//------------------------------// // Ch. 9: Betrayal // Story: The Elements of Excess // by cleverpun //------------------------------// Ch. 9 Betrayal With a loud rush of static and a flash of light the group appeared in Canterlot Castle’s main hallway, a few yards from the door to the throne room. “That ‘focus on somepony’ tip was a load o’ peach manure,” Applejack muttered, putting a hoof to her head as she tried to maintain her balance. “That was fun! Let’s go again!” Pinkie’s hyperactive bouncing only worsened the motion sickness of the others. “Yes, sorry about that. One gets used to being the teleporter, rather than the teleportee.” Celestia smiled weakly. “Rainbow Dash, remind me to embroider some barf bags for everypony when we return to Ponyville. Or…something.” Rarity also put a hoof to her head, swerving slightly as she steadied herself. Fluttershy opened her mouth to object to such an unsanitary proposition, but quickly clamped a hoof over it instead. A noticeable gag made it through, regardless. Rainbow scanned the area. “Why are we in the hallway? Shouldn’t we have teleported straight to the throne room?” “Not if Twilight Sparkle set traps,” Celestia said simply. “Twilight wouldn’t do that!” Spike said. “Yeah, Spike’s right. Twilight wouldn’t do that! She’s our friend! She just needs a hug and that’ll solve everything.” Rainbow gave Fluttershy an overenthusiastic hug to punctuate her point. The yellow pegasus immediately recoiled in disgust, not quite able to squirm away completely. “Rainbow, uhm, there is large patch of dirt on your…” “Nevertheless, we must be prepared for anything.” Celestia closed her eyes, and her horn glowed faintly. “There is no telling what Discord’s magic has done to my faithful student: her mind or her magical abilities.” Her eyes snapped open. “The Elements are not in their safe.” “Didn’t those stupid trinkets cause this mess in the first place?” “The trap placed on them has been sprung, Applejack. There is nothing wrong with them now. The Elements bring balance, to their bearers as well as their targets. And balance is clearly something we are in need of at the moment.” “Ooh, and cake! Everyone needs cake.” “Pinkie, don’t eat that! Who knows where it came from!” Fluttershy attempted to swat the cake away from Pinkie, but was impeded by the pegasus-on-pegasus hugging. “Well, obviously it came from behind my back, Fluttershy.” Pinkie rolled her eyes and then popped the slice of cake into her mouth. “It seems Twilight made the same assumptions I did, and retrieved the Elements before we arrived.” “Mebbe we should get some backup?” Applejack suggested. “Where’s Princess Luna?” “Ooh, yeah! I bet hugging Luna would be all kinds of epic!” Rainbow stroked Fluttershy’s mane. “No, if there are traps we needn’t risk my sister as well. And if anything should go wrong we’ll need a backup plan.” “That doesn’t sound terribly comfortin’.” Suddenly the giant double doors swept open. A familiar-yet-unfamiliar voice wafted out of them. “Done talking about me yet, girls?” The seven of them walked cautiously into the room, save Pinkie, who hopped. It was not a pretty sight waiting for them. Large chunks were missing from ceiling, walls, and floors. Scorch marks and broken weapons littered every surface. Dozens of royal guards lay scattered around the edges of the room in varying degrees of consciousness, though a quick magical scan told Celestia none of them were in need of immediate medical attention. Next to the throne a crude, misshapen iron cage held Philomena. The throne itself seemed undamaged, though its normally red cushions had become a mute shade of purple. Slouched on the throne sat Twilight, one hindleg draped over the edge of the throne, the other sitting on a footrest, and the rest of her propped up by pillows. Next to her floated a wine glass full of a deep red liquid. On her head rested the Element of Magic. Her magic wings were folded against her body, but the gentle hum carried across the room regardless. Philomena let out a loud squawk. “Yes, yes, I know. Awfully rude, isn’t she?” Twilight took a sip from her glass, not bothering to turn her head towards the new arrivals. “Took you long enough, Princess. Your guards didn't put up much of a fight. Of course, who could stand up to Twilight Sparkle the Omnipotent and Beautiful?” Celestia took a step forward. “Twilight, please, listen to me. I know you are not yourself. Just tell me what you did with the other Elements an—” A sharp cackle cut off Celestia’s sentence. “‘Not myself,’ am I? Why? Because I finally stopped kissing your flank?” Twilight swirled her glass slightly, her tone much flatter than the laugh would’ve implied. “I bet you got used to having my lips glued there twenty-four seven.” “Pinkie, stop eatin’ popcorn!” Applejack said, in the loudest whisper she could manage. “It ain’t appropriate!” “And excessive snacking contributes to obesity,” Fluttershy added. “Girls, shush! This is gonna be good!” Celestia ignored them. “Please, my faithful student. Discord has—” “Finally done something useful? I already figured that out, Princess.” Twilight finally turned her head and waved a hoof at the room. “Like what I did with the place? All thanks to his magic.” “You knew?” “Of course I knew. I am Omnipotent, after all.” “Then how come you didn’t know Princess Celestia wasn’t in Canterlot?” AJ blurted out. A large, loud crack spiderwebbed across Twilight’s glass. As she turned to look at Applejack, the crack slowly mended itself, a loud hiss and waves of heat floating off the semi-broken cup. “Still underestimating me, I see.” “Twilight, I know you think this power is a good thing, but it has corrupted your mind.” Celestia took a second, cautious step forward. “Please, let us help you.” “Yeah, it’s affected all of us!” Applejack jabbed a hoof at Rainbow Dash, who was rubbing her face all over Rarity’s mane. “Dash has been four inches away from makin’ out with me all day, and I wanna get this mess over with already!” Twilight chuckled condescendingly. “Don't try to tell me how some power can corrupt a pony. You haven't had enough to know what it's like.” Twilight took a sip of her drink, then turned to look at Celestia and Applejack again. “You're only angry because you wish you were in my position. Now nod your head because you know that I'm right! All right!?” “What the hay is she talkin’ about?” Applejack asked nopony in particular. Rarity shrugged in response. “But enough talk.” Twilight nonchalantly flung her wine glass to the side and it nonchalantly shattered on the floor. She rotated so she was sitting on her stomach, and then smiled vacantly. “Applejack, get out of the way so I can shoot Celestia with a giant laser. Or perhaps a hurricane of scimitars. Or a fire tiger. Something, you know, dramatic.” Celestia's shoulders tensed. “Twilight, the only reason I have not encased you in a cage of pure solar energy fueled by undiluted antimatter is because I do not want to hurt you, if I can help it.” “It would also scorch your throne!” Rarity offered helpfully. “And I bet it takes a while for royal pillows to conform to your butt!” Pinkie added. “The only reason I haven’t shot a dragon made out of lightning at you is because Applejack is in the way.” Twilight smiled. “I can’t very well dethrone a tyrant with an innocent, petty, irritating, condescending civilian hostage nearby.” “Twilight, would ya listen to yerself? Celestia ain’t a tyrant!” “Oh, isn’t she?” Twilight suddenly vanished, appearing right next to Fluttershy, who had been busy cowering behind a pillar. “She’s always sending us on dangerous missions, to clean up her silly little mistakes. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy?” “Uhm…” “Endangering all your friends, all of Equestria really, just because she can’t be bothered to handle things herself?” Fluttershy swept her hair in front of her face as Twilight vanished again. “Just think, we could’ve spent all day yesterday hanging out. Just spending time with each other.” Twilight gave Rainbow’s mane a soft stroke. “Just enjoying each others’ fabulous company!” Twilight gave Rarity a deranged smile. “But instead we had to trek through a network of underground tunnels, fending off poisonous pixies, outflanking fetid filly zombies, fighting for our lives against a thirty-foot blob of acid shaped like a pony, and all because our dear Princess didn’t want to get her hooves dirty.” “But we still managed to save the day,” Rarity pointed out. “I’m always happy to help the Princess.” “Yeah there was lots of kicking and action and teamwork! You guys are so amazing,” Rainbow added, tightening her grip on Rarity. “Yes, I am very amazing. And powerful. And beautiful. But just because I managed to save the day single-hoofedly with my magic doesn’t change anything. The Princess was still using a bunch of pawns to do her dirty work. Just like a proper tyrant.” Twilight vanished again. Spike felt a warm blast of breath on his neck. “Isn’t that right, Spike?” Spike fell over in surprise, quickly turning around to find Twilight staring at him. “Uhh…” “Just say it, Spike. You can be honest with me. She’s an out-of-control despot and she needs to be stopped. I’ll protect you though. Just tell the truth and show everypony else I’m right.”  “Vifsh sish foinhineyee gaetink hoo.” Pinkie said through a mouthful of popcorn. “Twilight, I think maybe you should calm down and think this through…” Spike’s sentence was impeded by Twilight’s glare. “Oh, I see how it is.” A few tiny streaks of electricity flashed across Twilight’s body “You’re on her side, is that it? You were just pretending to be my friend and number-one assistant this whole time so you could spy on me for that pompous fascist!?” One of the tiles Twilight was standing on cracked in half. Applejack stepped between Twilight and Spike. Twilight appeared to suffer a moment of clarity, but it passed quickly. Twilight vanished again, reappearing on the throne. “She’s been grooming me for greatness my entire life, stringing me along so she could keep me placated and out of the way. Using moles and friendship reports to spy on me to make sure I didn’t try to oppose her. Well, now I’m going to take what’s mine. You don’t deserve a kingdom, Princess, and Twilight Sparkle the Omnipotent deserves nothing less.” “I am sorry, Twilight.” Celestia flared out her wings. “I had hoped not to resort to this, but you leave me no choice. Discord’s magic obviously has too great a hold on you.” Celestia’s horn began to glow, but Twilight continued to sit in her chair, unmoving. “Stand back my little ponies,” Celestia declared. Magic flared around her body, her coat shining a brilliant gold. Her eyes followed suit. She strode confidently forward, her eyes locked on Twilight in case she tried something. And then she fell forward spectacularly, her face scraping along the ground a few inches before she came to a stop. Her magical aura was rather less impressive around her royal rear, stuck high into the air. “Ow,” she muttered. Five pairs of eyes swung to the spot she had tripped, only to discover a yellow hoof poking across the floor. Twilight smiled maniacally, and in an instant she had summoned a huge sheet of pitch-black metal and slid it underneath Celestia’s bottom-heavy form. She fired a bolt of magic at the ceiling, and a floorless cage shot downward, meeting the metal plate and fusing with it perfectly. “Haha! Oh man, betrayed by Fluttershy! What a twist!” Pinkie shoved another hoof-full of popcorn into her mouth. “Fluttershy, what the hay!?” Applejack dashed over and shoved a hoof into the pegasus’ chest. “Have you gone even more mental than Twilight!?” “Whoa, calm down, AJ. I’m sure Flutters has a good reason.” Dash turned uncertainly to the yellow pegasus. “Right?” Applejack turned to glare at Rainbow, but swung her head back when Fluttershy began to speak. “Oh, well, uhm, I just thought she had a good argument. I mean, Celestia really has never been an effective leader. Somepony has to protect Equestria from itself.” “Why you misguided, overbearin’—” Applejack’s insult was interrupted by a bright purple flash. The space previously occupied by Fluttershy was empty. A soft cackle emanated from the throne, and everypony turned to see a semi-nauseous Fluttershy standing next to Twilight. Philomena squawked loudly. “Ignore them, Fluttershy.” Twilight didn’t bother to look at her accomplice. “After all, I’m the hero, and heroes are always right. That’s why villains are always defeated in the end. Your loyalty is well-placed.” Twilight tore her eyes from Celestia’s cage to look at the rest of her friends. “Now…what am I going to do with the rest of you?”