Magic is a very mysterious thing. Pegasi utilise their inherent magical abilities to soar through the sky. Earth ponies can use it to coax great yields from the ground, amongst other things, but Unicorns can bend magic to their will, with almost boundless results.
What makes us different?
Is it the horn of a unicorn that grants her the power to do great things, while the other races' skills have clear limits? Is it the admittedly small wings of a pegasus that somehow contain and discharge the magic needed to stay aloft, while the other two races are earthbound? If so, what is the cause of the earth ponies' affinity to the earth? Whatever the case, none of the races have ever displayed qualities of another.
Up until very, very recently.
There are indeed very clear exceptions, the most notable of all being the focus of my study for eight of the ten years that I've been imprisoned. Pinkie Pie.
What grants her the ability to bend the laws of physics to her will, and to predict the future? The stamina needed to successfully make use of bouncing as a form of locomotion exceeds that of even the most powerful earth ponies to date, such as Applejack or even Big Macintosh. Why is she so strong, both physically and magically? Is it because of... her?
If it is, I must keep her alive until I uncover all of the secrets I need.
It won't be long now.
The calm- and very well-decorated- exterior of Ponyville's Town Hall hid the events of monumental importance occurirng within. The building that Celestia's reception was going to be held in had been beautified both without and within, lending it an air of great importance. Most fitting for both the events that were about to occur, and the ill-timed warning that would successfully deliver the effect of foreshadowing, if nothing else.
"T-T-T-Twiiiiiiilight!"
The purple unicorn in question turned around to face the pony behind her, who happened to be the only other pony in the hall. "Is this important, Pinkie? I'm trying to quadruple-check all of the preparations for the Princess' arrival today! It's completely necessary."
"It i-i-i-is imp-p-portant!" Pinkie exclaimed. "A d-doozy's gonna happen!"
The purple unicorn's annoyed expression instantly changed to a concerned (and slightly panicky) one. "A doozy? When?!" Twilight gasped, her eyes widening. "Is it during the celebration? Oh Celestia, please don't let... well... Celestia get mixed up in this!"
"I-I-I-I c-can't t-t-tell! I just know that it's g-going to happen in P-Ponyville! I've been t-trying to tell you f-for more than a day by n-now, but you were so b-busy overseeing the p-p-preparations that I c-couldn't get a word in!"
"Oh no!" Twilight was frantically trotting around in circles now. "What are we going to do? There's not much that can go wrong except for the celebration that's in..." She glanced at her official organiser's watch. "...two and a half hours! We don't have much time left! Can you figure anything else out?"
"Nuh-uh!" Pinkie shook her head. "If I could I'd tell you now!"
A silhouette darted across the network of newly-added support beams near the ceiling of the structure and vanished into the darkness of the shadows once more.
What? In Ponyville? That can't be right! The doozy can't be here!
Never mind. Clearly there is something else going on now. Somepony- or someone is creating undercurrents to achieve a purpose I am currently unaware of. Or it could be a hydra rampaging through town.
I don't know which is worse.
I have to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.
...Not that anything in Ponyville is ever normal anyway.
"Twilight, dear! I came as fast as I could. What's going on?"
"That's just what ah want ta know too! Why'd ya call us, Twi?"
"I could be sleeping right now, or practicing to join the Wonderbolts! Or, anything really! This better be good!"
"I'm... sorry if I'm being rude, but... could you tell me why you brought us here, Twilight?" A squeak. "Um, I mean, I you want to, that is."
"You're all here!" A slightly frazzled-looking Twilight exclaimed in a way that could only be described as slightly insane. "Good! Let me explain why I teleported four separate scrolls on top of your heads half an hour ago with as much frightening accuracy as I could muster!" Her right eye twitched a little bit.
The rest of the ponies took a step back. "Uhh... Twi?" Applejack began. "Ah don't think you're all that... um..."
"Well enough to be up and going right now!" Rarity blurted. After a moment, she added, "Physically that is!" She had to do anything to stop the farmer from saying exactly what she thought of her friend. Sometimes the Element of Honesty can work against its bearer.
"Yeah, I think that you're a few hues short of a rainbow right now." Rainbow remarked. Seeing Rarity's death glare, she replied innocently, "What?"
"I'm fine, girls!" Twilight said, her left ear now beginning to twitch in sync with her eye. "As fine as I can be when a doozy's about to happen when Celestia comes!"
"WHAT?!" Everypony with the exception of Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy exclaimed, sending the shy butter-yellow pegasus diving under the nearest table with a frightened "eep!"
"Um," Pinkie began, "we d-don't actually know t-that it's going to h-h-happen when the P-Princess comes-"
"It doesn't matter!" More hairs began to stick out of Twilight's mane. "The possibility's there! And if it happens when Celestia's here, we're all finished! Clock is ticking, Twilight! Clock. Is. Ticking!"
Rarity put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Honestly, dear, I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill. If there's anything I've learnt from the events of the past year, it's that you can bring about the very occurrence by trying to fix it. I think that it's best if we just sit back and let things take their course until we can change it."
Twilight fell silent for a few seconds. "Well... I..."
This won't do. I have to make Pinkie stop somehow, otherwise Twilight might send Celestia a warning, and the Princess might avoid Ponyville altogether!
No, I can't sit by idly and let this happen.
Let's see if I've regained enough power to affect her...
All of a sudden, Pinkie's body stopped shuddering, and it transformed into a series of different shapes before settling back into her normal- as normal as Pinkie could be, anyway- equine form.
"Twilight!" The party pony exclaimed. "I'm back to normal! The doozy's over!"
The rest of the ponies slowly turned towards Pinkie. "Are you sure?" Twilight asked cautiously, not willing to believe her good fortune.
"Yup!" Pinkie began to bounce towards the exit. "The doozy happened somewhere else, to somepony else! Now I have to go and find that pony, and comfort or congratulate or carry them or her or him or it off to the hospital! See you!" Having completed her extremely long sentence, the pink pony zipped off through the door of the Town Hall, leaving a pony-shaped cloud of dust in her place.
The other five ponies silently stared awkwardly at the dust cloud before Twilight cleared her throat. "Well, thank goodness that's over! I'm just glad it didn't happen to Princess Celestia." She breathed a sigh of relief.
"I told you that nothing would happen, Twilight." Rarity replied. "Just remember not to blow things out of proportion next time."
"Agreed." Twilight nodded. "Well, now that that's over, do any of you mind helping me to check the trees outside? They need to be in exactly the right positions, and each with the number of leaves in a multiple of three, to commemorate the third time Equestria has been saved by the varying levels of the power of friendship!"
All was silent for a few minutes as the other ponies digested what Twilight had said.
"Wait, we have to do what again?" Rainbow finally asked.
"...I'd like to be a tree."
I did it! I stopped her Pinkie sense! Looks like my escape isn't as far away as I'd thought.
Wait... I'm feeling it now. Not the way she feels it, but in my own way. A quiet unease.
I've gained control of her Pinkie sense!
Yes, it's going to happen in Ponyville. And... in one and a half hours.
Deep in the bowels of Canterlot Castle, there was a certain room known as Celestia's Official Work Room. Most of the time, that particular room was completely empty, its contents having been transferred to the comfort of the Princess' bedroom. It was in that very bedroom that the solar princess was currently swimming, engulfed in the sea of papers that constituted her ministers' opinions and wishes, all of which had evolved into a request. Each and every single one of them had to be read thoroughly and signed at the bottom of the page, along with a stamp that would indicate whether the demand had been accepted. Instead of working at those papers, however, Celestia was busying herself by reading through the friendship reports her student and her friends had sent her over the past year. She focused on one letter in particular, the same letter that had convinced her to send Blitz and the other members of the Aegis Guard on their missions to make friends.
'.I am happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and that it was my good friend Fluttershy who convinced him to go. This adventure has taught me to never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and can help you overcome even your greatest fears. '
'Always your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle'
If she remembered correctly, that letter dated back to the time when she had asked Twilight to convince the dragon that was suffocating Equestria in smoke to leave. Even she had been surprised when it was Fluttershy who stood up to the dragon. Later, her student recounted exactly what her timid friend had said to the dragon:
'You may have huge teeth, and sharp scales, and snore smoke, and breathe fire... But you do not, I repeat, you do not! Hurt! My! Friends!... You got that?'
If even a shy, easily scared, faint-hearted pony like Fluttershy would stand up to a dragon for her friends, then the effects of friendship on well-trained veteran soldiers would be absolutely mind-blowing. In truth, this event served more as a refresher of Celestia's experiences of the past few millennia rather than a trigger. Celestia's memory held many recollections of the strong bonds of companionship between ponies across the ages that had driven them to do things completely out of character.
Celestia knew that her student and her friends had never seen the field of combat before. Yet, despite this, the numerous defeats of her- Equestria's enemies spoke volumes about their valour. Nightmare Moon. Discord. Chrysalis.
Though some might have argued that manipulating ponies' friendships in such a way could be considered... immoral, the possibilities of weaponised friendship were, without a doubt, almost unlimited.
I will do whatever it takes to keep Equestria alive.
Well, not only do I have control over Pinkie's Pinkie sense, it appears that I am capable of using it to a greater degree than Pinkie could. Why? Is it because a lucid individual is capable of noticing more than a perpetually insane one?
Perhaps. At this point I really can't say, but I will eventually be able to understand. After all, I have all the time I need, and under the proper circumstances, I will be able to achieve anything.
Absolutely... anything.
"I don't see why I need a new set of armour if I want to escort the Princess."
In the privacy of his new, personal room, Blitz was in the middle of putting on the new shining white armour that was apparently standard for the Aegis Guards. The same guard that had only been formed about a week ago. Now, seven days later, enough of the intricately-carved suits of armour had been produced for all fifty members of Celestia's personal contingent.
Sometimes, despite all of the bureaucratic long-windedness that was typical of Equestria's Royal Court, Canterlot could get things done.
When he had finally put the last metal plate in place, he pulled the large mirror that had been distributed to all of the Aegis Guards' rooms and took a good look at himself.
While the snow-white suit of metal was very similar to the Royal Guards', there were a few notable differences. The biggest one was the presence of a glowing emerald where the blue star of the armour should have been. Blitz had been told that it acted as a focal point to amplify the power of magic spells and to have more control over the spells he cast. While purportedly more useful than the blue star that had acted as a clasp on the Royal Guard's armour, Blitz was unsure as to where Celestia had acquired the funds needed to purchase fifty focus emeralds. It would have cost a lot of bits that the grey unicorn was sure that her stuffy ministers would never have approved of.
Shaking his head to halt his train of thought that had been about to reach a dangerous conclusion and turned his attention back to the armour. Another difference was the transverse horsehair crest (Blitz had often wondered whether the hair came from real equines) that was now a crimson red instead of white. Probably to symbolise his devotion to Equestria to the point of shedding blood, whether his or his opponents.
He would have continued examining his armour in the mirror had a sudden knock at the door brought him out of his contemplative state and back to reality.
"Enter!" he shouted.
The beige unicorn stallion that opened the door was clad in the very same armour that Blitz was currently wearing. "Hey Blitz, the Princess wants to see all of us downstairs in five minutes!"
"Okay, wait a second for me, would you Krayt?" The grey unicorn called. He tugged the strap that secured the plates of metal together one more time before trotting out of the door and into the glory of his new barracks- or more accurately, a section of the royal palace itself.
Krayt followed beside Blitz at a steady pace, chatting all the while. "Looks like we're going to Ponyville today!" The beige unicorn said cheerfully.
"Yeah." Blitz replied distractedly. Krayt was the first true frie- cordial acquaintance, Blitz reminded himself- whom he had made at the first few meetings of the Aegis Guard. While Blitz liked to consider himself special, that the reason why he was on good terms with the jovial pony was something to do with himself, he knew that Krayt was pretty much friends with everypony. It was almost impossible not to be friends with the likeable stallion. However, he had also noticed that Krayt had been taking a special interest with him. Perhaps it was the fact that he had never actually tried to make friends, going to extreme lengths such as trying to avoid anypony who wanted to become his friend in order to ensure his complete loyalty to the crown, with no distractions. Krayt, however, had kept trying to batter down the walls of his stubbornness, and eventually he had to yield. Although he had been, and still was, constantly suspicious of other motives, which developed into a less-than-healthy paranoia, he got his first taste of true, unadulterated friendship from Krayt.
It was... quite nice, to say the least.
"Blitz, you there?" Blitz was snapped out of his stupor by Krayt's voice and his hoof, which was waving around in front of the grey unicorn's face.
"I'm fine, Krayt." Blitz laughed a little before turning his attention to his comrade. "I've just... been thinking."
"Been thinking? About what?" Krayt asked.
"About... stuff." Blitz replied lamely. It wouldn't help his semi-friendly relationship with Krayt if he admitted that he was thinking about the beige unicorn's ulterior motives in becoming his friend.
"Oh." Krayt looked like he wanted to say something else, but he kept his mouth closed and stayed silent.
The silence lasted until the two of them reached the circular landing pad of marble at the back of the palace, where seven covered pegasus-pulled chariots awaited the arrival of their passengers. The rest of the forty-eight unicorns of the Guard were already there, and Princess Celestia stood before them, her prismatic mane flowing in an apparently omnipresent solar wind. The whole landing pad was completely silent, and other than Celestia's mane, not a single movement could be seen. The Princess was silent, simply looking at the assembled ponies, and it was only after Blitz and Krayt greeted her with a deep bow and joined the ranks of the Aegis Guard that she began to speak.
"My little ponies," Celestia began. "you have been entrusted with a very important mission today. It is your duty to protect me for the duration of my two-day stay in Ponyville. I'm quite sure that you have all been given your instructions." She surveyed the Guard as she continued. "It is of the utmost importance that I remain alive and well to lead our nation to glory."
Gesturing to the chariots, she said, "We will begin the journey to Ponyville now. Let us make haste, for the celebrations are in three hours' time."
With a coordinated series of salutes, the Aegis Guard moved into their separate chariots, Blitz and Krayt boarding the vehicle at the rear of the formation. As soon as everypony was safely within the confines of the chariots, the unicorns closest to the door pulled it shut, and the pegasi took off into the sky, pulling the vehicles along behind them to their destination.
Yes, everything is going according to plan. Celestia should already be on her way here, and Ponyville is completely prepared for her arrival. And if those chariots I can see in the distance are any indication, she's brought her guards with her. Could today get any better?
It'll be getting better soon... in three... two...
One...
The wheels of the chariots touched down on the earth of Ponyville the moment the official organiser watch's second hand met the number zero at the apex of its climb.
Twilight, standing by herself in the middle of the town, wore a huge smile on her face, her frazzled mane and expression completely gone. The erratic strands of hair had been combed into submission, and all the purple unicorn felt was glee when she saw her one and only mentor step out of the chariot at the centre of the others, followed by a contingent of guardsponies the likes of which Twilight had never seen before.
That must be the Aegis Guard the Princess was telling me about.
"Princess!" Twilight cried as she ran forward to embrace the alicorn.
"My faithful student," Celestia returned the hug, enjoying the purple unicorn's happiness at her arrival. "It's such a pleasure to see you again."
"Likewise, Princess! By the way, the other ponies are waiting in the Town Hall for you right now. Shall I show you the way through the back entrance?"
The alicorn smiled, releasing Twilight from the embrace and letting her lead the way. "Of course, Twilight."
The purple unicorn grinned as she began to trot through the dirt streets of the village towards the hall. Everything's right on schedule.
Before her departure, Celestia called out to the guards. "All of you, remove your armour and mix with the ponies in the crowd. Come out when I give the signal."
The Aegis Guard acknowledged her command with a chorus of "Yes, your highness!" before removing the collection of metal plates with the utmost speed. Before long, all of them had reverted back to their original colours, and their armour was safely secured in saddlebags of various colours.
The audience in the town hall was about to gain a few more ponies.
That feeling. It's getting stronger. The doozy is going to happen soon.
Twenty-five more minutes.
Pinkie Pie, completely silent for once, watched her purple friend walk in through the side door of the hall, step to the grand podium installed specifically for Celestia's arrival, organise her notes, and begin to speak.
"Fillies and gentlecolts! Today marks the celebration of the third time a direct attempt at Equestrian royalty has tried and failed to succeed! Once again, Equestrian society has persisted in the face of complete annihilation. To begin the festivities with her opening speech, Princess Celestia herself has come down from Canterlot to our humble town!"
Pinkie, who was absorbed in Twilight's speech, let out a quiet yelp as somepony tapped her on the shoulder.
"Oh, I'm sorry, miss." An unfamiliar male voice replied. "I was going to ask you if I could sit here." Pinkie turned her head to see a grey unicorn stallion gesturing to the second cushion the party pony was currently using as a hugging tool.
Pinkie blushed as she handed the stallion her cushion. "Here you go."
The unicorn nodded. "Thank you."
A few seconds later, it finally clicked. A new pony! Pinkie almost leapt up into the air and gasped loudly, but she remembered the relatively silent atmosphere of the town hall just in time. She settled for exploding with anticipation later on, after Twilight's speech.
But this time felt different from the other times when she had met a new pony. This occasion had gone beyond simple happiness. It managed to induce a feeling of... bliss?
Pinkie wished that she had the cushion to hug again, so she could distract herself from the maelstrom of emotions that had erupted in her heart.
Despite all of the turmoil within her, she couldn't help but let a smile sprout on her face.
Well, well, well. Looks like my plan worked. If that stallion's muscles and disciplined posture is anything to go by, he is one of Celestia's guards. The fact that Pinkie acted the way she did must mean that everything went as I intended. That's even more good news to add to my list.
Wait, I mustn't let myself get distracted. The doozy's due in five minutes.
"...and so, with no further ado, let us welcome our special guest!" Twilight's horn flared, and a purple telekinetic glow surrounded the string that would open the curtains of the stage. "Behold, the ruler of our nation and custodian of the sun, Princess Celestia!"
The curtains drew open and Celestia stepped out amid a cacophony of cheering and clopping, her body glowing with a bright yellow hue, probably the result of a spell. The alicorn's already lit horn flared even brighter as she drew the curtains shut behind her. She opened her mouth and spoke.
"Thank you for welcoming me, Ponyville. Before I begin, I would like to thank many ponies for their hoof in this celebration. First of all..."
Pinkie hardly heard Celestia's speech as she gazed at the stallion sitting beside her out of the corner of her eye. The continued cheers of appreciation flew straight over her head as, for once, she was voluntarily silent.
What is this feeling?
Not much more time now. The doozy's in thirty seconds. Twenty nine. Twenty eight...
"And, last of all, I must show my gratitude for the guards that have accompanied me here: the new contingent of Aegis Guards!"
Pinkie flinched in shock as the grey unicorn sitting beside her suddenly stood up, pieces of metal flying out of his saddlebags and conglomerating on his body to reveal his true identity.
"A royal guard." Pinkie whispered, disbelievingly.
Without hesitation, the unicorn, along with many others in the crowd sporting armour that seemed to appear from nowhere, began their march towards the stage.
Ten... nine... eight...
For some reason, Pinkie suddenly felt a great feeling of dread in her heart.
Something's going to happen.
Her body began to shudder furiously.
... seven... six... five... four...
From her position on the stage, Twilight froze as she caught sight of Pinkie Pie's trembling.
Oh no.
,,, three... two... one...
...Zero.
Elsewhere, several hours earlier
"We can't carry on like this. Our... crops have all been devastated, and everybody is starving. We need to secure new sources of food, and quickly."
"But how? With no more provisions, we cannot survive for much longer. Our army has been drastically weakened by the famine as well. The situation is quite hopeless."
"No. There is one more option. I do not require legions of troops, I only need one."
"But... what for? Surely you can't be considering resorting to..."
"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't. But in this case, I have no choice."
"Are... are you sure of this?"
"Completely." A short silence permeated the area before it was broken by the same voice. "Go to the barracks, and bring me your best assassins."