//------------------------------// // Act I // Story: Macpony // by Legacy55 //------------------------------// An eerie silence hung through a deserted clearing. All that could be heard was the rolling and flashing of thunder and lightning across the dark, vast sky. Three shadows huddled around each other, their voices quiet and creepy. “So, when will we three meet again?” One of them spoke, her sap green eyes hidden under a black cloak. “When she returns from the tall buildings of Manehattan, we will be there to meet with Twilight Sparkle.” A second replied, her voice sounding like that of a schoolyard filly. “Then soon we will act. Let us move, dear sisters! To the home of royalty we flee!” The three shadows hurried out of the clearing, their hoofsteps not making a sound. They disappeared into the thick tree line, moving like the wind. A large bolt of lightning flashed across the sky before the ear pounding sound of thunder echoed. -------------------------- Two ponies walked down a seemingly deserted street, which struck them as odd as this was one of the main roads into Canterlot. Despite this, they moved on, wanting to reach the capital as soon as possible. “The weathers quite odd, isn’t it, Pinkie?” One of them remarked, her streaked mane falling out of the hood she was wearing. “It is, isn’t it? It was just storming a few minutes ago, and now this!” The second replied, her eyes fixed on the clear blue sky above them. Her coat and her mane were a light pink, and her saddlebags were packed to the brim with sweets. “Well, I’m just glad were finally back in Canterlot. Manehattan was fun but it just doesn’t beat home!” Twilight grinned as the huge, imposing towers of Canterlot Castle came into view. “The baked goods do, that’s for sure!” Pinkie Pie smirked, grabbing a few sugary treats from her bag. If there was one pony Twilight would want to be travelling with, it was Pinkie Pie. The earth pony was one of her oldest and most trusted friends, and she could always rely on her for help. When the Princess had told her of her mission in Manehattan, Pinkie had volunteered right away to accompany her. She had of course accepted without a moment of hesitation, as it took some time to reach the city from Canterlot and she didn't want to make the trip on her own. The two ponies continued along the road, continuously watching as the capital opened up in front of them. They both jumped back, however, when three fillies rushed up in front of them. “What are you three girls doing here? You should be in class right now! And what’s with the dark clothes?” Pinkie Pie questioned as she looked the three fillies up and down. A bad feeling lingered in her mind. “You three really shouldn’t be skipping school! It’s important, you know!” “All hail Twilight! Hail to thee, student of royalty!”The first one chimed. With her cloak gone, they could see that her coat was a pure white. The horn on her head indicated she was a unicorn, and she appeared to be normal, aside from the dark, punk like clothes she was wearing. “All hail Twilight! Hail to thee, advisor of the crown!” The second one spoke up. She was wearing the same type of clothing as the others. There was dark purple eyeliner under her eyes, and her coat was a brilliant orange. She was a pegasus, which was obvious from the wings that jetted out of the sides of her clothes. “All hail Twilight! You shall be Queen from hereafter!” The third finished, her head and body covered in black clothing that was adorned with skulls and stars. Her coat was a light yellow and no visible wings or horn could be seen along her body. Pinkie Pie cocked an eyebrow at them before taking a step closer. “You three are really weird, you know! Is this what fillies do these days? Dress up in weird clothes and go around sprouting nonsense? You come and greet Twilight here with foolish promises that could never come true! If you really are fortune tellers, tell me what my future is!” The three fillies exchanged glances for a moment before talking. “Hail!” “Hail!” “Hail!” They each spoke in turn before the unicorn stepped forward. “Lesser then Twilight, yet greater.” “Not so happy, yet much happier.” The pegasus stepped in front, staring at Pinkie Pie with eerie purple eyes. “You shall mother royalty, but you will never be one yourself. So all hail Pinkie Pie and Twilight!” The third one finished, stepping in front of her sisters. By now, Twilight was officially creeped out. Not only did these three fillies’ appearances scare her, but their words were frightful too. She pushed Pinkie aside and looked at all three of them. “Tell me more, girls. I know I’m the student of Princess Celestia, but how am I the advisor? Silverquill still lives, and a fine stallion he is. And what of being Queen? Where did you get all this information? Speak girls, I command you!” Twilight slammed her hoof down on the dirt, and just as she did, the three fillies disappeared. “Where did they go? They just disappeared into nothing!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, rushing over to where they once stood. “Into thin air, it seems. But I imagine the unicorn just teleported them away. I’m kind of surprised though; that’s a lot of magic for one filly!” “Why are you worrying about that, Twilight? What about what they said?” Twilight gave her friend an unsure smile. “I’m still thinking about it… Are you sure those treats aren’t spiked with something?” The unicorn joked, chuckling at the thought. “Well, I’m sure they were real… But is what they said true?” “Your children will be royalty.” “…And you’ll be Queen.” Pinkie Pie mumbled, both of them thinking deeply on the whole situation. They were interrupted, however, as two figures came upon them. One of them was a short purple dragon, while the other was an orange earth pony. “Twilight! Princess Celestia is very pleased with your work in Manehattan and she’s rewarding you! Silverquill just retired as the Princess’s advisor, so now she’s appointing you the position!” Pinkie Pie let out a gasp and reared back on her rear hooves. “Just like they said!” She screamed, looking at Twilight with wide eyes. Completely bewildered, Twilight shook her head and looked at the dragon known as Spike. “But Silverquill is nowhere near the age of retirement! He’s only been the advisor for five years!” At this, the orange earth pony spoke up. She recalled that her name was Applejack. “Well from what Ah heard, Silverquill won the Canterlot lottery! He must be swimming in piles of money right now!” Twilight turned away from Spike and Applejack and whispered quietly to Pinkie Pie. “I was a student, but now I’m the advisor! The crown is still yet to come! But what about you? Do you think your children will be kings or queens?” “I’m not sure… If what they said about you came true, then it might be the same for me! But who knows? This could just be a coincidence! Anypony could win the lottery!” “Well, I hope so…” Twilight mumbled, a frown appearing across her lips. “For I fear that I won’t get the crown in a noble way…” Pinkie Pie turned away from the unicorn and back towards Spike and Applejack. “Let’s get going, guys! I’ve been dying to get back to Canterlot!” They all turned and continued down the road, and as they went, Twilight brushed up against Pinkie. “Let’s talk about this later, when nopony else is around…” -------------------------- Canterlot Castle was far more ornate and detailed than any other building in the land. It’s massive, thick gate gave the appearance that the rest of the palace was just as large and imposing. Its marble walls and floors were polished to the point of blindness, and every surface was decorated with expensive paintings and carpets. Gold, silver and every color of gem were seen when one turned a corner. It was a true splendor for the ages. Princess Celestia sipped lightly at her tea before turning to her sister. Even the tea room, which sole purpose was the consumption of tea, was far more decorative and beautiful than the finest museum in all of Equestria. “Have all the senators been notified about Silverquill? Has Twilight been told about her promotion?” Celestia asked. “They have been told, dear sister, but she has yet to return. The senators have expressed their grief of the situation; they believe Silverquill was doing an extraordinary job!” Luna replied, placing her empty china cup down on the solid gold table. “While he was doing a very good job, I do not force ponies to work for me. If he wishes to retire with his money, then I will let him do so. Anyway, Twilight is an amazing student; I’m sure she will make a fine advisor.” The silence between the two regal sisters was broken as the door was thrown open, and four figures poured in. First was Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who were soon followed by the messengers, Spike and Applejack. “Twilight Sparkle! We were just talking about you!” Princess Celestia exclaimed as she got to her hooves. “Are you pleased about your promotion?” Twilight smiled upon the sight of her teacher. She had always seemed to be able to make her happy. She was the mare that had taught her for many years, and was responsible for almost all of her magical ability. “Yes, Princess! I’m honored that you would pick me of all ponies! I promise you’ll I’ll do my very best!” “I thought as much.” Celestia nodded back. “From what I’ve heard, your mission in Manehattan went well. I thank you, Pinkie Pie, for accompanying Twilight.” She turned to the pink pony and smiled. “Oh, it was no problem at all, Princess! Twilight and I had a great time! We did get a little homesick, but I guess nothing can compare to Canterlot!” An idea suddenly popped into Twilight’s head, and she quickly suggested it. “Princess, would you like to dine at my home this evening? We could celebrate my new promotion, and I’m sure my wife would be delighted to hear your coming!” “A marvelous idea, Twilight! I’ll get my servants to reformat my schedule.” Celestia turned her head to Luna. “Would you like to come along, sister?” “As far as I know, I don’t have much planned for this evening, so yes. I’d love to come.” Luna replied, pushing her long, wavy hair out of her face. “It’s settled then! I’ll see you soon, Princess! Thank you again for the promotion!” Twilight said with excitement. She then waved goodbye to everypony before leaving. -------------------------- Twilight Sparkle’s estate was one of the nicest and largest homes in all of Canterlot. Even some of the richest celebrities couldn’t afford what she had. Being the Princess’s personal student did have its perks. A white unicorn paced down one of its ornate halls, and floating beside her was a letter. She was dressed in extremely fashionable clothes, as one could easily mistake her for royalty. Gold and silver bands ran along her forelegs, and a diamond necklace sparkled in every color of the rainbow. Her dress was colored in shades of white and gold, and not a speck of dirt was visible along her entire body. As she walked, she read the letter aloud to herself. “I met three fillies as Pinkie and I made our way to Canterlot. They were different, to say the least. They spoke of great things, and events that have yet to happen. When I so wanted to ask them more, they fled, and instead came the Princess’s messengers. They appointed me with the title of advisor, which the fillies had predicted mere moments before. They also hailed me as Queen from thereafter, and I wonder now if what they say is true. I decided that you, my dear wife, should know of this meeting and what I have been promised.” The unicorn finished reading the letter just as she reached the end of the hallway. She threw open the wooden door and stepped into the large room that served as the entrance hall. “Twilight is now the advisor to the Princess, just as these three mysterious fillies predicated. Queen is what she is to become, but I fear she is too cowardly to act. While she may be ambitious, she will not be able to take the steps necessary to take power. It seems that I will have to act, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure the crown is ours…” She was interrupted, however, as the main doors opened and an exhausted looking messenger came running in. “Lady Rarity! Lady Rarity!” The pegasus yelled, suddenly tripping on her own hooves. She looked up at the unicorn, her eyes looking in different directions as they often tended to do. “What is it?” Rarity barked, slightly disgusted with the derpy-looking pegasus. “The Princess comes here tonight!” “What? Are you sure? Surely I would have been notified sooner for such an important event!” The pegasus got to her hooves and nodded. “Yes, Lady Rarity! And your wife Twilight is to arrive soon!” “Very well, now get out of my sight!” She snapped, and the messenger quickly rushed out of room at her command. Now alone, Rarity stepped into the center of the room. “Be it by chance or fate, the time has come. The Princess comes to dine here tonight, and I now call upon you spirits! Demons of the night! Unsex me, remove remorse from my body, and fill me from hoof to head with cruelty so I may succeed in this dark task!” Rarity yelled into the empty room, her hooves reaching up to the tall ceiling. There was a long, quiet pause before the doors were thrown open a second time. Instead of a weary pegasus, Twilight stepped into the room. Rarity quickly recomposed herself and hurried over to her wife. “Twilight, dear! Or should I say the Princess’s grand advisor! Your letter has told me a great deal, and I feel that the time will soon come.” Twilight smiled upon the sight of her wife, and she quickly embraced her in a short kiss. She had missed her while she was away, and now joy filled her as they were together. “My dearest love… Princess Celestia is coming tonight…” “And when is she leaving?” “Tomorrow.” Rarity smirked, and it was as if her eyes changed color as she spoke. “Well, she will not see tomorrow! Keep quiet, dear Twilight, and leave the planning to me. You will be Queen, I assure you that.” Twilight gave her an odd look, as she was acting different than usual. It was almost as if something dark had taken control of her; something evil. “We’ll talk later…” “Oh, indeed we will… Just act normal, and leave all the rest to me…” Rarity let out a weak chuckle before leaving the entrance hall. There was a bad feeling in the pit of Twilight’s stomach. A very bad feeling. -------------------------------- Princess Celestia, Luna and Pinkie Pie, along with their attendants made their way to the door of Twilight’s home. It looked just as impressive from from the outside as it did in, with huge green gardens littering the area, and massive windows placed along the building. “This is a very nice home; the air has something pleasant about it.” Princess Celestia commented, and all of the attendants murmured in agreement. “Oh yeah, Twilight’s got a great house! It’s really, really big! I’ve always loved coming over here!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down as she went. Before they could reach the door, it opened and a white unicorn stepped outside. She walked up to them and smiled. “Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! It’s an honor to serve you…” She bowed as low as she could without getting dirt on her dress. “Ah, our honored hostess! Thank you Rarity, I certainly hope we’re not too much trouble.” “Not at all, dear Princess! I know our estate is nowhere near as amazing as Canterlot Castle, but I hope it will do.” “It’s a fine home; sometimes I find the Castle is too big!” Celestia chuckled lightly at her statement, with the attendants quickly following. “Now, where’s Twilight? She left quite awhile before we did.” “She’s just inside. Now please enter, Princess! Let me show you around…” Rarity smiled, quickly guiding them all into the entrance hall and out of the cold, dark night. ----------------------------- The faint sounds of music could be heard echoing through the halls of the estate. Servants bustled about with food and plates, getting the evenings dinner prepared. It was as if the entire home was alive; all except Twilight’s study, where the only sound was that of her hoofsteps as she paced back and forth. “It would be easy to assassinate the Princess, as long as it would not set in motion a series of terrible events... Then I would be Queen of all of Equestria! Just as the fillies promised…” She mumbled to herself, a frown quickly forming on her lips. “But… I’ve known the Princess for such a long time; I could never come to kill her! She was like a mother to me, and taught me everything I know about magic! Besides, the Princess is loved by all! She’s a fair, just ruler and it would be terrible if I took her from them. I can’t do it. I won’t… There’s no reason to. I’ll just accept my new position as advisor and ignore the prophecy.” The door to her study suddenly opened, and the beautifully dressed Rarity walked in. “Rarity! What is it, dear?” “The Princess is almost finished eating, so why did you leave the dining hall?” “I just needed some time to think…” Twilight stated before turning away from her wife and towards her window. She gazed out of it, looking down at the gorgeous gardens outside. “About?” Rarity questioned, her voice cold and shrill. A few seconds passed before Twilight responded. “We won’t go along with the plan… The Princess practically raised me, and she’s just rewarded me with this new position.” A scowl crossed Rarity’s face. “What?” She snarled, the anger in her voice clearly audible. “We have the biggest opportunity of our lives, and you just throw it away?! Are you a coward? Is that it? You’re afraid?!” “N-no!” Twilight replied weakly, taken aback by her wife’s reaction. “I-It’s just…” “Twilight!” Rarity moved in close to the unicorn so that their lips were mere inches apart. “Don’t you see this golden opportunity? We’ll both serve as Queens! We won’t live in this tiny estate anymore! Instead, the Castle will be our home! We’ll be royalty! The best of the best! Anything we’ve ever wanted in life, we’ll have!” “But what if we fail?” Twilight asked, her decision shifting more and more as her wife spoke. “Then we fail! But as long as we’re bold, we won’t. Now listen closely to my plan. While Celestia is asleep, I’ll get her bedroom guards drunk. Then all we have to do is slip into the room and do the deed. After that, we’ll smear the blood on the guards, and they’ll be blamed for the act.” Twilight’s eyes widened at the idea. It was brilliant and sounded so very, very easy. All she would have to do was one stroke of a blade, and it would be over. “Very well… We’ll proceed with the plan, and I’ll keep back all guilt and remorse.” END OF ACT I