Concentrate, Twilight.
Just... keep concentrating.
I kept my eyes locked on the magenta orb of light floating listlessly before me. I carefully shifted it to the left, moving it until it was a few inches away from the glowing red ring of magic. I was so preoccupied with passing the ball smoothly through the hoop that I didn't notice the turquoise star sneaking up on my spell.
"Twilight!" Sunset quickly elevated her ring, moving it all the way to the ceiling and turning it ninety degrees.
"Right!" I followed her lead, pulling my sphere away from the pursuing star and lifting it higher into the air as well.
"Too obvious, girls," Starlight taunted. She didn't move her star. Not through conventional means, at least. As my ball traveled upwards, inches away from safely passing through Sunset's loop, Starlight's magic appeared directly in the way.
A teleportation spell!?
It was a clever way to unexpectedly block my path, one she hadn't yet used this round so therefore, one I wasn't expecting.
CRAP!
I drew my magic away from hers, taking my eyes off of my spell and glaring at the lilac unicorn. She was completely focused on the game, not even acknowledging me. If she'd wanted to, she could have ended the round then and there and knowing she knew that infuriated me.
It was an ingenious little contest designed by Starlight to help us gain better control of our mana. It was an especially helpful exercise when it came to improving precise movements with our spells. The rules were simple.
Each of us had to use our own magic to manifest one of three objects: a ring, a sphere, or a star. Depending on how difficult the players wanted the game to be for a particular role, the size of the objects were to be casted smaller or larger. The ring however always had to be larger than the sphere. The larger the star, the more difficult the game was for the other two players.
The way the game was played was in a two-versus-one format. The sphere player and the ring player had to work together to maneuver the sphere through the ring without vocally communicating their intentions to one another. If the sphere and the ring spells made any contact with one another their controllers immediately awarded a point to their opponent. As such, their movements had to be perfectly synced together or they would bring about their own defeat. Another rule was that the ring player could not move their object to try and score. For example, it was up to the sphere player to pass through the ring, not vice-versa. The only motion the ring player was allowed to utilize while trying to help score was through rotation.
All the while, the wielder of the star was tasked with stopping the other two from completing their objective. As mentioned, the first way the star user could score a point was if the sphere collided with the ring in any way. The second way the star player could win a point was through touching their spell to the sphere. Simple, yet difficult.
The legal area of play could be as small as a four-foot by four-foot square or as large as... well, the planet. For this game we'd agreed to restrict ourselves to the train-car we were occupying.
First to three points was the winner of the round, either the duo or the single player, and the only major rule was that your object had to exist at all times at the agreed upon size. If a spell failed it was an auto loss to that player's side. It was a chaotic mess that required keeping many things in check to ensure one was performing well. The sphere player had to worry about passing their object through the ring without connecting with it, all while avoiding the star's aggressive motions.
The ring player had to find an advantageous position for the sphere player to safely pass through their object while rotating the ring properly so that they weren't smashed into. A correct positioning of the ring could be sabotaged by an incorrect orientation of said object. For me, it was by far the hardest role to play.
Finally, the star player had to play offense and defense at the same time. If they only chased the sphere, the ring player could freely get to a position to score. If they only blocked the rings center the game slowed to a standstill and we all agreed that would just make playing pointless. It was a task that required a fine balance and was a bit easier in my opinion because one played that particular role alone.
On paper, the game sounded like a cakewalk. In practice... well, let's just say I was sweating a bit more than I'd have preferred.
It had all come from Starlight's brilliant little mind. She really was a genius when it came to magic and her ability was evident from the moment we started playing.
In the first round, Starlight and Sunset were on a team. Starlight took the role of the ring and Sunset took the easiest role, -- at least, in my opinion -- the sphere. While Sunset and I were barely getting used to the rules I was having some trouble with Starlight's expertise. Whenever I chased Sunset, -- the obviously weaker participant -- Starlight would teleport her ring and their team would instantly score.
It wasn't so much Sunset defeating me as it was Starlight playing with me. The entire game the lilac mare had given me a smug grin every single time she scored. I managed to get a good teleport in after they'd scored twice, Sunset not expecting me to move in front of her sphere, and the collision of our objects gave me a point. Unfortunately, I'd lost the round shortly after, three points to one.
Round two, Starlight and I were on the same team, however she insisted that I take up the role of the ring. From the start of the game Sunset was having trouble keeping up with Starlight. It only grew worse for her once the golden mare began to prod at the base of her horn with a hoof.
With no option other than causing the two of us to collide, Sunset was forced to play pure defense around my ring. I knew Starlight was aware of the issue as well, because she began to play against me in spite of the fact that she was on my team.
She maneuvered the sphere with reckless abandon, coming in from every direction at speeds that were almost too fast for my eyes to follow. I had to rotate my ring to keep up, but after the third collision it was clear the lilac mare was showing me just how far ahead of mine her skills were. We'd lost three points to zero, giving Sunset the unearned round.
I hated Starlight for it. For showing me just how far behind her I was. I wanted to strangle her, to blast her with a spell...
But...
I couldn't help but find it fascinating. I couldn't help but find her fascinating. I'd done so much to become the most powerful unicorn in Equestria for my mistress' sake, yet despite my best efforts Starlight was on a whole different level.
I wasn't sure how she'd done it. I didn't want to believe it was possible, but she'd proven time and time again just how strong she was... and it drew me to her like a bee to the sweetest smelling flower. That smile. That... SMUG smile.
I LOATHED it...
I liked it...
A lot.
And now, Sunset and I were on a team for the final round. I was more than a little frustrated. Starlight was toying with us, that much was clear, but what really grinded my gears was that I'd only scored one measly point the entire game.
Sunset had six.
Starlight had three.
I had one. BUCKING ONE! And what's worse? I was confident that I'd only gotten that point because Starlight allowed me to get it. This was my last chance. If Sunset and I could shut the haughty mare out, I'd beat her by one point. In her arrogance to show me up, Starlight had given me the clear path to besting her.
I just have to take it!
I teleported my sphere sporadically around the room, knowing for a fact Starlight's arrogance would get the better of her. She wouldn't guard Sunset's ring, she'd chase me. Her pride wouldn't allow her to do anything else. I was correct. Each time my orb shifted Starlight's spell was right next to it.
Sunset did as well as she could all things considered, rotating her ring this way and that to give me the best chance of scoring while adjusting its position, but she couldn't keep up with my movements. Not only because she lacked the mana to do so, but because she couldn't possibly read my mind and therefore predict my actions. Glancing sidelong at the mare it was easy to see she was nearly spent. Her foreleg kept raising, presumably to rub a hoof at her horn, but she refused to give up.
I just have to score as soon as possible. Then she can rest for a bit.
Easier said than done. Each time I got anywhere close to the ring, the star cut my path off. I glared at the lilac mare.
Bad idea.
She wasn't even paying attention to the game anymore. Her eyes were locked on me, her look of abject abhorrence causing me to instantly lose my concentration.
"TWILIGHT!" Sunset shouted, but it was a lost cause. The star slammed into my sphere, both exploding into a descending shower of magenta and turquoise sparks. Despite winning the point, Starlight's expression didn't change nor did she stop staring at me.
What did I do?
I recoiled under the weight of her intense glare. Had my tirade really gotten her so pissed off? No. It was something else. It all felt just like back at the lab when...
Sunset...
"I'm s-sorry... Twilight," the golden mare and the only one still paying attention to the game, was struggling to catch her breath. "It was... my fault... she scored."
I was still bewildered by Starlight's sudden animosity, but I couldn't just let Sunset's words stand.
That's not true.
I turned to the golden unicorn, a smile on my face. She was still prodding at the base of her horn, the disappointment on her face sending a tremor through me.
"That's not true, Sunset. You did gre-"
*BOOM*
The explosion that rocked our train-car silenced me.
"AGH!" Sunset cried out, grabbing her horn with her hooves.
"SUNNY! / SUNSET!" Starlight and I shouted. I stood to my hooves, but the lilac unicorn was already right next to Sunset.
"Are you alright!?" Starlight's horn was shining brightly as she held onto Sunset.
"I'm okay," she replied, though her hooves hadn't left her head. "It just... surprised me... that's all." The pain on her face, her eyes shut tight, made it abundantly clear she was lying for our sakes.
Starlight held onto our friend, her look of concern shifting to pure rage as she looked at me.
"Twilight!" she nearly snarled. She didn't need to say any more. I nodded, stomping my way to the door. I almost tore it from its hinges, pulling it open with my telekinesis with much more force than necessary.
As I trampled down the hall of the next car over I had to fight to control my anger. The explosion, whatever had caused it, hadn't been the first offense. For the entire trip the passengers in the next car over had been as boisterous as a crowd in a Las Pegasus casino. The three of us had mostly ignored it, but it had altered our performances during the game. No, the explosion was simply the last straw. Now it was time for them to own up to their transgressions.
"Miss Sparkle... is there a problem, ma'am?" A stallion attendant asked as I briskly passed him by.
"No," I didn't stop to speak. I barely even acknowledged him. "Nothing's wrong."
He fell into step next to me. "If you've an issue with another passenger, I assure you I can-"
"What's your name?" I continued to face my destination.
"Big Bucks, ma'am."
"Take a break, Big." The look I gave him was enough to get him to nod nervously and leave the car without another word.
I slammed my hoof against the door to the room, tapping the other on the floor to keep myself as calm as possible. No sound came from within, whatever creatures inside obviously aware that they'd screwed up.
NOW they want to try and act proper!?
I hit the door even harder, the spell I casted to amplify my strength causing the whole train-car to rumble. If they didn't answer soon, I was going to open the door myself, to Tartarus with the consequences.
The door slowly opened, revealing an orange earth pony mare with a slightly worn stetson on her head. She was looking down, trying her best to avoid my gaze.
"Course y'all're gonna make me answer after I told Pinkie to cut it out with the shenanigans," she was whispering to herself as if she was already prepping to apologize to me. "OH! Uh, howdy! What can I do ya for?" the volume of her voice was normal as she quickly raised her head and gave me an awkward smile.
I cocked my head to the side, looking past her into the interior of the room. It was a pretty standard space, but the confetti all over the floor was more than a little suspicious. Somepony within gasped loudly, but before I could properly assess the other mares sitting inside the one standing before me moved to block my vantage point.
"S-sorry! My friends are a little shy," she chuckled uncomfortably, scratching around the freckles on her face with a hoof.
"What are you doing in there!?" I shoved the mare's chest with a hoof, though she didn't budge an inch. Not surprising considering she was an earth pony. "What was that explosion? You hu-"
"'Scuse me?" she raised an irritated eyebrow as she brushed my hoof away. "Where do ya get off thinkin' ya can go pokin' total strangers like that?" she snorted. "That's grounds for gettin' your teeth bucked right down your throat, missy."
"TRY me!" I growled, my horn blazing with my magenta energy. The image of Sunset in pain was vivid in my mind and It was driving me to act way too rashly. That very same image was reason enough for me to not care about anything else at the moment. As far as I was concerned, they'd hurt her. They'd hurt my friend. If she made a move, the orange mare and the rest of the occupants in the room would be on the floor in a second.
"U-uhm, Applejack... t-that's Twilight Sparkle." The sound of a soft, velvety voice, barely above a whisper, came from within the room. I continued to stare daggers at the pony standing before me.
"AND!?" The orange mare, -- apparently named Applejack -- didn't flinch, narrowing her eyes on me. "What's that supposed to matter to me!?"
"She's Princess Luna's personal protégé, darling," another much more regal voice replied to Applejack, causing the orange mare's eyes to nearly pop right out of their sockets.
"OH! Uh, horseapples..." Her look of aggression quickly shifted to one of worry. "I didn't mean... I mean I did, I just- Heck, I'm s-" just as she was removing her hat another different sickly-sweet voice came from within.
"Ohhhhh, I'm soooo sorry! It was all my fault!" The pink mare suddenly standing to Applejack's left had seemingly appeared out of thin air. She was nearly crying, her mane and tail straight and somehow even more pink than the rest of her coat. "One of my party cannons went haywire and-"
"Who cares who's pet she is. Don't be such a pansy, Aj." A mane consisting of a rainbow of colors manifested right next to Applejack, opposite the pink mare. The cyan pegasus was giving me a look of utter disrespect, a look I was more than familiar with, and one I wouldn't tolerate for much longer. "I can take her if you're too scared. We're on a mission from Celestia after all. It's not like Luna can override the real princess."
"You... you dare!?" I bristled at the absolute audacity of the insolent mare. I'd almost lost it at her lack of reverence for my mistress, but managed to control myself, despite my desire to reprimand her. She was a citizen of Equestria, after all. If my mistress were here she would not want me to act so impulsively either.
Even so...
I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. My horn burned with righteous indignation.
"You act like a bunch of carefree foals from the moment we depart," first my spell froze them all in place. "Then you HURT my friend," then it gradually increased the force of gravity on them, causing each to hunch over. Though I was certain they all wished to protest, my spell demanded all of their concentration to simply stay upright. "And then you have the gall to question the legitimacy of MY MISTRESS!?"
The pink pony was already on the floor, her legs no longer strong enough to keep her standing.
"PINKIE!" two mares shouted from within, both obviously full of concern. Applejack and the rainbow mare were crouched down, though impressively enough, both were able to remain on their hooves.
I would have tried to resolve the problem with civility and grace, -- despite how furious I was, especially if I'd have been met with remorse -- but the cyan pegasus' arrogance had far overstepped her bounds. I didn't want to hurt them. My spell's only intention was to subdue, but I would make them see. They would understand that behaving irrationally could have undesired consequences. They would understand that my mistress was every bit the ruler that her sister was.
Even moreso.
And yet... for some reason... my heart ached for them. Bile rose in my throat as I subjected them to my magic, but I refused to stop. I wanted nothing more than to walk away, to leave them be, but my love for my mistress wouldn't allow it.
As soon as they understand, I'll go.
Unfortunately, the defiance on the cyan and orange mares' faces told me they still needed to be taught. And so, I reluctantly increased the pressure of my spell.
"WAIT! PLEASE!" Another voice shouted from within along with the chime of a unicorn's horn starting up. My spell wasn't negated nor was it challenged in any way. Instead, magenta barriers formed around the three individuals before me. The auras reminded me of my own, though judging by how light the color was, they were much weaker than mine. "That's enough, girls. Trixie will handle this."
Two of the mares, -- Applejack and the rainbow maned one -- looked at me irately as they backed away. I gave them no reprieve, returning just as much venom as I was given, however the third pony, the pink one, Pinkie, just looked... sad. She mouthed "sorry", her eyes glistening before she stepped away as well.
"Careful, Trix," Applejack whispered to the unicorn as she walked by her. "We're right here if ya need us."
The pony that trotted up to me was... attractive, to say the least. Her flowing light-blue and white mane and tail were styled similar to Starlight's. Her sky-blue coat was flawless and her violet eyes shined with the beginnings of tears. She wore a violet cape clasped around her neck by a sapphire. It was covered in blue and yellow stars and was... extremely gaudy.
All she needs is a matching hat. I was able to successfully hold in my laughter at my joke, though a slight smile began creeping its way onto my lips.
Her horn was glimmering the same color as the barriers she'd shielded the others with. Her song... was not very potent, but it was lovely. It was strange. She didn't seem great or powerful in any way, but she did have the courage to stand up to me, and that was a quality worth praising.
"Trixie knows you're angry, but please... please don't hurt Trixie's... my friends."
I felt a sharp pain stab into my heart as a tear fell from one of her violet eyes.
"I..."
I didn't... want...
I laid a hoof against my face. Vivid images I was completely unfamiliar with passed through my mind. Images of these ponies who I felt were once my friends.
That's why all of this happened, isn't it? Because a friend, because MY friend, had been hurt. I didn't want anypony else to get hurt.
I ended my spell, lowering my head. Her Majesty wanted me to be happier, not angrier. I was certain Sunset would've already told me to calm down if she were standing with me here too.
"Just... try to keep it down, okay?" I said quietly. "My friend isn't feeling well."
...
"WAIT!" As I was walking back towards our car the unicorn at the door called out to me. "I'll be right back," she said to the others in her room before coming out, shutting the door behind herself, and trotting up to me.
"What is it?" I faced her with a frown. I really wanted to check on Sunset and every second away from her felt like an eternity.
"Trixie apologizes. For myself, and for my friends," she offered me an awkward smile.
"Do you do that a lot?" It may have been rude to ask, but I really wanted to know.
"Do what?" she asked, her head tilting slightly to the side.
"Refer to yourself in the third perspective."
She looked gloomy all of a sudden, staring down at the floor. "It's... It's a bad habit," she swept a hoof against the floor. "Trix- I know it can be pretty annoying." I couldn't help but smile at her foible.
"I want to apologize too." My statement drew a surprised expression to her face. "I shouldn't have hurt... I'm really sorry," I sighed, more than a little disappointed in myself.
"I-It's okay! Really! Trust Trixie! She- I know all about making a bad first impression." She was beaming all of a sudden. "If you come back to the room and talk to the others, I'm sure my friends will-"
"I'd rather not," I lifted a hoof, dashing her hopes, as well as her exuberance, to pieces.
Not after what I just did to them.
"I have to check on my friend, but... can you tell them I'm sorry?"
"O-of course Trixie can!" her eyes widened before her head lowered a fraction. "And I'm sorry too. We didn't mea-"
"It's okay," I continued on my way to my car, a smile on my lips. "Maybe we'll see each other again in the Crystal Empire. If we do, maybe I can introduce you to my friends."
"Trixie would like that!" Her enthusiasm was endearing.
"We have a deal then," I pressed a hoof against the door to our car. "Oh, and Trixie, was it?"
"Yes! And yes?"
"The way you talk... it's not annoying," I turned to face her, a look of surprise on her face. "I think it's kinda cute."
I left the mare alone, a deep crimson blush on her face and a happy smile on mine.