//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Willing // Story: The Dawn of a New Mission // by ScorchingFlamesInc //------------------------------// Luster stepped out of her tent and closed the entrance behind her with her magic. She stood in front of her tent and saw the villains. The villains, who were looking at the ground, looked up at Luster. Immediately they brought their gazes back down at the ground. From the looks of it, Princess Twilight was right: The villains DO look like they want to be left alone. What was it Princess Twilight suggested to me? Luster thought. Bring a little chuckle in their lives? Does she mean make them laugh? How can I- Suddenly, an idea formed in her head. The villains hated ponies like her. But seeing something stupid happening to them seemed likely enough to make them laugh. And Luster has just the idea. As long as the villains don't watch her, she should be fine. Luster didn't want them to think she was gonna intentionally make them laugh. Luster walked forward to begin her plan. Using her magic, she levitated the nearby carton of eggs and opened it. She placed it in front of her. If she was lucky, she wouldn't get severely hurt. Luster walked around the firepit before turning around and facing the empty log that Cozy Glow was facing. The villains didn't even look up once. Luster started walking again. Closer she got to the log in front of her. Closer until... Trip CRUNCH! SPLAT! The villains finally looked up to see what had happened: Luster, who had an open carton of eggs in front of her, tripped over the only log with nopony on it, and fell right on the eggs. Her muzzle was only three inches from the fireplace and her forehooves were right on the rocks. Her eyes were also squeezed shut. The villains didn't react. They only had looks of shock on their faces. The eggshells didn't hurt Luster badly. The impact on her barrel from not stopping her fall was what she felt the most. She also felt the stickiness from the eggs. But Luster wasn't done. She brought her forehooves back from the firepit and hoisted herself up. When she got on her hooves, the egg carton that was stuck to her barrel fell off. Luster took a few steps forward with her eyes still shut... and tripped over the firepit again. Again, she got a surge of slight pain as she impacted not only the fireplace, but the rocks surrounding it, without breaking her fall. She felt the charred, burned wood stick to her coat. Luckily, the burnt wood was basically dust, so she didn't feel anything from that. Luster opened her eyes and looked up at Cozy Glow, who was on the log in front of her. She did nothing for a few seconds before she snickered. The snickering immediately became hard laughter. Luster turned her head to the left and saw Tirek laughing as well. One glance to the right showed her that Chrysalis was in on it as well. She did it! All three villains were laughing maniacally at her expense. Luster, proud of her work, got on her hooves, the charred black powder sticking to her. She turned around, headed to the log she tripped on, and sat on it. The laughter still carried on before the villains calmed down and brought the frowns back on their faces. "Better?" Luster asked. Chrysalis cleared her throat and gave Luster her answer, her usual frown returning. "What made you think we needed it?" she asked. "You looked like you needed it. Plus, when I entered my tent, I suddenly fell asleep and had this weird dream with Princess Twilight. She told me to make you laugh if you were acting like that." "Wait, what?" Chrysalis said. She suddenly looked as if she was caught off guard. "What?" said Luster. "I thought you were in MY dream. Yeah, I soon became convinced that it WASN'T you in my dream, but STILL!" "Hold up, hold up. Luster was in MY dream too! She ALSO made me think she was somepony else before I woke up!" Cozy said. "Huh. Great minds think alike. The same happened in MY dream!" Tirek said. "I'm confused," Luster said. "First of all, WHEN did you all fall asleep?" Luster asked. "I think we all fell asleep at the same time after you entered the tent," Cozy said. "so we fell asleep the same time as YOU!!!" "Did you all ALSO say all of your dreams had ME in it, only to soon become convinced it WASN'T me?" "YES!!!!" Tirek said, shocked. "In your dreams, did I SAY something to make you upset when you woke up?" No answer was spoken for a few seconds. The first answer was from Cozy. "Well... you did. You said a lot of things that I didn't want to believe. But at the same time, I had the strange feeling that you were right! You also mentioned what happened to us at Mount Everhoof." "SAME!!!!!!" Tirek and Chrysalis said at the same time. "Weird..." Luster said. She put her hoof on her chin in thought. Finally, she had one more question. "What I said... what you believed is true... the events of Mount Everhoof... it all leads me to this one question. Are you willing now?" "Willing to what?" Tirek said. "To let me teach you all what I know about friendship! From the sounds of it, whoever spoke to you in your dreams wasn't a dream bit. It was somepony pretending to be me. Whoever it was, it sounds like she had gotten through to you. So if that is true... are you willing to give my lessons at least ONE chance?!? Willing to just spend SOME time with me so I can tell you the lessons? WILLING to relive that feeling from Mount Everhoof one last time to see if it is a WORTH it feeling?!?" The villains had no answer for many seconds. Tirek was the first to answer. "Fine. I guess I could give it a shot." Cozy and Chrysalis looked at him with shock. Cozy immediately spoke. "UUUGH!!!! FINE! Let's just see what friendship is like for magic instead of power." Luster looked at Chrysalis. Chrysalis looked away, reluctant to answer. But only for a brief moment. "GRRRRRR!!! OK!!!! FINE!!! I guess can give it a shot." Chrysalis pointed a hoof at Luster, "But DON'T think this means anything!!! For ANY of us!!! JUST because we will give friendship a shot DOESN'T mean it will work!!!" "Fair enough," Luster said. A smile appeared on her face. No matter what the villains said, if they were willing to give friendship lessons a shot, maybe there was hope for them after all.