It was a slow day at Rarity’s shop. That gave her some time to work on other projects that the public would never see.
While the Elements’ spontaneous clothing generation was part of the power, the group still had need of other garments. For Cadance herself, for some of Rainbow’s non-Element associates, and others. Cadance's contacts had also yielded a few other customers from other places around the Guard and associated groups.
Most of what Rarity made was functional, armored. It hurt her soul a little to do it, but it was what the customer wanted, and she did take some solace in the fact that she was the best at what she did. At least Cadance had let her design the uniforms for Café Cadenza.
She did sometimes consider going public, like Rainbow. That would almost certainly drive business through the roof no matter what she made. But Rarity reminded herself that a lady needed standards. And she didn’t need any cretin trackers after her.
“Do you need anything else, Rarity?” Spike asked. He floated near a rack of dresses she’d asked him to straighten. He was squinting, looking at the rack lengthwise to make sure they were all in line down to the millimeter.
“Once you’re done there, could you be a dear and trim the straggling threads on this rough-cut bolt?” She indicated some fabric on the counter.
“No problem!” Spike picked up a tiny pair of scissors and went to work clipping the fuzzy threads that seemed to get everywhere on loose clothing.
Everypony needed to do something, Rarity supposed. Spike, while not exactly a combat asset, had at least seen the rest of them through thick and thin during the war. He seemed happy now, just being her assistant. She was certainly much happier making dresses than battling the forces of evil.
Though, Rarity had noticed a recent subtle change in what Cadance was doing and the things Cadance had her doing. It was none of her business, but she wondered.
The front door opened, the bell jingling. Rarity glanced sideways, seeing that Spike was already out of sight. She turned to address the visitor. “Welcome to my shop.”
A pale blue unicorn mare had come in. She wore a rather heavy-looking necklace and the expression of somepony used to getting what they wanted, or at least one who thought they should.
“I’m here to commission an outfit worthy of somepony of my stature,” she said.
Rarity had no idea who she was, which meant that she was nopony worth knowing. Still, she put on her customer service smile. “But of course, darling.”
“I want something purple,” the customer said. “Maybe some decorations like stars. I want a cape, too. And it can’t cost more than fifty bits. Or else.”
What a strange, entitled mare. Fortunately, she’d already said “cape” so Rarity knew she was nopony to take seriously.
“Come this way,” said Rarity. “I think I have just the fabric for you. I’ve even got a design in mind.”
In just minutes, Rarity had whipped up a long cape and a pointed hat, both of the same kiddie fabric she’d been trying to sell for ages. It wasn’t worth anything, and wound up looking ridiculous, but the customer already convinced herself that it was all her idea, and bought it.
“And one last thing. Monogram the collar with ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie.’”
“Whatever you say,” Rarity replied, internally holding back a laugh.
When the so-called Trixie had departed, Spike emerged from his hiding place. He chuckled, matching Rarity’s mood. “Wow, I wonder what she needed that for?”
“One could only hope she was going to a costume party,” Rarity replied. “As a parody of a stage magician, perhaps.”
“Did somepony say party!?” Pinkie yelled as she walked in the door.
Rarity’s ears folded back. “We were just discussing an unusual customer.”
“Well, it’s good that you were talking about parties because I came here to talk to you about a party,” said Pinkie. She grinned hugely. “Twilight’s back!”
“Oh really? What did it finally take?”
“Cadance told me she stormed the castle and got into a fight with the Guards just so Celestia could tell her about the looming secret evil we face.”
“What looming secret evil?” Rarity asked. She looked at Spike.
“Um, well, Cadance and the Princess wouldn’t want me to tell you,” he said, “Since you’re a contractor.”
Right, not her business. Rarity turned back to Pinkie. “Well, knowing Twilight as I do, you may not want to rub it in with a party. Something low key.”
“Maybe Cadance will make Twilight work at the café,” Pinkie speculated. “Either way, we could have it there. Fluttershy works there. Rainbow’s in town right now. That just leaves out Applejack.”
“Getting her back might be a harder sell than Twilight,” Rarity said. “Though last I heard she’s still active, but only in Ponyville.”
“Who else can we invite?” said Pinkie. “How many friends does Twilight have?”
“That also know about the Elements?” said Rarity. “I think you’ve already named all of them.”
“Wow, that’s kind of sad,” said Pinkie.
Sitting in class, Twilight considered her situation.
She’d made a decision. She was changing her path. But right now, after the leap of faith, she still didn’t know where she would land.
The night before, Celestia had left her and Cadance alone to talk. It had been brief.
“Why did you go over my head, straight to Celestia?”
“Why did you lie and decieve me to get me back in the group?”
“I was running out of options,” said Cadance.
By way of reply, Twilight just gestured back to her.
Cadance sighed and looked away. “It hurts that this is what our relationship has become.”
It did, at least they agreed on that. Twilight had a few ideas about why that had happened. But she decided not to twist the knife. Maybe Cadance had a few ideas of her own.
“What do you need me to do?” Twilight asked.
“Come by the café tomorrow after school. We’ll talk.”
Perhaps the most surprising part of that was that Cadance was willing to concede Twilight’s desire. So she went to school that morning. There was no telling what would happen afterwards, or if Cadance would eventually ask Twilight to devote herself to the group full time, but at least she had today.
“What did you do on your day off?” Moon Dancer asked at lunch.
“I started a new book,” said Twilight. She showed Moon Dancer.
Moon Dancer looked around. “We saw Fluttershy. Did you know she has a job?”
Twilight saw that Fluttershy was apparently not having her lunch in the classroom that day.
“Yeah, she works at this dessert place,” said Lyra, coming over.
Had they gone there? “Maybe it’s just a résumé builder,” said Twilight. “I don’t know if she’ll be there very often. I don’t think she even bakes.”
“Well, whoever made the pie, it was awesome.” A dreamy look went across Lyra’s face. “I’m totally going back!”
Oh, this was bad. Twilight herself was going there after school, and she didn’t want anypony she knew to see her there. Elemental disguise or not, more evidence was never a good thing. She would also suggest to Cadance that they either “go out of business” or at least put up an F health grade or something.
“You should come with us,” said Moon Dancer.
That actually might be a better idea. Twilight could pretend to be with them, and then double back later. That way, she wouldn’t have to either beat them there after school or wait around until they had left.
Twilight agreed to go. Maybe she could even finish a whole dessert this time.
After school, the three of them left for Café Cadenza. Lyra did most of the talking, as usual. Twilight focused her attention elsewhere. It would be a good idea to let Cadance know that she wasn’t coming alone.
She hesitated before calling out to Spike, though. It had been so long. But if she’d already agreed to return, then there was no point in doing it piecemeal. In for a penny, in for a pound. She’d already killed a hydra, so talking with a friendly spirit should be easy.
Spike, connect.
Huh? Twilight!? Wow, it’s been so long!
It’s good to talk to you again, said Twilight, honestly. Listen, I need you to pass a message. Two ponies I know from school found out about the café and I couldn’t figure out how to stop them. I’m on my way there now, but they’re with me. Cadance should really make the place less attractive to civilians.
Civilians. Twilight had said it unconsciously, but, well, it was true. Strange how her mind was already changing back to the rhythm of being an active Element. Or, maybe it had never left and she had just suppressed it while she was out.
I’ll tell her, said Spike. Do you want us to do anything about them? Scare them away?
No, they’re my- Forget it, Twilight thought. She was done being afraid of words. They’re my friends. Plus, the desserts are really good. We’ll be there in five minutes.
“Hey, what’s that?” Lyra suddenly said, pulling Twilight’s attention out of her other conversation.
The three of them stopped on the sidewalk, looking at the sign Lyra had spotted. It pointed to an otherwise unmarked door and read Free Magic Show.
“That could be cool,” said Lyra.
“All three of us are unicorns,” Moon Dancer pointed out.
“Yeah, and two of you are eggheads. Come on, what could it hurt?” Lyra was already walking towards the door.
“Why don’t we have a snack first?” Twilight suggested.
“Just a quick look. We can always come back and see the whole thing later.” Lyra opened the door. Twilight and Moon Dancer followed her impatiently.
The inside of the building seemed empty. It may have been an office, but wasn’t currently occupied. The reception room was bare. The three of them walked into the larger area beyond.
A set of curtains were strung at the other end of the room. Otherwise, there was nothing to see. Lyra said, “Where’s the magic show?”
As if in answer, the curtains drew back to reveal a mare in costume. She raised her head, under her purple, pointed hat, and smirked. “I see we have visitors.”
Twilight’s instincts were instantly on edge, a push against her subconscious that she hadn’t felt outside of combat. She was sure that this was not a magic show, but more importantly, that it was trouble. “Girls, we should go.”
There was a click behind them as two large male griffons shut the doors.
“What’s going on?” Moon Dancer said, apparently reading the room not long after Twilight.
“Well, first of all,” said the mare, walking out from the curtains. “My name is the Great and Powerful Trixie.”
She held up a hoof. “And you are Twilight Sparkle.”
“Um,” said Twilight, “do I know you?”
“Trixie knows you, Twilight Sparkle. Is this not you?” She pulled out a rolled up newspaper and opened it to reveal the same picture Twilight had kept seeing on the cover of every newspaper in Equestria. Her.
“Uh…” Twilight stalled.
Spike, get somepony over here right now! Twilight mentally pushed her location to him.
“I guess maybe I was in the background?” Twilight said weakly. “We were on a school trip there at the time.”
“I was in the background,” Lyra volunteered. “I saw myself.”
“Is that so?” Trixie said, looking at her. “Yes, Trixie can use you, too.”
One of the griffons grabbed her from behind, holding her off the ground by the throat and barrel. Moon Dancer started forward, but the other one grabbed her too.
“Stop!” shouted Twilight. “What do you want!?”
“Want?” said Trixie. “The Great and Powerful Trixie merely wants what she deserves: to be the one and only Element of Magic in Equestria.”
“What is she-” Lyra began. The griffon holding her opened his talons and a spherical ball of water materialized. Twilight could vaguely feel the magic behind it. She didn’t know griffons even had magic.
Before Lyra could finish her outburst, the griffon slapped the water down her muzzle, the globular ball held in place with magic around her nose and mouth. Lyra kicked in place, eyes wide as she began to drown in midair.
“No!” screamed Moon Dancer. The griffon who held her activated magic of his own. The talons on one of his forelegs began to glow as if hot steel. There was a wisp of smoke from Moon Dancer’s coat. She jerked in pain, but he moved his talons up under her chin. If she opened her mouth to scream again, she would only be burned worse.
Lyra had perhaps tens of seconds left. Moon Dancer was also in danger. Twilight was alone against three opponents. There was no time to stall, or wait for help.
She grabbed her pen.
Twilight had already thrown her school bag to the side and was moving even before the transformation finished, but the Element magic boosted her speed and senses. Trixie grinned in maniacal delight as the transformed Twilight rushed her. Lyra and Moon Dancer were so stunned that they had even stopped resisting.
Trixie’s eyes and horn flashed red and Twilight hit a magic shield that she really should have seen coming. Her momentum knocked her off to the side, and she was already turning as Trixie went on the offensive. Twilight’s own shield deflected the blast from Trixie’s horn, but it astonished her how much power was behind it.
There was no time to pause and think, or her friends would die. Twilight dove back into the fight.
She expected Trixie’s block this time, but her sword was ready and she thrust past, barely missing Trixie. Twilight tried to analyze Trixie’s magic, but couldn’t afford to spend much time on it, only learning as she went.
Trixie hit her with magic again and Twilight slid backwards across the floor, blocking with all she had. But she stood. Trixie’s cocky look had disappeared, replaced with frustration. It seemed that both of them were surprised by their opponent’s power.
Twilight realized that the necklace Trixie wore also seemed to be glowing along with her eyes and horn. Was that her source of power? But it wasn’t an Element, not a real one. Twilight hit her again, just a glancing blow to keep Trixie moving. She ducked a shot from Trixie.
Despite her bluster, Trixie wasn’t an Element. Despite her power, she had no Element item to serve as a weapon. That meant her only offense and defense was magic. Despite being Magic personified, even Twilight knew there was more to combat than that.
Twilight made another rush, taking hits off her shield, but working angles to minimize the force she had to actually endure. At close range, she went back to swinging her sword at Trixie, forcing the other mare to block.
“Don’t just stand there!” Trixie shouted at the griffons. “You said you were the best magical mercenaries in Griffonstone!”
The pair of them dropped Twilight’s friends and attacked her from behind. She teleported out of the way, putting herself between them and Lyra and Moon Dancer.
She fired a magic blast at the one on the right, the fire user. He put up a magic shield and successfully blocked it, though he jerked at the force. The other griffon threw a ball of water at her, which seemed to sprout wings as it crossed the distance, taking on the appearance of a griffon itself. Twilight made to block it, but with a flick of its wings, the water changed direction and zipped around her shield. It hit her in the face hard enough to knock her back, but more alarmingly, started to force its way down her throat.
Twilight choked, panic shooting through her as she felt her esophagus and everything attached to it being stretched even as her airway was cut off. She whipped her sword up, taking the blade in her teeth. The water surged around it, but the magic of the Element was stronger.
She felt the attack on her guts slack as the blade worked its magic, transmutation. It wasn’t water anymore, but ink, and ink - that was Twilight’s domain.
Twilight coughed it up. She tasted some drops still on her lips, but most of it formed a shiny black ball in the air beside her. There was no point in delaying her attack for show - she was no stage magician - and didn’t hesitate to fire it back. By the time it got there, though, the spherical ball had flattened itself to a disk no thicker than a sheet of paper and it split the griffon in half top to bottom, neat as if measured with a ruler.
The turning tide of the battle was all the diversion she needed to press her attack, distracted as the other griffon was from seeing his partner killed. The fire he threw at her washed over her shield, but Twilight pushed through it, driving her sword forward through his body.
She shook him off the blade and he fell beside his partner. Twilight faced Trixie again.
“You think you’re so good? I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie! I deserve this!” Trixie snarled, hurling an attack at Twilight, and following up with another and another. Twilight could do nothing but block, but she kept advancing.
Trixie started to lose ground, and seemed to grow angier. “Die!” She seemed to put everything she had into her next attack, the entire room lighting up with the color of her magic.
It was now, even despite the eye-searing magic being thrown around, that Twilight’s sword finally got through, though she only struck a glancing blow along Trixie’s shoulder. Trixie gasped and it was as if a delusion had been instantly broken. She fell back into the corner where Twilight had backed her, horn smoking in exertion.
Twilight walked forward, sword held level. Trixie grabbed the slice on her shoulder. “No! Please don’t kill me!”
Twilight paused. In all the enemies she had ever fought before, not a one of them had ever asked for mercy. Most of them had been monsters, evil shadows created or twisted by Nightmare Moon.
She wasn’t so stunned that she couldn’t block the next magic blast Trixie threw at her. It bounced off Twilight’s shield, the magic still unable to touch her.
Trixie’s face dropped even more at her failed sneak attack.
“You wanted to kill my friends,” said Twilight, lip curling. “You wanted to kill me. You picked a magic fight with the Element of Magic. What did you think was going to happen?”
Trixie’s wound ran black with ink, her injured foreleg twitching as she tried and failed to move it. The rest of her body began to seize, spreading outward from the cut Twilight’s sword had made. Trixie looked down in horror, watching everything as it happened to her, right up until the point her eyes turned black and her body fell to the floor.
Twilight sheathed her sword and turned away, but before she could take another step, the front of the building seemed to explode. The doors tore off their hinges as a pony moving faster than the eye could see erupted into the room. There was no doubt - the cavalry had arrived, and there was no doubt who it could be - Rainbow Dash.
She was already transformed and swept the room with her eyes in a fraction of a second. There were three bodies and three still living. One of them was Twilight. The other two-
Rainbow pulled her knife and launched herself at the closest target, who happened to be Moon Dancer. She hadn’t made it halfway there before an invisible force slammed her into the floor so hard the building shook.
Moon Dancer jerked and blinked, half a second too slow.
“What are you doing!?” Twilight demanded at a shout, stomping over to Rainbow.
Rainbow twitched, stunned and definitely bruised. She finally managed to take a breath as Twilight stopped beside her.
“They’re with me!” Twilight shouted in her face, sweeping her hoof at her friends. “Everypony else is dead, I killed them, you’re late!”
Rainbow blinked at her slowly, unable to summon a reaction, possibly even more surprised by Twilight’s outburst than being crushed.
“Um, could we maybe attend to the problem at hoof?” said Fluttershy, coming in. She too was transformed.
“Loyalty and Kindness,” Lyra whispered. Her eyes swung to Twilight. “...and Magic?”
Reality came back to Twilight. She was standing in the middle of a destroyed building, surrounded by lives she had just taken. Moon Dancer and Lyra had seen her transform. They had seen...well, everything.
Fluttershy helped Rainbow up. Twilight apparently hadn’t broken any of Rainbow’s bones, though she hadn’t been holding back. It was probably only Rainbow’s Element constitution that had kept her from being crushed like a grape.
“Here, take this,” said Fluttershy, passing Rainbow a small tablet. One of the magic internal bleeding cure-alls she had developed, if Twilight remembered correctly.
“Are either of you two hurt?” Fluttershy asked. Lyra seemed in one piece, but the burn marks on Moon Dancer’s neck were obvious. Fluttershy went over and took out a tube of cream that Moon Dancer hesitantly let her spread over her skin. “It should be fixed in a few minutes.”
Rainbow seemed to have recovered, but her attitude turned pragmatic first. “Well, what are we going to do with them?”
“They saw me,” said Twilight.
Fluttershy and Rainbow both looked at her.
Lyra, meanwhile, had carried on whispering under her breath. “Loyalty’s real name is Rainbow Dash. And she knows...Twilight...Twilight is Magic?”
“Well?” said Rainbow. “Your problem, you deal with it.”
“What are you going to do?” asked Moon Dancer. She looked nearly as terrified as she had during the fight. Terrified of Twilight.
Twilight looked at Fluttershy, who just said, “You’re the Element of Magic,” and looked away.
“Are you going to do a memory spell?” said Lyra, walking over to stand next to Moon Dancer.
“I...yes,” said Twilight.
“Cool.” Lyra frowned. “Wait, I’m not going to remember it.”
Twilight looked at Moon Dancer, who had skipped the wonderment stage Lyra was currently in and had gone straight to horror.
“I’m sorry,” said Twilight. “But trust me, you really don’t want to remember this.”
“What’s going to happen?” Moon Dancer asked.
“We’ll take you home,” said Twilight. “You’ll think you had a nice afternoon.”
“Will I see you again?”
“I don’t know,” said Twilight, honestly.
She lit her horn. Moon Dancer squeezed her eyes shut.