Tattle-Tale didn't quite know how to react to Leech's bombshell at first. His initial feeling was one of crushing disappointment as he realized he no longer held any sort of power over Leech. As he pondered the situation however, a malevolent smile soon began to spread across his muzzle. He glanced at a nearby desk calendar, and then turned back to face Leech.
"Leech my friend, ya couldn't a' timed dis better!" exclaimed Tattle-Tale. "Yer ex-buddy Trixie's doin' da biggest show a' her career tomorra, meanin' she'll be da talk a' the town. So if we publish dese beauties da mornin' after... her popularity is gonna put my readership inta' da stratosphere!"
"That'zz good... izzn't it?" queried Leech, not entirely sure what a 'stratosphere' was.
"Good? It's fan-freakin'-tastic!" Tattle-Tale replied. "I might even win an award for dis one! Story a' da century!"
"What... exzzactly will happen to Trixzzie after photozz are printed?" asked Leech, a tinge of remorse creeping into his voice.
"Ha! Dat mare will be ruined forever! Everypony's gonna forget about da part she played in savin' da city all those months ago! Fancy Pants is a pretty influential pony, when everypony gets a load a' Trixie givin him da brush off, ain't nopony gonna take her seriously ever again!" came the reply, punctuated by sinister laughter.
"Ha... ha... umm.... yezz, good one... maybe?" squeaked Leech in a tiny voice, attempting to laugh along but being unable to bring himself to.
Ruined forever? Leech hopezz it'zz not permanent, Leech only wantzz to ruin Trixzzie forever for a little while...
Leech's deliberations were interrupted as he caught sight of a letter on Tattle-Tale's desk. Tattle had been working on it when Leech had entered the room, and the little changeling was intrigued as to what the letter was for.
"What izz letter Tattle pony izz working on?" asked Leech, trying to distract himself from his doubts for a few moments.
"Oh, dat? Dat's a little somethin' I'm sendin' to a journalist friend a' mine back in Bronclyn. Much like me, he's a journalist dedicated ta' bringing celebrity gossip ta' da masses... warts an' all!" replied Tattle-Tale with a sneer.
"What doezz letter zzsay?" Leech enquired, wondering why ponies would want to read about each others' warts.
"Well, since we're on da same side now, guess there's no harm in readin' it to ya," began Tattle-Tale, levitating the document up to his face and clearing his throat.
Dear Mud Slinger
It's your old buddy Tattle-Tale here, with a little proposition for you. I'm based in Canterlot at the moment, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in working for me at some stage in the near future. I can guarantee there'll be no shortage of work - I've already accrued a massive readership, I've got an associate who can help produce all the photographic evidence we need, and a fully equipped office.
But let me tell you the absolute best thing about working in Canterlot - the populace are the biggest bunch of petulant, gossip-hungry slugs I've ever encountered. Seriously, these ponies are just a load of vapid, empty-headed, mindless cretins who will gladly swallow any horseapples I put out there! Heck before the recent change in legislation I didn't even need to put pictures with my articles if I didn't have any. The place is a goldmine, a huge number of incredibly gullible and stupid ponies with too much money - and they'll gladly part with that money in exchange for any old gossip, even if it's just a steaming pile of scat. Too far up their own flanks to see the truth, and too lazy to find anything out for themselves.
Don't worry about the legalities either - I make enough profit that I can skim cash off to pay any court fees with. I just tell the owners that it's "business expenses" - as long as they don't know where the money goes, it can't hurt them!
With the rate at which my operation is expanding, I reckon in the next month or so I'll need assistance in running my gossip mag - too many rich morons to fleece, and not enough time!
Write back to me with your decision, or feel free to visit the office. See you soon!
Tattle-Tale
"So ya see," explained Tattle-Tale, "when we run dis here exposé on your friend, I reckon my paper's gonna become too huge for me ta run all by myself! So I thought I'd extend an invite to my old buddy."
Tattle-Tale deftly folded the document in half and slotted it neatly into an envelope, before setting it down on his desk. He rose to his hooves and headed for the office door, before stopping and turning back to look at Leech.
"I'll take da Trixie pics to the print room dis evenin'," he said, "meanwhile, I want you ta find out all ya can about dis amulet thing you mentioned earlier. If she's really cheatin' on her performances, dat's double the scandal!"
With this, Tattle-Tale strode from the office to get some lunch, leaving Leech alone with his thoughts.
----------
Leech made no effort to leave Tattle-Tale's office, his troubled mind instead contemplating his and Trixie's current situation.
"Leech zzsure hopezz Leech knowzz what he izz doing..." he said sadly, before his attention was once again caught by something - the slot machine device Tattle-Tale used for his story ideas.
Seeing the opportunity for a much-needed bit of fun, Leech reached out a forehoof and gave the handle a tug, sending the three barrels into a whirling frenzy of names and activities. With a 'clack!', the spinning barrels came to a halt, forming a sentence which Leech slowly read out to himself.
"Filthy Rich... caught shoplifting... mare'zz underwear..." he said slowly, before erupting into riotous laughter.
"Thizz izz fun!" he gasped between guffaws, before giving the lever another pull.
"Photo Finish... admitzz... never bathing..." he read out loud once more, before another fit of giggles took hold.
"Photo pony doezzn't bathe! Thizz machine izz zzso funny!" laughed Leech, falling onto the floor in hysterics, lying on his back and kicking his little hindlegs out.
His laughter soon stopped as one of his kicking hindlegs hit one of the legs of Tattle-Tale's desk. Leech watched as the desk shot several feet backward, the documents on it being flung in all directions. The motion caused the slot machine on the desk to topple over, hitting a nearby filing cabinet... which in turn, like a huge metal domino, fell into a nearby set of wooden shelves with a deafening crash. Envelopes, files, folders and sheets of paper rained from the upended cabinet and shelves like giant flakes of confetti, which soon covered the floor of Tattle-Tale's office. Leech quickly got to his hooves and surveyed the scene of destruction.
"Uh-oh. Leech had better clean up thizz mezz and get out of here!" he breathed, before quickly charging about the office, grabbing hoof-fuls of documents and stuffing them into drawers and folders, with little consideration of whether they were the actual places the documents had come from.
Before long, Leech had placed all the documents and folders, more or less at random, back into the drawers and onto the shelves. The envelopes containing Tattle's letter to his friend and the incriminating photos of Trixie were back in their proper places, as were all items of furniture. His task complete, Leech quickly scuttled out of the building before Tattle-Tale returned.
----------
Meanwhile in Fancy Pants' lounge, things were proceeding with around the same level of success and organization.
"I say, Trixie," Fancy Pants said uneasily to the tense-looking aqua mare sitting on the velvet-cushioned stool on the opposite side of the coffee table, "have you been sleeping properly lately? Your eyes are looking a little... well, red..."
"My sleep schedule is fine. Not that it's any of your business." replied Trixie flatly, the glow in her eyes flaring a little.
"Ahem... yes, of course, my apologies. Not proper to question a lady's sleeping habits, not proper at all. I'm sure you're perfectly capable of regulating your own rest periods." said Fancy Pants, sounding even more nervous.
In an attempt to disperse the increasingly hostile and awkward atmosphere that was building in the room, Fancy Pants decided to hastily change topic.
"What's that charming piece of jewelry you have around your neck, Trixie? I've never seen anything like it in my entire life! Is it an antique?" he asked, his eyes turning towards the shimmering amulet on Trixie's chest.
"You could say so," answered Trixie through gritted teeth, "but then you could also say it's nothing to do with you."
"I... er... well..." stammered Fancy Pants, not expecting Trixie's new-found aggressive streak.
"And another thing - you said there'd be tea and cakes. I see no tea and I see no cakes - I have a busy schedule of practicing ahead of me, and I can't waste time making pleasantries with you under false pretenses!" continued Trixie, narrowing her eyes.
"Ah...uh... but of course. I'll just go through to the kitchen and see what I have." replied Fancy Pants, a few beads of sweat forming above his now nervously-smiling face.
Trixie sat on her stool, her increasingly erratic thought processes straining to ponder coherently. What... am... I... doing? I really should take... this thing off, I'm making... myself look incredibly... rude! No... no, I can't take it off... need to keep it on so I can... try and adjust to it... before tomorrow night! Just... hope... I can adjust before I alienate everpony I know...!
At that moment, Fancy Pants re-entered the room carrying a silver tray in his teeth. Upon the tray was a dainty little cup and saucer filled with freshly brewed tea, and a small plate of assorted croissants. He set the tray down on the coffee table and gave Trixie a somewhat worried sideways glance.
"I'm afraid I don't have any cakes in at the moment," he said, "but I do have a delectable selection of flavored croissants, freshly baked this mor-"
Fancy Pants was cut off by a blue hoof swatting the plate of pastry treats off the table, sending them flying into the lounge wall.
"NO!" boomed Trixie, her eyes turning completely crimson as another surge of the amulet's corrupting energy flowed through her. "I DON'T WANT THAT. How DARE you waste Trixie's time with false promises of cake! If you can't provide what you invited me in for, then DON'T INVITE ME IN. Now if you don't mind, Trixie has a hard afternoon of practicing to do... my legendary shows don't just create themselves, you know!"
With this, Trixie stomped out of the room and out of the mansion's front door, slamming it hard behind her as she did so. Fancy Pants watched her angrily march down the garden path and out of the gates before letting out a sigh.
"Quite the firebrand, that one." he mused, "Poor little thing, I guess the nerves must be getting to her! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to polish these croissants off myself. If I hurry, I can get them off the floor before the fifteen-second rule is up!"
----------
Several hours later, as midnight descended over the city, several of Canterlot's residents thought they could hear the sound of explosions and the crumbling of rocks coming from the mountains that surrounded the area. The sounds were distant and faint however, and anypony who heard them soon dismissed them as background noise. Unbeknown to them all, at the peak of a small mountain fifteen miles outside Canterlot, Trixie stood amid a crackling aura of deep red lightning.
Trixie had teleported into the mountains - with her now-pinpoint-accurate teleportation spell - to test the Amulet away from prying eyes. Working the Amulet's magic to its fullest extent, Trixie viciously smashed the giant rocks that surrounded her with a mere nod of her head, and fearful scarlet beams from her eyes instantly melted the broken pieces of stone into magma which rained down around her. As the last of the fiery orange rain splashed onto the rocky embankment on which she stood, Trixie stopped to catch her breath and admire the carnage she had created. Still-glowing lumps of semi-hardened magma steamed in the cool night air, and little more than gravel remained where a mighty row of standing stones had been only minutes previously. Trixie surveyed the scene and let out a laugh.
"Trixie is the most powerful equine OF ALL TIME!" she shrieked. "None of them would believe me. None of them ever thought I'd progress beyond a parlor magician! But Trixie has proven them wrong! Trixie has proven them ALL WRONG!"
All remaining semblance of sanity now buried deep beneath the Amulet's influence, Trixie's thoughts began to wander.
"Look at them all, the insignificant little whelps." she muttered in disgust as she observed the unknowing city from her vantage point. "All wrapped up in their pointless little bubbles of ignorance. All that wealth, all that status, all that prestige, wasted on ponies who neither appreciate nor deserve it. I don't even know why I'm performing for them tomorrow... with these powers, Trixie should not be a mere performer, existing only for the pleasure of others. If anything, they should live to please me!"
Trixie grinned as her Amulet-infused mind concocted a scheme.
"Tomorrow's show is going to be something these snobbish fools shall never forget!" she cackled. "It'll not only be the show that cements Trixie's place as the greatest magician of all time... but Trixie's place as the new ruler of all ponykind!"
Her new strategy decided, Trixie powered up the Amulet once more and resumed the wanton assault upon the mountainside, her destructive frenzy continuing long into the early hours.
----------
A buzz of excitement coursed throughout the entire city as the sun rose the next morning, with ponies scurrying busily from place to place making preparations for the upcoming Gala that evening. Nopony even seemed to notice that one of the nearby mountains was half as tall as it had been the day before. They were all much too busy making last-minute purchase of dresses, suits and accessories, arranging transport to and from the castle, and some lucky Canterlot residents were even arranging dates!
Leech trotted slowly through the bustling streets, occasionally stopping to take in a sip of the delicious excitement that hung in the very air around him, perking him up considerably after another chilly night's sleep in the wagon. Yet even this deluge of joviality and the fact nopony had insulted him as they trotted past couldn't lift Leech's spirits entirely.
"Leech zzsuppozzezz Leech had better go to cazztle library and find bookzz on amuletzz. Tattle pony zzsaid he needed to know more." he sighed, turning around and heading back towards the castle.
Entering the deserted repository of literature, Leech sat himself down at one of the library's many wooden study desks. Upon it, rather conveniently, was a book entitled 'MacGuffin's Guide to Magical Artifacts'. Trixie, in her rush to begin her search for the Alicorn Amulet several days previously, had neglected to put the book away before leaving.
"Zzsome other pony muzzt have been zzstudying amuletzz too!" Leech buzzed. "Izz shame whoever it wazz izz too zzsilly and lazzy to put bookzz away! Zzstill, zzsavezz Leech from zzsearching!"
Turning the tatty brown cover of the book over, Leech concentrated hard as he began to decipher the words on display before him. Hours ticked by as Leech took in each printed character, sometimes taking a few moments to make sense of some of the more complicated words before progressing to the next one. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Leech grinned contentedly as the first gruelling phase of his task was complete.
"That'zz the contentzz page!" he said to himself, a satisfied smile on his face. "Now Leech will try and read page two!"
Looking up at the clock, however, Leech's smile quickly dropped from his face.
"Zzseven hourzz? It took Leech zzseven hourzz to read that one page? Izz nearly time for Gala, Leech izz zzsuppozzed to be covering Gala for Zzsnap Happy! Leech will juzzt have to flick through book and look at picturezz!"
Quickly turning over the pages, Leech's smile returned when he happened upon an illustration of the Alicorn Amulet.
"That'zz the one!" he cried out loud. "But there'zz zzso much writing about it! Will take Leech far too long to read it all!"
"Whatcha doin?" asked a voice from directly behind Leech.
"AAAGH!" yelled Leech in surprise, before whirling around and coming face-to-face with Pinkie Pie, dressed in her full Gala regalia.
"Shouldn't you be at the Gala, Leechy? Hehe... Leechy. That sounds like lychee, and I love lychees! Do you like lychees, Leechy?" Pinkie rambled, not even pausing for breath.
"Leech izz trying to read book about amuletzz." Leech answered, entirely disregarding Pinkie's query about his fruit preferences. "But Leech izz having trouble reading zzsome of thezze wordzz..."
"No problem!" Pinkie said, scooping the book up in her forehooves. "I'll read it for you. But I'll have to be quick... I just came in here to find a couple of cookbooks, so I can get some new ideas for my desserts! I might even quickly whip up a few during the Gala, since I'm in charge of catering and all!"
"Shouldn't prinzzezzezz have zzsorted that zzstuff?" asked Leech.
"Well yeah, but they got called away to some urgent stuff in Saddle Arabia, they're not sure if they'll be back before the Gala is over. So me and the girls have been put in charge of some parts of the Gala! Isn't that exciting? Me and Applejack are in charge of catering, Dashie's organizing the firework display, Rari-" Pinkie began to reply.
"Pink pony... pleazze, Leech needzz to hear about amuletzz!" Leech interrupted.
"Oh, yeah... sorry!" replied Pinkie, as she began to read the Alicorn Amulet's history to Leech.
Leech listened in rapt attention as Pinkie described to him how the Amulet was created, and how it had been used to remove and contain the powers of unicorns who had broken the law. With the history of the Amulet nearly completed, Pinkie began to read the paragraph that Trixie had elected to skip over.
Knowing such power could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hooves, the Royal Sisters took turns at wearing the Alicorn Amulet around their own necks, in order to keep it safe. To further protect the amulet, the collar on which it is mounted was imbued with a magical lock, that would only open when whichever Princess wearing the amulet wanted it to. Although the sisters could handle the energies contained within, a regular unicorn using the amulet would quickly come to regret their decision.
Whilst the Amulet does contain the combined powers of five hundred unicorns, that power is tainted by the evil unicorns' malice and hatred. An average pony wearing the amulet would soon find their mind overwhelmed by this negative energy, causing a rapid onset of insanity and loss of self. A non Alicorn wearing the amulet would very quickly become hyper-aggressive, emotionally unstable, and develop a powerful urge to subjugate and exploit everypony and everything around them, just as the corrupt unicorn clans did all those years ago. This makes the Alicorn Amulet one of the most dangerous of all known magical charms, as well as the most powerful.
"Wowee!" giggled Pinkie. "I wouldn't want to meet a pony wearing that thing! They'd be loco in the coco, not to mention a massive Meanie McMeaniepants too! Well, Leechy, I'd better grab those cookbooks and head back to the Gala hall, it'll be starting soon! Are you coming?"
Leech said nothing. He simply stared at the ceiling in stunned disbelief.
"Umm... Leechy?" said Pinkie, waving a hoof in front of his eyes.
"Pinky pony needzz to fetch other Element poniezz! Right now!" gasped Leech, snapping out of his trance. "Leech hazz made a terrible mizztake... Trixzzie izz in danger, and zzso izz everypony elzze! We muzzt zzsave her!"
"In danger? What's Trixie in danger from?" asked Pinkie, cocking her head slightly in confusion.
"Herzzelf!"