//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Twilight Acts Like a Princess // Story: The Mane Six Regret Playing Truth or Dare // by Diamond_Emblem //------------------------------// “I’ll go!” Twilight volunteered. “Give me a minute to think about this.” Seeing Applejack’s turn with truth already derail, she wondered how Starlight would feel if the mares were the one to ask her if she had liked anypony before. Twilight shook her head. She couldn’t think hypothetically. Starlight would be joining next week’s slumber party and it would be wonderful. No freaking out was allowed tonight. Tonight meant letting loose and having fun with her friends. And if she wanted to let loose… “Dare!” she exclaimed. “Do you have anypony in mind that’ll choose your dare?” Fluttershy asked, refilling her cup with punch. Let loose… Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be so bad, would she? Twilight glanced around the room and saw the speedster was flapping her wings impatiently, as if she already knew she was going to pick Twilight’s dare. "Alright, Rainbow Dash, is there a dare you have for me?" Twilight asked. “You bet I got one!” Rainbow replied. “Wait, really?” Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed. “That was fast.” "I dare you to spend one hour acting like Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Rainbow Dash declared. "30 minutes outside of this castle, and another 30 minutes with us!" "What?" Twilight's jaw dropped. She shook her head, trying to process the dare. "You want me to spend 30 minutes acting like a princess in Ponyville, and another 30 minutes acting like a princess with only the five of you?" “Yep! That’s exactly what Rainbow Dash meant!” Pinkie exclaimed, hopping excitedly on her bed. Rarity giggled. "Finally, a chance for Twilight to embrace the inner princess she’s been trying to bury for so long!” she said with vigor. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash, for this wonderful dare!” Twilight exhaled slowly. You're worrying too much. That's what Spike would have said if he were standing next to her. “Alright, Rainbow Dash, I accept your dare.” “Aw, yeah!” Rainbow hoof bumped the air in triumph. “I’ll give you five minutes to get ready. After that, we’re going with you to see how you conquer Ponyville as the Princess of Friendship! Er, not literally conquer, I mean” "Ooo! Field trip!” Pinkie Pie grabbed her saddlebag from underneath her bed. “Alrighty, what do we need? Binoculars, sunglasses, sunscreen, beach ball, portable grill, radio, swim vest, oh, and I can’t forget my permission slip!” As Pinkie listed every item, she yanked said item from out of her saddlebag, filling her bed to the corners with things perfect for a trip to the beach. When she took out the permission slip, the bottom line somehow included Gummy’s signature.    “I think you only need to bring yourself, Pinkie,” Fluttershy commented with a raised hoof. “Hmmm. That does make sense,” the party mare said as she rubbed her chin slowly. “Come, Twilight! I know exactly what you need to be wearing!” Rarity exclaimed, suddenly inspecting Twilight’s mane. “Oh, and we’re definitely going to have to do something about your mane.” “What’s wrong with my mane?” Twilight asked, stroking her tail. “Oh, really nothing, darling, I just need to do some very minor curling for it to look more like a princess’s.” Rarity led Twilight away from her bed as a confused expression grew on Twilight’s face. “But Cadence’s hair looks perfectly normal---” “No need to worry about that, you’ll look as regal as Princess Celestia!” The door to the room glowed with Rarity’s magic as it swung open and Rarity ushered Twilight outside. “Oh and I absolutely have to find you the perfect outfit. I hope the dress I sent to you for modeling is still in your wardrobe.” “Of course it is, why would in Equestria would I get rid of it?” Twilight asked. “Wait for us!” Pinkie exclaimed, hopping into the hallway, the rest of the mares following suit. Though a part of Twilight was less enthusiastic about the prospect of prancing around announcing herself as the Princess of Friendship, she smiled at the thought that her first dare seemed to be better than she could’ve hoped for. Maybe Applejack’s turn wasn’t a prelude to a bad night. Just relax and enjoy yourself, Twilight. Exhaling, Twilight allowed Rarity to open the door to her bedroom. “Let’s get started, shall we?” Rarity grinned giddily. “The night won’t be young forever!” "When was the last time you’ve seen anything this cool?” Spike asked, turning to Starlight. “Who knows,” Starlight replied. “If I had to, I’d say right now.” Starlight Glimmer and Spike were at the entrance of the Star Night Festival. Tall navy blue lamp posts were lit, scattered around blue-and-purple tents and booths. White and yellow flag banners were hung from a cord, tied to parallel lamp posts. Some banners had small jars filled with fireflies hanging from them. Ponies trotted from booth to booth, spending bits, leaving bitless or with a prize in hoof. Popcorn popping and baked bread wafted across booths, attracting lines of ponies hungry for a bite. Most importantly, ponies were having fun. An announcement went off from speakers found on most lamp posts: "The Constellation Contest will begin in half an hour. Telescopes will be provided as well as quills, ink, and paper. This competition is not the for the faint of heart, my little ponies! The biggest fans of constellations will have a greater chance of winning the grand prize, the latest telescope designed by Equestria’s top engineers and scientist: Wayfinder!" “Wayfinder, huh?” Starlight had to pause for a moment. “Didn’t Twilight mention it a week ago?” “Yeah, but Twilight found out about the telescope a week after it was released,” Spike explained as they entered the festival grounds. “Only fifty telescopes were made, so she never got the chance to get it.” “But isn’t she a princess?” Starlight asked. “She could ask the ponies who built it to make her one. All Twilight would have to do is say ‘I am the princess of friendship.’” “Twilight isn’t like that,” Spike explained. “She wouldn’t use her status as a princess to get her way and she always insists that everypony uses her name rather than her title.” “Alright then. So we better do our best to win that telescope for her,” Starlight said with a determined smile. “Yeah!” Spike exclaimed. “But since we have half an hour since the contest, is there any game you’d like to try?” “Me?” Starlight asked, blinking. “I’ve never went to a fair or a festival before.” “That’s alright,” Spike assured her. “We’ll walk around until you find something that catches your eye.” “Okay,” Starlight said, exhaling. Relax, Starlight. You’re supposed to have a good time tonight with a friend. Don’t freak out. This will be fine. They searched around the clustered booths, all of which were more entertaining than the last. One booth had a game where ponies would have to cover twelve moons with mud in thirty seconds. Another booth had a staring contest with a bat and though it wouldn’t appear to be a booth that would attract much attention, a crowd had gathered to watch Zecora and the bat for over ten minutes. After a few more minutes of looking around, Starlight spotted a booth with bright blue letters above it: Water Gun Balloon Blast! There were three shelves, lined with prizes. The first row had replicas of Princess Luna crowns and donut pillows. The second shelf was stocked with dark blue masks, as if for a masquerade, and blue-and-yellow striped rubber balls. The third row had Princess Luna and Princess Celestia plushies. The countertop ponies sat in front of was lined with water guns. Below the shelves were red-and-white target boards. In the center, where the bull's-eye would be was a hole. There was what looked like a deflated red balloon above every target board. Six ponies were already sitting, chatting and waiting for another two players to begin the game. “Do you wanna check this one out?” Spike asked. “I guess so,” Starlight replied with a nod. Starlight and Spike sat in the remaining empty seats. The booth pony said, "It's two bits per player." The booth pony was a mare, with light blue hair in a bun, a yellow coat, and magenta eyes. She wore a Star Night Festival uniform, consisting of an indigo shirt with a brilliant star embroidered on the left side of the shirt. "It's on me," Spike said before Starlight could take out her bits. “Are you sure, Spike?” Starlight asked. “It’s fine,” Spike assured her. “This is your first time at a festival. And as one of your friends, it’s my job to make sure your relax and not worry about a thing, including the bits.” “Alright. Thank you, Spike.” Starlight smiled shyly at the dragon. “Anytime, Starlight,” Spike replied, dropping four bits onto the counter. The booth pony scooped the bits off the counter and said, “Alright, my little ponies!...And dragon! The game begins in ten seconds!” A timer on the left wall of the booth started ticking down from 10…9…    Starlight turned to Spike, suddenly panic-stricken. “How do you play?” she asked frantically. "First of all, you gotta relax!" Spike said. "Hold the button on the side of the gun. You have to aim the gun at the bull's-eye. Your balloon grows if you get the water in. If your balloon pops, you win!" "Ready? Set? Go!" the booth pony said. Starlight barely had time to register the words as she instinctively held down the button. She aimed at the bull's-eye like Spike had explained, but the target board was moving. "Nopony told me the target moves!" Starlight exclaimed. "Some games do that, others don't!" Spike replied. Starlight managed to catch up with the target. She glanced up at her balloon as well as the others. Her balloon was catching up with the second biggest balloon. She went back to her target and focused on the movement. The water spewed into the hole and the balloon gradually became bigger. Bam! Alarms and blue lights went off. Starlight stared at her balloon and saw it was gone, pieces of it strewn all over the booth. "I won?" Starlight looked around. The other ponies clapped politely. Some left to play another game while others eagerly awaited to play another round. "Congratulations!" the booth pony said. "What'll your prize be?" Starlight looked up at the prizes, giddily wondering what she would take home. Is this what an average mare feels like? Winning prizes at a fair with a friend? Forgetting how she tried to ruin the whole world? “I’ll take the mask!” Starlight said. The booth pony climbed onto a stepping stool and grabbed the mask. She hopped down and handed Starlight her prize. “Thanks for playing!” She waved goodbye as Starlight and Spike got off their seats and left. "Wow! Congrats on the win!" Spike said. "Beginner's luck," Starlight said. She smiled. “But it was still super fun.” “Of course it was!” Spike spread his arms out. “Imagine how much more fun we can have!” A growling noise came from Spike’s stomach. “But, uh, can we go find something to eat for now?” he asked, a blush appearing on his cheeks. “Sounds like a good plan,” Starlight replied with a giggle. There was a booth with churros that Starlight desperately wanted to try, but the linee was enormous. Spike was disappointed that none of the booths seemed to have any roasted gems. They eventually found a booth with milkshakes and hay fries not too far from where the constellation contest would be taking place. They sat together with strawberry milkshakes and medium hay fries at the unofficial dining area, where several hay bales were neatly organized. They watched ponies begin to enter a large carnival tent painted with stars and a moon at the entrance. “You having fun so far?” Spike asked before taking a sip of his milkshake. "Considering I've played only one game and won myself a water gun, yes!" Starlight said. She popped some more hay fries in her mouth. "And shoon, we're gonna win that contesht!" "Everypony, look! It's Princess Twilight!" Starlight and Spike suddenly heard a pony exclaim. "Princess Twilight?" Spike asked slowly. "I thought you said Twilight never used her title," Starlight said, swallowing her food. “I know what I said,” Spike said. “We should probably see if Twilight isn’t brainwashed or anything. Uh, no offense.” “None taken,” Starlight said, brushing the comment off as she picked up her milkshake and hay fries with her magic. Starlight and Spike rose from the hay bales and moved towards the rising clamor, leading them to the entrance of the festival. A crowd of ponies gasping in awe and admiration surrounded Twilight. She was wearing a champagne colored dress, with short sleeves and ruffles, a train that trailed behind her for about a yard, and a high collar, the fabric hugging her body. Her mane was curled into a bun with a star pin in her bangs. Her crown was polished and shimmered in the light from the lampposts. She stood in a regal position, chest out, head held high, a welcoming smile displayed for the ponies. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy stood close to Twilight, giggling to themselves. “Well that’s something you don’t see everyday,” Spike said, pointing weakly towards Twilight. The Princess of Friendship apparently heard this comment, turning her head towards Spike’s voice with a graceful swivel. “Spike, my dear companion, it’s wonderful to see you here!” she said with an air of elegance. “I do hope you’re having an excellent evening here with Starlight Glimmer. It amazes me how marvelous my pupil has grown, allowing herself to rest from her studies.” “Thanks, uh, Princess Twilight,” Starlight said slowly. Burrowing her eyebrows, Starlight turned her gaze to Applejack. “What are you mares up to?” “Nothin’ much,” Applejack replied, waving a hoof. “Just daring Princess Twilight to act like a proper princess for a half hour or so.” “No way,” Spike said, his eyes widening. “And she’s really going to do it?” “Of course I will, Spike,” Princess Twilight said, lifting her hoof. “A princess must honor any agreement she has made, especially with her friends.” Several ponies murmured in agreement. “How wise,” one pony said, while another said “You learn something new about friendship every day.” “What brings you to this part of Ponyville?” Starlight asked. “If you don’t mind me asking, Princess Twilight.” The grace of her smile faltered for a split second. “My beloved friends believed I should spend some time with the ponies of Ponyville,” the princess explained. “The Star Night Festival has attracted a fair number of ponies to enjoy it, so great a number, they decided I should enjoy a portion of the festival with you all.” The crowd of ponies cheered as an announcement came on from the speakers. “Ladies and gentlecolts, the Constellation Contest will begin in ten minutes! Please begin to make your way to the Galaxy Tent for a chance to win Wayfinder.” “That’s our cue, Spike,” Starlight said. “We don’t want to be late.” She turned to Princess Twilight and the others. “What will you all be doing?” “You’d definitely win at that type of thing, Your Highness,” Applejack said. “You should do it!” “Perhaps,” Princess Twilight said, tapping her chin. “But I’d like to enjoy some games here.” “Are you sure, Princess?” Fluttershy asked, moving forward. “You’d usually say yes to this kind of thing.” Twilight turned around to face her friends. In a quiet voice, she said “I know. But I feel like we should keep away from Spike and Starlight. We shouldn’t be intruding on their night of fun.” “We’re not really intruding,” Rainbow said, raising an eyebrow. “We’re only going to be here for a few more minutes anyway.” “But Spike and Starlight respect our time together,” Twilight pointed out. “We should do the same. And besides, it would be too easy to win. Think about all the other ponies who would want to win.” “Are you saying you could beat me easily?” Starlight asked, stepping forward. Princess Twilight turned, a surprised look on her face. “That’s not what I intended to say---” “I think it’s clear what you were trying to say,” Starlight said. She smiled boldly. “So I challenge you to do the Constellation Contest!” Ponies hollered and looked to the Princess of Friendship, who seemed to be registering this challenge. “I don’t believe it’s in my place to---” “What’s wrong, Your Majesty?” Starlight asked, standing face to face with Princess Twilight. “There shouldn’t be if this is a friendly competition with one of your friends.” “Of course,” the princess said. She grinned. “So I’ll take you up on your challenge, Starlight Glimmer.” “Oh, and of course you are a princess with vast knowledge, you’d be comfortable with Spike working with me, and yourself working on your own,” Starlight said, grinning as wildly as Princess Twilight. “So we’re on equal footing.” “Sounds fine to me,” Twilight agreed. “May the best mare win.” She extended her hoof and Starlight reached out her own. They shook hooves as the crowd erupted into cheering again. “Ladies and gentlecolts, thank you for joining us tonight! My name is Nightgaze, your honored announcer for Ponyville’s Star Night Festival! We’re just two short minutes away from beginning the Constellation Contest!” The ponies that had gathered in the metal stands of the constellation tent cheered and stomped their hooves as Nightgaze finished her introduction. The mare smiled, her starry blue eyes glimmering mischievously in the dazzling limelight from the stage lighting hanging from the top of the tent. “Let’s go over the rules before we begin,” she spoke into the mic attached to her flowing inigo cape, nearly matching the shade of her coat. “The competitors have five minutes to identify as many constellations as possible. They must write down these constellations and write the coordinates of each constellation. Bonus points to ponies who can tell the year each constellation was named!” Stargaze welcomed the applause from the audience from the raised platform she stood on, large enough to fit a few dozen ponies on it. Surrounding the platform were several stations, each with one desk and one Star Finder telescope, the predecessor of the Wayfinder telescope.  Starlight turned to Princess Twilight’s station to her right. “Are you ready to be beaten by your own pupil, Your Majesty?” she asked with a cocky grin. Princess Twilight smiled slyly. “We’ll see,” she replied. “We’ll beat her, right?” Spike asked in a hushed voice as he dipped the tip of his quill into a jar of ink. “Don’t worry, Spike,” Starlight assured the drake. “One of the books I’ve been reading recently is about the newest constellations in Equestria. If Twilight isn’t up to date, we’ll be able to score points for new ones.” “Good thinking, Star,” Spike said, giving her a thumbs up and a smile. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stood by Princess Twilight’s station before the competition began. It was Rarity who bowed and said, “Your Highness, I wish you the best of luck against our dear friends.” “Thank you, Miss Rarity,” the princess said with a quiet smile. “However, I believe our friends will need more luck than me.” “That’s the spirit, Princess Twi!” Rainbow flapped her wings excitedly and hoof-bumped the air. “You totally got this in the bag!” “Competitors!” Stargaze announced. “You have sixty seconds until the competition begins! Get your telescopes shined and quill in hoof!” “Have fun!” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced to the stands with the rest of the mares in tow. Back at Starlight and Spike’s station, the duo were hurriedly fixing the telescope’s range and organizing their quills and ink bottles. “C’mon, Spike,” Starlight said as she trotted in place, “let’s show the ponies what we got!” “I’m ready!” Spike exclaimed, standing beside Starlight, ready to scribble like a madpony.  “Count down with me, my little ponies!” Stargaze exclaimed. “Ten!” “Nine!”  “Eight!” “Seven!” With every number, more and more ponies joined in on the countdown, rising in their seats to get a glimpse at the fury the competitors were about to unleash. “Six!” “Five!” “Four!” Starlight could hear her heart pounding against her chest as sweat began to form on her forehead. “Three!” Spike stretched his arms as he took up a quill. “Two!” Princess Twilight straightened her crown on her head. “One!” All competitors tensed up as their five minutes were on the brink of beginning. “GO!”