Re:Harmony

by starcross7

132 - The Trial of Laughter

Cheerilee had often wondered why she needed to drive when ponies could already gallop at an average of thirty miles per hour, and she wondered why she had to pick the worst time to use a car.

She had every intention, on President-Adviser Lancer's behest, to leave Gaeaopolis at the earliest, lest she become mired in the traffic jam caused by the evacuation to the shelters. The North Freeway, built in the valley in the shadow of the Palace of the Earth, had been the sight of endless processions of tanks and missiles whenever the Chancellor ordered a military inspection. In this misty morning, it was uncharacteristically jammed by a standstill of drab civilian vehicles. In turn, these were occupied by frightened and angry earth ponies honking and neighing expletives at each other and at the military vehicles being given a priority fast lane adjacent to the regular citizens. It was ironic, considering that many of these angry ponies fanatically supported Posey's declaration of war against Pegasopolis.

Instead, Cheerilee acquiesced her roommate's request to borrow Lancer's station wagon and carry the blue box full of whatever Time Turner had stuffed inside of it. He and Cheerliee spent hours squeezing it through the rear door and then tying it down. The blue box stuck out like a sore hoof. It almost raised the vehicle off its front wheels, and its weight made the car unwieldy to drive.

Cheerilee thought she could spare a few hours helping a former coworker. She was wrong.

On top of it, she had to listen his incessant ranting of how he was going to make ponies happy with his inventions. While she would normally enjoy an intellectual discussion on the history of Gaea, biology, and a dabble of politics, her companion rambled on fanciful ideas such as time travel, faraway planets, aliens, and alternate universes.

"You have to admit," said Turner, "that the idea that of three tribes coming together in peace instead of war almost a thousand years ago would have drastically altered our history. The pegasi would not have betrayed the unicorns. The unicorns would not have been rendered extinct, and the earth ponies would not have unearthed lost technology that turned the tide of war. Sure, there would be progress in the sciences, but it would not have drifted to the infernal weapons Gaea keeps building.”

“Uh-huh,” said Cheerilee.

“Miss Cheerilee, are you not that interested in my idea of parallel universes? Think of all the possibilities! I would have been an inventor in a quaint little town instead of scrapping by as a butler under a fake name. You would have been schoolteacher instead of a governess.”

“You think so?”

“You are well-educated, so it would be natural that you would choose that career path. Though, I am curious why you would work under the hoof of the Chancellor instead of being a teacher.”

"I don’t consider myself well-educated, Mr. Turner. I dropped out of college because they kept on making us read latest editions that removed ponies from history and altered facts. Before I knew it, I ended up working as a librarian’s assistant in the Palace of the Earth.”

“And yet, you worked up to become the governess of Little Miss was an impressive accomplishment.”

Cheerilee smiled. Ironic that a mare without a degree was selected to educate the only daughter of the Chancellor. She heard dark rumors that the previous governess was executed for acting too elitist, and that unknown mare had two masters under her belt.

Cheerilee was educated, but she did not carry any titles or degrees. She happened to be there at the right time when she found Winter Tulip crying in the corner of the library. Little Miss had missed her mother, but Cheerilee happened to be there as a shoulder to lean on.

“I’d say,” said Turner, “has it gotten quieter?”

The shouting stopped. The honking silenced. The line of military vehicles at the other lane came at an abrupt halt. Cheerilee and Turner rolled down their windows and poked their heads out to peer out towards the North Freeway. The mist clouded their sight several feet in front of them, but it did not obscure the bright-orange explosion far up ahead.

Then came the screaming, the panicked type. Ponies, including many in the military convoy scrambled out of their cars and galloped on vehicle roofs away from the approaching danger. She now heard the sound of explosions creeping closer, and Cheerilee crawled out of the window and made her attempt to gallop away amidst the stampede.

She did not gallop far. One look back, she saw the silhouette of bipedal bull-like creatures swinging their mighty log-thick clubs against the cars. She also saw Mr. Turner, who, in spite of the obvious start of what could be the war to end all wars, obliviously and without panic rummaged inside the blue box that protruded from the back of their station wagon.

“Mr. Turner, what are you doing?” cried the former governess.

“I can’t leave without it!” he replied.

“You can’t carry it with you!”

“Not the box. This!”

Proudly he pulled out his special “screwdriver”, which, Cheerilee swore was nothing more than a laser pointer or a compact butane torch. Her panicked face and her panicked gestures signaled to Mr. Turner to leave quickly before the Pegasopolis’s Minotaur Marauders reached them.

Her fears came true. A military convoy truck had been launched up into the air. Then it landed right behind her and exploded, blocking her and Mr. Turner’s escape. The Minotaur Marauders cleared their path of advance, swatting the cars away with the log-clubs like they were nothing. There was a herd of them dressed in heavy armor of reds and blacks, and they also had ring piercings through their noses and ears.

The minotaurs swatted Lancer’s station wagon into a smoldering ruin at the side of the mountain, and they faced down on what could be the only two ponies standing in the way of their warpath.

“Well, well,” said one of them. “Civilians. These pitiful earth ponies aren’t giving us a good sport, General Iron Will.”

“Iron Will is severely disappointed,” said the black-topped minotaur. “Iron Will expected a good fight, but this? Iron Will is mad!”

“Shall we let them go?”

“Heck no! If the earth ponies ain’t gonna put up, they’re gonna be put down!”

The one named Iron Will lifted his log-club studded with sharp metal as his cloven hind legs drew him towards Cheerilee and Mr. Turner. Cheerilee was, as normal as ponies could be, frightened at the prospect of her impending doom, and surprisingly she remained deathly calm. She could not scream because there would be no need to. Nopony would arrive in time to save them.

Mr. Turner, however, chuckled cockily under his breath. He was especially calm, and valiantly he stood between her and the Iron Will. He dropped his special “screwdriver” in his right hoof and held it high for all to see. The Minotaur Marauders gasped, and Iron Will stopped in his tracks. The end of Turner’s special screwdriver lit up. He took aim, and pressed the trigger.

Nothing happened. Turner pressed the trigger again, and still nothing happened. Cheerilee’s jaw hung open in surreal disbelief that Turner’s heroic efforts resulted in a ceasefire, however temporary it might be. Even the minotaurs scratched their heads in confusion.

“My apologies, fellow minotaur warriors,” he said. “I haven’t quite worked out the kinks in this thing.”

“You know,” started Iron Will, “you almost had my hopes up. I’m just gonna kill you and the mare and get it over with.”

Iron Will lifted his spiked log-club, giving little time for Turner to summon the remains of his chivalry and protect Cheerilee with his life. The club came down, and suddenly, the mare and the stallion were blinded by a bright flash.

Cheerilee heard somepony shout. It did not sound like a pegasus war cry, let alone a jack-booted order from a Clone Soldier. It was an incantation, starting with the “Minerva”, and ending with “Shield”. She regained her focus, and a transparent barrier of magenta blocked the full force of Iron Will’s strike.

The log-club bounced back, and so did the Iron Will. He and his Minotaur Marauders gasped once more, and this time Cheerilee saw glints of fear in their eyes. She and Mr. Turner were saved, but to their utter shock, they were not Gaean Reinforcements.

She had to blink twice before rubbing her eyes. Emerging from the flaming wreckage were a race she thought were long dead despite the tabloids and a crazed cult claiming otherwise. The appeared like shadows in long dark cloaks, hundreds of them with a glow emanating from their horns, and leading them was a stern, one-eyed mare with a beige coat and a mane of purple and white.

“I knew it!” Turner cried. “They’re still alive! Why else would Gaea continue to produce anti-magic materials?”

“Unicorns, huh?” Iron Will said. “Now we’re talkin’! Who’s the leader of this outfit?”

“Twilight Velvet, Chieftain of hidden village of Unicornia,” spoke the mare with the eyepatch.

“Then Iron Will challenges you in a one-on-one duel! Brute strength versus magic! And Iron Will has a lot of strength.”

“I refuse. Twinkleshine and Minuette will take care of you.”

“The top unicorn refuses to fight Iron Will? Iron Will will show no mercy to her underlings!”

The minotaur barely lifted his log-club when it exploded into sparkles, but he remained undeterred. He scratched the ground his hind legs and charged at the two unicorn mares Twilight Velvet ordered to fight, and they suddenly vanished in a blink. Iron Will suddenly tripped and found himself careening horns-first towards the burning wreckage of a large truck. Aside from scorch marks on his fur, he remained relatively uninjured, but he emerged with a reddened face.

He let out a battle cry, and his fellow minotaurs mooed back in response. Their hind legs scratched the ground, and then they charged forth. The unicorns leapt and landed into formation firing their spells against the bovine-like monsters. It felt so unreal that Cheerilee could not move from her shock, where as her companion Mr. Turner started penciling like crazy into his notepad with giddy.

“Earth mare,” spoke Velvet as she appeared beside Cheerilee, “is this the quickest way to the Saddle Lake Base?”

The earth pony mare nodded nervously.

“You and your earth stallion companion must be on your way. There is dark magic emanating there, and I cannot be held responsible for your demise should you remain here.”

As it so happens, the shelters were past the base, and there would be no way to get there. With Pegasopolis and their allies finally breaching the borders near the capital, there was no safe place anymore. Cheerilee made up her mind and stood up and followed Twilight Velvet as she proceeded to aid in the battle against the minotaurs.

“I thought I advised you to be on your way,” she said.

“You can’t stop me,” said Cheerilee. “Call me a coward, but I feel that being close to your group would be the safest.”

“Are you not frightened by our appearance? Do you not harbor any suspicions of our kind?”

“I am, but I am more afraid of the loss of my life and the prospect of not seeing Winter—I mean, Apple Bloom again. If I did not hold her back, this war would never have happened, and I fear her death might make things worse for both Gaea and Pegasopolis.”

“Do not feel that the cause of this war was your responsibility. The lingering prejudices of ponies brought this conflict to life, and it would have happened whether or not you had a part in it. However, this conflict is but prelude to something more terrible, which is something we unicorns have been tasked to prevent. Are you sure you wish to accompany us?”

“Absolutely!” Turner cried out. “I emigrated here to get to the bottom of the conspiracy that there were still unicorns existing, and I must jot down every note and sketch about your race. Like, how is it that your horn has the ability to gather ethereal energies? Is your magic finite? Do you become exhausted whenever you cast complex spells?”

“Earth mare, let us depart,” said Velvet as Mr. Turner continued to ramble on.

“I have a name,” said Cheerilee.

“Then I will learn it once you have earned my respect. Come now.”

Though on edge, Cheerilee rose from her haunches and half-sheepishly followed unicorn Twilight Velvet and several others towards the Saddle Lake Base. Velvet did not explicitly invite Mr. Turner to her entourage, but he followed anyway, and he zipped from unicorn to unicorn with incessant questions about magic and the unicorn species. Cheerilee was not sure if they were ordered to tolerate him, but the biggest surprise was that, contrary to the manufactured Gaean propaganda of old, they did not zap him into nothingness or cast a debilitating curse.

Then again, the unicorns were too busy zapping the oncoming minotaurs along the way.

---

Impatience. Anger. These were things Applejack should not be feeling at such a crucial time. She could feel the worry of war filling her bones. Her thoughts raced to the safety of her little sister and for the safety of her dear Twilight Sparkle.

She hadn’t eaten. She hadn’t drunk since breakfast, and she refused offers of refreshments from the Nyx servants, Pinkie Pie, or Rainbow Dash. It made her tired, and dark lines underneath her eyelids was proof. She had taken up rising from her haunches and pacing about around the doorway of the Chamber for the Trial of Hatred, and only a few times did she actually sit down and rest.

"Darling, you need to rest," said Rarity. "Perhaps you can avail yourself with a shot of some Moon Juice."

"I can't relax knowin' that with each trial, Twi is getting hurt," said Applejack.

"It's making us nervous."

"Should y'all be too? Each time we emerge from those damn trials, we look like we faced death! And to top it off, Twi has to go through each one of them."

"It is her decision, or rather, all of ours."

"Purplesmart's gonna be fine," said Rainbow Dash as he lazed in the air above the white unicorn and the orange earth pony. "She has to be tough so she can claim the Sixth Element for herself."

"You had to be willin' to betray your own crew for the greater good," said Applejack. "Rarity, you had to be greedier than all heck in order to save Twilight. All these Trials are makin' us doin' the opposite of what we represent, and none of us like it."

"Whether we like or not is not the issue, and you know it."

"Cheer up, Applejack, and have some moon cheese!" Pinkie cried as she arrived with a platter of, as expected, moon cheese. "It's not like you to lose face. You're kinda of the second-in-command when Twilight's not around."

"Hey, I thought I was!" cried Rainbow Dash.

"You're right," said Applejack. "We really oughta stop worryin' not for Twilight and Fluttershy's sake, but for everypony's."

"It seems like it won't be long until the Trial of Kindness will be completed," said Rarity. "Now the next question is, which mare is supposed to go next?"

Applejack suppressed her gulp. She was willing to go next, but after what she heard from Rainbow Dash and Rarity so far, she was not so sure. She had a terrible feeling that her trial might force her to do the complete opposite that represented her innate Element. No, the bigger fear was that it would force her to fully live up to it.

And what of Pinkie Pie? She glanced at Pinkie Pie happily sharing her plate of moon cheese with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. "Sharing" would be a loose term since she seemed to be content in eating more than two-thirds, and her friends did not seem to mind her gluttonous glee. Applejack had seen Pinkie Pie lose her smile once before her botched execution on the electric chair, and she thought she would have gotten over that. What would her terrible Trial submit her through?

As predicted, Twilight and Fluttershy and conquered the Trial of Hatred. They emerged through a burst of light from the middle of the gargantuan chamber, to everypony's relief, they were unharmed, but only externally.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, and the most troubling expression out of the pair. Rather, it was the lack of an expression that was troubling, and in no time everypony surrounded her.

"Are you okay Fluttershy?" asked Rarity.

"Did you defeat a big monster?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"I don't think Fluttershy would be that type of pony to do so."

"It's not entirely impossible. She did stare down a dragon once."

"Yes, you did tell me that before."

"Earth to Flutters," said Rainbow Dash. "Rarity asked you if you are okay."

"I don't know," said Fluttershy.

"You don't look fine."

"I'm okay. I… I… I…"

Her strength was surprising, but she did not push anypony over when she suddenly galloped away from them. Applejack swore she saw droplets of tears fall from her eyes, but could fully confirm this as she had run past the rest stations close to the Tartarus 06's rest stations staffed by the myriad of Nyx technicians. Only Rainbow Dash flew after her, as she would be the only one to catch up to her.

"Did something happen during the trial?" asked Rarity.

"Fluttershy was forced to commit an atrocity against an entire planet," said Twilight. "It was the only kind thing she could have done."

"Kind? What is with these infernal Trials? Are these Guardians sick in their minds?"

"These Guardians are created from the Elements themselves, which used to be part of Twilight Prime, so it should not be surprising."

"Well, I am glad that you and Fluttershy emerged unharmed, relatively speaking. Perhaps you should rest."

"I can't. The more time we waste, the closer Gaea and Pegasopolis teeters towards all-out war."

"I would not mind volunteering for the next Trial, but I have already passed mine. I'm not so certain Applejack or Pinkie Pie are ready."

Applejack bit her lip. In her mind, she was more than ready, but in her heart, she was deathly frightened. If she and Twilight took on the Trial associated with her Element of Truth, their relationship would never be the same. But that Trial must be taken on, for the sake of Applejack's world and her sister. She would need to get it done sooner or later.

"Pick me!" Pinkie cried. "Pick me!"

Applejack had opened her mouth so she could volunteer, but no words came out. Her jaw hung open as the typically enthusiastic Pinkie Pie waved her front hoof high up in the air.

"I suppose you would have to go eventually," said Rarity, "but pray tell, aren't you scared?"

"Of course, I am!"

"You sure are chipper about it," said Applejack.

"I'm as happy as I can be!"

"But who knows what your Element's Trial consist of," said Twilight. "It might physically hurt you, or you'll suffer severe mental damage."

"I know it will, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be sad about it. Are you ready to go, Twilight?"

"Well, I…"

Pinkie Pie did not wait for answer. Her magical inline roller skates, her Pinkie Gear, manifested in an instant on all four of her hooves, and she already whisked Twilight off the ground towards the opening doors with the three-balloon insignia. The surprise caused panic within Applejack, and Rarity, and rather than a normal gallop, they sprinted with all their might in towards the gargantuan chambers where the next trial awaited them.

Inside, bubbles from nowhere coalesced to form a hideous, bluish, and balloon-like creature with no eyes and single vertical mouth towards the center bottom. Its laugh was horrid and maddening. Twin tentacles sprouted from hits slithery underside, which started circling around Twilight and an ecstatic Pinkie Pie.

"HIHIHIHIHI," bellowed the Guardian. "I AM THE GUARDIAN OF MADNESS. WHO DARES SUCCUMB THYSELF TO THE TRIAL OF—"

“You know who we are," said Pinkie Pie. “Let’s get it over with!”

"VERY WELL. PREPARE THYSELVES."

The balloon-like opened his fanged vertical mouth as it expanded. To Applejack and Rarity's horror, it swallowed Twilight and Pinkie Pie before swallowing itself into nothingness. Both ponies had to sit down and take their breath. They had to remind themselves that this was just another way that the Guardians of the Sixth Element administer their Trials, however horrific it might appear. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were fine, they had hoped.

"Now we wait," said Rarity. "Again. I can see why it would be stressful for the ponies left behind."

"It's all we can do," said Applejack. "We need to believe they can pull through this mad trial."

"And they will, I'm certain of it. Darling, are you sure you don't want any refreshments?"

"Nope."

"Not even a drink of water?"

"Nope."

However, Applejack could not suppress the growling in her stomach, and this caused Rarity to raise an and eyebrow devilish smile.

“I’ll prepare something nice for you,” said the Diamond Princess.

“You can cook?” asked Applejack.

“Don’t think of me as a typical princess. You should know by now that I am much more versatile than you think. Keep up your noble guard, Applejack. I won’t be long.”

Rarity trotted off while humming happily. First impressions might portray as snotty, but inside she was a normal mare with an affinity with fashion. And she knew martial arts. Definitely not a princess to mess with.

Applejack did not like waiting again, but she dreaded Twilight and Pinkie’s return. She was both prepared and unprepared for her own Trial, and so far, her friends did not catch on. Or maybe they did, and they simply choose not to tell her out of kindness.

It would be difficult to reveal the true feelings she harbored for Twilight. Rainbow Dash would make fun of her. Pinkie Pie would throw a spontaneous engagement party. She could gauge how Rarity would react, whether it be disgust or frantic joy. Both scenarios would be just as bad, and if it was latter, Rarity would join in with Pinkie Pie in planning a wedding and a wedding dress. As for Fluttershy, she would probably blush and not say much else. Applejack certainly would not tell Sunny. She was a Princess, and a Herald of the Sun for pete’s sake.

“I am certain my sister would understand your feelings you harbor for Lady Twilight Sparkle.”

A deep shiver ran through Applejack. She would have reacted by reflex by summoning her Sword of Truth, but that would be too soon. It was a miracle she suppressed using the power of her Element of Truth, though she knew not how effective it would be against the Herald of the Moon, Princess Luna, who had approached her with calm regality.

"You're not comfortable with me sitting next to you," Luna continued. "I suppose with me seeing your deepest desires within your dreams, you would harbor some reservations about my presence."

“Like you said,” said Applejack, “ponies’ dreams are private.”

“Yes. The Nyx and I adhere to the strict rules we have imposed onto ourselves. In this instance, I may have to bend them a little considering that you and your friends hold the key in correcting Twilight Prime’s dark legacy.”

“I ain’t lookin’ for a psychology consult.”

“I understand. However, I’ve seen many ponies who held back their feelings destroy not only themselves, but also those who are close to them.”

“Princess, I really can’t be distracted by all this. It’s just a phase for me, ‘cause Shining Armor hooked up with Queen Cadence.”

“Those feelings are real, no matter how much you or the propaganda of your home country interpret it.”

“But how can I love Twi’ that much? We’re not that similar. Heck, we’re not even the same race!”

“In the grand scheme of things, shared interests, race, and even gender are not the primary reasons or causes of love. Rather, the feelings you share with one another are what are the most important.”

“What if she doesn’t feel the same way? Can you at least tell me that?”

“I am afraid I am not at liberty to reveal such information.”

“You do know. Please, tell me what Twilight really thinks of me!”

“I cannot, Dame Applejack, and I will not. It is something you will have to find out on your own. In order to do so, you must rid yourself of the lies you thrust upon your heart time and time again. If you cannot face up to that, then you cannot pass the Trial that awaits you.”

In other words, tell no lies. Tell the truth. Applejack felt anger towards the Herald of the Moon with her seemingly condescending words. They had it easy. They could read ponies’ minds and invade their dreams. The temptation to draw her Sword of Truth grew, and she wanted to poise it against Luna’s neck to make her spill the beans.

When she decided to face Luna with more questions, she had vanished. Instead, Rarity and Fluttershy were standing over her, with Rainbow Dash floating nearby.

“Wha? Where’s the Princess?” Applejack asked.

“You mean me, Celestia, or Luna?” asked Rarity. “I’m here, they’re over there.”

She looked back towards the entrance of Tartarus 06 and saw the Herald of the Moon and the Herald of the Sun chatting happily as they shared a large sundae of bananas and pineapples topped with a cherry. Applejack must have imagined a conversation or maybe….

“Not like you to doze off like that,” said Rainbow Dash.

“But you just had a nap about a minute ago,” said Fluttershy.

“I take micro-naps. It’s a holdover when I was a child-warrior.”

“And I thought it was just you bein’ a lazy captain,” smirked Applejack.

“And you slept like a baby for almost thirty minutes.”

Thirty minutes had passed? Twilight and Pinkie Pie should be back by now. In her panic, Applejack quickly ate the crustless cheese and lettuce sandwich Rarity made for her. Her panic subsided, but it did not make any further waiting any easier. Instead, it was her friends being right by her.

In no time, Twilight and Pinkie Pie returned after emerging from a single point of space. They did not return physically injured or psychologically damaged. It was the strangest sight, but both the purple unicorn and the pink pony were on the floor clutching their stomachs and laughing uncontrollably.

Their friends approached them, but they were at a lost on what to do. All attempts to talk to them were met with further bursts of laughter from Twilight and Pinkie Pie. Tears streamed from their eyes, but could they be from trauma? Did their Trial break them? What happened?

“Will you two stop laughing?” cried Rainbow Dash. “It’s been almost a minute!”

“Sorry, sorry,” wept Twilight. “It’s that we… hee hee… we.”

“It was the funniest thing we have seen!” Pinkie cried.

“And that creature we saw…. I can’t stop laughing!”

“I know, right!”

“Well, blow me down,” said Applejack. “That Trial must be tamer than I expected.”

“I guess you two must have encountered cuddly creatures in a pleasant meadow,” smiled Fluttershy.

“NO,” replied Twilight and Pinkie Pie flatly.

Their laughter stopped like that. With expressionless faces they stood up, and they stared deeply into the eyes, if not the souls of Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.

“THE TRIAL OF LAUGHTER IS ONE OF THE MOST HORRIFIC ENVIRONMENTS I HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN THIS WORLD AND IN THE NEXT,” Twilight spoke as she spookily waved her front legs. “IT’S EVEN MORE HORRIFIC THAN THE TRIAL OF KINDNESS.”

“TWILIGHT AND I HAVE SEEN THINGS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR MANE AND COAT TURN WHITE,” added Pinkie Pie, who also imitated Twilight in the same manner.

“THE VISIONS WE SAW WERE INDESCRIBABLE.”

“IF WE TRIED TO DESCRIBE IT, ALL OF YOU OF WOULD’VE GONE MAD.”

“IMMEDIATELY.”

In the end, it was horrible. However, smiles reappeared on Twilight and Pinkie’s faces, and they immediately broke into uncontrollable laughter again.

“If not for Pinkie’s song, hehe,” laughed Twilight, “we wouldn’t have passed the Trial. What was that song again? ‘Giggle at the Ghastlies’?”

“’Giggle at the Ghosties’, silly!”

“Right, right. Granny Pie has my thanks!”

“Rest in peace, Granny Pie!”

The girls were stunned and surprised, and they watched Twilight and Pinkie Pie laugh and roll on the ground until they became tired. As their giggles gradually subsided, they rose back up to their hooves and wiped their tears.

“Ugh, I’m thirsty,” said Twilight. “I need a drink.”

“Moon Juice?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Something stronger.”

“Sarsaparilla?”

“Sarsaparilla, it is.”

In sync, Twilight and Pinkie Pie stoically brushed past the girls straight towards the rest area where the Nyx greeted them. The shaking of hooves and claws had been exchanged, and they immediately sat and drank while Princess Sunny and Luna arrived to congratulate them.

All this left Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash dumbstruck.

“Something tells me that those two faced the worst Trial yet,” said Rainbow Dash.

“They conquered it,” said Rarity, “and that’s what’s important.”

“Then the last Trial that needs to be faced is Appejack’s,” said Fluttershy.

That time had arrived, and still Applejack was neither ready or unready. Everypony had earned their break, however short it might be, for their most challenging Trial awaited them.

Comments

[Ze1a7in]

Question, why does this story not have a TvTropes page yet?

[Crimson Dawn]

I am disappointed that we do not get to this trial like the others since Pinkie is my favorite character but it is one of those things where telling the story directly will always be less epic than whatever the reader's imagination can come up with.

Oh well hopefully there will be more epic Pinkie scenes later...hmm aybe with the Dash too.

[raw666]

Interesting, keep up the good work.

[raw666]

8506310
I think you have to know someone, since quality does not seem to be a thing for what get's a TV Trope or not.

[Starlight Nova]

8506310
Why not make a Tv Tropes page?

[Ze1a7in]

8510894
Don't know how, or if I can. Not an Admin/editor/whatever is needed to make a page.

[FiredragonX]

I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see Pinkie's trail but I do like the unicorns are up to.