//------------------------------// // Gently to Hear, Kindly to Judge, Our Play! // Story: Hearth's Warming, AP Class // by Lets Do This //------------------------------// The day of the pageant finally arrived. The sky was gray and overcast with a light drifting of snow, and it was a brisk, breezy walk as the Advanced Projects team strolled along Diamond Avenue on their way to the Royal Performance Hall. The Hall itself was on the Palace grounds, but it had been Twilight's idea to take the long way round, looking at the decorations in Upper Canterlot as a way of getting themselves properly in the spirit of the season before the performance. And nopony could say she was wrong. Canterlot had seemingly outdone itself this year. "Would you look at it all?" Twilight said. "The wreaths, the trees, the lights and bells... I think Hearth's Warming is my favorite time of the year." "Brrr!" Starlight shivered. "It's chilly though. Seems like it's been getting colder every day this week, too." "It's always like this," Sunset said, "the last week or two leading up to the holiday. And then afterwards it warms right up again, like clockwork." "At least it means there's usually snow on the ground for the holiday," said Twilight. "It makes Canterlot look so festive!" "I'm just glad Moondancer had these extra scarves." Starlight put a hoof to the blue one around her neck. "Thanks!" "Not a problem," Moondancer nodded. "My mom keeps sending them to me so I always have spares. Wouldn't want anypony having a sore throat or catching cold, not on a day like this." "The Rugged and Adaptable Lady Trixie doesn't mind the cold, of course." Trixie hunched inside her cloak for warmth, pressing a hoof to her hat to keep it from blowing off. "But she does think a mug of hot cider, or cocoa or something, would not go amiss later on." "I'm sure they'll have something for us backstage," Twilight said, "for the stars of the show. Right, Tempest?" Tempest was out in front, stalking forwards in stern silence, clearing a path through the smiling and waving crowds by sheer force of personality. She briefly nodded in Twilight's direction, then faced forward again, saying nothing. Twilight was about to ask what was up, but Moondancer nudged her, shaking her head. "Method acting," Moondancer whispered. "She's staying in character." "Oh." Twilight shrugged. "Well, whatever works, I guess..." ------------------------------ The Royal Performance Hall was packed to its stained-glass windows with ponies, eagerly chattering amongst themselves and waiting for the show to start. And backstage in the dressing area, things were busy too. Grubber was working on strapping Tempest into Commander Hurricane's armor. Trixie was seated before one of the makeup mirrors, touching up her appearance and adjusting her crown and robe, flicking away bits of dust no one else could see. Moondancer was nervously paging through her copy of the script, going over her cue-lines. Starlight was practicing the glamour spell: hiding her horn, then giving herself wings, then cancelling the spell, over and over to be certain she could work it quickly and flawlessly. Sunset was already dressed as Puddinghead, and she alternated between mugging at herself in the mirror and serving as coach for the group, helping keep up their spirits and enthusiasm. And Twilight... she looked upon it all with a proud smile. And worried. She could hardly do otherwise. Cheese Sandwich poked his head through the curtains leading to the stage. "Two minutes to curtain, gals. And wow, you all look great! You'll knock 'em dead out there." "Thanks, Cheese," Twilight grinned. "And thanks for taking care of the stage for us. We needed all the practice time we could get." "Not a problem. Anything for the team, you know that. Actually it was easy with my helpers here." He gestured at Spike, already dressed in his page-like Narrator's costume. And then at a skew-eyed gray pegasus, who waved a hoof eagerly at the famous Heroes of Equestria. Then Cheese and the pegasus vanished back through the curtains to check on the rigging for the first scene, leaving Spike behind. "The Princesses are here already," Spike said. "I saw them sitting down in the Royal Stall up in the back. No fanfare or anything, just like you said." Twilight nodded. "Celestia says she may hoof the bill, but she'd never want to steal attention from the real performers. Is Luna with them?" "Uh huh." Spike looked doubtful. "She looked a little bored, actually. But maybe that's just because she had to get up so early." "Okay." Twilight looked around the group. "Are we ready, gang?" "Ready as we'll ever be," Sunset agreed. And the others nodded too. But Tempest was looking troubled. "This feels wrong, somehow," she muttered. "Not wearing my usual armor. Guess I'm just used to it. This costume stuff, it feels like tinfoil." "Don't worry, Tempest," Twilight said. "Shining Armor and most of the Royal Guard are out there. All we have to worry about is hitting our marks and speaking clearly." "Your brother, Twilight, technically reports to me," Tempest replied. "And pageant or no, our little group's safety is still my job." She frowned, eyeing her mage-armor hanging on its rack. "You know..." Moondancer tapped her snout speculatively. "If we borrow some of the medals and other decorations from the costume armor, Tempest's is a pretty close match. You think anypony would notice?" "If we're gonna do this," Sunset warned, "let's make it fast. We're short on time here." Between the five ponies, one dragon, and one hedgehog, they had Tempest reclad in her original armor in record time. Tempest shrugged it into place, then tapped the floor with an armored hoof. "Thanks. Now I feel properly ready to take on an army... or an audience." "Showtime, gang!" called Cheese through the curtains. "Okay, everypony," Twilight said. "This is it. I know we'll do our best out there. So I only want to say that no matter how our changes to the play go over, I know we're doing the right thing here. The rest..." She shrugged. "... is up to the audience. So let's get out there, and give 'em a show!" "Couldn't have put it better myself," said Trixie. And she curtseyed gracefully. "Your Highness." "Thanks, Your Grace," Twilight replied. Then she looked at Spike. "Ready, Number One Assistant? You and Grubber are up first." "Ready, Twi! I mean, ahem --" Spike coughed into a claw, then spoke in character. "Ready, m'lady. We shall give them a royal performance!" "Or at least a royally good laugh," added Grubber. Then he grinned and fist-bumped Spike, and the two of them headed through the curtain to take their places onstage. Twilight consulted her checklist. "Trixie, Tempest, Sunset, you're up next for the conference scene. And then the rest of us for the individual scenes. Uhhh... does my cloak look humble enough?" "You look fine, Twilight," Starlight told her. "Okay, earth and pegasus characters, line up and let me put the whammy on you." In short order, Starlight and Sunset were lacking horns, and both Moondancer and Tempest had pegasus wings instead. "Is the spell stable?" Twilight fretted. "Can you keep it going, Starlight?" "Hmm... took a little longer with Tempest, not sure why. But don't worry, Twilight. Sunset helped me optimize the spell. With rest breaks like we planned, I can keep it going all night." "Then let us make haste, good subjects!" said Trixie in a grand tone. "Let us not be late for our entrance. The Great and Powerful Princess Platinum waits on nopony. Onward!" "And don't worry, Moon-Moon," Sunset added over her shoulder. "When you're on, I'll be right here backstage, if you need me." "No sweat, Sunset," Moondancer replied. "Commander Tempest -- I mean, Commander Hurricane -- has got me covered. Isn't that right, Sir?" Tempest nodded smugly. "Have to look after my personal protegé. At least, that's what it says in the history books. Are you ready, Private?" "Sir!" Moondancer saluted eagerly. "Ready, sir!" Tempest nodded curtly. Then she, Trixie, and Sunset headed through the curtain to wait in the wings for their cue. And as they went, Sunset had an astonished look on her face. Then she shook her head, smiling proudly. "Good for you, Moon-Moon!" she whispered. ------------------------------ The play opened as usual with the Narrator -- or in this case the pair of them -- standing on stage before a crackling fireplace. "Once upon a time," Spike began, "before the peaceful rule of Celestia --" "That was a really long time ago," Grubber added, prompting a surprised laugh from the audience. "And before ponies discovered our beautiful land of Equestria," Spike went on, "ponies did not know harmony. It was a difficult and strife-filled time, when ponies were torn apart... by hatred!" Grubber looked at him. "Are you sure it wasn't because they needed a good cappuccino? Seriously folks," he added to the audience, "there weren't any good coffee shops back then?" "Ahem!" Spike said pointedly. And Grubber quickly shut up, though with a mischievous smile on his face that made the younger ponies in the audience giggle delightedly. "In those troubled times, as now," Spike went on, "the Pegasi were the stewards of the weather..." Spike continued onwards, through the opening history of the pageant, with Grubber sneaking in a comment every now and then. And from behind the scenes, Twilight and Starlight peered through the curtains, judging the audience's reaction. "So far so good," Starlight said. "They're not demanding refunds." "The pageant's free," Twilight reminded her. "But yeah, they do seem happy with it." "Then let's see how they react to the conference scene." The conference opened as usual. The three leaders were introduced, they sat down around the conference table, and immediately began shouting at one another. And things went more or less as planned... with one or two exceptions. "All I want to know," Tempest demanded crossly, "is why crop production is down. My soldiers are starving!" "If they are," Sunset shot back, "it's because your weather teams are falling down on the job. With all this ice and snow, even our farming skills can't make crops grow." "For the hundredth time!" Tempest growled. "It's not us! This snow isn't our doing. It must be the unicorns." She glared across the table at Trixie. "They're using their magic to tamper with the weather somehow. The same way they've already messed up the day and night." "Huh!" Trixie tossed back. "We would never trouble ourselves with the weather, Commander. That's your responsibility. And as for the day/night thing, well..." She shrugged primly. "That's still being looked into." "Just as well," Tempest snarled. "The weather's far too important to be left in the hooves of unicorns. And if you earth ponies aren't able to farm," she added to Sunset, "then maybe we should take over your job too?" "Like to see you try," Sunset fired back. "Seeing you cloud-hopping pegasi actually getting your hooves dirty? That'd be the day!" "We're not lazy like you are," Tempest retorted. "We know about things like discipline, responsibility -- duty. We get the job done." "Hey! We're not lazy!" Sunset objected. Then she thought about it, and spoke to the audience. "Except on casual Tuesdays. Then yeah, we're lazy!" The audience laughed. It was classic Puddinghead, disarming the moment with a gag. But Tempest wasn't letting it go. "You dirt-grubbers," she snapped. "You wouldn't know responsibility if it bit you! You're far too easy-going, far too careless. If you'd been in charge of the Sun and Moon, I bet we wouldn't be able to find them right now!" "Just a moment, Commander Hurricane!" Trixie objected. "This is supposed to be a serious discussion. Kindly keep your well-known temper in check!" "Or what?" Tempest glared at her fiercely, and even Trixie drew back uncertainly. "You're not our Princess, Your Highness. You think your kind is better than us simply because you can do a few magic tricks? You think that makes you somehow capable of leadership?" Tempest snorted, enraged. "You couldn't even keep your own Court mages from trying to usurp the throne!" Behind the scenes Moondancer swung a hoof. "Oh yeah!" she whispered proudly. "Forgot to mention that in my notes. You've got this, Tempest! History for the win!" On stage Tempest's eyes were narrowed, her ears laid back. "And let me tell you something, your Royal Haughtiness: no true pegasus would ever bend knee to a... a prong-head!" "Prong-head?" Moondancer scratched her head. "That's not in the script. Oh, wait a sec..." Her magic grabbed up a thick reference tome and she paged through it. "Yeah! It's a contemporary tribalist slur. Nopony even remembers it now. Ha! Tempest has really done her homework." "Isn't she overdoing it a bit?" Twilight asked. "No, that's just Method acting," Moondancer replied. "It helps an actor really nail the part." "She nails it any harder," Starlight said worriedly, "they'll hang her on it." On stage, Trixie had recovered her composure. "Well!" she said, standing up from the table. "I am a Princess, and I will not be spoken to in that way! I am leaving!" "Running away, like always?" Tempest sneered, rising to her hooves as well. "Scurrying back to your ivory tower on the hill, just when there's work to be done? Well, what can we expect from a bunch of self-important, arrogant hoof-wigglers?" She snorted. "We pegasi are not merely leaving," she shouted, "we have had enough of you! We are done with you! Forever!" She brought an armored hoof crashing down onto the table. Beneath the thunderous blow the table didn't merely collapse. It shattered, all but exploding into kindling. The three ponies stared at the wreckage in surprise, Tempest most of all. Then Sunset looked up at the audience. "Guess we don't build 'em like we used to, huh?" The audience broke up laughing, and the three tribe leaders managed to finish the scene and exit the conference hall before anything else happened. Twilight heaved a sigh of relief as the curtains swung closed for the scene change. "One down," she said, "eleven more to go..." Then she looked around, puzzled. "Hey, did somepony leave a window open?" There was a chill, wintry breeze wafting through the backstage area. It made the curtains billow slightly. Moondancer nodded. "Yeah, I wasn't going to complain, but it is a little drafty back here." "I'll go check!" Starlight said, hurrying off. "Don't be gone long!" Twilight called after her. "You're on soon, remember?" "And so," Spike was saying onstage, "the blizzard raged on. And the summit of the three tribes had not turned out as well as they'd hoped." "That's puttin' a spin on it, huh?" Grubber winked at the audience. "Hence the three leaders returned home," Spike continued, "to lick their wounds and make plans..." "... annnnd basically complain a lot," said Grubber, as the curtains swept open again. On the cloud-city set Moondancer stood waiting in her Private Pansy costume, visibly trembling with stage-fright. Tempest strode onstage, head high and proud. "Atten-hut!" "Sir!" Moondancer yelped, saluting. "How did it go, sir?" "Horribly," Tempest growled. "As we suspected, they had no idea as to the cause of this bad weather. Or any thoughts of how to deal with it. Or any thoughts at all! All they cared about was assigning blame -- hmph! Let this be a lesson to you, young Private," she added sharply, "you want something done, you do it yourself. That's the pegasus way!" "Sir! Yes, Sir... uh, Sir! So... what are we going to do, Sir?" Tempest appeared to consider it at length. "We are going to have to try something risky," she finally said. "Something different and unexpected. But pegasi are used to risks, are we not, Private?" Tempest stamped a hoof decisively, making Moondancer jump. "We are going to set out to discover a new land! Where there will be no earth ponies or unicorns to get in our way." "Erm... won't that be lonely, Sir?" Tempest eyed her furiously. "Is that disloyalty I hear, Private?" "No, Sir!" Moondancer saluted tensely. "Not from me, Sir!" "Good." Tempest nodded, and cast a scowling gaze at the audience. "It's high time we broke ranks with these weak foals..." A quick scene-change, and the doors to the Castle of the Unicorns swung open, revealing a landscape of blowing, drifting snow outside. Out of the storm struggled Trixie, shivering and distraught. "Clover the Clever!" she gasped, "I need you!" "Yes, Your Highness." Twilight approached, covering her with a warm blanket and shutting the doors against the storm. "Did the other tribes agree to us all working together, as I predicted?" "Far from it!" Trixie huffed. "There I was, offering diplomacy and leadership, the benefit of our studied wisdom and culture. And all they could talk about was who was responsible! They were impossible! Let us speak of it no further." Trixie flung herself down on the lounge nearby. "They even had the nerve to bring up the whole Sun and Moon thing again. As if that was our fault! We will have nothing more to do with the likes of them!" On the beat, her hooves hit the water in the hoof-bath. It splashed, and despite herself Twilight tensed. But not a drop hit her face. She stared at Trixie, and saw the showpony's horn was glimmering just a hint. Just enough for a well-placed, low-power warding spell. Trixie winked, then pressed onwards. "I am the Great and Powerful Princess of the Unicorns," she declared, hopping down from the lounge seat. "And I have had more than enough of trying to be reasonable. So I have reached a decision: we must abandon these other ponies to their ceaseless squabbling, and seek... a new land!" "A new land, Your Highness?" "Yes! And with my Great and Powerful Royal Sorcerer to guide me, how can we possibly fail?" So saying, Trixie elbowed Twilight with a smile, and then bowed her head graciously. And Twilight, utterly surprised, found herself bowing in return. "Of course, Your Highness." Another scene change, and now it was Sunset and Starlight's turn. Starlight was standing near the fireplace in the Chancellor's house, peering up the flue, as if looking for something -- or somepony. The sound of the door opening and then slamming behind her made her turn in surprise. "Don't you normally use the chimney, Chancellor?" "Aha!" Sunset replied. "Some ponies might be expecting that!" She winked at the audience, making them laugh. "But I am a Chancellor. I'm paid to think outside the box. Which means I can think outside the chimney!" She crossed her hooves smugly. "Can you think outside the chimney? I didn't think so!" Starlight rolled her eyes indulgently. "Yes, Chancellor. So, how did it go? Did the other pony tribes agree to help us figure out where all this cold is coming from?" "Not a chance. It was all where's the food?, and whose magic is responsible? and the like. They didn't even want to hear our proposal." "Oh, that's a shame. I really hoped they'd see it was in their best interests." "Never mind them, Smart Cookie. We are just going to have to go it alone, like earth-ponies have always done when things get rough. And as Chancellor, I have reached a decision: we are going to find some place new, where we can farm and prosper in peace." Sunset swung round and reached for the door handles. "And with me as our leader, what could possibly go wrong?" She yanked open the doors. And was promptly buried in the inrush of stage snow that Cheese had quickly banked up on the other side of it. The audience roared with laughter. And Starlight looked out at them, smirking. "Where should I start?" ------------------------------ They somehow managed to get through the scenes of the three tribes journeying to the new land without serious incident. But then, while going over her checklist in preparation for the confrontation scene, Twilight suddenly looked up in surprise. "Starlight, I thought you shut that open window." "There wasn't an open window." Starlight shrugged. "Not one I could see. I checked all around." "But it's still drafty in here." There was a distinct breeze now, blowing through the backstage. But strangely, it was not wintry chill. This breeze was warm and pleasant. It was reminiscent of the first few days of summer, with the scent of fresh-mown hay and sweet flowers. "Seems like it's coming from over there." Moondancer pointed to the curtains leading to the stage. Puzzled, Twilight pushed through the curtains, the other two right behind her. And they came to a halt, staring. Before them was a broad, rolling stretch of meadowland. It extended to the horizon, bracketed by tall peaks in the distance. The sky was a breathtaking blue, with a blazingly warm sun overhead. Twilight looked behind her, and saw the curtains had vanished. There was only more of the rolling meadowlands, wide open and untouched. It was no stage set. It was the real thing. It was Equestria, pristine and new, as it might have looked back in the day. "Are we dreaming?" Starlight asked. "What's going on?" Moondancer gasped. Before Twilight could reply, a voice shouted from overhead. "We planted our flag first!" Twilight looked up and saw Tempest, still in costume as Commander Hurricane. The Commander was standing atop a cloud, without any visible means of support. As Twilight watched, she flared her pegasus wings threateningly. "Woah," Starlight whispered. "The glamour spell's not doing that. We didn't have time to make it do functional wings properly." Tempest was glaring downwards at a cliff edge to Twilight's right. On the cliff stood Trixie, in her Princess Platinum costume. "Hah!" Trixie shouted back, "You riffraff are trespassing in Unicornia!" "The name is Pegasopolis," Tempest retorted furiously. "Unicornia!" Below, sitting on a rise of open dirt in the meadow, was Sunset wearing her Chancellor Puddinghead costume. She sat with her forehooves crossed and her face pouted determinedly. "I've already named this place Earth!" Sunset yelled. "And congratulations to me for thinking of it!" "Pegasopolis!" "Unicornia!" "Earth!" "What the hay is going on?" Moondancer whispered. "What's gotten into them?" "What she said," Starlight agreed. "This doesn't usually happen at the pageant, does it?" "Not that I know of," Twilight said. "I mean, the pageant always seems larger than life. The effects always seem to draw you in, make you feel like you're actually there, but --" Tempest swooped down from the cloud to hover, snout to snout, in front of Trixie. "I say we fight for the land!" she shouted. "May the best pony win!" "That's barbaric," Trixie sneered. "But what can one expect, from hot-headed, aggressive war-mongers?" She looked round, spotted Twilight. "Clover the Clever!" she called imperiously. "Throw that brute in the dungeon!" "What dungeon?" Twilight asked, confused. "Look, if we all just calm down for a minute and try to figure this out..." "I agree," Starlight said. "Let's calm down." "I vote for calm," added Moondancer timidly. Tempest's gaze swung on her furiously. "I'll have you court-martialed for insubordination, Private!" Then she returned to glaring at Trixie, smacking her armored forehooves together threateningly. "We settle this on the battlefield!" As the three leaders continued arguing amongst themselves, Twilight and the others turned to look at each other, astonished. "What the --" Moondancer blinked. "Those were lines from the script!" "Yeah! And we said them, voluntarily," Starlight agreed, "as if it was what we were thinking. Is free will out to lunch here, or what?" "Somehow the pageant has come to life," Twilight fretted. "We're not just acting it out anymore." "It's almost like we're back when this actually happened," Moondancer said. "Reliving historical events." "Or maybe it's the glamour spell," Starlight suggested. "Maybe it's gone haywire! I can cancel it, and..." "No wait, Starlight!" Twilight warned. "You said yourself, the spell isn't doing this, at least not entirely. And remember, the first rule of spellcasting is..." "Think before you cast," the three of them chorused, with feeling. "We need to understand why this is happening," Twilight continued. "Then we'll know what to do." "Any ideas?" Moondancer asked. Twilight didn't have a chance to answer. As they'd been talking, the skies had been clouding over, the gentle breeze had turned icily chill. A gradually increasing snowfall was blanketing the land. And, in the distance overhead, they could hear a booming, echoing bellow, a chill, animal roar of triumph. It was repeated -- and seemed to be drawing closer. "The windigos!" Twilight breathed, terrified. "Uhh, maybe we should discuss this later? We need to find shelter, like now!" "There's a cave!" Moondancer said, pointing. "Over that way!" "Stage right..." Starlight muttered, in fascinated horror. "You think the pageant is still going on? Is the audience seeing all this?" "I don't know," Twilight said. "But this scene focuses mostly on the leaders. We're just background characters. That may be why we're able to react to what's happening." "And why the others are so caught up in it," Moondancer agreed. "First things first," Twilight said. "Let's get our friends out of danger. And then figure this out..." ------------------------------ It took some doing, first getting the attention of the three leaders, then getting them to agree that seeking shelter was in their best interest. And then getting them all moving in the same general direction, eyeing each other suspiciously. But soon everypony was in the cave, in the relative safety of its chill gloom. Twilight managed to get a small mage-fire going, and the three assistants huddled close to it, listening as the leaders continued their angry arguing. "Well!" Tempest snarled at Trixie. "Looks like you unicorns are already hard at work meddling with the climate in this land, too." Trixie sniffed. "As I've told you before, Commander, we have had nothing to do with the cold, either then or now." "Well, this is a fine kettle of corn," Sunset grumbled. "If you weather-ponies and mages can't use your magical powers to fix this situation, then I'm just fresh out of ideas!" "Hmph," Tempest muttered. "An earth pony with no ideas. What a surprise." "Commander!" Trixie rapped a hoof. "Cease with the insults! They're not getting us anywhere." "I don't see you coming up with any useful plans, Your Highness. We need a plan of action, and we need it now!" "We may also need a shovel," Sunset said, staring out through the cave entrance. "It's getting deep out there..." Twilight, Starlight, and Moondancer stared around at their friends. And then looked gloomily at each other. "We haven't travelled in time, have we?" Starlight asked. "Is this what actually happened? Or just a re-enactment, like the pageant itself?" "It seems accurate," Moondancer said. "Based on my research. But remember, records from back then are really sketchy and biased. Modern historians have had to interpolate between the different tribes' versions of events." "Either way, we have to be careful," Twilight said. "I don't know if this actually is the past, or just the pageant on overdrive. But this is a pivotal moment in Equestrian history. If we should change anything..." "But we've already changed something, haven't we?" Starlight said. "We changed the script of the pageant." Twilight's eyes went wide. "Uh oh." Starlight grimaced. "When you say uh-oh like that, Twilight, my coat gets all bristly. What is it?" "What if..." Twilight asked, "what if it's not merely a pageant? What if it's a spell? A really complex, really subtle spell?" "Seriously?" Moondancer asked. "I thought it was just a holiday play?" "Think about it: the pageant has been performed the same way for generations," Twilight said. "The same characters, saying the same things, doing the same things, following a script that never varies, year after year. The same speeches, the same jokes, the same pratfalls..." "Like a ritual." Starlight nodded. "Following a pattern that leads to a desired outcome. In this case, the kindling of the flame of friendship." "Really?" Moondancer shook her head. "Sounds like an awfully complicated way to light a fire. And why a play, then? Why isn't it just a spell you can cast? That'd be simpler." "The audience!" Starlight gasped. "All those ponies who come to see this thing, every year. And bring their children to see it. Bringing their laughter and good feelings and fellowship..." "... and renewing the flame of friendship." Twilight nodded. "Powering it up, generation on generation. And If that's true... then it's amazing! A defense against the windigos, summoned out of the very magic of harmony itself." "Yeah..." Moondancer considered it. "It may have started as some kind of mystic ceremony. And then over the centuries morphed into a traditional Hearth's Warming entertainment. As Trixie might say, fun for all ages. Bring the kids, they'll love it too..." "And now we've gone and messed it all up," Starlight fretted. "Greaaaat... yay for us, I guess?" "Not yet. The pageant isn't over," said Twilight. "So maybe the spell is still in play. And that means it's up to us to set things right, before it ends." "But how?" Starlight said. "If we've already changed it... do we have to start all over again? With the old script?" Twilight bit her lip, feeling frantically uncertain. "No," she finally said. "We finish it, just as we wrote it, changes and all. And hope it's enough. Maybe the specifics of the play aren't important. But we do know the outcome is: saving the Three Kingdoms from the windigos, and lighting the fire of friendship." "Hey, no pressure, huh?" whispered Moondancer. A sharp voice interrupted them from across the cave. "Private!" Tempest snarled. "What are you three whispering about over there? Front and center, right now!" "Eeep!" Moondancer winced, looking terrified. "What do I do?" "We humor them," Twilight reminded her. "Encourage them to work together, just like we wrote in the revised script." Moondancer nodded. "Right." She looked over her shoulder. "Uh, yes Sir! Right away, Sir!" "And remember, girls," Twilight added urgently. "This part of the play revolves around us. And our friends need our help. So let's make it count!" Reluctantly Moondancer turned, then trotted over to where Tempest stood peering out through the cave entrance at the deepening drifts beyond. She half expected to be chewed out for dereliction of duty, or fraternizing, or something like that. Instead, Tempest looked down at her with wry concern, her voice unexpectedly gentle. "Not what we expected to find here, is it?" "Uh... no Sir," Moondancer said in surprise. "If only the others hadn't messed it up," Tempest grumbled. "They just don't think -- at least, not like we pegasi do." She eyed Moondancer sourly. "I know you keep saying it'd be nice if we could learn more about them, work together with them. But you have to curb this bookish curiosity, Private! It's going to be the death of you. Maybe someday, we'll get along better with the other tribes. But that day's not today, understood?" "Uh... yes, Sir," Moondancer said. Tempest sighed wearily. "I promised your parents I'd look out for you. Take you under my wing, teach you to be a proper soldier. And I meant that, Private, every word of it. So you need to listen to me!" "Um. Yes, Sir... sorry, Sir." Moondancer lowered her head, looking miserable. The Commander stared at her at length. Then smiled wryly. "Not sure I've ever mentioned it, Private, but your mother and I were rather close when we were younger. So in some ways, you're like the daughter I never had." Then Tempest's fierce glare returned. "Which means I need to keep you safe! Understood?" "Yessir! Uh... Sir?" "What?" Tempest snapped dangerously. "You mind if I take some notes? This is important historical detail, and I'm not sure it's written down anyplace..." Across the cave, Starlight stood beside Sunset, watching as the pony played with a rock, using it to scribble small sketches in the patchy dirt covering the uneven floor. And Starlight found herself wondering whether that was what had really happened, and it somehow morphed into the childish scene in the pageant of the three leaders drawing lines on the cave floor and daring each other to cross them. Then Starlight forced herself to pay attention -- Sunset was speaking. "So," Sunset said, "this is another fine mess I've gotten us into. Eh, Smart Cookie?" "Um... yes, Chancellor?" Sunset pitched the rock across the cavern, watched it clatter down the cold stone wall. "And it's so frustrating! All I ever want is for everypony to just get along and be happy in their work. Because farming is work, Cookie, hard work! And sometimes a good laugh at something silly is the only way to get through it all." "Hence... the hat?" Starlight observed. "And the general happy-go-lucky act?" Sunset nodded. "You noticed that, huh? They don't call you Smart Cookie for nothing. And for us earth ponies at least, it works. We get it. But look at these two!" She waved a hoof in the direction of the pegasus and unicorn leaders. "The pegasi are all regimen and discipline, not a funny-bone in their bodies. And the unicorns... don't get me started. They're so uppity they wouldn't laugh or smile unless it was in style this season." "They do think differently," Starlight allowed. "And... maybe that's a good thing? They see things we don't, do things we can't." "Yeah." Sunset frowned at her. "While we magic-less earth ponies grub around in the dirt, growing food for them. But... maybe you're right," she added, waving a hoof. "Horses for courses, as they say. I just..." She shrugged. "I just wish they could see it that way. I wish we could all work together, as a team, as equals. Because when we do, when we're all pulling together to raise a barn or build a town --" She stamped a hoof. " Then I can feel proud about that. Really proud. Proud of being Chancellor!" "No objections from me," Starlight agreed hopefully. Then Sunset smirked whimsically. "Plus," she said, winking, "the free cupcakes every meal don't hurt either, do they?" "Uh... that they don't, Your Chancellor-ness." At the far end of the cavern, Trixie sat facing the wall, her snout in the air, haughtily silent. Twilight hovered nearby, unsure what to say. Trixie spoke first. "Well, Clover. Here we are." "Um. Yes, Your Highness?" "We trek halfway round the world, and find ourselves right back where we started. With those two underhoof, being difficult and unreasonable. Huh! And here I thought I was being decisive, finally living up to this crown on my head. Sigh... it seems that yet again, the Great and Powerful Princess Platinum is stuck making the same old mistakes." "I wouldn't say mistakes, Highness --" "Don't interrupt a good maudlin, Clover." "Oh. Sorry, Your Highness." Trixie huffed and went on. "When Bullion stepped aside and granted me the crown, I assumed it was because I was ready. I assumed everything would be different, that it would finally be clear. In becoming Princess, I would at long last become the Great and Powerful leader I'd always dreamed of being, all my life." She shrugged -- minutely, and with regal grace. "And then I found I was exactly the same pony, with just as little magic, and even less idea how to lead. And with an entire kingdom looking to me to set the tone." "Well... you led us here," Twilight offered. Trixie shook her head. "Only because of you, Clover. You keep advising me to look at things differently, to see from new perspectives. And I'll grant you, most of the time it works. I may treat you like a lowly apprentice at times, like a servant. Yet you really are a quite knowledgeable sorcerer, you know?" "Um... wizard, Your Highness?" "Hmm? Ah, yes." Trixie nodded. "Star Swirl's little affectation, my apologies. Though with my limited skill with magic I can scarcely tell the difference. What with ruling the country and managing this crisis, I've never really had the time to develop my powers. Not to the level of a mage such as yourself. Hence, I rely on your magic, Clover, and your insight, and your creativity... She turned to look at Twilight, looking helpless. "So what, in your opinion," she asked, "ought we to do now?" Twilight bit her lip. She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to rush ahead, skip to the ending. But that wasn't how this part of the pageant went. The three leaders needed to discover it for themselves, see it for themselves. "Maybe..." Twilight said cautiously, "maybe we should give the other tribes another chance?" "Perhaps." Trixie made a face. "Seems there's precious little we can ever do but try, try again, is there? But it will all be worth it, don't you think? If we can live in that wonderful land we saw, ever so briefly?" Then she smiled, shaking her head. "What would I do without you, Clover? I really don't appreciate you half as much as I ought to." Twilight shrugged. "I'm your royal advisor, Your Highness. It's, well... kinda my job." "Indeed. And you know, as annoying as it is sometimes, whatever sort of calamity befalls us, and no matter how ill-prepared I find myself in dealing with it..." Trixie smirked. "Somehow, I can always depend on you to find us a way out of it." "I really hope so, Trixie... er... I mean, Your Highness." ------------------------------ So, everything seemed to be going well. The three leaders were begrudgingly encouraged to gather closer to the mage-fire, where they sat glaring at each other uncomfortably. And Twilight allowed herself to hope. All they had to do was get through the reconciliation scene Starlight and Sunset had written, with the leaders coming to accord on their own and lighting the fire of friendship by singing carols together. And there'd be no need for anypony to be frozen in ice, which always seemed overly melodramatic and unrealistic. Not to mention seriously life-threatening if you actually stopped to think about it. "Ahem," said Sunset. "I think that maybe it's time to get serious here. I know, I know, serious isn't usually my thing. But the way the snow's piling up outside... maybe it's time to put aside the funny hat and talk hard facts. About the snow, and the cold, and whether there's something we can do..." She gritted her teeth. "... something we can all do, together... to set things right?" "Mmmm... I am certainly open," Trixie allowed, "to calm, reasonable discussion. Perhaps if we put our heads together, we can collectively see something we've all missed, hmm?" The two of them looked at Tempest, who was sitting with her head lowered, eyes shut, snorting crossly. And then somehow... somehow it all went off the rails. Tempest looked up, and all but exploded. "Are you two insane?" she shouted. "It's cooperation that got us into this mess in the first place! What, are we pegasi supposed to hand over decision-making to a bunch of half-witted foreign powers? Are we supposed to listen to the advice of so-called ponies --" she sneered, waving an armored hoof in Sunset's direction, "-- who can barely think for themselves? Who abandon their own to fend for themselves in the frozen cold?" "Uh... what's going on?" Starlight whispered backstage. "This isn't in the script." "Or the so-called advice," Tempest went on, "of snobbish, self-important aristocrats, who can somehow move the Sun and the Moon, and yet can't be bothered to come up with a rational plan for dealing with a serious change in climate!" "Humph!" Trixie sniffed. "The weather, as I have said, Commander, is not our fault. And who are you to talk, Commander Hurricane? A hot-tempered dictator? Who seeks only to recover past military glories? Hah! Unicorns would never stoop to threats of violence to achieve our goals." Tempest's eyes narrowed threateningly. "Don't get me started on you, Your Highness," she snarled. "Bullion we at least understood. He knew how to show strength and be decisive. He had pride and ability! But you? I have never seen such worthless, self-centered incompetence before!" "Commander!" Trixie drew herself up with brittle pride. "How dare you! Haven't you said enough already?" "Have I?" Tempest stamped a hoof. "You let your subjects freeze because you're unwilling to admit a mistake! You style yourself a leader, while allowing yourself to be led around by the nose, by so-called advisors who make all the hard choices for you! And as if that isn't proof enough, you let your own daughter be snatched away, right from under your own nose! What kind of leader does things like that?" "My... daughter?" Trixie looked puzzled. "I... don't have a daughter. Um... yet." She leaned towards Twilight and whispered fiercely. "I'm going to have to have words with the court physicians when we get back. Somepony's been indiscreet!" "Yes, Your Highness," Twilight mumbled. But she was staring at Tempest, who seemed completely unhinged now. "And pegasi?" Tempest roared, wild-eyed. "They could have put a stop to the cold, to the snow and ice. They could have stopped everything, before it all went too far. But they didn't! They did nothing. They just stood by and watched!" "What's she talking about?" Twilight asked. "Got me." Starlight shrugged. "None of this was in the script, the original or our revision. You know that." Moondancer had her eyes shut, muttering to herself as if trying to recall something. Then her eyes went wide. "Wait! Platinum did have a daughter -- Palladium! She disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Even today nopony knows why. But that was after the Hearth's Warming miracle, and the unification of the tribes." "So... where's all this coming from?" Twilight whispered. Tempest was gasping desperately, nearly in tears, staring in horror at something only she could see. "They... they let her die... frozen and alone... frozen in ice..." She fell silent, her voice choked, unable to go on. "Uhhh..." Sunset pointed a hoof uneasily. "Like the ice that's covering our only way out?" All the while Tempest had been ranting, the temperature in the cavern had been plummeting. A rime of ice had formed on the walls, had crept around to cover the snow-blocked entrance. Tempest whirled, staring at it, and seemed to come back to herself. Or at least, to her Commander Hurricane persona. "There's no way out! We're trapped now!" "Hah!" Trixie sneered. "You two deserve this horrible fate. You've done nothing but argue and fight with each other!" Tempest whirled to glare at her. "As if you haven't been fighting as well, Your Highness!" "As I said --" Trixie lofted her snout. "A unicorn never stoops to fighting." "You've both been fighting," Sunset yelled. "And stubborn, and unreasonable. I'd wash my hooves of both of you, if I had the soap!" Even as they spoke, the ice had been creeping across the cavern floor as well. It started with their hooves, and crept up them like a living thing, even as their furious breathing created clouds of condensation before their faces. And still they went on furiously arguing. "You unicorns say you never fight," Tempest yelled at Trixie, "because you know you'd never win!" "Only a pegasus would think like that. Pegasi are brutes!" Trixie yelled, as the ice steadily encased her. "Unicorns are snobs!" Sunset added, the ice spreading over her as well. "Earth ponies are lazy idiots!" And Twilight, Starlight, and Moondancer huddled together by the pitifully small mage-fire, staring in shocked horror. "We have to do something," Starlight whispered. "They'll freeze to death!" "But what?" Moondancer said desperately. "This is how the pageant traditionally goes. Maybe it has to end like this. Maybe we can't change it!" "Maybe we can't," Twilight admitted. "But maybe, just maybe... they can." For the three leaders had become aware -- all too aware -- of the ice imprisoning them. And they looked at each other in desperate realization. And then at the three assistants, huddled together by the mage-fire. "Looks like it's up to you now, Clover," Trixie called bravely. "Don't let the unicorns down. Don't let me down!" she shrieked, as the ice closed over her. "I'm sorry I brought you into this, Private," Tempest called. "Remember your duty, and the honor of the regiment, and..." She shook her head, as if realizing she was saying the wrong thing. Then she looked Moondancer in the eye. "You're in charge now," she whispered sadly. "Do as you think best..." And then she said no more, entombed in ice. "Just don't give away the farmlands," Sunset added to Starlight, as the ice claimed her as well. The three assistants huddled closer, as the circle of ice closed in on them. It ran over the magefire as if it didn't even exist, snuffing it out. "It's up to us now, girls," Twilight whispered in the frigid darkness. "Don't forget your lines." Then she gazed up at the roof of the cavern, at the swirling stormclouds, within which wraith-like shapes pranced, snorting and roaring in triumph as they drew in the last remaining warmth in the chamber. "They must be... windigos," Twilight said, in character. And felt the pageant take over, almost as if the words themselves needed to be said. "My mentor, Star Swirl, taught me about them. They're winter spirits that feed on fighting and hatred. The more hate the spirit feels, the colder things become." "Then this is our fault," Starlight said, "We three tribes brought this blizzard to our homes, by fighting instead of working together. Now it's destroying this land, too." "And now our bodies will become as cold as our hearts," Twilight went on, "all because we were foolish enough to hate..." "Well," Moondancer said, wincing as she felt the ice reach her hooves. "I don't hate you guys. I've always liked how we get along. How we listen to each other, while the head ponies are fighting all the time." "That's true," Starlight said. "There's no pressure on us to put up a brave front, or act tough. We can speak our minds." "Which may be," Twilight noted, "why the leaders have left this in our hooves. To act for them, as we think best." She could feel the ice climbing over her, felt the chill sapping the life from her -- and hoped there would be time enough for them all to finish. "Well," Moondancer said, "I feel that we should work together. I always have." At her words, they could hear the windigos overhead whinnying nervously. It's working! Twilight thought frantically, daring to hope. "I feel the same way," she said. "I've always advised the Princess that we're stronger together." "No matter what our differences," Starlight added, swallowing in fear, "we're all ponies." And they leant together, as the ice sealed them in. It was cold, desperately cold. Twilight couldn't even breathe. And then she suddenly felt panicked. The Fire of Friendship, she thought. How do I light it? There was nothing in the script about that. What are we supposed to do? But even as she thought it, she felt a comforting warmth building up inside her. Inside all three of them, together. It built up, an unstoppable wave of calm and certainty. It feels just like when we power up the Field of Harmony, Twilight marveled. It's not something we have... or something we do... it's something we are... ... WE ARE FRIENDS. The power surged through her horn, which was still exposed to the air, and crackled into the air overhead, forming a broad, flickering cloud of deep magenta magic, shaped like a living, beating heart. It blazed with warmth, banishing the windigos, and quickly melting the ice encasing them. As they were freed from its grip, Twilight and Moondancer and Starlight gazed up at the flickering flame in wonder. "I didn't know unicorns could do that," Starlight breathed. "I didn't either," Twilight agreed. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. But I know it couldn't have just been me. It came from all three of us, joined together in friendship." And the three of them sighed in relief, feeling the pressure of the words, of the spell, gradually releasing them. "The Fire of Friendship," Starlight marveled, staring at it. "And here I thought it was just a myth, just a special effect of the pageant." "It is part of the pageant," Moondancer said. "It's just that the pageant isn't only a pageant." "It's a spell," Twilight confirmed. "A spell based on harmony, on friendship. And as long as the fire of friendship lives in our hearts, it'll never die, and we cannot drift apart..." "Sounds familiar..." Starlight said with a smile. "Like a winter carol, maybe?" "Do we need to sing them now?" Moondancer asked anxiously. "Is that part of the pageant too?" "Let's... get our friends free of the ice first," Twilight suggested. "It's safer. And we'll have more voices that way." ------------------------------ "All through the night," Spike was saying onstage, "the three assistants kept the fire of friendship alive by telling stories to one another and singing songs, which of course became the winter carols that we all still sing today. Eventually, the warmth of the fire and singing and laughing reached the leaders, and their bodies began to thaw. And their hearts as well." "I still say a good cup o' Joe will do that for ya," Grubber put in. "But what do I know?" "The three leaders," Spike continued, "agreed to share the beautiful land, and live in harmony ever after. And together, they named this new land..." He and the other performers drew breath to call out the final word of the pageant. And then they were drowned out as the entire Royal Performance hall rang with the exhilarated cheer from the audience: EQUESTRIA! There was deafening applause, hooves clapping and stamping excitedly. Then the audience joined with the cast for the traditional closing carol: The fire of friendship lives in our hearts. As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart. Though quarrels arise, Their numbers are few, Laughter and singing will see us through. We are a circle of pony friends. A circle of friends we'll be To the very end! There were several curtain calls, but finally the curtains swung closed, concluding the pageant. And Twilight and the others sat staring at each other in wordless amazement, surrounded by the backdrops and props of the final flag-raising scene, as Spike and Grubber came through the curtains to join them. "How much of that... actually happened?" Starlight asked. "Oh, did something happen?" Spike asked. "We were facing the audience the whole time. We didn't see." "We'll... explain later," Twilight told him. "Once we've figured it out ourselves." "I always say," Trixie remarked, "a good trick practically works itself, but this... this went above and beyond!" "No kidding." Moondancer grinned. "If I'd known the pageant was going to be this exciting, I'd never have been worried. I didn't feel stage-fright at all, the whole time." "Total mortal panic does have a way of drowning out lesser fears," Sunset noted. "But you did great, Moon-Moon. Good job!" "To all of us," Twilight said, smiling. "I'm proud of all of you." "As are we," said a regal voice behind her. Twilight and the others turned to see Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance striding through the backstage curtains. "Princesses!" Twilight winced nervously, as the entire group bowed in respect. "What did you all think? We're sorry if things got a little out of hoof. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but..." Celestia put up a golden-shod hoof for silence. "I did sense," she said, "that something unusual was going on during the performance, though I cannot say for certain what it was. But I am proud of the way you dealt with it, all of you. Perhaps, Twilight, you and your team might investigate further, then compose one of your usually thorough reports on the subject? I would very much like to hear your opinions, unbiased by anything I might suggest." "Yes, Princess," Twilight agreed readily. "Princess Luna?" Trixie asked uneasily. "What did you think?" Luna looked surprised. "Oh! Pardon my silence, Lady Trixie. I was merely seeking the right words to express how wonderful I thought it all was. I don't think the pageant could have improved upon, honestly!" Twilight stared at her, amazed. "Really? But..." "You must understand," Luna went on, "Sister and I, well, we knew many of these ponies personally. And this... it was like seeing them all brought to life! It was amazing! Truly, Sister," she added to Celestia, "you did not make clear how enjoyable an occasion this pageant was. I assumed it would be merely some boring old holiday standard, which would have me seeking death's embrace before the intermission. But this -- this was an event! I can hardly wait for next year, to see it all again!" "She's not the only one, Twilight." Princess Cadance added, smiling. "The audience loved it, too. They loved all the little tweaks you made to things. Spike and Grubber's banter with each other was hysterical. I hear the coffee shops are already doing a land-office business. They especially liked the way you made each of the tribe leaders a real character, with honest opinions, rooted in history rather than just tired old stereotypes." "Well..." Twilight said, "I'm only glad they don't think we spoiled it, by making it too true-to-life." "Far from it," Celesta assured her. "From what I hear, the Thespian Society were taking notes throughout. And they're already talking about making your version of the play the official one from now on. That is, if they can get a copy of the final script to work from." "Uhhh... I'll gather my notes, Highness," Moondancer offered, "and send them an annotated version." "That would be splendid," Celestia agreed. "And let me thank all of you for an excellent presentation. I was sure you would do us proud, and show the audience what it means to be true friends. And in this, I was not mistaken." Then the three Princesses bowed their heads silently, in gratitude. And Twilight and her friends looked at each other in weary relief, while at the same time trying not to ask the million questions that were on their minds... ------------------------------ Much later, after the cast party, and the autograph signing and photographs, the group trotted along Diamond Avenue, past the warmly-lit shop-fronts and holiday lighting, and past groups of ponies who were toasting each other's health with hot cups of coffee, in what appeared to be a newly-minted holiday tradition. "So," Starlight asked, "are we gonna talk about this? What did happen on that stage, during the play? Did we go back in time? Were we in some kind of alternate reality?" "I wonder," Sunset said, "if it had something to do with us being the modern-day Elements of Harmony? Like, maybe the same magic that powers the Field of Harmony was awakened somehow by the need to work together on the pageant, and it super-charged the pageant spell itself?" "Both spells are powered by friendship," Starlight agreed. "Same magic, different spells. It could happen." "Or maybe," Moondancer offered, a little reminiscently, "it was just a really old, old story. And we all just got caught up in it." "I do love a good book," Twilight agreed with a grin. "But if this should happen again," Trixie grumbled, "a little warning might be nice? Half the time I don't even think it was me talking, just the darned script. And after all that rehearsal! Not sure why I bothered now." "You did fine, Your Grace," Starlight told her. "And the play was a total success. It's all everypony can talk about. Do you think they'll want us to do the pageant again next year, Twilight?" "I... think we'll leave it to the Thespian Society," said Twilight. "See what they do with our version of it." Moondancer sighed. "I'm just glad they liked all our changes. All that research on the history and events behind the pageant, it really paid off. And you were great, Tempest! I loved the way you threw in all those ad-libbed historical references. Most of the time you had me looking stuff up." "Hmph." Tempest was looking dour and unsettled. "I think from now on," she muttered, "I'll stick to reading my lines off cue-cards. This Method acting, it dredges up too many bad feelings, too many bad memories. Stuff that's better off forgotten." She looked around at the others, embarrassed. "I'm... sorry if I got a little carried away, there." "Not to worry." Twilight smiled up at her. "We understand." "You gave it your all," Trixie agreed loftily. "Nopony in the world could fault you for that." "And after all," Moondancer said, "we're all friends here. Right?" The others nodded agreeably. "Mm hmm... you said it... absolutely!" Tempest smiled minutely in return. And then finally began holding her head high and proud again, like usual. "I just wonder," Moondancer went on, "where all that historical detail came from, while we were caught up in things. I mean, there was stuff that's never been written down. And it was so true-to-life! It's like we were reliving somepony's memories, almost." Twilight shrugged. "Maybe it was just another Hearth's Warming miracle," she observed. "And we'll never know exactly why it happened." And that seemed answer enough, at least for the moment. The group continued along the avenue, chatting amongst themselves. And then, for no particular reason, they burst into a rousing chorus of Hearth's Warming Eve together, singing at the top of their lungs, in utter relief that the pageant was over and done with, and they had nothing ahead but the holiday itself to look forward to. So none of them noticed the double-lightning-bolt mark on Tempest's mage-armor. Noticed it glowing a brilliant, icy-cold blue, as if awakened from a long slumber... As if reminded of something...