//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 - Challenge // Story: Off The Mark // by Goldfur //------------------------------// I looked over nervously at Trixie. I could hear my heart beating wildly. I was about to advise her to just step down, but what I saw stopped me before I got out a sound. Trixie raised her head slightly. Her anxiety was gone and she looked like a mother gazing at a disappointing child. She tapped her throne with one forehoof, her frown deepening. “Really?” “Yes. The throne of Equestria was never meant for—” “And how do you plan to take the Throne of Equestria, Miss Sparkle?” Twilight paused for a moment, then ignored Trixie’s question. “Celestia meant for me to rule in her place while she was away, but I was called away to the Crystal Empire before—” Trixie cut in again. “An interesting personal opinion, Miss Sparkle, but not one that holds any weight in law. I rule this country as recognized by the Guild of Mages, the Parliament of Nobles, and most importantly, by the grace of My Little Ponies. You have the support of none of these for your claim.” I was shocked. I knew Trixie had stage presence, but what I was seeing now was something I had never seen before. She was dominating the conversation with the far more powerful mare. Twilight lowered her head slightly, apparently to aim her horn at Trixie. “Princess Cadance and Shining Armor—” “Are now leaders of a foreign nation allied with Equestria. The treaties they signed are with this country, not me, not you. Tell me, Miss Sparkle…” Trixie kept her eyes on the purple alicorn as she descended the dais. “…tell me exactly what the difference is between what you are trying to do now and what Queen Chrysalis attempted mere months ago? Are you not trying to usurp the leadership of Equestria through might alone?” Trixie came right up to Twilight’s nose. “Are you only doing this now because you have ascended to become what you now believe to be an alicorn more powerful than the Great and Beloved Trixie?” Twilight was shaking. I could see the tendons on her neck clenching her jaw closed. Her eyes began to glow white. “You’re nothing! You’re not even—” For the first time, Trixie raised her voice. “Would you dare to threaten to fight me here and now? To destroy the throne room and all the stained glass celebrating the missing rulers Celestia and Luna? To put in danger the lives of ALL THE LITTLE PONIES WHOM I LIVE TO SERVE?!” Twilight’s eyes returned to their normal purple hue but her face remained twisted in anger. “I will not back down. As prescribed by the ancient Law of Alicorns, I challenge you for the right to rule Equestria.” Trixie stared into Twilight’s eyes with a look I can only describe as pity. After a few moments, she turned around and marched past me towards the door that led to her chambers. “Very well, Miss Sparkle. I accept your challenge.” The Element of Magic breathed out and relaxed slightly. She started to follow. Without looking backward, Trixie called out, “Not now.” Twilight Sparkle stopped mid-step. “But–” Trixie interrupted. “I will inform you of an appropriate place and time. Remember that you are an immortal alicorn now, Miss Sparkle.” She opened the door with her magic. “Do try to learn some patience.” With that, Trixie finished walking through and closed it. After a few moments, Twilight Sparkle looked at me. I don’t think my expression made her feel any better. With a flash and the pop of inrushing air, she teleported away. All eyes soon came to focus on me. I tried to keep any tremor out of my voice but failed utterly. “D-d-day Court is now adjourned!” I then scrambled to follow Trixie. After closing the door behind me, I found her standing stock-still just a little way down the hallway. I came up to her side and looked at her face. She stood impassively gazing into the distance. I thought I could see pride radiating from her eyes. “Trixie, that was incredible! I’ve never seen you act so… well… regal!” She said nothing, just continuing to stare at some unknown point far away or maybe in the future. “I mean it! I can see now why Celestia took you as her personal student. You were magnificent!” Not a head nod, not a bigger smile, no indication whatsoever that she was accepting my praise… and given what I knew about this mare, it was getting downright creepy. “Trixie? Hello? Earth… uh… Equestria to Trixie? Say something please!” I decided to wait her out. After a full minute, she moved her lips without changing her expression in the slightest. “Are we alone?” I nodded. “Yes. Yes, we are.” She sighed. After some time, she said, “Trixie is so totally bucked.” With that, she ran down the hallway screaming. I didn’t try to chase after Trixie right then because I felt she needed a little time to herself, and besides, I needed to think about the situation. I was upset with how these circumstances came about too, and I needed to know more before I could deal with it. How did Twilight become an alicorn? Why was she so angry with Trixie? I thought that we had come to an understanding that the G&P was doing a reasonable job along with Raven and myself, and that Twilight would not really be suited for the job anyway. The former unicorn was a scholar at heart, not a princess. I headed to my room. I needed to get out of my fancy clothes and freshen up. I doubted that I would get much of a chance to do so later. Steady Flight was waiting for me there having wisely not followed me when I chased after Trixie. I took off my jacket and passed it to him to hang up, but I put my vest aside before giving him my shirt and tie which he took wordlessly. Finally I asked, “What do you think of this situation?” “You sure you want my opinion, Mark?” I nodded. “Yeah – out with it.” “The general population is going to be split on this. Princess Trixie is popular and doing a decent job, but they are also conditioned to believe alicorns are the true rulers of Equestria. Trixie had it right when she offered Twilight a diarchy – that could have satisfied everypony. Now, I don’t think Equestria is going to be better off for this challenge whoever wins.” I grimaced. That pretty much aligned with my thoughts too. “That’s not an acceptable outcome.” “I hate to say it, Mark, but I believe this has just become your problem. You’re the one who advises Trixie and moderates her impulses. You need to sort this out with Twilight Sparkle.” “I agree, but I have a suspicion that my hooves are tied. This Alicorn Challenge that Twilight made sounds rather binding, so I don’t know if negotiating will solve anything.” “Maybe, maybe not. I do know that whoever wins, we all will have to deal with the aftermath.” I sighed and headed for the bathroom. I needed to run a washcloth over my face and brush my mane. I was going to have to look the part of someone who was calm and in control even while I was actually in turmoil too. Whatever I felt though had to be better than what Trixie was going through right now. When I was done, I went back and re-donned my vest. It looked good by itself and I felt confident and more in command. Time to stop delaying the inevitable. I instructed Steady to tell the kitchen to prepare Trixie’s favorite comfort foods and then headed out of my room. I made a beeline for Trixie’s suite and stopped just outside the doors. “Is Princess Trixie within?” I asked the Royal Guards flanking the doors. “Yes, sir,” one replied. “The Princess ordered that she was not to be disturbed.” “I see. Her Highness needs me – are you going to stop me?” I gave the Guard who spoke my hardest stare. The Guard met my gaze, but after a long moment, he relented and stepped aside. “I believe the Princess needs her stallion.” I was her stallion? How did they get that impression? Nevertheless, I took advantage of that perception and entered the suite. As expected, I found Trixie on her bed, sobbing into her pillow. I quietly walked up beside the bed and sat down beside it. I reached over with my foreleg and gently hugged her. Trixie flinched and turned her head to look at me with surprise, her cheek fur sodden from tears. “D-dowser? What… what are you doing here?” No mangling of my name? This really was serious. “You needed me, so I’m here.” Her lip quivered and then she buried her face in my neck and sobbed. I just held Trixie and let her cry herself out as I held her. Eventually, she sniffled and drew back. “What am I going to do? I can’t beat an alicorn!” the mare wailed. “Why not? I don’t know how Twilight became one, but she can’t know how to be one yet, while you have had years to practice your arts. Aren’t you the Amazing and Astounding Trixie who dazzles ponies with her stage magic in a world where nearly everything is magic? You just need to focus on what you do best.” “Twilight Sparkle is one of the smartest ponies in Equestria. Trixie was thoroughly humiliated the two times that she clashed with her.” “Then you have learned what not to do. And you have me, Raven, and Steady to help you prepare.” Trixie propped herself up higher in the bed and wiped her eyes for a few moments. “Trixie will not go down without a fight, but don’t you think that Twilight has a right to rule?” “You have earned that right – Twilight has yet to prove herself.” “Twilight is an alicorn!” “Are you all brainwashed into thinking that only alicorns can rule Equestria? You’ve already demonstrated that’s not true. Show her that.” Trixie was quiet and thoughtful for a minute before her expression firmed. Her confident smile started to return. “Yes! Trixie will show her rival that she has earned the right her place on Equestria’s throne, and if Sparkle won’t accept that, then she needs to be put in her place!” “Let’s not plan on antagonizing the new alicorn and concentrate on winning the challenge first, shall we?” Trixie smirked a little. “Do you intend to do this planning in Trixie’s bedroom, Landmark Sells?” “Umm… perhaps it would be better if we reconvene down in the dining room? I’ve ordered your favorites.” I got up and hastened towards the exit. “That’s why I appreciate you, Mudlark Smells – you always treat Trixie like a princess!” she called out as I retreated. I think the door guards heard that last bit before I closed the door to the suite. I'm pretty sure I saw smirks there for a moment before their neutral expressions returned. “As you were!” I ordered and left before my blush got any worse. Soon, Trixie joined us in the dining room. Raven appeared to be asleep with her head cradled by her hooves on the table. Steady arrived with a tray containing four mugs of jet-black coffee to tide us over while the royal chefs prepared a late meal. Raven’s nose started to twitch, then it seemed to float on its own accord until she was sipping at the coffee daintily. After a few breaths to cool it down, she knocked back the entire cup and plonked it back on the table. After gaining another mug and a single sip later, the unicorn mare blearily opened her eyes. “Present,” she mumbled. I started. “OK, Trixie. Can you tell us what was happening to you when Twilight made her challenge?” Trixie’s eyes darted around a bit, then settled on Steady. “Whatever do you mean, Embark Propels?” “You hired me to advise you. Now I’m doing exactly that. I’m advising you to tell us what happened out there. We can’t move forward until we know what we’re dealing with.” The blue unicorn rubbed her hoof against her head, grimacing. With a defeated look, she sighed. “Trixie is not really sure. For whatever reason, despite the fact that the purple alicorn was powerful enough to obliterate Trixie with her dandruff…” Steady interrupted. “Twilight Sparkle has dandruff?” I tried to kick him to get him to shut up, but my coordination failed me and I hit Trixie instead. She glared at me then continued. “…Trixie had absolutely zero fear of her and no intention of backing down. And it was like… no, this is going to sound stupid.” Steady spoke up. “Nothing sounds stupid two hours after midnight.” Trixie continued. “Trixie wasn’t angry about the idea of Twilight as the ruler of Equestria. Trixie means… Twilight was probably groomed for the job by Big White Flanks, and she’s a heck of a powerful mare, now with in-field command experience leading the other Elements of Harmony. It was just the way she demanded it. Sitting on the throne like Trixie was, looking out over the court, her demand just… triggered something inside me.” She squinted, trying to find the right words. “It was like all of Trixie’s acting experience combined with the power of personality Trixie has seen Celestia use a few times. Trixie felt like she was truly defending all of Equestria.” I thought back to my Intro to All Things Equestrian course. “Do you think it was the magic of Harmony speaking through you?” She shook her head. “No. Ponies feel that whenever we burst into song. Totally different.” Raven snuck another coffee away from under Steady Flight’s nose. A glance showed me both her earlier mugs were now dry. “Well, no use crying over spilled coffee. The first order of business is to study this part of Alicorn Law for loopholes or weaknesses.” A scroll appeared in front of her and dropped into her coffee cup with a splash. She frowned. “Horseapples.” Her magic lifted the scroll and she watched the liquid drain from the paper. She looked at Steady. “I’m going to need that last coffee. Mark Wells can have this one.” Trixie waved a hoof. “Well? Who is it from?” Raven unrolled the scroll and read the contents quickly. “Hmmm. That’s convenient.” She looked over the top of the letter. “It’s from Lord Fancy Pants. He’s already had his legal team go through every bit of Alicorn Law and find the pertinent bits relating to the challenge.” Her eyes returned to the paper. “One – The ruler and challenger have the option of following through with the challenge or accepting permanent banishment from Equestria.” Trixie winced. “Two – As the ruler, you get to choose the date, time, location, and the three challenges – pegasus, earth pony, then unicorn. Both the ruler and challenger must agree on the Arbitrator, although the ruler proposes the candidates until one is accepted.” I spoke up. “Who was that? What’s an Arbitrator’s job?” “The Arbitrator sets the rules and judges which of the two contestants is the winner. Their decision is absolute.” Steady asked. “What else?” Raven rolled up the scroll again. “Other than a ban on combat of any form, even by proxy, that’s it. Alicorn Law is written in Old Equish and is full of conditionals and apologies and compliments and all sorts of rubbish that was the style of the time. It takes pages to get a single point across. ‘Foresooth, oh ye grande soule, and partaken unto this most humbelle scribbe… blah, blah, blah.’ Kind of stupid when paper and ink were so expensive back then, but there you have it. Oh, and Fancy Pants advised not waiting too long to set a date to prevent… um… civil unrest.” The gears in my mind started to turn. “That’s a pretty short and simple set of rules.” Something about my tone of voice must have caught Trixie’s attention because first one ear, then one eye pointed at me. “What are you considering, Unmark Pastels?” I chose to ignore her question for the moment. “OK, first things first. I assume we are all planning to fight rather than literally slinking across the border with our tails between our collective legs, aren’t we?” Raven and Steady nodded immediately. Trixie looked back and forth. “You are all crazy. If we lose, you are all going to—” I interrupted. “We don’t plan to lose. And we are with you all the way.” I put my hoof in the middle of the table. Steady smiled. “I’m riding this crazy train all the way to its destination.” He put a hoof on top of mine. Raven put her hoof onto Steady’s while smiling at Trixie. The coffee mug had no say in the matter and went along for the ride. “Loyalty to my sovereign is who I am and what I will always do.” Trixie gaped at us, then smiled. Daintily, she wiped away tears then put her hoof on top of the pile. “Thank you. Thank you all. Trixie is… I am honored to have friends such as all of you.” I placed my other hoof on top of hers. “It’s because we love you, Trixie.” She blinked and cutely blushed a bit. I then grabbed her hoof with the sole of mine and smiled evilly. “Besides, it will be your tail hairs going up in flames at the contest, not ours.” Her smile disappeared and she tried to pull away unsuccessfully. Her horn lit and a large spark arced over my head and hit my flank. “Yeowch!” Trixie’s hoof escaped when I was distracted. I frowned at her. “Strategy point number one: Trixie is a really good shot.” She sniffed and tried to look disdainful, but couldn’t help but smile back. I sighed. “The first meeting of ‘Kick Twilight’s Supple Flanks’ is now in order.” That got me an identical glare from both mares. I laughed. “OK! OK! Message received. So – first we list our opponent’s strengths.” Raven had her omnipresent clipboard and quill out and ready. Steady started. “Probably the most knowledgeable and powerful spell-caster in Equestria since Star Swirl the Bearded, and even that is up for debate. And that was before she ascended.” He looked at Trixie. “Your pardon.” Trixie waved away the apology. “Her friends were remarkable even before they became Element Bearers. Together, they are unstoppable.” Raven spoke next. “She is very well regarded by the populace, although her recent actions have no doubt eroded that support somewhat.” I nodded. “OK, that’s a good start. Now, what are her weaknesses?” Silence and searching looks surrounded the table. “Come on now. No pony is perfect. What are the areas where she isn’t awesome?” Steady said, “Well, she just became an alicorn, right? So her pegasus and earth pony magic might be strong, and she may have read the theory, but she has no practice.” I tapped my hoof on my chin. “That would be another reason to have the challenge take place sooner rather than later.” Trixie spoke next. “She is mentally unstable.” Everyone looked at her in surprise. “I am not just talking about what happened in Day Court. Celestia sent her to Ponyville to learn the value of friendship and shared with me some of Twilight’s letters. She is prone to rationalization and fits of manic behavior. Twilight is well served when she allows the moderating influence of her pet Spike and the other Element Bearers.” Trixie seemed to understand my incredulous stare. “Yes, even Pinkie Pie has a stabilizing effect on her.” Raven thought for several seconds. “She has a tendency to approach any problem initially from the most obvious path. Twilight does not always prepare contingency plans ahead of time. Instead, she relies on her intellect to steer her when the unexpected occurs. Also, she can become very frustrated when this happens and stops thinking clearly.” I nodded. “Good. Now let’s get straight to the strengths of each of us at this table, not just Trixie. Anypony can chime in.” Steady said, “Well, I had the chance to see Empress Trixie perform in her previous career. She has the ability to get an audience onto her side and her stage magic can get ponies to do things they wouldn’t normally do. At the performance I went to, she convinced a heckler to tar and feather himself.” Trixie chuckled. “Good times. But how does that apply to the current situation?” I spoke up. “It’s a matter of anticipating what your opponent will do and allowing them to act in a way that they think is in their self-interest, but instead draws them into your trap.” After some time to consider this, Raven spoke up. “Mark, you frequently see situations from a perspective different from any other pony. Have… any memories come back from your life before your amnesia that would provide an approach to this problem that no pony has seen before?” Steady looked at her with a furrowed brow, but I understood what she meant. So were there any sleights of hand or technology that would appear to be magic to every Equestrian? I could feel an idea buzzing in the back of my head, but couldn’t put my hoof on it. I tapped the table for a bit. “I’ll give that some thought. Now what about the individual challenges?” Raven winced. “I don’t think you’re going to like hearing this…” All of us nodded for her to continue. “If we choose three challenges and Trixie wins two out of three or even three out of three, support among about half of the nobles will be severely damaged, perhaps irreparably. Especially if the challenges we select play directly to Trixie’s strengths: dancing, giving speeches, Cajun cooking, card tricks, etc.” Trixie spoke up. “What do you suggest? We can’t let Twilight choose them. We might win some respect for the gesture, but we would have literally no chance to win.” After taking a deep breath, the unicorn continued. “We let the Arbitrator select the challenges and they are only revealed during the contest.” “What!” protested Steady. “That means we have no way to prepare!” I said, “That also means Twilight will be at the same disadvantage.” Steady continued, “Well, we could imitate general skills in those areas, like unicorn levitation magic to emulate flying.” Raven said, “Or time magic to stimulate plant growth.” I picked up the conversation. “OK, so that’s half of it. Who should we select as Arbitrator that we know Twilight would accept?” All three ponies in front of me said “Lord Fancy Pants” simultaneously, looked at each other, then back at me. “No argument. Can’t think of a more honorable pony who also has the best interests of Equestria at heart.” There were some nods and smiles around the table. An unbidden thought came to me. I evaluated it and decided to share. “This conversation has brought up one memory from my earlier life.” I had everyone’s attention. “I heard that a martial arts champion once said that in the arena, he has two opponents: the pers… uh… pony sparring with him and the umpire.” I looked at Raven. “Does Alicorn Law state exactly what constitutes a victory in each of the areas of pony magic?” She shook her head. “Just that the criteria are at the discretion of the Arbitrator, which I suppose is why he has to be agreed upon by both parties.” I said, “So we may not be able to guess the exact nature of the challenges, but we should be able to make some good guesses as to what he’s looking for in a ruler.” Everyone looked deep in thought. “Come back with ideas.” Steady spoke up. “So now the last question. How long do we need to prepare?” Any hints of smiles stopped. Raven spoke first. “I… uh… just don’t know.” Trixie buried her head in her hooves and groaned. Steady put a comforting wing on her withers and patted lightly. “There, there. We will all get through this.” Surprisingly, I noticed two things. First that he was not holding his wing correctly for level flight. Second, that his coat color, which extended to his wings, was nearly identical to that of our revered leader. I felt my cheeks curl up in a smile as the pieces fell into place. Raven stared at me. “Mark?” The other two looked up at my manic smile and waited. I stopped smiling long enough to ask, “Tell me how long everypony thinks it will take to get the following set up and working well enough for its grand debut…” The food helped a lot, and between that and the initial plans that we made, Trixie was back close to her usual self. Which is why I was now in Ponyville once more, courtesy of the pegasus royal chariot. At least I got to learn the Guards’ names this time. Gusty Wind and Hardy Wings apparently were Trixie’s normal go-to team for these flights. The stallions were strong and fast flyers and they got me to the township later that morning, landing directly outside the Golden Oaks library. I told them to wait nearby because I was unsure of how long I would be there. At worst, I might be refused entry, but I had to try. Despite the library being officially open at this time, I still felt it wise to knock first. Spike answered the door. He gave me a glum look and said, “I figured it might be you.” “Can I come in, Spike?” The dragon looked over his shoulder before nodding and opening the door completely. I walked inside but saw nothing amiss. “Twilight is still out, so it’s safe to talk.” “Did she tell you what happened at Canterlot?” “Yeah. I told her that she shouldn’t challenge Trixie, but she wouldn’t be swayed.” “She did strike me as being single-minded at times. So – how the heck did she become an alicorn?” “That’s a wild story. Did you hear about some crazy weather in Ponyville recently?” “No. What’s that got to do with it?” What followed was an incredible story of swapped cutie marks, changed destinies, the resulting chaos, and the efforts by Twilight to fix the situation that had all been brought on by a spell that I had inadvertently given her among all the other material that I had brought from Canterlot for Celestia’s student to study. Apparently, the creation of new magic had pushed Twilight over some kind of threshold and she… well… ascended. Even the scholarly Twilight had not been able to fully describe it, but she had found herself on some spiritual plain all by herself. Scared and confused, the mare hadn’t noticed power growing within her until it burst forth and transformed her before returning her to Equestria. It was when Rarity said “You look like a princess” that the seed of an idea was planted in Twilight’s brain, and she became determined to become exactly that. The new alicorn announced her intention to confront Trixie, and despite Spike and her friends advising that she take some time to think it over, Twilight rushed off to Canterlot without any of them to back her up. Great. Two headstrong mares and me in between. I wished Celestia had been here to guide them both still but it looked like we had to do it the hard way. I sighed and said, “Trixie’s determined to meet Twilight’s challenge. How’s your big sister taking it, by the way?” Spike rolled his eyes. “Just like she usually does – completely over the top. Now she realizes that she should have listened to us first. Instead…” “I so totally messed up!” wailed Twilight Sparkle. She cried into her hooves, but it was hard to tell because she hid her head from sight with her brand new wings. Spike sat by her side at a table in the Golden Oaks Library, gently stroking her withers with one set of claws while the other took notes. He looked up at the mares standing around the room with his best ‘please help me’ look. Applejack waved her hat in an attempt to get some air onto the crying alicorn. “Beggin’ yer pardon, newly appointed Alicorn of Friendship and Magic and All Whatnot, but what in tarnation were you thinkin’ by pulling a stunt like that in Day Court? Did those newfound feathers get stuck in your brain or somethin’?” “I don’t know!” moaned Twilight. “After I got these wings, I just had this feeling that this is what Celestia really wanted. That this was a sign I needed to take the throne.” Rainbow Dash spoke from the back of the room, trying to hide the broken glass from the shattered window pane while Twilight was distracted. “Did you talk to Celestia in that weirdo place between worlds when you ass-mended? Did she tell you to throw Trixie out on her ear?” The new alicorn lifted her wings slightly, poking her nose out. “It’s ‘ascended.’ There were panels floating in space showing me images from my past in Canterlot and Ponyville. Celestia was in some of them and you girls were, too. But no, I didn’t get any messages from Celestia or anyone else in that strange dimension.” Fluttershy said. “Umm… well, it’s really not my place to say, but could you go back and apologize and accept her offer to be a Diarch?” Twilight shook her head. “I invoked Alicorn Law when I challenged Trixie, and she accepted, alicorn or not. That means I can either go through with the challenge…” The purple alicorn looked down at the table and swallowed. “…or leave Equestria forever.” She lowered her voice and her tears started again. “Celestia would be so ashamed of me. Every single thing Trixie said about me was right. Maybe I should leave.” “Awww. It’s no big deal, Twilight! You just kinda went...” Pinkie Pie jumped up on the table. Spike pulled Twilight back just before the party pony landed where Twilight’s head had been. Pinkie stood up on her back legs and her forelegs flopped around, looking uncannily like limp noodles. Her mane flowed to cover her face and looked just like tentacles wiggling in all directions. “… ‘Rrrraahhhh! I am now one of the Great Old Ones! Fear my power and the wrath of the Elder Gods! Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn! ’ ” Everyone stared in a combination of fascination and terror. For Spike, it was like that helpless feeling you get when you watch a train go careening off a bridge, only to see it eaten by an Eldritch Horror that was inexplicably pink. He had to admit that Pinkie did a great job distracting his sister out of her mopey train of thought. Apparently, it was the same for everyone else in the room, based on the same slack-jawed expression he saw everywhere. Rarity cleared her throat. “That’s… a new look for you, Pinkie.” In a flash, the party pony was on all fours and back to her normal—uh, for her—look. “Actually, Rares, it’s an ooooooooooold look.” She winked then settled down on the table and closed her eyes. Rarity blinked a few times then turned to Twilight. “If I understand correctly, the point she was trying to make—” “Pinkie Pie Point!” chirped the mare in the center of the table, then settled her head down again. “—yes. The ‘Pinkie Pie Point’ was that perhaps the change into an alicorn gave you much more power than you were used to. And that power went to your head, perhaps just a smidge.” Rainbow Dash snorted. “More like you thought you were a goddess whose every whim was law.” “Rainbow Dash!” scolded Fluttershy in a voice that was definitely audible, which is how Spike knew how upset she was. The pegasus mare moved over to Twilight who was hunched over herself now. Fluttershy gently extended a wing to cover her back and pulled Twilight closer. “We’re friends first, Twilight. All of us will always be there for you.” Everypony crowded around the newest alicorn in Equestria and made her into a hug burrito. She sniffled. “Maybe… maybe you’re right. It’s just that Trixie makes me so angry!” Twilight’s voice lost an octave with the last word and she snarled. “That mare is desecrating everything Celestia and Luna ever stood for.” Her eyes started to glow. “I have to—” Applejack spoke up. “Whoa! Whoa now, Sugarcube!” Twilight’s eyes regained their regular color and her voice returned to normal. “Whu?... What?” Spike poked her in the side. “You were going off the deep end again.” She put a hoof to her chest and breathed deeply for a few moments. “Ugh! Maybe you all are right. I’m not used to these alicorn instincts. They are just so powerful that they make me seem crazy!” All of her friends shared the same knowing look with each other. Twilight noticed. “What?” Applejack scuffed the floor for a moment with a forehoof, then spoke up. “Beggin’ your pardon, Twilight, but you act crazy a good fair amount of the time.” “Hoo yeah!” said Rainbow Dash. “If it’s not Mr. Smartypants or freaking out about Zecora or trying to understand Pinkie Pie, then it’s something else that twists your tail into a knot!” Fluttershy shot a glare at the other pegasus before looking back at the purple mare. “And for all those times, your friends were always there for you, Twilight. And we always will be.” Rarity added her wisdom. “Darling, we have been your steadying influence for well over a year now. No matter what happens, we will continue to help you through this. Now honestly, is the situation really that bad?” Spike raised a claw and spoke up. “Actually, it kinda is.” He pointed to two piles of scrolls that had arrived via Derpy Post first thing that morning. “The pile on the left are nobles who are swearing support to Twilight. The pile on the right are those who are informing her of their fealty to Trixie.” He then pointed to the one scroll on the table. “That one is from Fancy Pants. He had his legal team do an all-nighter reading through every bit of Alicorn Law in the Canterlot Library and Royal Archives. Unfortunately, he just confirmed what Twilight said about there being exactly two ways the challenge could end.” Rarity gave her perfect smile. “Well, it’s good to have his support, at least.” Spike really, really hated contradicting her again, but he shook his head. “I think he did this for the good of Equestria. He said he was providing the results of his research to Trixie as well. He asked if he could do anything to speed the process along so there wouldn’t be any ‘avoidable unpleasantries.’ ” “Civil war,” translated Twilight. “That’s what I’ve set in motion. And Lord Fancy Pants is right. Trixie needs to present her three challenges as soon as possible.” “Three challenges?” asked Rainbow Dash. “So like you choose three champions for trials or something?” “No. One challenge for unicorn traits, one for pegasus, and one for earth pony. I have the power of all three now, but I need to start practicing.” She looked up. “Applejack, would you teach me how to talk to plants and buck trees? I don’t know how long I have to learn so I need to start now.” The farm pony nodded. “Apple trees I can do, but for talking to all types of plants, the flower sisters are the best in town.” “Umm…” spoke up Fluttershy. “I can ask my friend Tree Hugger to come over. I’m not saying anything bad about the sisters, but I’ve never met anyone who can commune with plants like she can.” Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash. “Can you give me a crash course on flying?” Rarity frowned. “Not the best choice of words, darling.” The smile Rainbow Dash gave reminded Spike that she loved to eat fish, and it looked like Twilight was going to be her next meal. “Sure thing, Twi! I gotta tell ya, I’m a stern teacher and won’t go easy on you!” “That’s fine. I just need to learn quickly. Trixie could summon me for the challenges at any time.” For some reason, all of the mares looked at Spike and waited. “What?” He met eyes with all of them but they just continued to stare. Then he got it. “No, I don’t feel a scroll coming through on dragonfire right now. You can relax.” They all sighed in relief. Twilight smiled for the first time. “Girls… thanks. This means so much to me.” They all smiled back. Just then, there was a flash of light and a popping sound from the back of the library. A tall mare with a nondescript gray cloak proceeded to lift her hood, revealing a very familiar smile. The purple mare’s face lit up. “Cadance!” Twilight’s old foalsitter jogged up to her and embraced the newest alicorn with her forelegs and wings. “Oh, Twilight! I’m so proud of you!” She pulled back. “Let me see those wings!” With a sheepish grin, the nation’s newest alicorn complied. Princess Cadance literally danced on the tips of her hooves. “They look absolutely magnificent! Congratulations!” They then went for another big hug. After all the other Elements and Spike had their chance to say hi, Cadance got serious. “I heard what happened in Day Court yesterday. I imagine you are wondering why you felt the need to depose Trixie from the throne.” Twilight cringed and looked down. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” “I do.” That caused the purple alicorn to look up in surprise. “Twilight, there is more to becoming an alicorn than gaining wings and access to the magic of all three tribes. Your ascension was arranged ahead of time by Celestia, I suspect?” Twilight nodded. “I believe so.” Cadance sighed. “If I had been made aware, I could have prepared you as she obviously intended to but couldn’t because of her absence.” She looked the mare directly in the eyes. “Twilight, one of the most important side-effects of becoming an alicorn is in your mind. Alicorns are compulsively driven to lead. Celestia started to prepare you by putting you in the leadership position of the Elements of Harmony, and you are considered a leader here in the Ponyville community.” She smiled. “Do you know what I did within an hour of the foal-sized, almost powerless Princess Luna arriving at Canterlot Castle?” The newest alicorn shook her head. “I got on my knees and pledged my undying fealty to her. Luna was disoriented, feeling incredibly guilty about her past, and surrounded by strangers, but she accepted my pledge without hesitation because she knew the alternative was a struggle for power as second-in-command of Equestria. Celestia was very pleased and reiterated her promise to provide me a kingdom to rule at the earliest opportunity.” Pinkie Pie bounded up. “So that’s how you got the Crystal Empire! And you got Shining Armor too as a housewarming gift!” Everypony gaped in shock, but Cadance erupted in laughter. “Oh, that’s hilarious, Pinkie!” She put on an uncharacteristically evil grin and spoke to an empty part of the room. “ ‘Honey? I’m going to take you back to Bedchambers-R-Us. I think I’ll get another set of sheets with the store credit.” Pinkie blew a bubble from a pipe that she produced from her mane. “Nah. You forgot to save the receipt. Classic rookie mistake. Happens at most first weddings.” Twilight frowned and pushed herself in front of Pinkie. “OK, thanks. That helps me understand my feelings, but I still have to follow through with the challenges. Can I count on your support, Cadance?” The pink alicorn shook her head sadly. “Neither Shiny or I can attend or appear to side with either party because we cannot be seen as interfering with internal Equestrian affairs. Technically, I shouldn’t be here at all, but… Eeeeeeee!” She started dancing again with a huge grin on her muzzle. “I just had to see the wings on the foal I used to babysit!” Cadance jumped forward into another hug. “Come on, Twilight. Give me a proper hug this time!” At her prompting, Twilight Sparkle used her wings to envelop the back of the larger mare. The Princess of Love held her for several seconds before breaking the embrace. She looked kindly into Twilight’s eyes. “Write to me with any questions you have about your new form. I wish your brother and I could do more for you now in your time of need, but our hooves are tied.” Rainbow Dash called out, “So what are the unimportant ones?” At Cadance’s puzzled look, the blue Pegasus added, “So what are the unimportant changes of becoming an alicorn?” The Princess of Love blinked. “Oh! Well, she’ll have a much better appreciation for the taste of all produce now. And she’ll love fish just like a pegasus.” That got a disgusted look from Twilight. “Ugh! No, I don’t think so.” Cadance smiled knowingly, then looked over the rest of the Elements. “Any time you want Twilight to do something, tempt her with smoked salmon. Shiny figured out this was an alicorn weakness years ago. You wouldn’t believe what he’s talked me into doing because of it. Why this one time—” Twilight clopped her forehooves over her ears. “Too much information!” Cadance chuckled and kissed the purple alicorn on the forehead. When Twilight set her hooves back down, the Alicorn of Love smiled. “Very well, Twilight. We’ll talk about those changes when you’re ready.” Cadance then lifted her hood over her head, and with a flash of magic and a popping sound, she was gone. Taking that as her cue, Pinkie Pie jumped onto the table, her mane now in a shape exactly matching Twilight’s. A scroll “floated” in front of her on a wire hanger that looped around her head for support. A quill was in her mouth. “All right, everypony! We have a checklist! Let’s get checking!” Yeah, Fancypants’ scroll had dampened the mood for Team Trixie. However, now that I knew that Twilight had realized that she had screwed up, I felt that there was a better chance of us resolving the situation in a manner that would be best for everyone. Or at least avoiding some nasty repercussions like civil war. “Thanks, Spike. I know that you have to be loyal to your sister and you didn’t need to tell me all this.” “Dude – Twilight’s your friend. Not even this crisis will change that. I think she’d be happy that you’re trying to fix this mess.” I arched an eyebrow at him. “So, are you going to tell her about our chat?” He gave me a flat look. “Do you think Twilight hatched an idiot?” I chuckled. “Nope. I had better go before she returns. I just need you to pass on this message from Trixie.” I took a scroll from my saddlebag and gave it to him. “What’s this?” Spike asked. “The formal terms of the challenge. We looked them up.” “Oh. You could have just sent it by dragonfire, y’know?” “Yeah, but it was my excuse for visiting here so that I could try to learn what was happening on your side of this sticky situation.” “That makes sense. Anything else you need to know?” “Maybe, but I can’t think of anything at the moment and I’ve imposed on you enough.” “Okay. Come back and visit when this is all over,” he said as we walked to the door. “Oh – and may the best princess win.” I nodded. The best for Equestria, I sincerely hoped. # # # # # # # # #