//------------------------------// // Learning // Story: Fear Me, for My Name is Twaith! // by Michael Hudson //------------------------------// Twilight, Trixie, and Luna all stood on the Lunar Tower of Canterlot. Luna was staring through her telescope between roles of Yatzhee, which the two were playing because neither had much to do. Trixie had long ago set her willow wisps throughout the town so as to keep track of any threats on the inside, and a glorious ice sculpture sat in the catacombs, leaving Twilight free. Luna reached back, kicking over the dice cup before looking back. “Only need one more for a large straight.” Trixie picked up the one that Luna was talking about and began to rattle it in the cup. “Honestly, Trixie sometimes thinks that getting one of her tails is easier than a stupid large straight.” The dice rattled on the ground, but wasn’t the three that Luna was looking for. “Do you want to retry for it, or swap it out.” “Swap it. Keep the two. I still need some of those.” Twilight bit into her cheek, knowing this was the third time that Luna had gone for one. “What if I blew into the cup? Do you think that would help?” Luna adjusted her telescope, before spotting something that almost made her whole, tiny body turn beet red. “Um, isn’t it supposed to be a pretty mare that blows into one’s dice? Though, if you think it will help, please do so.” Trixie glared at Luna for a moment, before remembering that she too wasn’t supposed to think about the mare’s beautiful mane or gleaming eyes as anything disgusting and gross. Twilight pouted as the dice came up a two. “Oh, well, sorry Luna. I guess that’s what happens when one doesn’t have breath.” Luna rolled her eyes as she turned the scope more, watching the castle now as she refocused. “It’s fine. Just scratch twos if I have none. Besides, I bore of this game, so Trixie, please do tell us about your tails to reinvigorate my energy.” Trixie took the cup as she sighed. For most of her mission she had avoided talk of herself, but she had known Twilight for almost nine months now, and to admit that the wraith would cause her issues by knowing of her culture did indeed feel childish. “Trixie supposes she can, even if the dice are giving her junk.” She gathered them back up before noticing Twilight watching her intently. The purple spirit had indeed inquired before about why she had multiple tails, but such a matter was secret enough to have warranted careful secrecy. Now as a friend though, before a wedding, and with a princess, she felt it was time to speak. “A kitsune is first born with one tail. This shows us as weak, but humble beings, which of course the Great and Mystical Trixie could not allow to stay. So, she sought out the blessing of our elder, a nine tailed kitsune older than most ponies. Trixie believes that only the princesses may rival his age, but not his wisdom. No being can.” Luna snorted. “I highly doubt that. For nothing to be wiser, the creature would need to be infallible, something which can never exist.” Trixie grit her teeth as fire flared from the edges of her tails. “Well, he is, and you cannot prove otherwise.” She then shook her head and turned back to Twilight. “This blessing judges our spirit, and dependant on his decision, and the strength we possess internally, we gain our tails. As it is apparent by Trixie’s lack of more, he must have decided that Equestria would fear Trixie if she were at full power, and thus only gave me one.” Twilight cocked her head as she looked to Trixie. “But then how did you gain your third?” Trixie breathed in slightly, before smiling for a moment and shaking her head. “Well, you see, on my way to Equestria, Trixie found a foal, distraught in the desert heat. She told me that she was leaving Equestria, because she didn’t belong somewhere where your talent could rob you of those closest to you.” Trixie looked down again, remembering the pink filly as she looked so scared. “If I had left her there, I don’t know what level of madness she would have found.” Twilight put a hoof to Trixie’s and nuzzled against her. Even Luna had turned around for the spirit’s tale, and swallowed hard as she thought of her own loneliness. “Um, you rolled junk again. Is that two, or three?” Trixie blinked a few times, before rapidly shaking her head. “Oh, yeah, that’s three. Here you go Twilight.” She swallowed hard, her essence shaking as she regained her composure. “We eventually found a secluded valley after almost a year of travel, and she decided she wanted to stay there. Trixie accompanied her for a bit, helped her make a house and her first friend, but this whole time, Trixie was also ignoring her mission. Therefore, we had to part.” Twilight’s dice clattered along the stone as a sad smile grew on Trixie’s face. “Trixie’s last gift to her was in helping her make an artifact that would take and store cutie marks with one paw, and give them back with the other. When she shed her tears of joy, Trixie felt like… a star. Like she had just managed to make not just a pony’s day, but their entire life.” The wraith beside her smiled, and rubbed Trixie’s hoof harder. “See, that sounds wonderful! I was worried it was going to have a bad ending or something.” Trixie bit into her cheek, and opened her mouth to tell them of the five year chasm that lay between her last visit to see her friend, before something triggered her sense. It wasn’t a willow wisp though. No, this spike in dark, magical power cut through the fog created by the barrier like an arrow, and her essence shook as she thought it might rival how powerful Twilight was when they first met. Luna had stopped as well, frowning as she stared at the castle. “Why is there a green glow from Shining Armor’s chambers?” Trixie rushed over, forcing Twilight to spill her dice as she got next to the princess. “Where are his chambers?” Luna looked to the fox spirit for a moment, trying to discern the nature of the panic, before remembering it was panic from something that fought monsters. It was usually best to listen to that type of panic. “That direction, where the scope is pointed.” Twilight smiled for a moment as she saw five twos staring back at her, before the drama going on beside her caught her attention. “Is something the matter? Is my Yahtzee not going to matter?” Luna and Trixie glanced at each other for a moment, before the princess stated flatly, “Well, I suppose that’s a silver lining for my game, as I do believe an intruder out for our captain of the guard is more important than a game.” Trixie nodded as Twilight’s eyes widened. “Indeed. We need to move at once, though Trixie advisees caution. It is quite… powerful.” Twilight nodded her agreement, before the three took off from the balcony, and set course for the chambers. The Canterlot sky was thankfully clear, though most ponies were curling up for bed at this point, what with sunset having left almost an hour ago. This meant the foal princess and spirits could fly as fast as they pleased, and not raise suspicion. No matter how fast they went though, the spike was gone by the time they entered the chambers. Trixie narrowed her eyes, looking into the candlelit room, and only seeing a pink princess standing there. Twilight did not scowl like her fellow spirit though, and instead rushed forward, wrapping her hooves around Cadance’s neck. “I am so happy to see you’re okay!” Cadance visibly stiffened at the touch, before wheeling around. Her wide eyes looked to the three, before she covered them and breathed in deeply. “Y-you really shouldn’t do that. I almost got a heart attack.” Twilight’s essence brightened with a red tint for a moment as she backed away. “Sorry. We felt a presence using dark magic over here, and I thought they may have gotten to you.” Luna watched as Cadance lifted a hoof up to her mouth, aghast at the news. While the filly didn’t know the other mare well, she did know tactics well, and how to be suspicious. One glance to Trixie, who had not been relieved of her scowl, and she felt confident in her suspicion. “Fox spirit, can you check for anything?” Trixie grinned. “The gifted and brilliant Trixie would love to show this changeling’s true form!” Her horn flared bright for but a second, before a large gout of white flame was sent at Cadance. It never reached its target though as the room dropped almost ten degrees while Twilight blocked the fire with ice. “What are you doing?” Cadance stepped back, putting part of the bed between her and the spirits. “W-what’s a changeling?” Trixie narrowed her eyes. “Twilight, move. Changelings are beings that feed on love by taking the shape of one you love. This love then gives them power, and it’s the only explanation why Cadance here would still be standing out to Trixie’s sensors.” Luna nodded, despite not being aware what changelings were. “I doubt Trixie would simply try burning her. If she isn’t one, I suspect she would be safe.” Twilight looked back, the gears in her mind beginning to slow to a crawl as she tried to listen to them and her feelings. There was no way Cadance could have been replaced, but with how quickly they moved, it was possible. The mare in question raised a hoof, staring Twilight in the eyes as she spoke. “Please Twilight. You know me. You wouldn’t want to hurt me, would you? Not when we’re so close.” Cadance watched closely as Twilight opened her mouth slowly, before her eyes dropped to the floor. The spirit’s tongue came out of her mouth as her essence shuddered and shook, and the pink princess took her shot. Before any of the three could react, a green beam of energy wrapped itself around Twilight, before a moment later, the wraith was gone. “What did you do to her?” “If you do not bring her back this instant, I will be forced to destroy you!” Cadance looked between them with a raised eyebrow, a moment before the door opened, and five guards poured into the room. Luna grinned at the sight of them and pointed straight at the imposter. “This Cadance is a lie guards, and must be taken into custody this instant!” The guards looked at each other as Cadance yawned. “I could do this myself, but the one who brings down the princess gets a kiss. The kitsune is nothing.” That got a response from the guardsmen as they yelled, “Yes, my queen!” If not for Trixie’s quick foxfire, the fight would have been over in an instant. However, due to soundproofing charms, and Luna still being no match for her sister’s power, by morning, all was quiet, and no one was the wiser to the two’s disappearance. One merely went to bed, while the other had sense a lead they were following. That’s what everyone assumed while ‘Cadance’ got ready for her wedding.