Elixir Master

by Pen Stroke

Round 2

The audience cheered as the time bubbles went up again. The second round of the contest was set, and the challenge not so cut and dry as the unsniffle elixir. Discord had brought in a pair of sickly trees. Each one was withered, with only a few dozen surviving leaves clinging to the otherwise empty branches. The goal of the second round was to provide a long-lasting cure for whatever ailed the trees and restore them to health. Zecora and Mage Meadowbrook had to prove they were not only capable of making the cure, but they had to also identify the affliction. The audience was already bubbling, trying to make their own predictions about what was wrong with the trees.

Trixie, on the other hoof, was already bored.

Yes, Discord gave them glimpses into the temporal spheres. They could see some of what the two potion makers were doing, but it was all so… unengaging. The joy of live entertainment was the performance interacting with the audience. With the way Discord was running things, the audience might as well be sitting in a movie theater watching some romantic comedy drivel.

On top of that, Zecora and Meadowbrook were being too polite to one another on stage, in Trixie’s opinion. Where was the head-to-head combat? Where were the angry glares and ruthless banter? Where were the mind games?

In all, it just further validated Trixie’s opinion that Discord’s showmareship paled in comparison to her own. If she was running this show, the audience would be on the edge of their seats constantly. Trixie just could not understand how such an all-powerful… power had to end up belonging to somepony like Discord. She could have made much better use of it.

For the moment, she had to find a way to entertain herself and perhaps jazz things up, though she doubted Discord would let her just start performing tricks in the middle of the stage. She didn’t want to get teleported out of the coliseum and away from the judges' table.

Still, thinking of the table and the very-important ponies she was in the company of, Trixie smirked and glanced upward. Her eyes settled on the royal box seats that loomed overhead. She could see Twilight Sparkle’s hooves resting on the banister as well as the occasional flicker of Princess Luna’s mane. Checking briefly to make sure Discord wasn’t looking in her direction, Trixie conjured a small sparkler of magic and launched it upward.

The small sparkler of magic managed to draw Twilight’s attention, making her peer over the edge of the banister. Trixie smiled and waved, trying to make herself look as comfortable as possible on her sitting cushion behind the judges' table. Her little bit of taunting quickly had the desired result, as she saw Twilight’s face fall into a frown.

That was, however, just Trixie’s opening act in her grand show of gently hassling Princess Twilight Sparkle. Now came the main event. Trixie stood up and began walking along the backside of the judges’ table. She made no effort to hide the fact she was moving towards Starswirl the Bearded. Glancing upward, Trixie could see Twilight shake her head, miming for her to go back to her seat. Trixie just shook her head back. Why shouldn’t she, The Great and Powerful Trixie, have a conversation with the famed unicorn sorcerer?

Coming to a stop directly behind Starswirl, Trixie took a moment to straighten her hat and cape. She then began reaching out a hoof, to touch Starswirl’s shoulder and get his attention. As she did, she used her peripheral vision to watch Twilight. Twilight was shaking her head firmly and waving Trixie off. Trixie just kept smiling. She tapped Starswirl’s shoulder gently, and then gave her cape a toss as she made a dramatic step forward into his field of vision.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid we’ve not been properly introduced. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Starswirl the Bearded. I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Starswirl glanced away from the time spheres, which had been the focus of his attention. A great many things around the arena had him curious. Trixie had noticed him paying careful attention to numerous trappings of the modern age that were new and mysterious to the ancient wizard. If he found the modern era interesting, Trixie was sure he’d find her the most interesting thing he had encountered since returning from… whatever weird placed he had banished himself to.

Trixie knew it had a name, but it was hard to remember the name of anything that wasn’t directly related to her.

Starswirl sized Trixie up before giving his reply. “Sorcerers and sorceresses who proclaim themselves in such a grand manner, I’ve found, are usually lacking in the substance to back up such bold claims.”

“Well, Trixie supposes that must be true. After all, you surely do not have as impressive a beard as Trixie expected you to.”

A snort of laughter cut into the conversation, making both Trixie and Starswirl glance over at Princess Celestia. The princess had recovered quickly, but there was no denying the snort had come from her. Starswirl watched the princess for a moment, then slowly turned his attention back to Trixie. “I assure you, my sorcery more than makes up for the plainness of my beard.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that, just as you should not doubt Trixie’s grandness. Judging a book by its cover just isn’t wise, you know.” Trixie reached out with her magic. She picked up her own sitting cushion from where she had left it and placed it beside Starswirl. She then swiftly sat down, ensuring to flutter her cape in an impressive manner as she did so.

“While there is merit in not judging the content of a book by its cover, I can still tell the difference between a children's book and a novel,” Starswirl said. “I’ll give you three guesses which one you equate to.”

“But you only gave me two options. Why would Trixie need three guesses?” Trixie asked.

“Why indeed?”

Trixie huffed through her nostrils but kept her composure. She knew this was no different than an audience’s heckling. A real showmare stayed above such lackluster insults. “Anyway, how are you liking the modern world? It’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?”

“There are certain things about it worth seeing. The advancements in the ‘sciences’ have brought wonders to everyday living that were only possible with the highest levels of magic in centuries past. I am particularly interested in studying the steam locomotives and the extensive rail network that now spans our realm.

“Though the magic that exists in Equestria now is also surprising. This Discord creature, in particular, is doing things that seem to defy all conventional thoughts of magical order as well as cause and effect.”

“Uh, yeah… because he’s a spirit of chaos. He’s only announced it like, five times,” Trixie said. “I’d think a great and powerful sorcerer like you would be a better listener.”

Starswirl glowered at Trixie. “Just because that is what he calls himself doesn’t mean it’s his true nature. A unicorn capable of creating temporal distortion fields with such precision and control could easily portray himself as a demi-god of disorder.”

Trixie blew a brief raspberry with her tongue and gestured towards the center of the stage. “I guess Discord’s time spheres are interesting, but they don’t compare to Trixie’s own age spells.”

“You can perform age spells?” Starswirl asked, arching an eyebrow.

Trixie smiled, adjusting her posture to near perfection in her seat as she puffed out her chest. She knew she had him hooked. Now all she had to do was begin really upselling herself. “It was under a rather unique set of conditions, but yes, Trixie made two young colts become a newborn foal and an elderly stallion at the same time.”

“That is rather impressive.” Starswirl turned to face Trixie more properly. From the periphery of Trixie’s vision, she could still see that Twilight was watching them intently, and looked rather perturbed that she had gotten so much of Starswirl’s attention. Still, Trixie just kept on grinning as she ensured the conversation continued.

“Well, thank you. That’s very kind of you to say.”

“And the spell’s effect was instantaneous?” Starswirl asked.

“But of course. As I said, I am The Great and Powerful Trixie. Perhaps you’d like to hear how I removed a mare’s muzzle from her very face without causing her to suffocate.”

Trixie noticed movement out of the periphery of her vision again, but this time it was not Twilight. Princess Celestia leaned into the conversation, a small smile on her lips. Trixie knew that smile, and it wasn’t a good smile. It was the smile of somepony that was about to magic missile her show. It was the grin of an experienced heckler. “As I recall from Twilight’s letter detailing the incident, you were in the possession of the Alicorn Amulet at the time you cast most of these advanced spells.”

Trixie flinched as the secret she had been ever so carefully dancing around was suddenly thrown to the forefront of the conversation. But she recovered, flashing a smile and keeping her voice pleasant. “Well, Trixie did say she performed the age spell under a unique set of circumstances.”

“That is a dark magical artifact,” Starswirl said as he focused on Trixie. “How in Equestria did you escape its influence?”

“Oh, Trixie just took it off.”

Starswirl turned his head to face Princess Celestia. “And did Twilight Sparkle have any influence in her decision to take off the Alicorn Amulet?”

Trixie almost stood up from her seat cushion but managed to catch herself before she let her audience of two see they had gotten under her skin. “Don’t you know, Starswirl? The Alicorn Amulet can only be taken off by the pony wearing it. It speaks to Trixie’s immense personal willpower that she was able to remove it herself.”

“Funny, the way I remember Twilight describing it was she tricked you,” Princess Celestia said. “She wore a fake amulet made of a rather fancy doorstop, and managed to trick you into thinking it was a more powerful artifact.”

Trixie’s cheeks puffed. The princess was outmaneuvering her. Still, Trixie knew she could regain control of this situation. No pony was more charismatic than The Great and Powerful Trixie! “Well… you surely cannot blame Trixie for believing Twilight Sparkle would be able to find such a thing. She found the Elements of Harmony, did she not? Trixie is surprised Twilight’s cutie mark isn’t related to finding magical macguffins.”

A firm tone entered Starswirl’s voice. “I would not consider the Elements of Harmony, the legacy of myself and the Pillars of Equestria, as macguffins.” Trixie could tell her comment had managed to strike a nerve. It seemed that Starswirl didn’t like his work being belittled. She’d have to remember that for later, for when it was time to return the heckling she received with interest.

Starswirl, however, managed to catch himself. He cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Yet, at the same time, it does seem Equestria is lucky that we had the foresight to provide it with such an important relic. I mean, if the skills of this modern potion maker are any indication, Equestria has certainly stumbled back more than a few steps in some fields in the interest of progressing others.”

Princess Celestia sat up a bit straighter, and small alarm bells were going off in Trixie’s head. Like a comedian who had just told a joke that offended the audience far more than entertained, Starswirl’s comment seemed to displease the princess a great deal. “Starswirl, isn’t it rather biased of you to be undercutting Zecora’s talents after only one round?”

“I didn’t realize you had gotten so skilled at hypocrisy,” Starswirl retorted. “How can you defend your vote for Zecora in the first round as anything but biased?”

“She brewed one of the finest unsniffle elixirs I’ve ever seen by modern standards. That and I looked at Mage Meadowbrook’s recipe. Ice Irises? Even a thousand years ago they were not plentiful, and their accessibility hasn’t improved. Zecora’s potion was made with ingredients readily available almost anywhere in Equestria.”

“Yet she has access to a wealth of rare ingredients because of Discord. Limiting herself to common ingredients only shows she is not ready to attempt more difficult potions that require far rarer ingredients.”

Trixie opened her mouth to try and put herself back into the conversation, but her voice died in her throat as she saw Princess Celestia’s brow furrow. She could tell when an argument was brewing, and worse, she could tell the pair had completely forgotten she was there. Being heckled off a stage was one thing, but being totally ignored... It was decidedly not how she wanted her conversation with Starswirl to end.

Though glancing upward, Trixie could see Twilight’s face stricken with worry, so at least there was a silver lining.

Still, with nothing else to do, Trixie picked up her cushion and slinked back to her place just behind Starlight. Yet, as she huffed in disappointment and sat down, she couldn’t help but notice a pair of eyes glaring at her… and they weren’t even Twilight’s.

“Did you really have to do that?” Starlight whispered.

Trixie frowned as she made herself more comfortable on her cushion. “Trixie was only trying to have a pleasant conversation with Starswirl and make Twilight feel a little jealous. I could not have known things would turn out as they did.”

“Well, congratulations. You’ve made it pretty clear to me that unless Zecora or Meadowbrook do something really impressive or spectacularly wrong, I’m the one that’s going to be deciding each round as the tiebreaker.”

Trixie wanted to deflect, but she could see the stress on Starlight’s face. She chose a route more… appropriate for good friends. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Starlight’s expression softened from irritation to worry as she looked back at the stage, focusing on the magical displays that were showing what was going on inside the temporal dome. "You may have brought some things to the surface, but that doesn’t mean the situation wasn’t there to begin with. I just hope Pinkie and Fluttershy are having some luck convincing Meadowbrook and Zecora to call this whole thing off.”

“Yeah,” Trixie said, nodding her head before happening to glance upward. “So… do you think my conversation with Starswirl made Twilight jealous?”

“Ooo, that’s a pretty color.”

Pinkie was crouched down, lowering her eye level to be even with a test tube Mage Meadowbrook was working with. The skilled healer had ground some of the sickly tree’s leaves into a fine powder. She then added the powder to a test tube along with some clear potion. The combination had caused the potion to turn a bright red, reminding Pinkie of the best cherry taffy she had ever had. Admittedly, she couldn’t resist, digging into a bag of snacks she had brought with her on stage and popping a piece of soft, gummy candy into her mouth.

After all, she couldn’t watch an intense contest of potion makers without snacks, even if she were helping with the show.

“Well, it surely is an appealing shade of red, but most importantly, it tells me what’s wrong with the tree.” Meadowbrook moved to the cauldron in the center of her potion lab, drawing Pinkie’s attention away from the test tube. Pinkie watched as Meadowbrook tapped the crystals beneath the cauldron, making them glow to life. Meadowbrook then grabbed a handled jug from beside the cauldron. She tipped it over, letting the water inside pour out into the cauldron. Though the jug itself was rather small, the flow of water never slowed down, allowing Meadowbrook an easy means of filling her cauldron.

It was just one of the many conveniences Discord had given to the potion labs so the contestants could focus on making the potions. Pinkie personally wanted a jug like that which could pour out an endless supply of the perfect party punch, but she’d have to ask Discord about that later.

“What do you think is wrong?” Pinkie asked from outside Meadowbrook’s potion lab. She moved along the perimeter, adhering to a rule that only the contestants were allowed in the potion labs. Yes, she got as close as she could, her hooves almost always treading the edge of the line. Yet, she never crossed. Pinkamena Diane Pie always played by the rules when it came to games, and this was one doozy of a game.

“Why it just has to be bark blight,” Meadowbrook answered. “I once helped Mistmane handle a whole epidemic that struck the largest fruit-bearing orchard in Equestria. Turned out that some competitors to the orchard’s owners introduced the blight on purpose, even though losing that harvest could have meant widespread food shortages for all of Equestria.”

“Sounds like it was a good thing you were there to save the day.”

“I’m just happy that I can do my part to help ponies who need it. That’s what a healer is supposed to do, after all.”

Pinkie Pie nodded her head firmly as she began digging in her snack bag for something else to eat. “Of course. In fact, that reminds me of this one time Zecora helped Apple Bloom with the Cutie-Pox.”

Meadowbrook finished filling the cauldron with water and put down the jug. She then began moving to a large cabinet in one corner of the potion lab. “The Cutie-Pox. I can’t say I’ve heard of that.”

Pinkie watched as Meadowbrook opened the cabinet, revealing another convenience Discord had provided the contestants. Inside the cabinet, defying the laws of volume and space, was an extensive warehouse. Through the cabinet’s open doors, Pinkie could see rows upon rows of ingredients from the mundane to the magical. On the threshold to the extra-dimensional warehouse, blocking anyone from stepping inside, was a desk. At that desk sat a copy of Discord. Dressed in rather plain office clothes with thick glasses, it was a very mild and well-mannered clone of the spirit of chaos.

The Discord clone wordlessly placed an order form in front of Mage Meadowbrook along with a quill and a bottle of ink. Meadowbrook took the provided materials and began to write down the list of ingredients she would require. As that happened, Pinkie positioned herself to be as close to Meadowbrook as possible as she popped a few more sweet, gummy candies into her mouth.

“Oh, it was a doozie,” Pinkie said as Meadowbrook worked to fill out her order form. “See, my friend AJ’s little sister, Apple Bloom, really, really, really, really wanted to get her cutie mark. So, she went to try bowling, but it didn’t work out so well. She got all down in the dumps. Even a super quick Pinkie Pie Party couldn’t turn her frown upside down. Anyway, to skip to the good part, she managed to give herself the Cutie-Pox, which made a cutie mark appear on her flank.”

Meadowbrook finished with the ingredient order form and passed it to the clone Discord, who disappeared from sight to fetch the ingredients. “Well, sounds like she got what she wanted.”

Pinkie Pie pulled another snack out of her bag, a caramel apple on a stick. “I know, the trouble is she got a second cutie mark, then a third, and then a fourth!” Pinkie sank her teeth into the caramel apple, and then used the connected stick to point at different parts of her own body, showing the numerous places Apple Bloom had gained a cutie mark.

“Oh my. That does sound serious.”

After finishing a bite of her caramel apple, Pinkie Pie nodded. “It was. By lunchtime, she was covered in over a dozen cutie marks. What made it worse was the fact she had to try and perform all the talents that came with those cutie marks. She was tap dancing while spinning a hoop. She had to try and play the accordion while taming lions. We were all worried it was going to spread to the whole town.

“But Zecora knew just what to do,” Pinkie Pie said, running a hoof through her mane and causing the curls to stand up straight and form an approximation of Zecora’s characteristic mohawk. “She had some seeds that grew into a really pretty flower when somepony told the truth. When Apple Bloom ate the flower, she was cured!”

“Do you mean she had some honest lily seeds?”

Pinkie’s hair bounced back to its regular curly shape, and she nodded her head. “Yeah, that sounds right. I think she just called them the seeds of truth. Still, those seeds sure did know when somepony was telling the truth,” she said before taking another big bite of her caramel apple.

“Well, that is what they are famous for,” Meadowbrook said with a chuckle. The Discord clone returned, and silently passed over a basket full of ingredients to Meadowbrook. She gently picked up the basket and turned away from the cabinet while the Discord clone reached out and pulled the cabinet doors shut. “And I have to admit, if the Cutie-Pox is a disease that has dishonest magic at its core, then using honest lily seeds to counteract it is impressive.”

Pinkie smiled, savoring the final big bite of her caramel apple. Yes, this was exactly what she needed to do. If she rebuilt Meadowbrook’s respect for Zecora, then they could be friends again! Once they were friends again, she could throw a super great potion-themed party with no less than two dozen different kinds of punch. Of course, she’d then encourage everyone to mix the punches together to create crazy creations.

“Though, it’s a bit curious.”

Pinkie Pie was snapped out of her party-planning daydream. She swallowed and gently dropped what little remained of her caramel apple into a little bag of trash she kept alongside her snack bag. “What’s curious?”

Meadowbrook worked to unload her basket of ingredients on the potion lab’s counter and organize them. “Why, it’s just unusual for somepony to just be carrying around honest lily seeds. They are right powerful, but they have a very narrow range of use.”

“Well, I think Zecora might have suspected something was up. She was low on heart’s desire after Apple Bloom visited her hut.”

Meadowbrook stopped what she was doing, looking over at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie couldn’t help but feel a sinking sensation in her stomach, and it wasn’t because she had eaten the caramel apple too quickly. Meadowbrook did not look happy.

“So her apprentice not only stole a potent potion ingredient but then broke one of the first rules of potion making, making some unknown concoction and applying it to herself?”

“Apprentice? Oh no no no. Apple Bloom isn’t Zecora’s apprentice. I mean, she did dabble a little in potion making with Twilight, but she’s definitely not Zecora’s apprentice,” Pinkie said. She was sure her words would smooth over the situation, but Meadowbrook only seemed to get more displeased.

“So, are you saying that Zecora left somepony totally uninitiated in even the basics of potion making alone with her ingredients and tools?”

“Would that be worse?”

Meadowbrook firmly nodded once. “Much worse. That little filly is lucky all she managed to give herself was a case of the cutie-pox.”

Pinkie was forcing a smile, though her ears were flattened against her head. She felt like she was being lectured by her mother, and that was never a good feeling. “How bad could it have gotten?”

Meadowbrook took out a mortar and pestle and began powdering some of the dried leafy ingredients she had procured. “If that little filly used the wrong ingredients, she could have poisoned herself or caused some sort of transformation. Worse, with how much Apple Bloom was pining for her cutie mark, an ill-conceived potion could have unsettled her mind or spirit. In a worst-case scenario, she could have become something as monstrous as The Pony of Shadows.”

“That’s pretty bad.”

“It is, and if that did happen, I would have placed a good portion of the blame directly on Zecora.” Meadowbrook shook her head as she focused on preparing her ingredients. “I’m honestly amazed that mare hasn’t hurt herself or somepony else.”

“But… she…” Pinkie Pie faltered, slowly sinking behind her side of the potion making counter and sprawling out on the floor. She was usually the best at helping ponies make friends, but it seemed like she had only made things worse. Ugh, it was like what happened between Maud and Starlight all over again.

Unfortunately, unlike with them, she didn’t think Zecora and Meadowbrook would be able to work things out if she just butted out. So if she was making things worse by trying to help, and things would only get worse if she didn’t help, what in the world was she supposed to do?

It was a perplexing paradox, and she couldn’t talk to Gummy about it. He usually gave such good advice in situations like this.

“Are you sure you would not like anything on your order besides tea?”

Twilight looked to her side, where Luna was filling out another “delivery” request for the many restaurants and carts that had become concession stands in Discord’s chaotic coliseum. The second round was nearing its end and the timer was running out. Discord’s brief glimpses into the sphere showed Meadowbrook working diligently over her cauldron while Zecora hadn’t touched hers. She had instead spent the whole round picking over a stack of old wood and a pile of rocks.

Twilight didn’t understand it, and she could hear some of her anxiety echoed in the mutterings of the ponies seated adjacent to the royal box. Had Zecora given up, or did she have an ace up her metaphorical sleeve? Or did her remedy simply not require a cauldron?

“No, tea is plenty, thank you,” Twilight replied before watching Luna send the order form off. It was then that a bell rang. In fact, Twilight was ninety-five percent sure it was the town’s clock tower bell, but Discord had repurposed it to signal when the timers ran out. Twilight put her forehooves up on the banister, leaning forward as far as she dared, as she watched the temporal spheres dissipate.

From what Twilight could see, both mares stood ready. Like the first round, neither had been rushed to complete their remedy. They were both confident in their solution, but only the judges would be able to reveal if that confidence was well-founded. Meadowbrook once more held a wooden bowl containing a liquid potion. Zecora held a corked glass jar against her chest with one hoof, as if trying to intentionally hide its contents.

A poof of smoke formed between the two ill trees. Twilight expected Discord to just leap out, but instead, the smoke just lingered and… did she hear music? A quick glance up and Twilight could see a small quartet of Discord clones playing on two lutes, a flute, and a drum. The lighting around the stage dimmed, and Twilight felt like she had just seen a curtain rise on a theatrical performance. Finally, the real Discord rose from the smoke, standing in a dramatic pose. He was dressed in a fantasy costume, not unlike the clothes his Ogres and Oubliettes archer character wore. He even had the long flowing blond hair and a turnip for one hand.

“Oh, what sorrow hath afflicted my heart and plagued my mind. These trees, once beautiful in their untended growth, are now struck low by the same chaos of their birth. Everfree, forever in your bows does nature’s chaos dance, but in that sweet dance lies the dangers. Yet is it in the joy of dance that we see life’s grandeur? Yet, to have not danced in fear would surely be of greater sorrow.

“Yet, hark, my eyes doth see two healers of skill. Dear trees, do they carry with them that which can restore thine health, or shall your dance end? Shall your ballet be squashed by the four left hooves of fate? Only time will tell… only time will see if you will dance to life’s melody.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and used her hoof to gently whisper in Luna’s direction. “He’s really hamming it up, isn’t he?”

“It is a bit much,” Luna said with a nod. “I also find his attempt to speak in the tongue of the land from a thousand years ago… brutish. I will have to decide later if am to be offended by this performance or not.”

Twilight nodded her head, and opened her own mouth to offer her opinion, but found herself cut off as Discord cut down on his acting and somewhat got back to actually hosting the contest.

“Come and approach these precious trees, speak that which you believe ails them, and then apply your cure. Then we shall let time tell if your words and remedy ring true,” Discord said, the lights on the stage returning to normal as he gestured for Zecora and Meadowbrook to come forward. Meadowbrook was the first to make a move, approaching the potted roots of her assigned tree.

“Well, it’s plain as a frog on a log that these poor trees are sick with bark blight, and I got just the remedy for it.” Meadowbrook poured her potion onto the roots of the tree, and like her remedy for Rarity, the potion seemed to have an instantaneous effect. From the roots up to the branches, life flowed back into the tree. Fresh leaves budded and grew into shape, and soon the tree stood proud and healthy. The crowd cheered, red pennants being waved eagerly by the those who rooted for Meadowbrook.

Discord stepped around Meadowbrook’s tree, his turniped hand gently touching the bark. “Meadowbrook, healer of legend, your potion has brought vigor and beauty back to this tree. It flourishes as if never afflicted.”

Meadowbrook flashed a smile, and Twilight felt her stomach sink. It sure looked like Meadowbrook had knocked it out of the park. Leaning forward just a little farther and looking down, Twilight took a peek at the judges’ table. It was just as Twilight expected. Of the three judges, Starswirl was looking the most pleased. She doubted his vote would be for anyone except Meadowbrook at this point.

Still, as Twilight turned her attention back towards the center of the stage, she saw Zecora’s stance had not changed. She looked completely at ease as Discord turned his attention to her and her assigned tree.

“And what have thou brought to aid my ailing tree? Do you bring a brew stewed beneath the light of the full moon? Perhaps a powder ground from ingredients both rare and precious?” Discord asked, keeping up his fantasy archer persona a bit longer as he draped himself off the branches of the ill tree like a sad shawl.

Zecora approached the base of her own tree and smiled pleasantly. “Bark blight is surely the worst of the tree’s affliction. But to Meadowbrook’s claim, I must make a contradiction. Though, if I may, I would like to withhold my diagnosis. I’d rather apply my cure and see the results of this symbiosis.” With that Zecora held up her corked jar, revealing it to be filled with a colorful… something. As much as Twilight strained her eyes, she just couldn’t quite make out what Zecora had.

Yet it had to be something unusual. Twilight saw Pinkie zip over beside Zecora and bring her face within an inch of the corked jar. “They look like candy! What are they?!”

Twilight debated conjuring a spell to try and magnify her vision, as now her curiosity was truly piqued. Discord, thankfully, seemed to predict that many in the audience would be just as curious. With a snap of his paw, Discord made an illusion appear above the stage. It depicted Zecora’s jar at a hundred times its true size, and in that illusion, Twilight and the whole audience could see what was in Zecora’s jar.

“It appears to be… insects,” Luna said.

“It is,” Twilight confirmed as her inquisitive eyes began taking note of everything she could. The jar was filled with easily a hundred, if not more, ladybug-like insects with glittering, faceted shells. They looked like tiny round gemstones had sprouted legs and started walking around. They were fascinating, they were beautiful, but Twilight had to admit to herself, she didn’t know what they were.

“Eating them I would highly discourage, but your curiosity I’m happy to encourage,” Zecora said, with Discord’s magic assuring that the voice of everyone on stage was clearly audible to the audience. “Geode beetles are what these are named. Useful insects both wild and tamed.” At that, Zecora uncorked the jar and began gently spreading the insects along the base of the tree.

Twilight turned her eyes to the tree. She waited, as did the rest of the audience, but… nothing happened. The bugs didn’t cause some magical reaction to heal the tree. They just… crawled on it, like they were regular old bugs. Twilight had a gut feeling that there had to be more to the geode beetles than that, but others seemed content to already write Zecora’s remedy off as a failure.

“Well, I think we can clearly see who the winner of this round is. She didn’t even prepare a potion,” Starswirl said from the judges' table. “If you intend to forfeit the competition, Miss Zecora, just do it formally instead of wasting everypony’s time.”

With a snap of his claw, Discord disappeared from the trees, leaving his fantasy archer costume to fall to the floor. He reappeared beside Starswirl, now looking like… Twilight’s best guess was a lawyer. A snappy business suit, slicked-back, black hair, and a briefcase. Discord dropped the suitcase down on the table, then slammed his palms against it before shouting, “Objection!”

“What in Equestria could you have to object over?” Starswirl snapped.

“The rules of the contest do not specify the contestants must make a potion. On Page 34, Paragraph 3...” Discord cleared his throat and opened a book in his paw to read. “The rounds of the contest shall be judged on the effectiveness of the remedy given by the contestants, no matter what form or shape that remedy might take, as long as it is prepared with ingredients provided by the supply closets.”

“But this whole thing is called ‘Elixir Master,’” Starswirl said. “You are surely just making this up to sow chaos.”

Twilight suddenly found Discord looking up at her, a smirk on his lips. “Perhaps we could use a ruling from somepony known for reading books.”

“But I don’t have—” Twilight began to answer, only to hear a poof of magic besides her. Turning to look at the small table that sat between her and Luna, she saw Luna’s concessions delivery had arrived. Along with a fresh mug of coffee for Luna and Twilight’s own cup of tea, there was a thick book. Twilight levitated the book up. ‘The Rules,’ was spelled out on the front of it in golden lettering.

“Did he actually make a rulebook?” Twilight said, cracking open the book and flipping through the pages. This was beyond what she could have expected from Discord, and she didn’t know what scared her more: that he kept finding new ways to be chaotically surprising, or that he had managed to surprise her with a book. Still, Twilight quickly opened the book to the correct page and skimmed down to the correct paragraph.

She read the paragraph three times before gently closing the book. She stood up and projected her voice across the coliseum. “Discord’s recitation of the rules is accurate. The remedies provided by Zecora and Meadowbrook have to only be effective in solving the problem they are presented with and be prepared with properly sourced ingredients. They do not have to take the form of a potion. In fact, a lesson Zecora taught me herself is how important it is to have the wisdom to know not every problem can be solved the same way.”

Zecora smiled from where she stood on the stage, bowing her head a little bit in respect to Twilight. Starswirl, however, only seemed to grow more irritated as he stood up from his cushion behind the judge’s table, trying to put himself closer to Discord’s eye level. “That may very well be true,” Starswirl said as he stroked his beard. “Still, we also cannot argue with the results. Meadowbrook’s tree is healthy. Zecora’s tree is sickly and now infested with those Geode Beetles.”

Discord smiled, his goatee growing into a beard of similar size to Starswirl’s. He gave it a similar stroke. “Oh yes, but… I wonder, what state will the trees be in after a week has passed? After all, let us not forget the challenge of this round was to provide a long-lasting cure.”

With that, Discord snapped his claw, and the two trees were enveloped in temporal bubbles and a clock appeared in the air above them. Twilight gently sat back down in the royal box, setting the rulebook between herself and Princess Luna as they joined the audience in watching with bated breath.

The hooves of the clock that floated above the two smaller temporal bubbles were spinning rapidly. Hours past in a matter of seconds, and as time inside the bubbles advanced at a breakneck pace, Twilight could see something happening. The two trees were changing, going through a week of recovery.

Exactly one hundred and sixty seconds later, the temporal spheres popped, and the audience was able to see the state of the trees one week after the respective remedies had been applied. The difference was night and day, and a few audible gasps cut through the audience.

Meadowbrook’s tree was sickly once more. It was not as bad as it had been, but it was not as healthy as it had been when Meadowbrook first applied her potion either. Zecora’s tree was vastly better. Its branches were filled with budding leaves and its surface glistened. It was covered in geode beetles, easily ten times the number of beetles Zecora had originally introduced.

“I don’t understand.” Meadowbrook went to inspect her tree. “The bark blight came back?”

“Though your potion knocked it off track, yes, the bark blight did come back.” Zecora smiled as she moved to her own tree. She held out her hoof, managing to get one of the geode beetles to crawl onto it. She brought the insect close to her muzzle, taking a moment to appreciate the splendor of its gem-like shell. “The tree’s immunity was being held back. That was how the bark blight was able to attack. Too many gem particulates in these trees were bringing their defenses to their knees. That is where these beetles can thrive. They eat gem particulates to survive. They cleaned up the tree, and lo and behold, the bark blight quickly lost its hold.”

Twilight was smiling ear to ear, sitting forward in her seat and finding herself unable to look away. Yes, the tree had an otherworldly beauty because of the geode beetles, but she was far more fascinated by the symbiotic relationship. The beetles helped the tree by eating the particulates, and the beetles got a meal that likely added to their gemstone shells. This whole thing reminded her, a bit, of the Supernaturals book. This was an all-natural remedy, and it was simply super. She felt like she had read something about the geode beetles once before, but she had never heard of them being used for any practical applications. She had to look them up. Maybe the library in Canterlot had some entomology books that could—

“Forgive the interruption, but could somepony perhaps elaborate on these gem particulates and how they were making the tree ill?”

Twilight glanced to her side, her academic jubilation interrupted. Princess Luna had stood from her cushion, and was addressing the stage below. It was a fair question, and it also enlightened Twilight to something. Her eyes moved down to Mage Meadowbrook and Starswirl, who were both looking a little dumbfounded. The two of them, plus Princess Luna, represented the three ponies in the coliseum that were, to varying degrees, newcomers to the modern age.

“I think a small explanation would be beneficial to many, Sister, so allow me to answer your question.” Princess Celestia stood from her seat, moved around the judges’ table, and walked across the stage until she was standing between the two trees. She then used her magic to gently dig in the soil of the gigantic pots that held the trees.

Within a few moments of digging, Celestia had unearthed a gemstone, an uncut topaz that she now held aloft for everypony to see.

“The official term for the condition is Gem Particulate Poisoning. In ages past, one of the reasons Equestria was founded was because of the wealth of gems that naturally grew in the land’s rock and soil. Yet, it wasn’t until a few centuries ago that we realized that such mineral wealth could actually be harmful to agriculture.

“Gem Particulate Poisoning is what occurs when a tree, over its lifespan, absorbs gem particulates through its root system. Those microscopic gem fragments get trapped in the trees, and can even start growing as they do naturally in Equestria’s soil. These growing crystals can then begin to interfere with the tree, depriving it of water and making it more susceptible to other infections.”

Celestia turned and took a step toward Zecora’s tree, her eyes moving over the numerous geode beetles. “Though I’ll admit, this is the first time I’ve seen such a holistic solution to the issue. There are some known remedies, but most involve time-consuming and difficult magic spells that try to filter the gem particulates from both the soil and affected trees. Is this perhaps a remedy used in your homeland, Zecora?”

“My homeland lacks the gem-speckled soil that can cause a tree to grow ill and spoil. It was my tree, my home, that suffered from this syndrome. I was sure I’d lose the roof over my head until I saw these beetles from my bed. A few in my home did arrive and helped some branches to survive. So I gathered as many as I could from rock, grass, brush, and wood. My hut these insects did save, keeping me from having to sleep in a cave.”

“Well, if it isn’t obvious, Zecora has my vote for this round. Very well done,” Celestia said, giving Zecora an approving nod. Zecora returned the princess’s gesture with a respectful bow. Twilight was perhaps a little jealous, but she was also immensely happy for Zecora. This was like Meadowbrook finding the cure for Swamp Fever. Zecora’s knowledge could help orchards across Equestria!

“She’s got my vote too!” Starlight said from back at the judges' table, making it official by holding up her green sign with Zecora’s cutie mark upon it.

The audience around the arena began to cheer, particularly those waving the green flags. Yet, even if Zecora was locked in to win the round, Twilight still had her concerns. She peered over the banister, focusing on Starswirl. She wanted to believe he’d make a sensible vote, that he wouldn’t get caught up in the particulars of the situation. She wanted to believe her mentor could see Zecora’s remedy without bias, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny her anxiety. He sat in his seat, stroking his beard, deep in thought.

“I would like to think that in the real world, Meadowbrook would see her potion was not having a lasting effect and would further diagnose the issue,” Starswirl said as his eyes moved back and forth between the two trees. “That and it would seem this issue is one that accrues over a great deal of time. I imagine if Meadowbrook had some… more up-to-date knowledge about common orchard blights, she would have known to check for this gem particulate poisoning.

“But…” Starswirl sighed and held up his green sign. “In the end, I cannot argue with the final result. I vote for Zecora as well.”

“And there you have it!” Disord cheered, rising into the air as green confetti streamed out of his sleeves. “Zecora has taken the second round, evening out the score and ensuring that we’ll at least get to see round four of our at most five-round competition. Still, is this change in momentum enough to carry Zecora to ultimate victory? Or will Meadowbrook turn things around? Well, I promise, you won’t have to wait too long. The third round begins… whenever I want it to. So, best to enjoy this intermission while it lasts.”

“Wait, Zecora, Meadowbrook.”

Fluttershy trotted behind the mares, who had left the stage to rest in their respective green rooms. Though the audience had only seen them working for minutes, they each had put hours of work into the challenge. Discord promised them time to rest, though even that would be accelerated by his time spheres. They would be allowed twelve hours to rest in the span of twelve minutes, giving them a chance to reflect on how the contest had gone so far and prepare for the next two rounds.

Now was the only chance Fluttershy had to try and talk to them both, at the same time, before they retired to their respective green rooms.

“What is it, Fluttershy?” Meadowbrook asked, she and Zecora stopping and turning to face her.

“I just…” Fluttershy took a breath to steady herself. She had planned this out in her head. She just had to follow her plan. She could feel her own social anxiety trying to get in the way, but it was only the two of them. She could say what she needed to say for the two of them, for the sake of their friendship. “Meadowbrook, can you admit that Zecora’s solution to the tree’s illness was impressive?”

Meadowbrook glanced back at Zecora. There was a tension between the two mares, and Fluttershy felt it getting only tenser, like a rubber band on the brink of snapping. Meadowbrook frowned, took in a deep breath, but then nodded her head. “Yes. When it comes to what ails flora and fauna, the more natural the remedy, the better the overall result tends to be.”

Fluttershy smiled, feeling the tension between the two lighten a little. She moved to stand a bit closer, smiling and trying to keep up an air of positivity. “And Zecora, Meadowbrook’s remedy for Rarity’s sniffles was pretty impressive too, right?”

Zecora nodded. “The potency of your potion I cannot deny. It cured Rarity in the blink of an eye.”

“So, I think you both can admit that you both are talented potion makers, and if you can admit that, there’s no real reason to keep doing this contest. I mean, you’re tied up right now. If you both agreed to stop now, it could end as a draw. Then, maybe, we could put all of this behind us.”

The two potion makers glared at one another, and Fluttershy held her breath, fearing that even an errant breath could break the possible peace she had tried to form.

Zecora was the first to speak, and she addressed Meadowbrook directly. “Your remedies are the reason I am me. Your research kept me from becoming a tree. I can agree to this contest’s end if you can offer an amend. You ousted my secret in my own hut. Such embarrassment, in front of friends, is a deep cut. An apology for the explosion I also expect. It was you that caused my home to get wrecked.”

“I can admit, I called you out on your language potion misstep in anger. For that I apologize,” Meadowbrook said sincerely, and for a moment, Fluttershy dared to believe she had talked the two mares down. Yet, Meadowbrook continued to speak, a sharp edge entering her voice. “But I am not apologizing for the explosion. Your home got damaged because a small bit of that red juniper got into your potion. If you had poured that whole bowl in, all that would have been left of us would've been our tails. I saved our lives.”

“You still doubt my experience and what I know? The red juniper was not going to blow!”

“My mama taught me that ingredient is explosive, and we saw yesterday just how true that was. Can you honestly stand there and say there wasn’t any danger?”

“I have worked with it numerous times before. I knew what was coming, what was in store,” Zecora said with a firm stomp of her hoof.

Meadowbrook grunted and threw one of her forehooves into the air. “Even if you know a way to use it so it doesn’t explode, you don’t risk using explosive ingredients when you got other ponies around. I mean, that’s what burns me up the most, especially after what I heard from Pinkie Pie about what happened to Apple Bloom.”

Fluttershy shrank back a bit. She tried to say something, to get back into the conversation, but Meadowbrook and Zecora were going at it. Each time one of them spoke, they took a step closer together. At this point, there was less than a meter separating them, and they were glaring down one another like they were ready to get into an actual hoof fight.

“That’s right, I heard about that Cutie Pox incident,” Meadowbrook said. “I am glad to hear that little filly got the help she needed, but none of that would have happened if ya hadn’t left her alone with your tools and ingredients. It was irresponsible.”

Zecora clenched her jaw, but then suddenly turned her back on Meadowbrook, her tail slapping her in the face. “I believe it is clear there is no more to say. The challenge continues, and I will defeat you this day.”

“You gonna be singing a different tune after the next round.” Meadowbrook turned around and began marching away.

“But… wait… I’m sure…” Fluttershy looked back and forth between the two mares, trying to find the right words to make them stop, but it was too late. The pair of them entered their respective green rooms, and once the doors shut Fluttershy could hear Discord’s magic pop into place. Both of them were resting now, and there was no way to get into the time-accelerated rooms. The next time she’d be able to talk to them, it would be back on stage with the crowd cheering, egging them on to continue competing.

Still, the intermission would give her a chance to meet with the girls. Hopefully, they could try and coordinate their efforts, because it seemed no single mare amongst Fluttershy and her friends would be capable of bringing Zecora and Meadowbrook together in friendship.