Chapter 1

Princess Twilight Sparkle beamed through the window at the magnificent scene that she beheld from her castle bedroom. The sun had risen above the horizon, propelled by Equestria's co-ruler and Twilight's former mentor Princess Celestia from the neighbouring city of Canterlot. Rainbow Dash, Ponyville's faithful chief weather steward, had obliterated every cloud from the sky above the semi-rural town. In the distance, near the edge of the town, Fluttershy was conducting an assortment of birds in a captivating, melodious chorus.

Mornings such as this filled the purple pony with joy and anticipation. She wondered what a gorgeous day such as this would bring. Relaxation? Fun? Adventure?

Disaster?

A knot began to form in Twilight's stomach. Idyllic mornings did not always lead to idyllic days. Sometimes they led to stress, terror, heartbreak. What if this was another day like that? What if she had to face another threat to Ponyville? Or all of Equestria? What if——

With a snort and a shake of her maned head the alicorn—a unicorn pony with wings—banished the thoughts from her mind. Life was too precious to waste dreading unforseeable catastrophes. Besides, even if some threat did arise, she could always count on her friends, and her own understanding of the magic of friendship, to help her see it through.

Her high spirits returned, Twilight groomed herself and trotted humming downstairs to the kitchen. She saw a bowl of freshly prepared oats and chopped apple at the edge of the table. Opposite was a bowl empty save for a few scraps, and an open newspaper.

"Good morning Spike," Twilight said to the newspaper.

The top half of the paper folded down to reveal a scaly purple face. "Morning Twilight. Hey, guess what? Remember how we published our journal of friendship lessons?"

Twilight's good humour deserted her. She collapsed with a groan.

Spike rushed towards his mistress and guardian. "What's wrong, Twilight?"

"'What's wrong?' Have you forgotten the grief we got after we published that journal?"

"Come on, that stuff's blown over. It's all in the past."

"It was all in the past. Now, apparently, it's in today's edition of the Ponyville Gazette. What are they saying about it now?"

The little dragon rolled his eyes and gave an innocent smile, his forefeet clasped behind his back. "Oh, only that it's been nominated for an award."

"UUGGHH!"

Spike winced. That wasn't quite the reaction he had anticipated. "Did ... you hear what I said?"

"I wish I hadn't. We didn't publish the friendship journal to aggrandise ourselves, Spike. We wanted to teach the lessons we'd learned to other ponies, to help them understand the magic of friendship by sharing our experiences. But everypony lost sight of that. Now that the journal is in competition for some silly award they're going to lose sight of it all over again." She paused a moment to catch her breath. "What is this award anyway?"

"It's called a 'Pinto'. Apparently it's——"

Twilight vaulted from the floor and shot like an arrow towards Spike. She balanced on her forehooves, her snout an inch from his. "A Pinto? A Pinto Pinto? As in the most prestigious fantasy-adventure literary award in Equestria?"

"Unless there's some other fantasy-adventure literary award with that name, yeah."

Twilight screamed as if on a roller coaster. She soared high above the floor and, still squealing, started flying a loop of backflips. A Pinto! The ultimate fantasy-adventure seal of approval. The award that been bestowed on some of her most beloved books and series. Spell Society, Therapsidrome, Daring Do...

Suddenly she fell silent and stopped at the apex of her loop, hovering upside down, facing away from Spike, with her tail hanging towards the floor. Spike averted his eyes from the unedifying sight.

"Wait a minute." With a noisy burst of magical energy the alicorn vanished—mercifully, as far as Spike was concerned—then re-appeared half a second later, standing before the little dragon, her face afrown. "Which category?"

"Uh," Spike scurried back to the breakfast table, retrieved the newspaper and scanned the article again. "Best Related Work."

Twilight soughed with relief. "At least they don't still think our journal is fictional." She frowned again, this time more in puzzlement than suspicion. "Even so, how does a collection of friendship lessons relate to the fantasy-adventure genre?"

"It must have been that totally awesome entry I wrote after we got sucked into the Power Ponies comic," replied Spike.

"Or the twenty percent more awesome entries I wrote about my adventures with the real-life Daring Do."

Twilight and Spike turned to see a sky-blue pegasus—winged pony—mare with rainbow-hued mane and tail. She hovered in mid-air, a folded copy of the Ponyville Gazette poking from her saddlebag.

Spike snorted, a wisp of smoke emanating from his nostrils. "Mm-hmm, keep telling yourself that, sister."

"Spike! Rainbow Dash! It was bad enough everypony else arguing about the journal. Don't you two start." Even as she spoke, Twilight's dismay faded. She could see from the smirks Spike and Rainbow Dash wore that there was no heat in their exchange.

"So, speaking of awesome, I take it you two have heard the awesome news about our journal." Rainbow Dash unrolled her newspaper onto the floor below her and tapped it with her forehoof.

"We've heard the news but opinion's divided on how awesome it is," replied Spike, jerking a clawed thumb towards Twilight.

"I just feel a little uneasy about the whole thing."

"Yeah, that's a real uneasy grin you've got plastered across your muzzle," said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight hadn't even noticed. Flustered, she tried to straighten her face. "All right, I admit this is a tremendous and unexpected honour. But we didn't publish our journal so that we could win awards."

"We haven't actually won an award yet," said Spike.

"I know that," said Twilight, a little too quickly. "But the mere fact that we're in contention might give ponies the wrong idea about our motivations."

Spike shrugged. "Does that matter?"

"Spike!"

"Twilight, when I helped save the Crystal Empire from King Sombra, I didn't do it so that the Crystal Ponies would build a statue of me and call me 'Great and Honourable Spike the Brave and Glorious'. I just did what had to be done, like you and your friends have so many times. But if the Crystal Ponies want to honour me for my deeds, it might feel a little weird at times but I'm not gonna begrudge them that. It obviously means a lot to them.

"So if somepony thinks our journal is worthy of an award, why not just accept that honour with gratitude? Maybe there will be a few jerks who think we published it to big-note ourselves. The ponies who count know the truth. Let's just enjoy this moment."

"Exactly," added Rainbow Dash. "I mean, this is the most awesome news ever! Except maybe Twilight getting wings and becoming a princess. And me becoming a Wonderbolt. And me doing a sonic rainboom. And me doing another sonic rainboom. And me meeting A.K. Yearling and finding out that she's really Daring Do and all her adventures are real, and me helping her defeat one of Ahuizotl's schemes. Aaand those times we all saved Equestria from certain doom. But this is definitely in the top ten awesome events. Top fifteen, max."

Twilight had to chuckle. This was high praise indeed coming from a pony who, only a few years earlier, wouldn't be caught dead reading a book. "You're right. It is pretty amazing to be counted in the company of the great Pinto nominees from over the years. A.K. Yearling, Flights Of Fancy, Horse And Cart, Reins Broadbarrel."

"Yeah, I pretty much only know A.K. Yearling from that bunch," said Rainbow. "But still, totally awesome news."

A beaming, pink, blue-eyed, pouffy-maned earth pony—a caste bearing neither magical horn nor wings—sprang up in their midst seemingly from out of nowhere and cried, "Hey, you know what this calls for?"

* * *

"A party!"

"Yeah, we know it's a party, Pinkie," replied Rainbow Dash. "We've been here about twenty minutes."

"Too late, she's gone," said Spike as he watched Pinkie Pie pronk merrily off towards a table laden with an assortment of colourful cupcakes.

Elsewhere in the gaily decorated castle ballroom, an alabaster-coated unicorn with an elegant, helical purple mane and tail was holding court with two other ponies. Her animated, plummy voice was relating her intention to create new outfits for her friends and herself to wear to the upcoming Pinto awards ceremony.

"It's not gonna be too frou-frou, is it?" asked one of her listeners, an orange-coated earth pony mare wearing a Stetson hat and a pained expression.

"Fear not, Applejack," replied Rarity. "The literati tend to eschew sartorial flamboyance. No, I'm thinking sophisticated yet subdued. Black or possibly burgundy, high neckline, just a smattering of diamonds."

"That sounds lovely," said Fluttershy, a delicate-voiced pegasus with a pale yellow coat and flowing pink mane.

Twilight Sparkle, meanwhile, was in conversation with Starlight Glimmer, a lilac-coated unicorn with a teal-streaked purple mane. Unlike the other party guests, Starlight had not contributed any of the journal's contents—she had not even known Twilight and her friends when much of it was written. However, she had helped with the publication process and provided invaluable support for the authors through the ensuing controversy.

"I didn't think it would take you long to overcome your anxieties about going to a book award ceremony," said Starlight.

Twilight grinned, her eyes glinting. "Just try and stop me."

Pinkie Pie rushed between the pair and pressed her wild-eyed face unnervingly close to the alicorn's. "Twilight, you mustn't go! What if there's a friendship emergency? What if Tirek breaks loose from Tartarus again? What if your books need re-shelving? I can't let you go. I shan't. I won't." As she spoke, the pink pony loomed closer and closer to Twilight, who drew back until she was on her haunches.

The prospect of trying to explain her figure of speech to Pinkie Pie did not fill Twilight with confidence. "On second thought, I'd rather not have any hindrances to my attendance, thanks all the same."

"Okey-dokey-lokey." Her cheery demeanour restored, Pinkie trotted off towards the punch bowl.

"It's going to be amazing," Twilight gushed. "Meeting and mingling with some of my favourite authors."

"Yeah, I can't wait to meet Haunting Hues and Edgy Pulp," piped up Spike, who had joined in their conversation. "They're up for Best Graphic Story, Night of the Grey Gorgons. About time Smash Fortune got some Pinto love." The nomination having piqued his interest, the young dragon had done some research on the award's winners and nominees from previous years.

"Smash Fortune?" Starlight Glimmer tried not to smile. "You mean they give out big, illustrious literary awards for ... comic books?"

"Graphic stories," Spike retorted loftily, fists planted on his hips.

"Starlight," Twilight gently admonished, "plenty of ponies look down their noses at the entire fantasy-adventure genre, not just com—graphic stories. But I for one love it. It's entertaining, popular, inspiring and captures ponies' imaginations." It was also difficult to write, especially for a readership inhabiting a land where magic was part of everyday life.

"Twiliiiight." A voice like honey studded with razor blades rang out across the ballroom. The assembled partygoers turned to see a blue-coated, silver-maned unicorn pony standing in the doorway. Her mouth bore a facsimile of a warm smile but her eyes gleamed with mischief.

"All right, who left the front door unlocked?" muttered Rainbow Dash.

"Trixie! This is ... unexpected." Twilight summoned a similarly false smile as her eyes flickered involuntarily towards Starlight Glimmer, who had been giving a please-don't-embarrass-me look to the newcomer.

"What?" Starlight replied defensively. "Trixie asked what I was doing this evening and——"

"And The Great And Powerful Trixie completely understands that she is not invited." Trixie sauntered unbidden towards Twilight. "After all, you're literary luminaries now, the elite, the higher echelons. Up in that rarefied atmosphere you're hardly going to spare a thought for us ... little ponies." Trixie's visage of exaggerated resigned humility drew exactly the desired level of awkwardness from Twilight.

Rainbow Dash, though, was immune to such tactics. "Great, glad ya understand. Now beat it."

"Hey!" Starlight turned sharply towards the pegasus. It might have been gauche for Trixie to turn up uninvited but Rainbow's reaction seemed a little excessive.

"No, no, dear friend," Trixie raised a forehoof. "Ditzy Doo here has a point."

"Ditzy D——" Rainbow barely stifled her instinctive response. "It's Rainbow Dash!"

"I thought Rainbow Dash always dressed with style."

"That's Rarity." Rainbow pointed towards the white unicorn, who flipped her mane and flaunted the party outfit that she had designed and assembled herself.

"No, that can't be right either." Without waiting for Rarity's reaction, Trixie swept to address the rest of the party. "Anyhow, what's important is that The Gracious And Decorous Trixie does not gatecrash. I merely stopped by to congratulate you on your nomination and wish you all the very best for the Pintos."

"Oh." Twilight felt a little awkward at Trixie's apparently sincere good will. "Well, thank you, Trixie."

"And I'm sure that the magic of friendship you all share will give you the strength you'll need to cope with the upcoming unpleasantness."

"We weathered the storm when the journal first came out, we can do it again," said Applejack, punctuating her statement with a firm stomp to the floor. Her assembled friends murmured in agreement.

Trixie tittered, raising her forehoof to her mouth. "That tempest in a teacup? Oh, no-no-no-no-no. Trixie is referring to the vastly greater and uglier backlash that will undoubtedly erupt once ponies learn about Iron Will."

"Iron Will?" repeated Twilight. "What does he have to do with it?"

"Haven't you heard? He rigged the nominations."

The party guests gasped as one, except for Applejack, who merely cocked an eyebrow. "That's some mighty great-and-powerful talk. Got any proof?"

"You mean besides him bragging about it in this press release?" Trixie levitated a sheet of paper from her saddlebags and tossed it towards Twilight, who caught it mid-air with her own magical aura.

As the alicorn read the sheet with mounting horror, Trixie fished out some editions of Minotaur Musings and fanned them in front of Twilight's friends. The periodical was thin, a few pages in total, but dense with writing. Its masthead was dominated by the title and, between the two words, a photographed head-and-shoulders image of Iron Will.

His bovine head, angled halfway between profile and frontal, was blue in hide, with a thin tuft of dark fur on top. Two thick, sharp, steel-grey horns grew from the sides of his head and angled up past his pate. His face sported a grin that conveyed a mixture of self-confidence and eager determination. His muscular neck widened into a pair of broad shoulders. One human-like arm, his right, was visible, flexed to show off a monstrous biceps striated with bulging veins. The arm ended with a five-digit fist, closed save for his upward-jutting thumb.

Trixie continued, "He laid out and enacted his scheme right here in the past issues of his gazette."

"Which you just happened to have with you, along with that press release," said a scowling Rainbow Dash.

"I thought you might like some reading material in case things got slow here. Which is highly likely, since you failed to invite The Great And Powerful Trixie. Oh, is that the time? Must be off. Enjoy your party, everypony." The blue unicorn guided one of Spike's handmade cauliflower bites into her mouth. "Ugh, you really should consider professional catering next time."

Trixie lobbed a smoke bomb—a harmless stage-magic prop—onto the ballroom floor. As it detonated she flounced out of the ballroom, two more cauliflower bites trailing through the opaque cloud behind her.

Twilight had not taken her eyes from the press release, despite barely coping with what she was reading. Her lower lip began to quiver. "He-he rigged the ... Pinto nominations?"

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