The Last Problem
Code Word: #TheLastProblem
“... how the magic of Friendship grows…”
Luster Dawn turns from her teacher, the glorious and radiant Princess Twilight Sparkle, and stares out into Ponyville. She runs off after a few others, who appear to be her own age, as she looks back once more at the Princess and her friends before turning back to the town.
She stops cold in her tracks as she nears close to the group that had beckoned to her to follow them. A kirin, a griffon, a yak, and a pony all stand around a table just outside Sugarcube Corner.
I… I don’t actually know how to do any of this! She thinks to herself. I spent so much time believing I didn’t need all that friendship lesson junk in school that I don’t actually know how to make friends! Twilight sang a song and just magically expected that I’d know what to do? That’s crazy!
“Hey, new girl,” the griffon says. “You can come hang out with us if you want.”
“Yeah, come on,” the kirin says. “You’re Princess Twilight’s student right?”
Luster Dawn nervously walks up to the table. “I… I… Yes, I’m Luster Dawn, Princess Twilight’s star pupil, but that doesn’t make me better than you! I just was lucky to learn magic from her!”
“Pony don’t need to be nervous,” the yak says. “We all friends here. My name is Yojam Yak!”
“Griselda,” the griffon says.
“I’m Frosty Winds,” the kirin says. “But you can call me Frosty!”
“I’m Buzz Cut!” the pony interjects. “Yojam is right. You’re more than welcome to join us. You don’t need to be nervous.”
“Oh I’m not, I’m not nervous why would I be nervous? I’m the pupil of the Princess of Friendship, of course I’m not nervous!” Luster Dawn says, her voice reaching a higher pitch than normal.
“Is pony okay?” Yojam says quietly in the direction of the kirin.
“She does seem like she’s sweating rather profusely,” Frosty replies calmly. “It’s okay, Luster Dawn, you are among friends here. Please sit and tell us a bit about yourself.”
Luster’s eyes widen and she wipes her brow. She is definitely sweating very profusely. It feels just like one of those dreams where you’re in class in your pajamas. Luster shudders. She’s had that dream far too much for comfort’s sake.
“I… I uhh… I have to go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back!” she says, her voice cracking. She runs off in the opposite direction.
“But the bathroom is over there!” Buzz Cut calls after her. Before he can call out again, Luster is around the next corner and out of sight. “That was weird,” he says.
Luster stops and begins to hyperventilate. I don’t know what to do! This isn’t like magic class! It’s not easy to make friends. What was Twilight thinking leaving me here?! I should just give up and go back home to Canterlot!
“But if I do that, she’ll be disappointed in me,” Luster says aloud. “I won’t be able to study under her anymore. Ugh… I wish there was just a magical switch that let you learn all about friendship in one go! I would never have to worry about this ever again!”
As she walks, Luster nearly trips on an envelope that’s suddenly appeared at her hooves. Her eyes widen as she picks it up. Strangely… it’s addressed to her. She looks around. Nopony is even in sight.
“Hello? Who dropped this here?” she calls out to no reply.
She looks down at the envelope and opens it up with a flick of her magic. Inside are two pieces of paper. One looks to be rather new while the other looks positively ancient. The older-looking page is completely blank.
Luster unfolds the other piece and begins to read aloud.
“Write your deepest desire on the ancient page and it shall become reality,” she whispers to herself, her voice low despite being completely alone.
She looks down at the other page and her eyes widen. If true, this magic could solve all her problems! It was almost as if somepony was watching over her! What if it was the Princess?! No… that didn’t sound right. The Princess wouldn’t want Luster to take the easy way. She would advocate for hard work, just like she always did.
Still, if this page could do what it was supposed to, she wouldn’t have to worry about that. She’d be friends with everypony and she’d be exceptionally knowledgeable about friendship! Maybe she’d even become an alicorn and supplant Twilight as the Princess of Friendship! It was tempting, but it also felt cheap.
Luster shook her head and grimaced. What should she do?
[CHOICE]
> Leave the page alone and do things the hard way. (Hero)
> Use the page to become all-knowing about friendship. (Chaos).
[ENDING A: HERO]
“No… this isn’t right,” Luster says, finally making her decision. “I can’t always rely on magic to get me everywhere. That’s what Twilight was trying to teach me. There’s always the magic of friendship.”
She dropped the page and the letter and ran back around the corner, finding herself yet again in front of the group of creatures.
“Oh hey Luster,” the griffon says. “Find the bathroom okay?”
“Especially since you totally went the wrong way,” Buzz Cut interjects, earning a nudge from Frosty. “What? She did!”
“I have a bit of a confession to make,” Luster says, sighing loudly. “I may be Princess Twilight’s pupil, but I don’t know anything about friendship at all. I took all those friendship classes, but I had decided I didn’t need to actually apply any of it. Twilight thought maybe if I spent some time here I would be able to make friends, but I have no idea what to do!”
“It very wise to admit you not the best at something,” Yojam says. “Yojam know nothing about that of course, Yak best at everything.”
“Luster, it’s okay,” Frosty says. “We don’t really know what we’re doing either.”
“You don’t? But you all seem so comfortable around each other!” Luster says.
“Oh yeah, well, we have our moments. Sometimes we fight, sometimes we mess up, but we keep trying because if there’s one thing we’ve learned from Twilight, it’s that…” Frosty says before the rest of the group joins in.
“Friendship isn’t easy, but there’s no doubt it’s worth fighting for!”
Luster smiles and mutters to herself. “Thank you, Princess.” She turns to the rest of the group.
“Let’s start over then, shall we?” she says. “My name is Luster Dawn, and I like peach-filled cupcakes with lots of sprinkles. I’m pretty good at magic, but I have a lot to learn about being a good friend. Since I’m going to be staying here for a while, maybe I can learn from you?”
Griselda flaps over and puts a claw on Luster’s shoulder before pulling her into a hug. Soon the others have joined as well. Friendship is alive and well in Equestria.
(+1 page for Heroes)
[ENDING B: CHAOS]
Luster grins. “I suppose it can’t hurt, right? I’ll know everything about friendship and be everypony’s best friend!”
She pulls a quill out of the envelope that she swears wasn’t there before and begins to scribble on the ancient piece of paper. As she does so, it glows softly.
“There!” she says, her eyes widening. “Wow… so that’s how this whole friendship thing works! Why didn’t I see this beforehand? Oh, right. Magical page. Time to go test this out.”
She steps back out into the busy street of Ponyville, somehow a bit busier than it was before. As she heads back to the place where the others were gathered, ponies and creatures of all kinds stop to say hello and address her by name. Some even give her hugs and smile widely. Luster blinks.
“Hey Luster! Guys, it’s Luster!” she hears a voice say.
Luster follows the voice to the table with the group of creatures. The pony named Buzz Cut is pointing at her.
“Good day, Luster Dawn!” the kirin named Frosty says. “I hope you are having a pleasant day today!”
“Yojam happy to see you as well!” the yak says.
“Hi!” Luster returns. “What are you all up to this afternoon?”
“Getting a bite to eat and then we’re going to hang out near the school. You want to join? You don’t need the friendship lessons, of course,” Buzz Cut says. “I keep saying any day now Twilight’s going to recognize your talent and make you an alicorn!”
Twilight! Luster Dawn freezes. Would Twilight be aware of what she did? Would she know?
Luster Dawn imagined disappointing her teacher so very much, and it scared her. What had she done?
“Oh look, there’s the Princess now!” Frosty says, pointing down the street.
Luster Dawn looks back meekly as Twilight Sparkle appears, regal and graceful, at the far end of the street. Their eyes meet, and Luster finds a cold stare in place of Twilight’s usual smile. She stays in place until the Princess approaches her.
“Hiya, Princess,” she says, attempting to defuse the situation. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk,” Twilight says. “Alone.”
With a flash, the two disappear and reappear on one of the balconies of the Castle of Friendship that overlooks the town.
“I’m very disappointed in you, Luster,” Twilight says, frowning. “You used powerful magic, magic so old I felt it in my very bones.”
“I did,” Luster says. “But I’m better at friendship now! I know everything there is to know! That’s what you wanted from me!”
“You cheated to get what you couldn’t work for,” Twilight says, scowling. “Turn things back now to the way they’re supposed to be.”
“No!” Luster Dawn says. “I like having all these friends! I’m friends with creatures I don’t even know! It’s amazing!”
“You don’t know what you’re messing with, Luster. Friendship isn’t something you can summon with a spell. Whatever you think you’ve gained, it’s not real. Sooner or later this will all fall apart. Give me the page and let me help you.”
Luster Dawn scowls before composing herself. “No. I won’t do it. I don’t want to lose this!”
Twilight sighs. “I can’t actually force you to do it. That would be immoral. I had hoped you would listen to reason. Goodbye, Luster Dawn. You are no longer my pupil. Enjoy your life here in Ponyville surrounded by all your new friends.”
Twilight disappears in a flash and Luster reappears next to the others.
“So… what did the Princess want to talk about?” Frosty says.
“Oh, it’s nothing! She was actually asking me for advice on a friendship problem!” Luster says, playing off the entire thing with a wave of her hoof.
“Wow, you’re so cool, Luster!” Buzz Cut says.
Luster Dawn smiles, but inside she feels as if she has been ripped apart at her very core. Twilight abandoned me? But can’t she see I have all the knowledge I need to be a good friend to every creature? I can’t believe she would do this!
If Twilight couldn’t see her newfound wisdom, she’d use it to spread friendship to every creature in Equestria. Twilight couldn’t refuse to make her an alicorn then. Luster would get her time to shine.
(+1 page for Chaos)