The Might of a Quill

by derpyland

Chapter 9: “Can I make a scene now, sister?”

The next morning Twilight Sparkle awoke to the sound of humming. It was a very odd experience, and at first Twilight could not figure out what was going on. Mornings in her crystal castle were usually absolutely quiet, simply because there wasn't anypony around to make noise. Twilight and Spike lived alone, and Spike had a tendency to sleep in. This morning, though, she was definitely hearing something. Somepony nearby was humming.

Twilight groggily opened her eyes and sat up. As she regained consciousness she slowly realized that she wasn't alone in her room. Sunshine was standing in front of her bedroom window, looking outside. The large white alicorn was humming a happy little tune to herself.

“Sunshine?” Twilight asked. “What are you doing in my room?”

“Good morning, princess!” Sunshine said cheerfully. “Isn't it a wonderful day? It is just so beautiful out there. I think that today is going to be much better than yesterday. I have a really good feeling about it.”

“That's nice,” Twilight said sleepily. “But seriously. What are you doing in my room?”

“Waiting for you to wake up, of course! We have so much to do and I have so much to show you. Moondancer! Your mistress is awake.”

A pony opened the door and poked her head in. “I'll be right back with breakfast, miss,” she replied. Moondancer then closed the door again.

Twilight stretched her hooves, then collapsed back onto her pillow. She let out a deep breath. “Are you going to be this annoying every morning?”

“Not if you don't want me to. I'm just excited, that's all, and I like you. Each night I count the hours until you're awake and we can do things together again. You mean everything to me, and I would do anything for you – anything in the world. But if you want me to let you sleep in then I can do that too.”

“No, that's all right,” Twilight replied. “I need to start getting up on a regular schedule again anyway. I see that Celestia has risen the sun, so I probably should be up and out of bed.”

A moment later, Moondancer entered the room carrying Twilight's breakfast. She set the tray down in front of the purple alicorn. “Is there anything else I can do for you, miss?”

“No, that's everything. Thank you.”

“There is one more thing,” Sunshine called out. “Please go ahead and get the princesses' bath ready.”

“Of course,” Moondancer replied. “I will take care of that immediately.”

“Thank you.”

“My bath?” Twilight echoed, as Moondancer left the room. “You know, I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself.”

“I know you are, princess. You are able to do a great many things. But you are a princess now and you have servants, and those servants are here to serve you and make your life easier. You no longer have to clean the castle, or make the beds, or dust, or do anything that you don't want to do. That is one of the perks of your position in society, and it is high time you started to take advantage of it.”

“If you say so,” Twilight replied. She took a sip of tea. “So what's on the agenda for today?”

“I've created a prototype of your new guard. I think you will really like them! They're quite sturdy and very powerful. They are exactly what you need to protect your home.”

“That sounds nice. Thank you! Will that be our main project for the day?”

Sunshine shook her head. “I also want to talk to you about the comics that we're developing. I've been doing some thinking, and I believe we need to make a few changes to our strategy. Have you stopped to think that there are millions upon millions of ponies in Equestria, and all of them are going to want this new magic? Manufacturing millions of blank comics by hoof would be prohibitive, to say the least. I think we need to adopt a smarter approach.”

“Like writing the comics themselves into existence,” Twilight exclaimed. “Brilliant! That would be much less work, and it would be safer too. If something went wrong we could just modify the master comic that was used to create the resources that everypony has. It would give us a way to keep things from getting out of hoof.”

“Exactly. But I think we should go a step further. Our original plan was to create a how-to guide and give everyone a blank comic and a magic quill. Since the comic would be pre-enchanted, even non-magical ponies could use it. However, it occurred to me that in order to create a good world you need a great deal of talent and imagination. I think some ponies would find it very challenging to write a world that they would enjoy.”

“I see what you mean,” Twilight replied, as she ate her breakfast in bed. “It's just like writing books. A lot of ponies can write, but very few ponies can write books that other ponies would want to read. It takes a lot of talent, training, and skill to write on a professional level. Most ponies don't have the time or patience for it.”

Sunshine nodded. “I still believe we should give ponies instructions on how to use the blank books, but I also think we should include a pre-built world. We could make a copy of Equestria that's much like the one that exists today, and offer suggestions on simple ways to change it. We could even add a spell that turns the user into an all-powerful alicorn while they are inside their world.”

“I like that. They would already have something to work with, and it would be simple for them to add new characters or tweak things. If something went wrong they could just reset the world and start over. Fantastic idea! But won't it take a lot of work to create that initial world? We can always use magic to mass-produce it, but we've got to design it in the first place. Equestria is a pretty big country.”

“Your army of Moondancers is already working on it,” Sunshine replied. “I have no doubt that they will do an excellent job and complete the assignment on-time. If they do get behind then I can always make more clones. After all, we can have as many as we want.”

Twilight finished her breakfast and set the tray down onto the table beside her bed. “All right. Time to get to work!”

Sunshine laughed. “Not quite, princess. It's time for you to go take a bath. Then you can get to work.”

“Oh, right. I'll see you soon, then.”

Sunshine smiled as Twilight hurried out of her bedroom. The princess was clearly in a better mood this morning than she was yesterday. And she will be in an even better mood when Rarity comes over and apologizes, Sunshine thought to herself. Oh Twilight, you mean so much to me. I would do anything to keep you happy.

* * * * *

An hour later, Twilight and Sunshine were in the castle library. Twilight had taken a stack of books off the shelf and was browsing through them. “I'm still not quite sure how we are going to pre-enchant the comics,” she was saying. “Maybe we could use a variation of–”

Moondancer opened the library door and walked in. “Excuse me, miss, but you have a visitor. Rarity wishes to speak with you, if you are available.”

Twilight frowned. She vividly remembered what Rarity had said to her the day before, and she was not excited about the prospect of seeing her again. “She wants to see me? Um, ok. I guess that's fine. Show her in.”

Moondancer disappeared. A moment later she led Rarity into the library. Moondancer then left.

Sunshine looked at Twilight. “I'll be right back. I don't want to intrude on your private conversation.”

Rarity spoke up. “Celestia, you don't have to leave. It's quite all right.”

Sunshine shook her head. “I'm not Celestia, Rarity. I'm Twilight's friend Sunshine.”

“Oh,” Rarity said, startled. “So you're Sunshine! I've heard so much about you, but I didn't realize how much you looked like Celestia. It is a pleasure to meet you at last.”

“The pleasure is mine. But I think it would be best if I let the two of you talk by yourselves. I am not going to intrude on your private conversation.”

Sunshine then teleported out of sight, leaving the two of them alone.

Twilight looked at Rarity, then looked down at the floor. “So, um, hey there.”

Rarity burst into tears. “Oh Twilight, I am so sorry! I was such a beast yesterday. I simply can't forgive myself for how rude and unkind I was to you. Can you ever forgive me for the dreadful way I behaved?”

Twilight looked at her in surprise. “You're sorry?”

“I am very, very sorry. I don't know what came over me. I must have been in a terrible mood to say all those unkind and hurtful things. Believe me, darling, I didn't mean them. I fully support what you are doing and I think your new magic is a wonderful thing.”

Twilight was taken aback. “Really? Are you sure that's how you feel? Because yesterday you were pretty dead-set against it.”

“I know, dear. I know what I said, and I know I made a complete fool of myself. Twilight, I think what you are doing is quite amazing. After all, it gave us back Applejack, didn't it? Think of all the good that you're going to accomplish! I was a horribly selfish pony. I'm supposed to be the Element of Generosity, not the element of pig-headedness. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you,” Twilight replied. She quickly went over to Rarity and hugged her. “I'm just confused, that's all. You had an awfully big change of heart overnight. I thought you might come around eventually, but this seems really fast. Did Sunshine go to the boutique and talk with you?”

“You mean the pony who was in here with you?” Rarity asked. “No, I hadn't met her until just a moment ago. I simply woke up this morning and started thinking about what I did yesterday, and I realized how horrible I was. I truly am sorry and I promise I will make it up to you.”

“There's nothing to make up,” Twilight said. “It's fine.”

“It's not fine,” Rarity insisted. “Look. Didn't you come to my boutique yesterday to make a copy of my mind? Go ahead – do it. I insist. And take some samples of my gorgeous mane as well. I want to fully support you and give you whatever you need.”

“If you're sure,” Twilight said reluctantly. “But yesterday you were pretty against all this.”

“I simply hadn't thought it through. With this magic of yours I can live on after death. A world without a Rarity would be a pretty drab world, wouldn't it? Thanks to you I can continue to spread generosity for as long as there's an Equestria. I think that is a very noble thing, and I want to be a part of it.”

“Very well,” Twilight said. “Just wait right here and I'll go get the memory stone.”

“Absolutely,” Rarity replied.

* * * * *

After Twilight copied Rarity's mind into the memory stone, Rarity left. Twilight then took the memory stone and the mane clippings and exited the library. As the princess trotted down the hallway with them she met Sunshine.

“So how did it go?” Sunshine asked.

“It was really, really weird,” Twilight replied. “Rarity apologized for her behavior yesterday and insisted that she wanted to help me.”

“Why, that's wonderful! I'm very glad to hear it. But how is that weird?”

“It just wasn't like Rarity at all! When Rarity forms an opinion of something, she sticks to it. I've never seen her do a complete reversal overnight like that. If someone had gone and talked to her then maybe I could understand, but Rarity claimed she had this change of heart all on her own. I just don't get it.”

“Ponies do have bad days, princess,” Sunshine pointed out. “Maybe Rarity was just in a bad mood yesterday. Then when she woke up this morning she realized what she had done and wanted to make amends. She is the Element of Generosity, you know. Perhaps she was simply being generous.”

“I guess you're right. I'm probably over-thinking things – as usual. It really was great to see how supportive she was. It's wonderful to know that my friends support me.”

Sunshine smiled. “Indeed it is. So are you ready to meet your new castle guard?”

“Absolutely!” Twilight exclaimed. “Lead the way.”

Sunshine led Twilight down into the castle basement. The underground magical research laboratory was bustling with activity. There were five Moondancers here, all busy writing. The runes on the basement walls glowed with intense magical energy. There were stack of books everywhere – on the two workbenches, on chairs, and even on the floor.

But what grabbed Twilight's attention was the giant monster in the middle of the room. When she saw it she immediately screamed. Twilight was so frightened that she let go of the memory stone and the mane clippings.

Sunshine immediately reached out with her magic and grabbed them before they could hit the floor. “I'll put these up for you,” she said cheerfully. “I will be right back!”

Twilight took a step back, away from the monster. “That is the new guard?”

The giant creature was even larger than Sunshine. It was the biggest pony Twilight had ever seen. The stallion was a black alicorn with glowing red eyes and a dagger for a cutie mark. Its skin and wings were made of metal plates that were jet black, with red highlights. Spikes jutted out of the black metal, and a long black sword was strapped to his side. The head of the stallion was more of a metal skeleton than an actual head. The being looked very frightening and incredibly evil.

The monster looked at Twilight and bowed low to the ground. It then spoke, with a deep voice that sounded like it came from beyond the grave. Every word brought terror to Twilight's heart. “It is an honor to meet you, your majesty. A very great honor. Your glory is greater than I was told.”

“You are absolutely terrifying,” Twilight squeaked. “You are the scariest thing I've ever seen.”

“I am only a terror to your enemies, your highness. To them I will be a relentless foe. But to you I will be a staunch and loyal ally. I will always be eager and ready to obey whatever commands you may give me. If I may serve you by my life or my death, I will. You have only to say the word, and I will take the world itself and lay it at your hooves.”

Twilight hesitantly took a step closer to him. “So you're not going to hurt me.”

“I would never dream of it. I would sooner die a thousand deaths than cause you pain.”

Sunshine teleported back into the laboratory and stood beside Twilight. “So what do you think of him?”

“He's kind of scary,” Twilight said slowly. “As in really really super scary.”

Sunshine laughed. “That's the idea, silly! Guards are supposed to protect you. They need to scare away your enemies and warn them that it's foolish to try to hurt you. You don't want your guards to be warm and inviting – that would defeat the whole point! The scarier the better. I assure you that he is very powerful, very capable, very loyal, and very strong. He will do a fantastic job of protecting your life against all those who try to harm you.”

“Well, ok then,” Twilight said. “I just don't want to give ponies the idea that I'm some sort of evil supervillain. Are ponies still going to feel welcome coming into the castle?”

“That is entirely up to you,” Sunshine replied. “All you have to do is tell the guards who is welcome and who is not. They will obey your every command. When you want to receive guests they will let them in, and when you don't they will keep them out. These guards are simply an extension of your will – nothing else.”

“And we can change them if we need to, right?” Twilight asked.

“Of course! They are just a product of ink and quill, after all. Everything about them can be changed.”

“Then I guess I'm willing to give them a try. How many do you think we will need?”

“That is an excellent question. Let's talk about that for a minute. What would you think about having ten thousand guards?”

“Ten thousand?” Twilight shrieked. “Are you out of your mind? What in Equestria would I possibly do with that many guards? That's not a personal guard – that's an army!”

“Exactly! With your own private army, nopony would dream of attacking you. You could safeguard yourself and all of Ponyville as well. If anypony tried to attack or a foreign nation invaded, you would be prepared. Your guards could take care of the problem without ever putting your own life at risk.”

“That is true,” Twilight said. “Equestria really doesn't have much of an army.”

“There are other added benefits as well. If you had your own army then no one would dream of giving you grief. You could always get your way in every encounter and every conversation. After all, you would wield great power – more than even Celestia. You would finally be a real princess with a real kingdom.”

Twilight looked surprised. “You want me to take over Equestria? What kind of pony do you think I am? I don't want to bully everypony into getting my way! That's not friendship at all.”

“It's not about being a bully, your highness – it's about safety. Equestria needs protection, because she is in constant danger. Threats against this nation have arisen time and time again, and each time Celestia has been helpless to deal with the matter. That is why she has always sent you and your friends to deal with the danger – which has put your lives in great peril. If you had an army then you would never have to be in danger again. The country could finally be safe. I know how much Celestia means to you, but the only way to ensure the safety of all of the ponies is for you to rule over the land. Look. If a terrible threat arises tomorrow, what do you think is going to happen? How is Celestia going to handle it?”

“By giving the problem to me,” Twilight said reluctantly.

“Exactly. So if you were in charge, and everypony knew that you had an army that could deal with any threat, the threats would stop happening. It would be better for everypony. I know this is difficult to think about, but I'm only trying to consider what is best for the nation. You now have a chance to protect everypony, without putting the lives of your friends in danger. Isn't that worth doing?”

“I'm going to have to think about that,” Twilight said. “Overthrowing Celestia sounds a lot like treason to me. Maybe we can come up with some other solution. For now let's just create enough guards to protect this castle. We can always make more later if the need arises.”

“Very well,” Sunshine agreed. “Let's start with that, then.”

Sunshine started to say something else, but then stopped. One way or another I will find a way to remove Celestia and put you in charge. I was created to make you happy, and I am going to give Equestria to you. I can't think of a more fitting gift to give to my dear princess. You ought to be in charge, Twilight, and I will make sure it happens. Your loyal Sunshine will see to that. You and you alone deserve to sit on the throne. I know you are too humble to ever take it; what I need to do is find the right way to give you all that power. But don't worry, Twilight. I will find a way.

* * * * *

It took Twilight a few days to get used to having guards stationed all over her castle. She had to admit, though, that they were very obedient and very nice to her. The black metal alicorns were there to protect and serve her – just like Celestia's guards in Canterlot.

The guards had an enormous impact on Ponyville. Before the guards were stationed around the castle there was always a massive crowed of ponies that wanted to get inside. After Sunshine stationed six guards by the front door, though, the crowd immediately dispersed. The guards allowed Twilight's friends passage into the castle, but they kept everyone else far away.

One pony who kept making daily visits was Rarity. Each morning she would come over to the castle and bring Twilight some sort of gift. The first morning it was a basket of freshly-baked muffins that she picked up from Sugarcube Corner. The second morning she brought a stylish new laboratory coat that she had hoof-stitched for Twilight. The coat was made of the finest purple silk, and was covered in white and red stars and studded with costly gems.

On the third morning Twilight finally said something to her. “You know, you don't have to keep doing this. Really, it's fine! I accepted your apology and everything is all right. There are no hard feelings between us – I promise. You don't need to keep bringing me gifts.”

“Actually, darling, I didn't bring you anything this morning. Why? Is there something that you would like?”

“Oh no – not at all,” Twilight said hurriedly. “I just thought – never mind. So what brings you here today?”

“Well, I've been thinking. All this time you've lived in this giant castle, with just you and Spike. It must have been terribly lonely for you. You have all sorts of extra room but no one to share it with! So I was wondering: what you would think if I moved into the castle and lived with you?”

“You want what?” Twilight exclaimed. “But you already have a home! Did it burn down last night?”

Rarity laughed. “No, dear, nothing like that! But don't you see? I've spent years living alone in that little room over my boutique, while you've spent years living alone as well – first in the library, and now here. I simply didn't realize how lonely you were. You never told me how you felt.”

“Lonely? I'm not lonely! Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Look around you, darling! As soon as you invented your new magic you began filling this castle with ponies. First you created Sunshine to be your loyal friend. Then you created Moondancers to help you work. Then you created guards. Darling, you must have been terribly lonely to actually use books to create friends for you. That is one of the saddest things I have ever seen. I am sure that Sunshine is a wonderful pony, but don't you see? You already have friends – we've been right here all along! You don't need to invent them out of a storybook. I would be delighted to spend more time with you. All you had to do was say something.”

“But – I mean, I'm not lonely,” Twilight insisted. “I just needed some help, that's all. I mean, all right, maybe I was a little lonely. But I'm ok. Really.”

“You are making friends for yourself out of books,” Rarity pointed out. “Look. This doesn't have to be a permanent arrangement. Why not let me try it for a while? I promise I can be a valuable asset to your kingdom. For one thing I can bring a lot of expertise to the décor of this marvelous castle. I've always wanted to live in a place like this, you know. And if you need me I'll be right here.”

“But what about your dress shop? If you live here then who will manage it?”

“I will, of course! I'll head over to the shop every morning, and then close it up and come here when the day is done. That's what most ponies do, you know. There aren't many who live where they work.”

“Well, ok then. I guess if you really want to, you are welcome to stay here. I do have lots of room. It would be kind of selfish to not share it with my friends.”

Rarity hugged Twilight. “Oh, wonderful! I'll start moving my things here immediately. I promise you won't regret it!”

* * * * *

High above Ponyville, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were resting on a puffy white cloud. From their lofty vantage point they watched the comings and goings of the city below. Down on the ground Rarity was carrying her possessions from her boutique to the castle. A small army of ponies followed behind her, lugging her furniture.

Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Isn't that the weirdest thing you've ever seen? Who would have ever guessed that Rarity would move in with Twilight?”

“It certainly is mighty strange,” Applejack agreed. “Of course, it's equally weird that I'm sittin' up here on a cloud. There's been a lot of weirdness goin' on.”

“Well, that I understand. You have wings because Twilight gave them to you. I was there, remember? But this Rarity thing confuses me. I'm pretty sure that Twilight and Rarity aren't a couple. Yet there she is, moving in. You don't suppose that we're all supposed to move in with her too, do you?”

“I don't get it. What are you talkin' about?”

“Well, I mean, that castle does have thrones for all six of us. And it does have plenty of room. Maybe the Elements of Harmony are all supposed to live together. Maybe Rarity picked up on that and is getting with the program.”

“I don't know,” Applejack replied. “I just don't think that's practical. Sure, it would make it easier for us to respond when the map finds a friendship problem, but the thing is we've got jobs. I need to live at Sweet Apple Acres – that's where my family is. I guess you and Pinkie could move into the castle, but Fluttershy sure can't. She needs to be in her cottage in the woods, with her animal friends.”

“That's a good point,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Maybe the real wonder is that Rarity waited this long to move into that sweet castle. I bet she's been dying to get her own suite in there ever since it first appeared! She really goes in for that kind of thing.”

“True. Come to think of it, Twilight really doesn't care much for the place, does she? I bet Twilight would rather have her old tree back. She really loved that old library.”

“So what's stopping her? Can't she just use her new magical powers to write it back into existence?”

“I guess she could. I hadn't even thought of that.”

“I wonder how long it will take Twilight to think of it,” Rainbow remarked.

“Maybe you could pay her a visit and suggest it to her.”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nope. Not today! Don't you know what day today is? The princesses are paying her a visit.”

“Is that today? I must have lost track of time!”

“It sure is. Today is the day that Celestia and Luna are going to come over and learn the secrets of Twilight's new dark magic – and the day that they meet Sunshine. Imagine how that meeting is going to go.”

* * * * *

That evening, after Luna raised the moon into the night sky, Luna and Celestia teleported in front of Twilight's crystal castle. It was a beautiful night. There was a full moon in the sky, and the bright stars twinkled in the darkness. The city was quiet and the evening was cool.

The crystal castle was as beautiful as it always was – but there was a change. Celestia was taken aback by the presence of the monstrous, intimidating guards. There were six of them guarding the entrance to the castle, and none of them were smiling.

When the guards saw Celestia, one of them turned around and knocked on the front door. The door opened, and he said a few words to somepony inside the castle. The door then closed.

The guard approached the princesses. “Sunshine is on her way. She will be here momentarily and escort you to Twilight's laboratory.”

“Thank you,” Luna replied.

As the guard returned to his post, Celestia frowned. “Guards? What is this? Since when does Twilight Sparkle have guards?”

“I do not see a problem, sister. After all, you have your own personal guard, and I do as well. Even Cadence is well protected. Considering all that Twilight has done for Equestria – and all the threats against her – I think it is very wise that she finally has her own guard. I will rest easier knowing that those who wish her harm will be stopped before they can reach her.”

“But look at these guards! Just look at them. Have you ever seen anything like them before?”

“Imposing, aren't they?” Luna smiled. “If you ask me, I think you are jealous. Twilight's guards are far more intimidating than yours.”

“My guards are regal. Those are simply terrifying.”

“So are my batpony guards. Terrifying can be good – especially if you want to keep your adversaries at bay and warn them not to start a fight.”

“But–”

Luna stopped her. “Sister, it is the height of hypocrisy for you to criticize Twilight for having her own royal guard when you are surrounded by hundreds of guards in Canterlot. Twilight is a royal princess of Equestria. If this is the sort of guard that she wishes to have then she has every right to it. She is a wise and thoughtful pony and has saved Equestria on more than one occasion. Do not make a scene.”

Celestia sighed, but said nothing. They waited in the cool night air. A moment later a white alicorn stepped out through the castle's front doors and approached them. She walked up to the princesses and smiled. “Greetings! Welcome to Twilight's kingdom. My name is Sunshine. If your highnesses will follow me I will take you to Twilight. We have a wonderful night planned for you.”

Celestia stared at Sunshine in disbelief. She had heard that Twilight had created a clone of her, but she was still aghast. Sunshine was an exact physical duplicate of her. Seeing her was like seeing herself in a mirror. It was deeply unnerving.

Celestia looked at Luna. “Can I make a scene now, sister?”

Comments

[sexy nightmare moon]

this is getting funny but what wiil celestia say to twilight takeing over the land she would try and stop her right

[derpyland]

6673682

she would try and stop her right

Oh yes. When Celestia finally realizes what is going on she will try to stop Twilight, and there will be a big battle. I'm looking forward to that part of the story.

[sexy nightmare moon]

6676421 and banish her into the sun for thousand years until she find the new bears of harmony and purify twilight

[Awesometacular]

I have a feeling Celestia is the next victim to be replaced. Or at least disposed of one way or another.