Teamwork
Every day began at five. Some days, Twilight would throw off the covers, leap off her bed, make a quick breakfast based on her regimen, and then slip out the door. Other days, her covers felt like lead, and the walk down the stairs was a challenge that strained muscles Twilight didn’t even know she had.
On days like that, Twilight would supplement her meals with an herbal drink that tasted like it was scraped out of the foulest bog in the Everfree (and it most likely was). It helped numb the ache in her horn and perked her up though. No matter what, she was always out of the house by five thirty.
Velvet and Night Light had been inquisitive the first week or so, but Twilight told them she was just getting up early to do supplemental training. Technically, she was telling the truth.
When she returned home, she gobbled up dinner and then made her way upstairs. Sometimes, her legs refused to listen to her after dinner and either Velvet or Night Light had to help her to her room. After nights like that, Velvet usually sent a letter to Hoofenbacker. A reply filled with assurances, charts, and half-truths would follow in quick succession.
If Twilight did have enough stamina after dinner, she would pull herself over to her desk. Books had always cluttered the desk in some manner, but now they towered over her head. Flashcards and practice tests also littered her desk. When her horn hurt too much to cast a spell, she clenched a pencil between her teeth and jotted down notes. There were many times when her alarm awoke her, and she found her desk under her instead of her bed.
~~~
Sweat dripped off Twilight and Spike. The thick and humid air within the Everfree turned their training ground into a sauna. Even the field outside, with its blazing sun and hot winds, was a much-appreciated respite whenever Twilight managed to drag a boulder or a sapling out of the forest.
As he followed Twilight with his own boulders and saplings clenched in his claws or balanced on his back, Spike savored the fresh air. However, once he came to the heap he and Twilight threw everything onto, his breathing shifted. No longer enjoying the faint scent of wildflowers or the relatively gentle touch of dry grass against his legs, he concentrated on funneling his breath through his nose.
Once he had filled his lungs, he expelled the air back up his throat. As it traveled upwards, the exhale sparked with green flashes and then ignited. By the time it flew out of Spike’s mouth, the air had transformed into a blast of emerald fire. It spilled over the wood and scorched the nearby rocks.
In the morning, Spike could incinerate saplings with ease and leave rocks black and glistening. As the day went on, the rocks retained more and more of their original color, and the saplings took longer and longer to incarnate. Spike’s breathing grew labored and his throat ached.
“Interesting,” Celestia commented as Spike recovered and then jogged back to join Twilight within the forest. She took a sip of a drink with a sun shaped umbrella sticking out of it. “I’ve heard stories, but it’s quite fascinating watching a drake build up tolerance to his own flames.”
Spike groaned and then joined up with Twilight. A rock covered by weeds glowed ahead of her. She twisted her head and flared up horn. The rock shook off some dust and lifted a few centimeters, but the roots kept it anchored. Twilight gasped and dimmed her horn. The rock sank back down.
“Spike?” she huffed.
“On it,” he wheezed.
Advancing up to the boulder, Spike gulped down some air before blasting the roots with his fire. The smaller roots hissed and cracked before turning to smoke and ash. The larger roots held firm even while their outer skin blackened. Spike kept the fire going for a few more seconds before the flame shrank and sputtered out. Spike went to his knees and gasped for breath.
Celestia glanced at a stopwatch at her side. “Excellent! That was a second longer than yesterday. You’re revealing so much about dragon anatomy, Spike!”
Spike groaned again and then took a breath.
~~~
Fire consumed the scroll. Twilight watched the smoke rise off Spike’s claws and then looked across the bedroom at Celestia. She dared not blink. Celestia’s horn then glowed and the scroll reappeared in a flash. Celestia noted its blackened edges, but then smiled at Spike.
“Okay, that’s a new record on distance,” she said as she crossed the room. “Focus on fine-tuning now.”
“Why can’t ponies just write on gems?” Spike wheezed. “Sending gems was always easy.”
“Remember, Spike, sending letters could be critical in an emergency, so you have to make sure the recipient can read it,” said Celestia. “And, if you’re able to master it, you could even use your flames to get ponies out of dangerous situations.”
“You could rescue ponies even faster than Fili-Second!” Twilight squealed.
“Heh,” Spike huffed. “Isn’t being the fastest supposed to be the main hero’s gimmick?”
Celestia displayed the grin that sent a chill down Twilight’s spine. “And that’s why it’s now Twilight’s turn. I’m sure she’s been a little curious about teleportation spells, correct?”
Twilight gulped.
~~~
Thunder cracked the sky and shook the trees. Rain poured down through the canopy, turning the edge of the Everfree into a bog. Only the carpet of roots kept Twilight from sinking as she trudged through the mud. Suddenly, her legs gave out. The glow faded from her horn and the boulder floating ahead of her crashed. It sent up a wave of mud that washed over her and Spike.
Spike wiped the mud off his face and then rushed over to Twilight’s side. “Twilight! Come on, I know the weather is a little rough, but it’s only been a few hours!”
“I knew it,” Celestia sighed. She stomped through the mud and frowned at Twilight. “You’ve been spellcasting at night, haven’t you?”
“Only…” Twilight heaved. “Only a little.”
“A little means a lot right now!” Celestia snapped, send specks of blood from her mouth. “Your regimen is built to make sure you get the training and the rest you need to pass the test!”
“I know,” Twilight coughed. She wobbled to her hooves. Spike kept his claws on her to keep her steady. Twilight’s horn sparked and she grit her teeth. “But I don’t want to just pass! That’s not what your student would do!”
“You foolish filly!” Celestia raised up a hoof. Spike rushed over to get between Celestia and Twilight, but Celestia was faster. Bringing her hoof down, she patted Twilight’s mane. “You really are something special, Twilight Sparkle.”
With a flash, Celestia assumed her empowered form. Her horn blazed with magic, and the rain around Twilight and Spike evaporated. Angling her horn up to the tempest raging over the forest, she sent out a blast that annihilated chunks of trees as it rocketed straight into the storm. An explosion like a mix of a canon blast and thunderclap rang through the air. A blinding light forced Twilight and Spike to close their eyes. When they opened them, the rain was no longer falling anywhere near them. Beams of sunlight once more poked through the canopy.
Celestia shrank down. She smiled at Twilight and then pointed her horn over to the field outside the forest. Twilight looked at her, nodded, and then wobbled over to the field. Spike followed her.
Dew glistened off the grass, the mound of incinerated trees, and the boulders. It was as if the storm had passed hours ago, with the closest clouds pummeling the distant mountains with lightning and rain. Twilight marveled at the contrast between then field and the mountains before lifting her head. Her jaw slackened. Spike’s did too.
A rainbow spanned over the Everfree. It trailed through the clear blue sky until it reached the distant mountains. Even the grand prismatic falls that cascaded down Cloudsdale were dwarfed by the display. Gazing at it, Twilight thought back to the day she had saved Spike and smiled. When she glanced at Spike, she saw a grin planted on his face.
“Well, Twilight,” Celestia mused as she strolled out of the forest and admired the scenery, “given what you’ve said, I think some modifications to your regimen are in order.”
“I…” Spike took a breath. “I’ll do it too!”
“Spike, you don’t have to,” said Twilight. “I honestly should have just said something to Princess Celestia first, it was foolish of me to augment the regimen on my own.”
“Nothing a few alterations and some proper rest can’t fix,” said Celestia. She then looked at Spike. “She’s right though, are you sure you want to modify too?”
Puffing up his chest, Spike declared, “I’m going to be sidekick to the greatest hero in Equestria. I gotta make sure I can keep up!”
“Not even in school yet and already quite a team.” Celestia grinned. “All right, Twilight, we’re switching today from magic to muscle training. How lucky we are that the rain stopped. You should be able to get a decent grip on the boulders now. Spike, I want you to double up on clearing the roots and rocks with your fire and claws. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Ma’am!” both Twilight and Spike proclaimed.
~~~
One morning, Twilight woke up and found a letter with darkened corners resting beside her pillow. She opened it up.
Twilight,
Take a break from the schedule. Relax today, you’ve earned it. We’ll be doing something a little different later in the day. Get some extra rest, you’ll need it.
From,
Celestia
Twilight reread the letter, yawned, and sunk back into her pillow. Her horn still throbbed from yesterday’s training, and it had been a struggle just so raise her head. Plus, the practice exam she had taken after getting home had sapped whatever energy she had had left. It was only at the back of her mind as she drifted back to sleep that something about the day mattered.
~~~
Twilight devoured her pancakes as soon as Velvet floated a plate over to her. Whipped cream dotted her nose, and syrup lined her lips.
When Night Light chuckled, she blushed and wiped her face. He floated a napkin over to her and cleaned off a bit of pancake that had somehow flopped onto the top of Twilight’s horn. “You’re not in a race, Twilight.”
“Though, given how you look every evening, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were.” Velvet cut into her stack and ate a few slices. “They’re not pushing you too hard, are they?”
“No, mom, for the fifty-third time,” Twilight droned.
“She’s just looking out for you,” said Night Light. “You should have seen how she fretted when your brother was in boot camp and out of contact.”
It was Velvet’s turn to blush. “Dear!”
Both Twilight and Night Light chuckled.
~~~
Twilight passed the morning hitting the books and reviewing her practice tests. She heard the door creak once or twice but kept her focus on her studies. There was also a bit of noise coming from the outside. It was Saturday after all, so Twilight did not pay much heed to the ponies streaming through the streets.
Returning downstairs for lunch, Twilight fixed herself a daffodil sandwich. Velvet came in just as she finished off half of it.
“It’s nice to see you taking it easy today,” she said as she pulled some vegetables out of the fridge. “Are you planning on doing anything tonight?”
“Oh… Dr. Hoofenbacker said he had something special planned for us tonight.” Twilight taped her chin. There was that feeling again, a gap in her mind, that there was some detail she was missing.
“I see.” Velvet washed, sliced, and mixed the vegetables with such finesse that the vegetables appeared to dance themselves into a salad. Picking up her bowl, joined Twilight at the table. “Any idea what Moondancer will be doing then? You usually have something planned.”
“I’m sure Moondancer is fine, I told her I wouldn’t be available that much this summer and that was before I even got my cutie mark.” Twilight took a bite of her sandwich. “Besides it’s not like we always had something planned every Saturday.”
Velvet’s fork clinked against her bowl. “Twilight, you honestly forgot what tomorrow is?”
“Sunday?” Twilight guessed.
“The Sun Day,” said Velvet. “I’m just glad Dr. Hoofenbacker has something planned or you might have forgotten all about it. I know getting into the School is important, sweetie, but it’s not everything.”
“The Summer Sun Celebration…” Twilight muttered. “So that’s what she meant.”
Velvet raised a brow. “’She?’”
“A friend!” Twilight yelped. “Yeah, after, um, Dr. Hoofenbacker mentioned it, but a friend at the lab and I were talking about it. Completely slipped my mind.”
Velvet’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t mentioned a friend before.”
Sweat beaded up on Twilight’s face. “Oh, well, I’m so tired after training, I always forget. You know how it is, right?”
Velvet stared at Twilight for a moment, sighed, and went back to eating her salad. “I just hope tonight is fun.”
The tone of Velvet’s voice raised the hair on Twilight’s neck. Scarfing down the rest of her meal, she then made a hasty retreat up to her room. She bit her lower lip and stared at the doorknob for a second while internally debating the pros and cons of the locking it. With a groan, she spun around and began to pace back and forth.
“What could it be? What could it be?” she muttered. “She’ll have to be at the Celebration and then at the Soirée for most of tomorrow, so she’ll probably need to use all her magic for that. Why not do any training today then?”
Glancing at the letter dangling from her desk, she took a deep breath.
“She said to relax, Twilight. You’ve studied today, so why not read something fun?” A grin forced its way onto Twilight’s face. “Yeah, been a while since I’ve read a Dirt Clod book, I’ll check out Queen of Bellona. Haven’t read that in ages.”
Twilight yanked the book off a shelf and took it up to her bed with her. She held it open and delved into the opening chapter. Dirt Clod was on the run, with a mix of outlaws and buffalo warriors on his tail for several different reasons. Just as he found himself trapped in what he thought was an abandoned gold mine, his hoof caught on an ancient switch.
Suddenly, the cave turned bright as day. A hum unlike any noise he had ever heard flooded his ears. As it grew louder and brighter in the mine, Dirt Clod fell to his knees and tried to shield his ears, but the mysterious contraption he had activated continued to assault his senses. There were buffalo hollers and outlaw curses mixed in with the light and the noise, but Dirt Clod could not even see his own hooves or hear his own cry for help.
Then, silence. Opening one eye and then the other, Dirt Clod found himself back on the prairie. A slap on the cheek reassured himself that he was indeed awake. There wasn’t even a jug of cider around to offer an alternate explanation. Just as Dirt Clod reassured himself that he had not drank any cactus juice, the western horizon glinted.
Twilight paused.
The image of Dirt Clod beholding a western sunrise was one of the most vivid images from the book. There were even some editions that featured an illustration of the scene as the cover art. Twilight re-read the scene from the start, taking in the rich descriptions as the sun rose higher, revealing purple plains, spongy and bulbous plants, and bipedal natives racing straight at Dirt Clod on pony-like mounts.
The alien world should have been crisp in Twilight’s mind. However, the plains gave way to the fairgrounds, the plants transformed into concession and game stands, and the natives faded into the air while the mounts morphed into crowds gathered around the Celebration’s main stage. The sun was now back in the east, and Celestia rose along with it.
Twilight shut the book and groaned.
“Gotta think of something else.” She then glanced at the cover: Dirt Clod surrounded in a massive field of aura with the Bellonian Queen towering over him. Twilight grinned. “Practice, just a little.”
Twilight pulled another book in the series off the shelf. She got off her bed and brought both books over to her desk. She sat down, stared at them for a moment, and closed her eyes. Aura formed around her horn and the books.
“Think of the place you want them to go.” Twilight’s aura brightened. Both books vanished with a pop and then reappeared where the other had been. Twilight took a breath and opened the cover of Queen of Bellona. The title was repeated on the first page. Twilight flipped through the book, noting the key plot points until she got to end. When she closed the end cover, she grinned. “Two-way is a success!”
Glancing back at her cutie mark and then up at her horn, Twilight murmured a prior lesson, “A proper balance must be maintained. You can’t expand the spell’s field too far or you’ll consume too much mana. You can’t keep the field too close or the spell will feed back into your thaumic system and cause a backlash.”
Twilight spun around and focused on a groove in the floorboards. “Just a few feet ahead. That’s all.”
She closed her eyes and lit up her horn. It grew brighter and brighter as aura spread down it and over Twilight.
A knock at the door broke Twilight’s concentration. The spell dispersed and she opened her eyes.
“Twilight.” Velvet poked her head inside the room. “Sunny is here to see you.”
“Sunny?” Twilight asked.
Celestia, in shrunken form, peaked through the door. “Hiya, Twilight!”
Twilight heart caught in her throat. “I, um…”
“Geez, Twilight, you look like a Princess just walked into your room,” Celestia chuckled.
Twilight blinked and looked over Celestia as she strode into her room. Celestia’s cutie mark was now a cartoonish smiling sun, and her back was bare. Her chest was discolored and her ribs still stuck out, but the wound and the scar tissue were not visible. A glistening locket hung right above where the puncture wound should have been.
Twilight was so focused on the locket and Celestia’s appearance that she didn’t notice the purple blur zoom past Celestia until it fell upon Twilight, knocking her off her hooves. A purple puppy stared down at her. Its emerald ears flopped down to cover its muzzle when it bent close to Twilight’s ear.
“If you mention this to anypony, our partnership is off,” Spike muttered into her ear.
“Spike, down,” said Celestia. Spike sighed and then went back to Celestia’s side. “Sorry, Twilight, you mentioned wanting to see Spike so much that I thought it would be fun to bring him with me. Guess he wanted to see you too.”
“Yeah. It’s, uh, nice to see him too.” Twilight smacked her leg with a hoof but made it look like she was just rubbing it. Here she was with Princess Celestia in the guise of a filly, her dragon training partner in the guise of a dog, and her mother none the wiser. The summer so far had been like something out a dream, but this took the cake.
“Twilight, I know you’ve been working hard, but you need a break every now and then,” said Velvet. “Why don’t you and Sunny have some fun together this afternoon and then go off to your little party?”
“Yeah…” Twilight nodded. “Sure.”
”Break” is a flexible term here, but I’ve got something special for you tonight, Celestia’s voice rang in Twilight’s mind. In a higher pitch, she said, “Yeah, it’ll be great, we’ll hang out today, party tonight, and then go to the Celebration! I even heard Princess Celestia might come by and say hi to everypony at the lab.”
“That would be an improvement over the last time Twilight saw her,” Velvet quipped.
“Oh yeah!” Celestia willed her eyes to widened. “Twilight told me all about it! I think it was super cool how Princess Celestia came in and saved her, but the really awesome part was when Twilight used that store sign to distract that huge dragon and save her friend! Nopony else at the lab could ever do something like that!”
“Oh…” Velvet bit her lip and tried to avoid looking directly at Celestia’s cracked horn. “Yes, well, it certainly was impressive what Twilight did, though I hope she’s not fighting dragons again anytime soon.”
Spike barked.
“You good to go?” Celestia asked Twilight.
Twilight nodded. “Lead the way.”
All four of them made their way downstairs. Velvet opened the door and waved Twilight, Sunny, and Spike off.
The trio walked down a few blocks before Twilight spoke. “You are the last hero I imagined having a secret identity.”
“I’ve gotten quite creative in the last century,” Celestia chuckled. “Plus, a simple illusion spell is easier to maintain than fully empowering myself.”
“Then why those charms?” asked Twilight.
Giving her locket a tap with a hoof, Celestia answered, “Test run for the R&D Department. We’re considering offering them to heroes who like to keep work and home life separate as well as those in witness protection.”
“They’re still working out a few bugs though,” Spike muttered.
Twilight giggled, but it was stifled when Sunset Shimmer, Snips, and Snails rounded the corner in front of them. Twilight skidded to a halt and realized how thick and muggy the air was. Sunset glared at her. “H-hi, Sunset.”
Sunset was upon Twilight in an instant. A hoof that was hot to the touch jabbed into Twilight’s chest. “Don’t ‘hi, Sunset,’ me! Acting like a hero doesn’t make you one. You’re still an idiot in way over her head. I hope you got on your knees and begged Celestia and the Guard for forgiveness after the stunt you pulled.” Sunset’s glare softened and shifted to Celestia and Spike. “Who’s your friend?”
“I’m Sunny!” Before Sunset could react, Celestia was at her side and clasping her leg away from Twilight’s chest. “Sunny Days. Are you Sunset Shimmer? Twilight’s told me a lot about you.”
Sunset clenched her jaw and recoiled her leg. A few sparks shot from her horn. Twilight paled when Sunset leveled a blazing glare on her for a second and then looked back at Celestia. “Don’t believe a word this foal says about me. She’s barely more than a blank flank that thinks she’s the next Princess Celestia. What a joke! Trust me, Sunny, was it? You’re better off staying far away from this lame-brain!”
Sunset snorted and then stormed off. Snips and Snails looked at Twilight, Celestia, and Spike, gulped, and raced after Sunset.
“That is not what I expected.” Celestia pursed her lips and turned to Twilight. “I don’t mean to pry, Twilight, but I assumed Sunset was a close friend of yours.”
“She was,” Twilight sighed. “We did everything together back in magic kindergarten, but we started talking less when she got better at practical tests than me. Then, when she got her cutie mark…”
***
“Heads up, blank flanks!”
A carton of milk flew over the lunchroom, careening straight at Moondancer. With a yelp, she made her horn spark, but it couldn’t obtain a steady glow. When it was inches from hitting her square in the face, Twilight darted in front of her. Her horn did not even fizzle before the carton got skewered by it. As milk dripped down Twilight’s head, roars of laughter went through the lunchroom.
Sunset sauntered over to Twilight and Moondancer with a smirk spread across her face. “Congratulations, Twilight, you finally found a use for that waste of alicorn.”
Averting her eyes to the ground, Twilight muttered, “That… that wasn’t nice, Sunset.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.” Sunset drew closer and circled around Twilight and Moondancer. Both took a step back so they were back to back. “Here I was hoping you could at least bat it to the side, but you two are still the most pathetic unicorns here.”
“Sunset, please stop,” Twilight whimpered. “You know we both try our best. You know I still want to be yo— “
A red-hot hoof decked Twilight in the gut, sending her off her hooves and crashing to the floor. With her horn ablaze, Sunset glared down at Twilight as she gasped for air.
“Stop acting like a foal and face facts!” Sunset hissed. “You are nothing but a loser!”
***
“I see.” Celestia closed her eyes and took a breath. “Fillies and Colts can be so callous when it comes to cutie marks.”
“Kinda glad I don’t get one now if she’s what happens when you do,” said Spike.
Celestia went over and gave Twilight a pat on the back. “I’m sorry things between you and Sunset went this way, but just know you did the right thing. Being a hero isn’t all fame a glory. It can often be a thankless job.”
“You’re not going to hold this against Sunset, are you?”
Celestia thumped Twilight’s spine. “You, my faithful student, have too big of a heart! Worry not! A little rudeness is no reason to decline a pony from the School. In fact, smoothing out those rough edges is a key competent of the School. For some, it’s attitude and for some it’s skill. Speaking of which, let’s get a little more out of the city and then the fun can begin.”
~~~
Twilight, Spike, and Celestia popped out of the air and landed in a field. The grass around them baked in the afternoon sun. Twilight took in the surrounding area, but saw only grass and hills for miles. She locked onto a spire poking out from behind a far-off mountain.
Spike reached one arm behind his head and stretched it back with his other arm. “Ah, nice to back on my feet again. Let’s not do that again unless we have to.”
“Just a precaution,” said Celestia. “Plus, concealing your identity for now will make your debut at the Entrance Exam all the grander.”
Spike grinned.
“So, where are we?” asked Twilight. “I’m guessing somewhere near Rambling Rock Ridge.”
“Very astute, Twilight. Keeping track of your surroundings will be quite useful tonight. Now, as you know, I have a busy day tomorrow, so there will be no time for me to train you. Instead, I invite you to enjoy the Summer Sun Celebration.”
“Uh…” Spike raised a claw. “Isn’t the Celebration open to everypony?”
“Ah.” Celestia grinned and hefted up the lockets. “I meant the Soirée. Consider these your tickets.”
“Oh my gosh!” Twilight exclaimed. “A ton of top heroes will be there! I… I could get all their autographs!”
“Me too!” Spike’s cheeks reddened. “And I can’t imagine what the heroines will wear... I bet some of it will be gem studded.”
“Of course…” Celestia’s lips curved into a crescent. Her horn sparked and a saddle bag and a backpack appeared in front of her. “… that’s if you make it there in time.”
Twilight glanced at the barely visible spire off in the distance. A bit of sweat formed on her brow. “Princess, we’re at least a day’s journey out of Canterlot by hoof.”
Celestia lit up her horn. “Then you’d best get moving.”
Celestia vanished in a flash. Twilight and Spike stared at the space she had occupied, and then at each other. They raced over to the backpack and the saddlebags, threw them on, and then ran off in the direction of Canterlot.
“Your Princess is a madmare,” Spike huffed.
~~~
A wind howled across the prairie. Under the moonlight, the tall grass waved and glistened. It also reflected the flames from a fire rising from an outcrop of rocks. When the wind prickled Twilight’s skin, she scooted closer to the fire.
Spike tore a chunk out of a rations bar. As he swallowed it, it formed a visible lump in his throat. His neck strained and the lump sank down. He coughed and thumped his chest before guzzling some water. “Ugh, and you say your brother survived on these things?”
“Could be worse.” Twilight nibbled on her own rations, but the bar refused to yield to her teeth. “At least you’re built for eating things hard are rocks.”
“Tasty rocks,” Spike whined. “I swear, even zircon tastes be— “
A low growl silenced Spike.
“T-that was your stomach, r-right?” asked Twilight.
The ground trembled. Pebbles jostled into the air. The fire fell apart and the flaming wood scattered across the ground. It was like something had turned the earth into a drum.
A shadow prowled around the outcrop. Twilight gulped, took a stance, and lit up her horn. Something whipped through the air. Spike raised up his fists. Smoke curled out of his mouth.
When the shadow advanced forward, both of Twilight and Spike felt their knees grew weak. The dying flames danced off limbs as thick as trees and a chest a big and rigid as a boulder. Moonlight glistened off claws as long as Spike’s arm and a stinger the size of Celestia’s horn. The creature’s mane and leathery wings fluttered when the wind howled again. Its fangs were as white as the moon.
“N-no,” Twilight stuttered. “This… this shouldn’t be outside the Everfree.”
“Well it is, Twilight.” Cold sweat poured down Spike’s face.
The manticore panted, showing off more fangs.
“S-spike, I…” Twilight gulped. She could feel the manticore’s hot breath filling the air. She steeled her stance. “I need you to get a letter to the Princess.”
“B-but Twilight, I’ve got nothing to w-write with and I’ve never…”
“Spike! You’ve trained for this.” A shaky grin came to her face. “Y-you can do it, because you’re my pa— “
The manticore roared. It was like thunder, and left Twilight and Spike’s ears ringing. Then, it pounced at Twilight. All the weight suddenly surging into at Twilight and Spike sent up a cloud of dust. Twilight and Spike threw themselves to either side of the manticore. The force of its lunge tugged the air forward, pulling Twilight with it. The manticore barreled through the rock like it was glass, shook of the stone fragments, and spun around. With a bone-chilling grow, it faced Twilight.
“Twilight!” Spike screamed. “We need to run for it!”
“You run!” Twilight yelled and lit up her horn. “Get a letter to Celestia no matter what!”
The manticore crouched. Before it could leap though, a blaze of emerald fire raced over its right hindleg. The manticore howled and slashed at the air. Its claws rent through the flames, and the slices’ pressure knocked Spike off his feet. The manticore snarled and glared at Spike before racing at him.
A blast struck it from the side, and it roared at Twilight.
“Spike, I said run!”
“No way!” Spike shot off another blast at the manticore. “Partners don’t leave each other behind! Even if I could get a letter out, this thing will kill you before Celestia can get here and you know it!”
Twilight yelped and sent up a shimmering wall of aura. The manticore cleaved through it like soggy paper. Another blast from Spike brought its attention back on him. Closing her eyes, Twilight focused. “Elements, now would be a really good time to work.”
Summoning up every image and feeling of the day she had saved Spike, Twilight looked deep inside herself. She thought of the rainbow beam. She thought of the magic exploding off her horn. She thought of the power she had wielded alongside Celestia. But, her horn just continued to glow as it normally did.
A roar brought her attention back to the fight. Spike gasped for air. Smoke curled off the manticore’s singed fur. With a growl, it lunged at Spike. Casting a spell on a boulder, Twilight sent it flying at the manticore. It felt the air distort and whipped its stinger through the air. The boulder fell the ground in two. Its halves bubbled and hissed.
Think! Think!
The manticore was instantly upon Twilight. Claws tore the air asunder. Twilight rolled to the side. Another claw slammed to her left. She spun right. The wind tore at her face as a claw scored the rock by her head. The manticore then howled in pain.
Spike drove his own claws deeper into the manticore’s flank. “I may not want a cutie mark, but I can give you o—“
The manticore snarled and bucked. Spike sailed through the air and slammed into some rocks. Facing Twilight again, the manticore raked the ground, leaving deep gashes in the stone.
I… I can’t fight this. Twilight felt her throat constricting. She glanced at Spike as he shook his head and tried to get up. No, I have to fight this! This is what I’ve trained for! I just have t—” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Spike! Can you hear me?”
Spike wobbled to his feet and gave a thumbs-up.
“Okay!” Twilight leapt back to avoid a slash. She sidestepped when the stinger lashed out. It crashed against a shield when Twilight did not have time to dodge. “If we can’t send a letter, then we can send it!”
“How?” Spike sprung back into fight and clawed at the manticore. “That thing is way too big for a spell and it can cut through my flames!”
“It’s just like a gem buried deep in the rock!” Twilight shouted. “You just need to get the right angle on it!”
“Okay.” Spike gulped. “And where do I send it then?”
“Any place is fine! Just not here!” A spell decked the manticore in the jaw. It shook its head and then renewed its assault. “Can you do that?”
“Better than anything I’ve got!”
“Okay!” Twilight’s horn grew brighter. A glow surrounded Spike. “Just focus!”
“Got it!” Spike drew in breath, unaware that Twilight had directed the words more to herself.
The manticore was unfazed by the change it strategy. It struck out with fangs, claws, and stinger. Spike and Twilight wove around it until they were as close as they could get to each other. Twilight gasped for air. The tip of her horn smoked and its base pounded against her skull. Smoke wisped out of Spike’s nose. His inflated chest shuddered.
“Tw… Twilight,” he coughed.
“Just a little more.” Twilight closed her eyes. Claws rent the air to her right. She jumped, but a rock caught her hoof. Claws dug into her side just as the aura around her horn and Spike flared. Pushing the pain aside, she yelled, “Now!”
Spike popped out of existence and reappeared behind the manticore. Flames exploded out of his mouth and washed over the manticore.
“Don’t stop!” Twilight screamed.
Spike blew harder. More flames raced over the manticore. It roared and tried to turn but a lasso of aura wrapped around its neck and forelegs. The flames consumed its bottom half and surged up its torso. In a final gambit, it lunged at Twilight. Suddenly, the aura around its neck and limbs vanished while the aura around Twilight’s horn became blinding.
The flash a second later did not deter the manticore. However, when its jaws snapped down on Twilight’s head, it only tasted air. It slammed into the ground and rolled, exposing its underbelly. Spike sucked down air through is snout and breathed out more fire even as he felt his throat dry out and his tongue crisp up. The manticore gave one final roar before the flames raced over its face and then flared up like a great bonfire.
Then, there was only smoke. Falling to the ground, Spike retched onto the scorched and scored rocks. Ash came out of his mouth when he heaved. When he could manage to choke down some air, he looked around.
Twilight lay a few feet away. Her horn smoked and was blackened in a few spots. Blood coursed out the claw marks on her side and onto the stones. Spike tried to shout her name, but only produced a guttural wheeze. He wobbled over to her, falling a few times in the process, but he managed to make it. Looking over the wounds, he balled up a claw. With his other claw, he reached out and stroked Twilight’s mane. Then, he took a breath.
Twilight screamed while the flames seared the wounds shut. On top of her horn slamming again and again into her skull, it was too much and she passed out.
When Spike saw that the wounds were cauterized, his flame sputtered out and he collapsed onto Twilight.
Nearby, the smoke cleared from where the manticore had vanished. Scorched rocks and burnt grass remained. In the middle of the ashen battlefield lay what at first appeared to be the charred remains of the manticore’s claw, but closer inspection revealed it to be a thick thorn, naturally black and shimmering.
The thorn righted itself, floated up, and then dispersed into a thick mist-like substance.
“Pathetic,” a voice hissed.
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Ooh, that ending looks like it might be trouble for Twilight and Spike during their journey back to Canterlot.
Was Celestia crippled by Chrysalis.
8342488
It's more likely to have been nightmare moon
8342597
Don't you remember? Celestia and Luna were busted up, Nightmare Moon doing it is about impossible.
8342488
8342597
Given that Luna was mentioned earlier, I've always been assuming it was Tirek.
8343289
Tirek does make the most sense.
But now we've got the manticore with a thorn in its paw, which was a Nightmare Moon thing. It could be that the Luna bit was a cover story, but there isn't a wholel lot of evidence for that.
Very nice chapter. Liking the original direction it's taking. Almost thought the fight scene was some kind of test...
Did another player just enter the game?
The way you described the scene with Dirt Clod, was that a reference to A Princess of Mars?
8417946 Judging from the shadow ripped from spike, I'd say they have been in the game a bit, and considering a couple other details as well as the non-pony source material most likely a very long time in story.
Pathetic how? Were two complete novices who have never fought before supposed to beat a Manticore without sustaining any injuries or without any effort at all? Were they not supposed to fight? They still beat the damn thing so I have to say whoever created that shadow Manticore is a bit of a dick.
I doubt it's a villain because, unless Celestia is an incompetent dumbass she definitely has SOMEPONY watching these two who would have interfered the moment the Manticore showed up if it weren't part of the test. That means it was probably Luna who is no doubt inheriting some traits one of the worst fathers ever if she is this critical since she is the 2nd strongest hero in this (I assume).
Someone inform Velvet what "these are relatively peaceful times" (if that's so then this test isn't necessary) Celestia is putting her daughter through here. She needs to go all mama bear on Sunbut's flank.
8579818
It's clearly a villain. Spike had black smoke purified from him too.
I'm getting a vibe that King Sombra is this story's All For One and I love that.
Started reading this, and am enjoying myself. I will continue onward.
8579818
What if it was calling the Manticore pathetic? Think buddy.