//------------------------------// // The cards we're dealt // Story: Fallacies of the Elements // by Dapper Guy //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle lied on her bed, curled up into a ball beneath a set of purple blankets. Her throat was dry and her eyes still shed tears. I hope you understand that this wasn’t an easy decision for me to make, Twilight. She could still hear the scolding words ringing in her ears from when Celestia had pulled her onto the carriage the night before. She had never felt so low in her life. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she repeated to herself. When they had arrived back in Canterlot, she was immediately hoofed over to the guards. “Twilight Sparkle, as of this moment, you will be confined to your quarters until further notice. If you need to use the facilities, a guard will escort you. Other than that, we will be maintaining a twenty four hour watch on your room,” relayed one of the guards. She always had a hard time trying to distinguish who was who, each of them looking exactly the same with their enchanted armor. “Any attempts at escape would be inadvisable. If you do, the Solar Guard and the Night Guard are under orders to do everything in our power to return you to Celestia.” One day. One single, solitary day had passed since she had used that stupid spell. What was I thinking? How could I have been so blind! Everything had seemed right at the time. Pulling herself up, she walked over to her private bookshelf. Thick, dusty tomes lined all eight shelves, some even as wide as her own head. Old memories from when she was a little filly flashed in her head and in each one she was studying under Celestia. Being tested, helping her with the odd word she couldn’t quite get. Celestia was always there, challenging her to push her limits. Twilight let a smile grow on her muzzle as she remembered all the fun she had learning from her. Creak… Twilight’s ears shot up at the sound of a door creaking. A single Solar Guard stood in the middle of the doorway, his golden armor shining in the sunlight shining through her windows. “Ms. Sparkle, her majesty has requested an audience with you.” Looking herself over in the mirror, Twilight straightened her mane with a brush by her vanity. After taking care of any stray hairs sticking out, she walked out of the room with guard following close behind. The pair walked in absolute silence; any of the castle’s staff that saw them coming quickly made themselves scarce. Twilight turned to talk to the guard several times while they made their way to Celestia’s throne room, but his unnerving glare kept her quiet. “The name is Subtle Edge, in case you were wondering.” “Thank you, Edge. I’m just a little off today.” “With all that’s happened yesterday, Ms. Sparkle, I’m surprised you’re awake right now.” The bluntness of the guard’s rather straightforward words caught Twilight by surprise. “I’m sorry?” she replied, curious as to what he meant. Edge continued to walk at a brisk pace while he continued to face forward. “Ms. Sparkle, can I assume that you haven’t read today’s headlines?” She shook her head. While an avid reader, Twilight didn’t find the newspaper a piece of literature that she would occupy her time with. Edge’s face offered no insight to his thoughts on the matter as his eyes narrowed at Twilight. “I see. Well then, Ms. Sparkle, I’m afraid you’ve caused quite the, how should I put this, uproar?” She was taken aback at the guard’s choice of words. “An uproar? What do you mean that I caused an ‘uproar’?” said Twilight, a noticeable level of annoyance in her voice. “Using a high level spell on three fillies in the middle of a town’. ‘Spreading a mind altering spell that sent an entire Earth pony village into a state of civil unrest,’” quoted the guard. “‘Unleashing levels of mayhem and disharmony that would make even Discord proud’ in particular caught my attention. Those were just a few key sentences that I had gleamed whilst I was looking over Equestria Daily.” “What?” Out of all the times she had been around the guards of Canterlot, Edge had a, well, edge to him. It almost seemed like he was being intentionally saying these snide comments. I’ll have to talk to Shining about this Edge stallion, whenever I get the chance. “An up and coming reporter was passing over Ponyville when he caught sight of something, interesting.” The guard abruptly stopped. Twilight lurched forward a step before coming to a complete halt. Taking in her surroundings, she finally noticed that she was standing right outside of the throne room. “After a failed day of finding a ‘real’ story, he was about to throw in the towel, but witnessed a town in the midst of a riot. Smelling a scope, he began snapping up pictures and snooping around. I think what caught Canterlot’s attention was the picture of you and Princess Celestia within the Ponyville Library.” Twilight felt her mane stand on end. “That was a private conversation,” snapped Twilight. “Yes, and a journalist never misses a scoop,” replied Edge flatly. Before Twilight could make a retort, the throne room doors opened. The sound of hoof steps could be heard coming from somewhere far behind. “…ou sure that this is the best decision, Princess?” said a familiar voice. Twilight could feel her heart begin to race faster than Rainbow Dash as she recognized who was with the Princess. “Yes, Captain, I do.” Princess Celestia walked out of her throne room, her face turned away from Twilight and the guard. Right beside her stood a large stallion wearing the captain of the royal guard armor. The violet metal was buffed and shined to perfection. “Shining.” The words spilled out of Twilight’s mouth before she could stop herself. Shining Armor’s eyes never made contact with Twilight, but she could she see a brief flash of pain behind them. Princess Celestia turned to face Twilight and the guard accompanying her. There was no smile, no look of disappointment on that regal face. Celestia exuded a sense of perfect calm. “Twilight, I’m glad that you’ve arrived. Sooner than I had expected, if I may add,” said Celestia, her magenta eyes shifting over to her guard. “Shining Armor, thank you for your time.” Twilight watched her brother cast a longing look before grudgingly nodding his head. “Yes, Princess.” Without another word, Shining Armor left, Edge quickly following behind. As the two passed, Twilight heard Shining say, “Quick word, Sargent Edge.” It had been years since she had last seen her brother. When he wasn’t outside of Canterlot on military drills, Shining Armor was rarely out of uniform. Now they were facing each other but neither was capable of saying a word. Her innards turned to ice as she felt a continually growing gap between her and everypony she ever knew. A large hoof gripped Twilight’s withers. “Twilight, we will start our discussion in my personal study. Please, follow me,” asked Celestia, pointing down the hall with one of her pristine wings. Celestia always had a profound impact on ponies whenever she entered the room. Be it due to her graceful movements, her warm personality, or because she was the Princess, Celestia carried an unmistakable aura of regality. Twilight felt that same presence bearing down on her, and walking beside Celestia only intensified this overwhelming feeling. Twilight considered voicing her opinion, but opted instead to remain silent. She’s probably going to banish me after this. The servants and guards that Celestia and Twilight came across in the halls gave the two a wide berth. She could feel them staring at the back of her head, and despite Celestia and all of the ponies that she saw and came across, had never felt so alone. Twilight and Celestia rounded one final corner before reaching a hallway with one door at the end. Along the door’s frame were several archaic characters that seemed to glow in a soft golden light. Any pony passing by wouldn’t give it a second look, but Twilight recognized a warding inscription when she saw one. While usually a minor deterrent for unicorns to keep ponies away from their private rooms, this spell was much more intense than any she had seen before. Upon their arrival at the door, Celestia’s horn glowed with a deep golden light. The characters came to life, seeming to dance across the frame until fading away. The marble door opened before the pair without even the slightest sound. “After you, Twilight.” The scent of cinnamon tickled Twilight’s nose as she stepped through the double doors. Twilight could hardly remember when she had been here last. The only time that she had been allowed inside Celestia’s study was when she first started to study under her as a filly. “Well, it seems you’ve arrived, Miss Sparkle.” An earth pony stallion sat on a yellow floor cushion to the right of a small coffee table. He wore a brown tweed jacket with a golden buckled belt wrapped around his thin waist. A pair of horn rimmed glasses sat at the end of his muzzle, right in front of his greying eyes. “Doctor. T. Quill, thank you for waiting for us.” Twilight watched with growing curiosity as Celestia walked over to the doctor. Celestia pulled out a large, egg white pillow from beneath the coffee table with her hoof. “Twilight, will you join us please?” said Celestia. Twilight walked towards the edge of the coffee table, noticing a small purple pillow peeking out beneath of it. Focusing her magic, she began to pull at the pillow with her telekinesis before a burning sensation shot through her horn. Flinching from the sudden pain, she looked up sheepishly at Quill and Celestia, both of whom were staring at her expectantly. Weird, guess my magic is on the fritz. Maybe I’m much more tired than I thought, guessed Twilight. As the pain ebbed away, Twilight grabbed her pillow with her hoof and promptly sat down. Dr. Quill coughed nervously as he stroked his grey beard. Twilight couldn’t help noting the smell of coffee carried on his breath. Now that she was closer, Twilight could clearly see the earth pony. His mane was thinning but still retained a healthy sheen. His dark grey coat clashed brilliantly with his jacket. A small white notepad peeped out of the barrel pocket, a pen placed through the binding. “Well now,” started Quill, “I must say, you’re quite the pretty little thing, Twilight.” Twilight felt her face light up like Celestia’s sun while the Princess chuckled devilishly. “Darn shame I’m not about thirty years younger or I’d be trying to sweep you off your hooves.” “Oh, Quill, you flirt. She’s much too young for some old fart like you,” snorted Celestia. The Princess’s old mirth returned as she laughed with the old stallion. Twilight, meanwhile, fiddled with her hooves as the two laughed heartily at each others childish antics. “As much as I enjoy spending time with you, Celestia, I must ask why you would need my services.” Quill twirled an empty cup between his hooves. “May I hazard a guess that your student is the one I need to ‘talk’ with?” he said as his eyes shifted towards Twilight. “You are correct, Quill,” answered Celestia. He ran a hoof through his mane, a few strands of his mane catching on the button on the sleeve. Shaking off the hair, Quill rested his hooves on his chin. “Well I must say, I am honored to meet you, miss Sparkle,” said Quill. “From what I hear and what I know, you’ve accomplished much in this past year. Yet, something else has caught my attention…” His words trailed off as if he was trying to choose what to say. “Quill, I think I should first introduce you to Twilight to let her know who you ,” interrupted Celestia. “Doctor Travis Nigel Quill, commonly known as Doctor Tranquil to colleagues, and esteemed author of several books.” Twilight allowed herself a smile. “He’s a well-known psychiatrist.” Quill took a deep breath. “Yes, Twilight. I’m flattered that you now know so much about me. I trust you know why Celestia wants me to see you.” Twilight choked back tears. “Why?” Twilight felt the world around her turn black, the light sucked out of it. “I’m not…” The words died inside of her throat as comprehension struck her. Celestia wrapped a hoof around Twilight, holding her like a mother would her foal. She felt Celestia stroke her purple mane in gentle strokes in a reassuring manner. “What I’m afraid of,” began Celestia, measuring her words. “Is losing you.” Quill remained silent, turning his eyes away. When I read that letter of yours, Celestia, I thought I’d finally lost what little sanity I have left. Your student of all ponies? The prodigy, Twilight Sparkle, needed my help? Releasing her hold on Twilight, Celestia sat back down on her pillow. Twilight returned to her seat but there was a noticeable air of despair around her. “Twilight, I want you to see Dr. Quill on a daily basis, a daily two hour session in this room. No shorter, no longer.” Celestia clasped her hooves together as her mask of equanimity took hold again. “Twilight, my hooves are tied. I will not force you to see the doctor. However I implore you to at least spend one week with him.” Daily sessions with a doctor? How broken does Celestia think I am? Sure, I may have gone overboard with Ponyville, but it wasn’t that bad, was it? A growing sense of insecurity raked against the back of her mind, a tiny voice saying, Maybe I could use some help… “Princess, do you think I need this?” A sword striking through her chest wouldn’t have come even close to the pain that Celestia felt at those words. Oh, Twilight. I know what I have to say but I can’t bring myself to say them. Quill felt his old heart overflow with that sickening emotion of grief. He could see the obvious pain in Celestia as she spoke with her student on what needed to be done. “I believe I have a simple answer to your question, miss Sparkle,” spoke Quill. Rummaging through his coat pockets, he produced a worn playing card case. Flipping open the lid of the case, he pulled out a set of weathered, stained cards. “Tell me, Twilight, have you ever played the game of poker before?” “A few times,” answered Twilight as Quill shuffled his cards. At a few of the sleepovers she had, the girls and her had played a few times. Spike would often step in if somepony wasn’t up for it. Out of all of them, Applejack won the most of the games. Her poker face, as her friend called it, couldn’t be cracked by anypony. Fwit, fwit, fwit. Time to see what’s got you all knotted up inside, Twilight. Quill passed out the cards until Twilight and he both had five in front of them. “Princess, would mind leaving us to play our game in private? I find it easier to understand a pony if we’re by ourselves.” It hurt him to see such a young mare like Twilight so visibly shaken. It never got any easier all these years as a doctor. Watching parents and the like bringing in children to see him. Twilight looked on as Celestia promptly stood up and left. A childish want to call out for her flared up inside, but she remained silent. Calling on her magic, Twilight tried lifting her cards up only to feel another jolt of pain. Her eyes watered as her magic failed her again. “Something the matter, miss Twilight?” “Nothing, nothing at all,” lied Twilight, knowing full well how unconvincing that sounded. Grabbing the cards with her hooves, she tried to put on her poker face. A two of clubs, four of hearts, a jack of spades, a queen of spades and a king of spades. A pretty good hoof to be dealt. “So miss Twilight, I am curious. Do you know why Celestia brought you here?” Quill began shuffling his cards around in his hoof. Is he rearranging his cards because he has a better hoof or is he analyzing my reaction? And what kind of psychiatrist plays cards to figure out a patient? It’s unheard of. As she continued to ponder, Quill placed his cards down on the table and began sifting through his pockets again. A small golden bit was flopped onto the coffee table. “Sorry, been on the road this past year and I do not carry much on me anymore. Not after that night in Las Pegasus,” Quill murmured to himself. Twilight giggled to herself but immediately stopped. Fishing out a bit from her own pocket, she placed it on the table. “Well now, seems we’ve got a proper game going now. Now, Twilight, you never did answer my question.” “Well, I made a mistake,” said Twilight as she hid her face behind her cards. Quill nodded his head, his eyes piercing through her card thin barrier. “I don’t know what went wrong.” Discarding the two of clubs and the four of hearts on the table, she took two cards from the deck. A jack of hearts and a two of spades. At least I got a pair now. Quill let out a good natured laugh. “Well at times,” shuffling his cards, “we need to take a step back and look at things from another perspective.” Quill pulled two cards from his hoof and placed them down on the table face up. He had a seven of clubs and five of hearts? Nothing I could’ve used, deduced Twilight as Quill pushed the cards off to the side. Pulling two more cards from the deck, Quill began to move his cards around in his hoof. “You are a smart mare from what Celestia tells me. Surely you could tell me where you went off the rails.” “I’m not sure ‘where’ I went wrong. I guess it all started when I found out I was going to be tardy for an assignment.” So, let’s see, I have a pair of jacks which isn’t much, but he did take away two of his cards. That means those three could be three of a kind or high valued or a pair and a high card. Out of all the face cards, I now have four of them in my hoof. Statistically, the odds of my hoof winning are- “Care to play your hoof, miss Twilight? You have been staring at them for a few minutes now,” said Quill. His tone held no malice, but Twilight felt like he was giving her a command. “Pair of jacks,” announced Twilight as she played her cards. Quill pursed his lips together as he laid down his own. A ten of hearts, ten of spades, two of clubs, ace of spades, and a seven of spades. Pushing his bit over to Twilight, Quill nodded his head. “Congratulations, miss Twilight. You’ve won.” Twilight felt her sense of accomplishment reignite her inner fire as she pulled her winnings closer to her. “So, I believe you were about to tell me you were going to be tardy with an assignment. Elaborate please.” Quill placed the cards in front of Twilight. “It’s your turn to deal by the way.” Picking them up, she began to shuffle them slowly in her hooves. “Every Tuesday I had, well, I thought I had to send a letter to Princess Celestia.” The cards slipped out of her hooves and sprayed out over the table top. Silently cursing herself, she picked up the cards again and began shuffling them. “I see. So these friendship reports, you’ve written one each week and never been late with a single one before?” Quill sounded thoroughly impressed by Twilight’s impeccable record. Pulling up his glasses closer to his eyes, his eyes looked down at Twilight’s hooves. “Did you ever consider writing a letter to Celestia explaining your situation?” Twilight snapped the cards together, bending them slightly. “No, I didn’t,” admitted Twilight. “I was just so worried about disappointing her.” The mere words revolting her the longer she talked. Calm down, Twilight. We’re just playing a card game, not in some kind of therapy session. I haven’t told him anything that serious. Have I? “An admirable goal, even if it is a bit one sided. I think you have shuffled those cards long enough, miss Twilight.” Grasping the cards tightly, she dealt them at a slow pace. “I would not think that Celestia would have placed a heavy penalty on your wither. Would you care to explain what Celestia would do if you had not written up a report?” An invisible bucket of ice was splashed across Twilight’s face. “Celestia never said anything about a penalty,” muttered Twilight. Picking up her new hoof, her eyes tensed up. A pair of twos, a seven of clubs, a ten of diamonds and a five of spades. Quill took a quick look at his cards, then placed them face down. “I guess that being Celestia’s student she always had high expectations for you. Never would have thought she was such a strict teacher, I must admit.” “She’s not!” blurted out Twilight. Her heart thundered in her chest as she nearly leapt out of her seat. “Sorry. Princess Celestia has always tested me since I’ve been a filly, but she’s not cruel.” “Is that right?” Quill’s voice held a sense of uncertainty, as if he didn’t believe what Twilight was saying was true. “So from what I’ve gathered, Celestia has high expectations, but does not enforce your studies with any rules or regulations. That is... quite perplexing.” Quill watched Twilight’s right ear twitch furiously. Seem to have struck a nerve with that comment. Knowing he was on the right track, Quill tapped on the table in thought. “Oh, before we discard, let’s put our wagers down.” Placing down to bits, Twilight pushed what she had won earlier to the center. Quill took two cards again and placed them over to his right before pulling two cards from the deck. Twilight chose two cards and then replaced them in a quick fluid motion. “I know Princess Celestia wants me to push myself. If she hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t become the Bearer of Magic.” Twilight tried holding her hooves still but couldn’t retain a solid grip on her cards. Quill pulled on the tip of his beard. “Hmm, while I’m not learned in the old fable as you are, I’m positive, miss Twilight, that you’re keeping something from me. Aren’t the bearers drawn to the elements, or was it vice versa?” Quill pulled the card farthest to his left and placed it in the middle, all the while watching Twilight. A two, three, four, five, six and seven of spades were laid out.“Straight, in spades, Ms. Sparkle,” said Quill as he laid out his cards. Quill watched as the pent up frustration began to wear down the mask of calm on Twilight’s face. Seeing his opportunity, Quill decided to apply more pressure to her. Several hairs of Twilight’s mane began to fray, single strands standing out at odd angles. Letting the cards fall from her hooves, she reassembled them into a neat stack and pushed them over to Quill with a guilty look on her face. “The history of the Elements of Harmony isn’t written in stone, even though they were when I found them,” Twilight joked weakly. “You take great pride in being the wielder of the element, miss Twilight.” Twilight nodded. “Well, I wouldn’t have been able to save Princess Luna from the Nightmare if it wasn’t for me and the rest of my friends wielding the elements.” Quill flipped over the cards on the table before shuffling them. Now it was time for him to play out the final test. Quill placed the five cards out again. “Miss Twilight, how about we make this last round a little more, how could I say, enticing?” Twilight tilted her head to the side, pondering his words. “What did you have in mind, Professor Quill?” Somewhere from the inner depths of his mangled tweed jacket, Quill produced a brown, hardback book. Compared to everything else that he had, the book was, astonishingly, brand new. “This, my dear, is the newest edition of medical lexicon’s I’ve written. In it are the most recent discoveries I’ve made since I’ve taken a hiatus from my work a year ago. Amazing what one old colt can find when he’s not stuck in an office all day, eh?” If anypony else was in the room they could’ve painted a picture of Twilight’s expression, given how long her face was stuck in shock. One of the most renowned doctors in Equestria is offering one of his books to me on a wager? These books run nearly over a thousand bits, and only select students in the field are allowed to buy them. Childish abandonment took over Twilight’s rationality as she was, literally, buzzing with excitement. “However, if I win this next hoof,” began Quill as he pulled the book off the coffee table. “I want you to meet with me daily for a two hour session. Think you can win, miss Twilight?” Let’s see, if I win I could be walking out of here, no therapy session and a book in hoof. On the other hoof though, I could be subjected to pointless therapy sessions, from a fascinating doctor though, for Celestia knows how long. The air was rife with tension as Twilight reviewed her current situation. “I’ll do it.” Twilight bit into her lower lip with anticipation as Quill began playing out their final hoof. She could barely contain herself as she snatched up her cards, but her joy faltered at what she saw. A jack of diamonds, two of hearts, queen of spades, ace of hearts, and seven of spades. The only chance I got of winning is to get a pair with faces. Considering what Quill’s cards could be, my chances are nearly zero, groaned Twilight inwardly. Taking out the two and the seven from her hoof, she picked up her new cards from the deck. Jack of spades and three of hearts. Quill pulled only a single card from his hoof before picking up his card. “Well now, miss Sparkle, are you ready to claim your prize?” Twilight felt her heart thundering inside her chest as she played her cards. “Pair of Jacks,” she said confidently. For a moment, she thought she had seen a ghost of a smile on Quill’s face. “Well now, doesn’t that beat all, miss Twilight?” Turning over his hoof, Quill showed a jack of hearts and a jack of club. “Seems that we’ve come to a draw. What are the odds?” Twilight’s hind leg began to tap against the marble flooring. A draw? How did it come to a draw? He’s not even acting that surprised about it! Did he plan this? Did he have cards up his sleeve? Something small and sturdy bumped against Twilight’s right hoof. Quill had tossed his medical book over to her. “You got to know when to hold, know when to fold’em but also know when to walk away. It’s from an old earth pony song my mother sang to me as a foal”, said Quill, leaving Twilight quite flustered. “There’s a lot of wisdom in that song, miss Twilight. Know when to go and know to stop. Most importantly, never take a dangerous wager. Just like a game of cards, it’s very important to weigh the odds before you take a serious risk.” “I took too big of a risk then, and lost,” replied Twilight. Quill let out a small laugh as he put his cards back in their case. “Twilight, I know you were calculating the odds on every hoof dealt. That last hoof, it wasn’t a win or a loss. It was a third option that nopony ever thinks about, understand?” Stuffing his cards back into his pocket along with the bits, he pulled out his notepad. “Now, I do have one last question to ask you. Tell me, what do you plan on doing when you’ve completed your studies under Celestia?” “What?” Her mind went blank at the question. What would she do when she was finished studying with Celestia. She had often thought of becoming a professor, maybe one in the research department in Seaddle. A royal squire for Celestia, helping her run the kingdom perhaps? When would my studies stop? The thought shook her. Celestia had never specified when she would graduate or even if she would. All this time she had been under the pretense that Celestia would always continue to teach her. Even now as a full grown mare, she never considered this as a possibility. She knew it would come one day, yet at the same time, it seemed so far away. “I don’t know.” Her head drooped down, her mane covering her face from Quill’s view. “Well, maybe it’s time for Twilight, Celestia’s student, to think about what Twilight, the mare Twilight, wants to do then.” Standing up from the table slowly, Quill bent his stiffening legs. A few pops of his knees and a quick stretch later, he walked around the table to Twilight. “Now then, Twilight, on to business.” Extending out his hoof in a friendly manner, Quill locked eyes with Twilight. “I can tell something is troubling you, even with these cataract filled eyes. If you would allow me to help you, maybe we can help you get back up to snuff.” Twilight stared at Quill’s hoof with mixed curiosity. If I don’t, is it because I’m too proud and don’t think I need to depend on anypony? If I accept, then will ponies treat me differently if they were to find out? A steady purple hoof was placed against Quill’s cracked hoof. “You have my word, miss Twilight. I will use everything I can to help a mare in need.” - - - - - “So, the prodigal Twilight Sparkle has returned to us, yes?” asked a unicorn stallion sipping on a martini. His blue hoof was polished to a blinding sheen in the sun as he sat in his chair. “Interesting, our dear Celestia hasn’t made this news public.” “I know as well as you do that it has to do with that incident in Ponyville.” In front of the stallion stood a dark grey unicorn with a pure white mane. His honey yellow eyes were half closed under Celestia’s sun. “I don’t need to remind you that this information can’t just be given out freely.” The purple stallion tsked with his tongue before pulling out a small bag of bits. “So serious all the time. Little wonder you’re in the guard, dear boy.” Throwing the bag at the stallion with his magic, he whistled to a nearby servant with his glass held high. “This isn’t even half of what you promised me, rich colt,” spat the dark grey unicorn. A Cheshire smile grew on the purple unicorn’s muzzle. “Our deal was to get me proof that Twilight Sparkle is in the castle. All I got was your word, there’s nothing definitive about that, is there?” A bright orange Pegasus fluttered towards the purple unicorn’s glass. Pouring a suitable amount of liquor into her master’s glass, she left with a bow. “If you expect full pay, you do a full job. Am I right or am I undeniably right? Come on, guess,” he said cheekily. The grey unicorn snorted. “I’m treading on melting ice in the middle of a lake here in summer. One word out of place and I’ll be facing down the Princess of the Sun.” He lunged forward until he was a mere breath away from his cohort. “But I can assure you that I won’t go down alone, friend.” With a quick sip of his drink, the grey unicorn flashed his friend a toothy smile. “Oh, one hundred percent. I have my contacts to keep anypony in our way, quiet. I need to build up the right amount of momentum to claim the title of Bearer of Magic. Just keep doing what you’re doing, It’ll be in your best interest. Now then, go on your way, I have ‘real’ friends coming over that I need to entertain.” The purple unicorn snorted with indignation, but left the garden without another word. A servant opened the gate for him and hurriedly shut it behind him. “Brother, do you think it’s wise to trust him?” A violet mare came trotting haughtily through the garden, a light blue scarf around her neck. Her eyes were furrowed in a vicious manner as she knocked away any unfortunate servant in her path. “You can’t expect to rely on the lesser caste like that, he lacks any real refinement.” “No worries dearest sister,” replied the purple unicorn. “We’ll win over Twilight’s title soon enough and establish our hold next to our dear Celestia that our family once had.” The two clinked their glasses together on the patio. It would be a busy week for the both of them.