Trixie Lulamoon, one of Princess Celestia's personal students, is sent to Ponyville to oversee the preparations for the Millennial Summer Sun Celebration. But things go awry when a pony from old pony tales appears and disrupts the status quo.
Twilight Sparkle and Trixie Lulamoon are both personal students of Princess Celestia. Ever since being acknowledged by the Princess of Equestria, the two have grown up together as friends. Perhaps a bit of an odd couple, but friends nonetheless. But things change during the upcoming Millenial Summer Sun Celebration when Trixie is sent to Ponyville to oversee the preparations without Twilight.
When the time comes for Celestia to appear and raise the sun, she's gone missing. In her place is a fallen Alicorn known only from pony tales that parents tell their foals to scare them. An Alicorn that sparked an annual tradition. The Alicorn of Nightmares, the Mare in the Moon, Nightmare Moon.
Now Trixie has to find a set of magical artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony. But she's not alone. She is joined by five other Ponies (or rather, four Ponies and one Zebra) on a quest into the Everfree Forest. Along with Vinyl Scratch, Thunderlane, Fluttershy, Maud Pie, and Zecora, will Trixie have what it takes to find the Elements of Harmony and defeat Nightmare Moon? Or will Equestria be doomed to the Nighttime Eternal?
Rated Teen for a graphic nightmare in chapter 4.
This story is the beginning of The Great and Powerful Trixieverse. An AU focused on a pony so egotistical that the AU has to be named after her full name.
Trixie: "Hey!"
Now with a YouTube live reading by Martialartfruituser/Legendbringer Alchemystudent. You can see it here.
I also had a physical book made on Lulu. The book has any spelling/grammar errors (that I could find) corrected. If you're interested in a physical copy, click here.
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 Alicorn 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 Alicorn 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.
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,” a young yellow unicorn filly read. Her long teal mane had shifted to cover one of her green eyes. She moved her mane out of the way to show off her freckles, “I wonder why Princess Celly gave me this story to read.”
“The Princess wants you to do WHAT?!” A violet Unicorn mare exclaimed after reading the letter she was just presented with. Strands of dark purple mane began poking out of her bangs as the shock overtook her, “I mean, why would she choose you to organize the Millenial Summer Sun Celebration?! I’m the more organized out of the two of us! And without me, you’re a disorganized mess!”
Twilight Sparkle is one of Princess Celestia’s two prized pupils with a special talent in magic, representative of the six-pointed starburst cutie mark.
“It’s called ‘controlled chaos’,” a pale blue Unicorn mare grumbled in irritation at the jab at her lack of organization skills. She flicked her stylized white mane with a dramatic flick of her head. Her purple eyes shone with self-confidence, a trait often confused as egotistical when in reality, it’s just her nature as a showmare, “But when I got that letter, I was as confused as you are. I mean, you are famous for your checklists. And how you double, triple, and quadruple-check them.”
Trixie Lulamoon is Princess Celestia’s second prized pupil (although Trixie would argue that she’s the first). Like Twilight, Trixie also had a special talent in magic. Granted, it was a different type of magic. Where Twilight’s magical ability is focused more on her deep reservoir of raw magical potential, Trixie’s magical ability is primarily about finesse and cunning, allowing her to be the stage magician that she is. Trixie’s special talent is represented in her cutie mark as a waving wand topped with a six-pointed star. The same six-pointed star that is Twilight’s cutie mark.
Twilight and Trixie are functionally two sides of the same coin. They have always been mirrors of each other in some form or another. This has been the case ever since they got their cutie marks simultaneously during their entrance exams into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. If something happened to one of them, in some way, something similar happens to the other. Some could call them coincidences. But in the long term, there are far too many ‘coincidences’ for them to be coincidences. And it’s not uncommon for the situation to be too specific to be a coincidence.
“I don’t quadruple-check my checklists. Although…” Twilight said, considering the idea.
“Trixie, you should know better than to give Twilight ideas like that,” an adolescent purple Dragon said as he set down a stack of books.
“As flattered as I am to be tasked with such an event, I don’t know if I’m up to the challenge,” the showmare admitted with defeat, “I mean, I know I’m great and powerful. I am The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie after all! But that’s just it. I’m a showmare, not an event organizer. I don’t know how to organize a Summer Sun Celebration. Especially not one as big as this one!”
“First things first. Trixie, calm down. Take a deep breath in. Hold it for a moment. Then slowly let it out,” the young Dragon instructed.
Trixie did as instructed, allowing herself to calm down, “Thanks, Spike. I needed that,” Trixie thanked in a more calm tone, “I don’t need to start Twilighting. It’s bad enough when Twilight does it.”
Twilight grumbled at her name being turned into a verb.
“Next, let’s think of this rationally,” Spike continued, “Do either of you believe that Princess Celestia is not in her right mind about this?”
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed in shock, “Why would you say that the Princess isn’t in her right mind?”
“I didn’t,” Spike replied, “But if you're questioning her motives, you are the ones implying that you believe she’s not in her right mind. Rather than question why Princess Celestia didn’t pick Twilight, try to think of why she would pick Trixie instead.”
“I think Spike has been hanging around Princess Celestia too much,” Trixie said, “He’s becoming cryptic like she often is.”
“So because I’m sounding cryptic, that means I’m hanging around Celestia too much?” Spike countered, “Fine, I’ll just tell you what I think if you two don’t want to think for yourselves. I think-”
“No, wait!” Twilight interrupted, “Let us think for ourselves. Trixie didn’t mean to imply that we didn’t want to figure it out for ourselves. But you know her well enough that she doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut.”
The coy grin on Twilight’s face from that comment earned a deadpan look from Trixie in response, “Despite how Twilight chose to word it, she’s technically right,” Trixie admitted halfheartedly, “I was just teasing. But I technically never implied that I didn’t want to figure it out for myself. You came to that conclusion all on your own.”
BELCH
Spike belched out a green flame that coalesced into a scroll. Spike then started reading it out loud:
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
As you are most likely aware by now, the Millenial Summer Sun Celebration is coming up. This year, the Summer Sun Celebration will be held in Ponyville. I have requested that Bellatrix Lulamoon VII oversee the event. I would also like to request that you take charge while I’m away.
I understand that you may be confused about my decision. Bellatrix is likely equally confused. But I assure you that I have my reasons for this decision.
I’m sure that by the time you read this, the two of you are already trying to figure out my reasoning for not sending Twilight to Ponyville. This also means that I assume that Bellatrix is listening to Spike read the letter. I have already informed Spike of my reasoning and have requested that he lets you figure it out on your own. This is why he was likely unphased by the news.
Sincerely, Princess Celestia
P.S. Yes, Bellatrix Lulamoon VII may bring her ward to Ponyville with her. I believe that this may be a good chance for her to socialize with others. Ponyvillians tend to be very accepting Ponies. I also know she would’ve brought her along either way.
“We’re going to Ponyville?!” a young voice squealed in joy as she entered the room.
“You know, considering how much the Princess got right about us in that letter, I wouldn’t be surprised if she knew the exact moment Ocellus would arrive so that she would hear exactly what she wanted her to hear,” Trixie assumed.
Before Ocellus arrived, Trixie had a slightly sour expression on her face. She hated the name Bellatrix. It’s why she preferred going by Trixie instead. But Princess Celestia would always write letters to her addressing her as Bellatrix Lulamoon VII. She admitted that it’s a name inherited by her lineage, which is why she would likely name her own daughter Bellatrix Lulamoon VIII, and her daughter would likely hate that name just as much as Trixie did.
But Trixie’s mood always lifted when Ocellus came. It’s partly reactive, since Trixie being in a bad mood would cause more harm than good to Ocellus. But nobody could deny that her pure innocence could chase away Windigoes. The yellow filly went up to nuzzle her surrogate mother, who returned the gesture in kind.
“You heard correctly,” Trixie confirmed, “Princess Celestia is sending me to Ponyville to oversee the planning for the Thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. Twilight will be staying here to oversee things while Celestia is away.”
“It must be because you’re an entertainer,” Ocellus said, catching the attention of the older ponies, “Who better than the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie to make sure the event is as spectacular as it can be?” She said, rolling her Rs as Trixie would.
Spike sighed in defeat. Ocellus was quite insightful. And when Spike had a secret or something, her insight would figure it out, even if she didn’t intend to.
“And Twilight’s organization skills would make her a good leader,” Ocellus continued, “Because Princess Celly is smart like that!”
“She sure is,” Twilight agreed with a light chuckle, “So when do you plan on leaving for Ponyville?”
“If it weren’t for the fact that it’s on such short notice, I would’ve said we leave tomorrow,” Trixie said, “But that would mean I’d have to organize the celebration and find a place to stay all in one night. Ocellus, get your things ready.”
With that said, the filly ran to pack her bags. Twilight and Trixie were a little annoyed that they didn’t get to figure things out on their own. But at the same time, they were impressed with how Ocellus was able to analyze the situation and come up with what Celestia’s reasoning likely was so quickly.
Then again, if Celestia had predicted what their reactions were and when Ocellus would arrive, could she have predicted that Ocellus would figure things out before Twilight or Trixie and that she’d tell them? With how cryptic the Princess can be at times, who knows.
Trixie and Ocellus were now on the train after getting ready to go to Ponyville. “Doesn’t the Town Hall offer a place to stay for political representatives?” Ocellus asked.
This caught the showmare off guard, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Trixie asked. Without being answered, Trixie came to the conclusion herself, “You just wanted to go to Ponyville sooner, didn’t you?”
The grin on the filly’s face was all the answer she needed.
“Think of it this way. This still means you have more time to watch over the celebration,” Ocellus said, “That also means we’ll have more time just to spend time visiting Ponyville.”
“I guess we should enjoy it while we can,” Trixie agreed, “It’ll be a refreshing change of pace. But I will still be more than happy to return home to Canterlot.”
“Do you think there are any foals my age to play with in Ponyville?!” Ocellus asked excitedly as she looked out the window, her tail swishing back and forth with glee.
There was no hiding the smile on Trixie’s face at Ocellus’s joy, “I’m sure there are plenty,” Trixie chuckled, “Although considering Ponyville’s proximity to the Everfree Forest, I question how smart it is to raise a foal so close to the forest.”
“A village was able to thrive there, right?”
“Yeah, I suppose they have, haven’t they?” Trixie said, “You know, Ocellus, we have a private car so that you don’t have to stay in Pony form.”
Ocellus’s demeanor fell like a lead weight, “A-are you sure nopony will see me?”
“If somepony saw you, then this wouldn’t be a private car, now would it?” Trixie said with a smug grin.
Acknowledging this fact, Ocellus relented. A green glow began to form around her horn. The magical aura began to take the form of a green flame.
FWOOSH
Click
A gray Earth Pony with a geode cutie mark and an expressionless face walked into the car to see a pale blue unicorn wearing a magician’s hat and robe, and a black, Pony-like insectoid with gradient blue eyes and holes in her limbs and wings.
The two inhabitants of the car looked on at the newcomer with shock. The smaller of the two was petrified at being caught in her true form. Some would believe that the young one was a stone statue if it weren’t for the glowing blue eyes, especially with how she fell over with a “clunk” without moving a muscle.
But to the newcomer in the car, it wasn’t the glowing blue eyes that gave her status as not a stone statue away. The gray mare slowly made her way to another booth, not even reacting to the site of an unknown creature that was Ocellus.
“Uh… I don’t mean to be rude, but…” Trixie said before her demeanor changed to a more aggressive one, “What are you doing here?!”
“Riding the train,” the mare said simply.
This caught Trixie off guard for a moment before regaining her intimidating composure, “Don’t you know this is a private train car?”
“Yes.”
Again, Trixie was caught off guard. There was something about this mare. Not only was she unphased by Trixie’s intimidation tactics, her blunt honesty kept throwing her off guard, “If you know this is a private car, then why did you come here?!”
“For privacy.”
That answer was so obvious that it was the last answer she expected, “What I mean is, how did you get into this car? We specifically reserved it!”
“The Conductor let me in.”
“B-but… why did the Conductor let you in?!”
“Because I needed a seat.”
“B-but… I… we… reserve… private…” Trixie stuttered incoherently, completely thrown off her game.
“You should remind your friend to breathe,” the gray mare said, pointing to Ocellus.
Trixie looked to see that Ocellus was so dedicated to keeping still that she was holding her breath. And now, her face was turning purple before falling to the floor limply. No longer interested in arguing with the newcomer, Trixie ran to check to see if Ocellus was okay.
“Ocellus! Are you okay?! Please wake up!” Trixie exclaimed in a panic, trying to wake her ward up.
“She should be okay as long as she gets enough air,” the gray mare said, suddenly next to the two, “She just fainted from oxygen deprivation. She’ll recover as long as she’s breathing.”
Trixie was surprised by the mare’s sudden appearance next to them, not hearing her even move. But she was more concerned about Ocellus, which lessened the impact.
“You’re taking this a lot better than I expected,” Trixie admitted, still keeping an eye on Ocellus.
“If you knew my sister, nothing would surprise you either,” The gray mare said, “What is she?”
The question took Trixie off guard. Specifically, she was taken off guard by the fact that it was the first thing she said that wasn’t a response to a question. Well, it was technically the second, but the first was her saying that Ocellus would be okay. But that was still technically in response. This question was the first time the gray mare had spoken without it being a reaction to what Trixie had said first.
“Her name is Ocellus. And she’s a Changeling,” Trixie said simply, “Your knowledge of what she is is now nearly as extensive as my own. I get the feeling that Princess Celestia knows more than she told me. But this is as much as I know. As for what I haven’t told you, you probably can figure that out on your own based on what you saw when you walked in on us.”
“Transformation magic?”
“Something like that,” Trixie confirmed, “Yes, it’s magic, but it’s innate to her species. She usually takes that Unicorn form because of how she’s been treated when she’s undisguised.”
“I assume you’re from Canterlot,” the gray mare said, “Canterlotians tend to dislike anyone who’s different from them.”
“Well, they’re not all like that,” Trixie said, “But the Canterlot Nobles certainly fit that description, with a few exceptions. There are a few good Nobles though. My name is Trixie by the way.”
“Maudalina Daisy Pie,” the gray mare introduced, shaking Trixie’s hoof, “But my sisters simply call me Maud.”
“So, are you on your way to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration?” Trixie asked.
“Ponyville is on the way, so I’m stopping to visit a friend,” Maud said, her face never leaving that emotionless expression, “I’m studying to earn my Roctorate from the School of Rockology.”
“Isn’t the study of rocks called Geology?” Trixie asked.
“Yes. But it doesn’t sound as fun,” Maud said.
“Fair point,” Trixie admitted, “My name is Trixie Lulamoon. I’m on my way to Ponyville to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. I was sent by Celestia herself.”
Trixie waited to see how impressed Maud was at being directly instructed by Celestia to oversee the event. But to her chagrin, Maud barely reacted. She just slowly blinked, “So you’re a friend of the Princess?”
“I’m not friends with her, I’m her personal student,” Trixie said before thinking about it, “Well, I suppose we’re not not friends. I guess I’ve never thought of her as a friend because of the teacher-student relationship.”
“Friends can be found in the strangest places and situations,” Maud said insightfully, “My friend and I got our cutie marks together.”
Awareness was beginning to return to Ocellus’s mind. She cracked her eyes open to see both Trixie and the interloper talking with each other. Before she could attempt to hide from the mystery mare while she was distracted, the gray mare spoke up, causing Ocellus to freeze up once again, “She’s awake.”
Trixie looked towards the youngling to see that she was, in fact, awake. The relieved smile on her face was comforting, “Are you feeling okay now?” Trixie asked.
Ocellus’s only reaction was to shift her eyes quickly to the gray mare.
“Ocellus, breathe,” Trixie said, putting a hoof on her back to calm her down, “It’s okay, she’s a friend, and she understands. But if you don’t breathe, you’ll pass out again.”
Ocellus took in a shaky breath before transforming back into her pony form. Despite knowing that it doesn’t make a difference, she still feels more comfortable in her pony form while others are around. It’s more for her own comfort than anything else.
“Her name is Maud Pie, and she’s good at keeping secr-” Trixie stopped herself when she realized that her choice of words was inaccurate, “Maud is the type who doesn’t volunteer information unless directly asked about it. And because other Ponies likely wouldn’t have a reason to ask her about you being a Changeling, she’ll have no reason to reveal your secret.”
“It’s not keeping a secret if nopony brings up the topic,” Maud elaborated.
Ocellus looked up at Maud with confused curiosity, “So, your name is Maud?” Ocellus asked after a moment of hesitation.
“My name is Maudalina Daisy Pie.” Maud explained in a monotone voice.
Ocellus waited, feeling like there should be more to that statement, “So… why did Trixie just call you Maud?” Ocellus asked, “Is that what your friends call you for short?”
“Yes.”
There was another pause before Ocellus spoke up, “Mom wasn’t kidding when she said you don’t volunteer information,” Ocellus commented, “So, how did you start using that nickname?”
“My friend, Rarity, gave it to me,” Maud said, “And when my sisters heard it, it stuck.”
“You told me that you’re going to Ponyville to meet a friend,” Trixie said, “Is Rarity the friend you’re going to meet?”
“Yes.”
Trixie took out a list from her saddlebag and looked through it, “Aha! I knew I saw that name somewhere!” Trixie exclaimed, “Rarity is in charge of decorations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Is it alright if, after we get off the train, we follow you to see Rarity and check on how things are going on her end? It’ll make a convenient first stop.”
“Yes.”
“You said that your friends call you Maud, right?” Ocellus asked, “Since mom has been calling you Maud, does that mean you and Trixie are friends now?”
Maud looked up to Trixie, then back down to Ocellus, the emotionless expression never leaving her face, “I guess it does.”
The train pulled into Ponyville Station. Trixie and Ocellus, led by Maud, went to meet up with Rarity.
Ocellus was overly excited to see this new environment, constantly pointing out places that she would like to see before they had to head back to Canterlot. Trixie smiled at the glee on the youngling’s face and made sure to mark each sightseeing location on a map of Ponyville she got for navigation.
Seeing how filled this map was getting, she wrote a note in the corner:
“Get new map”
The trio of visitors was led to a large building that resembled a carousel. Trixie specifically took note of the fact that it appeared to be a shop of some sort.
Maud knocked on the door. Trixie was a little confused as to why she’d knock on the door of a shop. Then she remembered that in many small towns like this one, business owners sometimes reside at the business they own.
The door opened, revealing a white Unicorn mare with a stylized purple mane, “Welcome to Carousel Jewelers, where-” the white mare paused when she saw who was at the door. Her practiced smile grew into a much more genuine smile, “Maud! It’s so good to see you!” The mare hugged Maud in a greeting. Maud just stood there and accepted it.
“It’s good to see you too, Rarity,” Maud replied after the hug was released.
The mare, now identified as Rarity, saw the other two visitors, “Oh, and who are these two?”
“This here is Ocellus,” Trixie said, motioning to the faux filly, “And you can call me the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie!”
There was silence as Rarity just stared, unsure how to react.
Trixie then toned it down with a bashful expression, “That is to say, my name is Trixie Lulamoon,” Trixie elaborated, “I’m here from Canterlot, sent by the Princess herself, to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. Am I correct in assuming you are Rarity, the one in charge of decorations?”
“Canterlot, you say?” Rarity asked, intrigued, “And sent by the Princess herself? Where are my manners? Please, come in.”
The group walked into the shop to see lots of jewelry on display. Necklaces, bracelets, horn rings, earrings, rings for other piercings, crowns and tiaras, buttons, brooches, and plenty of other jewelry. Each of these items had several different gems of different colors, sizes, shapes, values, etcetera.
Trixie gave a whistle at the sight of the jewelry, “Impressive. Making jewelry must be a real passion of yours,” Trixie complimented, “Where do you get so many gems from?”
“My special talent is in finding gems. It just comes naturally to me,” Rarity explained as she showed off her cutie mark of three gems, a ruby, a sapphire, and an emerald, “And beauty is my passion. Jewelry is just how I express both my passion and my talent. Even before I earned my cutie mark, I knew I had a passion for fashion. But it wasn’t until I met Maud that I realized that costume design wasn’t my forte. Maud and her family helped to inspire a passion for precious gems thanks to their expertise in rocks and minerals. And despite how different we are, I do consider them like a second family.”
“I’d love to hear more about that later,” Trixie said, “But do you have your designs ready for the Summer Sun Celebration?”
“Of course. The decorations are ready to be put up, but that can wait until tomorrow,” Rarity said, “I assume you’ll be here to see them tomorrow when they’re up. But I do have the sketches drawn up.”
Rarity levitated a cup of tea with her sketchbook over to Trixie to look over.
Meanwhile, Ocellus chose to look at the jewelry in amazement. It was a good thing that she was there instead of Spike. If that dragon were to see all this jewelry, Rarity would lose a lot of money after he would’ve eaten everything there.
“Hi!”
Ocellus nearly jumped out of her fur at the sudden voice behind her. She turned around to see a white Unicorn filly with a pastel purple and pink mane and a large smile on her face.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” the filly said apologetically, “I’ve never seen you in Ponyville before. Are you visiting for the Summer Sun Celebration?”
Ocellus recomposed herself, “Yeah, Princess Celly sent my mom specifically to oversee the celebration,” Ocellus explained, “My name’s Ocellus. What’s yours?” Ocellus held out her hoof.
“I’m Sweetie Belle,” the filly said, taking the hoof and shaking it, “My big sister, Rarity, owns this shop. And she makes the best jewelry in Equestria!”
“It’s the best jewelry I’ve ever seen,” Ocellus agreed, “How does she make so much jewelry?”
“It’s related to her special talent,” Sweetie Belle said, “She has a special talent for finding gems. And she has an eye for beauty. You wanna try some of it on?”
Ocellus’ muzzle spread into a gleeful, and perhaps slightly mischievous grin.
Trixie took another sip of tea as she looked over another page of sketches. They were decent sketches for somepony whose special talent isn’t drawing related, “You do have an eye for aesthetics, don’t you?” Trixie asked rhetorically as she flipped through the pages.
“But of course!” Rarity confirmed, “This is the Summer Sun Celebration, after all. That means that we are playing as hosts for the Princess herself. And this is the Millennial Summer Sun Celebration, which makes it extra special! So, of course, I would spare no expense for the event.”
“I probably should come again tomorrow to see the final result,” Trixie agreed, “But if it looks anything like your sketches, I can only see these designs as receiving approval.”
“Thank you. I do appreciate your opinion on the matter,” Rarity said, “If I may change the subject, I must ask you where you got that brooch on your cloak. It’s simply fabulous! Is that a moonstone?”
“As a matter of fact, it is,” Trixie replied, “The brooch came with the cloak. I got it as a gift from one of my teachers at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. It’s a long story that involves how I got my cutie mark. And it’s more complicated than just being a gift. If you’re available after the Summer Sun Celebration, I’ll come by and tell you the story then. But right now, I-”
“Mom, do I look pretty?” the voice of Ocellus called. The two adults looked to see Ocellus and Sweetie Belle both covered in jewelry that, if a dragon had seen them, would make them in serious danger of being eaten.
“Sweetie Belle, what do you think you’re doing?” Rarity scolded, though her failure at hiding her smile betrayed her tone of voice, “You know better than to play with the inventory.”
Trixie didn’t even try to hide the smile on her face. The fact was that it was a cute image, and the glee on Ocellus’ face only enhanced the experience.
Ocellus ran up to Trixie, the massive amount of jewelry making her sound like a large sack of bits, “I made a new friend!”
“Is that so?” Trixie asked rhetorically. She then looked towards the filly that clearly was related to Rarity. She then started taking off the horde Ocellus was wearing, “It looks like this trip has already been worth it for you. But I’m surprised that all of this jewelry isn’t weighing you down.” Trixie then thought of something as she whispered to the bedazzled beetle, “You didn’t ‘change’ in front of her, did you?”
SHINK SHINK SHINK
Even shaking her head no was like the sound of a silverware drawer.
“How many times do I need to tell you that fashion is about quality, not quantity?” Rarity said as she had taken most of the jewelry off of Sweetie Belle, leaving only a couple of pieces on that truly did make her look fashionable. She then looked over to Trixie, “Although, I’m surprised to hear her call you ‘mom’. You seem young to be a mother.”
“It’s complicated. But it’s more accurate to say I’m her surrogate mother,” Trixie explained, “We aren’t biologically related.”
“Well, I suppose it’s not too different from Ponyville’s mail carrier,” Rarity said, “She and her little sister are orphans. But she takes care of the filly as a mother would. And her little sister was so young when they lost their parents that she refers to her older sister as her mother as well. Ditzy just doesn’t have it in her heart to correct her.”
“How hard is it for those who know her to keep that secret?” Trixie asked, “And if the secret gets out, will her little sister take it well?”
“It’s not as hard as you may think,” Rarity said, “Most of Ponyville doesn’t even know the truth. I only know because a friend of mine who does know let it slip during our weekly spa trip. Aside from the mail carrier herself, there are only seven ponies currently in Ponyville who knows the truth about them. And before you two came, it was only five. Myself, Sweetie Belle, and Maud know after all, and now you two. The last two know because they help out as much as they can. I believe they are in charge of music for the Millennial Summer Sun Celebration.”
Trixie had taken everything off of the faux filly but held up an item that caught her attention, showing it to Rarity, “How much for this?”
Trixie and Ocellus were on their way to their next destination. Ocellus was especially joyful as she was showing off a new necklace she was wearing. It was a steel necklace with an eye-shaped malachite stone embedded in it and a flower motif over the malachite. Trixie sighed at how much lighter her bit pouch felt. Five hundred bits lighter, to be specific. Rarity had offered a generous discount. But Trixie refused the discount because of just how much Rarity had spent on the Summer Sun Celebration. Rarity didn’t outright say it, but Trixie assumed Rarity’s business was in the red. So it helped out Rarity financially and made Ocellus happy.
As much as Trixie would prefer to rely on herself financially, she was currently happy that she was the Princess’s student, a mentor who would gladly help out.
The next thing on the list for today was music, provided by Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch*. The two of them are an odd couple. They were very different, despite being sisters. And their home reflects that difference. It looked like two houses were cut in half, and the two halves were then stitched together to make one. That split also extended to the lawn. The left half looked like a fancy traditional house with a flower garden in the yard. The right half looked like a more modern design with solar panels on the roof. The yard appeared to have a stage built with wood and a mesh frame for vines to grow on, including a disco ball of flowers. There was no denying how creative that structure was.
The name ‘Octavia Melody’ was commonplace in Canterlot. She often had offers to play there because of her classical style and high-class demeanor. Vinyl Scratch on the other hand was an unknown. It was then that Trixie noticed an asterisk. She checked the notes to find the asterisk notes:
*Vinyl Scratch is better known by her stage name, “DJ Pon3”
DJ Pon3 is certainly a name that Trixie recognized as well. Though she’s not exactly popular in Canterlot because of her new-age style, she is still well known. But why would Ocavia and DJ Pon3 work together with music? Their styles are like the difference between day and night.
But Trixie just assumed that they were sharing time so that there would be music that could appeal to multiple generations of ponies.
Trixie knocked on the door and waited for a response. They waited momentarily before the door opened to reveal a gray Earth Pony filly with a white, braided mane and a pair of red-rimmed glasses. It was evident from the glasses that the filly’s eyesight was very bad without them, “Hello?”
“Hello,” Trixie replied, “Is Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch home?”
“My mom is away at the moment,” the filly said, “But aunt Vinyl is here. May I ask what you want them for?”
“I’ve been sent by Princess Celestia to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration,” Trixie explained, “And it says here that Ocavia and Vinyl are in charge of the music.”
The filly smiled, “My aunt is in the living room. She just got done practicing her music,” the filly led Trixie and Ocellus inside, “My name is Silver Spoon.”
“I am the Princess’s personal protege, Trixie Lulamoon,” Trixie introduced herself to the filly, “And this is my daughter, Ocellus.”
Ocellus just rolled her eyes at Trixie’s introduction. It was amusing nonetheless.
As they headed inside, they were led into the room where they saw a white Unicorn with a messy electric blue mane and a cutie mark of a vinyl record with a couple of 8th notes, “Hey, aunt Vinyl, we have guest sent from Canterlot!” The filly called out.
When the white mare turned to face the visitors, what caught Trixie’s attention was a burn scar on her neck, which was soon covered with a choker. But it wasn’t until she spoke that she realized that there was more to the choker than just covering the scar.
“From Canterlot, huh?” the mare said, her voice sounding like it was coming through a radio speaker, “Are you the uptight snooty type of Canterlosian, or are you actually cool?”
“Actually cool…I think,” Trixie said, unsure of her answer, and a little off-put by the radio speaker voice, “If it means anything, I’m originally from Las Pegasus before I was accepted into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and as Celestia’s personal student.”
“Las Pegasus is cool. I just hope Canterlot didn’t rub off on you too much,” the mare said with a chuckle, “The name’s Vinyl Scratch. But you likely know me better by my stage name, DJ Pon3. And just to answer the questions I know are on your mind, I was struck by lightning during the Rainbow Storm, hitting my throat and damaging my vocal cords. This choker is a magical speaker that allows me to speak. Without it, I’m mute.”
“Is there a specific reason why you told me this without asking?” Trixie asked.
“It’s simple. It’s a question that’s always on everypony’s mind when they see the choker, see the scar, or hear my voice coming out of a speaker,” Vinyl Scratch explained, “And almost everypony asks about it. And even if the question isn’t asked, I know it’s on their minds. So I got into the habit of explaining the situation to ponies before being asked. Not only does it explain it upfront, but it saves ponies from feeling awkward about asking about it or eyeing it if they haven’t asked.”
“So you get straight to the point. I like that,” Trixie said, “As I told your niece, I was sent by Princess Celestia to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. You and Octavia Melody are listed as in charge of the music.”
“Yep,” Vinyl said simply, “I assume you’ve already checked on Rarity’s designs.”
“How did-”
“The necklace,” Vinyl said, cutting Trixie’s question off and motioning to Ocellus’ neck, “Rarity’s jewelry is clearly recognizable. I remember seeing that necklace, and that it was one of the more expensive items.”
A thought came to Trixie’s mind, “Did Rarity make that choker for you?”
“Yeah, she did. She preferred to make something more ‘Canterlot worthy’, but it ain't my syle,” Vinyl answered, “The enchantment that allows me to speak was done separately since Rarity doesn’t know the spell. We should wait until Octy gets back to talk about music since she’s part of it too. She’ll be back in about an hour.”
“I suppose we have time to spend,” Trixie said, sitting down and engaging in idle conversation.
“Yeah. What kind of music do you like?” Ocellus replied.
“My mother is Octavia, and my aunt is DJ Pon3. I kind of have a variety of preferences,” Silver Spoon said, “But I think my favorite is music that combines a classical style with a modern style.”
“A combination?” Ocellus asked, “How do you do that?”
“My mom and aunt do it once in a while,” Silver Spoon said, taking out a vinyl record, “They didn’t make this one, but here’s an example. I also like to add lyrics to songs that didn’t originally have them.” Silver Spoon put the record onto a player and turned it on.
Silver Spoon: “Let’s play a game with our friends It’s always fun to play pretend Together we will be assured That we can’t be hurt by your words”
Ocellus joined in to add her own bit.
Ocellus: “Let’s play, let’s play, let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play, let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play, let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play, let’s play”
The solo became a duet as they sang the chorus together. Neither of them noticed the wisp of pink appearing above them, seemingly dancing to the song.
Silver Spoon & Ocellus: “In the sun or,stormy weather You can’t hurt uswhen we’re together We’re not stupid,you’re not better You can’t hurt uswhen we’re together”
Ocellus then took the reigns, singing the second verse.
Ocellus: “What’s wrong with change? It’s what I do” The pink wisp went from just dancing to the music to showing imagery that went along with the lyrics. A young filly becomes engulfed in flames and becomes more insect-like. “Just accept that I’m not like you” The pink wist shifts to a group of ponies turning away from the insect filly. “I will be safe if I have friends And always will be until the end” The pink wisp shifts to resemble Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon hugging the insect filly.
Silver Spoon then sang Ocellus’ part last time, truly swapping roles.
Silver Spoon: “Let’s play, let’s play, let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play, let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play, let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play, let’s play”
Ocellus & Silver Spoon: “In the sun or,stormy weather” The pink wisp takes the form of a cartoon sun before changing to a storm cloud. “You can’t hurt uswhen we’re together” The pink wisp turns into an Earth Pony, Unicorn, Pegasus, and Changeling hugging as friends. “We’re not stupid,you’re not better” The four friends prevailed over a couple of bullies. “You can’t hurt uswhen we’re together” The pink wisp takes the form of a kite shield.
The two both sang the third verse, taking turns for each line.
Ocellus: “We may hurt for a little while” The pink wisp took the form of an Earth Pony with a hurt hoof… Silver Spoon: “But we have friends who make us smile” …when a Changeling came to bandage it up. Ocellus: “Our cutie marks are on our mind” A Unicorn and Pegasus are looking at their still blank flanks… Silver Spoon: “But friendship is not hard to find” …when the Changeling and Earth Pony come to start a group hug.
Silver Spoon & Ocellus: “Let’s play, let’s play,let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play,let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play,let’s play a game Let’s play, let’s play,let’s play”
Silver Spoon & Ocellus: “In the sun or,stormy weather” The pink wisp forms into a sunflower blooming on a clear sunny day before getting rained on in a gloomy day. “You can’t hurt uswhen we’re together” The pink wisp turns into an Earth Pony, Unicorn, Pegasus, and Changeling hugging as friends. “We’re not stupid,you’re not better” The four friends prevailed over a couple of bullies. “You can’t hurt uswhen we’re together” The pink wisp takes the form of a kite shield.
Once the song ended, the pink wisp dissipated, neither of the fillies ever noticing that it was there. But Ocellus couldn’t shake the feeling that she almost felt the music when Silver Spoon was singing, as if the magic around them was dancing to her voice.
Silver Spoon noticed a sad look in Ocellus’s eyes, “Ocellus, are you okay?”
“Yeah. It’s just…” Ocellus paused with a sigh, “After the Summer Sun Celebration, we’ll be returning to Canterlot. And I already have more friends here in Ponyville than in Canterlot. And I’ve had more fun as well. The only friend I’ve had in Canterlot, at least my own age, is a Dragon that I grew up with.”
Silver Spoon’s mouth was hanging open as her glasses slid down her muzzle, “You’re friends with a DRAGON?!” Silver Spoon exclaimed before regaining her composure. She cleared her throat and pushed her glasses back up her muzzle, “What I mean is, if you really do have to go back after the Summer Sun Celebration, then make the most of it while you’re here in Ponyville. Make this trip worth it as best as you can!”
A soft smile formed on Ocellus’s face as Silver Spoon hugged her.
“Thanks,” Ocellus said, “You’re right. I shouldn’t be sad, I should take advantage of it while I still can.”
“And besides, it’s not like you can’t come back another time,” Silver Spoon continued, “Your mom won’t just hide you away in Canterlot all your life, would she?”
“I think she’d be willing to come to Ponyville again,” Ocellus said, “I can tell that she’s enjoying herself here as well.”
The two fillies laughed as they started listening to more music.
“…And that’s how I came to live here in Ponyville,” Vinyl Scratch finished telling Trixie her story. Trixie never asked Vinyl to tell her that story. But it was interesting nonetheless. And it did pass the time, “But enough about me. What was your upbringing like?”
Trixie never planned on telling this story. But being the showmare that she was, she couldn’t resist giving in, “Well, it all started when me and Twilight Sparkle enrolled in Celestia’s School for…”
Trixie was interrupted by the sound of the door. A gray mare with a sleek black mane and a G-clef cutie mark walked in. Trixie would recognize her anywhere. It was Octavia.
“Octy, you’re home!” Vinyl exclaimed, “We have a visitor from Canterlot. She was sent by Princess Celestia herself to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration.”
“Is that so?” Octavia said with joy, putting down the groceries she was carrying.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” Trixie said, clearly allowing her showmare side to show, “I am the Princess’s Prestigious Personal Protege, the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie!” Trixie finished by setting off illusory fireworks, and levitating her cape as if there was a wind blowing.
Octavia was confused about this introduction. It was very… un-Canterlosian, “I can’t believe it. There’s somepony who can rival Vinyl as being a show-off,” Octavia said, though the corners of her mouth being turned up betrayed the opinion that she wanted to portray, “Are you by any chance originally from Las Pegasus?”
“You would be correct,” Trixie confirmed, “Trixie tries not to let Canterlot infiltrate her background to turn her into somepony she’s not.”
“You have a lot in common with Vinyl,” Octavia said, “You refuse to let Canterlot have any say in who you are. And she’s from Canterlot.”
“Well, you should be proud of who you are, not where you’re from,” Vinyl said.
“True,” Octavia agreed, “But don’t start having too much in common with Trixie. It’ll likely get a little overwhelming if you start referring to yourself in the third person too.”
“I don’t know about that,” Vinyl replied, “The Wubmaster, Vinyl Scratch thinks that speaking in third person could be fun.”
“In The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie’s personal opinion, you only have yourself to blame for giving Wubmaster Vinyl Scratch the idea,” Trixie said. Wubmaster Vinyl Scratch held up her hoof, to which The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie took the offer for a hoof bump.
“It appears that the two of you were made for each other,” Octavia said, “Let’s get back on topic. You’re here to evaluate the music for the Millenial Summer Sun Celebration, correct?”
“That is correct,” Trixie confirmed, “I was curious as to why both of you were listed when your styles are so different. I assumed that you’ll be sharing time.”
“Well, we do intend to provide our music as individuals,” Octavia said, “However, we also have time put aside to combine our styles. Would you like a demonstration?”
“I must admit that I am curious as to how that would sound,” Trixie agreed.
Octavia nodded to Vinyl, who nodded back and went over to a turntable set while Octavia retrieved her cello, “It may take a few moments to get going,” Vinyl said, “It takes a little time for us to get into the groove.”
As Vinyl said, it took a few minutes to get in sync. But it was impressive that they did so well, considering that this was an improvised performance. And oh boy, was it an impressive performance, despite how short it was.
When the performance was finished, they noticed a couple of fillies at the stairs, one of which with their jaw hanging open, the other grinning as she closed her jaw.
“I-is that what they plan on doing for the Summer Sun Celebration?!” Ocellus exclaimed.
“Yep,” Silver Spoon confirmed, “That’s my mom and aunt for you. As different as they seem on the outside, they do work well together because of how well they know each other.”
Trixie and Ocellus were now on their way to check on the catering for the event.
“Mom?” Ocellus gained Trixie’s attention, “After the Summer Sun Celebration… after we have to go back home to Canterlot… can we come back to Ponyville to visit once in a while?”
“I suppose we can consider that as a possibility,” Trixie agreed, “What brought this up?”
“Well, it’s just that in the few hours we’ve spent in Ponyville, I’ve already made more friends than I ever had in Canterlot,” Ocellus said, “At least friends my own age. I like Spike as a friend. But… it gets old having just one friend.”
“This is a discussion that can wait until later,” Trixie said as she took out the map, “Let’s get back on track. According to this list, catering will be provided by the local farm, Sweet Harvest Acres.”
“Shouldn’t we wait until tomorrow to check on food?” Ocellus asked.
“We likely will come back tomorrow,” Trixie said, “But like with the decorations, it couldn’t hurt just to check to see what’s on the menu. What’s interesting is that this farm is a collaboration between the Apple family and the Harvest family.”
“The Apple Family?!” Ocellus exclaimed, “They’re the founding family of Ponyville! Princess Celly has told me the story of how she personally granted them the land! But… what’s the Harvest family?”
“It doesn’t say,” Trixie said, “You currently know more about the farm than I do. And it seems you know more about the town as well.”
The pair walked up to a pathway. This was clearly the entrance to the farm, considering the fence to indicate the property and the entrance sign that said “Sweet Harvest Acres” bordered by an apple and a carrot.
Walking in, they came across an orange Earth Pony with a fancy darker orange mane, and a pair of carrots as a cutie mark, “Hello, we were sent by the princess to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration,” Trixie said, “I have it listed that Sweet Harvest Acres is in charge of catering.”
The orange pony bucked a tree, knocking down several apples that landed in the buckets placed around the tree. She then walked over to the pair to address them, “Ah, welcome to Sweet Harvest Acres,” the pony greeted, “My name is Carrot Top. Granny Smith is planning for the Apple Family Reunion. But Big McIntosh should be available to talk. Please follow me.”
As Carrot Top walked through the apple trees, Trixie and Ocellus followed, since there wasn’t much choice in the matter.
After a short trot through the farm, they came to, what Ocellus thought, looked like a red mountain of a pony.
“Big McIntosh, we have visitors,” Carrot Top called out.
The namesake ‘big’ red Earth Pony with a blonde mane and a green apple cut in half and wearing a yolk turned to greet the visitors, “Howdy,” the minotaur in pony skin greeted, “Mah name’s Big McIntosh, but ya can call me Big Mac for short. What can Ah do ya for?”
Trixie had to shake her head to bring her back to her senses, “We were sent by Princess Celestia to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration,” Trixie said, “And we have listed that Sweet Harvest Acres is in charge of catering.”
“Eeyup,” Big McIntosh confirmed, “We ain’t got anything prepared for taste testing. But we can show ya what we got planned, and offer some apples and carrots on the house ta test the main ingredients. We pride ourselves in providin’ Equestria’s best apples an’ carrots, an’ other fruits an’ vegetables.”
“That sounds acceptable,” Trixie agreed. Big Mac bucked the tree he was next to, causing just two apples to fall from the tree, which Big Mac caught before they hit the ground. He then offered them to Trixie and Ocellus.
The pair bit into the offered fruits. And they both shared expressions of delight. Though the reaction from Ocellus was… interesting. She attempted to sink her fangs into the creature to feed on the love energy it was giving off. The amount of love this creature… wait, she wasn’t biting into a creature, she was eating an apple. And she didn’t have fangs in her Pony disguise, at least not without actively making it so.
Thankfully, she still didn’t have fangs, which meant that she didn’t accidentally revealed her Changeling form, and instead, just looked silly trying to drink juice directly from the fruit. As she realized how Carrot Top and Big McIntosh were looking at her, a pink blush covered her face so drastically that you wouldn’t have known that she was supposed to have a yellow coat.
“Eheh, sorry,” Ocellus laughed nervously, “It was just so good that I… kinda lost myself to the flavor.” It wasn’t a lie, but just an omission of details. After all, she couldn’t reveal that what she tasted from the apple was love, which to her was very odd.
“I guess that means that she approves of the apples at least,” Carrot Top said with a giggle.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed, “We do grow our apples with love an’ care. I’m glad that you approve of our hard work.”
“Well, they certainly are good apples,” Trixie confirmed, “I can only imagine how good they’d be grilled and with a generous coating of barbeque sauce.”
Both farmers were shocked at that idea. Carrot Top now looking more green than orange, “Well (urp), I suppose if that can be made… palatable, it would be these apples,” the carrot farmer said, holding down the urge to be reintroduced to her lunch.
Trixie herself laughed awkwardly, “My mother was originally from Neigh Orleans,” Trixie said, “I grew up with food styles that… aren’t exactly common.”
“I can’t deny that I’m curious as ta what that tastes like,” Big Mac said, conflicted between the crime against apples and his own curiosity about more unique ways to eat apples, “We have family in Neigh Orleans. I suppose… that… is a taste for a reason.”
They met Granny Smith and Apple Bloom when they went to the farmhouse. As Trixie looked at the menu items, she said Ocellus should get to know Apple Bloom and make another friend. They went up to Apple Bloom’s room.
Ocellus’s experience was not what she expected. It wasn’t that Apple Bloom acted in a way that was unexpected. It was that she just wasn’t acting. She just stood there, staring. It was as if she was judging her with her eyes and already came to a conclusion. Others wouldn’t see it as coming to a conclusion. But Ocellus and her awareness of emotions could. And Apple Bloom’s gaze and the disdain radiating off the filly made her feel like she was back in Canterlot. Anypony who knew what she was behind the disguise had a very similar feel. The feeling of being looked down upon because you were different.
What was even more disturbing was that Apple Bloom couldn’t have known of Ocellus’s Changeling nature, or even what a Changeling was for that matter. Perhaps it was a hatred of outsiders in general.
“Well?” The Apple filly asked simply.
This confused Ocellus, “Well… what?” Ocellus asked for an explanation.
“Aren’t ya gonna try an’ make friends er somethin’?” Apple Bloom asked, “I’m only doin’ this ‘cause Granny said so.”
“Well… it’s obvious that you don’t want to be my friend,” Ocellus said nervously, “So I don’t know why I should bother waste my time trying.”
“So I ain’t worth yer time then,” Apple Bloom replied, making her own assumption, “You comin’ from Canterlot means you think yer better than us commoners. Yer lookin’ down on me ‘cause I ain’t some big city pony. Well, I didn’t choose where I was born, an’ I’d rather not be corrupted by the big city either.”
“I didn’t choose where I was born either!” Ocellus countered, becoming uncharacteristically angry at the Apple filly, “And if you must know, I like it more here in Ponyville than I ever did in Canterlot because ponies actually want to be friends here! And you’re one to talk about hating big cities when you’re acting just like those stuck-up nobles who look at me as if I’m some kind of monster!”
“Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” Apple Bloom replied with a smug grin, “So I guess this is one o’ those times the big city Canterlot ponies are right. You probably jus’ mooch off other ponies jus’ like the stuck-up filly you are.”
That comment hurt Ocellus more than Apple Bloom realized since, to some extent, it’s technically accurate. But it’s not her fault that it’s in her nature, “You’re a hypocrite,” Ocellus said quietly.
“A hippo-what?”
“You claim to hate the same ponies that you’re exactly like,” Ocellus continued, “You have to pretend you’re better than everypony else either because you’re not confident enough in your own self-worth or you think you can walk all over anypony you want because you believe you're better than everypony else! With how stuck-up you are, you’d fit in perfectly as Prince Blueblood’s daughter because you obviously don’t care about other ponies!”
The look of shock and anger on Apple Bloom’s face was to be expected. But what happened next was not what would be expected from any Canterlot Nobles.
“And your whole family will be coming to help with making these treats?” Trixie asked the Eldest Apple.
“That’s only part of the reason they’re coming,” Granny Smith, an elderly green mare said, “They’re comin’ for the Apple Family Reunion. We’re just takin’ the opportunity to help out with the Summer Sun Celebration at the same time. We’re just bucking two apples with one kick, is all.”
“Well, the menu looks great,” Trixie said with satisfaction, “And with how good the apples we tried were, I can-”
CRASH
The sound of scuffling came from upstairs. Hearing this, the three farmers and Trixie ran to see what all the commotion was about. When they opened the door, they saw Ocellus pinned to the floor in a headlock. In an attempt to escape, she bit Apple Bloom’s foreleg, causing her to let go. While she was distracted, Ocellus pounced on Apple Bloom.
However, she never met her target. Or landed, for that matter. It took her a few moments to realize that she was caught in a lavender aura, held up in Trixie’s magical field. Apple Bloom was in a similar predicament, being restrained by a large red stallion who was holding her up off the ground.
“What in Starswirl’s beard is going on here?!” Trixie exclaimed.
“I have had it up to here with ya, young missy!” Granny Smith exclaimed to Apple Bloom, causing the filly to wilt.
After separating the two fillies in separate rooms, Apple Bloom being watched by Big Mac, and Ocellus being watched by Carrot Top, Trixie and Granny Smith tried to explain each other.
“I’m sorry for what Ocellus did,” Trixie said apologetically, “I’ve never seen her act like that before.”
“Nah, it ain’t her fault,” Granny Smith countered, “Apple Bloom has been a troublemaker fer a long time now. I don’t know where she gets it from. I didn’t raise her to be like that. She can be just as bad, if not worse, than those stuck-up ponies in Canterlot. Er… no offense.”
“None taken,” Trixie said, “They are stuck-up. I’m not sure if she’s worse than them, but I’ve never actually seen a stuck-up Canterlot Noble actually get physical. They think it’s beneath them. Or they're just wusses and use their Noble status as an excuse to say it’s beneath them.”
“Well, I thought that with how high and mighty Apple Bloom believes herself to be, and considering the type of ponies she relates to, I would’ve figured that she would’ve been able to befriend a filly from Canterlot more easily. Don’t blame yer filly. She was likely jus’ defendin’ herself.”
“Defending or not, that doesn’t explain why she would be so aggressive as to bite,” Trixie said, not willing to go into further detail about why Ocellus herself is opposed to biting others aside from just the violent aspect.
“I’ve been around for a long time, so I think I can be rather insightful,” Granny Smith said with a smile, “When I see yer filly, Ocellus, I get the feelin’ that she picks up on the emotions of others more easily than most. I can tell Ocellus is a sweet little filly most of the time.”
“Yeah, she does tend to be aware of others’ emotions. More than you may know,” Trixie said, not going into further detail as to how right the Apple Matriarch was, “But she usually has better control of herself. Maybe it’s because she’s more sheltered because she doesn’t fit in well with most Canterlosians.”
“I hope this don’t sour yer view of us fer plannin’ the menu,” Granny Smith said, “But perhaps we should call it a day. I need to give Apple Bloom a proper talkin’ too anywho.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t let this experience ruin what I think about the menu or the Apple family,” Trixie assured, “But you’re right. We probably should get on our way too.”
Trixie was walking towards Town Hall to settle into a temporary residence for the day. Ocellus, on the other hand, was limping with a sore left hindleg, which was wrapped in a bandage. There were a few bumps and bruises. But most evident was the ice pack held to her right eye, which was now forming a decent-sized shiner.
“I swear I don’t know what got into me,” Ocellus said for the umpteenth time.
“I understand. I’m disappointed, but I’m not mad at you,” Trixie said, “There’s still a lot about… you that we don’t understand. Perhaps when someone nearby has strong enough emotions, you tend to… reflect their emotions. So perhaps you weren’t even feeling your own emotions but rather Apple Bloom’s. Or maybe she just got to you in a way that nopony else has before now. But I do know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t normally do what you did.”
Trixie and Ocellus had settled into the small room in Town Hall intended for out-of-town government officials to stay while on official business. This also apparently included representatives from the Princess. The room, despite its intended use, wasn’t that high quality. It was little more than a room at a motel. A high-quality motel, but a motel nonetheless. But it is free lodgings, and the mayor can’t be expected to maintain a hotel-quality room that will rarely be used. Trixie even questioned whether the room had ever been used for its intended purpose.
The room was simply just a large bedroom with two beds, a dresser drawer with a record player on top of it, a closet with extra bedding, and a small bathroom. Considering its simple nature, Trixie doubted that any government officials from Canterlot had ever stayed in this room. She almost considered complaining about the room before remembering that she likely had been spoiled by the luxuries of Canterlot. And if it weren’t for the case that she was initially from Las Pegasus, she likely wouldn’t have even caught herself and realized that she had been spoiled.
Ocellus has the opposite opinion from Trixie. Despite being born and raised in Canterlot, Ocellus seemed to enjoy the simple nature of the room, having yet to become like other snobby Canterlosians. Perhaps it’s because of one of the castle’s staff, Fancy Pants, who wasn’t as snobby as other Canterlosians, despite his high-class nature. Ocellus’s only complaint was that the room had no kitchenette. And it’s not because she wanted to cook anything (especially with the kind of food Trixie eats), but because she just likes the word kitchenette.
“How’s your eye doing?” Trixie asked the faux filly.
Ocellus removed the ice pack, revealing that the swelling had gone down to almost nothing. But there was still a nasty-looking bruise left. Trixie still didn’t understand how an injury from her disguised form translated to her natural form like this or how using an ice pack works in both forms. A pony form makes sense to some extent, considering the similar shape. But what about an unequine form or even an inanimate object like a rock? She supposed it must be just another mystery she has yet to learn about Changeling biology.
“Well, at least the swelling’s gone down,” Trixie continued after analyzing the injury, “And other than a black eye, there shouldn’t be any lasting damage.”
“Why does Apple Bloom hate me?” Ocellus asked.
“I’m sure it’s nothing personal,” Trixie explained, “Even in a small town like this, you’re bound to come across bullies.”
“So it’s no different than Canterlot.”
“Don’t think like that, Ocellus,” Trixie said in a calming voice, “You’ve already made two new friends on your first day. Three if you count Maud. And she even knows your secret! How many friends do you have in Canterlot that are your own age? And how many friends do you have that know your secret?”
“Do you think they’d still be my friend even if they knew my secret?” Ocellus asked with a hint of hope in her voice.
“It’s hard to say,” Trixie replied with a shrug of her shoulders, “But from what I’ve seen of this town, if anypony would be willing to accept you for what you are, it’d be these Ponyvillians.”
“It would be nice to not have to hide anymore,” Ocellus said.
“It would be nice for both of us,” Trixie agreed, “For now, get some sleep. We still have more overseeing to do tomorrow.”
Ocellus woke up with a jolt at the sound of screaming outside. Looking around, she saw that Trixie’s bed was empty. Ocellus donned her disguise and attempted to go outside to see what was going on.
Ponies were running around and screaming in fear. The fear was intense to her Changeling senses. So much so that it was beginning to make her sick. But she had to find out what was going on. And find her mother.
That’s when she found a group of ponies, one of them being Trixie. She shot a magic bolt at what could only be described as a living shadow. The bolt of magic did nothing. No, not nothing. It angered the shadow.
The shadow’s anger was so intense that to her Changeling senses, it was becoming toxic to be around.
The shadow responded to Trixie’s bolt of magic by striking back. The shadow went down Trixie’s throat. Trixie was clearly suffocating. But that wasn’t all. Her light blue coat had turned a sickly black as if her body was going through necrosis at an alarming speed. Her mane turned black and became a miasma similar to what the shadow was made of. The miasma filled the sclera of her eyes, turning them black. Her horn lengthened into a sharp, curved, demon of a horn. Skeletal wings burst out of her back.
And all the while, she was looking straight into Ocellus’s eyes, making her see all the pain, then that pain contorted into malice.
“Mom?” the faux filly whimpered.
“You’re mother isn’t here right now,” the demon that used to be Trixie said, her voice being the only thing about her that didn’t change, twisting the proverbial knife in the Changeling’s heart, “Please leave a message at the sound of the screech.”
The demon then let out an ear-piercing unnatural screech that no pony should be capable of. As much as Ocellus tried to hold her hooves to her ears, she couldn’t stop the sensation of a warm viscous liquid seeping out of her ears. And the liquid wasn’t red, but rather blue. The color of Changeling blood. Her disguise wasn’t hiding her blood.
“Ocellus! This way!” a voice said. Ocellus turned to her right to see Silver Spoon motioning for her to follow.
Unfortunately, this also caught the attention of the demon. She also turned to Silver Spoon and let out another screech. This time, the sound specifically seemed to focus on the filly. Ocellus saw her cover her ears. But the red liquid covering her hooves made it clear that it was just prolonging the inevitable. And Ocellus had the feeling that this was something that it’d be better to get it over with quicker.
Her eyes slowly rolled to the back of her skull. Her breathing stopped. And she fell limp to the ground. The screech was so intense that it turned her brain into mush.
Before Ocellus could think of doing anything else, her world suddenly became tinted green. She realized that the green tint was a magical field as she was lifted off the ground. She looked to see Sweetie Belle levitating her and getting them to safety.
But it still wasn’t enough. The strain being put on the Unicorn filly’s magic was distracting her and slowing her down. Not that the demon needed much time to do what she planned on doing next.
The demon lashed out a whip-like tongue, wrapping it around Sweetie Belle’s neck and squeezing tightly. With her windpipe constricted, Sweetie Belle struggled in vain to escape. Or at least to get some air. Her face slowly turned blue as her struggles became weaker. She then turned to look at Ocellus in desperation, her eyes pleading for help. That was the last thing she saw before watching the life leave her eyes as her body went limp. The most disturbing part was that her eyes still seemed to plead to Ocellus to help her.
Her mother had been taken by this entity. Her new friends were killed trying to help her escape. And now the demon was walking up to her. She tried to run, but she saw that the ground she was on had turned into sludge that pulled her down the more she struggled.
But the demon stopped. She wasn’t trying to kill her. She just stood there watching with a sinister grin. Was she showing mercy on her, or did she just want her to continue to live and suffer?
Ocellus then felt her stomach churn before she grew weak. She fell to the ground, lying in the sludge. That’s when she realized what was happening. The demon was killing her by letting the hate and the town’s fear poison her. Her vision was fading, and her mind becoming hazy. She wanted to shout out for help, but all that came out was a pitiful whimper. Then her grip on reality slipped away along with her life.
Ocellus sat up in her bed with a cold sweat. She was woken up by a scream… no, wait, she was the one who screamed.
“Ocellus, what’s wrong?!” she heard Trixie ask. She looked to the other bed and saw that Trixie had sat up, a look of worry on her face.
“I just had-” Ocellus began before her stomach cut her off. She jumped out of bed and ran for the bathroom before emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet.
She then felt love energy soothing her stomach as she felt a hoof begin to rub her back, “That must’ve been one doozie of a nightmare you had,” Trixie concluded in a quiet, comforting voice.
After getting cleaned up, Ocellus told Trixie about the Nightmare she had. The entire time, Trixie held the Youngling in a comforting embrace.
“That nightmare really was a doozie,” Trixie said in an uplifting but understanding tone, “It’s still the middle of the night. Do you want to sleep with me?”
Trixie got her answer with a simple nod. Trixie got into her bed, moving over to allow room for Ocellus, who got in with her. Trixie wrapped her hoof around the Youngling to better comfort her, who soon fell back to sleep.
Trixie, however, stayed up a little longer, concerned for her daughter. The last time Ocellus had a dream remotely as bad as this was five years ago. And that was just a nightmare about being abandoned to starve to death. And even then, the trigger was Prince Blueblood instilling that fear into the Youngling. And even then, he wasn’t implying that Trixie would abandon her, but rather what he would’ve done if he had hatched the egg.
Prince Blueblood may be cold to anyone he considers below him. But he’s not cruel enough to intentionally make a foal believe that their parents would abandon them. He may be the snobbiest of the snobs. But even he has a line he’s not willing to cross.
The next morning, Ocellus woke up, thankful that the nightmare hadn’t returned. But it still left a sour taste in her mouth. Then again, maybe that was just left over from emptying her stomach a few hours ago.
She then realized that the bed she was in felt empty. Panic began to fill her mind as the fear that she had returned to her nightmare rose to the surface. Or worse, her nightmare came true.
“Mom?” Ocellus said in a slightly panicky voice.
She was relieved when Trixie poked her head out of the bathroom door, “What is it? Did you have another nightmare?”
Ocellus sighed gratefully, “No, I’m okay,” she replied, “I just wanted to know you were here.”
“Sorry I didn’t let you know sooner, but you were sleeping,” Trixie said as she returned to the bathroom, Ocellus following behind. In the bathroom, it was apparent that Trixie had been cleaning. And the specks of green around the toilet bowl made it obvious why, “Last night, you did leave a bit of a mess. And I don’t know what it is about Changeling vomit, but it’s hard to clean.”
Ocellus pinned her ears back in shame, “Sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Trixie assured, “It’s your own biology, I suppose. I can’t fault you for how your body works.”
Ocellus took a look at the dried gelatinous green chunks, and a thought came to mind. She lit her horn for a fraction of a second. Then she saw that the dried chunks were no longer hard, but malleable to easy to clean.
“How’d you do that?” Trixie asked.
“I’m not exactly sure how it works,” Ocellus said, “But one time when I spit up this green stuff, I was having trouble cleaning it. So I tried using my magic. And I found out that I can control it in a way. I can make it hard or soft, solid or liquid, sticky or slippery, things like that.”
Trixie tested this and wiped up a chunk as quickly as wiping a piece of jelly off of a counter, “I wish I had known about this sooner,” Trixie said, “It would’ve made cleaning this up a lot easier.”
“I also learned that I can make it whenever I want,” Ocellus said, “Well, mostly. Throwing up is something I can’t control. And I can only make a limited amount at a time.”
“How long have you known about this?” Trixie asked, “And why didn’t you let me know?”
“For about a year,” Ocellus answered, “And… I was afraid of telling anypony because I was afraid of Twilight finding out. Specifically, I was afraid that she would experiment on me.”
“Ocellus, you know that she wouldn’t…” Trixie paused for a second to rethink what she said, “Who am I kidding? She totally would want to experiment on you. But you know there is still a lot we don’t know about what you are. If I can promise that Twilight won’t test on you directly without consent, would you at least be willing to help her experiment on that… uh…”
“I haven’t thought of what to call it either,” Ocellus said. The two of them then burst into laughter at the thought. And after the nightmare Ocellus had, this was a well-needed laugh.
“The first thing we should check on today is the main entertainment,” Trixie said. She and Ocellus had just left Town Hall and were back to the checklist for overseeing the Millennial Summer Sun Celebration, “When the Princess raises the sun, the Wonderbolts will do a fly-by to make it that much more fantastic.”
“Does that mean that we’re going to meet the Wonderbolts personally?!” Ocellus exclaimed. Before getting an answer, she started running down the street.
“Ocellus!” Trixie called out, getting the disguised Changeling’s attention, “This way. The Wonderbolts are also helping with the Weather Team to clear the skies.” Trixie pointed in the opposite direction of where Ocellus was running.
A light blush of embarrassment appeared on Ocellus’s cheeks, “Oh… right…” Ocellus turned and started heading in the other direction, following Trixie.
“WATCH OUT!!!”
CRASH
A mass of yellow and gray tumbled along the path. A dark-gray tuft of main poked up from the mass, followed by the rest of the gray Pegasus colt got up, a bit dazed from the crash, “Sorry about that,” the colt apologized, “I was in a hurry to meet up with my big brother.”
“It’s okay,” the yellow filly replied, “I was a little distracted too.”
The colt offered his hoof to the filly to help her up. Once she was on her hooves, the colt noticed her black eye, “Your eye! I’m sorry! It was just an accident. Are you okay?” the colt said, checking the rest of her body to make sure there weren’t any other injuries.
“It’s not your fault. I got this black eye yesterday from the filly at the farm,” Ocellus said. She began to blush. That, combined with the smile on her face, told the whole story, “Thanks for the concern, though.”
“You met Apple Bloom?” the colt asked, “At least I know I didn’t cause your black eye. The name’s Rumble, by the way.”
“I’m Ocellus,” the faux filly said bashfully.
“You wanna come with me to meet my big brother?” Rumble asked before puffing out his chest in pride, “He’s a Wonderbolt.”
“We were on our way to meet with the Wonderbolts anyway,” Trixie said, “So we might as well come with you.”
The three ponies went through town to where the weather team was breaking up the clouds for a clear sky. On the ground watching was a rainbow-maned blue Pegasus with a rainbow shockwave cutie mark… or at least, she had wings. They were clearly metal. Trixie was aware that some Pegasi get prosthetic wings if they’ve severely injured their wings so that they cannot fly otherwise. But she’s heard rumors of Earth Ponies, and even Unicorns, getting prosthetic wings to gain flight. But this is most often when a Pegasus family adopts a non-Pegasus and offers them the ability to live in the sky. But in those cases, their wing dexterity is limited thanks to not having the proper musculoskeletal system to do much other than basic flight.
The dexterity that this pony was shown to have with her prosthetic automail wings indicated that she was born a Pegasus. As for why she wasn’t flying with the others was curious, but not important.
Trixie took notice of another Pegasus. She was instructing the weather team on what to do. She, too, had automail prosthetics. But not wings. This yellow Pegasus still had her wings. However, her hind legs were metal, like the blue Pegasus’s wings. And though most ponies wouldn’t have noticed at this distance, Trixie saw that the yellow Pegasus’s wings were more muscular than average.
The yellow Pegasus had a pink mane and a cutie mark of a butterfly-shaped storm cloud and a rainbow lightning bolt. Seeing how she was instructing the weather team, it was safe to assume who this Pegasus was.
“Weather Captain Fluttershy, I presume?” Trixie asked.
The yellow Pegasus turned her head towards Trixie before flying down and meeting them, “You presume correctly,” the Pegasus said, staying in a hover above the ground rather than landing, “But I’d rather just be called Flutters. That’s what my friends call me.”
“I am the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie! The Prized Personal Prestigious Protege of the Princess and-” Trixie was cut off by the sound of an amused snort, “Are you laughing at me?”
“I’m sorry,” Flutters laughed, “It’s just that how you introduced yourself was just so funny. How could I not laugh?”
Trixie blushed at that, “Well, I suppose I do overdo it at times,” Trixie admitted, “I’m also a showmare, and I tend to forget to leave my showmareship at the door at times. Anyway, we were sent by Princess Celestia to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration.”
“I’m sorry for laughing. It’s just that sometimes I can’t help myself,” Flutters said, “Ever since I got struck by lightning at point blank, doctors have suggested that maybe a few wires in my brain were crossed. Ever since, I’ve been a bit Flutterbrained. But I realized that my newfound eccentricities work well with making foals laugh.”
Trixie’s eyes were drawn back to Flutters’ prosthetic legs and put two and two together.
“Was it by any chance a lightning bolt from the Rainbow Storm?” a dark gray Pegasus with a blue-gray mane and a rainbow stormcloud cutie mark shaped like a bowling ball asked.
“Thunderlane!” Rumble exclaimed as he ran up to the Pegasus.
“Hey, kiddo,” Thunderlane said, ruffling Rumble’s mane, “You’re not causing any trouble, are you?”
“Since when do I cause trouble?” Rumble replied.
“The milkshake tsunami at Sugarcube Corner, trampling a flowerbed, the blindfolded Pegasus race…” Thunderlane listed off.
“That Pegasus race wasn’t one of my best ideas for a cutie mark,” Rumble admitted, “The flowerbed was because of a marching band that chose to take a shortcut. And how was I supposed to know that you shouldn’t put vinegar and baking soda into a milkshake machine?”
“I don’t know what’s stranger,” Ocellus said, “What Rumble has done, or Rumble’s reasoning.”
“Don’t worry. He never causes that kind of trouble on his own,” Thunderlane said, “It only happens when he’s adventuring with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I’m Thunderlane, by the way.”
“I’m Trixie, and this is Ocellus,” Trixie introduced, “We were sent here by Princess Celestia to-”
“Do the introduction that you gave me!” Flutters interrupted.
Sighing, Trixie gave in, “I am the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie!” Trixie exclaimed, “I am the Princess’s Prestigious Personal Protege! And I was sent here to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration.”
Flutters couldn’t hold back her giggles.
“Of course, Flutters would find that amusing,” Thunderlane said, though the smirk on his face revealed his own amusement, “I assume you’re checking to see how the weather’s doing?”
“That and see if the Wonderbolts are ready for their role in the celebration,” Trixie confirmed.
“We’ve been preparing for weeks for this moment,” Thunderlane said, “And it’s just a fly-by. Granted, it’s a fly-by for the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, But Spitfire has been a little too insistent on making sure it goes perfectly.”
“Spitfire sounds like Twilight,” Ocellus said.
“I’ve met her before,” Trixie said, “And believe me when I say she’s nothing like Twilight. She’s good at planning. But that’s just the result of being the captain of the Wonderbolts.”
“At this rate, the sky should be cleared by midday,” Flutters assured.
“Well, it was good meeting you,” Trixie said, “But we should check on the progress of the decorations now.”
Heading back to Town Hall, Trixie and Ocellus headed back to check on the progress Rarity had made on the decorations. Trixie realized that after this, they would be done with the list. That means that Trixie can treat Ocellus to a proper Ponyville experience.
Rarity wasn’t working on Town Hall when Trixie and Ocellus left. But Rarity assured that she would start early.
When they arrived back at Town Hall, Rarity was hard at work on the decorations. And Trixie was impressed at just how much she had gotten done already. And so far, Town Hall was starting to look like Rarity’s sketches had come off the paper and into reality. Rarity had a talent not just in design but in art as well.
“It seems as if you’re already hard at work,” Trixie said, causing the white mare to jump in surprise, “Heh, sorry for scaring you.”
Rarity regained her composure before getting back to work, “Please, it was not intentional. It was just an accident,” Rarity said, “And when I get in the zone, as it were, I can tend to be surprised more easily. It’s normally not a problem since my ‘zone’ is typically at the jeweler, where I can work in private.”
“Well, I must admit that everything is looking great so far,” Trixie complimented.
“We’re playing host to Princess Celestia herself!” Rarity said, “So it is my duty to make this the best that it can be!”
“Wow, pretty,” Ocellus said in awe.
“And how are you, Ocellus? I noticed that you’re not wearing your-” Rarity paused when she just now noticed the dark bruise around her eye, “Sweet Celestia! Whatever happened to your eye?!”
“She got into… a little scuffle with a filly at the farm,” Trixie explained, trying not to make it sound too bad.
“I see,” Rarity said, “Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara have been trouble for my little sister as well.”
“Considering that it seems that Apple Bloom has a reputation, I think any other time somepony asks about Ocellus’s black eye, I can just mention Apple Bloom’s name, and they’d understand,” Trixie said.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Rarity confirmed.
“I left my necklace in the room we’re staying in so that nothing happens to it,” Ocellus said, “I don’t want to lose it before we have to return back to Canterlot.”
“Nonsense!” Rarity exclaimed, “I do appreciate the idea of keeping it for special occasions. But you’re here for the Millennial Summer Sun Celebration. As long as you’re here staying in Ponyville, you’re here for a special occasion. And you were so proud of it yesterday.”
A large grin formed on Ocellus’s face before she ran to the temporary apartment to get the necklace.
“So, where did Maud go?” Trixie asked.
“I’m right here,” Maud said from behind Trixie. She absolutely did not jump several feet in the air and scream like a little filly.
“Maud, there you are!’ Trixie said, her heartbeat totally not pounding as if she had run a marathon, “I’d say you should wear a bell so that you don’t surprise ponies. But I get the feeling that you’d be silent even with a bell.”
Maud said nothing.
“My point exactly.”
“If you’re going to be friends with Maud, you’re going to need to get used to her popping up out of nowhere,” Rarity said, “And you’re right. Not even a bell will help you. I know because I’ve tried.”
Trixie poured magic into her eyes to see if there was anything anomalous about Maud’s magical field. Although, for the most part, there wasn’t anything specifically unique about her magical field, there was a detail that did catch the attention of Trixie’s magical sight. Maud was standing directly on a Ley line. Did she learn how to use her Earth Pony magic to access Ley lines and somehow travel through them?
Twilight would most certainly be interested in studying the possibility of Ley line travel.
“Well anyway, Rarity, where’s your little sister?” Trixie asked as she saw Ocellus coming back out wearing her necklace, “Checking on the decorations was the last thing I needed to check off the list. I was thinking about taking Ocellus to have a proper outing around town, and I figured that your sister might like to join us.”
“Sweetie Belle should still be at my shop,” Rarity replied, “I do hope you have a lovely day.”
Maud waved her hoof as the two headed towards Carrossel Jewelers.
CRASH
A pile of yellow and gray limbs fell into a pile once again.
“You two need to stop running into each other like this,” Trixie said with a sly grin.
Ocellus climbed out of the pile with a slight blush, followed by Rumble.
“Since you’re here, would you like to come with us to see the other friends Ocellus made?” Trixie asked.
“Uh… yeah, sure,” Rumble said, still recovering from the crash. The confirmation caused Ocellus’s blush to deepen.
“Well then, let’s go, Tumble,” Trixie said, giving Rumble a teasing nickname. This caused Rumble to blush.
Trixie and the foals arrived at Carousel Jewelers. The showmare knocked on the door. After a moment of waiting, the door opened to reveal Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon.
Silver Spoon noticed Ocellus, or rather, she noticed a black blotch adorning her eye, “Ocellus! Your eye!” Silver said, pushing through to check on the disguised Changeling, “Are you okay? What happened?”
“Well, we were checking on the catering at Sweet Harvest Acres, and-”
“Apple Bloom,” Silver Spoon and Sweetie Belle said, simultaneously cutting off Ocellus. Ocellus nodded.
“That reminds me. I was going to check on how the catering is doing,” Trixie said, “How would you three like to give Ocellus a proper tour of Ponyville? I originally came to ask if you wanted to come with us. But I still have something to do, and I’m sure Ocellus would prefer not to return to Sweet Harvest Acres.”
“We won’t let you down, Miss Trixie,” Silver Spoon said.
“It’s just Trixie. Calling me “Miss” just makes me feel old,” Trixie said, “I’d like you to bring her back by dinner time if we don’t cross paths until then.”
The four foals nodded, and Trixie headed up to the farm. Once Trixie was out of earshot, the quartet of foals began considering where to go.
“Let’s go to the playground at the park!” Rumble suggested.
“Do you want to show Ocellus around, or do you just want to play at the park?” Sweetie Belle questioned.
“What’s the difference?” Rumble asked, causing the other three to facehoof, Ocellus wincing as she hit her bruise.
“How about Sugarcube Corner?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“How is wanting to eat sweets any different from wanting to play?” Rumble pointed out.
Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to retort. But she closed it again as she realized that Rumble was right.
“I have an idea,” Silver Spoon said, “Do you want to see my hideout?”
“You have a hideout?” the filly, colt, and youngling said in unison.
“What? You didn’t think that my mother is the only influence in my life, did you?” Silver said, “Come with me, and I’ll show you.”
The quartet followed Silver Spoon to her house. They went to the backyard and opened the door to the basement and headed in.
“So, your hideout is your basement?” Sweetie Belle asked skeptically.
“Not quite,” Silver Spoon said as she felt along the wall. She found what she was searching for, a metal plate disguised as the cement walls. She moved it out of the way to reveal what looked like a vault door. She turned the wheel to open the latch, opening the door in the process, “This is my hideout, “It’s an old bomb shelter. We knew about it for a while. But one day, I thought to make it my little hideaway. The only rule is that we don’t close the door while we’re inside.”
“Why not?” Rumble asked.
“Because I learned the hard way that the inside latch is broken,” Silver Spoon explained, “One day, I chose to see what it was like in this bomb shelter. I closed the door, not knowing about the broken latch and not telling my mother or aunt where I was. When I tried to get out and couldn’t, I started to panic. But the door is so thick that the sound of my voice and pounding couldn’t get through. I was stuck in there for four days before they found me.”
“Was that the week you were out because of the flu?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“I’m guessing it wasn’t really the flu, was it?” Ocellus asked rhetorically.
“I knew you were just skipping school!” Rumble stated proudly.
“Yes, it was that week. No, it wasn’t the flu,” Silver Spoon said, confirming Sweetie Belle and Ocellus’s claims, “And no, I wasn’t just skipping school!”
“I… uh… what I meant was…” Rumble tumbled over his own words, “I meant that I knew it wasn’t because you were sick. It was the middle of Spring when it happened, and being out for a week just because of the flu is a bit much. I guess I did assume you were just skipping at the time.”
“Just because it wasn’t flu season, it doesn’t mean she couldn’t catch the flu,” Ocellus explained, “And if it was a bad case of the flu, she could’ve been sick for several days.”
“I mean, I guess if you never got the flu vaccine, it can be that bad,” Rumble said, “But… I’m sorry for assuming.”
“And I never did get vaccinated,” Silver Spoon said, her ears folding back.
“Does that mean your parents are anti-vaxxers?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Of course not!” Silver exclaimed, “I’m just… I’m allergic to vaccines. In fact, my first vaccination as a foal is the reason why I need these glasses and why my coat and mane are gray. If you saw my foal pictures, you’d think I was Lyra Heartstrings’ daughter.”
This news made Sweetie Belle feel ashamed for making that claim. Although she didn’t mean to assume, knowing the truth made her feel guilty for sounding like she was accusing.
“You used to look like Lyra’s daughter?” Ocellus asked
“Well, Lyra is my mom’s second cousin. But that’s not close enough for me to look like her. In a way, that medical mishap that caused me to go gray makes me look more like my mom’s daughter,” Silver Spoon replied, “Wait, you know who Lyra is?”
Once the quartet entered the room, Silver Spoon used the metal plate that hid the door as its own makeshift door, blocking the vault door from being able to close.
The inside of the bunker was little more than a cave dug into the ground. It was about the size of a small bedroom, though the lack of a bed did make it feel spacious. To the three locals, this was just a neat little hideaway place for a fort. But to Ocellus, there was an instinctual comfort that it gave her.
The sensation wasn’t anything new to Ocellus. But this was the first time she actually considered it. Princess Celestia had suggested that Trixie should make her bedroom in the basement. And she always felt comfortable in her room, despite how most Canterlotians would find such conditions as “horrid” or “uncouth” or “beastly”. But now, she was feeling that same instinctual sense of home again that she never questioned about her own room since she was home there.
‘Do I feel more comfortable in caves because I’m a Changeling?’ Ocellus thought to herself, ‘Or do the other three feel just as at home as I do here?’
“Hey, Ocellus. Are you okay?” Silver Spoon asked, bringing the Changeling back to reality, “You look a bit distracted.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” Ocellus said, “It’s just that this reminds me a little of my room in Canterlot.”
“Your room is in a cave?”
“No, it’s in a basement,” Ocellus corrected, “But I’ve always felt comfortable in my room. I like being underground. It’s comfortable to me for some reason.”
“It’s a neat hideout,” Rumble said, “But I prefer something more open. This hideout doesn’t even have a window. If I were stuck in here for four days, I’d go crazy.”
“Awe, is Rumble claustrophobic?” Sweetie Belle teased.
“N-No!” Rumble stuttered, “It’s just a Pegasus thing, that’s all. It’s not claustrophobia if it’s just a Pegasus thing.”
“If claustrophobia can’t be considered a racial trait, then what would you call that trait that Pegasi have?” Ocellus asked.
“I dunno. But it’s not claustrophobia,” Rumble insisted, “Besides, I’m not afraid of enclosed spaces, I just prefer open spaces.”
“That still falls under the technical definition,” Ocellus said, “A phobia isn’t always defined as a fear. It’s defined as an aversion to something. For example, oil isn’t alive, so it can’t be afraid of water. But because oil doesn’t mix with water, it means that oil is hydrophobic. Pegasi have a natural aversion to enclosed spaces. So even though Pegasi aren’t afraid of enclosed spaces, they can be considered naturally claustrophobic because of their aversion to enclosed spaces.”
“Thank you, Encyclopedia Ocellus,” Rumble said sarcastically.
“I wonder if Mom would let me add a skylight window in here?” Silver Spoon wondered, “It would be nice if natural light could be let in. I know Vinyl would add one without a second thought.”
“Why do I get the feeling that has happened before?” Rumble asked rhetorically.
“Do you remember the ice cream incident about five years ago?” Sweetie Belle replied.
“Can we please not talk about that?” Silver Spoon asked, her face flushing in embarrassment.
Ocellus was conflicted between wanting to know what happened and wanting to respect Silver Spoon’s desire not to talk about it. But she chose her friend’s comfort over her own curiosity.
Silver Spoon went over to a photo album. She opened it up to a page where a foal lay in a crib adorned with music notes.
“Is that you as a foal?” Ocellus asked, receiving a nod from Silver Spoon, “I’d say you look less like Lyra’s daughter and more like Lyra’s clone. The only thing missing is a horn.”
“According to Aunt Vinyl, that’s exactly what Lyra said,” Silver Spoon said with a giggle, “In fact, that crib was the same one that Lyra had as a foal.”
Silver Spoon turned the page and revealed another photo. It was nearly identical to the first, the largest difference being that the foal had a little horn.
“Have we ever seen Silver Spoon and Lyra together at the same time?” Rumble asked. This received a laugh from everypony in the room.
Trixie had arrived back at Sweet Harvest Acres to check on the catering. What she saw was impressive. And it wasn’t the food (although that, too, was mouth-watering).
Ponies.
Lots and lots of Earth Ponies.
“Trixie!” a familiar deep voice called from the distance, “It’s good ta see ya ‘gain!”
Trixie ran towards the voice, seeing the large red stallion who called to her, “I came to check up on how the catering is doing,” Trixie pointed out, “Can I assume that these guests are here for the Apple Family Reunion that you were telling me about?”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed, “Would ya like me to introduce ya to the family?”
“Are you sure we have the time?” Trixie asked, “It looks like a big family.”
Big Mac gave a smug grin, “Ah’ve had practice. Besides, it’s nearin’ lunchtime,” he then grabbed a metal rod, walked over to a triangle, and struck it, shouting with a loud booming voice, “SOUP’S ON, EVERYPONY!!!”
Trixie, recovering from the earthquake that was Big Mac’s voice, watched as a stampede ran towards a picnic table that had been prepared, each member carrying the dish that they had prepared. Big Mac led her to the table to introduce the family to her.
“This here's Apple Fritter. Apple Bumpkin. Red Gala. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp…” Big Mac paused to take a deep breath after pointing out each family member one by one, “And ya already know Carrot Top, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. And this here is mah other sister from Manehatten, Applejack. Everypony, this here is Trixie, Princess Celestia’s representative from Canterlot ta oversee the goin’ ons with the food.”
Trixie took note of the orange mare that Big Mac introduced as his other sister and how Apple Bloom seemed like a completely different pony around her. Her nose, however, took note of the aroma of all of the apple treats now on the table.
And Trixie knew that Ocellus was going to be jealous.
“If it weren’t for the faulty door, I would totally be jealous of you,” Ocellus said to Silver Spoon as the quartet now headed to Sugarcube Corner for lunch, “It’d be nice to have a cave to myself where I could just hide away from the world.”
“Well, that is technically what I have that room for,” Silver Spoon said, “It can be hard to be afraid to get sick. During Flu Season, it can really get lonely. It’s kinda ironic that when I get lonely, I want to be alone, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, kinda,” Rumble said, getting a glare from Sweetie Belle, “What?”
“I think you made it comforting to make it easier when you feel like you need to be alone,” Sweetie Belle said after returning her attention to Silver Spoon, “I don’t think you want to be alone when you’re lonely. I think that you just want to be more comfortable when you feel you have no other option.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Silver Spoon said. She then tried to change the topic, “So, are you three looking forward to the Summer Sun Celebration?”
“Of course!” Rumble exclaimed, “It’s the one night a year where I get to stay up all night!”
“Just remember to get a nap in before the night,” Sweetie Belle said, “Otherwise, you’ll probably fall asleep and miss it like you did last year.”
“You get to stay up all night?” Ocellus asked.
“I think it’s a Ponyville tradition,” Sweetie Belle said, “On the Summer Sun Celebration, it’s tradition to stay up all night so that we can see Princess Celestia raise the sun. It’s extra special this year because we actually get to watch Princess Celestia do it instead of just watching the sunrise.”
“I hope Mom lets me stay up all night, too!” Ocellus exclaimed, excited about the idea.
“I’m ready to handle this. I know I can do this. The Princess wouldn’t have put me in charge of something so important if she didn’t believe I was capable,” Twilight was hyping herself up. Princess Celestia had just left for Ponyville to attend the Millenial Summer Sun Celebration. And Twilight’s confidence in herself was… less than ideal, “Who am I kidding?! I’m not ready to rule Equestria! What was Celestia thinking?!”
“I get why you’re worried. I mean, you can’t even cook for yourself. That’s what I’m for,” Spike said in a half-sarcastic tone, “But the Princess trusts you. And it was either going to be you or Trixie. And do you really think things would be better if Trixie were in charge?”
Trixie, now an Alicorn, was sitting on the throne with several spotlights pointing at her, “I have ascended to new grrrrreatness!” Princess Trixie stated, rolling her Rs extra long, “I am now the Rrrrroyal and Glorrrrrious Prrrrrincess Trrrrrixie!!!” fireworks started to go off all around Equestria and beyond for the fanfare.
Twilight shuddered at the vision she just had, “I don’t think Equestria is big enough for an ego that inflated,” Twilight said, “But it still feels like I’m simply the lesser of two evils.”
Twilight then felt a gentle hoof on her shoulder. She looked up to see a white unicorn with a black suit, blue mane, and a monocle, “I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” Fancy Pants said, “The Princess trusts you enough to put you in charge. And she has her advisors, like myself, to help mitigate the responsibilities.”
“I suppose… I suppose it’s only for a short time,” Twilight said to herself, trying to encourage herself by adding to what Fancy Pants said, “After all, how much would I need to do in a single night? I’m just here to make sure everything runs smoothly while the Princess is away.”
“That’s the spirit, Twilight,” Fancy Pants said with a smile, “With our help, you may have an easier job than your friend, Trixie, in Ponyville.”
“But why would the Princess give Trixie the harder job?” Spike asked.
An image of cornflower blue wings flashed in Twilight’s mind. She then shook the image out of her head, “It’s not about the difficulty of the task, but who’s best for the task,” Twilight answered, “And do you really think things would be better if Trixie were in charge?”
“Hey, that’s my line,” Spike harrumphed, causing Twilight to laugh at the dragon’s pouting.
Twilight recomposed herself and tried to do her best to fill the role she had been given, “Fancy Pants, has Princess Celestia’s trip to Ponyville been doing well so far?”
“Clear skies and calm weather. So there should be minimal turbulence on the flight there,” Fancy Pants said professionally, “She also has a dozen Royal Guards accompanying her, so she’ll be well protected. And she left Canterlot in good hooves while she’s away.”
“Is there anything else I need to be aware of?”
“The Royal Court is cancelled today due to the Summer Sun Celebration. Any paperwork is her responsibility, not yours. Her great-grandnephew, Prince Blueblood, may come insisting that he is the rightful ruler after Celestia. If that is to happen, we will let him know that his bloodline doesn’t trump Celestia’s decision. However, if you can tolerate his attitude, Prince Blueblood is a competent politician and will be of assistance if the situation arises.”
Twilight listened to Fancy Pant list off everything that Celestia has done, “So, it seems like there’s little for me to do then?” Twilight asked.
“Well, there is one thing that you may be able to help with…”
“Is Chef Bon Appetit here?” Twilight asked. She was now in the Royal Kitchen. The head chef was notorious for refusing to take days off. However, this was a special case, “I’d like to speak to the head chef about taking the day off.”
A cream-colored unicorn mare appeared in front of her. Despite her fur color, it was clear that she was more green around the face. And not because of her fur, “Oh, biss Lulabood! I did’t dow you were goig to be here today!”
“Oh, silly… *sniff* …be,” the chef said with a sniffle.
“The Princess put me in charge while she was away for the Summer Sun Celebration,” Twilight explained, “And I-”
“The Billedeal Subber Sud Celebratiod is today?!” Bon Appetit exclaimed, “First I forget who you are, thed I forget what day it is. What dext? I just dod’t dow what’s wrog with be lately.”
“You’re clearly sick,” Twilight said bluntly, summoning a mirror for the chef to see her face, “You need to take a vacation to get better.”
The image Bon Appetit saw in the mirror was horrendous. She had puffy, bloodshot eyes, snot dripping from her muzzle, and sweating just to name a few descriptors, “Oh by! Is that be?” she asked, “But I could’t take a vacatiod. I’m the head che-ACHOO!”
Twilight summoned a ‘hazardous waste’ bag and put the now snot-covered mirror into it, sealing the bag and dismissing it with her magic, “The fact that you’re the head chef is all the more reason for you not to be here today,” Twilight explained, “Imagine if you were to make a meal for the Princess. But being sick, any illness you have may end up in the food. And if Celestia were to eat that food, she’d get sick as well. And you know that if Celestia were here right now, she’d want you to go home so that you can recover.”
“I suppose that bakes se-ACHOO!!!” Twilight had put up a barrier, which was now covered in snot. She then summoned a face mask and covered Bon Appetit’s muzzle with it.
“And you’re not the only chef on staff,” Twilight finished, “The castle can do without your services for a short time while you recover.”
Bon Appetit relented. After all, her head was foggy, and Twilight made a good point. And the idea of crawling into bed and getting some sleep was sounding more and more appealing.
“I must admit, I’m impressed,” Fancy Pants said to Spike after hearing that Twilight convinced Head Chef Bon Appetit to take a sick day, “She’s been working here for twenty years, and not once had she taken a sick day or vacation day. Not even the Princess herself could convince her to take a day off.”
“Are you saying that you didn’t expect Twilight to succeed?” Spike replied.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. But know, I didn’t,” Fancy Pants answered, “As I said, not even Princess Celestia could convince her to take a day off. She could’ve used her authority to make it a royal order, but she’s too kind to do that.”
“If you didn’t think Twilight would succeed, then why did you suggest it?”
“Princess Celestia made sure that Twilight had little that she needed to do. So I figured that pointing her to Bon Appetit would’ve been a way for her to spend time,” Fancy Pants had a thoughtful look, “But Twilight was able to succeed where the Princess herself failed. She chose well to put Twilight in charge. Twilight Sparkle is far more capable than she believes herself to be.”
Trixie had picked up Ocellus on her way back, finding her and the other foals at Sugarcube Corner. When they returned to Town Hall in their little motel room, Trixie gave Ocellus a couple of apple fritters and a slice of carrot cake she brought back from Sweet Harvest Acres.
Ocellus ravenously attacked the treats like a timberwolf on its prey. The reaction was fascinating to Trixie. The farmers must put a lot of love and care into their crops so that the apples have that love energy so ingrained into their essence.
After devouring her prey, Ocellus looked to Trixie, a question on her mind, “Mom, the others said that it’s a tradition to stay up all night to watch the sun come up on the Summer Sun Celebration,” Ocellus said, engaging in puppy dog eyes, “Can we stay up too? I promise I’ll get a nap in first so that I don’t fall asleep before sunrise.”
“They do, do they?” Trixie questioned. The hopeful joy she saw in her adopted daughter’s face was infectious, “Well, as long as it’s tradition. I’m no stranger to all-nighters, thanks to Twilight. So we might as well make the most of it, right?”
Seeing Ocellus’s ear-to-ear grin, Trixie wondered if a Changeling could use their magic to split their head in half by smiling wide enough. But unlike Twilight, Trixie wasn’t interested in testing that theory.
The overnight festivities were in full swing. Flutters, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and the rest of the weather team congratulated themselves on a job well done clearing the sky. Flutters started to show off how much of a party animal she really was and how much she loved making others laugh.
Thunderlane broke apart from the weather team when the Wonderbolts came to address him. They spoke about their plans for their show during the Raising of the Sun. The yellow and orange pegasus, Spitfire, was a good mare. But she tended to be a bit obsessive about overplanning events (she’d probably get along well with Twilight). But it’s that overplanning that makes the Wonderbolts’ events so flawless. But that’s why she’s the leader of the Wonderbolts (that, and her flying skills are unmatched). But Thunderlane was getting an earful for not being in uniform, claiming it as being unprepared.
Rarity and Maud Pie were there, of course, seeing as Rarity was responsible for the decorations. Rarity, of course, was a social butterfly. But Maud… you’d be forgiven if you thought that she was just one of Rarity’s mannequins. In fact, many Ponies likely did believe that, considering just how far they jump when they see her move or talk (a trio of flower gardeners even feinted on the spot).
Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch, or rather, DJ Pon-3 as she prefers to be referred to while performing, were swapping back and forth between classical and modern music styles. But occasionally, they would combine their two very different music styles into one and make them work. What’s even more impressive is that these fusion-style moments were utterly unrehearsed. It was a testament to how in sync the two sisters were. Sometimes, while Octavia was playing, Vinyl would join in to accompany the music. Other times, it was the other way around, with Octavia joining in on one of Vinyl’s sets. The only rehearsed part was specifically for the raising of the sun.
Many members of the Apple family were still on the farm since this was usually a family event for them. The Apple Family Reunion didn’t usually match up with the Summer Sun Celebration though. This being the Millennial Summer Sun Celebration made it a particular case, though. So a few representatives of the Apple family, along with Carrot Top, were there to see to it that the food was always in stock.
Many colts and fillies were running around, ecstatic at the prospect of being able to stay up all night. Some of the younger ones, though, were showing signs of fatigue. They were either too young to be up this late, or they didn’t get a nap in before the event, so they weren’t prepared to stay up all night. It wasn’t uncommon for the parents to let them go to sleep. After all, they were still young. But this was a special occasion. So many parents hoped that their foals if they were to fall asleep, would do so earlier so that they could be woken up to see Princess Celestia raise the sun.
All the while, Trixie was content just watching. Though she did mingle here or there, she was just in awe at how different the Ponies of this little hamlet were different from those of big cities like Canterlot. Many Canterlot Nobles believed Ponies from small country towns like this were just uncivilized hicks who were completely disconnected from society. But the reality was the complete opposite. Even the less snobbish Canterlotians fell victim to believing some of those stereotypes. But the reality was completely different. Being a smaller community meant that nearly everypony knew each other, so nearly everypony was social and welcoming because of it. In a big city, most Ponies were just faces in a crowd. And it’s for this reason that Trixie found herself hoping that Ponyville would never find itself growing too big. Because if it did, this community feeling would be lost in the crowd. It would make for a great tourist attraction though, seeing just how welcoming these Ponies were.
Trixie also noticed something else. Although most of the colts and fillies were playing, there was one filly in particular that the rest stayed away from. It was Apple Bloom. Despite her bad behavior, specifically towards Ocellus, it was still a sad sight to see her be avoided like the plague. That was until a pink filly with a tiara, followed by a brown stallion with a sleek black, slightly graying mane, and a dark pink mare with a blatantly obvious nose job arrived. This family of three seemed as if they’d be more than fitting as Canterlot Nobles. The stallion had an air of authority to him but also a kindness similar to the likes of Fancy Pants. The Mare, however, was so snooty that she looked like she would look down even upon the Canterlot Nobles who weren’t royalty.
‘Heh. Maybe she got the nose job so that it would be easier for her to look down on Ponies.’ Trixie thought to herself.
The filly went to Apple Bloom as if she were utterly ignorant of her bully status. But as they hugged, Trixie was thankful that she wasn’t completely alone. Apple Bloom looked up to Big McIntosh, presumably asking if she could play with her friend. The elder sibling seemed to be giving instructions because Apple Bloom was still in trouble. But the look on the filly’s face suggested he gave his permission.
“This place would be good for Ocellus,” Trixie thought out loud, “It’s about time for me to start my magic show.” Trixie walks over to the stage to start her magic show.
Twilight was having trouble sleeping. Something was wrong about her sleeping in Celestia’s bed. It’s not like it’s the first time. When she and Trixie were younger, and one of them had a bad day or a nightmare, Celestia would offer for them to sleep in her bed. They didn’t always stay in the castle. Sometimes, they would stay at Twilight’s home. But for Trixie, her home was all the way in Las Pegasus. And Twilight’s parents couldn’t just take her in. They were more than willing, but they couldn’t afford it. So Trixie would stay in the castle, and Twilight would be there with her so that she could have a friend.
Something that Twilight had never questioned until now was the fact that whenever one of them had a nightmare, the other did as well. They were often very different nightmares. But they always seemed to have nightmares on the same night. So, it wasn’t uncommon for both of them to sleep with Celestia simultaneously.
But tonight was different. The bed was certainly familiar to the unicorn, if perhaps smaller than she remembered… or rather, she was bigger. But the fact that Celestia wasn’t here in her bed with her didn’t feel right. It’s not that she needed the comfort of Celestia, just that it didn’t feel right with her not there. Or perhaps what made it feel strange was the fact that Trixie wasn’t here.
Whatever the reason, Twilight just couldn’t sleep. Maybe she was just worried about the situation she was put in. It’s not like she needed to do much. Celestia ensured that. She just didn’t feel like she was ready for this kind of responsibility.
Resigning herself to a sleepless night, Twilight gets out of bed and walks out onto the balcony. She looks down at Ponyville. Despite being the dead of night, the little town seemed to be active. It was a testament to how the hamlet celebrates special events.
“Heh, Trixie must be having the time of her life down there,” Twilight laughed quietly. She looked up to the moon. She took in the image of the craters that made up the image of the Mare on the Moon. For some reason, she noticed that the image seemed more… she didn’t know what it was. It simply seemed to be… waiting in anticipation? That thought brought her attention to the surrounding area. There were four stars that she didn’t recognize. Twilight took pride in her knowledge of the night sky. And those four stars didn’t belong.
As she watched, she took notice of something else. The interloping stars were slowly moving towards the moon. Based on the speed, the stars would reach the moon in approximately one hour. She looks at a clock. It was 4:32 am. Approximately one hour before sunrise.
Trixie removed the blades from the box and opened it up, allowing the pony inside to climb out. He checked his mid-section to make sure that he was back in one piece.
“And with that, I must end my show,” Trixie called out to her audience, who ended up complaining, “Now now. I’d love to continue. But I’d hate to steal the spotlight from the true star. Or rather, the Sun Princess.”
This got the crowd going, being reminded of why this event was happening in the first place. Trixie left the stage, clearing the magic props as she did in order to make way for Mayor Mare.
The beige mare took the stage to begin the main event, “Fillies and gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” Mayor Mare said, earning a cheer from the crowd, “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, 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…”
Rarity went up on stage, waiting for her cue. Meanwhile, in the crowd, Vinyl Scratch said in anticipation, “…Ready?”
“…Princess Celestia!” The mayor finished.
Rarity pulled open the curtain… and nopony was there, “Huh?”
There were worried whispers in the crowd. One such whisper came from Trixie, “This can’t be good.”
“Remain calm, everypony,” Mayor Mare said, trying to calm the crowd, “There must be a reasonable explanation!”
“Is she playing Hide and Seek?” Flutters said eccentrically.
Rarity came out from behind the curtain after checking on Celestia, “She’s gone!”
The crowd gasped at this revelation. All but one eccentric pegasus, “Ooh, she’s good!”
There was another gasp from the crowd as a dark mist coalesced on the stage where Princess Celestia was supposed to have been. The mist took the form of a large Pony with wings and a horn. The mist solidified into a black Alicorn with a mane and tail that reflected the night sky.
Ocellus could sense a growing malice coming from the mist. But once it took a solid form, that malice grew exponentially, like a light rain hand suddenly becoming an ocean wave crashing down on her, “Oh no! It’s the mare from that story! Was the Princess trying to warn me?”
“Oh, my beloved subjects,” The mare said, her tone of voice dripping with disdain, “It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces.”
“What did you do with our Princess?!” Vinyl’s artificial voice called out, the Unicorn mare being held back (effortlessly) by Maud Pie.
The dark Alicorn laughed, though there was no humor behind her voice, “Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Do you not know who I am?”
“Ooh, a guessing game!” Flutters said excitedly, “Um, Hokey Smokes! How about... Queen Meanie! No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty-” Flutters’ rambling became nothing but incoherent mumbles as Thunderlane put his hoof in her mouth to shut her up for all of their sakes.
“Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?” The evil Alicorn questioned, “Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?”
“You’re the Mare in the Moon,” Ocellus’s meek voice said, though it may as well have been a shout with how quiet the room had become, “You’re Nightmare Moon!” There was another gasp in the crowd. Ocellus was sweating bullets. But they weren’t of fear (or at least, not entirely). She was straining herself.
“Well, well, well, somepony who remembers me,” Nightmare Moon said, confirming what Ocellus said, “Then you also know why I'm here.”
Ocellus didn’t answer. But it was not an act of defiance. Whether it be because of the strain being put on her or simply because she didn’t know the full legend was unknown. Nightmare Moon chose to fly down to the faux filly to get a closer look. But Trixie would have none of that, galloping as fast as her hooves could take her to protect her daughter from this monster. But a wisp from the Alicorn’s mane swiped at the Unicorn, tossing her aside with seemingly no effort at all.
Using her prehensile mane, Nightmare Moon lifted Ocellus’s chin to look into her eyes, “I see. You’re not what you appear to be, are you?” she said, causing Ocellus to gulp in fear, “I can’t have your kind infesting my Equestri-AHH!”
Thunderlane’s attack did little more than startle the Alicorn. But it was enough of a distraction for Maud to grab Ocellus and bring her to safety.
“Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last,” Nightmare Moon said, recovering from the attack, “From this moment forth, the night will last FOREVER!” Nightmare Moon cackled, her mane creating a cloud that cracked with thunder.
“Seize her!” Mayor Mare instructed, “Only she knows where the Princess is!”
The Wonderbolts took flight and attacked the dark Alicorn.
“Stand back, you foals!” Nightmare Moon laughed as a bolt of lightning struck from her mane, distracting the Wonderbolts. Nightmare Moon then dispersed into mist and headed toward the Everfree Forest.
Thunderlane flew out to chase Nightmare Moon. As he did, Ocellus clearly wasn’t doing well. If the ambient malice of Nightmare Moon was like a light rain, and her presence was like an ocean wave of malice, the now terrified ponies of Ponyville, as well as the confusion and fear of all of the ponies in Equestria, was like drowning in a tsunami. Her breathing had become labored, and Maud could tell that she was burning up. And not just because of the involuntary release of her disguise. She was now fully exposed, her true form revealed.
“M-Mom…my…” Ocellus whimpered before passing out.
Trixie had just recovered from the attack from Nightmare Moon when she heard Ocellus’s call for her. It may have been a whimper, but to Trixie, it was the only sound in the world. She dashed to her daughter to see her passed out in her undisguised form, “Ocellus?” Trixie said, her tone just above a worried whisper.
Trixie had taken Ocellus back to their temporary room to care for her. Meanwhile, although many Ponyvillians went back to the comfort of their own homes to get some sleep, there was still a group of Ponies still in Town Hall.
“Maud, I saw that you didn’t react to Ocellus catching fire and changing into…that thing,” Rarity exclaimed.
“How could you tell?” Rainbow Dash cut in, “She doesn’t react to anything.”
“I have an eye for detail,” Rarity explained, “That, combined with knowing Maud for years, results in me being able to see reactions in Maud that nopony else would even detect.”
“Huh?”
“It means that Rarity has special eyes,” Flutters elaborated.
“And a close bond,” Big Mac added.
“I knew ever since the train ride,” Maud said.
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Rarity asked.
“I did think to tell you,” Maud replied monotonously, “But it wasn’t my secret to tell.”
“Yeah, well… Nightmare Moon seemed to know what she was, too,” Thunderlane said, “For all we know, she’s been a spy for Nightmare Moon this entire time.”
“That does not make any sense,” Octavia said.
“Why not?”
“Why would Nightmare Moon want to eliminate her own spy?” Vinyl asked rhetorically, “It sounded like Nightmare Moon knew what she was and considered her a threat.”
“Does it really matter what she is?” Flutters asked, “What she is on the outside isn’t as important as who she is on the inside.”
“Flutters is right,” Rarity sighed, “I may not know the full extent of what she is. But I can’t deny that seeing her with Sweetie Belle when they first met was simply divine.”
“And Silver Spoon wouldn’t stop talking about seeing her again when she first met Ocellus,” Octavia added, “It warms my heart to see her with that much energy.”
“And I’m pretty sure that Rumble has a crush on her,” Rainbow Dash said with a cheeky grin.
At that moment, Trixie came out from the guest room. She was desperately trying to hide her emotions, “Silver Spoon, Sweetie Belle, and Rumble are still worried about Ocellus,” Trixie said with a laugh. However, there was no joy behind it, “It’s like they don’t even know that she’s something completely different than what they thought.”
“It’s because they didn’t make friends with what she is,” Vinyl said, “They made friends with who she is.”
“I’m sorry I got angry when I got back from chasing Nightmare Moon,” Thunderlane said, “I didn’t see the moment when Ocellus lost her disguise, so I assumed she was a monster that Nightmare Moon left behind.”
“And you were too proud to admit you were wrong?” Big Mac asked.
“I suppose it was that combined with simply being scared,” Thunderlane admitted.
“I suppose I should explain myself,” Trixie said, “Ocellus is what’s known as a Changeling. As you may have guessed, it’s a race that can disguise itself as something, or somepony else. The disguise you saw was of her own making, so she’s not stealing anypony’s identity. However, Changelings feed on love and kindness to survive. And because of how much of the Canterlot citizens are like, she’s afraid of dropping her disguise for anypony other than those closest to her. Many ponies in Canterlot know of her true form already, which is why she’s so sheltered. Just like how she feeds on positive emotions, she’s also affected by negative emotions.”
“That’s why she reacted so badly to Apple Bloom, ain’t it?” Big Mac asked.
“Most likely,” Trixie said, “Although I’ve never seen her react in such a way. It’s also why she’s so ravenous when she eats your apples. You put so much love and care into growing them that it left an imprint on them.”
“Well, Ah guess we do put a lotta love into growin’ our apples,” Big Mac said proudly. But the jovial moment ended quickly when he saw the distress on the cornflower Unicorn’s face.
“Like I said, she feeds off of positive emotions but also reacts badly to negative emotions. And with the hatred coming from Nightmare Moon combined with the terror that the citizens of Ponyville are feeling, as well as the fear and confusion all around Equestria…it’s too much for her. The negative emotions are acting as a poison to her,” Trixie did her best to keep her composure up until now. But she couldn’t hold it in anymore and broke down into tears, “Ocellus is dying!”
“It’s been an hour since the sun was supposed to rise,” Twilight said to herself, “Something’s wrong. I need to contact Trixie about this.”
Twilight got out a quill and parchment and began writing.
Dear Trixie Lulamoon,
Trixie had calmed down, being comforted in Thunderlane’s embrace. They all wanted to comfort her, but it was Thunderlane who took action. And he was the best option for comforting her. The first thing was that a Pegasus was the best option because of the comforting sensation of their wings. Rainbow Dash was ruled out because her wings were prosthetics. Flutters would’ve been willing. But she had trouble keeping herself serious enough to be comforting. So that results in the third and final option, Thunderlane. And he had experience comforting his little brother.
“We need to stop Nightmare Moon,” Vinyl said, glad that her artificial voice box didn’t portray what would’ve been a shaky voice, “If we stop Nightmare Moon and bring back Princess Celestia, Nightmare Moon’s hatred and the Ponies’ fear will go away, allowing Ocellus to recover. Right?”
A spark of hope lit up in Trixie. It was a small spark, but a spark nonetheless.
“But how are we going to stop her,” Thunderlane asked, “Nightmare Moon is a living legend. And even with all of us researching, we may not have time to spend in the library to look it up.”
At that moment, a wisp of smoke flew into the room and flashed into a green flame before transforming into a scroll.
Trixie opened up the scroll and started to read out loud…
Dear Trixie Lulamoon,
At the time of writing this, it has been 57 minutes since the sun was supposed to rise. I doubt the Princess is playing a prank on us. So, I can only assume that something is seriously wrong.
Because I was given the instruction to manage Canterlot in the Princess’s absence, I cannot come to see you in person. And I anticipate that there will be plenty of distraught nobles who intend to come to find out what’s wrong. But I would like to know what is happening from your point of view.
How is Ocellus doing? I suspect that there are many ponies scared down there in Ponyville. I hope it’s not too overwhelming for her.
You’re Fellow Protégé, Twilight Sparkle
“A friend of yours, I presume?” Octavia asked.
“Yes,” Trixie said simply, “She knows something’s bad, but she doesn’t know just how bad things are.”
Trixie pulled herself out of Thunderlane’s comforting embrace and grabbed a quill and parchment to reply. She kept it simple, not wanting to spend too much time unnecessarily extending details.
Dear Twilight,
Princess Celestia is missing. Nightmare Moon returned. Nightmare Moon’s hate + the fear of the Ponies = Ocellus being poisoned and dying. We need to stop Nightmare ASAP.
Trixie
Trixie hastily put the letter into her hat and magically set it on fire, turning it into a blue wisp of smoke that headed out and toward Canterlot.
“Zecora!” Rainbow blurted out, catching the attention of everypony in the room. Rainbow shied away slightly, “Oh… uh… sorry. But I was just thinking. Me and Flutters have a friend who lives in the Everfree Forest. She might know something about what’s going on and could help!”
“Of course!” Flutters chimed in, “At the very least, maybe she would know how to help Ocellus.”
“Did you say she lives in the Everfree Forest?” Trixie asked, earning a nod from Rainbow and Flutters, “Then we need to go and find her.”
“But we can’t all go out there with you in that forest,” Rarity said, “I don’t mean to sound inconsiderate of Ocellus. But that forest is unnatural. The weather acts on its own.”
“The animals are self-reliant,” Octavia added.
“An’ the plants grow all on their own,” Big Mac finished.
“But if you stay on the path, the dangerous stuff will stay away,” Rainbow included, “I’ve been through that forest with Fluttershy dozens of times to visit Zecora.”
The three new friends of Ocellus came running out, “Are you going to stop Nightmare Moon?” Silver Spoon asked, worry for her new friend evident in her voice.
Trixie couldn’t help but smile, knowing that Ocellus, even as a Changeling, had made friends who were worried for her, “Well, somepony has to do it,” Trixie said, being careful about her choice of words, “Can I trust you three to look after Ocellus while we’re gone?”
The three children saluted, “Yes, ma’am!” they said in unison before heading back into the room with Ocellus.
“I must decline,” Rarity said, “I must be here to watch after my little sister after all.”
“Then I’ll come,” Maud said, “My knowledge of rocks may be helpful.”
“I also have my daughter to look after,” Octavia said, “And if you’re going to face Nightmare Moon, that’s simply out of my league.”
“I think Nightmare Moon is out of everypony’s league,” Vinyl said, “You keep an eye on Silver, sis. That way, if we win, I can come back as a hero!”
“I’m obviously coming. You need a guide, after all,” Flutters said, “What about you, Rainbow?”
“I’m just gonna slow you all down,” Rainbow said, extending her mechanical wings, “But I can keep an eye on Ocellus.”
“I also have Rumble,” Thunderlane said, “So I have to stay here too.”
“NO!” Big Mac insisted, “You’re a Wonderbolt. If they go into battle, your military experience will be useful. Ah’ll watch after Rumble for ya.”
Big Mac and Thunderlane shook hooves, finalizing their agreement, “As a Wonderbolt, it’s my responsibility to do this for Equestria, isn’t it?”
“Eeyup.”
Vinyl took off her sunglasses, her way to invite Octavia into a hug, which was accepted, “Don’t worry, Octy. You know I’ll come back because I would never leave you and Silver behind.”
Flutters and Rainbow hugged each other. No words were spoken, but none were needed. Rainbow knew that Flutters was far more capable than she was.
Rarity hugged Maud, who just stood there like a statue, “Please, come back safely. We may not be related by blood. But you are like a sister to me. And I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt.” The corners of Maud’s lips turned up into a soft smile. To anypony who knew Maud, they would know that she was becoming emotional.
Trixie went into the back room to see Ocellus. She took the malachite necklace that she got from Carousel Jewelers and placed it around Ocellus’s neck. She then donned her hat and cloak to set out on a new adventure…
…And to save her daughter’s life.
Twilight was pacing back and forth nervously. She had just read Trixie’s letter. She’s usually not as wordy as Twilight in her letters. But at least she puts in an effort. So, the fact that the letter was so sparse was itself concerning.
And then there was the content of the letter. ‘Princess Celestia is missing’ and ‘Nightmare Moon returned’ likely correlated. Twilight looked up to the moon to see that the Mare in the Moon was no longer there. If that fillytale was, in fact, true, then Nightmare Moon returned and abducted Princess Celestia before making herself known. And that’s assuming something worse hadn’t happened.
Then, there was the part about the overabundance of malice and fear that was poisoning Ocellus. She knew that Ocellus likely wouldn’t take it well. But she didn’t realize it was so bad that it was killing her.
And then there was ‘We need to stop Nightmare ASAP’, which was especially troubling. I meant that Trixie was planning on facing Nightmare Moon. And if the stories were true, Trixie didn’t stand a chance. But how much did she actually know?
“She said ‘we’,” Twilight said to herself, “That means that she’s not alone.”
“Miss Sparkle,” a high-class voice said. Twilight turned to see Fancy Pants walking in, followed by Prince Blueblood. Fancy Pants spoke, “Princess Celestia put her trust in you while she was away. But that trust was based on the assumption that everything would go as planned. We allowed it because the Princess ensured that her royal duties were taken care of. But you were never given the legal authority to hold that position on your own.”
“There is a law set in place that not even Auntie can overturn,” Prince Blueblood said, stepping forward with an air of authority, “A Pony in the position of royalty has the authority to choose an heir, even if that heir is not by blood. However, short of retirement or a permanent leave of absence, that heir cannot take the throne. Once a royal leaves the throne, they cannot retake it. However, in the case of incapacitation or a temporary leave of absence, there are Regents who can temporarily take on a ruling position. The Regency Act requires two or more Regents to take the role that the ruling party cannot fulfill. Myself and Fancy Pants are two such Regents. But because of the decision Auntie Celestia made, we are extending the role of Regent to you as an Intrum Regent. This is because the proper paperwork to make you an official Regent has not been made.”
“I presume this decision is based on the assumption that there’s still a chance that Celestia isn’t gone for good?” Twilight asked.
“It’s based on a lack of confirmation one way or another,” Fancy Pants replied, “As Prince Blueblood said, if you were put into the rulership role and Princess Celestia returned, she would be unable to retake the throne.”
Twilight nodded in understanding, “Well then, we can finalize any paperwork after all of this has calmed down,” Twilight said authoritatively, “For now, we don’t have much other choice than to put our trust in Trixie and the friends she made in Ponyville.”
Twilight’s words hid the fact that she wasn’t sure if she was ready to take on a permanent leadership role yet, so she hoped that Celestia was still okay and that Trixie could save her.
The five Ponies had entered the Everfree Forest, led by Fluttershy and Thunderlane. It wasn’t even five minutes before Trixie and Vinyl lit their horns to see where they were going. Being the middle of the night and the density of the Everfree Forest meant that how far they could see was severely restricted.
“I love the night and all. But I can’t believe the Everfree is this dark,” Vinyl said, “It’s so dark that I can’t even see my own hoof in front of my face, even when my horn is lit.”
“Then perhaps this will help,” Trixie said before lighting up her horn to levitate Vinyl’s sunglasses off of her eyes.
“Oh, wow. That’s much better!” Vinyl said before laughing sheepishly, “In my defense, it’s still pretty dark in here.”
Vinyl then saw the look of both worry and determination on Trixie’s face and realized that perhaps now wasn’t the time to get snarky. She then began to fidget nervously with her voice synthesizer.
Although most dangers tend to avoid the main path in the Everfree Forest, that doesn’t mean that there are no dangers that could be found. And what they found next was an example of a danger that could be found. This was still rare since they weren’t deep enough for wildlife to start disregarding the existence of the main path.
ROAAAAR!!!
A large lion-like creature with bat wings and a scorpion tail appeared on the path. A Manticore had appeared. And it looked angry.
Other than the Pegasi, there was no way that the ponies were going to outrun a Manticore. At best, they could split up, and it would only go after one of them. But that would require sacrificing one of them. They could stay and fight. But the chances that they would escape a fight without serious injuries were minuscule. But at least together, they would stand a chance.
“Everypony, stand back!” the group was surprised to see Flutters step forward to face this beast on her own, “I can handle this!”
“I’m coming with you!” Thunderlane said, “I have military experience that can-”
Flutters turned and glared at Thunderlane, “I said everypony stand back!” Flutters insisted, making Thunderlane wince in fear, “I said I can handle this!”
“Yes, ma’am,” Thunderlane whimpered as he stepped back.
Flutters returned her attention to the Manticore, who lifted its paw, readying it to swipe down on her and cut her to ribbons. But before it could, Flutters poked under where the shoulder was, causing the Manticore to wince and…
“Was that a laugh?” Vinyl asked about the sound the Manticore made.
Flutters then continued, this time using her feathered wings to tickle the beast. This dangerous wild animal…was ticklish! The Ponies’ jaws dropped at this.
The Manticore then rolled on its back in laughter, revealing its paws to the Pegasus, who saw a large thorn stuck in one of the paw. In a quick action, she grabbed the thorn in her mouth and pulled it out. The Manticore roared out in pain, but Flutters quickly returned to the tickling.
Finally, Flutters released the Manticore. The beast then got up, growling at…no, it wasn’t growling, it was purring! “You’re just a little kitten, yes you are,” Flutters said in baby talk. The Manticore then walked away, now content.
“How’d you know the Manticore was ticklish?” Thunderlane asked.
“And how’d you know it had a thorn in its paw?” Vinyl included.
“Most creatures are ticklish somewhere. However, it’s not always easy to get to that ticklish spot. Creatures that have natural armor, for example, will have their ticklish spots protected under that armor,” Flutters explained, “As for the thorn, I didn’t know about that. But Manticores normally avoid Ponies. They only become aggressive like that when their territory is invaded or injured. And since a Manticore’s territory is nowhere near the main path, there must’ve been in injury involved. So, the best option was to subdue it the best way I know how. When I saw the thorn, I removed it.”
“And the best way you knew how to subdue the savage beast was to tickle it?” Trixie asked.
“Everyone needs a good laugh now and then,” Flutters stated matter-of-factly, “And that includes wild animals.”
Meanwhile, Nightmare Moon had been observing the group ever since they entered the forest. After all, this group of Ponies had dared to defy her. It’s not like they would actually be able to do anything against her. But it was a punishable offense nonetheless. When they came across that Manticore, Nightmare Moon didn’t think she even needed to lift a hoof to stop them.
And then the impossible occurred.
“Did that mechanical Pegasus just tickle that Manticore into submission?!” Nightmare Moon exclaimed in astonishment, “Perhaps even beasts like Manticores have grown soft in a thousand years. I suppose I will have to take things into my own hooves.”
The five Ponies were led to a tree. Or rather, it was a hut carved into the trunk of a tree.
“It’s kinda like the Golden Oaks Library back in Ponyville,” Vinyl said, “A building carved into a living tree.”
“I didn’t know you were the type who would know what a library even was,” Thunderlane snarked.
“Ha ha. Very funny,” Vinyl deadpanned.
Trixie had seen the Golden Oaks Library during their time in Ponyville. But that was more Twilight’s thing. But where that building looked warm and inviting, this hut looked more mysterious. The masks suggested that the owner was Zebrican. And the potion bottles suggested that this was a hippothe… hypoth… hippo… a potion maker.
Flutters stepped up and knocked on the door, “Zecora, are you home?” she called out.
After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a figure with black and white stripes, a mohauk, and a glyph mark rather than a cutie mark. This Zecora was clearly not a Pony but a Zebra.
“Flutters, I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” Zecora said, “Does this have to do with the return of Nightmare Moon?”
“Yes, it does,” Flutters confirmed, “And we were hoping you could help us.”
“I believe I can help. But why come to me?” Zecora asked, “The knowledge you seek is in the local library.”
“Because we don’t have the time to spend searching through the library for answers,” Trixie stepped forward, “My adopted daughter is a Changeling. And the combined fear and hatred that she experienced is killing her. Time is not on our side!”
“A Changeling, you say? Now I see,” Zecora said, motioning for the group to follow, “Please, if you will, come follow me.”
The group followed Zecora into the hut. Zecora then motioned for the others to sit around the cauldron in the center of the room, where Zecora began to speak.
“Nightmare Moon’s tale is a sad one indeed. But it doesn’t excuse where her actions will lead,” Zecora began, blowing some green dust that began taking shapes as Zecora told the story, “The story begins with the Princesses of the moon and the sun. And how the night begins when the Ponies of the day are done. Princess Luna worked so hard on her night sky. But how the Ponies slept through that beauty made her want to cry. The jealousy of her sister began to corrupt and grind until, finally, her thoughts began to twist her mind. After years of this, the moon Princess finally broke. Princess Luna was no more when Nightmare Moon first spoke. Refusing to lower the moon, her goal was eternal night. And when Princess Celestia realized this, the only option was to fight. The battle raged on between the moon and the sun. But with her newfound power, it seemed that Nightmare Moon had won. But there was one last hope that Celestia could see. And that was to use the Elements of Harmony. She wielded the Six Elements and ultimately won the day. But her connection to the Elements dissolved after sending her sister away. A thousand years have passed since that day very sinister. And the Elements waited, still in the Castle of the Two Sisters. When all hope in Equestria seems the most thin, there is where the Elements wait within. Honesty, Kindness, Loyalty, Laughter, and Generosity are needed for a happily ever after. When those five find their bearers, it is the trick to revealing the sixth Element, the Element of Magic. The Six Elements combined will produce the Rainbow of Light. That final weapon will end the Eternal Night.”
“Based on what we saw earlier, I think we know who’s connected to the Element of Laughter,” Vinyl said.
“Really? Who?” Flutters asked. It was hard to tell if she was making a sarcastic joke or if she honestly was that absent-minded. But it did gain a laugh from everyone in the room, even Zecora.
“How do we get to the Castle of the Two Sisters?” Trixie asked straightforwardly.
“The way to the Castle requires leaving the main road,” Zecora said, “I will lead you through to lessen the load.”
“I can’t allow that,” Thunderlane said, “I understand that you want to help, but I can’t allow anypony else to put themselves in danger.”
“I appreciate that you care for my safety. But my inclusion will make this easier on you and me,” Zecora countered, not taking no for an answer, “For the inexperienced, the way would be hard. But not for me. The Everfree is my backyard.”
“If You’re sure about it, then I suppose we could use all the help we could get,” Thunderlane admitted.
Zecora went into what was likely her bedroom and grabbed several identical cloaks, “These cloaks do more than keep you warm. They will help to protect your form,” Zecora said, “Don’t mind the smell of the fabric. It wards off Everfree beasts as a neat trick.”
The ponies, of course, had to sniff the cloaks. Although the smell wasn’t exceptionally bad, it was potent. But they noticed that the smell only seemed to be on the outside. The inside seemed to be protected from the smell. It likely wouldn’t block the outside smell completely. But considering that the smell wasn’t that bad, being significantly lessened would be very helpful.
When they put them on, the material wasn’t a bit scratchy. But if it did as Zecora said, that’s a fair trade-off. And Trixie had the benefit of having her own cloak to act as an inner lining. And there was a surprising freedom of movement. However, it became clear to the Pegasi in the group that the cloaks didn’t have wings in mind with their design. And they did little to hide the Unicorns’ horns. But those were minor issues.
Now, the group of six were off to the Castle of the Two Sisters.
Twilight had been dealing with several Canterlot Nobles by this point. And she now had a new appreciation for what Princess Celestia had to deal with. Fancy Pants did say that this was more on the extreme end of what the Princess normally has to deal with. But knowing what many Canterlot Nobles are like, it’s likely a similar experience in that many of them ask for the same things, making things rather redundant.
So far, Twilight had to listen to questions like ‘Where is the Princess?’ and ‘Why are you taking Princess Celestia’s place?’ and ‘What do you plan to do?’. Those questions were getting on her nerves, not because of how rude they were (although that didn’t help either), but because she heard them over and over and over. In some cases, she heard the same question asked multiple times by the same pony.
But there were other questions asked by the more reasonable nobles that were more constructive, like ‘Have you instructed the Royal Guard to take action?’ and ‘Is there anything that I can do to help?’.
“What will you do to ensure the continuation of the Noble class?” another snobby noble asked, “I am well respected in this community and cannot be lost to whatever is happening.”
Prince Blueblood stepped forward to answer, “We will do everything in our ability that anypony worth protecting will be protected,” Blueblood replied, being very specific about what he said.
Twilight was thankful that Blueblood was as snobby as he was while also being as competent of a Regent as he was. He knew how to placate the snobby nobles because he knew how they thought. But despite his snobbishness, he’s not as shallow as he appears on the surface. He knew what to say to make it sound like they would protect the nobles because the snobbish nobles believed that they were the only ones deserving to be protected. But when he says they’ll protect everypony worth protecting, Blueblood knows that what class you are doesn’t matter since all ponies are worth protecting. Blueblood may view himself as above commoners, but he’s demonstrated how competent he is. Just because he views himself as above commoners, it doesn’t mean he thinks commoners aren’t worth protecting.
Twilight was oddly thankful that Blueblood was the one helping to answer questions.
Six cloaked figures were traversing the dark forest. The one in the lead stood out with the staff that she carried on her back. She was the newest addition to the group. Trixie wondered what the staff was for. But she didn’t ask, assuming that it may be used as a weapon.
“So, how did you get to know a Zebra?” Trixie asked Flutters as they walked.
“It actually happened during the Rainbow Storm,” Flutters answered, “Simply put, me and Rainbow crashed into the ground, and Zecora found us and healed us as much as they could.” Flutters then shook one of her prosthetic hind legs, “But as you can see, she can’t regrow limbs. But causing the Rainbow Storm is how I got my cutie mark.”
“That seems like a painful way to get your cutie mark,” Trixie replied.
“When I got struck by Rainbow Lighting, it caused my brain to rewire,” Flutters continued, “The neurologist said that the part of my brain that controls fear was rewired to react with the humor part of my brain. So when I’m supposed to be afraid, the reaction is to laugh. I’ve learned to tell the difference between proper humor and how I react to fear. But now I feel so much more free since before the accident, I was very shy and skittish.”
“So what you’re saying is that the reason you’re so happy and carefree is the result of brain damage?” Trixie questioned.
“I prefer not to use the term ‘brain damage’, for obvious reasons,” Flutters replied, “That makes me sound like I’m disabled.”
Trixie took a moment to think about that, “How do you feel about saying your brain was ‘rearranged’?”
“You mean my amygdala is where my frontal lobe should be?” Flutters said with a giggle.
Suddenly, as the group was walking by a cliff, the ground below them collapsed into a rockslide. Flutters and Thunderlane were able to react easily enough, being Pegasi. Zecora had somehow managed to hop from rock to rock as they fell in order to land at the bottom of the cliff safely. Trixie revealed that her cape was more than it appeared. Trixie was hovering in the air, slowly and safely descending to the bottom. The moonstone in her brooch glowed as she descended.
Vinyl managed to keep close to the wall, where she used her magic to make her hooves latch onto the unbroken solid ground.
Maud, however, was sliding uncontrollably down the hill toward the drop. Vinyl saw this and took action, “Hold on, I’m coming!” Vinyl called out before releasing the spell on her hooves and slid down the hill to catch Maud.
Maud managed to grab hold of the ledge before falling to her doom but couldn’t get a hoofhold to climb back up. Vinyl grabbed onto Maud’s forelegs for support, then reactivated her spell to latch onto the ground and not slide. However, she wasn’t strong enough to pull Maud back up.
“Maud, what do I do? I can’t pull you up!” Vinyl asked.
Maud looked down to the ground below before looking back to Vinyl with her classic emotionless face, “Let go.”
“Are you crazy?!” Vinyl exclaimed, “I know you’re a durable Earth Pony. But even you can’t survive a fall like that! And I’m not going to let you fall!”
“No, I’m not crazy,” Maud said, “If you let go, I’ll be safe.”
“How can you think that?!”
“Listen, I know what I’m talking about,” Maud said in her monotone way. But to reassure Vinyl, she turned her lips up into a slight smile, “Let go, and I’ll be safe. If you hold on, your magic will eventually fail, and we will both fall. If you let go, we will both be safe.”
Vinyl took a moment, looking into Maud’s eyes, before making a decision, “If you’re lying, I will never forgive you,” Vinyl said before releasing her hold on Maud, causing the gray Earth Pony to fall to her-
THUMP
Vinyl looked over the ledge to see that Maud had landed on a small ledge a few feet down. Maud didn’t have much space to move, but she was safe for now.
Thunderlane flew up to retrieve Maud. But when he got there, she was gone. He was tempted to look down to see that Maud was safe and sound on the ground. Rather than think too much about it, he went to retrieve Vinyl.
Once all six of them were safe at the bottom of the cliff, Thunderlane had to speak his mind, “Maud, how did you get down here?”
“My sister would call it a ‘shortcut’,” Maud said simply.
Trixie used her spell to see magic. She saw that a lei line connected the ledge where Maud had been and the spot where Maud appeared, “My friend is more about the academic side of things like this,” Trixie said, “But I think you’re able to connect your Earth Pony magic to the lei lines of the world to do quick teleports, or ‘shortcuts’. Is there anything else you can do with those abilities?”
“Yes,” Maud said simply.
Trixie waited for a moment for elaboration that would never come, “I don’t know why I expected anything more than that.”
“You have a Cloak of Levitation?!” Vinyl asked, walking up to Trixie, “Do you know how awesome that is?! They’re like super rare!”
Trixie’s ears folded back, her mood clearly dropping at the memory, “It’s…more complicated than that,” Trixie said hesitantly, “The day I got my cutie mark was during the entrance exam for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. It was also the day of the Rainbow Storm. When I got struck by a bolt of lightning trying to hatch what was thought to be a Dragon egg, my magic went into overdrive as I was trying to transfer energy into the egg. I was out of control and pulling magic from around me. The instructors were hospitalized for a month from Hypoarcania. But my mom was there too. And because she didn’t have the same well of magic that the instructors had…my mom died of Hypoarcania. I…I killed my own mother that day. The magic I pulled from her was transferred into this moonstone. This isn’t just a Cloak of Levitation. This cloak is, more or less, my mother. It even has a will of its own.”
A tear ran down Trixie’s cheek, which her cloak had wiped away.
Flutters, who was crying her eyes out, tackle-hugged Trixie, “That’s so sad!” She cried, “You got your cutie mark by killing your mother! I don’t know how I’d be able to-,” Flutters’ tears completely dried up when another thought came to mind, “Wait, you said what was thought to be a Dragon egg. Was that egg actually a Changeling egg?”
Trixie nodded.
“You may have lost your mother that day,” Flutters said in her upbeat tone, “But you also became a mother that day!”
“And I may end up losing my daughter too,” Trixie said, breaking down.
Thunderlane then grabbed Trixie’s shoulders, “Trixie, I can’t promise that we will save your daughter in time,” he said matter of factly, “But I can say that time is not on our side. If you let yourself worry, that distraction will take up time that we don’t have to spare. So rather than worry about what might happen, focus on finishing the task at hoof before it’s too late. The sooner we find the Elements and defeat Nightmare Moon, the sooner we save Ocellus. You can worry as much as you need to once we’re done.”
Trixie nodded her head, unsure how else to respond. But that small spark of hope was reignited.
Sweetie Belle, Silver Spoon, and Rumble were staying at Ocellus’s bedside, each one taking turns to take care of her. Currently, it was Sweetie Belle taking care of Ocellus. Rarity found it sweet that the three of them were willing to care for their newfound friend.
Rarity’s train of thought was derailed when Sweetie Belle looked over at her with worry, “Rarity!” Sweetie called to her big sister, worry evident in her voice, “I think Ocellus is getting worse!”
Rarity hurried over to check on the little ‘Ling. The other children came to see what was wrong, as well as Rainbow and Big Mac, who had heard Sweetie’s call. As Sweetie suspected, Rarity noticed that Ocellus’s breathing was becoming more labored with shallow breaths.
Rarity didn’t want to say anything that would make the children worry any more than they were since that would only hasten the Changeling’s degrading health. But if she said nothing, they would likely catch on and worry anyway.
“The recovery process is just taking a lot of energy,” Rainbow said, coming up with an excuse, “And you know how you get out of breath after you’ve run out of energy, right? This just means that she’s working hard to recover. But she still needs your help since your love for her will give her more energy.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Rumble said. It’s actually now how recovering works, but it did give them the confidence that helped to push away the worry. It was a white lie that at least extended Ocellus’s life.
“Thanks for that,” Rarity said to Rainbow, out of earshot of the foals, “I don’t know if I would’ve been able to come up with an excuse like that.”
“Yeah, well, I have experience making excuses,” Rainbow said. Then she realized what she said, “I mean, it’s for Ocellus’s health.”
Rarity grinned at Rainbow’s statement, “You were a troublemaker when you were a filly, weren’t you?” Rainbow’s cyan cheeks turned a light shade of red as a bashful expression covered her face, basically answering for her, “I thought so.”
The six had returned to their trek to the castle. Thunderlane headed to the front to talk with Zecora.
“Zecora, was it?” Thunderlane asked for confirmation, receiving a nod from the Zebra, “How were you able to get down that rockslide so easily? It was a quite impressive demonstration of agility.”
“Living in the Everfree requires training my dexterity,” Zecora answered with a proud grin, “Many beasts call the Everfree home. But with dangers, the beasts are not alone. When that unnatural rockslide struck, it was good that I had agility and a bit of luck.”
“Unnatural rockslide?” Thunderlane questioned, “What do you mean by that?”
“In the Everfree, rockslides are nothing new,” Zecora said, “But that cliff face had been smoothly cut though.”
“But who could’ve cut the cliff?” Thunderlane asked, more to himself than anyone else.
“Whoever it was has not made themselves known. But it seems that we are not alone,” Zecora said in a low tone, “We may need to watch our back. Nightmare Moon may be responsible and may again attack.”
“Nightmare Moon…” Thunderlane said with a shiver of fear. Then he changed the subject, “So, I hope you don’t mind me asking. But what’s the deal with the rhyming?”
“As a filly, I was fascinated with the arcane. But not doing magic drove me insane,” Zecora said, “So I came to Equestria to study the magic that you do. And my rhyming helps me focus on my shaman voodoo.”
“So the rhyming is by choice and not some Zebrican practice?” the Pegasus asked.
“My rhyming is optional. But as you can see,” Zecora replied, “my rhyming has become quite natural to me.”
“Do you ever slip up on a rhyme?” Thunderlane asked curiously.
“I cannot personally think of a time,” Zecora answered.
“Ha! You didn’t…” Thunderlane was about to call Zecora out, “Rhyme. Time. Does rhyming with what I say count?”
“As you can see, it does. So no need to pout,” Zecora said with a cocky grin.
“Oh, come on!” Thunderlane exclaimed, “Pout doesn’t even properly rhyme with-”
SPLASH
As Zecora and Thunderlane approached the river, they entered the splash-zone of wild raging rapids. With how violent the waves were, there was no way for the non-Pegasi to cross.
But it was apparent that the source of the turbulent waters was not the river itself but something underneath the surface thrashing about. This suspicion was confirmed as a large purple Sea Serpent rose from the waters, thrashing as he wailed in despair.
“What a world! What a world!” the sea serpent cried.
“Excuse me, sir… or ma’am,” Trixie said, not sure what the serpent identified as, “What’s wrong?”
“I don't know,” the serpent admitted, “I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whisked past me and tore half of my beloved mustache clean off, and now I look simply horrid.” The serpent pointed to the missing half of his mustache.
“Really?” Vinyl asked skeptically, “This is what the fuss is about?”
“But of course it is,” Trixie replied, “I may not be a fashionista. But I know that you must look your best if you’re going to present yourself in front of an audience. You clearly keep your scales nice and shiny,” Trixie said, looking at her reflection in one of his scales.
“I know,” the serpent sniffled.
“And you clearly put effort into your mane to make it worthy to be presented in front of the world!” Trixie exclaimed.
“Oh, I know, I know,” the serpent confirmed, cheering up at this show of empathy.
“But it’s all meaningless when everypony’s attention is drawn to only half a mustache!” Trixie continued.
“It’s true,” the serpent started to cry again, “I’m hideous!”
“But there’s no need to fret anymore!” Trixie said, her presentation mirroring her stage persona, “For I, the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie am here to assist you with your conundrum!”
Trixie summoned a magical pair of scissors and cut what was left of the stump of a mustache and the other side of the mustache to ensure that he was even on both sides. As the scissors disappeared, a violet glow appeared on the sea serpent’s snout. In a few moments, his mustache grew back just as magnificent as it was before.
“Now you’re perfectly worthy of presenting yourself on stage!” Trixie exclaimed.
The serpent looked at his reflection in the water to see that his mustache was as good as new, “My mustache!” He exclaimed, “You six want to cross this river? Then allow me!”
The serpent extended his body so that it could be used as a bridge for the ponies.
“Thank you very much, good sir!” Trixie said, still in showpony mode.
“And allow me to introduce myself properly,” the serpent said, “My name is Steven Magnet.”
The six mares introduced themselves before leaving the sea serpent to his own devices.
“Tacky? Tacky?!” Nightmare Moon growled, pacing back and forth in anger, “My mist form is not tacky! It’s a reflection of the beautiful night sky! But what would ponies know of the beauty of the night?”
Nightmare Moon looked into a magically summoned mist to analyze what the ponies had managed so far, “They had tamed a Manticore. They gained a 6th member. They survived a rockslide! They calmed a raging sea serpent! What next? Will one of them make an Ursa Major their pet? Will another transform into an Alicorn? Will another rise from the dead after I kill them personally?!”
But then another thought came to mind, “Those six ponies are an unstoppable force,” Nightmare Moon said in a calmer tone, “But if I could convince them to side with me, they would make for formidable captains for an army. They alone are an army. Perhaps I should stop trying to stop them and start trying to recruit them.”
With a new mindset, Nightmare Moon turned to place new traps.
The six ponies continued down the path to the Castle. It wasn’t long before Zecora used her staff to block the way of the other ponies.
“Do not continue unless you wish to be broke. Those leaves of blue are Poison Joke,” Zecora said, pointing to the field of glowing blue flower-like plants, “If you are to touch those leaves of blue, an ironic joke will be played on you. These plants are common in the Everfree. But so many at once is baffling to me.”
Trixie started snickering at a memory. This caught Flutters’ attention, “What are you laughing at?” Flutters asked accusingly, “Poison Joke is a serious thing!”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean any disrespect,” Trixie said, “It’s just that I know about Poison Joke. When me and Twilight were fillies, we saw a plant in the royal garden that specifically had a sign that said ‘Do Not Touch’. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she got too close. For the next week, Twilight’s horn was as limp as a wet noodle.”
“It’s not… heh …not nice to… heehee …to laugh at Poison Joke,” Flutters said, clearly failing to hold back her own laughter, “The jokes it plays are really… HAHAHA …mean!” Flutters then broke down laughing at the image Trixie gave of a Unicorn with a floppy horn.
“I’m not laughing at what happened to her,” Trixie said, “After all, we both panicked at what happened. She was panicking more than me, but we both were traumatized. I just find it ironically funny that out of the two of us, it was her who broke the rules. Ever since then, Twilight has obsessively obeyed any rules. And now she has a fear of the color blue.”
Flutters completely broke down in tears with laughter. She felt guilty at laughing at the expense of somepony else. But she just couldn’t help finding the idea of somepony being afraid of a color funny.
“Thanks to Princess Celestia, we also learned of the cure,” Trixie continued, “It may have been a week before the Princess found out, but at least we know of the cure. Or at least Twilight knows the cure. I never got around to remembering it.”
“Poison Joke never grows this immense,” Zecora said, “And on the main path? It makes no sense.”
“So, it’s another trap set by Nightmare Moon,” Thunderlane concluded, “The only way we can continue is either to risk Poison Joke or to go off the main path.”
“I don’t plan on walking through. So going off the path is what I’d do,” Zecora said, “But it’s not my place to take away your voice. Perhaps we vote to make a choice.”
“As Pegasi, Flutters and I could fly over the Poison Joke,” Thunderlane said.
“From what Zecora has told me, I’d rather not even fly over Poison Joke if I don’t have to,” Flutters said, “At least not an entire field.”
“I think a prank is preferable to possibly being attacked by another Everfree creature,” Vinyl said.
“I’d rather not find out what Poison Joke would do to me,” Trixie said, “Knowing my luck, it’d probably turn me invisible and inaudible.”
“Off the path,” Maud said simply.
“Off the path wins, four to two. Come this way, let us hurry through,” Zecora said, pointing to the right, deeper into the dense forest, “Stay close because, in the dead of night, the darkness devours any and all light.”
“Did you really need to say ‘dead’?” Vinyl groaned.
“Are you kidding me?” Twilight asked.
Twilight was getting tired of dealing with this noble. For starters, he absolutely refused to interact with anypony other than Twilight, so despite what they tried to negotiate, Twilight was on her own with this. But that’s just the beginning. This noble specifically wanted to talk with Twilight and Twilight only because he assumed she would be gullible.
But the most frustrating thing was that the world was in chaos with the Eternal Night and the missing Princess, and this noble came to Twilight assuming she’d be gullible… to ask if royal funds could be used to fund the construction of his beach house.
“It makes perfect sense!” the nobles insisted, “If we’re going to be stuck in Eternal Night for the rest of eternity, me having a beach house would mean I could lift Ponies’ spirits by throwing parties for others. And it’s for that reason that such a selfless act should be rewarded by being funded by the crown!”
And the most annoying thing about this noble isn’t even the request for a beach house to be royally funded. The most annoying part was the fact that he absolutely refused to take ‘no’ for an answer. Twilight had been taking part in this debate for over an hour now, and nothing about it had changed.
“And for the fiftieth time: NO!” Twilight shouted, “The Royal Treasury is not your personal piggy bank.”
“Please, I must as you to reconsi-”
“You’ve asked me to reconsider forty-nine times!” Twilight exclaimed, “And every time, the answer is the same! The only reason I’ve allowed this to continue as long as it has is out of hope that perhaps I could convince you of being reasonable. You should consider yourself honored that you were allowed so much time to say the same thing over and over again. But you’ve had enough time. You can either leave now, or I can have the guards escort you out.”
“Just who do you think you are talking to me like that?!” the noble asked, not realizing what he was getting himself into.
“I’m Twilight Sparkle. I’ve Princess Cadance helped to raise me. My older brother is the Captain of the Royal Guard. And I am the personal student of Princess Celestia herself! And currently, I’m in charge!” Twilight said, “Guards, escort this fool off of the premises.”
Two of the guards approached the noble. They did their best to keep stoic. But they were impressed and entertained by how Twilight dealt with this foolish noble. So they still had grins on their faces.
As the noble was forcibly being escorted out of the palace, Prince Blueblood approached Twilight with an impressed expression, “You have a level of patience that not even Auntie Celestia has,” he said, dropping any formal titles, “That noble always gets on Auntie’s nerves. But she would’ve kicked him out after about twenty minutes.”
“That could be because it doesn’t take as long as I did to realize nothing would come of it,” Twilight assumed.
“Perhaps,” Blueblood admitted, “Or perhaps she simply can’t handle him for that long. And you were able to get him to break his polite demeanor. That’s something that not even Auntie could do. You were able to hold your own quite well. Take pride in that.”
It was dark in the Everfree Forest, even on the main path. But while traveling off the path through the denser parts, the forest seemed unnaturally dark. It was a claustrophobia-inducing darkness. Even the Unicorns’ light spells seemed to struggle to pierce the darkness. But thanks to the combination of Zecora’s expertise and the Unicorns’ light spells, they were able to get through the dense forest faster than they had expected.
When they got to the end, however, they met with three Ponies in dark uniforms that resembled the uniforms of the Wonderbolts. The first was what appeared to be a Pegasus. But her wings were not the feathery wings of a normal Pegasus, but rather the leathery wings of a bat. The second appeared to be a Unicorn. But his horn was curved and sharp. The third appeared to be an Earth Pony. But his coat seemed thicker, his ears had furry tufts at the ends, his hooves were…not hooves at all, but paws, and he had sharp canine teeth of a predator.
“Who are you?” Thunderlane asked, “Some Nightmare Night-themed Wonderbolt cosplayers?”
“Careful!” Trixie exclaimed, “Those three aren’t real Ponies. They’re magical constructs.”
They all turned to Trixie, whose eyes were glowing with magical energy. Trixie was using her ability to see magic.
“The Unicorn is correct for the most part,” the Bat Pegasus confirmed, “We are merely an extension of our Queen’s will. We’ve come as messengers.”
“If you’ve got a message for us, then let’s hear it,” Vinyl said.
“Our Queen wishes to offer you six an opportunity of a lifetime,” the Bat Pegaus continued, “But first, let us introduce ourselves. Though we may be constructs, we are part of an elite group known as the Shadowbolts. She has been watching you and how easily you got through the challenges put in your way. Our Queen recognizes your formidable strength and would like to offer you the chance to ally yourselves with her and become the new Commanders of the Shadowbolts.”
“So… she wants us to become evil so we don’t kick her flank?” Vinyl asked.
“Do not underestimate our Queen’s power,” the Bat Pegasus continued, “She acknowledges that you are a formidable force. She extends this offer to you because she deems you worthy of being the Shadowbolt Commanders. If you accept this offer, our Queen will make sure that your every wish will be granted to you. Together, we can reshape Equestria into a Lunar Empire. However, if you choose to oppose her, despite how formidable you may be, our Queen can easily destroy the six of you. You do not need to answer yet. Our Queen will allow you time to think her proposition over. When you come to a decision, she will be waiting for your answer in the old castle.”
With the message sent and the offer given, the three Shadowbolts dispersed into a cloud of smoke.
“You’ve gotta admit, that does sound pretty cool,” Vinyl said, causing the other five to glare at her, “What? It’s not like I’m gonna turn evil. I’m just saying that being the Commander of an army, being called a Shadowbolt, it just sounds cool. If Nightmare Moon wasn’t the enemy, I’d totally take her up on that offer.”
“I think what Vinyl is trying to say is that what was offered sounds ‘cool’. But it’s not worth turning evil for,” Thunderlane said, “That is what you’re trying to say, right Vinyl?”
“Well, duh,” Vinyl said casually, “Wasn’t it obvious that’s what I said?”
“The Poison Joke we cannot breach,” Zecora said, bringing the Ponies’ attention to the canyon they’ve come to, “The bridge to the other side is beyond our reach.”
“Well, we’ve got two Pegasi who can carry one Pony each across the expanse,” Thunderlane said, “And then there’s Trixie and her Cloak of Levitation.”
“Has anypony seen where Maud went?” Flutters asked. The others realized that they were missing one Earth Pony.
“We can take the stairs,” Maud called out from the cliff, pointing to a set of stairs carved into the side of the cliff.
“Huh. That’s convenient,” Trixie said as she followed Maud down the stairs. The other four followed suit.
They had determined that this crevice acted as a clear path to the castle. The Castle and its surroundings were untouched by the Everfree Forest, making this the final trek to their destination.
As they followed what had become a dried-up river, it was evident that the trek had taken its toll.
“Can we stop and rest?” Flutters asked, “All four of my hooves are aching.”
Trixie looked at Flutters’ prosthetic hind legs, “You only have two hooves that can ache.”
“EXACTLY!” Flutters exclaimed, “I’m either so tired that my prosthetics are tired, or I’m so tired that I miscounted because I can’t think straight.”
“Do you ever think straight?” Vinyl asked, “I feel like your thought process is less of a straight line and more like a zigzag.”
“Well, zigzags are made of straight lines,” Flutters countered.
“Flutters’ mind works like lightning,” Thunderlane said, “One quick flash, and it’s gone.”
“Exactly!” Flutters exclaimed proudly before her brows furrowed in confusion, “Wait, what’d you say?”
“Hey, look over there,” Vinyl said, “There’s a cave over there. Let’s see what’s inside while we rest.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Trixie said, “Besides, time is of the essence.”
“But it looks like there’s something glowing in there,” Vinyl countered.
“We can come back later to check on what’s in there,” Trixie said, “For now, we have to defeat Nightmare Moon and save Ocellus.”
“Though I agree that time is not on our side,” Zecora started, “To avoid exhaustion, it’s best that we take five.”
“Considering how bad that rhyme was, perhaps we should take a short rest,” Trixie defeatedly admitted.
The six of them entered the cave to rest. Out of the six of them, Maud was the only one who didn’t look tired. Then again, considering her lack of expression, for all any of them knew, she was the one who needed rest the most. Although being an Earth Pony made that highly unlikely.
As they entered the cave, they saw what was an amazing sight. There was what appeared to be a crystal tree with magic so dense you didn’t need to know how to sense magic to feel the magic radiating from this tree. It was evidently old if the vines crawling around the trunk were any indication.
“For all my time in the Everfree, this is a sight I have yet to see,” Zecora said.
Trixie used her magic sight to look at the tree. It was unlike anything she’d seen before, “I don’t know how to describe the magic I’m seeing,” Trixie said in awe, “It’s like I’m looking at a song.”
“How can something look like a song?” Thunderlane asked.
“I don’t know. I just don’t know how else to describe it,” Trixie tried to explain, “It’s ambient magic and a lot of it! But it has a frequency that only comes from Unicorn spellcraft. Ambient magic cannot have a frequency. It’s also pulsating through the ground in a way that Earth Pony magic does. And the way it seems to be manipulating the ambient magic around it is like Pegasus magic. It burns like Dragonfire. It shifts like Changeling transformation magic. It’s acting in so many ways that ambient magic doesn’t.”
“From how you described it, I can see how it would look like a song,” Vinyl said with understanding, “It has a frequency. It’s a constantly changing frequency. The ‘burn’ could be like changes in volume. The pulsating would be like a beat. And the manipulation of the surrounding magic is like how Ponies dance to music. I wish I knew your magic sight spell. Imagine the inspiration I could get simply by seeing the magic of this tree.”
“There’s a lot more happening, but that is the jist of it,” Trixie confirmed, ending her magic sight, “And each of the five branches are all pulsating in sync with each other. Those pulsations are traveling through the branches and to the central point where they all meet. It’s like the core magic of this tree is being fueled by the branches rather than the other way around.”
“I believe the magic acts as fuel,” Zecora said, “I feel rested for our upcoming duel.”
“There’s another set of stairs here,” Maud said, pointing at a set of stairs deeper in the cave, “And we’re under the castle.”
“I guess stopping to rest found us a shortcut,” Flutters said.
“Stopping to rest was worth it,” Trixie sighed in resignation.
The six of them headed up the stairs leading into the castle. If Trixie had been using her magic sight on her friends, she would’ve seen that their internal magic was pulsing in time with the branches of the tree.
“Those six Ponies may think that they’ll reject my offer. And I knew they would at the time,” Nightmare Moon said to herself, “But by the time they arrive here, they’ll take my offer.”
Nightmare Moon then magicked up a miniature illusion of the six talking with the Shadowbolts.
“They’re too loyal to Celestia to turn against her,” Nightmare Moon said with so much venom in the name Celestia that it would kill a Dragon in seconds, “And that’s why I didn’t make then choose right away. The Seeds of Darkness I’ve planted in them need time to bloom.”
The miniature illusion revealed that as the Shadowbolts were talking, there was a magical mist around the Ponies. The six of them were breathing in that mist, planting the “Seeds of Darkness”.
“Their most deepest, darkest desires will be brought out to the forefront,” Nightmare Moon continued, “And the offer to have their wishes granted to them will inevitably result in the seeds pulling out those dark desires and making my offer irresistible. If I had let them answer then, it would’ve subdued those thoughts. By not letting them answer right away, they’ll end up thinking about the offer and what they desire.”
The image showed the six now in front of Nightmare Moon as they transformed into nightmare forms of their previous selves.
“And I am not a liar. I will grant their wishes,” Nightmare Moon continued, “At the cost of their free will, of course. They will become an extension of my own will, just like the Shadowbolts. The only difference will be that I won’t have to expend energy on creating them or worry about them being dispelled.”
The image changed to an image of six stone orbs.
“I’ll even offer the chance to either take the Elements or to accept my offer,” Nightmare Moon continued, “Even if they foalishly choose the Elements over me, the likeliness that they are capable of using the Elements is next to impossible. And even in that unlikely chance that they could use the Elements,” Nightmare Moon stomped on the image of the 6th orb, causing it to vanish, “they’re useless without the Element of Magic. Either way, I win. MWAHAHAHAHA!”
Silver Spoon came running to her mother crying, “What’s wrong, dear?” Octavia asked as she embraced her daughter.
Silver Spoon took off her glasses to wipe the tears out of her eyes before answering, “Ocellus is getting worse!” She cried.
Rarity came over to hug Silver Spoon as well as allow Octavia to check on the Youngling. And it seemed like Silver Spoon didn’t care who it was who comforted her. She just needed to feel comforted.
Octavia went to check on Ocellus. And Silver Spoon was not lying. The first thing she noticed was how pale Ocellus had gotten. Her chitin was gray. And though it wasn’t a light shade of gray, it was a light enough shade that she practically looked ghostly compared to her normally black chitin. Then was the sound of short, labored gasps. She was struggling simply to breathe.
What scared the Cellist, however, was how cold she was to the touch. Her knowledge of Changeling biology is about as extensive as a bubble gum wrapper to an encyclopedia. But considering that she had a fever earlier, it was safe to assume that Changelings are endothermic. Even assuming that chitin was a bad conductor of heat and that Changelings had a naturally low body temperature, she was sure that this was a lower-than-normal body temperature at best.
But what she wasn’t doing suggested the worst-case scenario. Ocellus wasn’t shivering. And she saw Ocellus shivering earlier, so the possibility of Changelings not shivering was off the table. And with how low her body temperature is, there’s no reason for her not to be shivering…unless…
“Will she be alright?” Octavia looked down to see that the voice came from Rumble. The worry in his voice and the look in his eyes were distressing. He already knew the answer. The only reason he asked was in hopes that it wasn’t as bad as he thought it was.
Octavia’s ears folded back, “I honestly do not know,” was the most optimistic answer she could give without it being a lie so blatant that the foals would see through it. But she didn’t have the heart to tell them that she thought her body was beginning to shut down, “I think that all we can do now is to have faith in Trixie and the others.”
‘Hurry up, Vinyl. Ocellus is running out of time.’ Octavia prayed, hoping that somehow the message would be heard.
“A dead end?” Trixie questioned, seeing as they could go no further, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Maybe there’s a secret passageway?” Flutters suggested unsurely.
“I guess. Princess Celestia did say that she is fond of secret passageways,” Trixie pointed out, “Everypony, look for any-”
Before Trixie could finish, the wall spun around, bringing the six into the castle. Maud was standing next to a candle that had been pulled out, “I found it.”
As they entered the room, they saw that there were no entrances into this room other than the secret passageway. That meant that this was a secret room entirely. Granted, there were three small windows on either side of the room to allow natural light in. But there were several mirrors in the room that reflected the light in a way that lit up the room even in moonlight. In the center of the room was a stand that held five large stones.
“We may have found what will beat our enemy,” Zecora said, “It seems to me that these are the Elements of Harmony.”
“Rocks?! That’s our goal?!” Thunderlane questioned, “What’s your problem, destiny? We come all the way out here for rocks?!”
“That’s very close to what Rarity said when she got her cutie mark,” Maud said, “Besides, what’s wrong with rocks?”
“Though stone is what they appear to be, activating them is the key,” Zecora said.
Trixie used her magic sight to see that there was magic in the stones. It was feint but evident that it was the same magic from the crystal tree they found. And like the crystal tree, the magic was pulsating in sync. There was something different about the pulsations, different from the tree’s pulsations, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
“You six have impressed me yet again. I didn’t expect you to come this soon,” the six saw that Nightmare Moon appeared from a cloud of mist, “I also didn’t expect you to find this room on your own. I had intended to have my Shadowbolts teleport you here when you arrived.”
“Nightmare Moon!” the six exclaimed in unison.
“In the flesh,” Nightmare Moon said, “But I believe I sent my Shadowbolts to give you an offer. Have you thought about that offer and what you desire? I’ll even make answering simple. If you choose me, then all you need to do is come to me. If you don’t choose me, then take the Elements. Choose wisely.”
A teal glow suddenly lit within the eyes of the six as their desires came to the forefront of their minds.
Trixie is performing on stage. But not just any stage. She was performing in none other than the Lux Horse Hotel in Las Pegasus. Each magic trick was flawless, each illusion captivated the audience, and each story ended with thunderous applause from everypony in this sold-out venue. And Trixie knew that this would be the case for each and every magic show she performed.
Thunderlane was captain of the Wonderbolts, his skills being recognized as surpassing even that great Spitfire. He has performed perfect shows for audiences and has commanded battles with record-low numbers of casualties on both sides. He always leads the battles he commands, ensuring that if anyone wants to get to the Wonderbolts, they have to get through him first. And Thunderlane knew that this would be the case for every show and battle he commanded.
Maud Pie was in front of a class as their professor. She had learned all there is to know about rocks, she had earned every degree there is to earn about rocks, and now she’s teaching future generations all about rocks. And though she does have tenure, she doesn’t need it since she’s too valuable to let go. And Maud knew that this would be the case for every class she taught.
Zecora was a master shaman known through Equestria and Zebrica. Her apothecary has been known to have medicines for any ailment, her knowledge and wisdom are sought after from many races around the world, and she would accept them all. She could never turn down a customer in need, and that customer would leave happy. And Zecora knew that this would be the case for every customer who sought her services.
Flutters travels Equestria, spreading joy wherever she goes. Sometimes, it’s individuals, and sometimes, it’s entire cities at a time. But most of the time, it’s just for fun. And Flutters knew that this would be the case for anyone who needs a smile on their face.
DJ Pon-3 was DJing at her new twenty-four-hour nightclub. She was playing a new mix that was a hit with the crowd. Lights were flashing, music was booming, and dancers were dancing. And Vinyl knew that this would be the case for…
…An image of Octavia and Silver Spoon appeared in Vinyl’s mind.
THUNK…THUNK…THUNK…
Five of the six were distracted from their fantasies by the sound of Vinyl hitting her head against the wall.
“Why does… THUNK …she have… THUNK …to be… THUNK …so… THUNK …cool?” Vinyl said in between thunks. She then stopped her impersonation of a woodpecker and stood firm in her conviction, “I have a sister and a niece. And my deepest desire is for my niece to grow up in a world where she’s safe. And that desire can’t be fulfilled if I betray Equestria.”
A pulsating maroon light appeared on her neck.
An image of Rainbow appeared in Flutters’ mind.
“Rainbow has been by my side through thick and thin,” Flutters said, “And that didn’t change even when my personality did. I love seeing Ponies smile, and I love it when I’m the one to bring smiles to their faces. But in a world of Eternal Night, there would be no reason for Ponies to smile.”
A pulsating pink light appeared on her chest.
An image of Rainbow and Flutters appeared in Zecora’s mind.
“I love to give ponies the help they need. That is my desire, an honorable deed,” Zecora said, “But if I side with you, that wish can’t come true. So I turn down your offer, but let me say thank you.”
A pulsating aquamarine light appeared on her legs.
An image of Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and her sisters appeared in Maud’s mind.
“I cannot side with you,” Maud said simply, “To side with you, I’d become evil. And I can’t be evil without lying to myself.”
A pulsating green light appeared on her hooves.
An image of Rumble appeared in Thunderlane’s mind.
“I may desire to be the Captain of the Wonderbolts. But that desire is not for glory,” Thunderlane said, “My desire is to ensure that all of Equestria is safe. Being the Captain of the Wonderbolts is simply the best way to do that. It’s a means to an end, not the end itself. I fight battles so that others don’t have to get hurt. And preferably, I would like it if a peaceful solution is made. I want an Equestria that’s safe for my little brother to grow up in. And if I said with you, I side against the safety of Equestria.”
A pulsating golden light appeared on his wings. The five pulsating lights were in sync with each other.
An image of Ocellus appeared in Trixie’s mind. An image of her playing with her new friends. And an image of her dying in bed.
“I am the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie! So of course I’d dream of greatness!” the Great and Powerful Trixie said, “But no matter how great and powerful Trixie becomes, that greatness means nothing without her daughter there with her. And there is no way for my dream to come true if I side with you. Because the fear and hatred that you’re causing is what’s killing her. It may already be too late… But I can’t let that thought get me down now! Not when the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie is so close to saving her!”
A pulsating purple light appeared above Trixie’s head. The pulsating of the other five lights was feeding into the pulsating of Trixie’s light.
“If you think you can harness the power of the Elements of Harmony against me, then you’re sorely mistaken,” Nightmare Moon said. She then reared up on her hind legs before stomping down again, the shockwave shattering the Element Stones and causing the six lights to vanish, “I must admit, the six of you impressed me once again. But as you can see, I made sure to be prepared for this outcome. Now you will learn just how wrong of a choice you made!”
“You big meanie!” Flutters shouted before taking off like a bullet and tackling Nightmare Moon, surprising the others.
It wasn’t the shout that surprised them, however. It wasn’t Fluttershy attacking Nightmare Moon, either. It wasn’t even the fact that she seemingly successfully tackled Nightmare Moon. It was the laughter that came afterward.
“There’s no better way to get rid of a meanie than to make them stop being so mean,” Flutters said as she tickled Nightmare Moon the same way she did with the Manticore, “And there’s no better way to get somepony to stop being mean than to get them to laugh.”
“You- haha -you inso- hahaha -insolent foal! Hahahaha!” Nightmare Moon said in between laughs. She then summoned her magic to create a shockwave, the force causing Flutters to go flying into a wall.
Though little harm came to Flutters from the impact, it’s only because her prosthetic hind legs took most of the damage. They still seemed to function at least partially. But the movement was slow, and gears ground against each other, causing sparks to fly with each movement.
The pulsating pink light reappeared, summoning the shards of one of the Element Stones and reforming them into a necklace around her neck. The necklace had a pink crystal in the shape of Flutters’ cutie mark.
Zecora went over to check on Flutters. Despite the minor injuries to her, she did have a few cuts and scrapes here and there. They were minor enough, though.
“Your actions caused us all to balk,” Zecora said, “But I must ask if you’re okay. Can you walk?”
Zecora helped Flutters onto her hooves. She could walk, but slowly. But she winced in pain. There was a gash on her left flank where the skin met a slightly bent piece of metal from the prosthetics. Noticing this, Zecora took off her cloak and tore off strips, which she wrapped around Flutters’ hindquarters to act as a bandage, as well as several layers to protect from the bent piece of metal. So, the bent metal went from being problematic to helping by putting pressure on the wound.
Flutters, however, was saddened at seeing Zecora tear up her cloak, “Zecora, isn’t that your favorite cloak?” Flutters asked, “The one that you said you made from a blanket you had as a child?”
“I am, but don’t worry about how I feel. It has served me well. But your injury is real,” Zecora said, unable to keep a tear from escaping her eye.
The pulsating aquamarine light reappeared, summoning the shards of one of the Element Stones and reforming them into bangles around her legs. The bangles had aquamarine crystals in the shape of Zecora’s glyph mark.
“The results of your actions were not the best,” Zecora said, “But the Elements formed a necklace that’s on your chest.”
Flutters had felt a warm feeling earlier but didn’t think anything of it. But she looked down, and there it was. A necklace of gold with her cutie mark in crystal. She then noticed Zecora’s new pieces of jewelry as well.
“It looks like I’m not the only one who decided to accessorize,” Flutters said, pointing to Zecora’s golden bangles.
Zecora, like Flutters, had felt a warm feeling in her legs but thought nothing of it. But she realized now that the warm sensation was the magic of her Element of Harmony. For Flutters, it was focused on her heart. For Zecora, with her athletic prowess, the Element was focused on the muscles in her legs.
While Zecora was tending to Flutters, the rest of the group were dealing with Nightmare Moon.
“Is there any way we can reach a compromise?” Thunderlane asked, trying to negotiate with Nightmare Moon.
“You could join me, and I won’t punish you for your insolence,” Nightmare Moon said.
“That’s not a compromise,” Thunderlane said, “You’re not giving up anything other than a little satisfaction in that arrangement.”
“You are a warrior,” Nightmare Moon pointed out, “Compromise is not in your nature.”
“I may be part of the military. But I’m a pacifist at heart,” Thunderlane said as a warm sensation filled his wings. The pulsating golden light reappeared, summoning the shards of one of the Element Stones, “But as you said, I am, as you put it, a warrior. I gave you the chance to compromise so I won’t have to feel guilty for putting my military skills to use.”
Thunderlane then charged and Nightmare Moon, wings outstretched. Nightmare Moon did the same. As they swiped at each other, a red line appeared on Nightmare Moon’s cheek. Although it did sting, Nightmare Moon was more surprised than pained. That Pegasus had somehow cut her. She looked back to see that the Pegasus had donned new weapons from out of nowhere.
The Element Stones had reformed onto Thunderlane’s wings into wingblades. The wingblades had golden crystals in the shape of Thunderlane’s cutie mark.
“An Element of Harmony?!” Nightmare Moon questioned, “That’s impossible! I destroyed the Elements of Harmony!”
“You destroyed a bunch of rocks,” Maud replied, a warm sensation in her hooves, “There was nothing making those rocks special. They were just limestone with a bit of quartz.”
Nightmare Moon was infuriated at this claim. The Elements weren’t just rocks! In a quick motion, Nightmare Moon attacked the Earth Pony. She was satisfied when her hoof hit…nothing?
She turned her head when she felt a tapping on her back, “You missed me,” Maud said, now behind her. Nightmare Moon spun around to swipe at the Pony again, and once again, she wasn’t there, “You’re easy to predict,” Maud said, not standing on Nightmare Moon’s back. The pulsating green light reappeared, summoning the shards of one of the Element Stones.
Nightmare Moon, rather than attack directly, turned her body into an ethereal mist and trapped the Earth Pony without a way to escape. She didn’t know how the Earth Pony was doing what she was doing, but she was certain it was related to her Earth Pony magic. This mist form nullified all magic except her own.
Maud then punched Nightmare Moon out of her mist form. Nightmare Moon, now knocked back and in her solid form, had freed Maud. The shards reformed around Maud’s hooves, forming gauntlets. The gauntlets had green crystals in the shape of Maud’s cutie mark.
“Another Element?” Nightmare Moon asked, anger and surprise slightly succumbing to fear.
“Don’t you get it, Moon Butt?” Vinyl asked, feeling a warm sensation on her neck, “The rocks you broke were never the Elements in the first place. Do you really think things like feelings can take a physical form?”
“Well, technically…” Trixie began.
“You’re not helping, Trixie,” Vinyl said as the pulsating maroon light reappeared, “My point is, the Elements are like arrows. It doesn’t matter what bow you use to shoot them with. Any bow will do.”
“That’s not entirely-” Nightmare Moon began before getting back on track. She grabbed Vinyl by her neck using her magic, a venomous smile forming on her lips, “You know what I think? I think you talk too much. Let’s fix that.”
Nightmare Moon then tore off the choker that acted as Vinyl’s voice synthesizer, revealing an old burn scar on her neck. She then crushed it in her magic, making it unrecognizable as anything other than scrap metal. Vinyl then started to move her lips frantically, but no sound came out.
“What was that? I’m afraid I can’t hear you. Perhaps you should try to speak up,” Nightmare Moon taunted. Vinyl tried to speak again but only succeeded in a rasping sound, which ended up becoming more of a gurgling sound as Vinyl started coughing up blood. There was a hint of sympathy in Nightmare Moon’s expression, “Your vocal cords must’ve been damaged beyond even magical repair. Perhaps taking away your voice was a little too torturous for me to do.”
The pulsating maroon light summoned the shards from the last Element Stone and reformed around her neck in the form of a choker. The choker had a maroon crystal in the shape of Vinyl’s cutie mark.
As the Element appeared on Vinyl’s neck, Nightmare Moon dropped her in shock at the sight.
“No! Not you, too!” Nightmare Moon said.
“Well, duh,” Vinyl said, “Hey! I got my voice back! And it doesn’t even sound like it’s coming through an old-timey radio anymore.”
“Don’t forget about us,” Flutters said as she and Zecora returned to the group. Flutters kept herself airborne because of her injury and damage to her prosthetics.
“No, this is impossible!” Nightmare Moon exclaimed, her expression that of fear. Then she realized something that dispersed that fear, “There are only five of you. And the Elements are useless without the Element of Magic.”
“Are you really that dense?” Trixie spoke up, “First of all, you’ve got it backward. The truth explains why Magic is missing from the set. The other five Elements aren’t useless without the Element of Magic. The Element of Magic is useless without the other six. The Element of Magic is a combination of the other five.”
The five Elements of Harmony began pulsating with energy again. This time, however, if you were to see the magic, you’d see that the five Elements were sending pulses of magical energy to Trixie.
“As Maud said, the rocks you destroyed were just that. Rocks,” Trixie continued, “The magic I saw in them was just an echo. They had ceased to be the Elements even before we arrived. That’s why the energy I saw in them was different. It was just a few drops of water in an empty bucket. The magic of the Elements is all around us, acting as a creative force in this world. When I saw that crystal tree, the magic I saw was the tree taking in that Magic. The tree then acted as a sort of prism, splitting the magic into several different types. In the past, those different magics were transferred into what you recognize as the Elements of Harmony, those five stones. But I believe the Elements chose us to act as their conduit. And as for the Element of Magic, it’s the combination of the other forms of magic acting in harmony with each other. The Element of Magic isn’t an Element like the other five, but rather a lens that they use to combine once again into a harmonious state. The Elements are a reflection of Ponies. We work the best when we work together in harmony. What is harmony between Ponies? Friendship!”
The pulsating purple light reappeared. The magic coming from the other five Elements began to condense into a tiara on Trixie’s head. The Tiara had two versions of the magical trail that acted as the background to Trixie’s cutie mark, mirroring each other and converging in the center that held a magic wand with a purple six pointed star-shaped crystal at the top, the same from her cutie mark. Trixie grabbed the magic wand, detaching it from the tiara and holding it like a proper magic wand.
“Friendship is harmony. Harmony is magic. And that means FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC!” The five Elements sent beams of magic into the wand, which the wand focused into a single beam. Trixie pointed the wand forward, striking Nightmare Moon with a rainbow beam that engulfed the dark Alicorn.
“Friendship is harmony. Harmony is magic. And that means FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC!” The five Elements sent beams of magic into the wand of Trixie’s Element, which the wand focused into a single beam. Trixie pointed the wand forward, striking Nightmare Moon with a rainbow beam that engulfed the dark Alicorn.
“NOOOOO!!!” Nightmare Moon shouted in terror as the darkness was being stripped away from her.
Twilight sat in the throne room. She wasn’t interested in another day…or rather, a twenty-four-hour cycle that is the length of a day. In an eternal night, the concept of a “day” became obsolete.
But she was not so eagerly awaiting the start of another day of court. Dealing with nobles once again didn’t appeal to her. And she was beginning to notice that it was becoming unseasonably cold thanks to the night lasting thirty-two hours twenty-three minutes.
But she then noticed the room beginning to brighten up. She looked toward a stained glass window of Celestia defeating Nightmare Moon. An orange light source was beginning to rise behind the window. She ran to a room with proper windows and confirmed her suspicion.
“The sun!”
“It seems that Trixie was successful in saving Princess Celestia,” Fancy Pants said as he approached her. Next to him was Prince Blueblood, who had an uncharacteristically giddy expression on his face.
“Auntie is saved!” Prince Blueblood whinnied in a very unprincely way.
Back in Ponyville, Octavia began to stir from her sleep when the sun began to shine on her face. In an attempt to get more sleep, she turned away from the offending light.
It only took her a moment to suddenly sit upright, any thoughts of sleep gone from her mind. She ran outside to see that several Ponyville citizens thought the same.
Cheers could be heard all throughout town, “You did it, Vinyl.” Her good mood soured as she thought of Ocellus’s fate.
The new Element Bearers groaned as they regained consciousness. Whatever they did to activate the Elements of Harmony had drained them of their own energy.
“Ugh… Did anypony catch the license plate of that chariot?” Vinyl groaned in an attempt to lighten the mood. Her mood actually did lighten when she noticed the presence of a light, “The sun!”
“We have successfully saved the day,” Zecora said, “But I must ask, is everypony okay?”
“I think something’s wrong!” Flutters said nervously, “I can’t feel my hind legs!”
“That’s because prosthetic legs don’t have nerves to feel with,” Maud said blatantly.
“Sure, ruin the joke,” Flutters deadpanned.
“Is that… Was that Nightmare Moon?” Thunderlane said as he saw a young, light blue Alicorn lying on the floor, surrounded by several shards of darkness.
“That she was,” a majestic voice said. An orb of light came through a window and formed into a large white Alicorn, “You’ve done well, my little Ponies.”
“Your Majesty!” Thunderlane said, kneeling into a bow, followed by the others.
Trixie had a different reaction, “Princess Celestia!” Trixie ran to her mentor to receive a nuzzle.
“The Great and Powerful Bellatrix Lulamoon, my faithful student,” Princess Celestia said.
“Your name is Bellatrix?” Flutters asked with a giggle.
“Bellatrix Lulamoon VII to be specific,” Trixie specified, “Princess, you know I hate that name. And you said it wrong! You’re supposed to roll your R’s. Like this: The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie!!!”
“I’ll be sure to remember that for next time,” The Princess said before becoming more serious and turning to the younger Alicorn, who winced in fear at Celestia’s presence, “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.”
“Sister?!” Flutters and Vinyl said together in shock.
“There is no need for that surprised look,” Zecora said, “It is all explained in the storybook.”
“I guess I just forgot that Nightmare Moon and Luna are technically the same,” Vinyl said.
“Will you accept my friendship?” Celestia asked her little sister.
“I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!” Luna cried with a much-needed nuzzle to her sister.
“OCELLUS!!!” Trixie screamed, realizing why time was of the essence, “Princess, Ocellus is dying! All of the fear and hate caused by Nightmare Moon is poisoning her!”
Luna’s ears folded back in guilt, knowing that her dark alter-ego may have been the cause of the death of an Equestrian citizen.
“Everypony, gather around me,” Celestia said with a nod. As the group did as told, Celestia’s horn lit with golden light before they vanished in a flash.
The group reappeared in front of Ponyville Town Hall. Trixie immediately ran inside to check on her daughter, the others following behind.
Trixie ran in, tunnel vision affecting her perception. The only thing that existed in her mind was her daughter and the doors in the way of her goal. She burst into the room that Ocellus was in. In the bed was a lifeless youngling.
Trixie’s ears folded back as tears formed in her eyes, “Ocellus?” Trixie whimpered. She wasn’t too late, was she? “Please… Ocellus… Wake up!”
Ocellus wouldn’t wake up despite how much Trixie tried to nudge her awake. The other five, who had watched Trixie try to wake the Youngling, were also saddened at the sight.
Trixie, now void of hope, had turned away, unable to see her daughter in that state, “I was too late…”
A groan was heard, catching the attention of everyone around.
“Does nopony these days check for a pulse anymore?” Luna asked her sister.
“Sometimes emotions can get in the way of common sense,” Celestia answered, “I’m sure you know better than most how emotions can affect judgment.”
“Mommy…” Ocellus said weakly as she began to wake up.
Tears of joy were falling freely from Trixie’s eyes, “Yes, Ocellus. I’m right here.”
Ocellus then turned to the others, “Hi, Princess Celly…” she said weakly.
“Hello, Ocellus,” Celestia greeted, “I do wish this meeting would’ve been under better circumstances.”
“Did Mommy save Equestria?”
This time, it was Luna who answered, “Yes, your mother saved all of Equestria from the monster,” Luna said, “But how are you feeling?”
“Hmm… tired…” Ocellus groaned.
“Then sleep well, and I will ensure that you have good dreams,” Luna said as she lit up her horn to cast a spell to help the Changeling sleep. She then turned to Trixie, “I presume you would like to spend time with your…how are you her… nevermind. If you wish, I can put you to sleep and link your dreams together.”
Trixie let out a long yawn as she realized just how tired she was. After the adrenaline rush had ended, the overnight adventure that they all went on and the lack of sleep began to catch up to the group. And Flutters had already passed out on the other bed, snoring away.
“I think I could- YAWN -use a good sleep after that adventure.” Trixie then dozed off with no help from Luna. The rest of the Element Bearers followed suit.
After a good night’s… uhh, day’s sleep, Trixie and the Element Bearers had explained their adventure in full to the Princess. Ocellus was also there, though still recovering. But she insisted on hearing the story.
Ocellus snuggled into Trixie’s lap. Partly for the comfort of her mother and partly simply because she was still a bit weak. The only reason she was out of bed was because she was carried. But the energy was returning to her, as well as her chitin returning to a healthy black.
Once the six were done retelling their tale, Celestia spoke up, “I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her,” Princess Celestia said, “I knew it would’ve been either you or Twilight to do so.”
“We assumed that you chose Twilight to take over for you and me to take care of planning because of Twilight’s rationalization skills and my knowledge of putting on a good show,” Trixie said.
“That is not why I chose your roles,” Celestia said, “In all honesty, I believe that either of you could’ve done either role. You’re two destinies have been so intertwined that I may have tossed a coin to have made my decision.”
“This adventure was a most dangerous trip!” Zecora exclaimed, “Are you saying you sent Trixie here on a mere coin flip?!”
“I did no such thing,” Celestia defended, “There was one other factor that I took into consideration. I’ve known ever since its founding that Ponyville is a friendly town. Far friendlier than Canterlot, to be sure. And I knew how the negative emotions would’ve affected this factor.”
“Negative emotions?” Trixie asked before realization dawned on her face.
“That’s right,” Celestia confirmed, “I didn’t send Trixie here to Ponyville. Rather, I sent Ocellus here. Even if I had chosen to send Twilight, I would’ve left Spike with you and had Ocellus go with her. But I also believe that my previous assumption was mistaken. I honestly do not believe Twilight would’ve done a better job here than you. Although you have helped her to open up, she still has trouble making friends on her own. She may have been able to realize friendship at the last minute. But in your case, you had come to the necessary conclusion far sooner.”
“You said to Nightmare Moon that the Element Stones I destroyed were just rocks,” Luna continued for Celestia, adding her own perspective, “I believe you were correct in that assessment. You mentioned seeing a crystal tree. If memory serves, what you found was the Tree of Harmony. It likely recognized your worth and transferred the power to wield the Elements to you. Flutters using Laughter to tame a Manticore, Vinyl’s Loyalty refusing to let Maud fall, Maud’s Honesty in that she would be okay, Zecora’s willingness to Generously help, Thunderlane’s Kindly leading any battle so that the rest of you didn’t need to fight, and Trixie’s Magic affinity to soothe a Sea Serpent. If there is one thing that I agree with Nightmare Moon on, it’s her claim that you six are truly impressive.”
“The Elements and Tree of Harmony are still quite mysterious,” Celestia said, “But from Trixie’s explanation, I believe that the Elements are using you five as their conduits and Trixie as their lens.”
“So what you’re saying is that the Elements are using us as weapons?” Thunderlane asked.
“I think she’s saying that the Tree of Harmony is no longer using those rocks as conduits but instead using us,” Vinyl said, her Element still around her neck, “I believe we compared it to bows and arrows. The Elements of Harmony are not anything physical. In this case, the Elements are the arrows. Before, those rocks were the bows used to shoot the arrows. But the Tree of Harmony chose new bows to use.”
“Why are you still wearing your Element?” Flutters asked Vinyl.
“The Element of Loyalty didn’t cure her vocal cords,” Maud said, “The Element is simply acting as her voice synthesizer since Nightmare Moon destroyed her last one.”
“Then allow me to personally fund the construction of a new voice synthesizer for you, Vinyl,” Celestia said, “If you have the time, you are welcome to visit Canterlot when we return so that you can have one personally fitted.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Vinyl said with a bow, “It was nice to have a non-electronic voice for a short time again. But as long as I have a voice, that’s enough for me.”
“I’m sure we can get the best-sounding voice synthesizer that can be made,” Celestia said, “After all, it would be a request from the Princess.”
“Does that mean I can have it customized?!” Vinyl asked excitedly, jumping up and down like a filly.
Vinyl’s foalishness earned a laugh from the entire group. But Trixie had one more thing to say. And she wanted to say it on a more one-to-one level, “Ocellus, why don’t you and your new friends spend time together while I talk to the Princess,” Trixie suggested. Rainbow chose to carry the Youngling to her friends, “Princess… I have to say thank you. Ocellus had made friends her own age here that she would never be able to make in Canterlot. And the residents here are welcoming of her, even knowing that she’s a Changeling. Ponyville saved Ocellus’s life by holding off the poison effects.”
“That was the intent,” Celestia said, “As I said, I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon’s return and anticipated the negative emotions and how they would affect Ocellus. The friendliness of this town helped act as a… a bubble of positivity. However, I was hoping that the ‘bubble’ would have been more effective than it was.”
“Still, that ‘bubble’ is why Ocellus is still alive,” Trixie said, “Ponyville is good for her, and not just for her health. I’ve never seen her as happy as has been since making her new friends.”
“It is true that there is a light in her eyes that I’ve never seen before,” Celestia said.
“And I think Ponyville is good for me too,” Trixie continued, “And that’s why I’d like to ask you if…if… I’d like to stay here in Ponyville.”
“Okay.”
Trixie wasn’t expecting the request to be so easy, “Okay? Just okay?” Trixie questioned, “Whenever Twilight makes a requisition, you always find a way to make it into a lesson for her! Why aren’t you making some royal decree that I stay here in Ponyville to send you weekly letters about what I’ve learned about friendship?”
“Because you, my little Bellatrix, are not Twilight,” Celestia said, “Twilight has trouble accepting ‘yes’ for an answer when she makes requests. That’s why I turn those requests into lessons. That way, she feels like she’s doing as I instructed and being productive. I think that mindset is related to the Poison Joke incident.”
“May I make a suggestion?” Luna said as she approached, “I do not want to take your students away from you. But you do still have Twilight. After I recover my full power, what do you think about me taking Trixie on as my apprentice? Of course, with your permission as well, Bellatrix.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea!” Celestia exclaimed, “What about you, Trixie?”
“On one condition,” Trixie said, “Princess Celestia only calls me Bellatrix because she knows how much I hate that name. So please don’t call me that. It’s an inherited name that almost nopony in my family who has inherited it liked. My mother went by her stage name and my grandmother goes by Belle.”
“I cannot promise that I will never use your inherited name,” Luna said with a mischievous smirk, “But I do know just how annoying Celestia can be when it comes to teasing. So I can assure you that I will not use it as often as her.”
“Also, I’m sure you have things that you can teach me that Celestia either won’t or can’t teach,” Trixie added, “I want to learn things that will make Twilight jealous.”
“Jealousy can be a dangerous emotion. Take it from somepony who knows first hoof just what jealousy can do to a Pony,” Luna warned, “And that is two conditions.”
“I know the two of them to know that they won’t get to that level of jealousy,” Celestia said, “But I’m sure that dream walking ability you learned could be a possible thing to teach. And though Twilight is more of a scholar and learns through books, Trixie here is talented in analyzing anything she sees. That’s how she became a magician. She learned magic tricks simply by watching other magicians. And with her Magic Sight spell, you could show her a spell once, and she can recreate that spell.”
“I may not have the same level of raw magical power that Twilight has, but I can find workarounds with my finesse,” Trixie said.
“That is a good thing to know,” Luna said, “I know many spells that require finesse rather than power. The ability to become a vapor cloud, the one you have seen Nightmare Moon use often, is one such finesse spell. But I require rest to recover my magic before I can start teaching you.”
“It’ll be an honor, and I look forward to it,” Trixie said.
“Before you move to Ponyville, I’m sure you’ll want to let Twilight and Spike know,” Celestia said, “And, of course, give you and Ocellus a chance to say goodbye.”
“I hate ‘goodbye’. It sounds too permanent,” Trixie said, “I prefer ‘see you later’.”
“I think I like that,” Luna said, “When you’ve lived as long as I have, you learn that little in the world is truly permanent. So ‘I will see you later’ sounds naturally temporary.”
“We can work on that later,” Celestia said, “For now, perhaps you should let Ocellus know about your decision to move to Ponyville.”
“Thank you, Princess Celestia!” Trixie exclaimed, “And I wish you a quick recovery, Princess Luna.” With that Trixie headed to see Ocellus, a skip in her step.
“You know that she wished me a quick recovery because she wants to start learning new spells as soon as she can, right?” Luna asked Celestia.
“Don’t think too hard about it. She tends to come across as selfish sometimes, but that’s because she loves attention. But I’m sure that she meant it for you as well…probably,” Celestia said as another thought came to mind, “Whatever happened to your old royal speech pattern?”
My little pony, My little pony Ahh ahh ahh ahhh…
(My little pony) I thought I had all the friends I'd need (My little pony) But in Ponyville I found a new lead
Raving music Kindness flying high A generous rhyme With an honest eye Sharing laughter A great and powerful feat And magic makes it all complete!
You have my little ponies Will you all be my best friends?
On the outskirts of Ponyville, a cloaked figure stood in the shadows on a hill, looking down on the little town.
“So, you’ve come to this town, have you?” the figure said, “You’ve always had all of the luck in your life.”
A slightly dark cornflower blue horn poked out from under the cloak.
“Mother, education, that cloak, and even the name.”
A gust of wind blew, revealing underneath a cutie mark of chess pieces. A black King and Queen crossing each other to make an X in front of a black and white checkerboard heart.
“But I will once and for all prove that I am the better Pony between us. I actually had to work for my success rather than having things given to me. It’s just a matter of time before I can say…”
Her cloak’s hood was blown off, revealing a stylish white mane and indigo eyes.
