Chapter 19 - Discoveries
I laughed joyfully as I looped and dived through the air. I did barrel rolls and Immelmann turns, inverted flight, and power climbs. I danced through the air, the perfection of grace and control. So, who cares if I had to be a mare to do it? Certainly not me. Every stressful moment trying to learn how to fly properly was forgotten as I practically made love to the winds. I was master of the air! I was… not alone.
At some point, Rainbow Dash had joined me, and she matched my aerial ballet. Two winged ponies moved as one, twisting and turning in tight formation as if we were bound together by ethereal chains. We took turns leading and daring the other to follow and match the other’s maneuvers. Both successful and failed attempts were followed by laughter. My sheer joy of flight was mirrored on my friend’s face as we cavorted above the canopy of the Everfree Forest, away from prying eyes, but not those of my dear friends.
My desire to be something other than my normal klutzy self had outweighed my misgivings about encouraging Rarity, and the Elements and I had headed off to Zecora’s home in the woods. She had been amused at my request and had given me a small bottle of her poison joke elixir. After being lyrically cautioned that only a sip was needed, she reminded me that the cure still required a bath, although she foresaw the need for a simpler ingestible antidote. Yeah, that zebra saw right through me. And I didn’t give a damn.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that while I had managed to avoid Rarity’s wish for a second, third, or twelfth Royal Fashion Show, I had played right into the hooves of my multi-hued dance partner. My magically induced near-perfection of flight was pushing the mare hard to match, and she was absolutely loving it. I found that while Rainbow’s top speed and maneuverability outstripped my own, Celestia’s form gave me instinctual control of how to release the magic in my overcharged cells. As a result, I had better acceleration and deceleration, especially in a straight line. It was in Dash’s nature to enjoy both flying and the challenge of being the best. One day, that pegasus was going to blow away the Wonderbolts, but for now, her eyes were only on me and the sky.
All good things have to come to an end, and the two of us came to a landing in front of the Castle of the Two Sisters, breathing only moderately hard after our exertions. She grinned at me and I returned the smile. Both of us knew that we would be doing this again sometime. But for now, our friends were waiting. Twilight was the first to approach, curiosity making her eyes sparkle like her name.
“So, did it feel any different after the mane cut?” she asked.
Trust her to be more concerned about the effects of trimming one’s mane on the dynamics of flight than of whether we had enjoyed ourselves. If there had been one thing about being transformed into a simulacrum of Celestia that had really bothered me, it wasn’t being female. No – it was that huge flowing mane of hers which is why I had used a scrunchy to tie it back last time. The annoying mass of ethereal hair had come back, and I had idly asked Twilight whether it would matter if I cut it. After her initial surprise at the question, she admitted she didn’t know. “Why does Celestia keep it so long anyway?” I asked. Twilight explained that not only was her mane a distinctive feature that Celestia liked, it also acted as a safety valve for her magic. Celestia is such a powerhouse that she often had an excess of magic, but unlike me though, she could handle it. However, if it did leak, it would do so in extremely destructive bursts. The constant slow release through her mane eliminated that problem. I, on the other hoof, even fully charged, would not have nearly enough magic to move the sun or moon an inch, even if I had been given a unicorn body. I had no need for such a big failsafe. I asked Rarity to cut it back to a reasonable length. After a little debate over how much constituted ‘reasonable’ (as in she didn’t believe I should cut it at all), I finally convinced her to cut it way back until I had just enough for a ponytail of attractive length as well as my over-sized tail. I loved the result, and I was able to inform Twilight that my mane gave me no problems during the flight and made maneuvering a lot easier. We were both wondering what would happen to the bag full of multi-pastel colored hair once I transformed back.
Okay, maybe one small problem. Rainbow Dash said it made me look sexy. Thinking back, I realized that she likely didn’t have any stallion friends (well, most of the time) that were so willing to compete with her and not care less if they won or not. As if I didn’t have enough problems with the attention of the Elements of Generosity and Kindness already. Fluttershy hadn’t said anything, but sometimes I caught her looking at me hungrily. Damn, that girl was scary sometimes!
So, I had no fewer than three mares measuring my stats – eligible young stallion, easygoing, friendly, fun-loving, well-positioned socially and professionally, and into kinky alicorn sex-changes. I think Twilight could have been a fourth only she got too immersed in the study of all things from the home-world of Mark Wells to worry about petty matters like relationships. I counted my blessings that neither Pinkie nor Applejack appeared to be interested in more than being just friends – three were enough! Steady Flight had informed me that three or four mares competing for a stallion’s favor was perfectly normal. If he ever makes it to America with me, he might be in for a shock.
While Rainbow and I had been indulging in aerobatics, the others had prepared a picnic. The ruined castle had been chosen for the site of the meal because it was not only an obvious landmark for me to aim for once I had finished flying, but it was also a relatively safe place in the midst of the dangerous forest. Between the warnings and tips Zecora shared with us plus the six mares’ experience and planning, the hike there had been relatively safe. The securest route had been mapped out, and Twilight had come prepared with a variety of spells to defend against any foreseeable peril.
We settled down on the blankets that had been brought along, spread out on the floor of what remained of the Great Hall. Fluttershy and Rarity had immediately lain down on either side of me, leaning up against my sides. I suppose I should have been concerned, but it felt nice, and I was in too good a mood to spoil it with a trivial gripe. Pinkie rapidly unloaded the contents of the picnic baskets that Spike had helped carry in. I swear that twice as much as could possibly fit inside those baskets was pulled out, but I shrugged and reminded myself that it was just magic. Still damn impressive though. The horned ones among us (me excepted due to a nonfunctional knock-off) passed the food and drinks around, and we were all soon happily munching on our favorite foods. Only then did I realize how much of an appetite I had worked up. Rainbow Dash also. I think we competed to see who could eat the most. Fortunately, Pinkie had accurately foreseen the need, and we didn’t run out of food before we were replete. Did I say double? I think it might be closer to triple. I wondered if those innocent-looking wicker baskets were actually dimensionally transcendental. I resolved to find out sometime. Right now I was too full and feeling torpid.
Apparently, the others were feeling much the same. Both mares by my sides pillowed their heads on my back. I was feeling that a siesta might be a good idea too, but there were questions that were growing in my mind. I resolved to find some answers. “Hey, Twi – do you know if poison joke has any mental effects?”
Twilight’s brow furrowed as she considered the question. “That’s a little hard to answer, Mark. Poison joke was virtually unknown before Zecora studied it.”
I snorted. “That means that she probably was forced to find the cure because she had been affected once also. I wonder what happened to her?”
“We can ask her the next time we visit if she’s willing to talk about it.” Twilight shook her head. “Anyway, we have too few data points. Everything that happened to the six of us was of a physical nature, and I had thought that the same was true for you too. Have you been experiencing anything that might prove otherwise?”
“Well, when I’m my normal self, I like being male. After my first transformation, I was glad to return to being a stallion again. However, back then and right now, I have no problems with being a mare and I have no strong urge to return to being male. I mean, it’s not a matter of sexual desires – I don’t really think about that at all. I just love being coordinated and skillful in this form. But why don’t I miss being myself?”
“Hmmm… That may be a question for a philosopher or a psychologist rather than a magician. I suppose it’s possible that you have had a shift in mental perspective, but it could also just be that you enjoy yourself too much while in Celestia’s form to worry about those details. Seeing as you seem prepared to do it again now that you have that bottle of Zecora’s potion, my opinion would lean toward the latter. Only time will tell. Does this bother you at all?”
“The first time that it happened, I was disturbed for a little while until I started having fun with it, which thanks to you was in about thirty seconds.” The purple alicorn chuckled at that. “This time, because I was totally in control of the situation, I didn’t feel any disquiet. I’m totally down with being a mare for the duration.” I looked at Fluttershy and Rarity who both seemed to have fallen asleep on me. “And I’m even enjoying being a pillow. It’s so not me, but I don’t care.”
Twilight flashed me a brilliant smile. “Then count your blessings, Mark. You got lucky and the joke has backfired. Enjoy it while you can.”
I nodded. “I think I’ll do that, even if it’s going to be hard to find occasions to transform without half of Equestria finding out.” I blew away a few stray strands of color-changing hair from my eye. “I’m wondering if this mane will grow back next time though.”
“If I was a betting mare, I would say yes. The poison joke has to get you somehow,” she answered with a smirk.
I sighed. “Nothing is ever quite perfect, is it?”
The alicorn looked around at her napping companions and her smirk changed into a fond smile. “I don’t know, Mark – I think this may just be one of those times.”
Who was I to argue with the smartest mare that I knew?
I let the two mares continue to nap while I chatted with the others. The subject turned to the upcoming Equestria Games, and of course, Rainbow Dash was filled with enthusiasm.
“Oh, yeah! The Ponyville team is looking strong. We’ve all been training hard for the Games. As coach, I’ve got to watch the time and dedication they’ve put into their preparations. Even Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy have been giving 101% in our practice sessions.”
“I’m surprised that Bulk is in a flying contest rather than something like weightlifting,” I commented.
Rainbow shrugged. “He may be the strongest pegasus in Equestria, but he can’t match an earth pony competitor. He still wanted to compete in some field though, and I needed a third for the relay team, so we both got what we needed.”
I had seen Bulk fly – now there was real magic! But competitive it wasn’t. Nevertheless, Dash was undaunted and I knew that if anypony could win a race with him and Fluttershy as teammates, it would be my colorful friend. I gave her a grin of confidence. She then told me about the other team members and their events, and I had to agree that Ponyville had some real contenders. I suppose that I should have been more supportive of the Canterlot team, but I had no involvement in their organization and no emotion investiture. I much preferred to root for my friends.
The topic of conversation turned to the ruined castle, and I learned a bit more about its history and how this had been the site of the girls’ confrontation with Nightmare Moon.
“This must be quite a historical site,” I said. “Has any effort gone into preserving or restoring it?”
Twilight looked chagrined. “Actually, I’d been intending to do something along those lines, but I’ve never gotten around to it. And now that I’m a princess, I definitely have been too busy. Perhaps I should remedy that?”
“Uh-uh, Twi. I know that you’d probably enjoy it, but you have to prioritize your royal duties. Need I remind you about how much you’ve been letting that slip lately? Keeping Trixie appeased is becoming a full-time job lately. I suggest that you appoint some expert to look into it and perhaps arrange something in the budget for restoration works if they’re considered feasible.”
Twilight sagged. “You’re right, Mark. I can’t indulge myself like I once could.”
“Well, not when you’re on duty, but right now on your day off…” I hinted with a grin.
The purple alicorn brightened. “Of course! Care to join me in a little exploring, anypony?”
“Nah,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Poking around a dusty castle with zero death-traps? Not my thing. Thinking of taking a nap actually.”
“Oh, good,” I replied. “You can be the pillow while Twilight and I look around.” I indicated the two sleeping mares to Twilight who quickly caught on and levitated them gently off of me and onto Dash. The pegasus rolled her eyes but tolerated the action before laying her head on her forelegs and shutting her eyes. I stood up regally and did my best imitation of what I thought Celestia should act like. “Come, my little ponies! Let us explore this magnificent relic of years gone by.”
Twilight and Pinkie giggled, and I even got a chuckle out of Applejack. I then led the way in what looked like a promising direction.
At first, we did not find much of great interest. Whatever had survived the battle between Celestia and Nightmare Moon had succumbed to the ravages of time. I saw a lot of potential in the intact rooms though, and I was sure that the throne room could be restored with a bit of effort and some investment from the Crown. I resolved to bring it up at the next budget meeting rather than let Twilight butt heads with Trixie about it. I reckoned that the blue mare would take a lot of convincing – she was always more on the practical side. But historically, I was sure this place was a gold mine, and that was my opinion even before we reached the next room.
Twilight had barely stepped through the doorway when she froze and gaped, her eyes going as big as saucers. “Oh, sweet Celestia!” she murmured in awe.
I managed to push past her to see what had enraptured her. A library. Of course. Any thoughts that I’d had about keeping Twilight focused on her royal duties had just gotten a swift kick in the butt. But I hear you say that all the books should be a moldering mess by now, and you’d be right normally. But there they were, all of them looking just as good as they must have been a thousand years ago despite the huge hole in the roof. Row after row, level after level of pristine books of all sizes and shapes filled the room.
“H-how?” I gasped.
Twilight’s horn lit up, and after a moment, a complex glowing pattern appeared in the air. “A preservation spell, and an extremely powerful one at that,” she commented. “Celestia must have intended that this collection of books be an enduring repository of knowledge, and enchanted it accordingly.” Her smile grew to epic proportions. “And it’s all mine!” She was off like a shot to start exploring the huge library.
I turned to the others. “Well, it would appear that we’ve lost one alicorn princess. When I get back to Canterlot, I’ll arrange a squad of the Royal Guard to drag her back.”
“Good luck with that,” Applejack said with a smirk.
I nodded. “You’re right. Better make it two squads.”
As it turned out, we didn’t have to resort to such drastic measures. After we had our fill of exploring the castle, we returned to the throne room as the napping mares were stirring from their sleep. After filling them in on what we had found, Rarity had shaken her head and tutted. “Show me the way, darling. I know just what to do. Pinkie, dear, would you happen to have one of your Death By Chocolate cupcakes with you?”
“Of course I do, silly! I always have one in case of Twilight Sparkle emergencies.”
That had me curious as I led Rarity to the library where we inevitably found the alicorn surrounded by several massive piles of books. She barely noticed us as we approached, but when she did, she gave us a manic grin.
“Look what I have found already! These books alone will fill in huge gaps in our history.” She indicated one pile and then switched to the next. “And these—”
“Twilight, darling,” Rarity interrupted, “I know that these are truly important, but they can wait. It’s time to go home, and Mark needs you to teleport him past the prying eyes of the citizens of Ponyville to the spa. Pinkie – if you please.”
“But how can I turn my back on all the—mmfff!” Twilight’s mouth was suddenly full with a rich chocolate cupcake, and her pupils dilated enormously. She then started chewing and moaning in ecstasy.
Rarity enveloped the alicorn in a bubble of levitation and lifted her away from the books. Turning to head back to the throne room with the mare in tow, she said to me, “Twilight has a serious chocolate addiction. We discovered that it’s the only way to break her from obsessing over something, and it also makes her much more compliant. She shouldn’t put up a struggle for a while.”
“And just in case, I have another cupcake!” Pinkie added happily.
I was concerned that this room with a hole in the roof would not protect books that had been left haphazardly strewn about the floor after they survived a millennium in the bookshelves. However, behind us, I saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash had found a fairly empty set of shelves and were stacking Twilight’s selections there rather than trying to find their original homes. Satisfied, I turned my attention back to the intervention team.
“Well, that’s one way to solve a problem. I’ll have to remember that next time she’s in a bad mood.” And perhaps get the recipe for that cupcake. Seriously – if it could disable a powerful alicorn with just one bite, I had to try it for myself!
Ultimately, my vacation from Crash Wells had to come to an end… of course, that only happened after a full massage treatment by a pair of spa ponies who were in on my secret. This time I got Twilight’s promise not to cut it short.
Fully satisfied and relaxed this time, I wandered over to the large tub which already held my friends. I stood in the middle of the tub, already feeling Zecora’s antidote starting to affect me.
I smirked. “Hey, girls! Want to see a magic trick that even the Great and Powerful Trixie can’t do?” With that, I dunked myself fully underwater.
When I stood up, I immediately noticed feeling a bit colder in spots than I expected. I heard Fluttershy gasp and turned to face her. She was staring at my back and Rarity sitting next to her in the tub winced. “Don’t worry, Darling. I… understand pulled manes are in style this year in Manehatten. I’m sure the twins can give you a wonderful dressage plait before you leave.”
I turned to look at the other Elements. Twilight’s eyes bugged out and her cheeks were red. Pinkie looked upwards thoughtfully then slipped beneath the water’s surface. Applejack’s head was tilted slightly and her brow was furrowed. Rainbow was laughing uproariously – always a bad sign.
With a sense of dread, I turned to look behind me. Where I had previously sported a mane that was about a foot long, now it was maybe a quarter that length. That wasn’t so bad, but when I unconsciously flicked my tail, my eyes went wide. My dock was now bare except for the same three inches of hair covering it. “My tail! What happened to my beautiful tail!” Wait. Did I really say that? I could tell Rainbow heard me because the volume of her laughter went up a notch.
“Found it!” Pinkie was outside the tub, happily waving at me while holding the bag open that used to contain the leftovers from Marklestia’s mane and tail cut.
I bowed my head and slumped my shoulders. Mentally, I knew I shouldn’t be so affected by losing something that I didn’t even have a few months ago, but I was. I really, really was. The poison joke had gotten the last laugh after all.
Some splashing noises approached me and my head was quickly resting on an alabaster coat and purple mane. “Mark, darling, don’t you worry. We’ll not leave the spa until you are back to feeling fabulous about your appearance. I promise.”
As I leaned into Rarity’s embrace, I heard Applejack yell. “Rainbow Dash, caint ya see how bad Mark’s feelin’ right now? Yer makin’ him feel worse than a Mayfly goin’ ice fishin’.”
As the blue pegasus got her chuckles under control, I heard a voice from outside the tub. “Ah, zis eez no problem, Meester Mark. You are most fortuneet zhat you have zee original hair for us to work weeth. Much eezierzhan ’aving to dye zee replaizment.”
I pulled my head away from the fashionista to look into her eyes questioningly. She smiled gently. “We are in exactly the right place for this cosmetic emergency, Mark. It is time to introduce you to another trick of the fashion industry.”
I felt a bit awkward just lying down on the massage table, trying not to move. My friends were busy chatting away happily, occasionally bringing me into the conversation as they sorted the different lengths of tail hair. I was especially grateful to Rarity who sat closest and refused to let my mood turn sour again.
I had accepted Aloe and the fashionista’s recommendation to have the spa mare try “the dressage look” which consisted of repeating tight braids all along my mane. Twilight pointed out that my new look matched the one Shining Armor sported after returning from enlisted training. The regulation mane style was very popular among the troops, although you couldn’t guess it as it was completely hidden by their armor and helmets.
My tail was a more complicated process, with very small bunches of hair called ‘wefts’ magically welded onto the base of the strands still attached to my dock. These were slowly covered by individual hairs that were attached one-by-one onto those that formed the outermost layer. Aloe and Lotus moved like a two-headed machine, each spending less than a second to connect each individual strand, all while gossiping with my friends.
After only a couple of hours, I was allowed to get up and examine my new look in an alcove containing three mirrors. As part of the recovery process, the underside of my dock had been trimmed with clippers. Apparently, this was expected for cultured stallions and no pony had bothered to tell me before today. The extensions were invisible and frankly, the care given to it made my tail look better than ever. I noticed the lingering oil on my coat from a quick massage the spa ponies had thrown in to relax me. It served to highlight the muscle definition I had developed over the months of flight lessons and just trotting around everywhere. I couldn’t help myself but swish my tail in delight and pride at what I saw.
Then it struck me.
For the first time, I felt as pleased looking at my equine body as when I had been admiring my human form in the full-length mirror just before I came to Equestria. I realized that another milestone had been crossed towards making me as contented here as I had ever been at home.
“Are you happy with the results, Mark?” asked the Element of Generosity. I glanced up in the mirror to see smiling and perhaps slightly covetous faces behind me. This time, it didn’t bother me in the slightest. I turned around and thanked the two spa ponies. Then I embraced Rarity. “I’ve never looked better.” I pulled back to look her in the eyes. “Ever.”
She sniffed a little bit but didn’t drop her smile. “Oh! You don’t know how wonderful that makes me feel, Mark.” The rest of my friends came up for their own hugs as I thanked each of them in turn.
I ended up only just making it to the station in time to catch the last train to Canterlot. In fact, I certainly would have missed it if a particular rainbow-hued mare hadn’t been arguing with the conductor about how fast the train could really go if the stallion would stop being so cautious around every bend in the track. As it was, her interference and standing where she wasn’t allowed gave me the extra minute I needed to climb aboard.
The trip home was uneventful and I finally started to relax when I entered my quarters. I noticed that Steady had cleaned up my mess, or had one of the maids picked up after me. I checked the bed. Neat comforter over a rumpled sheet. It was Steady. Speaking of the stallion, I heard a knock behind me and turned to see him smiling in the doorway. “How was your trip, sir?”
I smiled. “Steady Flight! My good stallion! Thank you very much for cleaning up after my mess. I think I owe you a drink for that one.”
To my surprise, he just shook his head. “My work is my own reward, sir.”
I looked at him quizzically. “Ummm… OK. Well, in any case, I had a great time kicking back with my friends there. Hopefully, you won’t be busy the next time I go.” I smiled and struck a pose. “So what do you think of my new look?”
Steady gave a broad smile and made a circular motion with a forehoof. Well, sure, I suppose. I walked around in a circle so he could see the full treatment. The tail repair was invisible even when I looked for it up close, so I was confident nothing looked out of place.
When I came back around to face him, he clapped, though I think a bit sarcastically. He said, “Your level of personal care just went up a few notches, to the point that it befits your station. Even more, I think you’re all set for one of Rarity’s fashion shows, sir.”
I stopped mid-step. After a pause, he continued. “I saw the dinner jacket and ascot that she made for you. With your mane and tail styles, I could definitely see you modeling them for her.”
I recovered quickly with a chuckle. “Uh, yeah. Maybe as her guest at her fashion show or her plus one at another fashion event... crap! I still owe her a dinner out. That’s what I said I’d do in payment for the outfit.”
I started pacing. “The next time I see her will be at the Equestria Games in the Crystal Empire. She won’t be competing, but she’ll want to spend all her time with her friends and fellow townsponies… or maybe she’ll think it’s the perfect opportunity to show off her fashion line at the ritziest restaurant there.” I looked up to Steady. “What do you think she’d prefer?”
My friend shook his head sadly. “I’m not mare enough to have any clue what any mare is thinking or feeling.” He opened his eyes. “I’d suggest bringing the articles with you in case the opportunity arises. Plus this lets her decide on her own whim and schedule, sir.”
I thought I had gotten him out of the constant “sir” stuff when it was just the two of us. Still…
“Yeah. That sounds like the best plan. Great job, dude!” I slapped him on the shoulder. He smirked and bowed his head respectfully. Yep. Definitely acting kind of weird today.
“May I unpack your bag, sir?”
“Ah, no. I’ve got it this time, thanks.” I smiled sheepishly, remembering I had some more private photos to put away. “What you can do is wake me up thirty minutes early. I want to go down to the pool and work on my gait. I’ll master galloping if it’s the last thing I do!”
He rolled his eyes. “I thought ‘flying’ was what you were going to master if it was the last thing you did.” There was the snark I was looking for!
“Yes, yes. I’m sure I’ll finish them all on the same night. Speaking of which, good night, Steady.”
He smiled. “Good night, sir. May you fly to sleep cradled in the gentle wings of Luna.” He bowed and left.
I was left frowning at the door. That last bit was unusual, but I suppose Luna was the Princess of Dreams. No worries. Something to brood on another day.
As much as I wished that I could have spent more time in Ponyville, I had obligations to keep. Monday morning saw me standing by Trixie’s throne once more. Today was a little different from normal as several nobles had requested a private audience with their ruler before Day Court commenced, and Trixie had agreed to it.
“Thank you for meeting with our group from the Parliament of Nobles, Princess Trixie.” Lady Opulent Affair bowed deeply but kept her eyes on the mare on the throne the entire time. The unicorn mare had a pale yellow coat, so light that it was almost white. Her mane was likewise faded, appearing to be frosted silver. This coloration provided a strong contrast to her deep purple irises, which were accented by her silk lavender gown and amethyst jewelry. Anypony talking to her would find their gaze automatically gravitating to her eyes, which the Lady had learned to use to their full, captivating effect. From my spot next to the throne, I thought back to when I asked about her striking features. She was glad to relay how her noble line was the product of dozens of generations of careful mate selection from only the finest stock to create the palest, most beautiful equines possible.
Next to me, the faux alicorn waved a hoof. “Trixie lives to serve all of my ponies, including the nobles. What is on your mind, Miss?”
The noblepony unicorn’s eye twitched slightly as she paused, but then continued. “Well, mostly we wanted to congratulate you on winning the Alicorn Challenge.”
Trixie beamed. “Yes, Trixie was certainly Great and Powerful that day.”
“But how did you do it? We would love to hear how you bested the Element of Magic.”
Trixie’s eyes narrowed slightly and she smirked.
“While in my previous career I would have said ‘A showmare never reveals her methods’, today I am obliged to say, ‘That information is classified as an Equestrian State Secret’.”
Trixie’s expression dialed back up to ‘joyful.’
“Still, what is important is that Princess Twilight Sparkle took her rightful place by my side. Equestria was the true winner that day. It has been restored to its rightful state of being ruled by two alicorns.”
“Ah, yes.” Lady Affair shuffled her hooves. “About that. I have heard some gossip among the nobles. I hesitate to bring it to your attention, but I knew you just had to be told…” She lowered her voice theatrically. “…and far better to hear this from your trusted allies!”
Rather than encourage the noble to continue, Trixie just smiled expectantly.
The pale mare cleared her throat. “Others are saying that you might now consider yourself more than the provisional co-regent of our great country.”
“Oh, they are quite correct, Lady Affair.” Trixie’s gaze was direct, as was her tone of voice. “When Lord Fancy Pants declared me the victor, I became the rightful ruler of Equestria. In fact, because I saw you and every other pony present bow to me, you have all sworn your fealty. Did you not understand that was the purpose Celestia and Luna had in mind for the Alicorn Challenge? It established unequivocally who the ruler of this land is.”
The nearly white unicorn face betrayed a mix of emotions and she blinked rapidly. “But… when the Royal Sisters return—”
“If they return, they will first and foremost respect the laws that they wrote with their own hooves. Then Twilight Sparkle and I will meet with them as equals and discuss the matter like civilized mares. Now, did you have any further concerns you wished to bring up before Day Court begins?”
Lady Opulent Affair stood straighter, her face now impassive. “No, Your Highness. You’ve made yourself quite clear.”
Trixie smiled but not very kindly. “Then I wish you and your fellow nobles a pleasant morning.”
After the group had left and the doors closed behind them, I turned to Trixie. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but right now I’m actually glad that you can be an uncompromising megalomaniac when the time comes for it.”
The blue mare laughed and pounded a forehoof on the throne. When Trixie was done, she said, “Why, Grand Vizier! That compliment was so backhoofed, I’m surprised I didn’t spin across the throne room!”
I shrugged. “You employ me to call it the way I see it, even if it involves you.” I looked her in the eyes. “Frankly, I’m surprised it took this long before some of the nobles began to try chipping away at your armor. Oh, I’m sorry, before your ‘trusted allies’ did.”
“Trying to plant rumors all by herself to undermine my confidence. Amateurish, at best.” She sighed. “No. I’m afraid Miss Affair is perhaps a bit too affected by all those uncles breeding their cousins. The true threats among the nobles will come from those we never suspect. That is one reason I keep myself distant from them, even those whose company I enjoy like Lord Fancy Pants. And the whole lot of the nobles are of little consequence compared to external threats, both real like Chrysalis or possible like a suddenly powerful again Griffonian army. That is why I have drastically increased the budgets of select portions of the Guild of Mages and Foreign Relations Department. Next time, Trixie would like to know about trouble before it erupts from the ground and steals her wings.”
I eyed her appraisingly. “You really are growing into your role, aren’t you? You wouldn’t happen to be classifying Celestia and Luna as ‘external threats,’ would you?”
Trixie gasped in pretend shock. “From anypony else, I would consider that to be treasonous! But from you, I’m only mildly surprised it took you this long.” She waved me a bit closer and leaned towards me. I stepped in to hear her whisper. “Celestia confided with me that she had been hoping for centuries that her ponies would take more and more responsibility for their own lives and safety. With the appearance of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, she thought her long-held dream was finally getting closer to becoming reality.”
I blinked. “So do you think they left because they thought their ponies were ready?”
She shook her head. “Too sloppily done. There was so much chaos that it’s a wonder why Discord didn’t break free that day. No, they were called away on some real emergency. Twilight Sparkle also believes the same.”
I nodded my head. “That reminds me. I had a talk with Princess Sparkle.” I described the purple alicorn’s new project and her hopes that it would benefit ponies who no longer had access to magic.
The blue mare thought for a bit then looked up at me. “Trixie has no doubt this is a worthwhile area of research with great potential; however, it is another example of her prioritizing research over her royal duties.” She tilted her head slightly. “Perhaps the personal connection to this endeavor prevented you from seeing this?”
I thought about it. “Hmmm. I hadn’t considered that. When I speak to her next, I’ll keep that in mind. In any case, she reiterated her commitment to make up for sessions of Day and Night Court that she misses and agreed to put extra effort into performing her royal duties on time.”
The unicorn mare narrowed her eyes at me. “You are a wonder, Question Mark Birdwell. How is it that you so easily wrap the will of your sovereigns around your hooves? Perhaps you are a greater threat to the independence of Equestria than we had previously surmised.”
I was used to this by now. “You’re welcome. And now it’s time to exercise my control over your independence and tell you what you are giving up in return. I want you to spend more time practicing your magic.” Trixie rolled her eyes and groaned. Fortunately, I had experience with teenagers. “Don’t give me that. You need to keep improving yourself, if for no other reason than to help protect Your Little Ponies.”
“But the Busy and Overworked Trixie has no time for this.”
“Then make time. Cut back on the number of Night Court sessions per week. Delegate more to the capable ponies who prove themselves. When you go to the spa, have someone read to you, even if it is a review of your spellbooks. Have Raven help arrange more of your schedule for efficiency.” The unicorn mare in question was just arriving in the throne room, her ears now perked forward in interest at hearing her name used.
The former showmare frowned and was silent for some time. After Raven had taken her place and I had silently promised “Later” to her, we both waited for our co-ruler to respond. At last, she said, “Trixie will make the effort and will consider all that you have said.”
I nodded. That meant I had to keep following up regularly to remind her.
Raven cleared her throat to get Trixie’s attention. “In any case, it’s time.”
We all turned to face the double doors where today’s petitioners waited. We had a lot to get through this week to build a buffer before we took a few days off for an official visit to the Crystal Empire for the Equestria Games.
Trixie’s magically amplified voice boomed, “Let Day Court commence!”
# # # # # # # # #
Stats
Page generated in 0.034 seconds
Total duration
971 users online
351,702 hits today, 2,314,256 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Good old Poison Joke. Never gets old. Also, Twilight having an instant-win chocolate addiction? Genius.
First thought after Steady spoke: “Changeling!”
Lovely, cute, and heartwarming fun.
it --> is
9228146
Would you believe that I caught that error mere minutes earlier?
9228158
*chuckle* Serves me right for getting lazy and skipping the "reload and double-check" step before I posted.
He's dreaming, isn't he?
(sees picture)
Oh. He's Celestified. My mistake.
Ah, so it's a bit like (what I'm calling it) the Bayonetta effect. IRL, a witch's hair is supposed to be an indicator of their magic potential, as well as a conduit for their magic. You might remember that Bayonetta has a LOT of hair.
This seems to be similar.
If I wer to guess,
STR: 12 (He's a pony, so he's gotta be stronger than a human.)
DEX: 8 (He's more than more than a bit klutzy.)
CON: 16 (Pegasi are incredibly tough, but not nearly so much as an Alicorn, as established in the previous chapter.)
WIS: 14 (He's surprisingly wise at times.)
INT: 10 (Until there's a test of his actual intelligence, i can't even speculate much.)
CHA: 14 (Charismatic enough to direct, not so much as to lead.)
I think Celestified Mark has 20s all around, except Intelligence.
Or learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Your choice.
HA! He/She said it! He/She said it!
Remind me to tell you about the Chocolate Suicide cake sometime.
"I want to you"
I assume that was supposed to be "I want you to"?
Looks like Celestia Mark will become a plot point again lather in the story if things are to go by and the point with the noble seems to suggest that if the Equestrians are starting to really get worried about her absents especially with Tirek on the loose. So I guess he might have to impersonate her to keep ponies calm at some point. I like that Mark will have to play the responsible parent with both Trixie and Twilight with two vastly different personalties and settle their disputes between them, so it might come to a point where the nobles would go ask him first before the two current princesses and just try to bribe or manipulate him into their own pockets. I like that Trixie could get more magic tutoring along with some public speaking for Twilight, wonder how that would turn out.
Still not sure if Discord would still be helping him if he is distracted by something else like the mirror, and I don't think Trixie would ever trust Discord to trap Tirek down for how unavailable his 'history' is I am so the plan might turn out differently and Tirek might use something else to gain power faster. The only way I could guess it would still follow the script is if Celestia had once again left instruction for Trixie in such events. It could also be that Tirek was so drunk with the power coursing though his vain he didn't even bother to think of a strategy in how to over power the princesses, and he was good a sweet talk Discord to join so he wasn't completely brainless. Though the fact that Celestia and Luna might not be there could drastically change his plans a lot especially as he wouldn't be able to gather up ponies in one place enough for him to leach off their magic, so he would not be a real threat for a long while. Though I wonder if there are even archive about him in the first place or anypony are aware of his existence. It could also be the Mark could serve as bait in his Celestia form.
My one persistent gripe with the story is the constant shifting between Ponyville and Canterlot as I feel the visit there doesn't really have anything to do with the main plot other then wanting to have the rest of the Mane 6 to stick around, while I do get that they do have they are the Elements of Harmony and they work better when together the power of the Elements aren't around anymore and keeping them together is a bit pointless in the POV of the crown and country. I would think that having Twilight being torn between her duties and the company of her friends be more of an on going issue for and would make for an interesting plot for the story finding compromises with the two would become increasingly impossible as time goes on. It could also be that the box might never be opened in the same way as in the show it doesn't need to rigidly follow the script and the circumstances of it happening could be very different.While I could imagine the Mark and Twilight could 'bend' the rules to go see her friends in certain social events as an excuse, to mostly follow the script scheduled would need to be strictly for them. the best compromise, between the two I could imagine would be that Twilight might send some of them on missions as royal representatives and make her decisions on their opinions, along with those of the nobles on then scenes and would give them a change to screw up to put their friendship to the test again.
I wonder what is the status of the Equestrian military and the Wonderbolts, see see that Trixie want to expand on military expenses and activates but that can backfire from other countries as it could be seen as an act of aggression from the other countries.
9228491
Yep. Fixed now. Thanks for pointing it out.
9228683
As time passes further from the disappearance of Celestia and Luna, events will diverge more and more from what happened on the show. There are some which will start as they did because the circumstances that created them happened previous to the disappearance, but the way that they play out will be different, and a lot of those differences will be because of the effects that Mark has on events, particularly in relation to the the two ruling princesses. It's taken 19 chapters to get this far, so don't assume that everything will happen quickly.
That uncles banging their cousins joke had me bust a gut
9228721
I know, I just felt that it needed to be pointed out at least. It's just that sending Discord of all being first to apprehend Tirek in his seriously weaken state felt convoluted to me on Celestia's part,while she could have sent others with less likely to have a bone to pick with her. Even if it was necessary for Discord to suffer the experience of betrayal of someone he trusted as part of his learning curve of empathizing others and friendship, there were a lot of factors that could have happened for that decision not to be made same as Celestia did.
9228745
The appearance of recessive traits is a big problem in the horse breeding industry. No reason not to have the same issue in Equestria.
It's common to see ads that proclaim something like "38.5% bred from 13 time AQHA Grand Champion Ruby Dreams." What they don't say is how many of the attempts along the way were unsuccessful and what happened to those equines.
9228773
I imagine that the glue indastry is helping keep things quite
The infamous tail extensions :P
9228721
And here I thought you'd sworn off of writing any more quarter-of-a-million-words epics for a while...
Did I miss something? when did we get back into the poison joke?
Mentally shortening that to fauxlicorn from now on.
9228417
*Pone-bunshin no-jutsu!!!*
This seems a little out of character for Dash. Wouldn't Daring Do, her idol, explore the ruins?
9229343
Such a difficult decision to make...to nap or take after her idol...
This time, the workout followed by too much food was the deciding factor and napping won out.
9229122
The best laid plans of ponies and men oft go astray. My Muse decided that it wasn't interested in my hope to take some time off. Worse yet, at the rate this tale is going, the story is going to smash that quarter million word benchmark.
9228119
It’s the green scare all over again.
This is certainly a fun read!
I want Mark to get stuck as Clonlestia
9231462
That would be hilarious.
Steady being unsteady, something here isn't right.
Does Mark know about the 'lings'?
Is the artist for this chapter's illustration the same one that does the stuff for Chengar Qordath? I definitely see a resemblance. And if it's not, then they definitely did an AWESOME job!
9232721
Different artist.
9232742
Cool. Well, they did a fantastic job. I think it's the 'floofy-ness' of the back and chest fur that made me think that.
Steady is acting real weird.
9236651
I got 50 bits that he has been replaced by chrysalis
9229717
Nopony is complaining that you are producing awesome!
*creeps up and buys your muse an espresso* Psst! Keep up the good work!!
He's naturalizing quite well! Soon he won't want to leave at all!
Calling it now: Steady has been replaced!
If I had money to spare I would buy you a pallet of rockstar, and get the story off you that I've been threatening for... awhile now.. has it really been 16 years?! O.o
Your amazing story is good enougth for me to rivel the original show!
Luna & Celestia will need a vacation if they make it back... But at least a few decades they will have more free time thanks to competence of this two Ponys
9263268
or finally got laid.
This is true, Trixie, they will respect the laws, by throwing you in the dungeons to await your execution for treason and an attempt to usurp their thrones, The Alicorn Challenge is for Alicorns and Alicorns alone, you are not and will never be an Alicorn, thus rendering Fancy Pants declaration of you as winner NULL AND VOID.... hell Harmony itself will not work with as you will lying to everyone, .....hell Applejack and Rainbow Dash, if they were true to their elements, would complete and utterly refuse to obey any order coming from Canterlot as long as you sat on the throne.... you were never the student of Celestia, she never chose you to rule in her place.... you are only digging yourself deeper and deeper into a hole you can never escape from.
And l know that many will down vote this post and say "oh but about all the good things she has down for the ponies of Equestria." l am sorry but these are the facts, She is a liar, a usurper and a traitor.... and all the good deeds she has done, are tainted by this treason.
10231582
I've downvoted you. Not because I simply dislike your comment, but because you actually factually wrong.
Yes, lier she is. About as much as any other politician. Usurper and traitor she is not, though.
She got her right to the throne from Celestia herself. Due to mere happenstance and vague wording on Celesta's side, but that's what happened and both nobles and mages guild agreed with this and found nothing wrong with it even though they knew for sure she is not an alicorn. BTW, neither was Twilight at that moment and nobody knew Celestia has planned her ascension. They all know she wears fake wings for appearance alone and yet they considering her a rightful ruler and that what she is. If there would be a law that only alicorn can rule Equestria then neither she not Twilight could become a princess/queen/empress/whatever and would be considered a regent instead until Twilight's ascension. Then Twilight would receive the throne just by being what she is. That's not what happened, though.
Now, lets look at the alicorn challenges. They literally consists of 3 rules and not a single one of them demanded of either of the participants being an actual alicorn or described exact challenges. Lord Fancy Pants and his lawyers wouldn't miss such important detail. Note that even though Trixie could pick any to her liking she actually left picking exact challenges to nobles, so they can't say she intentionally put Twilight in disadvantageous position.
So, I'll reiterate. A lier she is, an usurper and traitor she isn't and she won in alicorn challenges without lying.
10397725
And the only reason she pretends to be one is everyone thinks alicorns are the only ponies who can rule. They would throw a fit if they knew the truth. Sure twilight and friends know it but they don't get outside of town much so even if they decide to tell who would listen. Plus it would cause a lot of problems if the truth was out.
I'm really liking this story so far.
I wonder who in the future dances in the Sky with Mark? The dance of passion in the Sky might breed romance on the ground ♡
I'm loving this Trixie