Spike sighed as the Royal Chariot began its descent towards Ponyville. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Twilight? You know how much of a stink someponies are raising against this."
Princess Twilight nodded, her eyes firmly locked on her castle. "I am, Spike. If I do nothing, it proves them right. That I am weak. That I don't deserve my crown. You know that ponies are still demanding that Celestia and Luna return to the thrones."
Spike snorted. "Yeah. Like they would ever do that. And for what? Just to shut up ponies that aren't worth listening to? Even Discord isn't that insane."
"It's true!" A disembodied voice shouted from a distance, earning an eye roll from the pair as the chariot landed. Disembarking, and giving some quick orders to the Pegasus team pulling it, they turned and were greeted not by one of their friends, but...
"Cheerilee?" Twilight asked, surprised to see the school teacher here of all places, and from her looks, it was not for something pleasant.
The mare nodded. "Twilight. Spike. I know why you are here."
Spike rolled his eyes, while Twilight frowned. "And what is that supposed to mean?" She asked.
Cheerilee only frowned. "You know very well what it means, Twilight. I cannot believe you of all ponies would go through with this. I had hoped that you would reconsider."
Spike only shook his head. "You don't know Twilight very well if you thought she would."
Twilight nodded, her ears falling in despair. "Cheerilee, please. Do not do something stupid. For everything we have. Do not throw it away for this. It is not worth it."
Cheerilee shook her head in sorrow. "I am sorry, Twilight. But you have left us no choice. This travesty must end. No foal should ever have to go through this again."
Twilight frowned as she stepped closer. "Is that a threat, my little pony?"
Cheerilee only smiled as she turned and walked away. "Only a statement of fact, Princess Twilight. See you at the ceremony."
Spike watched her go with a sigh. "Someponies," he grumbled, before seeing Twilight's head fall in despair. "Twilight? Are you alright?"
Twilight sniffed, her wings drooping. "No, Spike. I am not."
Twilight watched as the last of Ponyville's population was settled in front of the stage. The whole town had turned out for the ceremony. Even the School of Friendship had called an early recess for the occasion, and she could see Starlight trying to keep Trixie from doing something stupid.
In the front row were the fillies and colts, those young enough to possibly be chosen to be Frozen. Only a dozen or so. Off to the side sat Rumble and Cinnamon Swirl, so far the only two Frozen from the small town that had stayed.
Twilight cleared her throat, silencing the murmurs. "My ponies. Today we come together to celebrate another Choosing. As you know, all across Equestria, this same scene is being played out. Only those under the age of ten may stand a chance of being chosen, or none may be chosen. Such is how this magic works, for I cannot say for sure how many or any at all may receive the honor."
This caused a stir among the youngsters. Though they had heard it all before, it never got easier. All could hope that this year would be their year.
Twilight smiled as Spike brought forth the necklaces. "I will now cast the Choosing. If you are destined for this, the necklace will go to you. Come forward if you are chosen."
The young ones nodded, as Twilight's horn began to glow in a golden light, and several of the necklaces began to vibrate before floating off the cushion that Spike held.
SPLAT!
Shocked and horrified gasps ran throughout the crowd as a pie flew into the princess's shocked face, and Pinkie Pie even fainted from the horror of a perfectly good pie being wasted like this.
Twilight's eyes popped open in shock as she licked the icing off her face. Chocolate. Her favorite. But who? "Who did that?" She spluttered.
The crowd parted in mute shock, to reveal... "Derpy? But why?" Twilight asked, unable to believe the Pegasus would ever do something like this.
But the grey Pegasus only frowned as several other ponies pulled out more pies. "Eat pie, you overweight feather brain!" She shouted as she launched her weapon of choice, as did the others.
Twilight was quick to put a shield over herself and Spike, which the pies bounced harmlessly off of. "Well. At least they're not throwing something harder," Spike tried to smile, but it came out forced.
Twilight was seething. She could just take ponies backtalking her, the rumors that she wasn't worthy to be Celestia and Luna's successor. But this? This was too much. "ENOUGH!" She thundered, the Royal Canterlot Voice more than enough to stop the pie assault, at least for the moment,
Twilight's eyes burned as she stared down at her attackers. "I had hoped the rumors were just that. Rumors. Ponies venting their thoughts on this tradition. But this? Derpy. I never believed you would stoop so low. Is this because Dinky wasn't chosen?"
The mailmare had the decency to not look Twilight in the eyes, and it was all Twilight needed to see, as the others looked much the same. "Cheerilee. I know how much you hate this. But this is taking that too far."
The schoolteacher spat, and the sight broke Twilight's heart to know what came next as she spread her wings and closed her eyes. "Then so be it. You have left me no choice. Remember. You have brought this on yourselves."
Spike looked alarmed as Twilight's horn began to glow an unearthly red. "Twilight? What are you doing?"
Twilight did not respond before she spoke, it seemed, in a thousand voices. "By my authority as High Princess of Equestria. I, Princess Twilight Andromeda Sparkle, invoke the Magisterium Lex Ultima. From this day forward, let this ceremony never be interrupted by something so petty and insignificant as this ever again. Let those foolish enough to try suffer a fate worse than death."
As she spoke, Twilight carved an infinity symbol into the ground at her hooves. But not in wood or dirt did it form, but in blood. blood that steamed even as ponies watched in horror.
Twilight's eyes opened, black pits that burned with an unlight as her voices rose to a crescendo. "This I swear on the Slayer of Eternities and the Prime Magic itself. Let the Destroyer and Mother of All Life strike me down if this oath proves false."
As she completed the symbol, it blazed with unearthly power, before exploding outwards in a shockwave that sent the conspirators reeling, and even those not in the know were gripped by a deep-rooted fear, as the shock wave spread all across Equestria and beyond.
In Silver Shoals, as the ceremony was winding down, and several new Frozen Foals celebrated with their families, Celestia and Luna felt the shockwave pass through them. Their heads bowed in sorrow, knowing what Princess Twilight had done.
"Oh, Twilight. I am so, so, sorry," Celestia whispered, as Luna wrapped a wing around her.
Twilight sighed, as she finally came back to herself it seemed, even as the conspirators were led off by members of the Royal Guard. She smiled benevolently down at the fillies and colts, who now looked at her with a renewed sense of awe and wonder. "Now, little ones. I believe you have waited long enough for this. Shall we get started?"
The children nodded excitedly, not fully understanding all of what had just happened. But as they watched in delight, four necklaces began to glow and vibrate excitedly, before rushing over and clasping themselves around four necks. A unicorn, two earth ponies, and a Pegasus, all fillies. As the band secured itself tightly but securely around their necks, they felt the magic flow into and merge itself with them.
Twilight nodded happily as she once more spread her wings. "Then I declare the four of you Frozen from this day onwards. Nopony can ever take that away from you." Her smile grew as she looked at a revived Pinkie Pie. "And I do believe this calls for a celebration. Don't you, Pinkie?"
Pinkie gasped happily. "Aye, aye, captain!" She saluted, before rushing off to Sugarcube Corner, earning a round of laughter from the rest of their friends as they came to congratulate Twilight and the new Frozen Foals.
And while it had not gone as she had hoped it would, Princess Twilight Sparkle was glad it had all worked out in the end.