Season 3 Try To: By Xzillerationer, contributions by Cuttincows and Das Pangwin
Act 1: A Prelude To Harmony:
Next week is my graduation! Oh, I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself! To think just yesterday I was a filly learning magic under Celestia’s wing herself! Next week is going to be the greatest week of my life! I really hope everything goes well! I’d be broken if things went wrong. I hope no pony messes up, and everypony graduates! I should probably stop worrying so much, Spike says it’s not good for me. He’s even brought me to Nurse Redheart a few times because of it. He’s grown a lot over the years. Oh, he’s just worrying too much, I’m fine. Still, it’s nice to know he genuinely cares about me.
Twilight Sparkle, 4th of Summerset, 1035 AP, ~10 years after the Discord Event.
I talked with Princess Celestia today, she seemed slightly nervous. Oh well, must be that she’s so happy about me finally graduating she can barely contain herself and is trying to maintain her princesslike composure. What is a princesslike composure anyways? Hmm, I’ll have to look that up some day. Oh yeah! Celestia! We talked about the ceremony, and I had to try so hard to hold back my school girl blush...I think I’m starting to like her a little...but she’s a princess! It would be improper for a commonpony like myself to try anything....oh well....guess I’ll just keep my feelings secret. Good thing I locked this diary with complex magiHI I’M TWILIGHT AND IVE GOT A CRUSH ON CELESITA BUT I CAN’T DO AN
Sometimes I really hate Spike.
Twilight Sparkle, 8th of Summerset, 1035 AP.
Chapter 1
1.
The majestic sun rises over Equestria, home of the ponies.
Some ponies spend their days cooking, some painting. Some spend their days trying to earn cutie marks. But this pony, Twilight Sparkle, prefers to study. However, her days of schooling are almost up, for today was Twilight’s graduation. It was a small ceremony, consisting of her and about five other ponies. It drew hundreds of ponies, though, as it’s considered a very important part of young ponies’ lives. Just as flight school for pegasi, and college for earthponies, The School of Magic is considered the first step into becoming a full fledged Equestrian.
Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s favorite student, lies in bed on this momentous day. She dreamed of her first days at Magic School, how Celestia took her out of class early on, and decided to train her personally. She dreamed of her first spell, of her first failure, of her first friend.
Sunlight shines upon the pony’s eyes, and it woke her. She springs awake, jumps out of bed, and gallops over to Spike, waking him in the process. “Spike! It’s today! It’s finally today!” The mare shouts enthusiastically.
“Huh? What’s today?” Spike asks inquisitively.
“Today is graduation! I have to be sure I’m ready! Get out the to do lists, Spike!” Twilight nobly says with her head raised high.
“Ugh, do I have to?”
“Yes! Of course! Life just simply wouldn’t be worth living if it wasn’t organized by size, shape, color, depth, texture, fe-” Twilight says being cut off by Spike.
“Twilight, look, life doesn’t have to be so organized. Some things, yeah, they need to be organized. But not everything. Celestia has her best ponies working on organizing. It won’t be messed up!”
Twilight grew visibly nervous when the Princess’s name was mentioned, “Yeah, but what if something goes wrong? What if I trip and and fall and scuff her shoes, and because of that she gets angry and banishes me to the moon! What if she sends me back to magic KINDERGARTEN? What i-” Twilight’s nervous rant was again cut off by Spike.
“Listen, do you remember what Nurse Redheart said about worrying? Wait, did you take your medication today?”
Twilight grins, hoping to fool the dragon, “I told you Spike, I don’t need to take that, I’m fine, it’s nothing to worry about.”
“Did you run out again? You know Applebloom doesn’t mind making more for you!” Spike demands, starting to get angry.
Twilight picks up Spike and puts him on the table with her magic, “Oh, Spike, always caring for me. I’m fine! My anxiety is under control!” The fickle mare appears to swell in confidence and pride, “I no longer require medicine! Honestly.”
“Fine, but if you have a panic attack, I’m not helping.” Spike pouts.
“Spike! I haven’t had one of those in two years! Honestly, I’m going to be fine.” She Boasts.
Twilight uses her magic and teleports Spike outside, “Now, wait out here, I have some getting ready to do, and I’d prefer to do it in privacy.”
Twilight starts to get ready, but hears a faint bouncing noise. “Huh? What’s tha-” Twilight is cut off as the lively pony Pinkie Pie breaks through the door.
“Twilight! It’s your graduation today! I’m SOOOOOO excited! We’re gonna have a hugemongous party! There’ll be cake and balloons and-ooh! There’ll be cupcakes!” Pinkie excitedly yells as she jumps and hops around the room in her usual gleeful manner, before finally landing on a confused purple mare.
“Uh, Pinkie Pie?” Twilight’s face goes from nervous excitement to bitter disappointment.
“Yes, Miss Graduatatorily girl?” Pinkie appears to have trouble with those last two words.
“Could you please get off me?”
“Oh, sorry. But we’re going to have so much fun!” Pinkie yells, stepping off of Twilight, allowing her her freedom.
“I’m trying to get ready he-”
“I KNOW! That’s why I came! To help you get ready, sillyhead!” Pinkie Pie jumps around some more, “I mean, I’m obviously better help than that silly Spike because when you change, I don’t get aroused!”
Twilight blushes.
“Well, hopefully. Who knows! Maybe I’m going through a phase right now, they say it’s more hip for mares to date mares, right!?”
“I’m not changing in front of you” Twilight says while nervously chuckling and pushing Pinkie aside, “plus, aren’t you a little old to be going through phases?”
“Well, maybe. I don’t know, I’ve never really met anyone that tickles my tummy in that special way only stuff like chocolate cake does! Well, not anymore...” Pinkie starts to tilt her head down, as though she were sad at the statement.
“I’ve...never heard love described that way before, Pinkie. Wait, what do you mean, ‘not anymore’?” Twilight asks, in both a concerned and interested manner.
“That was love?!” Pinkie’s eyes widen, “Here I was thinking I was describing how I like cupcakes...” the pink pony turns to a more inquisitive look, ignoring Twilight’s question.
“Yeah, that’s love. You found your cake, but did you find your cupcakes? And what about tha-”
“Uh, well, not exactly”, Pinkie blushes, cutting off Twilight in the process, “but hey! Maybe I love everyone!” With that remark, Pinkie Pie jumps to her usual excitement.
“Hm, maybe, ha ha, who knows, maybe you just haven’t met him yet.” Twilight takes her turn blushing.
“Who says it has to be a him? Maybe I’m a marepony!” Pinkie says as she attempts to balance on one hoof.
“A...marepony? I don’t think they’re called tha-”
“Of course they’re called that, silly! What do you think they’re called? Pff, lesbians?”
“Actually...yes.” Twilight defines confidently.
“Oh. Hm, oh well.” Pinkie says, settling down for a moment, “I’m sure he’ll come along. What about you, you haven’t even looked at a stallion since, like, 5 years ago! That’s almost a long time!”
“Well, it’s not quite that simple you see...” Twilight blushes, taking Pinkie’s turn.
“Oh why! Are you a MAREPONY?” Pinkie casually mocks.
“Well, no, well, sort of, maybe?” Twilight takes a third turn blushing.
“Oh! Who is it! Who who who!” Pinkie jumps up and down in excitement.
“You have to promise not to tell anyone.” Twilight demands.
“I promise!”
“You have to Pinkie Pie Promise!” Twilight forces.
Pinkie Pie puts her hoof to her eye, “I Pinkie Pie promise!”
“Okay....well, the pony I like...is kinda...um...Princess Celestia...” Twilight smiles a nervous fake smile.
“Princess Celes-” Pinkie tries yells before being cut off by Twilight’s hoof in her mouth.
“Don’t yell it out loud! I don’t want people finding out...” Twilight remarks, removing her hoof.
“Why not? You two would make a cute couple!” Pinkie Pie tries to hide her excitement.
“Because she’s the Princess! It’d be unproper for her to go after me romantically!” She sighs.
“Well, haven’t you ever heard of how they make new princesses? They don’t go around breeding INSIDE the family, silly, that would be weird and kinda spooky!” Pinkie makes odd ghostlike movements before losing her balance and toppling over.
“Uh, yeah, and the princesses in royal families find handsome stallions!” Twilight bows her head in shame, “I’m neither handsome nor a stallion. Therefore, I am ineligible for her love...”
“What?! That’s not true! You’re plenty handsome! And, plus, she’s the Princess! She can love whoever she wants! She could even love a cake! I think I love my cake!” Pinkie smiles, trying to cheer up her magenta comrade.
Twilight lifts her head and chuckles a little, “Well, I’m not a cake either, ha ha.”
“Yeah, you’re no-Hey! You’re smiling again! This is Graduation, silly! Don’t get bogged down because you can’t figure out your troubles now!” Pinkie Pie starts to jump around and sing a little, “Today is about is fun! Today you’re done! Today is the day where you find your place! Whether you be pink, or purple or silver or blue, orange or-” Pinkie Pie stops singing and falls to the ground with a slightly confused look on her face over not being able to finish the rhyme.
“Well then, perhaps you should go now while you figure that out. I have a lot of preparing to do.” Twilight giggles.
“Well, duh! Why do you think I came here! To help you get ready!” Pinkie says, snapping back to her usual level of energy.
“Isn’t that what Rarity usually does?”
“Oh, yeah...but...” Pinkie bows her head, and digs at the ground a little with her hoof, “she moved away, remember?”
“Pinkie Pie! Why so sad? She’s been only gone for a few weeks, remember?” Twilight holds up Pinkie’s head.
“Yeah, but I miss her, okay? She always had great fashion tips for when I went out on dates...”
“You? Date? I thought you never found your cupcake.” Twilight apologetically states.
“Well, I also enjoy pie! And I found several pies! But no cupcakes.”
“Oh? Why didn’t you tell any of us about these stallions,” Twilight appears confused, “Wait, what about that cupcake you found earlier but lost?”
“Oh. Well, she left me.” Pinkie frowns, unusual for her happy demeanor.
Twilight speaks in a maternal manner, “Oh? Well, maybe she’ll be back...?”
“Well, that’s the thing. She’s left before. And then come back.” Pinkie says, just as confused as Twilight, “Each time I take her back, or she takes me back. Then she hurts me when she leaves again...” Pinkie looks down.
“Oh...who is she?” Twilight asks, “Ever thought of getting someone to talk to her about this?”
Pinkie goes from sadness to a look of utter horror, “Oh no, no no no, people can’t find out about us! Forget I told you!”
Twilight, knowing she can’t pry anymore information out of the hyperactive pink pony, stops questioning her about it, “Well, what about everyone else?”
“What about them?” Pinkie asks, cheering up slightly.
“Were any of them colts?”
“Wait! Yes! They were!”
“How many, might I ask?”
“About...seven, I think? Yeah! six colts!”
“Wait, seven or six?” Twilight appears to be confused.
Pinkie Pie smiles, a stark contrast to her previous emotion.
“Well, how many of them were your coltfriend at some point?” The unicorn inquires, confused at Pinkie’s antics.
“4! 4 coltfriends, and 8 total stallions! Oh! And one mare!” Pinkie exclaims proudly.
“And you didn’t tell any of us this?” Twilight sighs.
“Well, I told Rarity, but that’s it.” Pinkie Pie appears to be slightly ashamed.
“Why not!” Twilight grows a look of concern on her face.
“Well, I was thinking maybe a party of two would be fun, and I didn’t want to make you gals jealous, and-”
Twilight shushes Pinkie, now obviously going to tears, “Pinkie Pie, you know you can tell us anything!” the unicorn reaches out and hugs the pink mare, “Really, we won’t get mad at you because you were having fun without us!”
“Really!” Pinkie Pie goes immediately from sorrow to glee, “Oh thank Celestia!” At that last word, Twilight visibly pales.
“Okay, I need to get ready now. Are you ready to help me?” Twilight asks.
“Yeppity yes! We’ll get you all pretty and ready for your graduation! I even heard Rarity is coming to see it!”
“Really? All the way from Canterlot!” Twilight’s eyes gleam with joy over news of the white unicorn’s return, “Wouldn’t wanna be late then, hurry up!”
2 .
********************************
“I must say, Twilight, that your graduation was simply marvellous.” A familiar voice says.
Twilight Sparkle chuckles and replies to the unicorn, “Thanks, Rarity, though I was surprised.”
“Oh? Why on Equestria would you be surprised?”
“Well, the Princess usually says something goes wrong, or somepony doesn’t graduate. It was wonderful that we all graduated on time, and together. Although, there is still one thing that confuses me.” Twilight says, with a cocky smile.
“What in the world could that possibly be?”
“Did you ever graduate from magic school?” Twilight interrogates.
“Well...heh heh...” Rarity grins nervously, obviously caught unprepared from this question, “Well, Twilight, I’m going to be honest. I dropped out when I was young to pursue a career in fashion! And you can see how far it’s taken me now!” The white mare performs various poses in her usual melodramatic fashion.
“You, err, dropped out?” Twilight appears shocked and confused for a moment.
“Well, yes. I hated magic school, and as soon as I learned what I needed, I got out of there. I already had my cutie mark, and my parents knew how well I could make a dress, so they dropped me out.” After the end statement, Rarity grows visibly nervous, and grins.
“So, it was your parents’ idea?”
“Yes. If it were up to me, I would’ve stayed in and bore with it, learned more magic to make things easier.” Rarity says, realizing her lie is failing, “But, no, they had to kick me out.”
Twilight senses hints of deception, “Wait, didn't you just say your parents dropped you out?”
“What!? My heavens, why would they ever do that? My parents love me!” Rarity grins again, starting to trot towards the entrance.
“Uh huh,” Twilight closes and locks her library door, “Tell me the truth, Rarity.”
“I am!”
Twilight pushes her up against the wall gently, yet harshly, “The truth!”
“Oh, alright, fine. The truth is I got in a fight and got kicked out.” Rarity confesses, before frowning and looking down in shame.
“A fight? You? Fighting?” Twilight looks more and more shocked with every word.
“Yes...he insulted my dress! What was I supposed to do? Back then I didn’t know that proper mares don’t fight!”
“You mean you didn’t grow up like that?” Twilight looks unsatisfied.
“Well, yes. You see, after I was expelled, my parents sent me to live with family in the upmost divine city of Manehatten. It’s there I learned proper etiquette and how to be a proper pony.” Rarity flips her hair, “Have you seen my parents?” Rarity states, emphasizing the word ‘seen’ in a completely over the top overly dramatic fashion.
Twilight realizes the time and gasps, realizing that she’ll have to kick out her friend that just got here, “Yeah...I hate to kick you out so early, but I kinda have a guest coming over, and I need to tidy up...”
“Already?” Rarity asks with discontent, “Well, perhaps I could assist you? It is your special day, after all.”
“Well...err...I have to get things just right....it’s a very special pony...” Twilight appears flushed and nervous.
“Oh! A ‘special’,” Rarity makes air quotes with her hooves, “friend. I see, Twilight, darling, you simply must tell me his name!”
The purple unicorn appears even more flushed, “Well, it’s not quite like that...” she says as she nervously giggles.
“Oh? Is it a mare? Good heavens, tell me it’s not a buffalo!”
“What?! No, it’s not a buffalo!” Twilight says defensively.
“So it’s a mare?” Rarity says, content that she pried the answer out of the magically inclined pony.
“Yes. But don’t tell anyone! It’s kinda a secret...” Twilight asks, embarrassed Rarity figured out her secret so easily.
“Twilight, you can tell me! I won’t tell anyone, I swear! Honestly, what would make it so that you wouldn’t trust me? You know I don’t live in Ponyville, so who would I tell?”
“Well, she kinda lives in Canterlot....” Twilight plays with her mane a little, reminiscent of Fluttershy. “So, you might tell somepony there...or something.”
"Honestly, Twi, darling, I’m not going to tell anypony. Wait, did you say she lives in Canterlot?!”
“Err, yes...” Twilight grows flustered and even more nervous.
“Oh, Twilight, you simply must introduce me! With me by her side, she could become the second most famous mare in all Canterlot!” Rarity says whilst putting her arm around Twilight and using her other arm to point to various nondescript objects.
“Uh...well...you see...” Twilight loosens Rarity’s grip and slips out, and starts to look even more nervous.
“What? There’s simply no way she can be more prestigious than me! I am THE mare of Canterlot!”
“Well, she’s kinda...above you...” Twilight quivers at the phrase.
“Oh? Who could that possibly be...” Rarity suddenly realizes who Twilight is talking about, “Oh, no, you can’t be serious!”
Rarity is silenced and cut off by Twilight putting a hoof in her mouth, “Okay, Rarity, see you later, gotta clean up after this party!”
Twilight pushes Rarity through the streamers, balloons, plates, and other various party debris left over from Pinkie’s latest in her world famous parties. Twilight slouches back on her recently shut door, with her mane a mess, her library in shambles, there’s no way she could clean up in time. She thumps back her head on the door and blinks back a few tears. She couldn’t get to anypony else in time, except for Rarity, and there’s no way Rarity was going to help after she pushed her out so abruptly. Then it hit her-why not use magic? She could cast a spell to clean up. Except she doesn’t know any cleaning spells. She could try a mass teleportation spell...except that would teleport the entire library. Twilight realizes that after 15 years of magic school, and, 10 years of magic college, she couldn’t use a spell to clean up her house-one that Celestia herself gave to her.
Twilight sighs, “Why is being a unicorn so difficult?”