> The Lie of Living
>  by The Grimm Reaper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1. I am Lelouch Vi Brittania!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I destroy... the world, ... and create it... anew.

As my eyes closed, my consciousness faded away. Everything I'd worked towards had finally born fruit. Focusing all of the world's hatred on myself, Suzaku disguised as Zero had to kill me, dissipating that hatred and allowing the world to focus on more important matters than fighting, such as reconstruction and helping others, thus facilitating peace.  That was the Zero Requiem.

My consciousness floated amidst a void, similar to being in a sensory deprivation tank. I found myself thinking about Suzaku. It was Strange how our goals were always the same, yet we found ourselves on opposite sides of the board because of differing views on how to achieve those goals. Oh well, it doesn't matter now. I can finally rest in peace, knowing that Nunnally is safe. Suzaku will be good to her, like I'd planned before I found out he was the Lancelot's devicer. Before then, I'd wondered what might become of him and Nunnally. But Euphemia's interference blew that possibility away. Oh, that's right; I never told Suzaku that Euphemia's order to kill all the Japanese was a mistake. He still thinks it was part of some master plan. I doubt it would matter to him anyway. Accident or not, Euphemia suffered at my hands, and everyone else suffered as a result. But that no longer matters. Now, I am dead. And the world is at peace.

To my confusion and utter surprise, I regained consciousness. As though waking from a dream, my senses awoke one at a time. First, my sense of sound. The gentle, rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor could be heard. It was an unmistakable sound. My sense of touch came next, and with it, my sense of taste. I could feel my body lying in a bed. It felt as though the mattress was trying to be comfortable but was more focused on being firm, much like a hospital bed. Beyond that, my body felt strange, as though some things were missing, and others were added. A dryness in my mouth alerted me to the fact that I hadn't ingested any liquids recently. Then again, getting stabbed in the chest tends to leave one dehydrated. My sight returned to me, but I didn't open my eyes. All I could see was the darkness with a red tint to it, indicative of sunlight shining upon closed eyes.

I took a few moments to consider my situation. I should have been dead, yet I was breathing. It was surprisingly easy too.  What disturbed me the most was the fact that there was no pain in my chest, almost as if there was no stab wound. Cybernetics were a plausible explanation if Lord Jeremiah was any indication. But if I'd somehow survived Suzaku's assassination, I doubt the world would waste resources like that on me. Perhaps as a favor to Nunnally, but the fact remains; there's no way I could have survived a sword through the chest.

I was about to open my eyes to find out what was going on for myself when I heard the rattling of a doorknob. I decided to feign unconsciousness in the hopes that I could glean further information without having to deal with angry Japanese, Chinese or Brittanians chewing me out, demanding answers, recompense or compensation.  The sounds of strange footsteps filled my ears. It was as if a number of people wearing coconuts on their feet had entered the room. One set of hoof like steps stood out from the others, moving away from the crowd to the foot of my bed. No doubt the doctor, he or she sounded as if they'd picked up a clipboard from the end of the bed. A clearing of the throat revealed the doctor's gender.

"Patient is a 'John Doe'," he began. The scribbling of pencils over paper to my left told me all about the situation I'd found myself in: The others were either nurses or medical students. As 'John Doe' was the default name given to unidentified patients, they didn't recognize me as the world's enemy, which meant I was safe for the time being. "male Pegasus, estimated to be around seventeen to twenty years of age. Patient was submitted to Ponyville General Hospital and treated for stab wound to torso. Injury is believed to have been sustained during flight. Patient was found near the sight of that freak tornado North of town."

Perhaps my hearing hadn't returned to its proper condition after all? No, that didn't make sense. Everything else sounded just fine. The only inconsistency was his description of me. But as I thought about it, my body felt strangely like that of a Pegasus. How I knew that was beyond my comprehension. How was this possible?

Then it hit me: Could this be C's world? The collective will of humanity made real? If so, then why would I be anything other than human? Unless, C's world doesn't subscribe to the normal laws of nature that my own does? All sorts of questions filled my head. In the end, I came to the conclusion that C's world - when not turned into a weapon - was an alternate reality. Imagine an encyclopedia of the world and everything in it, then imagine it manifesting, but not in the right order. Perhaps in C's world, mythological creatures like Pegasi were the dominant race in place of humans?

The temptation to open my eyes and confirm my theory was torturous, but I wanted more information, and I wasn't sure if I still had my Geass. I tried clenching my fists, only to find that there was no familiar sensation of fingers curling inward. My toes also felt absent. I could feel an extra pair of limbs protruding from my back, but I dared not move anything that might give away my conscious state.

With nothing else to do, I listened to the doctor's report of my condition. Aside from a load of medical jargon that went over my head, the only useful information I could glean was that I was to be kept overnight and discharged the following morning. Somehow, my stab wound had been completely healed during my sleep. How long I'd been asleep was uncertain, but it would have had to have been a few weeks at least. Only a few minutes were spent discussing my situation before they all left. I took the chance to open my eyes and inspect my new form.

No amount of mental fortification could have prepared me for what I saw. A thin layer of indigo fur covered my entire body. Long, hoofed limbs replaced my arms and legs. When I heard I'd become a Pegasus, I hadn't expected to be so... animated. Carousel ponies were more realistic than me. Speaking of Pegasi, I didn't fail to notice my new limbs, a pair of feathered wings protruded from my back, just beneath the shoulder blades. Controlling them was surprisingly easy, and felt oddly natural. They seemed to be a decent size. The prospect of flying with these wings was as unnerving as it was exciting. Flying in a Knightmare frame was second nature to me, but actually relying on my own power to fly was admittedly terrifying.

I looked around the room, noticing the simple white colour scheme assaulting my eyes. It seemed I was alone. Further examination revealed a wall mounted mirror. Removing the bed sheets, I got to my hooves. My posture felt odd, yet somehow natural. This new body would take some getting used to, there was no doubt about that. I'd ridden horses before, and I tried to remember how they walked, how their muscles worked as they moved. Committing the walking pattern to memory, I started slow.

The first few steps went without a hitch, but the more I did it, the more I'd trip myself up. Luckily, I hadn't fallen. But the day wasn't over yet. Walking around the room, I soon began to get the knack for walking. I prayed I wouldn't have to run any time soon though. With basic movement out of the way, I turned and made my way to the mirror. It was a simple oval mirror big enough to show a person's bust close up. As I looked into the mirror, a pair of comically large violet eyes greeted me. Those eyes covered the better half of my face. It seemed the longer I spent learning about this place, the more ludicrous everything seemed. The only familiar feature was my light black hair.

Even still, the most important question needed to be answered; did I still have the power of Geass? When I died, my power had evolved to the point where I'd become like Mao, unable to turn it off. This promised a terrible situation. If I didn't have my Geass, I'd be defenceless in this unfamiliar world. Alternatively; if I did still have it, then that meant that this new body either reset it or suppressed it, meaning that activating it once again could render me unable to disable it afterwards.

Hesitating had proven consequential in the past. Without giving it much thought, I made to activate my Geass. To my mixed relief, both of my eyes began to glow and the familiar mark of Geass appeared within my irises. It was confirmed, I still had Geass. "Moment of truth." I said aloud as I made to disable my power. I hadn't known relief like this since I discovered Nunnally had survived that Fleija Suzaku used. My eyes returned to their normal violet hue. Two possibilities: Either my Geass had been weakened due to me occupying a new body, or my Geass had evolved to a point where I could control it at will once again. The former was more likely, but I was hoping for the latter. There was still so much I didn't know about Geass and what it could do. 'I'm starting to miss C.C.' I thought to myself.

"Oh, you're awake!" a voice said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned to see an off-white horse with a light pink mane and tail. She had a nurse's cap with a red cross on and a similar symbol on her flank.



The nurse proved to be an excellent starting point for information. Redheart explained that I'd been presumably caught in a tornado that went out of control North of the town, and supposedly, a stray bit of debris had impaled me. Of course, I knew better. What I didn't know was that this town was situated between Canterlot - the Capital of Equestria, and the most dangerous forest in the land. The tornado I was supposedly caught in came from there. She mentioned that the weather above the forest maintains itself. This told me that ponies -as I'd come to discover- controlled the weather, pegasi in particular.

Redheart also told me that this town was preparing to host a special event known as the 'Summer Sun Celebration'; an annual event that celebrates their monarch's reign. I made sure to sound as though I knew what she was talking about, but it was difficult to know what would seem like a strange topic to be ignorant about. I thought it safest to ask about the town as any out-of-towner would. This gave me knowledge of a few hotspots including a library, bakery and clothing store. Given that the majority of the population saw nudity as a general thing, I couldn't help but wonder how lucrative the clothing business was. But more importantly, there were sources of food and information.

The following day, I was discharged from the hospital after a final examination. I was asked to fill out a form with my details. Luckily, I'd seen some of the reception staff 'handle' a pen. Some used their mouths, others used their wings. The unicorns were lucky enough to have telekinesis to write with. The first time I saw the use of magic, I was surprised. I probably should have been more surprised, but my time with Geass - a magical power in its own right - must have desensitised me to it and helped me to get over it quicker.

The information wasn't difficult to fill out. It seemed 'Address' was an optional section, but 'name' was mandatory. I considered using my alias; Lelouch Lamprouge, but figured if this was a new world, there was no point in hiding my identity. So I filled out the name section: 'Lelouch Vi Brittania'.

As I took my first steps out into this new world, my eyes were assaulted with bright and strong colours. It looked like the background of some sort of paradise poster. There was even a rainbow in the sky... A moving rainbow... headed right for me. Oh no.

"Heads up!" a light raspy voice wailed as it got closer. I wasn't willing to go back to hospital, but I didn't want to be responsible for any deaths in this world. I had a clean slate here. 'Let's keep it that way.' I thought. I rose to my hind legs and reached out to try and catch the falling rainbow pony. Not a moment too soon. She flew right into my outstretched hooves and knocked me back with her. We rolled around a little before coming to a halt back inside the hospital. Luckily no-one was hurt. I found myself on my back with a cyan pegasus mare with a multicoloured mane and tail lying on top of me. 'That's one way to enter into the world.' I thought as the rainbow mare stared down at me.

"Sorry about that. You're the second pony I've crashed into today. What are the odds?" she said, stepping off and offering a hoof. I took it gratefully and rose to my hooves. Before I could answer, Nurse Redheart stormed up to the mare and began to chew her out.

"Miss Rainbow Dash, you should know better than to fly aimlessly around the hospital. You're lucky poor Mr. Lelouch here wasn't seriously injured. We just discharged him and here you come, nearly readmitting him all over again." the nurse was furious. She reminded me of Shirley for a moment. Hoping to avoid reminiscing about the past, I interjected.

"Please, nurse. It's alright. It's partly my fault anyway. I chose to catch miss Rainbow Dash instead of moving out of the way." I said, trying to calm the angry Earth pony down. The two mares turned to face me, Redheart with a conflicted expression and rainbow Dash with a sheepish one.

"Very well. I'll let her off the hook this time only because no pony was hurt. But I suggest you thank Lelouch properly, Rainbow. He very well may have saved your life at the risk of his own." With that, Nurse Redheart departed to resume her duties. The whole scenario attracted quite a crowd from the patients waiting to see their doctors. To avoid further embarrassment, I motioned for Rainbow Dash to lead the way out of the hospital. Still embarrassed, she lowered her head and quickly walked out with me close behind.

When we were back out in the open, she stopped and turned to me, clearly more chipper than before. "Hey, thanks for the save. Redheart's been on my case since that one time I crashed through the Dean of Medicine's office window." she said. 'Just how many times has she nearly killed herself flying?' I thought.

"You're welcome. But you've got to admit; she has a point. I mean what if next time you severely wound a patient? You could kill someone. You don't want that kind of baggage, trust me." I replied. Rainbow sighed, looking defeated.

"Yeah, I know," she said. "I just don't want to be too far from town. I mean, I'm confident in my flying skills, but when you're practicing new aerial maneuvers, no matter how tallented you are, you gotta be somewhere where somepony can see and get to you. In case the worst happens, you know?" she asked. In that short amount of time, I got a clear idea of who this pony was. She wasn't just some witless thrillseeker. She was smarter than that. Survival often depended on the aid of others. If she were to practice her maneuvers out of sight of anyone, should the worst happen, her chances of being found before she succumbed to her wounds were significantly low. Rainbow Dash was a professional flyer. She just needed a better system.

"Perhaps you should take someone with you when you go out flying, that way, it won't matter how far out you go, you'll have a good chance of surviving a bad crash." I suggested. Rainbow Dash thought about it before smiling.

"Sounds like a plan, thanks." she replied. A moment later, she was rubbing the back of her head. "Listen, I know Redheart already kinda introduced us, but I just want to give it another try. I'm Rainbow Dash. I captain Ponyville's weather team and some day, I'm gonna be a Wonderbolt." she offered her hoof. I took it with a kind smile.

"Nice to meet you, Rainbow Dash. I'm Lelouch Vi Brittania. I actually travelled from beyond Equestria's borders and I'm looking to learn about this land. I'm kinda between jobs at the moment, and I'm not a very strong flyer." I said. My admission was a gamble. Knowing next to nothing about this world, I had to assume there were countries or provinces other than Equestria that housed ponies. It seemed like it payed off. Rainbow didn't seem the least bit confused by my origin.

"Well, if you want, I'll help you find a job here in town after the Summer Sun Celebration. I'm so excited! The Wonderbolts are going to be doing an aerial show for the celebration." her personality suddenly shifted to that of an excited child. Or Rivals. I chuckled at her antics.

"Sounds good to me." I replied. Rainbow Dash decided to introduce me to some of her friends in town. First stop was a place called Sweet Apple Acres.

"By the way, what kind of a name is Lelouch?"
> 2. Surprise!!!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

So it appears Rainbow Dash's intelligence was limited to basic aerodynamics and occupational health and safety. It didn't take much to glean more information out of her regarding the Wonderbolts. At first, I thought they might be some kind of local or national sports team, but it turns out that they're more like a stunt team that doubles as a military air force. Equestria's own knights of the round, without the knighthoods. Of course, this was only speculation. The term 'Ignorance is bliss' was obviously coined by a fool who had no idea what he was talking about. Ironic if you think about it. I hated not knowing how things worked in this world. Knowledge was power in any world, and I was severely powerless. Geass could only get me so far, this I knew from personal experience. It was a safety net.

We only spoke for a few minutes as the scent of apples filled the air. Turns out, Rainbow had a weakness for apple cider as that was all she began to talk about while picking up the pace. Given I had yet to learn to fly, I had difficulty keeping up the pace. If my running was anything to go by, I may just wind up being a weak flyer even after learning how to do so. This scenario reminded me of better times when I would chase after Suzaku. Much like Rainbow Dash, he was always a fitness freak. Although, Suzaku was smarter than her. I couldn't help but chuckle at the comparison as I gasped for air running slowly after her. One would think having the body of a horse would improve one's stamina.

"Boy are you slow?!" Rainbow Dash teased as she leaned against the entrance to the farm. It was a simple wooden archway with basic wood fencing on either side. The sign for 'Sweet Apple Acres' hung from the top of the archway. The pegasus I had been following looked at me with gloating pride all over her face. I was wrong to compare her to Suzaku. Like him, Rainbow was clearly passionate about what she loved, but Suzaku was never one to gloat, at least not in a derisive manner.

"I...told you...I'm not...a strong...flyer!" I said between gasps. "I don't...exercise...very...often. No...STAMINA!!!" I collapsed to the ground. I hadn't been this exhausted since Arthur found my mask at the academy. I was starting to wish for death all over again. All I could hear besides my own heavy breathing was Rainbow's laughter.

"I think Fluttershy's an even stronger flyer than you." she commented after calming down from her laughter. One thing I noticed about the ponies so far was that their names seemed to tie in closely with their occupations and/or their personality types. If that trend continued, I should endeavour to avoid upsetting this one like I did Nina.

"I'll refrain from taking offense until I've met the girl." I replied. Rainbow Dash just chuckled before waving over to another pony. I looked ahead to see an orange Earth Pony mare  in a stetson hat trotting towards us.

As if to complete the ensemble, she spoke with a distinctly Southern accent. "Howdy, Y'all!" the mare addressed us. At first she looked to Rainbow Dash with a friendly smile before looking down at me with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, Rainbow, why is there a pegasus sprawled out the front of my farm?" she asked, looking back to her friend.

"Hey AJ. Sorry about him, dude has no stamina." she replied. Although it was true, I was really starting to miss fingers. I'd have liked very much to show her one in particular. The orange mare, AJ just chuckled before offering a hoof towards me. I took it graciously, taking one final deep breath before returning to normal.

Thanking AJ, she then introduced herself using her full name; Applejack. As expected, the apple farmer's name was synonymous with her occupation. Such a connection could prove useful should the need for subversion arise. When introductions were out of the way, Applejack gave me a tour of  the farm. It seemed AJ's family was in charge of food preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration. Looking at the farm, it was pretty standard; with its big red barn, wooden household and various fenced off areas for various farm animals. A few corn fields near the entrance to the farm promised at least a modicum of variety. Speaking of variety, AJ's family was just as diverse, not to mention numerous. Knowing very little about this world, I couldn't help but wonder if in-breeding would account for the sheer number of 'Apples' I'd had the awkward pleasure of being introduced to. Hoping for my new rainbow maned friend to save me, I discovered she had a penchant for the Apple family's cider. I didn't know how often she'd drink the stuff, but it would certainly explain her crashing into me in the first place.

As it turns out, children can be very curious, annoyingly so. I'd explained my situation as best I could without giving my true origins away. I explained how I was from beyond Equestria and how I'd been caught in the tornado and wound up in Ponyville. I even went on to explain my encounter with Rainbow Dash. All the while, I was assaulted with questions from a particularly inquisitive young 'Applebloom'. "Where'd you come from?" "How'd you survive the tornado?" "Why aren't you still in the hospital?" The urge to silence her with my Geass was ever growing, but I'd decided to reserve Geass for emergencies. While magic was commonplace in this world, I didn't know enough about the subject to reveal my own little gift. Thankfully, the filly's tirade of questions were finally silenced by AJ as she offered to feed me. I graciously accepted and was treated to a selection of various apple-based foods. Strangely enough, not a corn cob in sight. Not even a kernel.

A few apple pastries and a thoroughly drunk Rainbow Dash later, and I was on my way to the library. I said my goodbyes to the Apples and Rainbow Dash, then departed towards the large tree near the centre of town. I decided to make a mental checklist as I walked. 'Step one: Reach the library. Step two: research various historical events to get a better sense of the world I'm living in. In addition, look for topics they're particularly familiar with and more importantly, topics and places they're not familiar with; this will make it easier for me to formulate a backstory without arousing suspicion. Step three: look for lodging and a job. Nothing is free. These ponies may be feeling generous now, but the Summer Sun Celebration won't last forever.' As with everything in life, knowledge was a great source of power. Back home, I had that power. I had knowledge, I had a philosophy and I had a cause. What knowledge I didn't have, I gained as time went on. As I'd learned; the most vital element in battle is the human one.

My train of thought was cut off as I made it to the library. Reaching for the door handle, I was instead met with a lavender hoof. I traced the hoof to its owner and gazed upon a unicorn mare around my age with a deep blue mane and tail. Purple and pink highlights caused an optical illusion that would cause one to believe her mane was purple instead of blue. Her indigo eyes met mine and we both paused, unsure how to proceed. Upon inspection, I noticed the starburst symbol on her flank. 'An astronomer?' I thought. The mare was the first to break the awkward silence.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you the librarian?" she asked. 'Whatever gave her that impression? It doesn't matter. I can't afford to break character just yet.' I thought as I smiled sweetly at the mare. Time to play the role of Lelouch Lamperouge.

"Oh, no. I'm not the librarian. I just arrived in town yesterday, so to speak. I get the sense you're not a local either?" I asked. The lavender mare let out an exhausted sigh. She explained that she'd been sent over from Canterlot by Princess Celestia to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. "And make some friends!" a small dragon added whom I'd failed to notice previously.

"Hey, I'm Spike. This is Twilight Sparkle; she's Princess Celestia's top student and personal protégé." the young dragon went on. "She's also the youngest pony ever to Graduate from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns." As Spike listed Twilight's achievements, the lavender mare began to blush, growing redder with every achievement. 'Bashful, good to know.' I thought.

"Lovely titles. My name is Lelouch. I thought I'd kill some time with a book or two until the celebration. Would you care to join me?" It made little difference to me whether or not this mare was present or not. My real concern was whether or not I could read the language. If not, I could request her assistance, using my vague foreign status as an excuse. This would allow for a dialogue between us and if what the young dragon said was true, it would allow me to make a connection with someone of importance. Should I need to cement myself anywhere, making friends with royalty, or in this case, those close to royalty would ease the process. Politics 101: Connections lead to convenience.

On her end, Twilight seemed excited about the prospect, though the reason why escaped me. "This is perfect! Perhaps you could help me with something? I've been researching this prophecy, and I believe it will come true during the Summer Sun Celebration. This cannot be allowed to happen!" she replied. I see, so she had similar ideas about using me for her own benefit. And she beat me to it. Perhaps the friendship I plan to create between us will be a genuine one. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself.

"A prophecy? You've piqued my interest, Twilight Sparkle. Do tell me more." I offered, finally opening the library door and motioning for her to go first. She smiled and nodded her thanks before entering, dragon in tow. It was then that I noticed another pony watching from behind where Twilight had been. A butter yellow pegasus with a long flowing light pink mane. Her posture and the fact that she seemed to try and hide behind her mane revealed that she was incredibly timid. I held in a gasp as yet another comparison entered my mind. While not quite as shy as the pegasus before me, she bore a striking resemblance to Nunnally. I sucked in a deep involuntary breath and just stared at the ever increasing mare. It was obvious I'd lost my composure around her as she began to silently whimper.

It took me a good five seconds before I could compose myself. By then, I knew whatever damage my initial reaction had caused would be difficult to come back from, but I felt obligated to try. It wasn't her fault that she reminded me of my sister. It might be best to let her know that was why I reacted to her the way I had, but I didn't have the heart to even mention Nunnally even in passing. Perhaps she would ask about it later when I was more emotionally prepared. So instead, I just cleared my throat and put on my proverbial mask, smiling sweetly at the mare.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you with Twilight?" I asked. The timid pegasus didn't respond, but merely hesitated before she gave a slight nod. "Then please, join us." I offered. Once again, hesitation set in.

"I-I wouldn't want to intrude..." she stuttered. I raised a brow at this comment.

"It's a public library; by definition, you can't intrude. Unless you wanted entry outside working hours of course." I said, trying to calm her. It didn't seem to work all that well, yet she made to move for the entrance. She slowly tiptoed past me, only hurrying once she had passed my person. I felt like a prison warden leading an innocent prisoner into their cell.

"SURPRISE!!!" a cacophony of voices sounded all at once. The darkness of the Library had escaped my notice until I'd closed the door behind us. At the sudden sound, lights flashed on to reveal a party setup. The next thing I saw was Twilight standing beside me and the yellow Pegasus reaching to hold onto me for safety. Once she did, she clung tightly; too tightly. She may have been shy, but she was really strong. The surprised extension of my wings compounded my pain as the mare's hooves were wrapped around them too, constricting them.

It seemed as though the entire town of Ponyville was present, Applejack and Rainbow Dash included. 'How did they get here before me without me noticing?' I thought to myself. Before I could think further, what I could only describe as cotton candy brought to life appeared before Twilight and myself, introducing herself as Pinkie Pie before going off on a flurry of unintelligible ramblings. Twilight cantered over to the table with the drinks on it and poured herself a glass of something. Pinkie Pie kept spouting gibberish that was too fast for me to comprehend. She concluded her verbal diarrhea of the mouth with the claim that Twilight and I had lots of new friends, to which Rainbow Dash, Applejack and the Nunnally lookalike, as well as one more unicorn mare I'd yet to meet gathered around the pink mare as if to prove that point.

Suddenly, Twilight seemed to tear up in response. AJ asked if she was alright, as Twilight's face began to glow bright red. Next thing I knew, Twilight's mane and tail were on fire and she darted off upstairs. "Aww! she's so happy, she's crying." Pinkie said.

"I get the feeling that's not why she was crying." I replied, looking at the table. Taking a closer look at the bottle Twilight had poured into her cup, I saw a flame logo with a few scribblings I couldn't read. But I could guess what it was. "She drank hotsauce." I concluded. All but Pinkie Pie winced at that. Instead, Pinkie took the bottle and poured some of the sauce on a cupcake before wrapping her tongue around it and retracting the hot baked good into her mouth. Everything she had just done defied the laws of physics.

"I see you met Lelouch, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said, changing the subject. My attention went to Rainbow Dash who seemed to be addressing the yellow pegasus who came in with me. "Can you believe he might be an even worse flier than you are?" she asked, laughing at the memory. Fluttershy looked as though she wanted to say something, but one glance at me silenced her. I decided I would have to speak instead.

"And exactly which one of us is supposed to be more insulted by that, Rainbow Dash?" I asked. Rainbow stopped laughing. I could tell she realised her mistake.

"I-I didn't mean it like that! I was just saying-."

I decided to interrupt her and go on the offensive. "Rainbow Dash! Tell me, what is a Pegasus?" I asked. She tilted her head slightly, showing confusion. I pressed on.  "Is it the wings that make us what we are? Is it the fact that we alone can fly unaided? What's your definition of Flight, is it just speed and precision?" Whilst the party went on, the surrounding mares were deathly silent as I railed into this multichromatic pegasus.

Finally, she responded; "Of course not, there's so much more to a Pegasus than just flight. And Speed and Precision play a big part in a Pegasus' life, but they're not the be-all-end-all." she replied, trying to escape from my trap.

"So you would agree with me then that it doesn't matter how good or bad a flyer Fluttershy or myself may be, so long as we can fly. Even then, if we couldn't fly, we still wouldn't be the lesser for it, yes? " I asked. Rainbow Dash landed on the ground, ears drooped and head hung low. She mumbled an agreement and just stood there, defeated. "Good. Now then; I think you owe Fluttershy and myself an apology." I said. I made sure to keep my tone serious and my eyes baring down on her to get across the severity of her blunder. This didn't go unnoticed.

"I'm sorry, guys. I didn't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with you both being weak flyers or that stronger flyers like me were better in any way. I just thought that it might boost Fluttershy's confidence if she knew she wasn't the weakest flyer in town." she said. She was trying to save face with the excuse about Fluttershy's confidence, but I wasn't about to let her have it.

"Boost her confidence at the expense of my own? How would that be fair?" I asked.

Rainbow Dash hung her head again. "It wouldn't, I'm sorry." she said. It then occurred to me that an opportunity might be present at this junction in time. A smile spread across my face.

"Then I'll consider the matter closed. If I feel like improving my flying skills, I'll come to you for pointers. Sound good?" I asked. Rainbow looked up at me, clearly thankful that I was throwing her a lifeline. She smiled in return.

"Absolutely!" she said, returning to her chipper self. I nodded my head to her, signaling that the matter was closed. I then turned around, sneaking a glance at Fluttershy and winking mischievously at her. She caught on to what I had done and giggled in response. Ice broken. This was a piece of cake. With Rainbow Dash promising to teach me to fly better, should I desire to learn, all I would have to do is learn the basics of flying on my own before going to her for further training.

I decided to go and see Twilight and help however I could with the prophecy she mentioned earlier. She hadn't been given the opportunity to give me the details surrounding it, but it seemed urgent. Not to mention intriguing. As I left the small group, I heard a few of them chuckle at the situation. "Looks like you got yer wings handed to you, sugarcube." AJ said.

"Remind me not to tick that guy off." Rainbow said with a sigh of defeat. I just smiled at the result and looked up the stairs to the next floor. 'Now then...'
> 3. Nightmare Moon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stood at the threshold. The only obstacle was a door. On the other side was Twilight. Her link to this nation's royalty made her my top priority. If that meant getting close to her and developing a friendship or some other kind of connection, then that's what I would do. However, the best way to do that it seemed was beyond my capabilities. She requested my aid in helping her uncover more information about a prophecy. The problem was, I couldn't read their language if that bottle of hot sauce was anything to go by. How infuriating; I sought two things: knowledge and connections, and I couldn't get either without the other.

I thought of how I might be able to avoid my inability to read getting out. I was lucky enough with the flying, but reading was an entirely different... Of course, it was so simple. I'd already established with Rainbow Dash that I was from beyond Equestria. Usually, different nations or countries had different languages, written or otherwise. I could use my foreign lineage as a reason as to why I couldn't read their language. Of course, explaining that to Twilight might prove to be a double-edged sword. She was obviously the studious type. She was intelligent, inquisitive. She might ask me where I came from. All she knew was that I was from out of town. I'd yet to specify to her how far 'out of town' I was. There lay another conundrum: how much of this world had they explored? Could I get away with making up a country? Nurse Redheart had mentioned this nation's capitol; Canterlot. That sounded an awful lot like Camelot. Too much to be a coincidence. I couldn't risk creating a fictional country for my origin, even if it wasn't really fictional. I needed more information, and that was the problem. A Paradox; how do you proceed when you need information to get information?

Conclusion: If you can't work your way forward, go backwards. What did I already know? Twilight mentioned a prophecy. She'd not had the chance to give me the specifics. I could ask about it, but she would then expect me to help her research. Perhaps I could help her in some other regard, but it was unlikely. So, current information regarding the prophecy was useless. What else? The Wonderbolts seemed a popular discussion topic among Pegasi. But Twilight was not a Pegasus. It would be unlikely that she would enjoy discussing them, besides, the Prophecy seemed her top priority. My attempts to change the subject would be poorly met. What else? The Summer Sun Celebration? Redheart had mentioned their sole monarch, Princess Celestia. Spike had mentioned Twilight being connected to the Princess. Such a connection would seem to be a topic of discussion Twilight wouldn't pass up. Then again, the dynamic between the Princess and Twilight was entirely unknown to me. For all I knew, Twilight could feel resentment towards the Princess; she could feel held back by her.

It seemed for every potential path I could take, there was a proverbial log on the road. Nevertheless, discussing the prophecy seemed the more logical route. With that, there was potential for more information. So taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door to the room Twilight resided in. At first, I heard nothing, so I knocked again.

"I'm busy!" came a reply. Even muffled, she sounded annoyed. I adopted a kind and casual voice which I would often use around my friends.

"It's Lelouch. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help you with your project?" I said. Less than a second later, the door flew open, a lavender hoof grabbed me by the scruff and I was hurled into the room, the door being forcibly closed behind me. The sudden motion gave me slight vertigo and I leaned forward, expecting to hit the ground, but instead leaned into fur. She said nothing as I took a moment to regain my balance. Our eyes met and I could see her blush. I straightened myself up and cleared my throat. "Sorry about that, got a little vertigo there. Thanks for the catch." I said.

"Don't mention it," she replied. She was quick to cover up her embarrassment over the situation as she turned back towards the desk she was working from. A quick glance around the room revealed that this was a bedroom. I prayed no-one saw Twilight reel me in so enthusiastically. God knows what they would think. "You said you wanted to help with my project?" she asked. I nodded in response. She was clearly checking to see if my offer was genuine when she asked that, so I let her know it was.

"I never got the specifics of this prophecy you mentioned. Could you tell me about it?" I asked.

Twilight blushed again. I could tell that whatever she was about to reveal would seem unbelievable to anyone who knew about it. "There's this tale called 'The Mare in the Moon'. It's an old myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal!" The mare paused, presumably to let the information sink in and gauge my reaction.

"That brings to mind a question I've had since I found out about Princess Celestia; If she's responsible for raising and lowering both the sun and the moon, then why-."

"Is her cutie mark only the sun? I wondered that myself, and that's how I came to the conclusion that the Mare in the Moon is real." she interrupted. I wasn't aware of the Princess' cutie mark. What I'd planned on asking was why her whole theme seemed to be exclusively that of the sun. Why not include the moon in her theme? But now that Twilight had enlightened me about her mentor's cutie mark, that question seemed more appropriate. "I did some research, and I came across an ancient text that detailed a second ruler of Equestria. The text is as follows." she then showed me one of the many books she had piled on her desk. Fortunately, I didn't have to read it, because she stood uncomfortably close beside me and transcribed it aloud for me.

"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon."

"Nightmare Moon? It's a little on the nose, don't you think?" I asked, to which Twilight giggled. She then continued on with her text.

"She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon.And harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since." She snapped the book shut. "Obviously, the connection between this and the tale of the Mare in the Moon is the Elements of Harmony, but I'm scouring my limited collection of books in this room, and I can't find a single reference to them." she said. Immediately, I could sense her frustration.

"So stop looking for the time being and focus on the rest of the story," I said. She gave me a blank look. "We can safely assume that the Mare in the Moon is in fact Nightmare Moon, but who was she before that?" I asked.

Twilight gasped in realization. "Princess Celestia's sister!" she replied.

"Precisely. Now, as her student or protégé, she may well provide you with information not known to the public. Has she ever mentioned her past before, specifically anything relating to her sister?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, no. Princess Celestia doesn't really discuss her past, unless it's related to the lesson plans she set out for-." a pause. Her eyes seemed to portray realisation and uncertainty. A shot in the dark. "Wait, there might be something..." she continued, searching her shelf for the book she wanted. I waited patiently. Eventually, she found the book she was looking for and flicked through its pages, resting on an entry, she turned the book to me and practically shoved it in my face.

"There. The castle of the two sisters. I remember the Princess telling me once that Canterlot wasn't always the capitol of Equestria, it was further South. The castle of the two sisters was their first home. She didn't tell me what it was called, or why she moved, but after finding all this out, it's obvious why she moved to Canterlot. I always figured she just wanted a change of scenery." she said.

I closed the book and put it to rest on the nearby desk. "Halfway up a mountain would certainly change the scenery. But where is the old castle?" I asked. Twilight visibly deflated, her head lowering to the ground.

"I don't know. The books don't mention a location and Princess Celestia never told me. To top it off, anypony who might have known has been dead for around nine hundred and fifty years, give or take." that took me a moment to register. 'Exactly how old is this princess?' I thought.

"From what you said earlier, it seems Princess Celestia isn't intent on sharing that information with you, which means..." I paused. It seems Twilight was right to focus on researching the Elements All other avenues were lost to time or beyond our reach. "I've served to hinder your investigation, rather than help it." I concluded, looking to the visibly distraught mare. Her features seemed to soften at my admission and she walked up to me, placing a hoof on my shoulder.

She smiled as she looked me in the eye. "No, you haven't. You've helped connect a few dots in the  puzzle, and I'm grateful for that. Now we know who the Mare in the Moon truly is, and that could help us in the long run. Thank you, Lelouch." she said. I couldn't help but look into her eyes. How strange; that a pony of all creatures would try to cheer me up. Merely days ago, I'd have written the notion off as ludicrous. Yet here we were, trying to raise each others' spirits. I found myself unable to help but return the smile.

"At least you can cross off one more thing on your checklist." I said. Her smile faded, and a tilted look of confusion replaced it. My smile however, widened as I explained what I meant. "If I recall, it was the last thing on the list." I hinted. Twilight's eyes moved from left to right a few times, indicating that she was 'looking back' at the list in her head. Realisation struck her and she smiled mischievously at me. "I'd be happy to call you my friend, Twilight." I said.

A chuckle escaped her lips before she sighed in mock defeat. "I feel the same way, Lelouch." she replied. Before we could go on, the bedroom door opened to reveal the little dragon, Spike. He had what appeared to be a decorated lampshade on his head, a streamer or two hanging from the opening at the top.

"Come on, Twilight! It's time to watch the sunrise. You too Lelouch." he motioned us to follow with his arm before heading back out. Another chuckle was shared between us before Twilight made for the door. As I followed behind, I couldn't help but beam inwardly at my accomplishment. I'd done it; by connecting with Twilight and becoming her friend, I'd essentially managed to put a foot in the door towards meeting the princess, or a 'hoof in the door' as the case may be. With a connection established, all I had to do was work on my friendship with Twilight, and eventually work my way up to Celestia. Politics at its finest. After all; it's all about who you know.





Twilight and I stood next to each other alongside a number of other ponies with Spike sitting comfortably on the unicorn's back. The venue for the Summer Sun Celebration was in Town Hall. Everything from Unicorn's to Earth Ponies to Pegasi were present. Various ponies were chatting away to each other, waiting patiently for the celebration ceremony to begin. As it was my first Summer Sun Celebration, I had no clue as to how it would proceed, however, I didn't seem to be standing out in any way shape or form. There didn't seem to be any kind of segregation between the races, with the exception being that most of the Pegasi were airborne, but I believed that was merely a choice.

Without warning, Pinkie Pie zoomed up to us both from out of nowhere and began talking in rapid succession, mainly to Twilight. "Isn't this exciting? Are you excited? 'cause I'm excited. I've never been so excited. Well, except for the time that I saw you walking into town, and I went *gasp* but I mean, really, who can top that?"

Before either of us could form a response, the chorus began to sound. Another familiar face stood out to me. The shy pegasus from the party seemed to be conducting the chorus of birds. Her technique was evident in the harmonious tune of the birds. Such a unique skill, to be able to train birds to sing on command and in harmony. Then again, this could be a skill common to all ponies. After all, they were all still animals.

A spotlight suddenly burst on and made its way down the stage curtains to a beige mare with a silver mane and tail that looked a little like whipped cream. The mare wore a teal cravat and half-frame spectacles. Compared to the other ponies present, she seemed a mare out of time. As the spotlight rested on her, she began to address all present.

"Fillies and gentlecolts," 'So there is a hell, and I'm living it.' I thought. "As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration." all ponies present immediately began to cheer, eliminating any possibility of the mayor being heard further until the noise died down. I looked over to Twilight who did not join in the festive cheering, but seemed rather on edge. I knew why, of course.

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this, the longest day of the year." The mayor began again. 'Ah, so it's a solstice celebration'. I concluded. "And now, it's my great honour to introduce to you the ruler of our land," My eyes had not left Twilight since the cheering started. With every passing second, she seemed more and more agitated. I noticed her look up at the moon a second ago. I did the same and noticed something peculiar. I'd managed to see the moon once before from my bed the night before I was released from hospital. There was a distinct pattern of craters in the shape of a mare's head on the face of the moon back then. Yet now, as I looked through the open window of the town hall, I saw no such pattern. The realization hit me straight away and I looked to Twilight before my attention was pulled back to the mayor.

"The very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria... Princess Celestia!" All eyes were drawn upwards to the booth above the stage as Rarity, another guest at the party, pulled open the curtains hiding Princess Celestia. The chorus of birds began anew as the curtains parted, only to die down as no pony, princess or otherwise was waiting behind the curtains. Rarity seemed just as surprised as the rest of us. Murmuring began to sound throughout the hall. My gaze returned to Twilight as she spoke.

"This can't be good." I had to agree. Though the disappearance of the princess didn't bother me so much as the 'mare in the moon'. I filtered out the mayor's attempts to calm the gathered ponies and began to think about how to proceed. Like any other pony, I was looking forward to seeing Princess Celestia, though probably for different reasons. I wanted to get an idea of who this ruling monarch was. They say a picture paints a thousand words. So how many words can be divined from a demonstration of one's public image and power?

"Ooh, ooh, I love guessing games. Is she hiding?" Pinkie blurted out, distracting me from my train of thought. As I began to wonder how such a pony was real, Rarity got everyone else's attention.

"She's gone!" she said.

A chorus of gasps from the attendees filled the room for a moment. 'Of course she's gone. If she weren't, she'd have been waiting behind the curtain as choreographed. And after ruling for a thousand years or so, I doubt she has stagefright.' I thought to myself. "Ooh, she's good." Pinkie continued. I looked at the pink mare with disbelief. How could a pony be so...idiotic? 'I miss Rivals.' I thought. I was lurched out of my thoughts once more by Pinkie's sudden scream. She was looking up at the booth where Rarity was. I followed her gaze and saw it; a plume of glittering blue smoke appeared that appeared to expand in seconds.

"Oh, no." Twilight whispered. Immediately afterward, the smoke separated into two, revealing a pitch black mare twice as tall as any other I'd seen. That blue smoke inhabited where her mane and tail were supposed to be. A light blue regalia donned her chest and head. This mare was like nothing else I'd ever seen. Closer inspection revealed a dark purple patch on her flank with a crescent moon for a cutie mark. Slitted teal eyes looked down on us all. What struck me the most was the addition of wings as well as a particularly long horn. An alicorn, if my knowledge of mythological creatures was accurate.

"So that's her... Nightmare moon." I whispered to Twilight. She lowered her head in fear and muttered a simple affirmation to me. Spike understandably fainted at this realisation. It was then that the dark alicorn addressed us.

"Oh, my beloved subjects; it's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces." That one sentence revealed everything I needed to know about this mare. And because I knew what I did, I was no longer afraid. However, the world was still new to me, and I was not about to stand out from the crowd any time soon. For the time being, I remained silent. If only everyone else did the same.

"What did you do with our princess?! Rainbow Dash demanded of the nightmare. She then made to charge the alicorn, but thankfully, Applejack managed to grab her by the tail and stop her.

"Slow down, nelly."

For Nightmare Moon's part, she seemed unphased by Rainbow's authoritative voice and began to laugh. "Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?" at that question, Nightmare Moon's expression changed from passive happiness to passive anger. Clearly, the idea of having been forgotten was not a pleasant one to her.

"Ooh, ooh! More guessing games. Um, Hokey Smokes. How about Queen Meanie? No. Black Snooty, Black snooty!" before another word could be uttered from Pinkie's mouth, Applejack, still holding Rainbow Dash back by the tail, managed to shove a cupcake into Pinkie's mouth, cutting her off from further guesses. 'Wish I'd thought of that.'

Nightmare made her way over to Fluttershy, scaring her birds away. "Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?" 'That's usually how these things go. Kingdoms rise and fall with their monarchs; although, this was more like a diarchy, and it still stands thanks to Celestia.' I thought. She then made her way back over to Rarity, her ethereal mane acting as an appendage as a coil snaked its way under her chin. "Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?" she asked. My focus was solely on Nightmare Moon that I was visibly startled when Twilight suddenly spoke out right beside me.

"I did, and I know who you are. You're the mare in the moon, Nightmare Moon." she said with determination. A chorus of gasps seemed to be the running theme of this evening, nevermind the Summer Sun Celebration. Nightmare moon seemed visibly pleased to have been recognised.

"Well, well, well. Somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here." she responded. Twilight visibly shrank away.

"You're here to...to..." she gulped.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Twilight. She'd predicted the return of Nightmare moon, and obsessed over finding a way to defeat her. Even still, she was not prepared to face her. "To cast Equestria into eternal night." I said, finishing for her. My eyes locked onto Nightmare moon, and hers onto mine. A smug smile donned her face. With that one glance, we had exchanged knowledge. She knew I wasn't afraid of her, and she and I both knew why.

A sinister chuckle turned into a laugh. "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!" her sinister laughter turned maniacal as her mane and tail expanded into a stormcloud of glittering blue smoke. Lightning struck as she laughed. Nightmare Moon was certainly the theatrical type.

While most ponies were frozen stiff, I had to admire the mayor who was the first to respond. She pointed at the dark princess. "Seize her! Only she knows where the princess is!" Three Pegasus stallions clad in golden armour took flight and charged at Nightmare Moon. I took a moment to memorise the motion patterns of their wings before the enemy intervened.

"Stand back, you fools!" she commanded. Suddenly, her eyes glowed and lightning seemed to strike towards the guards, blocking their assault on the alicorn and knocking them to the ground. An instant later, the glowing storm cloud ceased and encompassed Nightmare Moon. Her body no longer present, a sliver of blue cloud shot past the ponies and out the front door.
> 4 The Everfree Forest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the ponies in town hall had lost their composure and had begun a mass panic. Rainbow Dash went flying after the blue streak of smoke. "Come back here!" she shouted. Twilight managed to get Spike to wake back up. The little dragon returned to his place upon her back.

"We have to get back to the library. The answers have to be in there, especially now since Princess Celestia has gone who knows where." she said, addressing me. I nodded and ran after her as she led the way back to the library.

Very little was said between us on the way there. Every now and then, I had to help stop Spike from falling off of Twilight due to fatigue. He'd been up all night like the rest of us, yet his fainting spell had allowed him to sleep just a little. And once sleep had begun, waking up so soon afterwards was like trying to stay awake after being given a general anaesthetic.

When we got inside, Twilight placed the little dragon into a makeshift basket bed. The poor thing was half asleep already. "We gotta stop Nightmare..." he drowsily muttered before finally letting sleep overtake him. Twilight threw a small blanket over him.

"You've been up all night, Spike. You are a baby dragon, after all." she said, turning to see me waiting by the doorway. I moved to let her pass before flicking off the light and closing the door behind us.

"I'll go make us some coffee. I have a feeling we'll be here a while. I'd say all night, but..." I trailed off, hoping my joke would put her at ease even a little. It seemed she wasn't even listening as she began to go through book titles like a thing possessed.

"Elements, Elements, Elements. Ugh! How can I stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?" she began.

Suddenly, she had a face full of rainbow. "And just what are the Elements of Harmony?" she demanded, pushing further and forcing Twilight to backpedal. "And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh? Are you a spy?" she asked accusingly. Before I could ream Rainbow Dash out for making such accusations without proof, she was yanked back by Applejack who had a mouthful of her tail. A recurring theme between them, I should think. 'Perhaps I should make a count of how many times it happens. So far we're at two that I've seen.'

"Woah. Simmer down, Sally. She ain't no spy. But she sure knows what's going on. Don't you Twilight?" Applejack asked, joined by a small group of mares. Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash took position behind her above Pinkie, that suspicious glare never leaving her face.

Twilight had inadvertently backed up into a corner beside me. I placed a wing over her back to try and reassure her. With a deep breath, she began to tell the girls what she knew. "I read all about the prediction of Nightmare moon. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only thing that can stop her. But I don't know what they are, or where to find them. I don't even know what they do."

"The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide." Pinkie suddenly said, all eyes turning to her. In the blink of an eye, Twilight was there, visibly mowing Pinkie over to see where she was looking. I fought off a chuckle as Pinkie went flying.

"How did you find that?" Twilight asked.

Pinkie began bouncing past as she replied in a singsongy voice. "It was under 'E'!"

"Oh." Twilight blushed. 'You seriously didn't think to look under "E"? I can't read, what's your excuse?' I thought, holding back the urge to protest. It seems that in Twilight's case, the simpler things are, the harder it is for her to comprehend. A serial overthinker. Useful for trying to take over the world, not so much for trying to save it. Twilight pulled the book out; it was red with a golden inlay, the image of a unicorn's head printed on the cover surrounded by a ring of six diamond shapes. "There are six elements of harmony, but only five are known; Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the royal pony sisters. It is located in what is now..." there was a pause. Somehow, we'd found our way to the edge of... "The Everfree Forest?!"

"I remember Nurse Redheart mentioning the forest. A mysterious place where magic runs wild and the weather is uncontrollable." I said, playing the foreigner card.

"That about sums it up, Sugarcube." Applejack replied.

Pinkie was irrationally excited to be going into the forest. "Whee, let's go!" she said before moving to take a step in.

Twilight however, had other plans. "Not so fast. Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'd really rather do this on my own." Well that was never going to happen. 'I'm too invested in you to let you die in there, Twilight.' I thought to myself.

"No can do Sugarcube. We sure ain't letting any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. We're sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple." Applejack replied, earning a chorus of agreements from the others and a comment from Pinkie which I chose to ignore.

"You didn't really think I'd let you go in there alone, did you?" I asked, looking at Twilight. She didn't respond. She just looked ahead, a worried expression painting her features. "Besides, I have a feeling about those girls. They may prove useful yet." I said, resting a wing over her back and leading her in. With a sigh, she followed alongside me.





"So, none of you have been in here before?" Twilight asked as we walked carefully and quietly through the mysterious forest.

Rarity was the one to answer. "Oh. H-heavens, no. Just look at it. It's dreadful!" her voice began to take on a whimpering tone.

"And it ain't natural. Folks say it don't work the same as Equestria." Applejack added.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight inquired.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash emerged from the shadows, a scary look on her face. "No pony knows." she began, landing on the ground and beginning to stalk towards Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie like a predator. "You know why?"

"Rainbow, quit it!" Applejack exclaimed, trying to spare the girls the unnecessary fright.

"'cause every pony who's ever come in has never come... OUT!" Rainbow sprung up out of nowhere. Suddenly, the ground broke from underneath and the girls were sent tumbling down with the exception of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Despite my sudden rush of fear, I noticed an eerily familiar plume of blue smoke emerge from the now broken ground and escape behind the pegasi.

It wasn't a steep drop, but more of a steep slope. We were all sliding down towards the edge, where a long drop would surely kill us. I watched as Rainbow managed to grab Pinkie and Fluttershy managed to get Rarity's tail. Applejack caught a tree root in her mouth, but Twilight and I were still sliding down. Just as we made it to the edge, I managed to hook my hoof with Twilights, my other hooked on a convenient rock. I was never physically fit, so holding a dangling unicorn in one hoof whilst trying to keep my grip on a stone was pushing my strength to the limit.

"Applejack, I need your help. I can't hold Twilight by myself." I called over.

"Are you calling me fat?!" Twilight yelled.

I groaned at the question. "No, I just don't exercise enough." I replied.

"Can't you fly us to safety?" she asked.

"I'm fresh out of hospital! Doctors didn't recommend flying. Even then, I'm a weak flyer. I couldn't carry you at my best." it was embarrassing to say, but it needed to be said. Outright refusal to help would end our blooming friendship and I'd be back at square one whereas no explanation would label me as lazy and a detriment to the safety of this group.

"Hold on. I'm a-comin'." Applejack said, stopping next to me. I tried to swing Twilight towards her so she could grab our friend. Fortunately, it succeeded.

I was at a loss. " Applejack, what do we do?" Twilight asked, the panic clear in her voice. Applejack seemed to struggle for an answer until she looked up, seeming to reach a conclusion. It certainly wasn't one I was expecting.

"Let go."

"Are you crazy?!" Twilight shouted.

"No, I ain't. I promise you'll be safe." I wanted to retort, I wanted to convince her to hold onto Twilight... I wanted to ask if she had any depth perception, but something in the way she spoke. Soft and calm, like she knew something Twilight and I didn't.

"That's not true." Twilight begged.

Applejack's expression changed from soft to stern, yet her voice remained the same. "Now, listen here. What I'm saying to you is the honest truth. Let go, and you'll be safe." I looked into Twilight's eyes and I could see the uncertainty waver as Applejack's words reached her. I could tell she wanted to believe her. And so did I. Twilight looked over to me and our eyes met. We both nodded to each other and took a deep breath. Then we let go.

As Twilight's body began to fall, that's when I saw them; Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy zooming in from below and climbing to catch a falling friend. Unexpected relief hit me and I relaxed a little. However, I was woefully aware that if I relaxed too much, my grip on the rock keeping me from falling off the edge would slip, and what Twilight and I feared would happen to her, would instead happen to me.

"Lelouch, over here." Applejack called out, diverting my attention. She pointed a little left of our position to a bunch of rocks jutting out from the side. Stepping stones. The farmer lead the way with me close behind her.

"You did good, Applejack. I'm sure Twilight is very thankful you came along." I said. "I know I am." I added, making sure she knew I was just as grateful. The only response I got was a chuckle, which I assumed meant everything was good.





Some minutes later, our trek had continued. Rainbow saw fit to recap the situation, as though somehow we'd have missed it. "And once Pinkie and Rarity were safe, - whoosh! -  me and Fluttershy loop-the-looped around and - wham - caught you right in the nick of time."

"Yes, Rainbow, I was there, and I'm very grateful. But we got to-." A group of gasps escaped the mares mouths as a creature suddenly landed in front of us with a *thump*. "A manticore!" Twilight cried out. As if to respond, said manticore stood as tall as it could and roared as loud as possible. "We've got to get past him." Twilight declared.

The manticore went for Rarity first. Surprisingly, the mare was quite fast on her hooves. She ducked the beast's swipe and kicked it with her hind legs. "Take that, you ruffian!" she said, earning an enraged roar from the manticore. The wind from its roar turned Rarity's usually stylised and lengthy mane into what could only be described as a purple afro. "My hair!" she cried before she remembered the manticore and made a beat for the rear. As the manticore chased after her, I heard Fluttershy call out, but nopony else seemed to hear. Suddenly, Applejack, our saviour was on top of the beast, and began cheering as she played rodeo with the beast.

"Get along, little doggy!" The manticore began to pounce and jump in an attempt to throw Applejack off its back. Fluttershy called out again, but went unheard like before. I considered stopping the group to hear her out, but the situation was too dangerous to wait. Finally, Applejack was thrown off the manticore and sent flying a few feet away past Rainbow Dash. "All yours, partner." she said casually as she flew by.

Rainbow Dash saluted. "I'm on it." the pegasus declared before zooming past a protesting Fluttershy towards the monster. Her flying was so fast that it looked as though a rainbow tornado was surrounding the manticore. However, a well timed smack of the creature's tail dashed those plans (pun not intended).

"Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed as the rainbow maned pegasus crashed and skidded to a halt before us. A look of determination donned everyone's face, including mine as what remained of the group squared off against this beast three times our size. I considered using my geass on the manticore and revealing my ability to the girls as we all charged towards it. However, before I could come to any conclusion, we were stopped by Fluttershy, whose voice hadn't been so loud for as long as I knew her.

"Wait!!" she cried, halting us in our tracks. We then watched as the normally timid pegasus walked casually towards this huge beast. As soon as she was within range, the manticore raised its paw as if to strike. As the others looked away, I was reminded of Nunnally, and the idea that I could lose another like her to such a creature filled my heart with dread. I activated my geass, but before I could use it, my brain caught up with what I was seeing, and just as quickly as my anxiety appeared, it disappeared, along with my geass. Fluttershy nuzzled the manticore's paw, and it hesitated in decapitating her. It then showed Fluttershy that same paw and lo and behold, a thorn in its paw pad.

"Oh, you poor, poor little baby." Fluttershy cooed.

The girls and I were virtually speechless, save Rainbow. "Little?" she asked. Fair question.

"Now, this might hurt for just a second." Fluttershy said, before taking the thorn in her tooth and plucking it from the manticore's paw. The manticore proceeded to pick Fluttershy up and roar at her. As the girls cried out her name, I continued to watch in awe as the manticore proceeded to lick the pegasus' face like an affectionate puppy, her mane catching on its tongue. Fluttershy for her part, just giggled. "Oh, you're just a little old baby kitty, aren't you? Yes, you are. Yes, you are."

The girls and I believing the danger to be over for now, visibly relaxed and made our way to move past the manticore while it was busy fawning over Fluttershy. When we were a safe distance ahead, Twilight and I remained nearby for Fluttershy to catch up. As she appreached, her mane slicked back, looking like she'd just come from a strong breeze, Twilight asked a question. "How did you know about the thorn?"

"I didn't. Sometimes, we all just need to show a little kindness." she replied. Words to live by. Twilight looked at me with a gentle smile.

"Aren't you glad they came along now?" I asked, earning a chuckle from her.





Some time later, as we began to move through a more swampy part of the forest, Rarity visibly and audibly shuddered. "My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck." she said. No sooner had she said it, than the trees began to blot out the light of the moon. "I didn't mean that literally." she added.

"That ancient ruin could be right in front of our faces and we wouldn't even know it." Twilight complained. As if to prove her point, we all began to walk into each other, hooves were stepped on, tails were accidentally pulled, heads were butted.

"Oh wait, I think I stepped in something." Applejack's voice sounded. Next thing we heard was Fluttershy screaming, but why, we couldn't tell. "It's just mud." Applejack said, only to just narrowly avoid hitting a tree. Suddenly, she started screaming too and leaped away from the tree. Small fragments of light were getting through, illuminating the tree trunks, making them look like ghastly horrors. We were surrounded. The girls all seemed to scream in terror, save one who just laughed as if nothing was wrong. Everyone, myself included, looked over to Pinkie Pie who was preoccupied with making funny faces at the trees.

"Pinkie, what are you doing? Run!" Twilight called out.

Pinkie just giggled and turned to look at us. "Oh, girls, don't you see?" she asked before beginning to bob up and down. She was dancing. ♪When I was a little filly, and the sun was going down♪ she began to sing.

"Tell me she's not." Twilight said, only to recieve dead silence from the others.

♪The darkness and the shadows they would always make me frown♪ "She is." Rarity replied.

♪I'd hide under my pillow from what I thought I saw♪
♪But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all♪ "Then what is?" Rainbow asked.

♪She said "Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall♪
♪Learn to face your fears, you'll see they can't hurt you, just laugh to make them disappear♪ "Ha ha ha." And like magic, one of the trees had lost its frightening features and looked more like a regular tree. Or as regular as one could get in the Everfree forest.

The girls gasped. "I can't believe that worked." I said, not sure whether I should be glad or sad about this newfound situation.

♪So giggle at the ghostie, guffaw at the grossly♪
♪Crack up at the creepy, whoop it up with the weepy♪
♪Chortle at the kooky, snortle at the spooky♪
♪And tell that big, dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna♪ At this point, Pinkie burst into a laughing fit.

♪Laugh♪

The girls gathered around, a series of giggling fits forcing them on their backs. Thankfully, I didn't need to laugh. It wasn't really my thing. For me, laughing wasn't an expression of joy, it was to cover up my wrath, or to fend off my insanity. No, I was not a laugher. At best, I was a chuckler. Still, my lack of laughter didn't seem to bother them none.





Ten minutes later and they were still laughing. II was begging for another obstacle two minutes ago. Fortune seemed to favour me, however as Pinkie stopped the laughter train rolling. Everyone bumped into each other, stopped by the immovable object that was Pinkie. Upon inspection, the cause for the sudden stop was evident. A raging river. "How are we gonna cross this?" Pinkie asked. Before anyone could answer, we heard wailing somewhere upstream. Our investigation led us to a rather large sea serpent with violet scales like Spike, but with a ginger pompadour and half a moustache.

"Excuse me, sir. Why are you crying?" Twilight asked.

"Well, I don't know. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke- *I snort in amusement* -just whisked past me and tore half of my beloved moustache clean off." 'I thought that was some sort of fashion statement' "And now I look simply horrid!" the serpent began to wail and flail, splashing water all over us.

"Oh, gimme a break." Rainbow groaned.

Applejack agreed with Rainbow. "That's what all the fuss is about?" she asked.

Rarity stepped in and seemed to defend the sea serpent's position. " Why, of course it is! How can you be so insensitive? Oh, just look at him. Such lovely, luminescent scales."

The sea serpent sniffled. "I know." he replied.

"And your expertly coiffed mane." Rarity added.

"Oh, I know, I know!"

"Your fabulous manicure."

"It's so true!"

"All ruined without your beautiful moustache." Rarity concluded.

"It's true, I'm hideous!" the serpent wailed, trying to shield his 'hideous' face from view.

Rarity suddenly got a determined glint in her eye. "I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected." she declared. My mind began to wander as I played the last few events over and over. 'Laughing at trees and stylising a sea serpent. I suddenly wish I were back in the hospital.' It took me a moment to realise what Rarity had done. She'd pulled a scale from his body and brandished it in her mouth like a blade.

"Rarity, what are you-" *slash*

The sea serpent fainted at the sound, even though he hadn't been struck. Rarity had sacrificed her own tail, using the sharp scale to cut it off. With her magic, she lifted the severed tail hairs, and attached them to the missing side of the serpent's moustache.

Upon seeing his 'moustache' returned, the sea serpent was elated. "My moustache! How wonderful!" he actually posed to show it off. 'I wonder how long it takes for a pony like me to drown in the river?'

"You look smashing." Rarity commented.

"Oh, Rarity. Your beautiful tail." Twilight said, seeming to mourn over its loss.

Rarity just turned to face her friend. "Oh, it's fine, my dear. Short tails are in this season. Besides, it'll grow back."

Rainbow felt the need to add. "So would the mustache." I had to agree. Twilight was the first to notice the still waters of the river.

"We can cross now. Let's go. Suddenly, a series of scaly rungs rose from the water, creating a bunch of stepping stones.

It was the sea serpent. "Allow me." he offered, no doubt in gratitude for his new moustache. We each bounced across the river upon the serpent's back.





"There it is! The ruin that holds the Elements of Harmony. We made it." Twilight said, rushing ahead.

Applejack called out to her as the rest of us hurried to catch up. "Twilight! Wait for us!"

"We're almost there." the excitement in her voice was refreshing. It would soon be over, and we could return to civilisation. "Whoa!" Twilight exclaimed, nearly dropping from view. The rest of us rushed to try and catch her before she could fall. Luckily, Rainbow was first on the scene.

"What's with you and falling off cliffs today?" Rainbow asked.

"Now what?" Pinkie asked. My sentiments exactly.

Rainbow was the one to respond this time around. "Duh." was all she sait, flapping her wings to make a point.

"Oh yeah." Pinkie replied.

Our speedy  little pegasus took to the air, then dove down into the clouds below, grabbing the ends of the broken bridge and lifting them, moving over to the other side. It was difficult to see, but it seemed as though something or someone had gotten her attention. Whatever it was, it seemed to put her in a fighting mood as she visibly boxed the air with her front hooves. Then she seemed to be distracted by something in the fog. Moments later, what looked like a uniformed pegasus began flying around her.

"I think someone's there." I said, pointing in the direction of Rainbow.

"Yeah, it's Rainbow Dash, silly." Pinkie replied. It was official, Pinkie Pie irked me. She was right up there with Schneizel.

"No, Lelouch is right, somepony's there with her. Could she be in danger?" Fluttershy asked, clearly wanting to take off and check on her friend, but too scared to confront whoever was there. Suddenly, there was an audible cheer from Rainbow Dash as she jumped into the air, clearing six feet before returning to the base of the bridge to tie her end off. Only for whoever Rainbow was talking to to cut her off, followed by two others.

"That doesn't seem very friendly." Rarity commented. I was of a mind to agree, however, it didn't seem that things were turning violent just yet.

"Rainbow, what's taking so long?" Twilight decided to call out. It was then we caught a good glimpse of whoever it was Rainbow was talking to before the fog covered our view of them and Rainbow. "Oh no, Rainbow. Don't listen to them!" Twilight tried to call out. It seemed as though Rainbow was done for. Only a few moments later, Rainbow returned, the fog dissipating in her wake. There was a chorus of cheers from the group as Rainbow landed on our side of the bridge, front legs up in a sort of show-pony pose.

As we began to cross the bridge, I heard Rainbow telling Twilight. "See? I'd never leave my friends hanging." and then she went to scout on ahead. Pinkie then bounced up beside me.

"Maybe it'll be your turn to deal with a situation next, Lulu." Pinkie teased. The use of that particular nickname aside, she had a point. We were faced with challenges, and each of the girls had the opportunity to use their unique talents and perspectives to solve them. Only Twilight and myself had yet to be faced with such an opportunity.

"Either me, or Twilight." I replied, earning a content bounce from the pink mare. "And don't ever call me Lulu again." I added.





Finally, we'd made it. The location of the Elements of Harmony. These ancient ruins while severely damaged, still stood relatively proud. Much of the walls had decayed and broken over time, but the layout was relatively unchanged. In the middle of the ovular entryway stood a pedestal with six orbs facing six directions, each orb had a carving of a gem on it. And each gem was of a different shape.

"Whoa." Applejack let out. "Come on, Twilight. Isn't this what you've been waiting for?" she asked as Twilight joined her friends.

Twilight smiled as she gazed upon the pedestal containing the orbs. "The Elements of Harmony; We found them." she said. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy went and took two of the orbs off the pedestal. Once they were placed gently on the ground, they went back for the others.

"One, two, three, four... there's only five." Pinkie said.

"Where's the sixth?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight lay down in front of the five Elements. "The book said, 'when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed."

"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Stand back. I don't know what will happen." she ordered. We all did as we were told. I had an idea of what Twilight was about to try, and it seemed too simple to work. Twilight lit up her horn, seeming to concentrate.

Applejack ushered everyone outside. "Come on now, y'all. She needs to concentrate." she said.

"I'll stay with Twilight and keep a lookout while she does her thing." I said, addressing Applejack. The farmer nodded and went to wait patiently with the others. Once she was gone, I turned back to do just that. That's when I saw it. The Nightmare's smoke began to circle the Elements of Harmony, lifting them and revolving them around and around in a small twister. Twilight's magic fizzled out as she became distracted. "Twilight!" I called out. As I ran towards her, I heard the girls outside begin to panic and make their way for our location. I knew something was about to happen, and so did Twilight. She jumped into the tornado, and I followed close afterward, and the last thing either of us heard was the sound of the others calling our names before we disappeared.
> 5 The Elements of Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A burst of light and a plume of smoke were the next things we experienced. Twilight began coughing, as did I. As the smoke cleared, we were greeted by her sight. Evil, menacing, yet still majestic. Much like Cornelia. As expected, Nightmare Moon was laughing. The Elements of Harmony lay suspended in the air by her ethereal mane and tail, circling her like planets around a star. Thunder sounded and lightning crackled in the large room we occupied. Twilight was unfazed by the light show. Together, we prepared to take on the dark alicorn, Twilight going so far as to clop a hoof on the ground, like a charging bull.

"You're kidding. You're kidding, right?" she asked, wholly unimpressed by our determination. When she looked at me, I got the sense that she expected more from me. Had I more time and resources, it's highly likely I would have delivered on such expectations. But you make do with what you have.

Twilight didn't respond. She simply led the charge, her horn flaring with light. I followed close behind, prepared to fight to the best of my abilities, such as they were. Nightmare Moon readied herself, rushing forward to meet us halfway. It suddenly struck me what Twilight's plan was. It was then that I got in formation behind her and waited for the moment to strike. The closer we got, the brighter Twilight's horn became until we were less than a meter apart. Twilight's magic flared and she disappeared. Now only Nightmare Moon and myself remained. I jumped up and spun around mid air, trying to mimic Rarity's kick on the Minotaur from earlier. It worked, Hooves met face and helmet. The impact from my running kick caused the alicorn to stagger, but in the end, all I could manage to do was stun her.

It lasted only for a moment, but it was long enough. Nightmare spotted Twilight by the Elements of Harmony, trying to elicit a spark. In a mad dash, she forgot about her revenge on me and bolted over to the elements. When she appeared, Twilight was knocked back not by Nightmare, but the feedback from the Elements of Harmony. I managed to catch her and soften her landing. We looked over to Nightmare and the Elements and saw white sparks dancing between the orbs. We'd done it, the spark that ignited the five elements. Nightmare Moon seemed to think so too.

"No! No!" she cried. A smile worked its way onto our faces as we thought we'd come out victorious. But fate can be a fickle thing. As quickly as the spark appeared, it faded just as fast. Twilight gasped.

"But where's the sixth element?" she asked.

Nightmare Moon on the other hand was quite pleased with the current development of things. She began to laugh once more before rising onto her hind legs and slamming her front legs down around the orbs. The shockwave from the collision caused cracks to form in the Elements before they shattered. As those orbs shattered, so did Twilight's hopes of saving Equestria from an Eternal Night.

"You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me. Now you will never see your princess or your sun. The night will last forever!" And once more, Nightmare Moon began to cackle, her mane and tail expanding into a funnel of smoke.

Twilight was distraught. Her last hope shattered into a thousand pieces. There were no words I could give her to make her feel better. All hope seemed lost until a flood of voices sounded from behind us. Turning around to look towards the only viable exit, a number of shadows made their way up the winding stairs. A gasp left Twilight's mouth. I turned to look at her and I could have sworn I saw a spark in her eyes.

"So that's it." I said, realising the same thing she did. She turned to me and smiled.

"You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well you're wrong." Twilight began, turning to confront Nightmare Moon once again. I sat beside her, a smile on my face as I watched Nightmare Moon's expression. At first she seemed confused, then she seemed offended, like a pouty foal. "Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!" Twilight declared. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the colours of all of our friends. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.

Once Twilight's words sunk in, the stone shards on the floor around Nightmare moon began to glow. Some of them even rose from the ground, each radiating a different colour. "What?" Nightmare Moon was surprised by this new turn of events.

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of Honesty. Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of Kindness. Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of Laughter. Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of Generosity. And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of Loyalty." As Twilight listed off each of her friends and their representations, a number of crystals would move to revolve around them. "The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us." Twilight added.

"You still don't have the sixth element. The spark didn't work." Nightmare said, looking around, visibly unsure of herself.

"But it did, a different kind of spark." Twilight turned to face her friends. "I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all..." she turned back to Nightmare Moon. "Are my friends."

Suddenly, a light overhead began to blaze. Looking up, a sixth orb revealed itself to them, lowering down to rest just above Twilight herself. "You see, Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by the... the spark that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the Element of Magic."

With those final words, the orb overhead and the gems all shone blindingly bright. The shards came together around the girls, transforming into personalised jeweled necklaces, save Twilights. The Element of Magic transformed into a crown. A purple starburst gem resting in the centre, mimicking Twilight's cutie mark. Each of the girls came together, the light around them glowing ever brighter. I watched Nightmare Moon carefully. As two rainbow beams emerged from Twilight and the girls, Nightmare went to run away. It was then that I acted.

"Nightmare!!! I shouted at the top of my lungs. The sudden calling of her name caused her to make eye contact with me for just a moment, but it was long enough. "Don't move from that spot until this is all over!!!" I commanded. The second those words left my lips, I felt my geass react and rewrite Nightmare Moon's brain, forcing her to stand still as the Elements of Harmony latched onto the dark alicorn. Despite the command I gave her, Nightmare Moon cried out in protest as the beams of rainbow energy swirled around her. Nightmare Moon was a good as done. I deactivated my geass and looked over to the girls. They seemed to not hear me issue the command to the alicorn, which was a good sign for me. Twilight's eyes opened and all I saw was white light radiating from them. Seconds later, everything was white, then black.





How long we were unconscious was anyone's guess, but I was the first to awaken. The girls were just beginning to stir, Rainbow coming to the quickest. She groaned as she pressed a hoof against her temple.

"Oh, my head!" she mumbled.

Applejack looked around. "Everypony okay?" she asked.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Rarity exclaimed. She and Fluttershy were admiring the new tail that had magically grown back.

"Why, Rarity, it's so lovely." Fluttershy praised.

"I know. I'll never part with it again." Rarity replied.

"We couldn't have been asleep for that long, could we?" I asked, earning a chuckle from Rainbow.

"No, your necklace." Fluttershy responded. "It looks just like your cutie mark."

Rarity looked down to examine said necklace. She then noticed Fluttershy's own necklace. "So does yours." she replied. This got the girls all praising their own necklaces, until they saw Twilight's new addition; a crown.

"Gee, Twilight, I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey. But I reckon we really do represent the Elements of Friendship." Applejack admitted.

I turned my gaze leftward as the light of the morning sun began to rise. "Indeed, you do." a new voice, soft and motherly, yet regal and strong replied. A ball of pure white light emerged through the window and burst forth to reveal a pure white Alicorn with golden crown and regalia. Like Nightmare Moon, she had an ethereal mane, however hers resembled an aurora with varying shades of red, green and blue.

I knew right away who this was, but Twilight saw fit to confirm it. "Princess Celestia!" she said, pure joy coating her features. She went up to meet her princess who in turn lowered her head down and around Twilight's neck to give her what I could only assume was a friendly hug.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it." Celestia addressed her. That last sentence told me much about her. Celestia was as smart as myself, with far more years worth of knowledge and experience to hone that intelligence. I knew then and there that if I were to ever truly oppose this nation of ponies, I would need extensive knowledge and a vast number of resources at my disposal. With the presence of magic, the battlefield would no longer be in my favor despite my geass. 'But I'm getting ahead of myself. I still need to evaluate whether or not this kingdom is anything like Britannia. If not, then nothing need be done against them, and I could finally live a peaceful and fulfilling life, as one of them. However, if Equestria turned out to be like Britannia, I'm sure a little digging would uncover an underground movement or two that would just love to see Celestia and her ilk overthrown.'

"But you told me it was all an old pony tale." Twilight argued. My gaze was taken from the glowing and regal princess of the sun to the spot Nightmare Moon once stood.

"I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her." Celestia said, turning to all of Twilight's new friends, save me, who had moved closer to the spot said Nightmare once was. I honestly hadn't expected anything to remain behind. A pile of ashes, at best, yet what remained peaked my curiosity. It had been a while since I'd been party to an adventure or quest that didn't result in a fatality.

"But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart. Now if only another will, as well..." Celestia's last words drew everypony's attention to me. A young looking light blue alicorn with a black crown and sparkling baby blue horse shoes lay sleeping beside me. "Princess Luna." at the mention of her name, the young alicorn visibly jolted awake and upon seeing Celestia, tried to make herself even smaller. She was afraid, there was no denying. "It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this."

Celestia knelt down and rested across from me on Luna's other side, her voice sounding gentler as she spoke. "Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister."

"Sister?" the girls gawked.

"Did we fail to mention that?" I asked. All eyes except Twilights were on me. "When I was helping Twilight with piecing together her research, it was obvious that the Mare in the moon or, Princess Luna rather, was Princess Celestia's sister."

"How do you figure that?" Rarity asked.

"Well, Twilight gave me the brief version of the story of the two pony sisters. One in charge of the Sun; Princess Celestia, obviously. And another in charge of the moon. The fact that Princess Celestia, who has ruled over both the sun and moon for the past thousand years, even though her cutie mark depicts the sun exclusively proves that there must have been another, and that the story is true. Princess Luna's name was not mentioned that I'm aware of, however, Nightmare Moon's was. The fate of Nightmare moon is recorded in the story. She was sealed away in her beloved moon for all eternity. When Nightmare Moon returned, it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the story was true and that Nightmare Moon was the younger sister of Princess Celestia." there was an eerie silence as all eyes were on me.

"Uh, so to summarise... Called it!" I finished. Pinkie was the first to break the silence with a fit of giggling, and I was suddenly no longer irked by her existence.

"Who are you?" Princess Celestia asked.

"I am Lelouch Vi Britannia. Honestly, I don't know how I got involved in all of this. One minute I'm helping Twilight with research, the next... eternal night." I replied. Princess Celestia chuckled.

"I'm sorry to have gotten you caught up in all of this, Lelouch." she said.

I chuckled back. "Don't be. I needed to make some friends, since I just came to Equestria. Now I've got seven. We mustn't forget young Spike." at the mention of the dragon, Celestia's smile seemed more genuine somehow. I thought the last smile was genuine. 'She's suspicious of me. Which means everything that's happened, including Twilight's new friends were planned. I hope they have Chess in this world, I'd love to see how she plays.'

"Then welcome to Equestria, Lelouch Vi Britannia." She then turned to her younger sister. "Sister, will you accept my friendship?" Celestia continued, as if the interruption had never taken place. She rose to her full height. 'Yeah, like standing over her will help her to decide in favour of friendship. You should have stayed down at her level, Princess.' I looked over to the girls to see each of them leaning in, hope in their big eyes. I decided a little coaxing might help. I leaned into Luna and whispered into her ear.

"I understand your hesitation, Princess. I've said things to my own sisters that I wish I never had. Even now, my heart breaks whenever I think about it. But right here, right now; this is your chance to mend your heart, and your sister's." a gentle gast escaped her lips as my words sank in. Mere seconds later, Luna rose onto her hooves and dove forward to Celestia.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, tears filling her eyes. "I missed you so much big sister." Luna whimpered.

Celestia let the tears fall from her face as she was finally, truly reunited with her long lost little sister. "I've missed you too." she said.

Pinkie began crying a fountain of tears for all of five seconds before she suddenly stopped. "Hey, you know what this calls for?"





"A Party!"

So we made it back to Ponyville in record time, only to see Pinkie had somehow already set up the decorations and festivities whilst everything was going on. A small carriage had been called and drawn for the princesses and they were now arriving in town. Spike was the first to greet Twilight when she returned, and even saw fit to offer me a fist bump. I accepted happily enough.

Looking over to the princesses, I saw a group of ponies bowing to the pair whilst Luna still looked somewhat forlorn. Until a fair of pegasus fillies put a wreath of flowers around her neck in welcome. The gesture surprised her, but eventually moved her to tears as she looked up at her sister with joy on both their faces. Everything seemed to be concluding in a happily ever after. Never thought I'd see one of those. It was then that I looked over to Twilight and saw a crestfallen look upon her face. Princess Celestia seemed to notice this too.

"Why so glum, my faithful student? Are you not happy that your quest is complete and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?" 'Ah, there it is. The return. She doesn't want to leave her new friends behind. No doubt Celestia knows this. She probably planned this.'

"That's just it. Just when I learn how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them." Twilight replied, none the wiser.

Celestia barely hesitated. "Spike, take a note, please." she said. I watched as the little dragon pulled a quill and parchment from seemingly nowhere. "I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville." as Celestia's decree was finalised, the girls all gathered around Twilight in a group hug. I stood just a little ways off. I wasn't a hugger.

"Oh, thank you Princess Celestia. I'll study harder than ever before." Twilight declared. A chorus of cheers sounded throughout town.





As the party began to die down and ponies went home to prepare their lives for the following day, Princesses Celestia and Luna prepared to depart as well. "Princess Celestia, might I have a word with you in private?" I asked, catching the alicorn just as she was about to step onto the carriage. She turned to look at me, that default smile that would have fooled anyone else had I not seen the more genuine smile earlier.

"Of course, I actually wanted to speak with you as well." she replied. 'That's ominous.' I thought as the sun princess stepped back down from her carriage and turned to face me. Princess Luna took the chance to smile and wave cordially at me. I bowed with respect to her in return. My focus returned to a much larger much closer alicorn. Princess Celestia towered over me. She was trying to make me uncomfortable, and it was working. She raised a hoof and gestured it away from the carriage, suggesting we walk and talk.

"I have to admit, Princess. You truly terrify me." I said, starting up the conversation.

Celestia's smile never faltered. "Oh? And why is that? Do you fear my power? Is it my status as Princess? The loyalty of my subjects? Or are you simply intimidated by taller mares?" she chuckled at the last one. 'So, she's open to some friendly banter. But of course, it's a test, to get a feel for me.'

"None of the above, I'm afraid. No, in all honesty; it's your mind that I'm afraid of." I said. I saw it. The slightest twitch of that otherwise perfect poker face.

"Whatever do you mean?" she inquired. It was subtle, but her tone wavered. 'She's not suspicious of me, she's terrified. But why?'

"The return of Nightmare Moon. You planned it all out ahead of time. Sending Twilight to find friends to help her tap into the Elements of Harmony. It sounds elaborate enough that some might leave it at that. But I know that your plan runs deeper. You were very particular about the friends Twilight made. You hoof picked them, and none of them are any the wiser. Which means you knew who they were ahead of time. That's why you asked for my name, but you already seemed to know theirs." I turned to look directly at her. Her poker face was perfect, almost too perfect. Like a mask.

"You believe so?" she asked. Her eyes did not make contact with mine. 'I feel like a rabbit staring down a wolf. I'm pushing buttons that normally can't be pushed. If anyone else were to ask these questions, she might be more open, but she's deliberately avoiding giving me any information I can use. Forget Chess, I'm on a tightrope and she's my opponent.

She thinks she's the bunny and I'm the wolf. And I've stepped into the warren that is her plan. "Which means that this was just the beginning. You have a much grander plan for her." 'The mask is cracking. Tells are slipping through. If I push much further, she'll destroy me. But it won't be quick, painful and flashy. No, it'll be subtle, like cutting out a tumor. She'll alienate me from the girls, just as Schneizel did with my Black Knights.'

'I could stop her. I could gain her trust with a single command, alleviate her worries... But I'd rather not use geass unless I have to.' "And as such... you're afraid I might interfere with that plan. I'm a wild card that wasn't supposed to be in the deck you fixed. You don't know whether or not I'm friend or foe." Those eyes. Geass has nothing on them, and they're looking right at me. I can't push any further. I'm standing on the edge.

As if that wasn't ominous enough, I hadn't realised that we'd stopped walking until we reached the entrance to the old castle, where the girls and I had faced off against Nightmare Moon. I can't push her any further... yet I have to.

"That explains why you're so cautious of me... But not why you're scared of me." Was it magic that made me feel as though a blade was pressed against my throat just now? Or was I sensing her intent to kill? I almost wished I had Maou's power, if only to hear what she was thinking... if she was thinking at all. She hadn't said a word.

Upon closer inspection, I realised that she was no longer looking me in the eye, but rather at my flank. As to why, I couldn't fathom... Oh.




> 6 The Ticket Master
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing. Ponies all over were living their lives peacefully. And yet, here I was; helping Applejack collect apples from the orchard alongside Twilight and Spike. As wonderful as it sounded, I was not meant for manual labor. And it showed. Embarrassingly so. As Twilight and Applejack walked together at a casual pace, I was struggling behind just to keep up.

"So, why did you decide to help out if you knew you weren't capable?" Spike asked from atop Twilight's back. The young dragon was systematically picking out various apples from Twilight's basket and throwing them out, presumably picking bad apples out of the bunch, although none of the ones I'd walked past seemed to be off in any way.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time." I replied.

"Well thank you kindly, for helping me out anyway, both of you." Applejack said. "But if you don't mind me asking; how are you so out of shape? All the Pegasi I know are fit as a fiddle." she asked.

"If that's true, then perhaps I should have been born a unicorn. The practical applications for magic in one's daily life alone would be immeasurably helpful." I said, coming to a stop in a clearing alongside the girls. "To answer your question, I've just never really been all that physically active. I even kept flying to a minimum because it served little purpose beyond reaching high places. I didn't get the enjoyment other Pegasi seem to get when they start flying. That's why my flying skills are virtually non-existent. I had no drive to improve my technique, and it wasn't dependent on my survival."

The pair took in my lie with genuine interest. Why they were so curious was beyond me. "So, you're more into books and learning stuff than flying? Is that why you live with Twilight at the Library?" she asked. 'Ah, so that's what she was after. Clever girl.' I smiled at her in response.

"You're thinking I live with her because I've fallen head over hooves for her, aren't you?" I asked, to which Applejack just responded with a guilty chuckle. Busted. Twilight, for her part, just laughed at the topic being discussed. "Sadly, love has nothing to do with it. Princess Celestia asked me to live with Twilight. She was rather vague about the details. I accepted her request mainly because I had no lodgings at the time, and she's agreed to pay me for my services." I said.

This earned a confused look from Applejack. "What kinda services are those?" she asked.

"I'm not allowed to say, but suffice it to say; it involves all of us." I said.





...One week ago - After Nightmare Moon's defeat...


"That explains why you're so cautious of me... But not why you're scared of me." Was it magic that made me feel as though a blade was pressed against my throat just now? Or was I sensing her intent to kill? I almost wished I had Maou's power, if only to hear what she was thinking... if she was thinking at all. She hadn't said a word.

Upon closer inspection, I realised that she was no longer looking me in the eye, but rather at my flank. As to why, I couldn't fathom... Oh.

Of course. She was watching the entire time. 'She saw me use my geass on Nightmare Moon.' My eyes widened at this realisation, I was discovered. And from the way I'd used it, she no doubt had a good idea of what my power could do. And just like that, my geass was no longer a last resort; It was damning evidence. And she was afraid I might lash out and use it on her, like a smoking gun which could go off again. My mind froze. I couldn't think of a way out of this situation, I'd lost the war before it even started. Usually, it was the other way around.

Then a thought appeared at the forefront of my mind. What exactly had I lost? The question gave me pause, and allowed me to think once more. What had I lost? Before, my war was personal, a means to an end in which victory would assure a better and safer world for Nunnally. That was my life's goal, and I'd achieved it, ironically, with my death. But this time around, what was my goal? I had none. This life I'd been given was a second chance to live a peaceful and quiet life. Then I met Twilight, and peaceful and quiet didn't factor into the equation. In all honesty, I hadn't expected a second chance at life. I should be dead, so what does it matter if Celestia is afraid of me. The worst she could do is kill me or exile me.

With my fear suppressed, I began to wonder how I could alleviate Celestia's. I turned to look her in the eye, the motion cutting off her gaze at my flank. When her eyes made contact with mine, I saw her visibly flinch. She could see I wasn't afraid anymore, and that scared her all the more. I then decided on a rather dangerous tactic. I closed my eyes, effectively blinding myself from her presence.

"What do you wish to know?" I asked her, straight and simple. As my eyes were closed, I couldn't read her at all. There was a pregnant pause as I waited for her to respond. Five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds. By the twentieth second, I heard her begin to speak, only to hesitate. Five more seconds.

"Your special ability is unlike anything I've seen before. Your intelligence is on par with my own and your ability to read others is so advanced, you could tell I had plans for Twilight that stemmed beyond this one event. You're right, Lelouch; I am scared of you. I'm scared not just for my safety, but for the safety of my friends, family and my subjects. You're completely unknown. I scouted Ponyville some time before sending Twilight here, and you weren't here back then. That alone was enough to make me suspicious of you." I could tell by the sound of her voice, she was trying to sound threatening. But it wouldn't work.

"When you met Twilight, I saw you practically latch onto her when you found out she was connected to me in some way. Like any politician, you created a connection to her in order to access me." 'Ooh, busted.' "Every action you've taken since then has been to solidify your friendship with Twilight in the hopes of eventually meeting me. So let me save you the trouble, Lelouch Vi Britannia, and let me ask you just three questions. And the answers you give had better be honest."

I opened my eyes and made eye contact with her once more. As expected, her terrified expression was drastically reduced and she seemed to adopt an aura of determination. I'd given her the high ground, and she knew it. "Ask away." I offered.

"First question: Do you seek to take Equestria for yourself with that power of yours?"

I thought about how I should answer. Of course when a question is asked, they want a truthful answer, but there was only so much I could be truthful about. Celestia had figured out what kind of individual I was, but there was no way she could figure out my origins without my telling her.

"To be honest, Princess. The answer to that question was dependent on you." I said. She raised a quizzical brow. "When I woke up in Ponyville, I had absolutely no knowledge of Equestria. I didn't even know about you until the nurse gave me a brief overview. She said that Equestria was kind and fair to all. She had nothing but praises to sing when discussing you. But the words of a monarch's subjects can be ignorant at times. I've seen nobles, politicians, and royals lie through their teeth with the most sincere faces. Most would believe those lies. But I couldn't believe the purity of Equestria until I met you in person." Celestia seemed to be studying my response carefully, taking in each word and analyzing it.

"To sum up: after having met you, I have no desire to try and take Equestria from you. I know good rulers and bad rulers. And I can see that you're a good ruler. You make mistakes and you own up to them, even take advantage of them to some extent. But above all, you care about your subjects." This seemed to catch Celestia off guard. She clearly wasn't expecting to be praised for her work by me.

Celestia cleared her throat. "Second question: Do you seek to interfere with my plans for Twilight in any way?"

"Not at all, I like Twilight. Actually, I'd like to help, if you'd let me." I offered. Celestia blinked a couple of times in disbelief. Perhaps she was expecting a more extravagant answer?

"Third question: What exactly do you want?"

Ah, the ultimate question. "My life has been chaos and strife since I was very young. I've lost loved ones, friends and family both to a war I was determined to win, no matter the cost. Equestria is a second chance for me, a chance to live life the way it was meant to be lived; free, happy and surrounded by loved ones. I know I wasn't a part of your plans for Twilight and her friends, but I've come to like them. I'd like to continue to have them in my life, if possible." I replied.

Celestia studied me for a little while, checking for any deceit in my words or body language. Eventually, her whole demeanor seemed to relax and a smile once again dorned her features. It was that genuine smile too. I was suddenly very scared again.

"In that case, I have an assignment for you. I'll happily pay you for your work."






...Present Day...


Our conversation was interrupted by Spike suddenly belching out a green flame, which magically transformed into a scroll with the royal wax seal holding it closed. "It's a letter from Princess Celestia." Twilight pointed out. 'Obviously.' I thought.

Spike cleared his throat before reading it out. "Hear ye, hear ye. Her grand royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria," 'bit of a mouthful.' "is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capitol city of Canterlot on the twenty-first day of... yada yada yada... cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest." Spike finished.

A gala; a formal event akin to a high class party, only more grandeur. The last gala I went to was as Zero. Brittania was celebrating the engagement of my older brother Odysseus and the Chinese Federation's Empress Tianzi. My thoughts were torn away from me as the girls gasped with excitement before reciting the name of the event. 'The Grand Galloping Gala'. What a sickeningly sweet name for such a pompous affair. Nevertheless, the girls seemed excited about it, if the amount of bouncing around was anything to go by. Though, I had to wonder where their apple baskets went.

It seemed as though Spike was just as repulsed by the gala as myself as he made a gagging motion before seeming genuinely sick. Less than a second later, he belched flames once more, revealing two golden tickets. I'd expected the letter inviting Twilight plus one to serve as admittance in place of tickets, but it would seem Canterlot's nobility had other ideas. "Look, two tickets." Spike exclaimed.

"Wow, great!" Twilight responded. "I've never been to the gala. Have you, Spike?" Surprising, given that as Celestia's student, Twilight was almost always in or around the castle. It's hard to believe she'd never been to a gala. Then again...

"No, and I plan to keep it that way. I don't want any of that girly, frilly, froufrou nonsense." Spike replied.

"Aw, come on, Spike. A dance would be nice." Twilight argued. I was about to weigh in on the topic.

However, Applejack beat me to it. "Nice? It's a heap good more than just nice. I'd love to go." Now that was surprising.

"You don't strike me as the type to be interested in this sort of thing, Applejack. I always thought you as the practical type. Frivolous affairs like this gala, it just doesn't add up." I said.

Fortunately, she saw fit to explain why she wanted to go. "I don't wanna go for the dancing, Lelouch. I wanna go for the business. Lots of folks come to the gala. If I had an apple stand set up, ponies would be chawing our tasty vittles till the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here. We could replace that saggy, old roof. And Big Mackintosh could replace that saggy, old plow. And Granny Smith could replace that saggy, old hip. Why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that gala." I bit my tongue, tempted as I was to crack a joke and ask if she would use the money to replace her saggy, old leg.

"Oh. Well, in that case, would you like to -." Twilight began, only to be interrupted by a certain flying pegasus. Or a certain crashing pegasus, depending on one's perspective.

"Are we talking about the Grand Galoping Gala?" Rainbow Dash asked as her form lay splayed atop both Twilight and Applejack. Her question remained unanswered however, as Applejack forced herself up from the ground and stared crossly at the offending pegasus.

"Rainbow Dash! You told me you were too busy to help me harvest apples. What were you busy doing? Spying?" Applejack accused.

Rainbow Dash turned away from the cross farmer. "No. I was busy... napping." she directed our attention to a pillow and blanket resting on a tree branch above. How'd we miss that?

"Pink blankets, Rainbow? How girly of you." I teased. Rainbow just fixed me with a grumpy scowl before turning to Twilight.

"And I just happened to hear that you have an extra ticket?"

"Yeah, but -."

"Yes! This is so awesome. The Wonderbolts perform at the Grand Galloping Gala every year! I can see it now. Everyone would be watching the sky, their eyes riveted on the wonderbolts. But then, in would fly... Rainbow Dash! I would draw their attention with my super-speed strut. Then I would mesmerize them with my fantastic filly flash! And for my grand finale, the Buccaneer Blaze. The ponies would go wild! The wonderbolts would insist that my signature moves be incorporated into their routine and then... welcome me as their newest member." Rainbow seemed so excited. Too bad her plan was unrealistic. Chances were the crowd would go wild because she interrupted a wonderbolts performance, and then they'd chase her out.

"Don't you see, Twilight? This could be my one chance to show 'em my stuff. You've got to take me!" Technically, she wasn't wrong. While she could just enroll like anypony else, it would be more difficult for her to set herself apart from the other recruits. The potential for other candidates could equal or even surpass her own. In that regard, the gala would be an ideal time to advertise herself as wonderbolt material. However, her execution might need revising.

"Hold on just one pony-pickin' minute here." Applejack interrupted, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the tail. One would assume being grabbed by the tail would be extremely painful, but by the look on Rainbow's face, she just seemed surprised. Then Applejack spat the tail out and Rainbow's face grew offended. "I asked for that ticket first." she argued.

Rainbow Dash turned to face the farmer. "So? That doesn't mean you own it." Rainbow retorted. She wasn't wrong. Though, Applejack seemed to disagree.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I challenge you to a hoof wrestle. Winner gets the ticket." Once the challenge was made, both mares made their way to a conveniently placed tree stump that would serve as the counter top on which their wrestle would be helf. As the two mares interlocked hooves, Twilight and I looked at each other in disbelief before she went to break them up.

"Girls! These are my tickets. I'll decide who gets it, thank you very much. Whoever has the best reason to go should get the ticket, don't you think?" she offered. I made my way to Spike's side and took a seat.

"I can see where this is going." I said, sighing. Spike just chuckled at me.

Applejack went first. "Drumming up business for the farm?" How pragmatic.

"A chance to audition for the wonderbolts?" How idealistic.

"Money to fix Granny's hip." A selfless gesture.

"Living the dream!" a self-fulfilling plea.

Twilight's jaw hung from her face slightly. She wasn't expecting such compelling arguments. "Oh, my. Those are all pretty good reasons, aren't they?" Suddenly, a grumbling sound emerged from the mare's stomach. Someone was hungry. Saved by the stomach. Twilight laughed nervously. "Listen to that. I am starving. I don't know about you, but I can't make important decisions on an empty stomach. So, I'll, uh, think about it over lunch and get back to you two, okay? Coming Lelouch?" she asked.

"I could eat." I replied, falling in line beside her. As we left, I began to wonder just what happened to the barrels of apples We'd been carrying on our backs.





We made our way into town. It was a quiet trek at first, but Spike seemed curious about the fate of the tickets. "So, who are you going to give the tickets to, Twilight?"

"I don't know, Spike, but I really can't think straight when I'm hungry." she replied. We came towards the entrance to Sugarcube Corner. "So, where should we eat?" she asked. No sooner had she asked, than a pink blur shot out through the now opened half door, striking Twilight who was then sent straight into me.

"I hear the hospital food has gotten better lately." I groaned in pain.

"AAH! BATS! BATS ON MY FACE! HELP! Wait! These arent..." Oh no. "Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?!" There was an absolutely frightening sparkle in Pinkie's eyes. "It's the most amazing, incredible, tremendous, super, wonderful, teriffically humongous party in all of Equestria! I've always, always, always wanted to go!"

Somebody save me!

♪Oh, the grand galloping galla is the best place for me♪
♪Oh, the grand galloping galla is the best place for me♪
♪hip, hip, hooray♪
♪It's the best place for me♪
♪For Pinkie♪

"With decorations like streamers and fairy lights and pinwheels and piñatas and pincussions? With goodies like sugar cubes and sugarcanes and sundaes and sunbeams and sasparilla? And I get to play my favouritist of favourite fantabulous games like 'pin the tail on the pony'!"

♪Oh the grand galloping gala is the best place for me♪
♪Oh the grand galloping gala is the best place for me♪
♪'Cause it's the most gala-riffic♪
♪Superly terrific gala ever in the whole galaxy♪

"Whee!"

All my dead enemies are laughing in their grave at me now. Here stands Lelouch Brittania, 99th Emperor of Brittania and former ruler of the world, now doomed to endure sickeningly sweet pink pony whose music is surpassed only by her grammar in terms of irritation.

"Oh, thank you, Twilight! It's the most wonderfullest gift ever." Pinkie said, bouncing around us before coming to a stop right in Twilight's face. Twilight looked as disturbed as I felt. She quickly backed away from the uncomfortable proximity.

"Um, actually..." Spike went to pick up the tickets as Twilight tried to explain things to Pinkie.

"*gasp* Are these what I think they are?" came a voice that, after hearing that song, was quite welcome.

"Uh..." Twilight went to reply.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Twilight's taking me to the grand galloping gala in Canterlot!" Pinkie chimed in.

Rarity's eyes grew wide. "The gala?" then her expression grew solemn. " I design ensembles for the gala every year. But I've never had the opportinuty to attend. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour. It's where I truly belong." Perhaps in the lower echelons of Canterlot, in business class. I smiled, keeping that thought to myself. " And where I'm destined to meet him!" Rarity concluded.

"Him!" Pinkie parroted. "Who?"

"Him. I would stroll through the gala, and everyone would wonder, 'who is that mysterious mare?' They would never guess that I was just a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why, I would cause such a sensation that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself. And the princess would be so taken with the style and elegance that she would introduce me to him! Her nephew..." 'Nephew?' I thought. 'Does Celestia have another sister that I don't know about? Or is she married, and this is her husband's nephew Rarity is talking about? He couldn't be Princess Luna's son, Even rabbits don't work that quickly.' "The most handsome, eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot! Our eyes would meet. Our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent. He would ask for my hoof in marriage. And, of course, I would say, 'Yes!!'."

'Rabbits may not work that quickly, but apparently, Rarity does.' I thought to myself. "We would have a royal wedding, befitting a princess, which is *giggles* what I would become upon marrying him, the stallion of my dreams!" 'And Spike's nightmare if his expression is anything to go by.'

"Twilight! I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she can party and prevent me from meeting my true love. How could you? Hmph!" Rarity whined, stomping her hoof as she turned away from the now confused lavender mare.

"Uh, listen, guys, I haven't decided who to give the extra ticket to." Twilight addressed. Never before had I seen someone move as fast as Pinkie and Rarity did when they turned to face Twilight.

"You haven't?!"
"You haven't?!"

"Um, excuse me, Twilight, I would just like to ask... I mean, if it would be alright, If you haven't given it to someone else..." the timid voice of Fluttershy interrupted. We were all equally surprised to hear that Fluttershy wanted to go as well. But it was Rarity who voiced her surprise, and perhaps not in the nicest way.

"You?! You want to go to the gala?"

"Oh, no." Fluttershy surrendered. The little bunny holding the source of Twilight's dilemma in his mouth - 'how'd he get those?' - began thumping his hind leg against Fluttershy's own leg. As if he were urging her to stand up for herself. That bunny was a good friend. "I-I mean, yes." she smiled. I couldn't help but smile with her. "Or, actually, kind of. You see, it's not so much the grand galloping gala as it is the wondorous private gated garden that surrounds the dance. The flowers are said to be the most beautiful and fragrant in all of Equestria. For the night of the gala and that night alone will they all be in bloom. And that's just the flora! Don't get me started on the fauna. There's loons and toucans and bitterns, oh, my! Hummingbirds that can really hum and buzzards that can really buzz! Blue jays and red jays and green jays, pink jays and pink flamingoes."

As Fluttershy listed off all those animals, I thought to myself; 'I must remember to introduce her to origami. I'm sure she would love making little animals with folded paper.'

"Gee, Fluttershy, it sounds... beautiful?" said Twilight. But before she could go on, another voice interrupted.

"Wait just a minute!" all eyes were on Rainbow Dash as she stood on the roof of a house.

"Rainbow Dash! Were you following me?" Twilight demanded.

"You have to ask?" I chipped in.

Rainbow Dash glided down to land in front of Twilight and myself. "No. I mean, yes. I mean, maybe. Look, it doesn't matter. I couldn't risk a goody-four-shoes like you giving that ticket away to just anybody!" 'Way to ingratiate yourself with her, Rainbow Dash.'

"Wait just another minute." Applejack appeared. This was beginning to feel like that time during the school festival when I had to hide C.C. amongst the tomatoes and stop Shirley from tearing off Kallen's mascot cosume. In summation, this was a mess.

"Applejack? Were you following me too?" Twilight asked.

"No, I was following this one to make sure she didn't try any funny business. Still trying to take my ticket."

"Your ticket?!" Rainbow protested. And like that, the arguing commenced all around. I could do nothing but watch as Twilight seemingly crumbled under the pressure of the girls' arguments. Until...

"QUIET!!" Twilight yelled. All except for Pinkie shut up. Judging from the dialogue, she had trailed off onto some tangent. She quickly stopped after a few seconds, realising nopony else was talking. "Girls, there's no use in arguing."

"But Twilight-" Rarity went to complain, but Twilight stuck her hoof out to cut her off.

"Eh! This is my decision. And I'm gonna make it on my own. And I certainly can't think straight with all this noise." a grumbling sound interrupted her and she looked down to her stomach. "Not to mention hunger." she added.

"Perhaps we should adjourn this meeting and pick it up after lunch. Shall we go, Twilight?" I offered. She smiled at me and nodded before turning to the others.

"Now go on! Shoo!" she demanded. As the girls dispersed, each of them grumbling. I watched Twilight as her sad expression showed the struggle she was dealing with. I could sympathize. At first, she was only left with a choice between two friends, now she had to choose between five. "And don't worry! I'll figure this out! ...Somehow."





Twilight, Spike and myself sat at an outside table at the Three Clovers Restaurant. Spike was happily looking through the menu, while Twilight slouched straddled atop the hay bale that was her seat.

"Aw, guys, what am I gonna do? All five of my best rfiends have really good reasons to go to the gala. Applejack or Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy? Rarity? Oh, who should go with me?" As she recited the girls' names, she plucked a petal from one of the flowers atop our table. Each petal landed on the surface, but quickly found their way onto Twilight's tongue as her stomach grumbled.

"Have you made your decision?" asked our waiter. Poor timing, as Twilight exploded in frustration.

"I can't decide!" she screamed, drawing the attention of our fellow patrons.

"Twilight, he just wants to take your order." Spike explained.

"Oh. I would love a daffodil and daisy sandwich." she said.

While I was becoming used to the dietary habits of ponies, I still couldn't bring myself to eat flowers. "I'll have a lettuce, tomato and cheese sandwich, please." I ordered.

"Do you have any rubies?" Spike asked, only to receive a stare from the waiter. "No? Okay. I'll have the hay fries." He tossed the menu away, much to the waiter's annoyance. "Extra crispy!"

"What do you think, Lelouch?" Twilight asked, looking to me with pleading eyes. I pondered what I might be able to say to Twilight without straight out giving her the answer. According to Celestia's plan, the situation Twilight had found herself in would be an ideal learning experience.

"Just so we're on the same page, the source of your turmoil is as follows. You only have two tickets to this gala of yours, and five friends who want to go. Whomever you give the ticket to, four upset ponies remain. You could give away your ticket so two of your friends could go, but that would still leave you with three upset friends. Or you could go the opposite extreme and not give the ticket to anypony. Just go yourself and leave all your friends upset." I took a moment to guage her reaction. The last suggestion left her looking mortified.

"Either way, at least three ponies go without. But that's not your real dilemma." Her ears perked up at that. "Your real dilemma is that you're afraid that whomever you don't choose will resent you for it." Her ears went back down and she nodded.

"I don't want them to hate me because I chose one over the others." she admitted. "And even if they say they don't hate me, how can I believe them?" she asked, her eyes pleading me for an answer.

"Trust, Twilight. You have to trust that when they say they harbor no ill will towards you, they mean it. Trust is the foundation of friendship. You demonstrated your trust in them when we went through the Everfree forest to combat Nightmare Moon." Her eyes lit up a little as I reminded her of that detail.

"But my decision will affect our friendship." she argued.

"You're such a pessimist." I grumbled, earning a frown. "Alright, look. A friend of mine once said 'If my reputation goes down for doing what's right, I don't need it.' In the end, you and you alone must decide who deserves to go more. Upsetting the others is inevitable, but it's up to them to decide if they'll let it ruin their friendship with you and if they decide that's the case, then you don't need them." Twilight's ears dropped again. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but circumstances where you have to choose between friends is rarely easy."

"Ah, your food." the waiter interrupted, placing our dishes in front of us.

"Oh, thank you. This looks so good. I'm sure everything will be much clearer once I eat." Twilight said, lifting the sandwich with her magic.

"Did you not hear a word I just said?" I asked before noticing ponies running indoors.

"Um, Madam, monsieur? Are you going to eat your food in the rain?" the waiter asked as he held the door open for patrons to enter. 'Rain?' I thought, looking up. 'Oh no.'

"It's not raining." Twilight commented. The thunder rumbling begged to differ. "What's going on?"

"Two words: Kiss. Ass." I replied, pointing to the hole in the clouds.

Rainbow Dash's head peaked out from the edge of the ring. "Hi there, best friend forever I've ever, ever had. Enjoying the sunny weather?" she asked.

"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?" Twilight asked.

"What do you mean? I just saw the smartest, most generous pony about to get rained on, so I thought I'd kick a hole in the clouds to keep her dry so she could dine in peace, that's all."

"Rainbow, you're not trying to get extra consideration for the extra ticket by doing me extra-special favors, are you?" Twilight asked.

"Me? No, no, no. Of course not."

"Uh-huh." Twilight said.

"Seriously, I'd do it for anypony." Rainbow added. We looked around at the scurrying ponies outside.

"Uh-huh." I parroted.

Rainbow Dash audibly swallowed before chuckling nervously. "Rainbow, I am not comfortable accepting unwanted favors, so I'd appreciate it if you'd close up that rain cloud right now." Twilight demanded.

"Uh-oh!" I said, suddenly rushing my meal.

"Ugh! Fine!" Rainbow replied, closing the hole in the clouds.

"That's better." Twilight said. As I swallowed my last mouthful and Twilight raised her sandwich to her mouth, the rain came crashing down on us. Twilight dropped the now soggy sandwich, an expression of great irritation on her face.

A groan escaped her lips. "You've got no-one to blame but yourself for this one." I said, equal irritation on my face. Spike was just covering his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter.

"What was I supposed to do, accept her favour?" she demanded.

"Of course. Twilight, the definition of a favour is to do something for someone else without thought of reward or gratutide. It's synonymous with a good deed. Rainbow Dash might not have known that, but you should. It doesn't matter how many favours she does you, it's up to you whether you would let them weigh in on your decision." I replied.

"But it wouldn't be fair to the other girls if Rainbow Dash's favour brought more weight to her whilst the other girls waited patiently." Twilight protested.

"You really think the others aren't going to try and win you over? You really think Applejack, the hard-working family mare who wants to earn enough money for her family won't try to buy her ticket with a favour or two? Or Rarity, the businessmare who dreams of marrying a prince would let something as simple as fair play come between her and happily-ever-after?" As I spoke, I saw Twilight's expression change to one of realisation.

As if on cue, Rarity appeared with an umbrella saddle on her back. "Twilight! It's raining."

"We hadn't noticed." I deadpanned. Seeming to have ignored my comment, Rarity wrapped her hooves around Twilight's midsection and pulled her away.

"Come with me before you catch a cold." she said.





Twilight and I shook the water from our bodies, however, most of it managed to get all over Rarity. "Oops. Sorry." Twilight said.

The alabaster mare wore an unamused look on her face, but quickly discarded it. "Oh, no! It's quite alright. After all, we are the best of friends, are we not?" I knew where this was going. "And you know what the best of friends do. MAKEOVER!" she cheered. Using her magic, she slid a room divider in front of them. The sounds that followed were bizarre and did not belong to the situation at hand. Drilling and hammering sounded in the background of Twilight's protests. I even thought I heard a cat shriek, but that could have been Twilight.

Finally, the divider was remived and Twilight stood wearing some strange frilly blue frock with what appeared to be the ends of blonde pigtails dangling from the side. "There! Oh, you're simply darling!" Rarity stated.

"Uh... yeah, it is kind of pretty, isn't it? What do you think, Lelouch?" she asked, turning to me.

'You look like you've just escaped the carousel.' I thought. However, I simply wore a fake smile. "You look lovely, Twilight."

Rarity made her way over to Spike. "And you! Oh, Spike, I have a dandy little outfit for the dashing gent." And out came the divider once again. Seconds later, Spike emerged, looking something akin to the love child of a dashing prince and the dragon he was destined to slay. "Oh, Spike. Now, you just need a hat." Rarity added, putting some kind of dark grey embroidered U.F.O looking thing on his head, with a yellow feather sticking out.

"Ugh! I told you, I don't want any part of this girly gala gunk. See you back at the library." And like that, he was out of here.

Rarity chuckled nervously. "Oh, who needs him anyway? Last but not least, Lelouch." I could see the magic aura around the wall divider. 'Oh crap!'

"Spike, wait for me- gah!" Too late, she had me. To this day, I have no idea what went on behind that divider. Although, from what I remember, her hooves might have gone places I'm pretty sure I could sue her for. The divider disappeared again, and I was left in a surprisingly familiar bit of clothing.





A smile made it's way to my lips as I saw myself in the mirror. My zero suit, munis the cape and hemlet, but fitted for pony biology. It was like some sick joke. I couldn't help but laugh at this uncanny coincidence. "Rarity, you truly are gifted." I said, turning to her.

"You like it?" she asked. I nodded, keeping my smile.

"Indeed I do. This suit is definitely me." I replied.

"I agree. You look very handsome, Lelouch." Twilight commented. I bowed towards her, the smile still on my face. It had been a while since I'd genuinely smiled this long.

"I'm glad you both like your clothes. Just think how fabulous you'll look at the grand galloping gala?" As Rarity spoke, I watched the realisation come to Twilight's eyes as our earlier conversation came to mind.

"Called it." I said, knowing she knew what I meant.

Rarity made her way to a mannequin sporting an identical dress to Twilight's. "And, oh, my goodness. What a coincidence. I happen to have an ensemble of my own that matches yours to a 'T'. We would be the belles of the ball, you and I. Everyone would be clamoring for our attention. All eyes would be on us. And then everyone would finally know the most beautiful, most talented, most sophisticated pony in all of Equestria is Rarity the Unicorn!" And I thought Rainbow Dash had an inflated ego.

A pregnant pause gave Rarity enough time to come back to reality. She giggled nervously before adding. "And Twilight Sparkle, of course." I had to hold back my mirth at seeing her add insult to injury by patting Twilight on the head.

"I see what's going on. You're just buttering me up so I give you the extra ticket. Well, it's not gonna work. You're going to have to wait for my decision, just like everyone else." Twilight tossed the dress towards Rarity, the necklace that came with the ensemble dangling from the seamstress' horn. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been trying all day, just to get some lunch!"

"Did somepony say 'lunch'?" Applejack appeared out of nowhere and tore Twilight through the front door. With a sigh, I removed my suit and handed it to Rarity.

"Put this on hold for me, would you?" I asked. She smiled gently at me as she took the suit. "Thank you." I concluded before following the smoke trail that was Twilight being flung across town.





I arrived just in time for Twilight to start laying into Applejack. "No. No! I don't know who I'm giving the ticket to! And all these favours aren't making it easier to decide. In fact, I'm less sure now than I was this morning! Ugh!" Twilight stormed off, angry and unfed.

"So, that's a 'maybe'?" Applejack asked. I stopped just beside her.

"You don't get it, do you?" I asked.

Applejack turned to me. "Get what?"

"Twilight is struggling to decide who she should take with her. She wants to make you all happy, but she doesn't have enough tickets for that, so she's left with an incredibly difficult choice. Who does she take, and who does she leave behind. Ask yourself; what if you had to choose?"

Applejack's ears fell flat. "You're right, Lelouch. I feel awful for having put Twilight through that. What do I do?" she asked.

"You should talk to the others. Make them aware of the problem if they aren't already, and then discuss the best course of action from there. I'd suggest letting Twilight know that none of you will be mad at her for choosing one over the other. That you understand it is a difficult choice to make." I replied. Applejack smiled and nodded. With a plan set in motion, we walked together in search of the other girls.





Having discussed the issue with the girls, each of them seemed to comprehend the strain they'd been putting on Twilight. Each of them agreed that they'd lay off of her and let her decide who to take with no hard feelings from the rest. No sooner had we concluded the meeting Twilight and Spike suddenly teleported into the library. 'I wasn't aware she could do that.' Apparently, neither was she. Having not noticed us, Twilight and Spike began barricading the library, turning off all the lights. For a brief second, they thought they were alone.

Then on came the light. As soon as Twilight saw us, the day's events caught up with her, and she exploded. Not to my surprise. "YAH!!! I can't decide! I just can't decide!" The girls adopted shocked faces. "It's important to all of you, and I just can't stand to disappoint any of you. And giving me gifts and doing me favours won't make any difference because you're all my friends, and I want to make you all happy, and I can't! I just can't!" Her meltdown ended in poor Twilight curled up on the ground with her hooves over her head, wanting to hide from the world.

Applejack was the first to respond, walking right up to her. "Twilight, sugar, I-I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you. Lelouch explained to us that what we were doing was only hurting you. He helped us see things from your perspective and realize our mistake. So if it will help you any, I don't want the ticket anymore. You can give it to somepony else. I won't feel bad, I promise." she said. I smiled, glad that things seemed to be going smoothly.

Fluttershy glided in. "Me too. I feel just aweful that I made you feel so awful."

"And me too! It's no fun upsetting your friends." Pinkie added, followed by Rarity.

"Twilight, it was unfair of me to try to force you as I did."

Finally, Rainbow decided to add her two cents, though not how we discussed. "Yes! That means the ticket is mine! ♪I've got the ticket, I've got the ticket♪" she paused to look at the group, seeing their judging stares. How quickly, peer pressure forced her to backpedal. "You know, I haven't perfected my signature moves for the wonderbolts, anyway. I don't need that ticket, either." she said.

"Sit down!" I ordered, giving her a stern glare.

Rainbow Dash stopped flapping her wings and let gravity plant her on the ground. "Yes sir!" she squeaked. I'd learned early on that my lecture during the welcoming party on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration had left a traumatic impression on the usually carefree pegasus. As such, I didn't even need Geass to reel her in.

"We all got so gung ho about going to the gala that we couldn't see how un-gung ho we were making you." Applejack resumed.

"We're sorry. Twilight." the girls all said together.

Twilight seemed to come out of her proverbial shell as soon as they apologized. "Spike, take down a note." she said, Spike grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from seemingly out of nowhere and prepared to transcribe Twilight's words.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. But when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the grand galloping gala."

"WHAT?!" the girls exclaimed.

"If my friends can't all go, I don't want to go, either." Twilight added.

"Twilight, you don't have to do that." Applejack argued.

But Twilight was adamant. "Nope. I've made up my mind. Spike, you can send the letter now." Spike rolled up the letter and moved to the nearest window, opening it. With a deep breath, he held up the scroll and flew green flames at it. The scroll disolved into smoke and flew out the window.

"Now you won't get to go to the gala, either." Fluttershy stated. Twilight just smiled.

"It's okay, girls. I couldn't possibly enjoy myself without my best friends there with me." The girls all gathered around Twilight to give her a group hug. "So I would rather not go at all." I smiled at the group of friends before turning to see Spike struggling to not vomit.

"Well, wallop my withers, Spike. Isn't that just like a boy? Can't handle the least bit of sentiment." Her complaint was interrupted by a large flaming belch from the baby dragon. "Woah, nelly! The flames spun around and compacted into a small ball before exploding, revealing a scroll with a golden seal on it.

"A letter from the Princess? That was fast." Twilight commented. 'Indeed, looks like my prediction was correct. This was a teaching moment for Twilight. And for the others, it seems.' I thought.

Spike grabbed the scroll and began reading. "My faithful student Twilight, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Then Spike revealed a number of tickets. "Six tickets to the grand galloping gala!" he exclaimed.

All the girls cheered in excitement. I myself was pleased. 'Excellent. That means I don't have a ticket and I won't have to go.' I smiled contently.

"Now we can all go!" Twilight commented, earning further cheers from the girls. Then her stomach continued to rumble. She chuckled nervously.

"Allow us to treat you to dinner." Rarity said.

"I already made reservations for us at The Three Clovers." I said. The girls all began chatting excitedly as they stepped out. As each mare stepped out, Twilight used her magic to snag a ticket from Spike's claws. As soon as Applejack stepped out, the last ticket was gone. Despite his protests about the gala, Spike seemed disheartened that he didn't get to go. My suspissions were proven right as he voiced such disappointment.

"How come I don't get a ticket to the gala?" he asked. I went to try and cheer him up, but another belch of flame interrupted me. Another scroll landed in his hands. "And one for you Spike." he read, revealing another ticket. "P.S. Lelouch's participation is mandatory." Yet another ticket revealed itself. 'What?! I went along with your plan, why am I being punished?' I thought, taking my ticket and following the now giggling Spike outside where Applejack was waiting for us. Upon realising that he was busted, Spike stopped giggling whilst Applejack just smiled with one hoof crossed over the other.

Best 'Busted!' pose ever. Spike tried to save face, by pretending he was disgusted by the invitation, but it was no use. He zipped away, laughing, with Applejack and myself chuckling right behind him.





Dear Princess Celestia,

As I'm sure you're aware, Twilight's test regarding the tickets resulted in a successful lesson learned. As per our contract, I shall help guide Twilight towards her destiny by serving as your right hoof. However, since I do not know your ultimate goal regarding said destiny, I shall continue to aid her in the study of friendship, and provide you with weekly reports.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for the 'mandatory' invitation to the gala. I hope that the affair will present us with an opportunity to further discuss Twilight's future and my role in guiding her. Until then, I hope you are in good health.

Sincerely,

Lelouch Vi Brittania.

P.S: Please give Princess Luna my regards.