//------------------------------// // Preliminary Challenges - Part 1 // Story: Princess Power Boot Camp // by Flapjaw //------------------------------// Twilight fanned out her wings, tapping into the leylines in the air and pulling at the magic in the earth through her hooves. “Ready?” Twilight nodded, and so did Starswirl. “Fight!” Both of them stood there, staring at each other, as if each was waiting for the other to make the first move. Rainbow's gaze shifted from one to the other, studying the spellcasters as closely as Stygian. Finally the ground seemed to shift under Twilight while Starswirl's horn glowed. Teleportation would take a full second to cast, so Twilight just shot up off the ground with a strong flap of her wings, dirt and rock forming a nebulous maw and chomping over nothing right where Twilight had been standing a moment ago. Starswirl quickly fired a magical missile that collided with one of Twilight's own and the battle began in earnest, Starswirl attempting to summon up a golem of dirt while Twilight focused on direct attack spells and drawing in the water energy from the lake several yards away. “Everypony back up!” Rainbow's warning came just in time, the air sizzling with magic as Twilight destroyed Starswirl's constructs with ease, sending dirt and rock flying in all directions. He wanted to force her to fight them so he could out shoot her, and a barrage of crackling white lasers and lightning surged toward her, but Twilight had been taught how to fly by Rainbow Dash herself and she gracefully twisted in the air to avoid every shot. Starswirl slammed his telekinetic aura at her wings, but even his great magical potential didn't match that of the alicorn Princess whose talent paralleled his own, and her magic banished his influence immediately. He knew he couldn't lock himself into a direct contest of magical might again or she would easily overcome him, and he predicted what her next attack would be, preparing his teleportation spell early. The magic in the air made Rainbow's body tingle with electrical energy, her mane beginning to stand against gravity. She hadn't expected the battle to last so long. The world had been a much darker and more dangerous place in Starswirl's time, so Rainbow had naturally thought he'd be more than a match for Twilight, in spite of all the foes Twilight had already vanquished. Twilight was already panting with effort, but that was the least of Rainbow's expectations. “Princesses!” It was Stygian. Rainbow quirked a brow at him questioningly but he didn't notice. “Create a sphere of protection for the duel so there are no accidents!” Quickly the battle was confined to a large half-sphere of space, the magical barrier meant to protect the onlookers from stray blasts. The only thing that could protect Starswirl and Twilight from each other was their own precision in avoiding fatal spells, or so it seemed. Twilight knew Starswirl was smart enough to prepare for a full force blast, as he would expect from her after she banished his telekinesis, but she also had the magic of the lake in her grasp and instead divided her magic. She weaved a counterspell to wash over his horn and fired at the same time, preventing his teleport and swiftly giving him something else to wrestle with. Starswirl met her blast and weaved a spell matrix on the fly around her grip on the water magic, restarting a teleport spell at the same time, something Twilight was immensely impressed by, but she didn't let up. Twilight assaulted his constructs with her own magic and fed more power into her focused magical beam, the intense battle of wits looking like a series of random and sourceless explosions near Starswirl's hooves, flecks of water seeming to materialize from them and hit the dirt. The conflict lasted long enough that the magic burned the air, runes becoming visible as bends in spacetime as Starswirl crafted them and exploding into disorderly cracks when Twilight destabilized them. Finally Starswirl realized he couldn't keep up with Twilight and her beam pressed his further back toward his horn. He suddenly gave up control of the water magic and focused on teleporting faster, but Twilight wasn't nearly as surprised as he'd hoped and the spell was countered again. Twilight's beam was gaining ground fast, but Starswirl hadn't given up. He still had control of the earth magic in the area, and he quickly erected walls of dirt into the path of Twilight's beam at several points in a linear pattern moving toward her, the brief interruptions just disruptive enough for Starswirl to push back harder and gain the upper hoof. Twilight tried to quell his beam with water magic but his focus was impeccable, the power of his attack too great to be taken with her attention split. She had the advantage of being airborne, dissipating her own magic just early enough to twist backward in the air, Starswirl's magic surging between her legs and missing her crotch by a half inch. When Twilight was level in the air Starswirl had refocused on an elemental attack, lightning striking against a thin barrier of water energy he hadn't seen her summon. She managed to disperse the electricity and prevent much of it from reaching her, but some did still, and she screamed in pain and rage. Gone was the respectful and frightened posture she'd carried since the start of their duel; no longer did she care who she was fighting or why. With an angry flick of her hoof Twilight cast the electric stream aside, Starswirl's neck craning from the force of the magical wind and his electrical attack splashing apart against the translucent sphere of protection around them. He saw Rainbow Dash flinch on the other side of it, but knew to quickly turn his attention back to his opponent. He summoned his shield just in time, several lavender blasts crackling against the white surface, Twilight hovering directly above him after completing her short flight path. He could feel her magic flowing at his hooves, and crafted a powerful spell matrix to protect his shield from what he sensed she would try next. However, Twilight did not do what Starswirl expected. She remembered the feeling of having her magic wrenched from her soul by Tirek, the pain of Starlight ripping her cutie mark away, and the pure agony of the Storm King siphoning away her unique abilities into his staff. She would never feel that again. Magical power flowed over her entire body, focused to an orb at her horn, and she dove straight down with incredible speed like a living comet, breaking Starswirl's shield apart and slamming him into the dirt. He was dazed and defeated beneath her, both of them panting heavily from the exertion, sweat matting their fur down and Twilight's wings twitching at her sides. As Twilight began to calm her expression became dumbfounded, as if she couldn't fathom what she'd just done, but when Starswirl regained his senses he stated it clearly. “I concede. You have bested me, Twilight Sparkle.” “Sister,” Luna whispered quietly, watching Twilight's display of strength and technique with widened eyes. “Is Twilight stronger than Us?” As the dust settled from Twilight's dive, Celestia was compelled to reevaluate her plans. Starswirl had been her mentor before his disappearance, and neither she nor Luna had ever beaten him in single combat. They dropped the sphere of protection, Cadance, Stygian, and Rainbow Dash rushing in immediately. “Are you alright, Starswirl?” “Yes yes, I'm fine, Stygian. You should be congratulating my most worthy opponent on her victory.” Rainbow had to resist the urge to hug her friend as Twilight stepped back, an embarrassed blush framing her smile. Her blush only deepened when Starswirl stood and bowed to her. “It was an honor to train with you, Princess. I am glad we have so much more time ahead of us.” “Awesome work, Twilight,” Rainbow said with a smirk. “Seems you're ahead of the class.” “Oh, I wouldn't say that.” Twilight seemed uncomfortable with the idea, rubbing her left leg with the other hoof, her wings still twitching with adrenaline. “It's okay, Twilight.” Celestia stepped forth to her former student and draped a comforting wing over her, forcing Twilight's own wings down into a more relaxed position and hugging her tightly in spite of her sweat. “You are a better spellcaster than I.” “Princess--” “No!” Celestia stomped her hoof to emphasize her point, stopping Twilight's embarrassed rebuttal instantly. “Even during the Great Cataclysm Luna and I knew a third Equestrian Princess would rise, the marks growing onto the Tree of Harmony proof enough of that. That it took almost a millenia since then for you to be born does not change that. You are not Our ambassador, Our student, nor Our military leader. You are Our equal. Call me 'Princess' if you wish, as I do now, Princess of Equestria, but do not say it with that deferential tone of voice. Magic is your Destiny given talent: you should expect to be great with it.” A weight was lifted from Twilight with those words, and suddenly her posture was much more relaxed. The look of surprise and embarrassment was gone from her face, and in its place was a serene smile. “Thank you, Celestia.” “If everypony is done being off-topic, I'd like to get back to the assessment rounds now,” Rainbow Dash said with forced faux agitation, having difficulty in suppressing her smile. “Cadance, you're next!” Luna pouted and stomped her hooves in a not-so-regal fashion, the excitement of the previous duel clearly bringing back the brash, battle-hungry, Warrior Princess she'd been in ages past. “Neigh! We wished to go next!” “Yeah, well your date is late, so suck it up and wait!” Dash spat back. “Unless you just don't care about the carefully crafted curriculum composed by the most awesome pony in Equestria,” she held a hoof to her own chest, “and the best planner to come out of limbo,” she gestured at Stygian. Luna continued pouting, but didn't force the point, turning away as Cadance gave her a concerned look. “Anyway, Cadance, you're gonna race.” “Race? Against the fastest pony in a Equestria?” “Nope.” Rainbow made a gesture with her left wing and seconds later Spitfire shot from the sky like a fiery meteor, landing right beside Cadance. To her credit she didn't flinch that time. “But pretty close.” Rainbow pointed her hoof to a marked cloud sculpted to be a finish and starting line for a circular race course in the sky. “Stygian will record how quickly each of you reaches the line and how long it takes you to complete one lap afterward. The obstacles are just cadets so try not to break them when you kick their flanks.” “What..?” Cadance said, completely baffled. Spitfire smirked and began to explain. “There are two groups of four would-be Wonderbolts waiting for us along the course. We can't interfere with each other, but they're going to try their best to stop us separately.” “How did Rainbow get them to agree to all this? They realize this is going to hurt, don't they?” “They're all straight stallions.” Cadance quirked a brow at the apparent irrelevance of that, but then she remembered her time in college and how much some stallions would put up with just to be close to her. Considering how attractive Spitfire herself was and how young these cadets probably were it started to make sense. By the time Spitfire started waggling her eyebrows in an over-exaggerated display Cadance already understood her point. “I think at least one of them is a masochist, too.” “Okay! Okay, I get it. TMI, frankly.” Twilight rolled her eyes from the sidelines, annoyed by Cadance's use of abbreviations in conversation and equally sure that the Princess of Love wasn't as shocked by what Spitfire was saying as she pretended to be by leagues. “On your marks!” Stygian drew a line in the dirt with his magic and the two racers swiftly got into position, looks of concentration taking their expressions. “Be warned,” Spitfire whispered conspiratorially. “There's an X factor, something Dash hasn't told you.” “Get set!” “When it happens, just keep racing. Wouldn't be fair otherwise.” “Go!” Spitfire was as a bullet shot from the ground to the cloud, reaching the starting line in less than a second, but Cadance was only twenty milliseconds behind her, pumping her powerful wings as quickly and strongly as she could. The course would take them around Twilight's castle, and its thin central spire did nothing to hide the two stallions nervously waiting to try their hooves at slowing down the wickedly fast mares. They were straight in front of them, giving them time to consider their options. Cadance knew she couldn't out-fly Spitfire in a simple race, but if she could bypass the stallions entirely she'd have a sure shot, so she blasted the one in front of her with a simple stunning spell, sending him falling safely to one of the many safety clouds Dash had arranged to protect any fliers knocked from the sky in the combat zones. Spitfire ignored Cadance's smirk, putting on speed so she wouldn't lose the lead. Dash was counting on them to be a challenge for immortal Princesses and Spitfire refused to falter in that regard. The stallion barely had time to flinch as she twisted around and over his head, bucking his back and forcing him down into the cloud with great force, hardly losing any speed at all. Cadance was shocked by the martial prowess on display, first from Rainbow Dash and Celestia and now from Spitfire. She realized she would have to catch up in that regard to complete Dash's training regime, but refused to give up, filling the air in front of her with pure magical heat from her horn so she could more easily glide up the slope in the course Spitfire was already passing. The next two pegasi were waiting at the next corner of the course, making Cadance's previous feat much more difficult. She tried the stun spell again in spite of the bad angle and missed her target, the cadet huffing angrily and the other's jaw dropping open with shock. Spitfire moved to take advantage of her stallion's distracted state, but her attempt to buck him from the sky as she rounded the corner failed as he raised a leg to protect his chest. The angle wasn't perfect and the strong cadet took the hit with merely a grunt, glaring hungrily at Spitfire. “Dash did promise this would be a great fight.” Spitfire couldn't waste more time than she'd already lost when he'd robbed her of momentum, but her attempt to fly over him was thwarted by his quick hooves. His forearms wrapped around her supple flanks and he held her body close to his, keeping her hind legs trapped at his sides. Meanwhile, Cadance had reached her angered opponent, and he introduced her to the experience of fighting hoof-to-hoof in the air by slamming a right hook into her belly. “Damn, you're strong.” Spitfire couldn't wiggle her way out of the stallion's firm grip, but he had only just begun his assault, flipping them both in the air until her head passed through the edge of a small guide-cloud for the course. Part of the fluffy mass clung to the pegasus magic in her face, obscuring her vision and muffling the sounds of Cadance's own battle. She could feel herself sinking, as if the stallion was flying with gravity to carry her away from the course, but she was quick to fling the cloud from her face and reassess her situation. The stallion had the decency to withhold his tongue, but he was certainly enjoying the scent and sight of her crotch as close as it was to his face. Spitfire had known to expect this, and she was no stranger to using her body as a distraction during a fight, so she smirked mirthlessly. “Enjoying being down there?” Immediately after her rhetorical question she slammed her forehooves into the back of his head, which may have been jarring enough on its own, but the move also pushed his head between her toned thighs and she squeezed his skull between them until his grip slacked and his wings stilled. Cadance took hit after hit, having no idea how to properly defend herself from the assault, but even without formal training Cadance was a force to be reckoned with, and she'd taken a much worse beating from Chrysalis and her drones some years ago. He seemed to be leaving her face be, and she took advantage of that, smiling at him radiantly. “You're really good at this.” His strikes lost their edge and an embarrassed blush washed over him. He was distracted enough for her next move. “Sorry about this,” she hastily said before kicking him in the worst possible place, his face contorting with debilitating pain as he fell toward the cloud. Cadance was almost half a second ahead of Spitfire as they both finally pushed past the corner, Spitfire having been pushed much further off-course. Cadance looked back at her, expecting an expression of concentration on the speedster, but instead her face was grim with worry. “I'm sorry, Princess.” “Sorry for what!?” “Dash's challenges are really intense.” “I don't--” “Incoming fire!” Cadance looked down in the direction Rainbow's voice came from, seeing Starlight Glimmer revving up a powerful spell beside her. “Dodge! Dodge!” Suddenly the air was filled with fireballs shooting up at them from the ground, Cadance clumsily conjuring a shield to protect herself as Spitfire weaved through the flames like it was second-nature to her. Cadance was losing her lead, the isolation of the shield disrupting the airflow she needed to fly quickly. Cadance had visions of her past, green changeling fire raining down on Canterlot, slimy hooves clutching her in the night, and the manic laugh of Queen Chrysalis echoing in her head. If Rainbow Dash knew she was helping the Princesses perform better by triggering their PTSD she might not have been grinning so broadly when Cadance dropped her shield with an angry snarl. Her long mane and tail caught fire as she dodged by inches and pushed ever onwards, passing Spitfire again. The prideful pegasus wouldn't have that, not after all her warnings and concessions, and soon her tail and mane were wreathed in flame as well. Still, Cadance was in the lead again when they cleared the barrage of fire, and they had a long stretch after another turn to work purely on building speed. The wind sweeping through their hair was enough to put out the flames, Cadance grunting from effort as Spitfire pulled up beside her. Spitfire's lithe body was covered in sweat as she pushed herself harder than she ever had, starting to overtake Cadance. “Rapid fire!” Starlight had teleported and was firing laser blasts, this time aimed squarely at Cadance, but the alicorn refused to give ground by summoning another shield. She had to invent a new solution if she wanted to win, not able to focus well enough to teleport with the strain she was putting on her wings. She focused her shield crafting magic into her rear hooves, blending unicorn and earth pony magic while pushing the pegasus magic in her body to its limit. With a mighty buck she kicked off the flat barrier summoned behind her, giving her a boost in speed as Starlight's lasers shot by uselessly. She repeated the feat again and again until she couldn't get herself moving any faster, pulling ahead of Spitfire during the final stretch. There were four stallions ahead, two for Spitfire and two for Cadance, the last between them and the finish line. If the point was to increase the level of challenge when compared to the previous encounter then Cadance wasn't having any of it, summoning a stuttering sphere of explosive magical energy between the two pegasi on her side of the course, causing them both to fall from the sky as dazed tangles of limbs. Cadance soared by unmolested, but Spitfire saw an opportunity, her own opponents completely ignoring her as they stared at the source of the magical feat in shock. Spitfire flapped hard and flew right over their heads, almost even with Cadance again. “No, it's not fair!” Cadance had one final obstacle between her and the finish line, Sunset Shimmer using a cloudwalking spell to stand directly in front of her. “When did she even get here!?” It didn't matter, laser fire suddenly whizzing past Cadance's feathers as she narrowly dodged much of the barrage, but plenty of it struck home. The nonlethal variety of the spell was being used, stinging Cadance's flesh and threatening to force her wings to lock up. “Told you it was intense!” Spitfire was passing her and doing a little wave of her hoof as if to mock Cadance. “Better luck next time, Princess!” Cadance wanted to shove Sunset directly into Spitfire's smug face, but that would probably forfeit her victory in Dash's eyes since she'd count it as interference. Instead she flung her right wing forward and lit her horn, forcing the cloud Sunset was on downward. “Whoa!” With Sunset too surprised to keep going, Cadance got her momentum back, but it was too little too late. She wouldn't pass Spitfire at the speed she'd achieved, so she flexed her rear legs in preparation to try something really stupid. As Cadance approached Sunset she fired her own lasers at the unicorn, forcing her to raise and feed continuous energy to a magic shield, and just as she was passing over it Cadance bucked it as she had done to her own magical barriers earlier. The wellspring of magic that Sunset had access to funneled into a repellent force exerted on Cadance's legs while she simultaneously threw all of her own mana into another flap of her wings, the muscles in them going numb from the exhausting move. Sunset's shield shattered and she yelped from the pain in her horn, Cadance shooting past the finish line at ridiculous speed, the shockwave throwing Spitfire clean off the course. The veteran Wonderbolt had hundreds of hours of spin-out recovery practice to her name and was steady in the air again after less than a second, but Cadance spun and twisted through the air in a mess of exhausted limbs, crashing into the ground almost as spectacularly as Twilight had crashed into Starswirl. “Cadance!” Twilight was by her side via teleport instantly, checking over her many small bruises and brushing her hoof over her static-charged fur and feathers. “Are you alright? Talk to me!” “The Ogre of Isaterrelle will fall by MY blade, dear Prince,” Cadance muttered, slowly recovering her bearings. Apparently she was reliving a session of Ogres and Oubliettes she'd played with Twilight, Shining, and several of his college friends. “Wh-what? What happened?” “Did you hit your head?” Twilight asked, scrutinizing the skin on Cadance's head between her fur and under her mane. “Don't you remember the race?” Cadance gasped and perked up as it all came back to her, her eyes searching the sky to see Rainbow gliding down, Celestia, Luna, Stygian, and Starswirl approaching on hoof from where the race had started. “Did it work? Did I win?” “You won alright, but that landing was 'eh'.” Rainbow's expression matched her words, and she made a 'so-so' motion with a hoof. “Oh yeah!? Well, that stupid race of yours wasn't fair at all!” “Exactly.” Rainbow cantered closer with a broad smirk, gesturing to the course with a wing. “You still won, though. You're an alicorn Princess; you have the magic of every type of pony in your blood. I've never seen anypony do whatever it is that you just did up there, and that's because none of us know what you four are capable of. If I don't push you hard then we'll never know just how powerful you can become.” “Ha ha!” Twilight suddenly tackle-hugged Rainbow, nuzzling her affectionately. “Oh, I just knew you were the perfect pony for this job!” “Uh, Twilight? Please get off me.” Twilight was eventually convinced to comply as Spitfire brought Sunset's cloud down, the cadets assembled, and Starlight trotted over to join them. “How's she doing?” Cadance asked, raising a hoof toward Sunset in worry. “I didn't hurt her too badly, did I?” “She's fine, Princess,” Spitfire reported. “We knew the risks when we agreed to fight you. You're basically Goddesses. It's terrifying.” Twilight and Cadance were taken aback by that, finally being confronted with the fact that some ponies were treating them as divine just as generations of ponies had done for Celestia and Luna. “A question I once asked myself,” Celestia added, reading their expressions flawlessly. “If I were a Goddess, how would I know that I was? I concluded that it is not up to me, but for my little ponies to decide.” Luna just rolled her eyes behind her sister's back at that, and everypony else pretended they didn't see it. “Enough ego-stroking,” Rainbow stated flatly, turning to the Wonderbolt cadets who weren't unconscious. “Most of you were pretty terrible up there, and the Wonderbolts are a branch of the Equestrian military. If you wanna make it in you'll need to shape up! Luckily for all of you this is a training field. Spitfire will be your drill sergeant for the day, now get outta here and do whatever she says!” “Wait, no.” Fizzlepop Berrytwist was having a hard time believing everything Moondancer was telling her about Twilight Sparkle as they disembarked from the train, Grubber's expression giving away that he was more than a little impressed. “She can't have a doctorate in geology too! That would be eight doctoral degrees. She doesn't look nearly old enough to have gotten that many!” “Honorary doctorates are given to scientists who make great strides in the field of study in question,” Moondancer replied with some measure of pride. “Most of Twilight's accolades are due to her experiments and discoveries rather than her grades in school, which were also always excellent. As good as I am at learning and retaining knowledge, I have to admit that Twilight has the superior mind. She expands the knowledge and understanding of all ponykind and is a gift to the scientific community at large.” Fizzlepop didn't seem to be paying attention to Moondancer anymore, and the bookish unicorn quickly followed her gaze to see what occupied it. They were staring at Celaeno and Capper, who were also on the platform after exiting their own train car. When the two looked at each other they didn't look to be on particularly friendly terms, but they still nodded to each other before stepping toward two of their former enemies. “Tempest Shadow,” Celaeno said icily. “I'm sorry, I don't actually remember your name.” “Two of my crew are in a pony hospital right now because of you. They had to fight an army of yetis on the ground with no support because you blew up our ship!” “And I killed the Storm King,” Fizzy said back with an uninterested tone. “Are we going to stand here and list my military achievements all day or are you going to explain why you're here?” Celaeno flicked her sword an inch out of her sheath with her thumb, but Capper laid his hand over hers and pushed the sword back down, making her feathers bristle. “Now now, there's no need for violence,” he said with enough charm to convince a diamond dog to give up his jewels, “...yet.” He leaned down to be eye-level with Fizzy, his face rather close to hers. “Lemme guess: Twilight summoned you too, didn't she?” The implications made Fizzy's horn spark involuntarily, which in turn caused Capper's fur to stand up and his claws to extend. “Careful now: you might trigger my fight or flight response.” “Forgive me for not being threatened by Klugetown trash.” “Okay, this is getting a little outta hand.” Grubber tried to intervene but was largely ignored by the others. “I am from Abyssinia, you witch! And I'd still be there if your former boss hadn't stolen everything my people had before blowing the whole nation to Tartarus!” “Wait a minute,” Celaeno interrupted, looking at Capper with new eyes. “Aren't you one of those kids we found stowed away in a treasure ship a few years ago? What in the Sky happened to the other one?” “Good of you to finally notice, Captain.” Capper's smile was tight and forced, and he pointedly avoided answering Celaeno's second question. Fizzy opened her maw with a sneer, but Grubber clamped his claws over her muzzle before she could speak, whispering harshly in her ear, “Stop. Talking.” “Wow.” They all turned to the bespectacled unicorn they'd been overlooking, trying to suppress their volatile emotions for Moondancer's sake. “You need to spend more time with Twilight. You all suck at friendship.” Grubber raised a paw as if to refute that, but no counter-evidence came to mind and he simply shrugged. “There you are, darlings!” Rarity was on her way toward them, and she looked absolutely stunning, her fur well brushed and her mane and tail in perfect condition. Her facial makeup was impeccably well applied, and her eyeshadow was the perfect shade to accent her naturally smoldering gaze. Her false eyelashes were so perfectly placed that none of her admirers noticed they weren't real. Capper had thought she was beautiful when they first met, but that had been after a trek through a desert, not after a spa visit. “Capper, dear! I see you're still wearing that new coat I made for you,” she said, her voice as sweet as silk. It draped over the mood of the meeting and slowly softened it. “Remind me to make you more so it doesn't get worn out.” “You've given me plenty already, Miss Rarity. I only ask that you point me toward some ponies who are hiring so I can pay for the next one.” “Oh-ho-ho no, darling. I'll definitely help you with that after you've finished your service to the crown. This goes for all of you: it is a full-time job, and it pays very well.” They all had questions brewing and Rarity could see it in their eyes, continuing before they could slow her down further. “Now I'm already fashionably late from coming to meet you, so if we don't proceed now my reputation will be tarnished.” “What the heck is taking her so long?” Rainbow Dash muttered irritably to herself, pacing back and forth between Luna and Sunset Shimmer, the latter of them having recovered her senses and lounging on the now low cloud. “You know Rarity,” Sunset intoned distractedly. “She always wants to be the last person-- er, pony, to arrive at a party.” “But this isn't a party!” Suddenly a fluffy pink pony sprung from the fluff of the cloud and screamed “Woooooo! Party!” They were all sure she hadn't been there before, and after firing confetti into the air from her party cannon Pinkie Pie zipped back down into the cloud and completely disappeared. Luna glanced around frantically, casting several probing spells over the cloud, making Sunset's bones tingle but finding no Pinkie Pie. “How did she..?” “Luna,” Twilight's expression was a strange combination of soft, stern, and understanding, “don't question Pinkie Pie.” Luna wanted to press the issue, but she was interrupted by the late arrivals. “We're he~re!” Rainbow rolled her eyes, trotting up to them. “Nice of you to finally show up. You know they could have made it here without an escort, right?” Rarity gave a “Psshht” and waved her hoof daintily. “As if I would ever let my friends fight their way through a magical barrier that assaults one's mind with the constant suggestion to turn around and leave. With me there the barrier parted before us.” “They could still make it through if they were determined enough, and that was part of the point!” “That's stupid.” They all turned to Moondancer, surprised by her interruption. “A classic Barrier of Neurobitus can only be crossed if you know to prepare mental defenses or if your life very immediately depends on reaching the interior. We never would have made it through without a previously approved pony nearby to suppress the effects for us.” “Huh.” Dash quirked her head to the side curiously. “I guess stuff like that is why Twilight put you on her list.” “Duh!” The preppy purple pony Princess pranced forth herself, pulling Moondancer into an affectionate nuzzle with her wing. “Moondancer is a genius.” “Hello, Twilight. You smell like sweat.” Moondancer felt like kicking herself after saying that, Twilight backing away with an embarrassed titter. “I don't mind, but I would like to know why.” “Spike will brief you inside,” Rainbow said, once again taking control of the situation. “But you may wanna stick around to see the next fight first. You ready, Rarity?” “Oh yes,” she nodded, trotting into position three yards away from Luna. “I plan to give the Princess a proper first challenge.” Luna quirked a brow at the prettiest unicorn in Ponyville, then glanced at Rainbow Dash questioningly. “And?” “And what?” Rarity answered for Dash, her muzzle turned up slightly. “And shall I fight with my wings tied to my back? My magic suppressed? Will a second and third foe appear from the shadows in the middle of the fight?” Rarity laughed with a shake of her head. “Are you kidding?” Rainbow Dash rebuffed. “Rarity has three black belts AND she's the reigning fencing champion in Ponyville!” “Don't forget Manehattan and Canterlot, Miss Dash.” “Plus,” Twilight added, “I have been helping her improve her magic.” Luna looked up and down Rarity's body, taking in her relaxed but formal posture and confident expression. She certainly didn't hold herself like a great warrior about to engage in a historical duel with a Goddess, but appearances could be deceptive. “Very well then.” Luna's face set into a determined frown. “I will face you in glorious, honorable combat, my friend!” “Delightful.”