//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Mirror's Image // by Evilpresident //------------------------------// Chapter 15 Princess Celestia walked into the courtyard, her face betraying her innermost concerns. The way she walked, however, made it clear that she was on a mission. Every single guard in the courtyard dropped what they were doing and stood up as straight as to could to greet her, as they would their captain. Well, their true captain at least. Celestia allowed a small smile to grace her face as she noticed that there were far less guards around than there should be. A lot of them had saved up some vacation days and found no better time to use them than right now. And of course, Celestia knew that those guards risked their lives to protect Equestria each and every day. So in appreciation of their hard work, she had made sure that those who wanted a week off, got a week off. This left the Royal Guard stretched thin. Prince Blueblood would be throwing a hissy-fit if he knew about this. Luckily he had left for his personal chambers some time ago in an attempt to save what was left of his mane, giving Celestia ample time to do what she did best. “If I may have your attention,” Princess Celestia began, addressing the assorted guards in front of her. She noticed with glee that she held their undivided attention; something Prince Blueblood couldn’t say. “As you know, there has been a slight shift in power recently,” Celestia explained. “Prince Blueblood has temporarily assumed the position of captain of the guard.” The usually stoic crowd grumbled disapprovingly at the mention of their supposed captain. “Rest assured,” Princess Celestia continued. “This is just temporary. Captain Shining Armor is at the hospital right now and he’s making a steady recovery.” This caught the guards by surprise, as they had been told the opposite by Prince Blueblood. That their beloved leader and his sister were in the clutches of a villainous creature. Celestia noticed their confusion and made a mental note to talk to Prince Blueblood about that, adding it to the list that contained many other things. “Furthermore, I wish to discuss your mission,” Princess Celestia continued, once the guards had settled down again. “Prince Blueblood has ordered you to search for Changelings and to take them in for interrogation. While I hold no power over you, I ask of you to ignore that command. “The Changelings are a young species and they have lived apart from us since their birth,” Celestia explained. "They have made mistakes, most recently the incident at the wedding.” The guards murmured and nodded, showing that they were still listening to their princess. “But we all make mistakes, myself included. It would be easy to retaliate but we are better than that. Many times before, we Equestrians have made our enemies into our friends. The Diamond Dogs, the Griffons and most recently the Buffalos. Even as we speak, Princess Luna is out there in the Wastelands to reach a hoof to the Changelings in peace,” Celestia said. “However, if we allow distrust and xenophobia to rule at a time like this we will lose any chance of making the Changelings our allies,” Celestia warned. “Yes, there are Changelings amongst the ponies. But they don’t know any better. It is my firm belief that if we can become friends, we can help one another live better lives. But by hunting them down we will only alienate them further. “Therefore, I ask you to lay down your weapons,” Celestia said, closing her eyes for a few seconds as she took a deep breath. “Lay them down and show the Changelings that we do not wish to hunt them. That we wish to reach out to them, that we wish to be friends. Equestria was founded on friendship, friendship between three very different kinds of ponies. If those ponies were able to overcome their difference, then so should we.” Celestia looked at them expectantly. Silence reigned for a few minutes. *Clang!* The sound of stone hitting stone resounded through the courtyard. Several ponies stepped out of the way, allowing Celestia a clear line of sight to Lieutenant Stronghold, who had thrown his hammer to the ground. *Clang! Cling! Rattle!* One by one, several swords, spears and other assorted weapons joined the pile. “Thank you,” Princess Celestia said. She was glad to see that her guards knew where their true loyalties laid. She took a deep bow before them, to show off her appreciation. The guards returned the gesture and bowed before their princess before saluting her once more. Slowly but surely the crowd left the courtyard to finish preparing for their departure. Celestia noticed with some amusement that they all came back, looking rather sheepish as they located their discarded weapons. While the action had been beautiful as a symbol, it was rather silly to leave their weapons out there in the open air. Princess Celestia waited patiently for the guards to clean up and finish their preparations. Only when she saw several chariots full of unarmed guards leave did she turn around to walk back towards the castle. “If my dear nephew wishes to play dirty,” Princess Celestia said to herself. “He would do well to remember just who it was that invented the game.” - “And how was that supposed to get me my cutie mark back?” Twilight asked as she dangled from a tree branch, hanging a few feet above ground. Nothing too dangerous but it could be painful if she fell right now. “It was Scootaloo’s idea,” Apple Bloom said from the tree next to her. She was in a similar position as Twilight, as were Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. “It seemed so obvious when I first thought of it,” Scootaloo said. “Well, Ah don’t see it,” Twilight said. “And Ah really want to- Waah!” Twilight lost her grip on the slippery branch and fell into Sucker Punch’s waiting hooves. “Thanks,” Twilight said as Sucker Punch placed her down on her four hooves again. “Hey Babs, think you can give us a hoof?” Apple Bloom asked. “Get them down as well, please,” Twilight ordered. Sucker Punch did as he was told and brought the three fillies down from the trees they were in. “Thanks Punchy,” Sweetie Belle said, before Sucker Punch disappeared again. “Well, that’s one thing to scratch of the list,” Scootaloo said. “But don’t worry Babs, we have plenty more ideas.” “Great, I can hardly wait,” Twilight said. She noticed a patch of her coat was sticking together and rubbed it, though that only made it worse. “What is this stuff?” Twilight asked as she tried to rub the sticky gunk off of herself. “Tree sap,” Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom said as one. “You’ll get used to it,” Apple Bloom told her. “Used to it?” Twilight asked, looking at Apple Bloom as if she had grown a second head. “This happened before?” “With the other catapult,” Sweetie Belle said. “And the dead ride,” Scootaloo pitched in. “And the skydiving,” Apple Bloom added. “And let’s not forget that time when we tried to get our cutiemarks in beekeeping,” Sweetie Belle said with a shudder. “That was honey, not tree sap,” Scootaloo countered. Twilight facehoofed. This was starting to become a bit much for her. The three fillies were way too energetic for her to keep up with. But perhaps they would calm down by the time the carnival started, Twilight figured. “Maybe we should try bungee jumping again?” Apple Bloom suggested. Scootaloo shook her head. “Nah, last time we tried that we got covered in-” “Let me guess,” Twilight cut in. “Tree sap?” “How’d you know?” Scootaloo asked. “Lucky guess,” Twilight said with a sigh. She had to admit though that she hadn’t had this kind of fun in, well, ever. She hadn’t had any friends when she was the Cutiemark Crusaders’ age and now she was able to make up for lost time. “Well, how about base jumping?” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Can’t you guys do anything safe?” Twilight asked. “You know, like collecting stamps? How about scrapbooking? Or taking care of the elderly? That seems safe enough.” And with some luck, it could be one of their special talents. “We’re not allowed in the retirement home anymore,” Apple Bloom said. “We didn’t mean to lose Mister Waddle’s heart medicine,” Scootaloo said with a sulk in her voice. “Or replace them with jelly beans,” Sweetie Belle added. “Okay…” Twilight said. She blew her hair out of her eyes again and looked at the three fillies. “How about we just head back into town? We can get cleaned up and then the carnival will have started, I think.” “Sound like a plan,” Apple Bloom said. “Anything’s better than tree sap.” Scootaloo shrugged. - A quick stop at the Carousel Boutique was in order for the three fillies and one Changeling princess to get themselves rid of the sticky stuff. Twilight had it rather easy, as the tree sap evaporated when she transformed back into her true form. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were not as lucky. Still, with Rarity’s help it only took them an hour to get the sap out of their coats. Though they did get a stern lecture from Rarity on the importance of proper coat and mane care. “Honestly, I expected better from the three of you,” Rarity said as she ran a brush through Sweetie Belle’s mane. “You know better than to play around with medieval-style siege weapons. You could have gotten Twilight hurt.” “It’s okay, Rarity,” Twilight said. “Nothing bad happened, though I worry about their safety…” “Nah, we’ll be fine,” Scootaloo said. “We do stuff like that all the time,” Apple Bloom noted as she tied her ribbon back into place. “And nothing really bad happens anyway.” “How about that time with the hoofball?” Sweetie Belle asked as she hopped away from Rarity’s attentions and towards her friends. “And the chandelier?” “Oh yeah.” Scootaloo rubbed the back of her head in awkward way. “Totally slipped my mind.” “Please promise me that you will abstain from any more dangerous pursuits,” Rarity asked of them. “We promise,” the three Crusaders said. “Good,” Rarity said, though she wondered just how long that promise would last. Knowing the Crusaders’ track record, it would be a miracle if it lasted past the night. “Now get out there and have fun. The carnival’s about to start.” “Yay!” Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom rushed out the door. “Do take good care of them, will you Twilight?” Rarity asked. “Poor Sweetie Belle’s tummy is so sensitive but she doesn’t take care of herself.” “I will, Rarity. Don’t you worry,” Twilight said as she took on her disguise again. “Bye Babs,” Spike said with an amused tone to his voice. “Hehe, Babs Seed. There’s a really bad apple joke I could make with that name.” “Ah don’t wanna hear it, Spike,” Twilight said, stopping in front of him. It was weird, being able to look Spike in the eyes without having to lower herself to his level. “You behave yourself now, ya hear? Don’t let me hear Rarity complain about your behavior tomorrow.” “Hey, Twilight?” Sweetie Belle stuck her head in through the crack in the open door. “Uh, I mean Babs? Are you coming? The parade’s about to start!” “Coming,” Twilight said. - The parade was all that Twilight had expected it to be. There were beautiful wagons being pulled through the now busy streets of Ponyville. Some were decorated to look like a festive party, while others resembled beautiful castles. It was amazing to see just what ponies could create if they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. “Pretty neat huh?” Apple Bloom nudged Twilight a few times to draw her attention. “Gets even better the second time.” “Second time?” Twilight asked, looking from Apple Bloom to the floats and back. “Yeah,” Sweetie Belle cut in. “They roll around town again just before the fireworks.” “Only difference is that they’ll be covered in lights and candles!” Scootaloo said enthusiastically. “It’s really awesome in the dark.” “It’s the first time Ah’m gonna watch it without Applejack and Big Macintosh,” Apple Bloom noted. “Ah sure hope she’s okay.” “Ah’m sure she is,” Twilight said. “Chrysalis knows better than to mess with my friends.” Or so Twilight hoped… - “Ah the agony!” Rainbow Dash cried out. “This… you’re killing me!” “Calm down,” Princess Luna said, not even looking up from her book. She and the other would-be rescuers had been sent to their guestroom, to wait while Queen Chrysalis worked her magic on Big Macintosh’s mind. “But I’m so bored!” Rainbow Dash moaned. “I need to spread my wings! Fly away and be free!” “Uh-huh,” Luna said absentmindedly, still not looking up as the book was way too interesting. “Tell me Rainbow Dash, why didn’t you take a book when the Changelings offered you one?” Rainbow Dash flopped back down onto the bed and shrugged. “I’m not an egghead. And who knows what kind of books these Changelings read. Probably all about lovey-dovey stuff.” Luna placed a bookmark in her book and closed it so she could properly read the title. “Daring Do and the Chains of Tartarus… I thought you enjoyed these novels?” “I do but…” Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide. “Did you just say ‘Daring Do and the Chains of Tartarus’?” “I did,” Luna said. “Is it the first one? Because I think it’s rather confusing.” Rainbow Dash dove at her and swiped her book before returning to her own bed. “This isn’t supposed to be out yet!” She gazed at the cover as though it were made of the finest gold. “How did they get their hooves on it?” “Would you care to read it?” Luna asked. “I find the flow of the story rather confusing.” “You didn’t read the previous books,” Rainbow Dash said, flipping the book open. “There’re over a dozen of these babies, so you probably have no idea what’s going on in this one.” “Indeed,” Luna noted. She flinched slightly as Rainbow Dash let out a shriek that reminded Luna of the more enthusiastic children on Nightmare Night. With Rainbow Dash satisfied, Princess Luna turned to the other two occupants of the room. Or at least the only ones that made themselves known. Luna made herself no illusions, she knew there were Changelings in the room. Just because she couldn’t see them, didn’t mean they weren’t there… Luna was pretty sure there was one hanging directly above her, as the Praetorians left a very small magical signature behind wherever they went. Only the most talented of Unicorns and Alicorns would be able to notice that and even then, they would need to know what to look for. Princess Luna had already met these species of Changelings before, as they never left Queen Amethyst alone with her. Satisfied with the fact that there was nothing she could do about their presence, Luna turned back to the other two ponies inside the room. Applejack was lying in the bed opposite of hers, though she didn’t seem to be doing much sleeping. Instead she was staring up at the ceiling, making Luna wonder whether or not the Earth pony knew there was a Changeling lurking there. Normally she would find such a thing preposterous but that was before she had spent so much time with Pinkie Pie. Now, Luna didn’t know what to believe anymore. The pink mare in question was sitting on the couch, humming a cheery tune to keep herself amused. It seemed rather harmless but Luna wasn’t fooled that easily. She was sure that Pinkie Pie was up to something. Luna couldn’t understand how a rational and smart pony or Changeling, perhaps, like Twilight Sparkle could stand to be around Pinkie Pie on a daily basis. Luna had only spent a few days in the pink mare’s company but she was just about ready to stuff Pinkie Pie into her own party cannon and launch her to the moon. Though that raised a whole new set of problems, with the moon being her personal territory and having to explain to both Twilight Sparkle and Celestia that she had sent a seemingly innocent pony to the moon. And besides, for all Luna knew Pinkie Pie might even enjoy it. Luna glared at the pony sitting there, still happily humming that song. She knew that Pinkie Pie was up to something. Luna just didn’t know what it was yet. Or perhaps she wasn’t planning anything… it was rather hard to believe that Pinkie Pie had a bad bone in her body, especially since she looked right about ready to dive headfirst into the bowl of chocolates that stood on the coffee table. Luna sighed and sank a bit deeper into her bed. None of them had slept since they got here. Luna figured it was because of the lack of sun and moonlight in the hive. She knew exactly what time it was at the moment, due to her connection to the moon. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash weren’t as lucky and the absence of natural light might have thrown their sleeping cycle out of synch. Either that or, much like Luna, they didn’t feel like sleeping very much. Worry could do that to a pony. A knock on the door snapped Princess Luna out of her thoughts and caused her to turn to the source of the noise. Applejack did the same while Rainbow Dash barely lifted an eye from her book. The door swung open and Pinkie Pie walked in. “Hi guys!” “Pinkie Pie?” Princess Luna’s left eye twitched. “And…” she noticed that there was another Pinkie Pie sitting in the room, on the couch with the bowl that had once contained chocolates on her head. That particular Pinkie Pie smiled and burst into flames, revealing it to be a Changeling. Not-Pinkie Pie then jumped off the couch, bowl still on her head as she scampered out the door, making chittering noises as she went. “I should have seen that coming,” Luna said as she rubbed her brow. “You were being too quiet.” She turned to look at the other two ponies. “And you two still deem this to be normal?” “Two words, princess,” Rainbow Dash said, having turned back to her book. “Pinkie. Pie.” “Just let it go, princess,” Applejack suggested. “Ah know it’s hard but trust me on this, it’ll save ya a lot of trouble.” Luna, however, refused to let go of the issue so easily. She would find out what made the pink party pony tick, even if it killed her. “Hey girls, guess what!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I managed to talk Queen Chryssy into letting me see the itty-bitty baby Changelings!” “You did what now?” Applejack asked, looking straight at Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, why did you go and disturb the queen? You know she’s working to save Big Macintosh!” “She was on a break!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully. “Big Macintosh’s being a ‘difficult Praetorian that clings to the hive like glue’ or something. I stopped listening half-way. Might have made some things up too.” “I am more amazed by the fact that Queen Chrysalis allowed you anywhere near her brood,” Luna remarked. “Oh she was really nice about it,” Pinkie Pie said. - Pinkie Pie hopped around the hive, humming a cheerful song as she went. “What, exactly, are you doing here?” Pinkie stopped hoping and humming and turned to the source of the voice. Queen Chrysalis approached her, looking rather tired. “Oh, hi Chryssy,” Pinkie Pie said. “I was just exploring a bit. Did you know that this place was a maze?” “Yes, I did,” Chrysalis said. “Care to explain why?” “Because all the hallways twist and turn and only lead to other hallways.” Pinkie Pie said. Chrysalis allowed a mild chuckle to escape her lips. “That’s not what I meant… You remind me so much of Surprise,” she said. “As infuriating as she was, she’s one of the few ponies I miss.” “What was she like?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Annoying, bubbly and hopped up on sugar,” Chrysalis said. “But she was the only one of my friends that accepted me like this. Unlike the others, Surprise stood by me. But she was also afraid of me...” “Is this going to be one of those flashbacks in a flashback?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Because that might make things too complicated.” “You truly are her kin,” Chrysalis said, rubbing her forehead as she felt a familiar headache come up, along with the sudden urge to rub her face with her hoof. She hadn’t felt that particular combination in a thousand years. “So… what’re you going to do now?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Is Big Macintosh okay?” Chrysalis shook her head. “He’s being a rather clingy Praetorian. Clinging to the hive and holding on for dear life. I’d be flattered if I wasn’t busy trying to separate him from us.” “Uh-huh,” Pinkie Pie said. “So you’re taking a break?” “I am,” Chrysalis said. “I’m going to go visit my nymphs… I might end up regretting this but do you wish to see our nursery?” “Nursery?” Pinkie asked. Her eyes started to sparkle at the mere mention of the word. “Do you have itty-bitty Changelings here?” “Yes, we do,” Chrysalis said. “Come along now, before I change my mind.” The two of them made their way to the nursery. Chrysalis gave a small order to a nearby Praetorian, who opened the door for her and Pinkie Pie. “Can I trust you to behave yourself?” Chrysalis asked as they walked into the room. “Yeppers,” Pinkie Pie said. “Where’re the itty-bitty Changelings?” “In the room next to this one,” Chrysalis said. “Here lay the eggs that haven’t hatched yet…” “Oooh,” Pinkie Pie said in awe. “Here we are,” Chrysalis said as the two of them came to a door. It swung open and she stepped in. The room was rather bland, as were pretty much all the rooms in the hive. Sitting in the center of the room was a portly Changeling along with six Changeling nymphs, all of different ages. Pinkie Pie let out a girlish squeal. “Can I hold one of them? Or all of them? Please?” Chrysalis chuckled softly. All of the nymphs in the room turned their heads to their mother, before their eyes wandered over to Pinkie Pie. In an instant the six nymphs ran over to Pinkie Pie and tackled her to the ground, much to the party pony’s amusement. “They can be a bit rambunctious,” Chrysalis told her. Her eyes narrowed to thin slits as she counted her nymphs. “You,” she addressed the caretaker. “You and I have something to discus.” She motioned to the door, through which the Changeling caretaker reluctantly left. “Can I trust you to be careful with them?” Chrysalis asked Pinkie Pie. “Don’t worry!” Pinkie Pie cheered as one of the nymphs crawled onto her head. “Hey! My mane isn’t made of cotton candy” - “And then Chryssy threatened to pull out my spleen and beat me senseless with it if I harmed a single hair on their head, which is weird because they don’t really have hair on their head, more like some kind of weird fin or sail. Do you think Twilight has a headsail too?” “I just had to ask,” Luna muttered as she dove under the covers and pulled them down to block out the noise. “And what’s a spleen anyway?” was the last thing Pinkie Pie said, before Luna drowned her out entirely. Or, in the very least, tried her best as the silk sheets were no match for the pink mare’s rambling. - “What are we going to do next?” Apple Bloom asked. The parade, while beautiful, was rather short lived and the ponies who had gathered to watch it had dispersed into the bustling streets of Ponyville. “I know what I want to do,” Sweetie Belle said as she eyed a stand that sold cotton candy. “No,” Twilight said resolutely. “Ah promised your sister I’d keep you from eating that stuff.” “Just one?” Sweetie Belle pleaded. “Maybe later,” Twilight said resolutely. “Please?” Sweetie Belle’s eyes grew moist as she put on her best ‘puppy-dog eyes’ and looked at Twilight. Not even Rarity could stand against that awesome display of mental control. “No,” Twilight said again. “That look doesn’t work when you’re on my eyelevel. It just makes you look weird.” “Fine,” Sweetie Belle sulked. “But I can have one later, right?” “Sure,” Twilight said. This made Sweetie Belle’s face clear up again. “Is it later yet?” Sweetie Belle asked immediately. Twilight sighed. This was going to be a long night. “Well, well, well,” somepony said in an obnoxious tone of voice. “If it isn’t ‘Bad Seed’!” Twilight turned around to see two fillies about the age of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The two of them were giggling at the awful pun that the pinkish filly had made. “Leave her alone, Diamond Tiara,” Apple Bloom snapped. “That’s mah cousin you’re talking about!” “I can see the family resemblance,” Diamond Tiara said, pointing at her flank. “Must run in the family!” Again the two fillies began to giggle, in a way that was quickly irritating Twilight. “Do ‘Ah’ know these two?” she whispered to Apple Bloom. “These two roped the other Babs into their nasty little group,” Apple Bloom whispered back. “They’re not nice fillies.” That was a friendly way to put things, Twilight thought. What kind of fillies made fun of other ponies for not having a cutie mark? The grey filly stepped forward and pushed her glassed up. “But Babs, we kind of want you back,” she said. “We had a lot of fun together, bugging these blank flanks.” “So we’re willing to forgive you for what you did,” Diamond Tiara pitched in. “No,” Twilight said. “Ah think it would be best if y'all leave us alone.” Disguised or not, Twilight had no intention of eloping with these two stuck-up fillies. “See, I told you there was no reasoning with her,” Diamond Tiara said to her friend. “Too bad, but it seems that you stupid blank flanks will always be-" “DIAMOND TIARA!” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon froze up. Filthy Rich stomped towards them. “What did I tell you two about running off like that?” he asked with a harsh tone to his voice. “And here I find you, making fun of these fillies? Your mother and I raised you better than this.” “But daddy,” Diamond Tiara whined. “Diamond Tiara, enough,” Filthy Rich said, indicating that this conversation was over. Well, at least until they got home and Filthy Rich had the chance to sit down with his wife to have a firm talking to with their daughter. “Go home,” Filthy Rich said to his daughter, his voice betraying his disappointment. “Silver Spoon, please wait here. I will take you home and discuss this… incident with your parents.” “Yes sir,” Silver Spoon said quietly. Filthy Rich waited patiently for Diamond Tiara to leave with her tail between her legs before turning to the four stunned fillies. “I apologize for my daughter’s behavior. I had heard from Miss Cheerilee that she didn’t play well with others but I hadn’t expected this.” “It’s okay, mister Rich,” Apple Bloom said. “Please, call me Filthy Rich,” Filthy Rich said. “Mister Rich is my father and he and I don’t see eye to eye anymore…” He then turned to the disguised Changeling princess and for a second his eyes seemed to glitter with recognition. Filthy Rich was putting out a strange cocktail of emotions, Twilight noticed. Sadness and anger, perhaps some regret as well… “You look just like her,” he whispered. “Ahem, I’m sorry. Enjoy the carnival, will you?” With that said, Filthy Rich and Silver Spoon left the four Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Guys?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What just happened?” “I don’t know but it was awesome!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “I wonder what he meant…” Twilight said to herself, watching as the two ponies walked away. - With the unfortunate meeting between the Crusaders and their nemeses concluded and put behind them, the Crusaders set out to explore the rest of the Carnival set up in Ponyville. The sun was just starting to set and most of the booths and stands had been set up and were open for business. “There’s so many ponies here!” Twilight was used to bustling cities, having grown up in Canterlot, but this was the first time she saw so many ponies in Ponyville. “Lots of ponies visit Ponyville for the Carnival,” Sweetie Belle pointed out. “There’s even some fancy-smancy Canterlot ponies that visit every year.” “It’s more of a funfair though,” Scootaloo said. “But there’s this really neat masqueraded ball too, which is kinda cool.” “Hey Babs,” Apple Bloom said. “Ya think we can get our cutie marks in carnival games?” “What did you have in mind?” Twilight asked as she looked around. There were several games, though most of them seemed to be rigged to have the player lose time and again. “How about this one?” Apple Bloom pointed at a stand. Twilight recognized it as a high striker game, where ponies would show off their muscles and attempt to hit a bell by propelling a weight towards a bell by hitting a lever with a hammer. Not something that Twilight thought was suitable for fillies their size but it seemed pretty safe at least. The stand itself looked pretty inviting too, having been painted bright colors with light’s surrounding the frame. And the prizes looked pretty neat too. Twilight saw a bunch of stuffed toys made to look like the Wonderbolts. She was pretty sure that if she were here, Rainbow Dash would spend a lot of bits to try and win them all. Twilight wouldn’t mind winning one for herself either. To give to Spike, of course… It wasn’t as though she still missed Miss Smarty Pants dearly, wherever she may be. “Sure,” Twilight said. “Knock yourselves out.” “Cutie Mark Crusaders Strong Ponies! Yay!” Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Hey Babs, you’re supposed to yell too,” Scootaloo nudged her a few times. “You’re a Crusader too you know.” “Don’t worry,” Sweetie Belle said with a smile. “We’ll get you worked into shape in no time, just you wait!” “Great…” Twilight muttered. The four fillies walked up to the stand and were immediately greeted by a pale stallion wearing a striped vest. He had a very distinct goatee on his chin as well, though it looked rather fake. “Hello there,” he said. “And welcome to Flum and Flom’s High Striker game! Do you think you have what it takes to take home one of these prizes?” “Flum?” Apple Bloom looked at Twilight. “Flom?” Twilight looked at Apple Bloom. A bead of sweat formed on the stallion’s brow. “Aren’t you that colt who tried to take the Apples’ farm from them?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Who? Me?” Flum asked. “I don’t have a bad bone in my body, just ask my brother. Hey Flom, we’re not bad ponies, are we?” ‘Flom’ stuck his head out from behind the high striker, revealing that he had a most wonderful mustache adorning his face, along with an equally fake-looking goatee. “Who? Us? Heavens no, what would our dear old mother think of that?” “You see, right as rain,” Flum said. “Trust me, I’m a carny and carnies can’t lie.” “You’re not fooling anypony,” Twilight said. By now Flum was sweating profusely. He bend down to the fillies’ eyelevel. “Okay, okay, you got me. But please, keep quiet. My brother and I need the money.” “How do we know you won’t just scam other ponies?” Apple Bloom asked, eyeing the stallion suspiciously. “You did try to take mah family’s lifework, which Princess Celestia herself gave us back in the day.” “We’re legit, I swear!” Flum said. “I say we give them a chance,” Sweetie Belle said. “But we’re watching you…” she said ominously. She then held a hoof to her eyes before pointing at him. “Okay…” Flum backed away slowly. “That was creepy. But anyway, to show that we truly and honestly mean well: how about you fillies give it a go, free of charge?” “Yay!” the three fillies cheered. “Yay,” Twilight added afterwards, trying her best to sound as enthusiastic as the others. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom rushed over to the hammer, only to get tangled up in each other’s hooves and falling flat on their faces. Twilight sighed and walked past the three fillies as they tried to untangle themselves. “You going first?” Flum asked. “Atta girl, show that bell who’s boss.” Twilight lifted the hammer up as best she could. She was more used to lifting heavy objects with her magic but it would be rather strange and not to mention suspicious if she started using magic right now. “There you go,” Flum said as Twilight hefted the hammer up. “Now give that lever a good whack!” Twilight blew her mane out of her face before rearing up to give the brightly painted target a solid whack with the mallet. The ponies watched with baited breath as the weight went past ‘Weakling.’ Beyond ‘Mediocre.’ Surpassed ‘Great!’ …Only to fall short, just inches away from the bell. “I’m sorry little miss, but that wasn’t enough,” Flum said. “Now let your little friends try, perhaps they will have better luck.” “Let me try!” Apple Bloom, being the first to wrestle herself out of the pile of ponies, took the hammer off of Twilight’s hooves. Twilight backed away to a safe distance as Apple Bloom swung the mallet around a few times before finding her balance. Apple Bloom lifted the wooden mallet up and send it crashing down onto the lever. Like Twilight, she gave the target a solid hit, sending the weight flying towards the bell, only to fall short just a few inches underneath it. “My turn!” Sweetie Belle cheered as a sulking Apple Bloom left the mallet for her. Sweetie Belle rubbed her hooves together and lifted the mallet, only to stumble backwards. “Are you okay there?” Flum asked. “Do you need a hoof, little miss?” “I’m okay!” Sweetie Belle assured him as she leaned forwards in an attempt to find her balance. Once she had actually found it she lifted the mallet and with all her might she pounded the lever. Unfortunately, Sweetie’s might wasn’t as great as she had hoped and the weight only went up to ‘Mediocre’ before gravity kicked in and send it plummeting down again. “Oh come on!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed unbelievingly. “I’m sorry, little miss,” Flum said. “How about you?” he addressed Scootaloo. “Do you think you have what it takes to conquer Flum and Flom’s High Striker?” “I don’t think,” Scootaloo said confidently. “I do have what it takes and I’ll be taking that Soarin’ plush off your hooves.” Sweetie Belle reluctantly left the mallet to Scootaloo and joined the other losers. Like the others before her, Scootaloo did her best to find her balance. Standing on her hind legs with the mallet on her shoulder she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. *WHACK!* Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Twilight gasped. The weight was climbing, climbing, climbing and… almost reached the top, falling just a quarter of an inch short before gravity worked its magic and send the weight plummeting down once more. “Awww,” was the general outcry of the fillies. “Looks like we’re not cut out to be Cutie Mark Crusaders Strong Ponies,” Sweetie Belle said. “I’m sorry, girls,” Flum said. “Better luck next time.” “Well, that went well,” Scootaloo muttered as she joined the other Crusaders. “You did your best,” Twilight told her. “Yeah, but it wasn’t good enough.” Scootaloo sighed. The four Crusaders were just about to head off when they noticed Featherweight and his father approaching. Snowflake and Featherweight were a few of her regulars at the library. Snowflake had a passion for anything related to sports, weightlifting and classical poetry, while Featherweight loved reading the few books on photography that the library held. “Hey, dad,” Featherweight said. “How about this one?” “Go ahead, kiddo,” Snowflake said, patting the colt on the back. “Show ‘m what you’re made off.” Featherweight walked towards the stand, noticing a few of his classmates there. “Oh, hi Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and… I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” he said to Twilight. “She’s Babs Seed,” Apple Bloom quickly told him. “She’s mah cousin from Manehattan.” “Manehattan?” Featherweight asked. “Cool. Hey Scootaloo, what’s got you so down?” “That stupid game,” Scootaloo admitted. “I almost got to the top.” “Really?” Featherweight asked. “What prize did you want?” “That Soarin’ plush,” Scootaloo said. “He’s the best Wonderbolt, well besides Rainbow Dash that is.” “Okay then,” Featherweight said. He pulled a small bag of bits out of his saddlebag and walked towards the high striker. “Step right up, young sir,” Flum said. “Do you have what it takes to conquer Flum and Flom’s High Striker game? Only three bits per swing!” Featherweight took out three bits and tossed them into Flum’s waiting hoof. “That’s the spirit, show the ladies what you’re made off,” Flum teased. The Pegasus colt rubbed his hooves together a few times before attempting to lift the mallet up. “This is gonna be good,” Apple Bloom whispered. Scootaloo poked Apple Bloom, a bit harder than she had intended. “Shut up and watch,” she told her. Featherweight hefted the mallet onto his shoulder and allowed it to rest there, causing him to topple backwards. Luckily Snowflake was quick enough to steady his son. “Come on, kiddo,” Snowflake said. “Knock’m dead.” “Right!” Featherweight said determinedly. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and swung the mallet as hard as he could. The mallet connected to the base and the weight was launched upward, though it barely made it halfway up the meter. “Aww, too bad,” Flum said. “But I’ll tell you what, give it another go. Free of charge.” Featherweight looked at the tall stallion, who winked at him. Once more, Featherweight took aim and swung the mallet at the target, only to fail miserably as he missed and hit soft ground instead. “That counts as a swing,” Flum said. “Sorry.” “One more go,” Snowflake said, tossing three bits at the carny. Snowflake then turned to his son. “Come on kiddo, you can do it,” he said. “Think about what’s at stake here!” Featherweight nodded and took point. The Cutie Mark Crusaders watched with baited breath as Featherweight picked up the hammer once more. This time around, the young colt closed his eyes and swung with all his might. *DING!* “I can’t believe it!” Flum exclaimed. “YEAH!!!” Snowflake yelled from the top of his lungs. “Yeah!!!” Featherweight did the same, though not as audibly impressive as his father’s cry was. “That’s my boy!” Snowflake yelled as he wrapped his son into a bonecrushing hug with one arm, using the other to give the colt a noogie. “Aww, dad,” Featherweight complained. “You’re embarrassing me in front of my classmates!” Snowflake let his son go and walked with him back to the booth. “Here you go, young sir,” Flum said as he gave Featherweight the Soarin’ plush. “I assume this is the one you want?” “Uh, yeah,” Featherweight said as he took the toy from Flum. “Thanks!” “Anytime, young sir,” Flum said. “Now, I do think there’s a filly you’re trying to impress, am I right?” Featherweight blushed deeply and nodded furiously. “Hey Scootaloo! I got you… where did she go?” It was only then that Twilight, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle noticed that one of their founding members had disappeared. “Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Where’d she go?” Apple Bloom asked. “She could be anywhere,” Sweetie Belle said. She looked around but saw no sign of the orange Pegasus in the mass of ponies walking around. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Twilight whispered. “Come on, we have to find her!” “We’ll split up,” Apple Bloom said. “And we’ll meet back here in ten minutes, ya hear?” “Got it,” Twilight and Sweetie Belle said, before splitting up and each of them picking a direction to look in. Twilight noticed that Featherweight did the same, heading in the general direction of the library to look. Twilight headed towards Sugarcube Corner, which was probably deserted, as neither Pinkie Pie or the Cakes were holding shop at the time. She was heading there because Scootaloo ran off for a reason. She had no clue as to what that reason was but Twilight figured that Scootaloo would have wanted to be alone if she didn’t tell anypony about where she went. “This way,” Sucker Punch whispered in her ear. “The little pony went this way.” “You saw her?” Twilight asked, keeping her voice to a whisper. There weren’t many ponies around but that didn’t mean that it was safe to start talking to an invisible creature. Ponies would notice that, perhaps even become suspicious. Sucker Punch nudged her into the right direction and soon enough, Twilight had found Scootaloo, hiding behind Sugarcube Corner. “Hey,” Scootaloo said. “Hey yourself,” Twilight said. “What happened? Why did you run away like that?” “It’s nothing,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “Nothing?” Twilight echoed, though thankfully she managed to refrain from using Scootaloo’s own voice. “You ran off without a word and hid behind Sugarcube Corner. What’s going on Scootaloo? Is there something Ah can help you with?” Right now, Twilight could sense some emotions rolling off of Scootaloo. Most of them were rather muted but Twilight recognized regret and sadness amongst them, together with some happiness too. “Thanks,” Scootaloo said. “But no, you can’t help me. I just… look, when I saw Featherweight and his father doing things that, you know parents do…” Scootaloo lifted her hoof up to her chest. “It kinda hurt, inside.” “You… Scootaloo, are you an orphan?” Twilight asked. “What?” Scootaloo asked, her eyes wide with shock. “No, what gave you that idea?” “Sorry,” Twilight said. “Ah heard some things around town and Ah assumed-” Scootaloo waved a dismissive hoof. “No, I’m not an orphan. Might as well have been. Mom’s sick and she’s in the hospital all the time. Dad’s out in Saddle-Arabia, digging up pottery shards and stuff. He’s kinda like Daring Do but without the crazy and awesome adventures.” Twilight was beginning to understand the situation. “And you haven’t seen him in a while.” “Almost a year,” Scootaloo admitted. “Stupid huh? He writes me every week, sends me gifts and stuff and here I am, sulking and complaining. Apple Bloom’s parents are dead and you never hear her complain.” “Hey now, don’t talk like that,” Twilight said. “It’s okay for you to miss him. Just, don’t keep it bottled up, okay? You’ve got some good friends that have your back.” “Yeah, you’re right,” Scootaloo said. “Thanks Twilight.” “It’s Babs,” Twilight reminded her. “At least right now it is. Now come on, Ah think that scrawny colt likes you.” “Who, Featherweight?” Scootaloo asked, her cheeks turning ever so slightly red. “He’s okay, for a colt.” Twilight laughed at that and nudged Scootaloo back towards the lights and sounds of the carnival. “Come on, let’s get back before Apple Bloom gets worried and Sweetie Belle buys her own weight in cotton candy.” “Hey!” somepony yelled. “What are you kids doing back there?” Twilight froze up. One of Celestia’s Royal guards! He was a big Pegasus, larger than any Twilight had ever seen. Though that may have been a side-effect of having spent several hours as a filly. She also noticed that he was unarmed, which was rather odd considering his line of work. “Nothing,” Scootaloo said. “We were just heading back to the fair.” “That’s good,” the guard said. “Fillies such as yourself shouldn't run around town in the dark. Who knows what’s lurking in the shadows here.” “Changelings perhaps?” Scootaloo playfully poked Twilight, snapping her out of her stupor. “Changelings?” The guard chuckled. “As long as they mind their own business I have no beef with them. And besides, Princess Celestia herself vouches for them so there’s no reason to be scared. Now come along, I’ll escort you back to the carnival.” - “Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she and Twilight returned to the High Striker game. “You found her!” “Scoots, what happened?” Apple Bloom asked. “Ya ran off just like that!” “I’m sorry guys,” Scootaloo said. “Just… had to blow off some steam after losing like that.” Apple Bloom, much like her sister, could smell a lie a mile away. “But-” Twilight had put a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head. “She’ll tell you when she’s ready,” she whispered to Apple Bloom. “Hey Scootaloo!” Featherweight said as he came running to the Crusaders. “I got you something.” He gave her the Soarin’ plush. “Thanks,” Scootaloo said. She looked left and right to see just who was watching, before leaning over to give Featherweight a quick peck on the cheek. “Brag about that to your friends and you’re dead,” she said, before heading back over to her friends, leaving the colt flustered. “Come on,” Scootaloo said to her fellow Crusaders. “Aunt Derpy’s saving us some chocolate chip muffins.” - “So are you and Featherweight coltfriend and fillyfriend now?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What? No!” Scootaloo yelled. “Just checking!” Sweetie Belle teased as they arrived at Derpy’s muffin stand. “What’s that I’m hearing?” A grey Pegasus with a goofy look on her face leaned over the wooden counter. “Does my favorite niece have a coltfriend? Oh, you grow up so fast, my little muffin.” “Stop it, Aunt Derpy,” Scootaloo complained. “And besides, that’s Dinky’s pet name.” “Meh, you’re still my little muffin too,” Derpy said. “Now what can I get you three? Eh, four?” “This is Babs,” Apple Bloom said. “She’s mah cousin from Manehattan.” “Manehattan? Oh I’d love to go there some day. Is it nice?” Derpy asked with interest. “It’s pretty neat,” Twilight said. She wasn’t lying though, as she had went there some years ago with her parents and Shining Armor. Though she hadn’t done much there besides visit the numerous museums, checking the library and the occasional park visit. “So, my little muffin,” Derpy addressed Scootaloo once more. “I saved you and your friends a super delicious chocolate chip muffin but… I didn’t think you’d bring a fourth friend.” “Did you sell out again?” Scootaloo asked. “Afraid so, little muffin,” Derpy said. “Ponies in this town go gaga over them. Somepony even bought a dozen of them. I only have vanilla, blueberry and banana muffins left.” “That’s okay,” Twilight said. This time however Twilight was lying. Derpy’s muffins were supposedly legendary and she only sold them during the carnival. Pinkie Pie had told her about them, describing them as the crème de la crème de la crème of muffins. So great that Pinkie used three crèmes to rate them. “Okay? No way,” Derpy said. She jumped back behind the counter and pulled out four muffins. “I was saving one for myself but since you’re Scootaloo’s friend, I want you to have it.” “Wow, thanks miss Derpy,” Twilight said as Derpy set the muffin down in front of her. “Any time Babs,” Derpy said with a broad smile. “Now just enjoy it will you?” The Crusaders hadn’t been there for long but more customers had already started to line up behind them. “We’ll be getting out of your mane now,” Scootaloo said as she noticed the small crowd. “Bye Aunt Derpy.” “Bye miss Derpy!” the other Crusaders, including Twilight, yelled. “Bye girls,” Derpy said with a smile on her face. “If you see him, tell Uncle Time Turner to bring Dinky and Sparkler home by a reasonable hour, will you?” “We will,” Scootaloo said as she ran off with the other Crusaders in tow. “Where do we go now?” Apple Bloom asked, balancing the muffin on her head as she went. “How about my sister’s stand?” Sweetie Belle asked. “We should stop to eat our muffins first though,” Scootaloo said. “Ah think it’s too late for that,” Apple Bloom said with a giggle. “So… good…” Twilight struggled to say as she chewed on the muffin. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she tasted that divine deliciousness. A deep sense of regret immediately followed, as she realized that it would probably be another year before she could taste another one. The three real fillies stared at their Changeling friend. “And she’s worried about me,” Sweetie Belle said. - “Welcome to the Carousel Booth-tique,” Rarity greeted her four newest customers. “I trust that the three of you have behaved yourselves so far?” “They’ve been good,” Twilight told her. “Well that’s a relief,” Rarity said. “Spike received a letter a while ago. I think it’s from the Princess again.” She pulled a scroll out of her register and gave it to Twilight. “I had asked Spike to deliver it to you but he said that it wasn’t life-threatening.” “He actually said that? Twilight asked. “Where is he anyway?” “I gave him a few bits to spend,” Rarity said. “He may be my little assistant tonight but that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t have some fun too.” Twilight nodded and opened the scroll. A few minutes later she began to laugh. “May I ask what’s so funny?” Rarity asked. Twilight didn’t say anything and just gave her the letter. My faithful student, I thought you would like to know that I have managed to talk my guards out of actively looking for you and your kin. Most of them already appeared rather reluctant and I managed to talk them into leaving you alone and even abandoning their weapons. Blueblood will not be pleased to learn of this but it’s his own fault for trying to use my laws against me. I expect Shining Armor to be able to return to duty in a few days, perhaps a week or so. After which Blueblood will stop being a nuisance, concerning the Royal Guard at least. Enjoy yourself at the Ponyville Carnival tonight. With love, Your friend, Celestia “Oh my,” Rarity said, putting the scroll down again. “Well, it seems like your worries were unfounded after all. I knew the Princess would do everything in her power to keep that brute at bay.” “Yeah,” Twilight said. “Hey Rarity, have you seen Fluttershy around?” “Can’t say that I have,” Rarity said, holding a hoof to her chin as she recalled just who she had seen so far. “She might still be with her little animal friends. If I remember correctly, she stayed away all night a few years ago.” Twilight sighed. “So Ah could be waiting here all night for her?” “Perhaps,” Rarity said. “But there’s always tomorrow. Fluttershy won’t mind. She’s just so worried about her animals, it must be so hard to take care of them all." Twilight’s eyes widened as remembered just what kind of trouble she had left at the library. “Oh no,” she said. “Rarity, Ah just remembered something important. Ah don’t suppose you’re willing to take the Crusaders off my hooves now?” “I might as well,” Rarity said with a small shrug. “I haven’t sold much tonight. Most ponies come for the food and the games and don’t have any interest in the more finer things. Their loss, I suppose. “Oh and do remember to take your cape home,” Rarity asked. “You look so adorable in it… uh, Twilight? Where are the others?” Only now did Rarity notice that Sweetie Belle and her little friends had disappeared. Twilight turned around and confirmed that the other Crusaders were nowhere to be seen. “I regret nothing!!!” They heard somepony cry out. “Oh may Celestia have mercy on us all,” Rarity muttered as Sweetie Belle ran past her booth, holding the largest ball of cotton candy she had ever seen. - After stopping Sweetie Belle from eating her own weight in spun sugar and gathering her two partners in crime, Rarity closed up shop and took over Twilight’s job. She was now free to turn back into her old disguise and head home to her library, hopefully in time before her guards and her little brother blew it to smithereens. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with Rarity and the Crusaders?” Twilight asked Spike as they walked back to the library with him on her back. “It’s not that late yet.” “And leave you all alone? No way!” Spike said. That put a smile on Twilight’s face, to know that Spike was there for her no matter what. Well, unless Rarity asked him for a favor or something. Walking at a brisk pace, the two of them quickly left the noise and lights of the carnival behind them and arrived at the library. Twilight braced herself as she unlocked the door and walked in. She went in, expecting chaos. Instead, everything seemed quiet. Too quiet one could say but Twilight knew that there was no such thing as too quiet in a library. “Now Spike, don’t be scared now, okay?” Twilight told him. “Scared of what?” Spike asked, pushing his chest forward in an attempt to look bold. “I’m not afraid of anything.” Four Changelings chose that moment to turn visible again in a semicircle in front of Twilight, causing Spike to shriek in a way that wasn’t entirely unlike a filly. “My hero,” Twilight said. “Spike, meet the family. You’ve already met Sucker Punch, these guys are the rest.” “The rest?” Spike asked, looking from left to right and back again to take in their features. “But they all look the same. How can you tell them apart?” “They do look the same,” Twilight admitted. “But I’m… connected to them in a way. It’s very hard to explain.” She hadn’t had the time to study the connection yet and was only able to tell Spike about the basic things. “Things won’t ever be the same again, will they?” Spike asked as he jumped off of Twilight’s back and walked over to the four stoic guards. “Are you guys like those Wheateaters that can’t move unless they’re allowed to?” Spike poked the closest one a few times, earning him an angry hiss from the Praetorian. “Never mind,” Spike said, running back to hide behind Twilight. “Come on, be nice,” Twilight said. “Spike’s my little brother too, so that makes you guys his brothers as well… in some weird kinda way.” Twilight thought back of the royal family tree and in what ways it had to be edited to include her and Spike now too apparently. She just hoped that whoever Celestia had editing it had enough correction fluid on hoof. “Now where’s the little one?” Twilight asked. “Did you take care of him as I instructed?” “Of course, princess,” one of them said. “The nymph is upstairs, asleep. He has been a nuisance but all nymphs are like that. Time will sort him out.” Twilight nodded. “Well done,” she said. “Please, have some rest now. There’s a spare room upstairs, next to mine. I want you to use it.” The three Praetorians looked a bit worse for wear, Twilight noted. The four Praetorians nodded, before fading away again. “You know, that’s actually pretty awesome,” Spike admitted once he dared to step out from behind Twilight again. “You’ll get used to them,” Twilight said. “I think. They’re a bit weird but they mean well.” She knew that to be true, though their methods were rather different from what Twilight was used to. Twilight walked up the stairs. “Are you coming?” she asked. “I think we’ll have a great view on the fireworks from the balcony.” “Right behind you,” Spike said as he ran after her. The two of them walked up the stairs and towards their room. Twilight stopped in front of the door and held a hoof up to her mouth and made a shushing sound. “There’s somepony I want you to meet,” she whispered. Twilight pushed the door open as quietly as she could, her eyes darting from corner to corner as she looked for the little nymph. She quickly found him, curled up in Spike’s basket and clutching the rubber duck from before, making Twilight wonder how he got ahold of it again. “Hey,” Spike whispered. “That guy stole my bed!” “Sorry about that,” Twilight whispered back. Using her magic she pulled a drawer out of the nearest cabinet and emptied its contents on a table. She then pulled out some sheets and a pillow to turn the drawer into a make-shift bed. “I’m not sleeping in that,” Spike said. “It’s for the little guy,” Twilight told him as she placed the drawer next to her own bed. “He hitched a ride here, so I’ll be taking care of him until I can bring him back to the hive.” A green aura enveloped the sleeping Changeling and lifted him up and out of Spike’s basket and into the nymph’s new bed. Twilight tucked him in gently and watched with a smile as the nymph wiggled around a bit to find the proper position to sleep in. “So, were you like this too?” Spike asked as he jumped onto Twilight’s bed, to get a better look at the nymph. “I mean, when you were born?” “I was hatched,” Twilight said. “Kind of like you, I think. So I suppose I looked like this too…” She briefly wondered if Chrysalis had any pictures of her from when she was a foal. Or a nymph would probably be more appropriate. “From a green and purple egg?” Spike joked. “Uh, Twilight? You… you don’t have to keep your disguise up if you don’t want to…” Twilight nodded and instantly undid her disguise. “Thank you Spike.” “What did I do?” Spike asked. “You’ve been awfully mature about this,” Twilight said, waving a hoof over her body to indicate what she meant. “And I’m just happy that I have such an understanding assistant.” “Twilight, you’re embarrassing me,” Spike said. “Like I would care about what you look like. You and Princess Celestia taught me that it’s the inside that counts, remember?” Without saying a word Twilight grabbed her number one assistant and hugged him tightly. A muffled crackling sound was heard, coming from the outside. “I think the fireworks are starting,” Spike said. Twilight nodded and released the baby dragon from her vice-like grip. She reapplied her disguise, just in case and hurried out to the balcony with Spike. She quickly closed the door leading to the balcony behind them, to dampen the sound so her littlest brother wouldn’t be woken up. “Woah, check it out!” Spike said a little louder, now that they were outside. Several rockets shot into the air and exploded into beautiful flowery patterns with lots of red and purple sparks. Another volley of rockets shot into the air and exploded into a star-shaped cloud of glittering bits. The display went on for a good ten minutes. Explosions in pretty much every color and pattern Twilight could think of filled the night’s sky. “I’m off to bed,” she said, once the last sparks faded away. “It’s been a long and tiring day.” “No doubt about that,” Spike said as he followed her inside. Twilight checked in on her littlest brother one last time, before heading to the bathroom to prepare for bed. Brushing her teeth was still a bit awkward, having to deal with her fangs and the rest of her altered dentures. That didn’t stop her from brushing for a full two minutes, just like her father had taught her. Night Light had always been a bit crazy when it came to dental health. Twilight stopped brushing and rinsed her mouth a few times to get rid of the minty flavor lingering in her mouth. She dried her face off and walked out of the bathroom and back to her room. Spike was already fast asleep in his basket, urging Twilight to walk as softly as she could towards her bed. She crawled under the sheets and laid her head down, to finally rest after a long, long day.