was rock solid. That is, until Twilight smiled. “You know what? That’s not a bad argument. All except for one, teeny, tiny problem: You can’t prove any of this. You can’t even prove you had two loyalist cards, which would skew the math quite drastically. Sure, I’ll agree it’s all a possibility. However, let’s stick to facts. Here’s one you can answer; who’s a better liar; you, or me?” Chrysalis reeled back, struggling to find a counterpoint. Before she could speak, however, Twilight continued. “That’s right; you’re a much better and cunning liar. Just like in the last game, you used misdirection to fool us!” “To be fair, it was worth it to see your face get licked.” “No one asked you, Pinkie!” Twilight bellowed as she blushed. “Ahem, anyway, my point is that as much as you’re attempting to shift blame and call Starlight out as Nightmare Moon, it is far more likely that you’re starting to feel pressure about how this game is progressing and are now trying to trick us all, especially now that I took out your partner in crime. “Of course, if you have some sort of evidence to back up any of this, please, enlighten us.” Her cold, calculating eyes silenced Chrysalis. No matter how she attempt to develop a comeback, Chrysalis found herself cornered. She knew without a shadow of doubt that Starlight was Nightmare Moon, making Twilight and Applejack separatists. But the lack of irrefutable evidence made it too difficult to penetrate Twilight’s ironclad defense. Even worse, now it was clear she was in opposition to Twilight, making Chrysalis the next target to be taken down if another separatist vote came through. These were dark times for Chrysalis. “I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one, Chrysalis. In fact, I fear you may have alienated yourself as a separatist! There is only one way to prove your claim, and I’m going to be the one to do so.” Rarity smiled mysteriously. Chrysalis sighed. “So be it, Rarity. It’s your turn anyway.” Rarity took in a deep breath, exhaling with a happy sigh. “I must say, it’s been such an invigorating and illuminating game. However, I fear this game is preparing to end its course soon, as my next decision will either spell defeat or victory for us fellow loyalists. So, with this turn, I’m going to cast my gambit.” Rarity’s fixated on her target, her expression being calm. “I’m going to choose Chrysalis as Chancellor.” “WHAT?!” Twilight roared. “You can’t be serious! It’s clear that she’s a separatist from the way she’s attacked me! I’m willing to bet she’s Nightmare Moon!” “That, I’m afraid, is false. After all, Nightmare Moon is smart enough to avoid making such outrageous and questionable claims, especially when the evidence is mediocre at best. But my decision is this; If Chrysalis really is a separatist, she’s going to have to choose separatist to keep us from possibly securing a win in the turn after. If she does,” a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes. “I’ll execute her myself.” Chrysalis gulped. “Dang, that’s some pretty high stakes. Don’t think I would take that deal. Pretty easy to get screwed over by those cards.” Rainbow said. “Yeah, but I also wanna see what happens. This is gonna be so clutch! I can feel it!” Pinkie was nearly bouncing out of her chair out of anxiousness. Chrysalis paused to think, swallowing hard. If she lost this gambit, then she was out of the game and the separatists would have too much advantage. However, if all went well, then the loyalists would have a chance. “Do you accept this condition, Chrysalis? If we get a bad draw, it means you will have to die.” Rarity warned. “I… I will accept those conditions!” Chrysalis declared. “Are you sure about this, Chrysalis? Considering the luck we had so far, you may have signed your own death warrant.” Twilight advised. “Indeed. I will show my loyalty to the kingdom by taking on this challenge!” Rarity nodded approvingly. “Very good. Now, let’s vote on this.” The players cast their respective votes in. Four passes. Three fails. Chrysalis noted that Rainbow, Applejack and Starlight chose to fail this. It was no surprise Twilight was all for this plan; likely guessing that it was going to backfire and give her the win. Chrysalis’ heart pounded fiercely in her chest as Rarity drew her three cards. After a pause, she took one and slid two to her. Their eyes locked as Rarity gave her a meaningful look before Chrysalis took the cards in her hooves. One loyalist. One Separatist. Her hoof moved to play the loyalist card when she stopped herself. What if… this was a test? Sure, she could score a point for the home team, but that still left risk in the air. But what if Rarity had a plan for giving her this particular assortment of cards? Clearly she was given a choice of either passing or failing this policy. Then it hit her; Rarity trusted her to make the right call. After taking a moment to settle the butterflies in her stomach, she casted her policy. Separatist. “What in tarnation?” “No way!” “Oh my gosh! She did the thing!” “Chrysalis, how could you?!” Most of the mares responded explosively to the shocking move. Twilight’s grin went ear-to-ear. “Looks like your luck ran out, separatists!” Twilight boasted. “I suppose so. I can only hope my sacrifice opened the path to the truth.” Chrysalis directed her attention to Rarity, ready to accept her fate. “Do it.” After a moment of dramatic silence, Rarity pointed her hoof at Chrysalis.. “In Celestia’s name, I hereby issue an order of execution on…” Suddenly, her hoof whipped around to another target. Her true target. “You, Starlight Glimmer!” Everypony in the room reeled back in shock. Starlight’s eyes were wide as saucers. “Now answer; are you Nightmare Moon?” A chill went through the air as the deafening silence fell. Twilight and Applejack’s faces were utterly stupefied. Everypony else’s jaws were slacked in awe of Rarity’s audacity. After a tense moment, Starlight sighed heavily as she dug into her envelope and revealed her Nightmare Moon card. “Yeah. You got me.” Once the grip of shock left Chrysalis, reality hit her with full force. Nightmare Moon was killed. The loyalists, her team, won. Chrysalis' heart swelled with joy as the true loyalists jumped up and pulled both her and Rarity into a victory hug, being Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie. Applejack and Starlight groaned while Twilight fumed, her glare never leaving Rarity and Chrysalis. “Wow, that was awesome! Way to take it to the enemy!” “That was the best game of Secret Moon EVER!” “I’m so glad we won. Good job, you two!” Chrysalis hushed Fluttershy’s cheer with a raised hoof, brandishing a gentle smile. “To be more accurate, Fluttershy, we couldn’t have pulled it off without your sacrifice. We won that game thanks to you.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “O-oh, really? I thought I messed up by talking too much.” “Messed up? Darling, you were glorious! I really do need to thank you for giving Chrysalis and I the critical clue we needed to win!” Rarity boasted as she gave Fluttershy a big hug. “Although, I must admit, Chrysalis, you played your part quite beautifully at the end there. Glad to see my trust in you paid off.” “Couldn’t have tricked Twilight into voting me as chancellor without your clever performance. We make quite the powerful team.” “Hold up!” Twilight slammed her hooves on the table, outraged. “You mean all of that nonsense about executing you if you chose separatist was all a sham?!” “Sort of.” Rarity answered. “You see, I’ve been paying attention to everypony’s expressions and words this entire game to try and figure out who was with what faction. Once I was convinced Chrysalis was a loyalist back when she wanted to be chosen to have her identity viewed, I knew she was going to make an incredible ally. Then when that argument about Starlight occurred, it helped me piece together all the necessary clues to figure out who was Nightmare Moon." “However, as you did with Fluttershy, any open opposition risked one of us getting killed before we could reach Nightmare Moon. Alone, I couldn’t have opposed your arguments. One might say, the power of friendship saw to our victory.” At that, Chrysalis gave her teammates hoofbumps. “The power of friendship my flank,” Twilight huffed. “And to think; not only did I beat you at our guessing game, but now I’ve dominated you in both React and Act as well as Secret Moon! I do appreciate the opportunity to show your friends how much better at these games I am than you.” Twilight’s frown deepened. “You just got lucky, Chryssi.” “Luck had nothing to do with it.” Chrysalis cackled. “It’s all skill. Skill that I clearly surpass you in.” Pinkie looked between Chrysalis and Twilight, a sneaky grin spreading on her muzzle. “She has a point, Twilight. Boy did she whoop you good!” Twilight growled. “Look, I made a miscalculation or two, alright? A victory or two here or there means nothing!’ Rainbow seemed to also catch onto Twilight’s competitive fuming, and joined in the fun. “You can talk all day, Twi, but you can’t take this lying down! I mean c’mon, Chryssi here outsmarted you in a game. Are you just gonna let that happen?” Starlight looked worriedly at her teacher, realizing that the prodding was starting to take a toll on Twilight, whose anger was beginning to intensify. “U-um, let’s not focus too much on who won or lost, alright? I mean, as long as we’re all having fun.” “True, but where’s the fun in that?” Applejack joined. “Ah mean, playing games is fun and all, but everypony likes winnin’. Though I gotta admit, when you’re known for yer smarts only to get outplayed at a mind game, that’s gotta suck.” “AJ!” Starlight hissed, whispering, “if we keep teasing Twilight about this, she’s gonna do something crazy! You know how competitive she could get!” Applejack grinned. “Ah know. I wanna see some fireworks.” Fluttershy sidled next to them, whispering as well. “U-um, I kinda wanna see it too. Twilight has a lot more fun when she cuts loose.” “You girls are crazy!” Starlight hissed. Looking at Twilight, the alicorn looked ready to explode as Chrysalis continued to egg her on. “Alright, Twilight, so what game shall I beat you at next? Tag? Hide and seek? What shall it be?” When Twilight’s face went from rage to disturbingly calm with no inbetween, Starlight knew Chrysalis was about to be in for it. “Oh, I got a game for you, alright.” The low, haunting tone from Twilight was enough to send chills down Chrysalis’ spine. “My team against yours. Starlight, Pinkie, Rainbow, you three are part of my crew.” “Dis gon’ be gud!” Pinkie grinned maliciously as she flipped out a metal folding chair and took a seat, adjusting her baseball cap. Again, Chrysalis dared not to question how or why. “Oh, I know that look. You girls are going down!” Knowing it was game time, Rainbow took Twilight’s side. Starlight merely sighed as she hung towards the back of the group. “Welp, at least this is going to be an exciting evening.” Chrysalis grinned proudly. That fire burning bright inside Twilight was always a pleasure to see and feed off of. It was enough to make her mouth water. “Alright, Twilight, so what silly game are we going to be playing this time?” Twilight’s horn sparked with vibrant energy as her grin grew wide, almost maniacal. Before Chrysalis could blink, a pillow crashed into her face, knocking her off her hooves. Chrysalis scrambled to stand up, gaping at the terrifying look on Twilight’s face as she pulled another pillow into her hooves and gave it the most threatening looking fluff she had ever seen. Sharing a smirk, Rainbow, Pinkie Pie, and Starlight shouted at the top of their lungs in unison. “PILLOW FIGHT!”