After a long trip to the Hayseed Swamps, Rarity, Moondancer and Lednik finally returned to Canterlot. Without any delay, they walked in the city and headed directly at the Palace, hoping to find the rest of the Ponies of Harmony there. Running through the main street, they all stopped amazed upon gazing from afar at the palace turned upside down, and around them, black and white colored ponies and dragons discusing and insulting each other. They noticed that there were no more changelings around, and the sudden population of crystal ponies, however, not even they were spared from Discord's influence.
"Wait", said Moondancer, she quickly turned around, and began inspecting the area. She closed her eyes, and began to feel the aura of Rarity behind her, and Lednik's who was resting on her head. Soon, she detected a dim blue aura, "show yourself!", she quickly opened her eyes to see its owner. It happened so fast, but she could clearly see a blue hoof throwing something at the floor, which made a small poof and created a dark blue cloud of dust.
"I see you have finally spotted me!", a loud and arrogant voice came out from the dustcloud. As the dust dissipated, it uncovered a blue unicorn with a light blue mane, she was wearing a dark blue cape and a blue pointy hat, both adorned with shiny stars made of sequin of yellow, purple and pink colors.
"No need to be ashamed," she claimed, very proudly, "for there is no better master of disguise than the GRRREA...."
"So, it's only you", Moondancer interrupted her, sighing in relief. She turned around and ignored the unicorn, "false alarm, it's nothing important, let's just go", she said to her companions.
"Nothing important? Hey! Come back here! How dare you?!", the unicorn quickly trotted to block their way, "don't tell me you were aware that you have been followed by the great and..."
"Yes, I knew", Moondancer interrupted again, "You've been following us since we stop to eat in Baltimare, maybe you were hiding, but I could feel your aura every time I blinked as annoying as a buzzing fly."
"Hah! That only proves your mediocrity, for I have been following you since you left Canterlot on your trip to the Hayseed Swamps!"
"But you were so cowardly to actually follow us inside the swamps", Moondancer midclosed her eyes, smiling, "the truth is, your aura is so weak that I paid little attention to it. I thought it was a lost parastripe, or even a breezy.
"How dare you mock the Great and Powerful Trixie like that?!" shouted the unicorn, very, very offended. "You..."
"The only great and powerful thing about you, is your mouth", Moondancer interrupted yet again, this time, laughing. At this point, Trixie was lost in a rage, there was absolutely nothing she hated more than being interrupted.
After a few seconds of rage, she calmed herself, "Trixie has no time to waste with a nopony like you", she said, and then directed her sight towards Rarity, "but you there, you are Sparkle's friend, right? Where is she? She and Trixie have unfinished business. We need to settle our magic duel."
"Sparkle? As in Twilight Sparkle?", Moondancer dropped on her back and bursted into laughter as if there were countless of little ants tickling her belly, "Oh, please! you're not serious, are you? You want to challenge Twilight to a magic duel? Ha ha ha ha! You wouldn't last longer than ten seconds in a duel against me! Let alone against Twilight! She would completely and utterly destroy you!"
"Laugh if you want, but you should know that Twilight has already fallen in defeat before the Great and Powerful Trixie in the past", informed Trixie. Moondancer stood up on her hooves with a jump, looking very serious, if not angry.
"Okay, it's not funny anymore", she slowly got closer to Trixie, their eyes met, "I've met Twilight since she was in first grade, and I am a witness that she has been the most talented unicorn who has learned under Princess Celestia's wing. I'd go as far as to say that she is the most powerful spellcaster in Equestria after the sister princesses. And just in case I didn't make myself quite clear, I'll tell you this. I feel an absolute respect towards Twilight, so I won't tolerate you spreading such a nasty lie like that."
"You don't trust the Great and Powerful Trixie?", Trixie smiled, and pointed at Rarity "you can try asking the unicorn behind you, she saw how I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, held a victory over Twilight Sparkle". Moondancer turned her attention to Rarity, expecting her to speak.
"Well... she did uhh... held a victory over Twilight", Rarity frowned, "but it was just because you were using an evil artifact to enhance your magic spells. In other words, you were cheating."
"Yeah... Trixie didn't mention it was a GLORIOUS victory," said Trixie, rolling her eyes, "nor that she feels any pride about it. But that's why I, The Great and Powerful Trixie has returned, to challenge Twilight Sparkle once again. Trixie is confident that she can win fair and square this time! She has trained hard, she spent decades in the libraries, studying new spells, AND CENTURIES ON THE FIELD MASTERING THOSE SPELLS!!"
"It has only been about thirty five years, Trixie", Rarity hoofpalmed.
"Most you point out every single meaningless detail?" Trixie responded, somehow annoyed, "just tell me where is Twilight Sparkle, and then you will..."
"I'm right here", another voice interrupted Trixie. The blue unicorn turned around, very anxious. When her eyes met Twilight's face standing before her, joy took over her whole body, and a big friendly smile took over her face. Everyone was glad that Twilight Sparkle was safe and sound.
"Twilight Sparkle, so you finally show up", Trixie taunted after realising tha she felt too much happiness for her rival's arrival, "you, me, here, duel, now!"
"Not this again", Twilight rolled her eyes, and Guardian Sword was next to her, prepared to defend Twilight, but Twilight kept speaking, "there is no point in having another duel, we have nothing to prove." Twilight walked pass by Trixie, to reunite with her friends. Trixie was left behind, and she looked down for a few seconds. Then, she quickly turned around.
"Of course! You, have nothing to prove!", Trixie shouted, very desperate and mad, "You have everything! Talent, skill, potential. It was so easy for you to have earned all that fame and glory! But others like me have to work really hard so our names can be remembered!"
"Easy?! You think it was easy?!" Twilight turned to Trixie, "I faced the most difficult exams! The most exhausting training regimes! Endless nights, consuming entire libraries! And making homeworks, which were so complex, that each one took years to be completed! No, Trixie! It hasn't been easy at all! I've also worked hard! I have nothing to prove, because I have been proving myself my whole life! It was thanks to my studies and my teachers who tested me, that I have all that fame and glory!"
"And what about me?", said Trixie. Twilight stood there, speechless. Shortly, Trixie spoke again, "I also want to prove myself, Twilight. Not to you, or anypony else, but to myself! To see if I really am a magician, or if I'm just the traveling fraud with the wagon."
Twilight stood silent for mere seconds, her eyes meeting with Trixie's, staring directly at her will and determination. She walked two steps forward, and she nodded, "very well, Trixie. Let's do it."
Trixie smiled, and jumped with a big hooray like a little filly. Then stepping forward, and spread her arms, "soon, Twilight Sparkle, you will regret to have agreed to this duel with the Grrrreat and Powerful Trrrixie!", she claimed as a few fireworks exploded behind her, like applauding her happiness. Twilight just rolled her eyes and also smiled.
"Since I lost the last duel, I shall go first this time, if you have no objections", Trixie took off her hat, revealing her horn, and placed on the floor between Twilight and herself. She opened her arms and legs, nailing them to the floor to keep herself in balance. She pointed her horn at the hat, closed her eyes, and lost herself in deep concentration. Her effort was so much that her arms and legs began to shake. Trixie's horn's magic aura started glowing around the hat as the winds began to blow stronger and stronger with each second, like giving birth to a storm was about to unleash.
The ponies witnessing Trixie perform her spell held themselves on to the ground with their hooves as their manes danced along the strong winds blowing around, summoned by Trixie's magic.
"Oh my stars! Trixie has really progressed over the years!", said Rarity, very impressed.
Soon, the winds began to calm, little by little, until everything returned to normal. Trixie, who was panting and sweating, looked up, and stared at Twilight, "watch... watch in awe", she said. Trixie lifted the hat from the floor, revealing a small brown rabbit underneath. Everypony stood silent with their mouths wide open, the rabbit just scratched behind it's right ear and hopped away as if nothing happened.
"well... maybe not that much...", Rarity corrected herself.
"I'd like to see you top that, Sparkle!"
Twilight let go of a sigh, she pointed her horn forward, and with no effort at all, a big flash blinded the crowd for an instant, and a huge, raging Ursa Minor was summoned, and roared at Trixie. The poor unicorn was bathed by the beast's saliva, and its breath uncombed Trixie's mane. Quickly, with another flash, the Ursa Minor disappeared. And Trixie stood in shock.
"Ok, you win", she said trembling, her mane and tail was spikey.
"Don't worry, Trixie. You did your best and that's what it counts", Twilight stood humbly before her rival, "I was worried for a second, the wind was a nice touch."
"Wind? What?"
After few moments, Twilight and Trixie shook their hooves. Twilight thought it would be a good idea to have Trixie joining them. Guardian Sword nodded without a question, but Rarity wasn't convinced, and Moondancer laughed as if Twilight was joking, but her fun was stopped when noticing that it was no joke. In the end, Lednik agreed with Twilight.
"Very well, if Twilight trusts your abilities, then, I will not object", said Rairity.
"No way!" Moondancer laughed nervously, "Twilight, she is... not bad, I admit it. But let's be honest here", she turned to Trixie, "if your horn was as sharp as your tongue you'd be a lot more help. But as you are, I think you would just get in our way."
"Moondancer, you feel an absolute respect towards Twilight", said Lednik, "those were your exact words. Does that respect not include her decisions too?"
Moondancer sighed, and then she spoke once again, "Yes, it does. In the end, I'm sure you know what you're doing, Twilight. Whatever you think it's best, I'm ok with it."
"You give me a lot more credit than I deserve, Moondancer", said Twilight, "and I appreciate all of your trust. Trixie, But the decision is not ours to make. Trixie, what do you say?"
"Your redhead friend is right, Twilight", Trixie frowned, "with all your powerful magic, what kind of help can I possibly be? I'll be just a pebble in your horseshoes."
"Actually, I don't expect any kind of help from you", Twilight responded, "the reason I want you to come, is because you may just prove something to yourself along the way. As I said, the choice is yours and yours alone."
"Alright, then", Trixie closed her eyes and nodded, she walked to Twilight's side, between her and Moondancer, "the Great and Powerful Trixie will gladly join your party. She will not just be in your way, she will also show YOU the way", she whipped Moondancer's nose with her tail.
"Twilight knows what she's doing, she always does", Moondancer mumbled to herself, walking beside her friends, very grumpy, "if I keep telling that to myself, maybe I'll believe it."
The main street traverses from the city's entrance, all the way to the Palace. It's a typical road used for parades and festivals by locals. After they added Trixie to their team, they finally reached the palace. The rest of the ponies of harmony were already there.
Lednik flew directly toward Fluttershy, she was seated holding a conversation with Quetzalcóatl and Skyclaw. She welcomed the Ice Dragon with a warm smile and her gentle voice, "Lednik, we're so glad to see you again", and Lednik smiled back.
Braeburn had come following Pinkie Pie, and Appplejack was yelling at him, "Braeburn! Ah'm warnin' you! Pinkie Pie'll not be your next victim, you sad excuse for a casanova! Are you listenin' to me?", but the stallion was not paying any attention to his cousin, he was too busy staring at Pinkie Pie hopping around along with Lickety Split, celebrating the reunion. Applejack, then, turned her attention to Spinwind, who was standing too close to Applebloom to her liking. She proceeded to yell at him too, but the pegasus stood still, very confused. Applejack didn't notice that it was her sister the one who got closer to Spinwind.
Rainbow Dash, Ditzy Doo and Scootaloo were waiting. Rainbow Dash was walking in circles, very anxious, and a silly argument that Scootaloo and Ditzy Doo were having was draining out her patience.
"Captain Rainbow Dash!" Guardian Sword rushed and saluted, firmly, like a statue, "mission accomplished. It is all Twilight's merit, though, I was just a bystander."
"Of course you were, Guardian, Twilight needs no bodyguard. But tell that to the General", said Rainbow Dash, she turned to Twilight, tapping the floor wih her hoof, "I thought I said, rendezvous at Canterlot's palace. Where the hay were you and what where you doing?"
"No, you didnt", Twilight pointed out, "you just grabbed Scootaloo and Ditzy Doo and left."
"Yes, I did! You just didn't listen!" Rainbow Dash stomped, "you think I'd forget my own orders?", she watched everypony around her, and they unanimously nodded their heads, even Trixie who had no idea what they were talking about.
"Err... didn't I make that order? Really? I'm at least twenty percent sure I did", Rainbow Dash backed off a little. Her friends were now unanimously shaking her heads, disagreeing with her. However, Trixie who was clueless, nodded hers.
"And what's she doing here?", asked Rainbow Dash when she noticed Trixie's present.
"Worry not", Trixie added, "the Great and Powerful Trixie will be assisting you, now. Twilight's idea."
"Ugh... I hope you know what you're doing", Rainbow Dash whispered to Twilight as Trixie walked among the silent and awkwards glances of Twilight's friends. The blue unicorn's confidence disappeared, she gulped and made a fake smile.
They spotted the window in the tallest tower was left open, so they used it to get inside the palace. Pinkie Pie was the first one, and as soon as she jumped in, she fell upwards, landing on her head against the palace's floor, she stood up and rubbed the back of her head. The rest jumped trhough the window more carefully to not suffer the same fate as her.
Standing in the old classroom, Twilight was overtaken by fascination, she started examining the bookshelves one by one, containing the urge to take one of the books and read it. Rainbow Dash also checked the bookshelves, but none of the texts caught her interest, they were apparently all about maigcal mumbo-jumbo.
After digressing for a few minutes, they left the room behind and walked downstairs. Soon, they started hearing noises echoing from the hallways below. Clearly they heard what sounded like a cat meowing, and the sound of glass breaking. They stared at each other for just one second, and then they rushed, following their ears.
Meanwhile, inside the dining room, Celestia and Luna were still yelling at each other, discussing on who was the better ruler, and poor Diamond Tiara was the one seated in the middle of the conflict.
"Everypony knows I am the good princess", claimed Celestia, "I infuse respect and joy. You, on the other hoof, only infuse fear and despair upon our subjects by shouting with the traditional royal Canterlot voice."
"That is entirely your fault!", responded Luna, "you said: Hey sis, you know, you should totally celebrate your return in ponyville, they would love to see you again, we totally still use the traditional Canterlot voice, they'll love it. That is the problem with you, you're always making some kind of silly joke. Nopony knows when you're talking seriously, you think your silly games are harmless but they only cause more and more problems. Well, I have news for you, sister, your jokes aren't funny."
Celestia gasped with her mouth wide open, that was the last straw, for she just heard the worst insult she has ever heard in her long, long life. Nopony says to princess Celestia that her jokes aren't funny, not even her own sister.
"You are just jealous!", said Celestia, "You've always been jealous of me! You turned into that monster because of it. I have the light of the sun, the sense of humor, the appreciation of Starswirl, and it was me the one the leaders choose. You were only dragged because you are my sister."
"Princess Celestia, please, stop!", Diamond Tiara stood up from her seat, she was furious, "do you think you're better just because you have more things than your sister? Do you think that bragging about it makes you any better? Princess I completely understand how you feel. That's why I can safely say that you are wrong!"
"Oh yes? And how would ou know that?"
"Since I was born, I was given everything I wanted, I had always more than anypony else. I thought I was superior, and I felt better when I made somepony feel inferior. But one day, my father lost it all, and I was forced to live in Sweet Apple Acres. There, I learned the most valuable lesson of my life. Something that I'm afraid you have forgotten. Discord made you forget."
"I alwasys treated Applebloom worse than hay, just because she had no cutie mark. I did my best to humiliate her in front of everypony, every time I could. Naturally, she wasn't comfortable with me around, but even so, she received me with open arms, she even offered me her room. I though she was going to laugh at me, that she was going to take revenge. That's what I thought, because I would have, if I would have been on her hooves. But not her, not good Applebloom. She treated me like an equal even though I didn't even have a place to stay. That was when our friendship was born, I remember what she said to me as if it was yesterday, It's not about how much you have, but about how much you have from other ponies. I know this are hard times for you. So you can have all my support."
At this moment, some memories flashed before Celestia's and Luna's eyes. Memories from hundreds of years before Nightmare Moon, and King Sombra. Memories from hundreds of years before they were princesses. The princesses were lost in a trance as they regained their original colors slowly from hooves to head. In the end, the memory of a regal voice, echoed in the back of their minds, it said, you have all my respect.
"My sister, Luna", said Princess Celestia, "I have been a terrible sister, please forgive me."
"There is nothing to forgive, Celestia", replied Luna, "once again, thanks to the younger one I can see clearly. Thank you, Diamond Tiara."
"Oh, don't mention it", Diamond Tiara was confused, but relieved that the princesses came back to normal for no apparent reason.
Then, Luna spoke again, "it's so embarrasing! we are the ones who should be dealing with Discord. We have wasted enough time already. We must go and do whatever we can to save Equestria!"
On the hallways, mouse Shining Armor was running for his life in a zigzag motion, avoiding cat leaps and claws, laser beams, fireballs, cannoballs and homing missiles. Out of nowhere, vases and porcelain tablewares spawned, so cat Discord could break them. The mouse turned right in the next corner, and Discord chased him, slipping on the red carpet on the floor. Shining Armor gained some advantage, he saw a door ahead and went under it.
Behind the door was the music room, there was a tuba on the floor, some drums and other percussions to the left, and a big wooden piano next the back wall. Without thinking, Shining Armor went inside the bass drum to hide himself from the cat. Cat Discord just crashed through the door, and carefully examined the room. Not realising that his tail was exposed, mouse Shining Armor began to shake.
Discord quietly approached the drums, and with a strong stomp from his front right paw, he pushed the bass drum's pedal. Shining Armor was sent flying and he fell inside the tuba like a basketball inside a basket. Discord quickly poked his paw inside the tuba's bell to catch the mouse, but Shining armor went deeper, out of the cat's reach. Upon finding nohing, Discord poked his face inside the tuba's bell, he spotted Shining Armor, who bit hin in the nose with his sharp teeth. Discord screamed in pain, taking his face out of the tuba, rubbing his nose, which was now turned red and throbbing. Then he picked the tuba, took a deep breath, and blew as hard as he could in the mouthpiece.
Once again, Shining Armor was sent flying, he landed on the piano and ran along the keyboards. Discord leaped to catch Shining Armor, but the mouse quickly jumped to the piano strings. Discord landed on the keyboard, and the resuliting chord stunned Shining Armor, Discord jumped from the piano's keys to the strings, and Shining Armor once again dodged jumping aside. The mouse moved the lid prop, and the lid fell on Discord's back. While Discord screamed in agony, Shining Armor luaghed, he was kind of having fun, even if his life was in great danger. Suddenly, Shining Armor heard a voice.
"Honey, are you ok?", it was Cadance's voice, "it's all ready, bring Discord to the Magic Court Chamber!"
Shining Armor fled to the hallways again, where he encountered his sister and her friends, "hey there, Twiley!", he said with a squeaky voice, "Uhh... can't talk right now", he quickly turned around and fled, "see you at the Magic Court Chamber!"
The ponies watched the mouse running away and right after him, they watched a cat chasing him. They all blinked twice in confussion, and proceeded to go behind them.
"Was that General Shining Armor, just now?", Guardian Sword asked.
Shining Armor went under the door to the Magic Court Chamber, the crystal was shining with a ligh blue aura over the center of the chamber. Princess Cadance was waiting patiently on a seat, on the left side of the leader's seat, her horn was aiming at the front door.
"He's on his way!", Shining Armor climbed the rounded table, and rushed to meet his wife, "Be ready!"
"Honey? What happened to you?" said Princess Cadance, staring curiously at the mouse, but then the front door opened, she quickly aimed, but she stopped when she saw Twilight and her friends entering the chamber.
"Twilight! You're back!", Cadance happily shouted.
"What is going on here?" asked Twilight as she and her friends walked in the chamber, Rarity was polite enough to close the door behind her and fix her mane after a long sprint.
"No time to explain!", yelled Shining Armor, "get away from the door! We got Discord right where we want him!"
The ponies did as they were commanded, and shortly after, the doors were opening again, Cadance aimed her horn again, but for a second time, she hesitated to shoot. Two alicorns and an earth earth pony walked in.
"Did you get him?", asked Luna, "Where is he? I want to see him!"
"Not yet, aunt Luna. Can you move please?", replied Cadance, "you might get caught, too!"
"Oh! Come on! Where is he? He was right behind me!", Shining Armor was getting impatient.
After a short while, the doors started opening again, and Princess Cadance, this time it has to be him!, she aimed her horn and shot a light beam without a second thought. The target was hit, and captured inside a light blue sphere of light that was little by little being absorbed by the crystal until the crystal completely swallowed the sphere of light. Everypony cheered and celebrated their victory, but it was short lived.
"What have you done?! Where is my queen?! What did you do to her?!", a crystal pony was hysterical, he was standing beside Trusty Link and Spike, who were so shocked that they could barely escape the spell.
"No way... I have made a terrible mistake", said Princess Cadance, "that was the Queen of Changelings, right?"
"Serves her right for backstabbing us!" claimed Luna.
"Well, it's funny, she had decided to help us, recently", said Spike looking nervous, he was rubbing his left arm with his right hand.
"Oh! That was the best spectacle I have ever seen!", Discord appeared laughing out loud, rubbing his belly, "I really thought you were going to shoot at Twilight! Did you really think I would be so easily fooled? I am the spirit of Disharmony! I am the one who fools here! Never forget that! That was a nice try, though, I'll give you that."
"I don't know what exactly is happening here", said Twilight, "but we got the Elements of Harmony, Discord! We won your dumb game!"
"Yes, I see you have bested me again", Discord looked down, and covered his eyes with his lion paw,"my fun is over! Oh, what a world! I guess I can't help but return to the old stone age. Do it fast, Twilight, end my sorrow once and for all!"
Twilight stepped in the front, and her friends stood in formation next to her, their respective elements stunningly shining on their necks as the spell was growing stronger. Discord spread his arms, exposing his chest, prepared to face the end of his silly little games. The winds began to blow as the six ponies slowly began to levitate. But suddenly, the spell stopped froze, and the elements lost their glow. The ponies of harmony fell on the floor, the tiara abandoned Twilight's head, and the necklaces also abandoned their owners. The spell was canceled.
"What now?!", Pinkie Pie shouted, "why do these things aren't working anymore?!"
"Perhaps Princess Celestia can explain", Discord laughed, he clearly knew this was going to happen.
"No... it can't be", Princess Celestia gulped while examining the elements, and then she took a closer look the ponies who wield them, she was, more than surprised, scared.
"Is there something wrong?", asked Twilight, as scared as Celestia was.
"The bond between you is twisted, it's not the same as it used to be. Just like Luna and me, you are no longer connected to the elements. You are not the Elements of Harmony anymore."