//------------------------------// // Keep Your Friends Close // Story: Twilight Sparkle Is... Princess Under Fire // by PegasusMesa //------------------------------// The Ponyville police department bustled with activity. “Get off of your asses and move!” Applejack shouted as she stormed through the offices. “Ah want all available officers ready to go in five minutes, and anypony who holds us up is gonna have a hoof so far down their throat, Ah’ll—” “I believe you made your point,” Luna said drily, close on her heels. “Ah, er, right,” Applejack said. She chuckled and loosened her tie. “Ah forgot ya were behind me.” A uniformed mare, walking by at a leisurely pace, shrieked when Applejack screamed in her ear. “Run, cadet! Ya ain’t got the time for lollygaggin’! Move move move!” The poor officer galloped out of sight. Luna frowned, but otherwise let the abuse pass. “Chief Applejack, I’ve been meaning to ask—” She halted to let a trio of rushing police officers get by “—where is this factory that Rainbow Dash told us of?” “Just some abandoned buildin’ in the middle of the forest,” Applejack said. “Ya know, Madame President, ya don’t need to come along. Mah ponies can handle this, no worry.” “But, as president, I cannot simply stand back while others are in danger!” Luna’s chest puffed out. “Besides, I wish to see Twilight Sparkle as soon as possible. Speaking of which, when can we depart?” “As soon as mah lazy department gets off of its keister,” Applejack grumbled, directing a fierce scowl at another passing officer. “Very well,” Luna said. “I shall wait outside. Kindly do not leave without me.” She turned and trotted away. “Yeah, just what Ah needed,” Applejack muttered as she rubbed her forehead. “More high-level types, pokin’ their muzzles into mah precinct.” She shook her head wearily. “Well, after today, it ain’t mah problem.” An officer came up behind her and cleared his throat. “Um, Chief, there’s a pair of ponies that say they’ve just escaped from the factory. They’re in your office.” “Give ‘em a magazine and tell ‘em to wait,” Applejack said, waving him away. “Ah ain’t got time now.” A bead of sweat ran down his cheek. “Ah, about that, Chief,” he said with a gulp, “you might want to hear what they have to say.” “Unless it’s news that somepony murdered the ambassador from Gryphonia, Ah don’t give a shit what they have to say!” she growled. When a long moment passed and no response came forth, Applejack’s eyes widened. “Oh, ya can’t be serious…” “I’m afraid so.” More perspiration built up on his face. “Why today?” she said with a groan. “Why mah last day? Fine, let’s get this over with.” She stomped off to her office, no doubt to deal with what could only become another headache. The cuffs that held Twilight spread-eagled dug into her legs as she strained against them. However, no matter how hard she pushed, they wouldn’t budge an inch. “How’re we gonna get out of this, Twi?” Spike asked, clutching the bars to his cage. “I’m working on it,” Twilight said through gritted teeth. She concentrated on her horn, but just as the magic’s aura appeared, the cuffs jolted her with a stream of electricity. As she grunted in pain, her concentration slipped and the nimbus around her horn vanished. “Well, apparently—” She shook her head to clear it “—I won’t be able to use magic.” The bomb’s timer hit fifteen minutes. After a few moments of silence, Spike piped up. “So, um,” he said slowly, “why did Princess Celestia kiss—” “Not now, Spike,” Twilight said with a grunt. “And what did she mean about you and Flutter—” “Spike!” she snapped. “Not now! I’ll explain everything later!” She closed her eyes to think, but quickly opened them a moment later when she heard something land in front of her. “Looks like things are going well for you, eh?” Discord said, hands on hips. “You.” A scowl spread across Twilight’s face. “You’re the one who turned my life into this—this nightmare, aren’t you?” “If, by nightmare, you mean fantastically exciting adventure, then yes, I did,” Discord said. He leaned in to inspect her bonds. “But, the real question is this: do you want my help?” “Of course I want your help!” Twilight yelled. “There is a bomb at your feet, and I am only minutes from dying! Why would I not want your help?!” He grinned at her. “Well, if you want me to lend assistance, you have to do something, first.” Immediately, Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t like the sound of this.” “All you have to do is promise to help me save Fluttershy,” he said. A faint blush colored his cheeks as he glanced away. “Why?” Twilight asked. The bomb counter passed thirteen minutes. “You don’t seem to care about anypony other than yourself, so why Fluttershy?” “I-I don’t care!” Discord said. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “She’s just the only one of you plebeians who’s nice to me, is all.” “Gee, I wonder why,” Twilight said as she rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’ll help you save Fluttershy.” “Atta girl!” Discord snapped his fingers to open the cuffs, but instead experienced the same backlash of magic that he had faced with Celestia. He stumbled over backwards. “Are you alright?” she couldn’t help but say as he sat up. “Ow,” he muttered, rubbing his head. “Well, if I can’t get them off, maybe I can just get you out.” He held his hand as far away as possible before snapping his fingers, but the result was no different. “Your magic didn’t work against Celestia, either,” Twilight said while he pushed himself up on his elbows. “Why not?” “There’s a teensy-weensy, tiny chance that I might have, um—” Discord glanced away and touched the tips of his index fingers together “—lost control of the spell.” “What?!” she shrieked. “How the hay do you lose control of your own spell?” She gave a particularly hard tug of her forelegs. “Now, don’t be like that,” Discord said as he considered the explosive. “Pointing fingers won’t help, you know. Hmmm, I could always just carry it off— “Don’t touch it!” Twilight said. “If you touch it, it’ll blow!” “Well, then, I’m out of ideas.” Discord stood and brushed his knees off. “Guess it’s time for me to go. I’ve got a pegasus to save, so I shall bid you ad—” “Wait!” Twilight shouted, halting him in mid-teleport. “Take Spike with you.” Discord glanced at the baby dragon. “Fiiiine,” he groaned. “I’ll take him—well, somewhere. Who knows where that could be?” He marched over and opened Spike’s cage. “I know I sure don’t.” “Hold on,” Spike said as he hopped out of his prison and ran to Twilight. “We can’t just leave you behind!” “I’ll be alright,” she said with what she hoped was a comforting smile. “You go with Discord.” “But what if you aren’t?” he said, hugging her leg. Twilight nodded to Discord, who sighed and took hold of Spike’s arm. He snapped his fingers and the two disappeared. Now all by herself, Twilight scanned the room for something—anything—that could get her free. However, nothing presented itself, and her eyes kept returning to the bomb counter. She built up the magic in her horn once more, but it worked no better than last time. As soon as the shock wore off, she pulled frantically at the cuffs, also to no avail. The bomb counter hit five minutes. Her head drooped forward. “Sorry, Spike,” she mumbled. “I guess I’m a liar.” “Aw, does somepony need a hug?” Twilight’s head snapped up to find a welcome sight. “Pinkie Pie!” she said, a smile spreading across her face. “We don’t have much time! There’s—” “A five forty-three,” Pinkie said as she glanced at the bomb before returning her attention to Twilight. “And a one ninety-seven.” She nodded sagely and pulled a pouch out from a hidden pocket in her coat. Despite the nature of her situation, Twilight couldn’t help the curiosity that swelled within her. “Five forty-three? What does that even mean?” “It means there’s a ticking time-bomb, silly,” Pinkie said. Bracing herself on Twilight’s hips, she hopped up to inspect the cuffs. “Yep, these are Shock-You-Silly brand electro-cuffs, all right! I’ll have you out in a jiffy.” From the pouch she procured a lockpick and set to work. “Watch out,” Twilight said as Pinkie fiddled with the bonds. “If you aren’t careful, it’ll—” “It’ll shock me, I know,” Pinkie said without averting her gaze. “Take it easy, I’ve done this a bajillion times!” A satisfying click heralded the cuff’s release, and Twilight pulled her foreleg free. “See? Toldja so!” She started on the second. “Sorry,” Twilight said. “We need to get out of here, though! Can you do the other three in—” A glance at the bomb showed that a little over three minutes remained “—three minutes?” “I’ll have you out in two.” Another click and Twilight’s forelegs were both free. “Oh, that feels good,” Twilight said as she massaged her hooves, bruised from her efforts to free them. “What are you doing here, anyway?” “Fluttershy brought me along, but flew ahead,” Pinkie said, now working at the bottom cuffs. Suddenly, she froze. “I totally forgot! Fluttershy was caught! I saw the bad guys take her with them when they abandoned this place!” “Was she alright?” Twilight asked. “She wasn’t hurt, was she?” “I couldn’t see very well, but she looked fine to me,” Pinkie said. Her eyes glazed over and she stared off into the distance. “Um, Pinkie…” Twilight gestured to her hind legs. “Huh?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow, then giggled and attacked the cuffs with intensity. “Sorry, got off-track.” “Don’t worry, we’ll save Fluttershy,” Twilight's third leg fell free, and she nearly tumbled forward. “Hmmm,” Pinkie said with a frown. “This last one’s different.” “Different how?” “There’s something in here, but it should be fine—” A massive burst of electricity picked her up and flung her across the room. “Pinkie!” Twilight shouted. Whatever Pinkie had done had freed Twilight’s final leg, and she darted to her fallen friend. “Are you alright?!” “Did anypony get the number on that bus?” Pinkie mumbled, head spinning. Twilight glanced at the bomb and saw that only a minute and a half remained. “Oh, this is not going to be fun,” she muttered. A quick spell lifted Pinkie and drooped her over Twilight’s back. Her ribs protested, still not fully healed. Can’t worry about that right now, though. Her hooves pounded against the concrete floor as she galloped out of the room and searched for an exit. She stood in a cavernous space, filled with archaic, cobweb-covered machinery. Faint light entered through a massive window on a nearby wall, and Twilight turned in that direction. “Pinkie, can you hear me?” she shouted while she ran. “Just another minute, Mommy,” Pinkie said woozily. “Fantastic,” Twilight said. Within seconds, she stood before the dust-covered window and wiped a section of it clear in order to peer through. She glanced outside and saw a wide, grassy expanse stretched before her. Smoke rose in the distance, no doubt coming from Ponyville’s chimneys. She couldn’t ask for a more inviting scene. That is, if the window she looked through hadn’t been three stories above the ground. Twilight’s internal count estimated that, at most, a minute remained before the explosive detonated. With the incoherently mumbling Pinkie draped over her back, not many options remained. She narrowed her eyes and shattered the window with a sharp kick. Pinkie slid from her seat as Twilight’s forelegs took hold and pulled her close. “I hope I’m strong enough for this,” she muttered, spreading her wings. Then, with a powerful flap, they were outside and gliding to the ground. Just as Twilight touched down, Celestia’s bomb detonated, and the entire building burst apart as a gargantuan fireball leapt skyward. Pinkie’s eyes regained a semblance of consciousness. “No,” she said when Twilight turned to look, “don’t watch the explosion. Just walk away.” Twilight nodded and, allowing Pinkie upon her back once more, walked towards Ponyville at a slow trot. “So… awesome…” Pinkie’s head drooped forward—she was well and truly out cold. They had barely re-entered the woods before they ran into what Twilight could only assume was the entirety of Ponyville’s police department. Applejack shoved her way to the front of the group. “Mornin’, Twilight,” she said conversationally, despite her deep scowl. “Ya havin’ a good day so far?” “No,” Twilight said. She gently slid Pinkie to the ground. “Look, we need to do something fast—” “Yeah, Ah’m gonna cut ya off right there,” Applejack said. "Fellas, cuff her.” “What?!” Twilight's eyes widened as two police officer marched forward and placed two pairs of cuffs on her, one for her forelegs and one for her hindlegs. “Applejack, I know you said I’m off the case, but this seems a little harsh—” “Sergeant Twilight Sparkle,” Applejack said, “you’re under arrest for suspicion of murder. Ya can come quiet, or ya can come unconscious.” "Move aside! You dare impede your president?" Another pony pushed her way forth from the back of the group. “Chief Applejack, would you care to explain to your president what is going on here?” Luna strode into Twilight's sight. “Luna!” Twilight said before she processed Luna's words. “”Wait, did you say president?” “Yes,” Luna said with a wide smile. “It appears that, in this false reality of Discord’s, I am the president of Equestria.” “Did you just—” Twilight’s eyes widened. “You know this isn’t real?” “We shall speak of that later,” Luna said, turning to Applejack. “Chief, your president demands that you release that pony.” Applejack's mouth dropped open, and only the hoofcuffs kept Twilight from smacking a hoof to her face. “A president doesn’t have that kind of power,” she said. Luna's smile vanished. “You mean, my decrees will not be obeyed without question?” she said. “My word is not law?” Twilight shook her head. “Then I do not wish to be the president anymore. I am once more Princess Luna!” “Er… whatever’s goin’ on, Madame President, Ah’m sure we can talk it over back at headquarters,” Applejack said with a sidelong glance at her. “For now, let’s get this one—” She jerked a hoof in Twilight’s direction “—back and stick her in a cell.” The officers took hold of their prisoner by the shoulders, and the group marched back to town. High above Ponyville, Discord floated in a reclined position. A small screen in front of him showed Twilight as the police marched her back to headquarters. “Well, I suppose this could have turned out better,” he said with a sigh. “Why are we just sitting up here?” Spike asked from his spot on Discord’s back. “Twilight needs our help!” “And what do you expect me to do about it?” Discord held out his hand and took hold of a banana that appeared from nowhere. “I’m still trying to figure out what to do about Fluttershy.” “I dunno,” Spike said. “It looks like you’re just hanging out while everypony sorts things out for themselves.” “Alright, young Spike, since we have so much in common, I will teach you my wisdom,” Discord said, unpeeling the banana and taking a bite. “Lesson one: appearances are deceiving.” “I thought it was that appearances can be deceiving,” Spike said with crossed arms. “And that’s why you’re the student and I'm the master,” Discord said. “Where can I drop you off? I’m not a babysitter, you know.” “Hmm, I bet Rarity would help,” Spike mused. “Can you take me—” He suddenly disappeared from Discord’s back and reappeared in the middle of Carousel Armory “—there?” He stood in the center of Rarity’s workshop as Rarity herself, shocked by his sudden arrival, stared on silently. Her mouth tried to form words, but nothing came forth. “Rarity, I need your help!” he said, throwing his arms in the air. “Well, Twilight needs your help. She was framed for murder, and now they’re throwing her in jail while the real criminal gets ready to blow up Ponyville!” Rarity slowly walked over to him and put her hooves on his shoulders. She stared deep into his eyes before she finally managed to speak her mind. “What.” “I’ve told you a thousand times, I didn’t kill Gilda!” Twilight said from her jail cell. “Celestia did it, and for some reason the Cakes are lying for her! Maybe she’s blackmailing them, or something.” Applejack sighed and stood. “Ah don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on,” she muttered. “Twilight, for what it’s worth, Ah don’t think ya did it. But somehow the press found out, and they’re spreadin’ it around that you’re a killer. The gryphons are screamin’ bloody murder. Somepony’s gotta take the fall.” “This isn’t even the worst part!” Twilight put her face up against the bars. “Celestia kidnapped Fluttershy, and she said she’s going to destroy Ponyville and pin it on the gryphons! She’s trying to drum up clients for her weapons business! If you just let me go after her, then—” “No, you’re stayin’ right there,” Applejack said firmly. She stood and walked to the door. “We’ll do an investigation about this Celestia, but the last thing Ah need is you on the loose.” “But, Applejack—” The door slammed shut, leaving Twilight alone with Rainbow Dash, who sat in the neighboring cell. “Why is this happening?” She kicked the bars, then grunted in pain and nursed her injured hoof. “Twilight,” Rainbow said, “I believe you, you know.” She refused to meet Twilight's gaze. “For what it’s worth.” “It doesn’t matter who believes me unless I can save Ponyville,” Twilight said. “I need to get out of here!” Her horn lit up, but almost immediately fizzled out. “Why do they always cast spells to prevent me from teleporting—” Once again, the door interrupted her, this time opening to admit an officer. “Visitors,” he said. Twilight’s eyes widened as Spike ran in. “Spike!” she said, holding out a hoof through the bars for him to hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.” “And me, too.” Rarity said from the door. She proceeded towards the cell, a large cake held aloft in her magic’s aura. “I come bearing gifts!” Twilight eyed the cake suspiciously. A large rose, made of icing, sat on top. “Uh huh,” she said. “It wouldn’t happen to also be a bomb, would it?” Rarity’s mouth opened, but Twilight continued. “Or maybe a bow tie, which is actually a bomb in disguise?” Rarity chuckled loudly as her eyes darted towards the officer, who waited for her and Spike to finish their business with the prisoners. “Oh, Twilight, you kidder, you,” she said. A line of sweat ran down her face. “Whyever would I put something in the cake? Nopony puts things in cake! Well, I suppose aside from cake, of course, but nothing else, I assure you!” “Why are you acting so—” Twilight started to say, but Rainbow cut in. “Thank you, Rarity,” she said, glaring at Twilight. “I’m sure it will be delicious. Right, Twilight?” “Huh? Yes, I suppose,” Twilight said. Her eyes suddenly widened. “Yes, delicious! Thank you very much!” Rarity placed it on the stool, mere inches from the cells. “I shall just leave it right here, until somepony can serve it to you,” she said, then added more quietly, “The rose is a master key. Luna said you’d know where to meet her. Good luck.” She straightened and backed away. “Well, I hope that your stay here is as pleasant as can be. Come along, Spike. Goodbye, Twilight!” With Spike in tow, she marched back towards the door. The officer followed them out. Twilight immediately reached out to pull the stool towards her. “Why would they just let her bring a cake in for you?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t they supposed to check stuff like this first, in case somepony does exactly what Rarity did?” “Maybe they trust her because she runs the armory,” Twilight said. Her tongue stuck out as she slid the cake close and removed the rose. “I really couldn’t say.” She held the flower up and saw that the stem, which had been buried in the cake, was indeed shaped like a key. She placed it in the cell’s lock and easily opened it. “Um, Twilight?” Rainbow said as Twilight straightened her coat and turtleneck. “A little help?” “You actually want me to let you out?” Twilight said. “Why would I do that?” “Because I wanna help!” Rainbow threw herself against the bars. “Look, all the things I did wrong, I need to make that right! You have to let me come with you to save Fluttershy and Ponyville. Besides, you need all the help you can get, right?” Twilight sighed. “Alright, I’ll let you out,” she said slowly, “but only on one condition.” “Yeah, anything!” Rainbow said. “You don’t do anything, or go anywhere, unless I tell you to.” Her eyes narrowed. “You understand?” “Don’t do anything, don’t go anywhere,” Rainbow said, snapping a salute. “You got it!” “I’ll hold you to that.” The master key unlocked Rainbow’s cell just as easily as Twilight’s. “Now, we need to figure out how to get past all of the police officers,” she said. “Maybe I can—” Suddenly, the ground shook, nearly knocking them from their feet. “What the hay was that?” Rainbow asked with wide eyes. “Rarity thought of everything,” Twilight said. She shook her head and chuckled. “She created a diversion. Come on, let’s get out of here!” They pushed open the door and galloped into the chaos that had become the police department. A white mug that read My Hoof—Your Ass wobbled precariously on the desk’s edge before it tipped over. Applejack reached for it, but couldn’t catch it before it shattered on the ground. “God dammit!” she barked. She stood and stalked out of her office. “Whoever did that’ll be buyin’ me a new one as soon as they get outta the hospital!” The entire department was in an uproar. Whatever had caused the tremor had thrown papers, ponies, and coffee mugs alike. Applejack snagged one of her passing officers. “Ya got ten seconds to tell me what’s goin’ on,” she said with a scowl. “I-I don’t really know!” the cowed officer answered. “Something blew up outside, I think, apparently just off the east wall—” “The east wall,” Applejack said. The officer nodded. “Ya mean thattaway.” She pointed and earned another nod. “The exact opposite side of the buildin’ as the holdin’ cells.” Realization flashed in the officer’s eyes. “Oh, I see what you’re—” “Then why the hell’re ya just standin’ there?!” Applejack roared as she turned to rush to the cells—only to catch a glimpse of a rainbow-colored tail disappearing around a corner. She lowered her head and galloped as quickly as she could, praying that she could catch them inside the building. Her hopes were dashed when she realized that her quarries had taken the stairs to the roof. Up the stairs she went until she burst through the door at the top into harsh sunlight. Shielding her eyes, Applejack could just make out two ponies, standing at the edge and preparing to take wing. “Get back here!” she shouted. “Try ‘n make us!” Rainbow said. “Nyah!” Applejack couldn’t see any details while her eyes remained unadjusted, but she was pretty certain that Rainbow had her tongue stuck out. “C’mon, Rainbow, we need to go,” Twilight said. “I’m sorry, Applejack, but I can’t afford to wait. Celestia needs to be stopped now.” “Ya no-good, damned rule-breaker!” Applejack raged. She stomped to the edge of the building to get as close to them as possible and lowered her voice. “If you’re gonna do this, then make sure ya stop her good, ya got that?” “Does this mean you’re letting us off?” Rainbow asked, forelegs crossed. “Hell no!” Applejack said. “As soon as ya get back, Ah’ll have your ass on a platter! But, strictly off the record?” She took her hat off. “Kick the shit outta the bitch, Twi.” A wide grin spread across Twilight’s face just as Applejack’s vision finally adjusted. “Thanks. Let’s go, Rainbow.” Their wings propelled them away, towards Ponyville proper. With a sigh, Applejack replaced her hat before she turned and plodded back inside. “Ah guess Ah ain’t gettin’ that retirement after all,” she muttered, glancing around at the chaos that still reigned. “Not with all this mess to take care of.” “Chief!” A panting officer ran up to her. “Chief, the gryphons are on the phone. They say they want to talk to you about Sergeant Sparkle.” “And then there’s this asshole!” Applejack yelled with a wave at the hapless officer. “Tell ‘em Ah’m busy or somethin’.” “Doing what?” he asked. “Anything!” she shouted. He ran out of sight, presumably back to his office where he had the unenviable task of dealing with angry gryphons. Applejack made to find someone else to yell at, but first raised her voice for all to hear. “And if nopony brings me another goddamned mug in the next thirty seconds, heads are gonna roll!” As she glided over Ponyville, Twilight scanned the buildings below. Hardly anybody was outside, save for a large crowd surrounding three fillies that she recognized as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “So, um, where are we going?” Rainbow asked with a glance at Twilight. She tore her attention away from the curiously popular crusaders. “We’re going to meet Princess Luna,” she said. “Er… Princess Luna?” Rainbow said. “Sorry—President Luna.” Twilight dropped into a steep dive, flaring her wings at the last moment to halt her momentum and touch down next to a large statue. It depicted Luna, gazing forth with a triumphant look on her face. “And why are we meeting her, again?” Rainbow said as she, too, landed. “Because hopefully she can help us figure out what to do,” Twilight said. She eyed the statue and frowned. “This is supposed to be a statue of Nightmare Moon,” she muttered. “‘Tis quite the dashing recreation, is it not?” Luna stepped out from behind the monument and struck a pose. “I believe, after all this is over, I shall have the original replaced.” “Luna,” Twilight said, approaching her, “what’s going on? Why aren’t you like all the others?” “Well, I—” Head bowed, Luna glanced up guiltily. “I believe I owe you an apology, and much more.” She glanced at Rainbow Dash. “May we have a moment to speak alone?” “Whatever,” Rainbow said with a shrug, turning and plodding out of hearing range. Meanwhile, Twilight had stayed frozen in place. “Why do you need to apologize to me?” she asked slowly. “Because I condoned the prank that Discord proposed,” Luna said. “Had I put my hoof down, perhaps he would have restrained himself.” For a long moment, Twilight remained completely motionless, until she approached Luna and drooped a companionable leg around her shoulders. “You know, Luna,” she said, “as soon as this is all over, I’m going to take a nice, long bath, get a good night’s sleep, and write a detailed letter to Celestia about why I should forgive my friends instead of strangling them. Then, you and I are going to have a very, very long conversation about this.” She retracted her leg. “And I can’t promise anything about the strangling. Luna opened her mouth to reply, but instead nodded mutely. “For now, we need to stop Celestia,” Twilight said with a deep breath. “With you, I’m sure we can beat her easi—” “I will not fight my sister,” Luna said, earning a blank stare that was almost instantly replaced with a fierce scowl. “You what?!” Twilight shouted. “You have to! I can’t win against her on my own!” “No!” The percussive denial echoed through the courtyard. Rainbow coughed and trotted further away. “No,” Luna said again, more softly. “I swore to never again raise my hoof against Celestia, and that is an oath I intend to keep.” “But this isn’t even Celestia,” Twilight said, forcing Luna to meet her gaze. “And I’m sure the Celestia we know would want you to stop her!” “My position will not change, regardless of your argument,” Luna said. “However, the point is moot. Even if I were to fight and defeat Celestia, nothing would change.” Twilight gestured for her to continue. “I have given this spell of Discord's much consideration, and have come to a few conclusions. Thus far, the series of events has represented his ideal vision of an action movie, would you agree?” “Yes,” Twilight said slowly. “And in such a film, it is expected that the hero should ultimately be the one to defeat the villain,” Luna continued. “Correct?” Twilight frowned and dropped to her haunches. “I think I see where this is going…” Luna sat next to her. “After the hero’s triumph, the movie ends and the credits roll. In Discord’s spell, you are the protagonist, and Celestia the villain. Thus, I fear that, unless Celestia is defeated by you and not somepony else, the spell will continue indefinitely.” She patted Twilight’s hoof and gave her an apologetic smile. “So you say that Ponyville won’t go back to normal until I defeat Celestia,” Twilight said. She tilted her head backwards, grunting loudly. “No pressure, right?” “I will give you all the help that I can,” Luna said with a tiny smile. “I will help you find my sister, and I will make certain that you have the chance you need to do what you must.” “I’ve already figured out how to find her,” Twilight said. "That's the easy part." She picked up a small rock and held it before her. “If I cast a tracking spell on this stone—” A momentary aura appeared around the rock “—then I’ll be able to follow it, no matter where it is. All I have to do is get it to Celestia.” “And how do you plan to do that?” Luna asked, eying the seemingly normal stone. “Before I left Canterlot, Celestia attuned Spike to her so that we could maintain quick, convenient correspondence.” Her eyes flashed as a grin spread across her face. “All I need to do is send this rock in a letter, and I’ll be able to track it to her hideout.” “A letter, you say,” Luna said with a hoof on her chin. “That gives me another idea.” Her own smile widened to rival Twilight’s. “I may refuse to directly fight my sister, but I can annoy her, and thus give you an advantage. An angry mare is a careless mare.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “How do you plan to annoy her?” “Nopony alive can get under poor Tia’s skin as well as I.” Luna puffed her chest out proudly. “Allow me to pen the letter in your name.” “Alright!” Twilight said, hopping to her feet. “It’s time to rescue Fluttershy, save Ponyville, and turn everypony back to normal! Let’s go write a letter.” Rejoined by Rainbow, they took wing and turned towards the Carousel Armory. Fluttershy fell to the floor as Celestia slammed the cell door shut behind her. “And there you will stay,” she said softly. “Do you like your new accommodations?” “It’s very, um—” Fluttershy glanced at the pile of straw that was her bed “—lived in?” She spotted a bucket in the corner and grimaced. “Thank you,” Celestia said. She gestured, and a thug walked into sight. He carried a cage, in which two foals clutched each other. “Perhaps you will enjoy some company.” She pulled the door open again and the thug carefully placed the cage next to Fluttershy. “Wh-what is this?” she asked, staring at the foals. “A little bit of insurance,” Celestia said. She turned to leave. “I imagine you could escape here easily, but can you do so with two baby ponies in your possession? Or, better yet, would you dare abandon them to make it out of here alone? Now, if you will forgive me for being a poor host, I have a rocket to fire at Ponyville.” Laughter accompanied Celestia's departure. Hoofsteps echoed along the stone walls as she left her prisoner behind. Her path took her down a set of metallic stairs and into a high, circular room. A missile, pointed upwards, took up most of the space, and around the weapon, a catwalk hung suspended over the ground, which lay at least a hundred feet below. A clattering noise came from the far side of the explosive, and Celestia pranced around to find Spitfire packing up her toolbox. “Heya, Boss,” Spitfire said. She used the back of her hoof to wipe the sweat from her forehead. “Your payload’s ready to go whenever you need it.” Celestia patted her on the back. “Very good. I hope you realize how much I appreciate your expertise on this.” “Aw, it’s nothing,” Spitfire said with a blush. “Gryphonian weapons used to be a hobby of mine, back before Soarin’ left, so tinkering with one of their missiles is no problem.” “Well, regardless, I still—” A puff of green smoke bloomed in Celestia’s face and she stumbled backwards. Spitfire swore and took wing, but as the smoke cleared and no further threat appeared, she slowly came back down. “What was that?” she asked, glancing around warily. “I couldn’t say,” Celestia answered, right before her eyes landed on a tightly bound scroll on the floor. “This was not here a second ago.” Spitfire bent over and picked up the parchment, untying and opening it. As her eyes ran over its contents, her face paled. Neither Celestia nor Spitfire noticed the small pebble that dropped from the parchment's folds to the ground. “Well?” Celestia said, tapping her hoof repeatedly against the concrete floor. “What does it say?” “I, um—” Spitfire gulped and glanced away “—I don’t think you want to hear it.” “Just read the scroll, if you would be so kind,” Celestia said. Her smile had disappeared, replaced by a slight frown. “I-if you insist,” Spitfire said with another swallow. She cleared her throat. “Dear Celestia—it appears that I have found you. Perhaps if you were not so busy stuffing your hideously deformed face, you could have found a hideout with the dimensions to properly accommodate your ample behind. See you soon. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle. And—and then there’s a picture of her mooning you.” Celestia snatched the parchment out of Spitfire’s grasp and read it multiple times. Finally, she lowered the letter. “Spitfire, get everypony ready,” she said softly. Despite the volume of her words, her tone seethed with fury. The paper crumpled in her grasp. “Boss, does she really know we’re here?” Spitfire said, eyes wide. “Do as I said!” Celestia snapped. “We’re about to have company.”