Nothing In This World That I Don't Know

by Silent Strider

Rating: everyone
Tags: Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Twilight Sparkle, Discord, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5654

The Cutie Mark Crusaders have a history schoolwork; Discord knows a lot about history. What can go wrong?

The Cutie Mark Crusaders are looking for Twilight to help with their history schoolwork, but they get Discord instead. Not that this could go wrong, oh no.

This story is loosely based on the traditional song I Was Born Ten Thousand Years Ago; seemed like a good fit for Discord.

Story created for the Equestria Daily Outside Insight Summer Fanfic Contest

Feel free to leave comments, criticism, or suggestions; I'm here to learn.

Published 2014-08-16 03:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-16 03:40:02 UTC

Thousands of Years Ago

I put the small candelabrum I just finished dusting down atop the central table and turned towards the bookshelves, humming one of those happy songs ponies sing. The one about smiles, I think; yes, that was the one. The upper shelves looked like a desert, so much dust they had; poor Spike always had trouble with those.

That was when I heard the clip-clopping of tiny hooves galloping outside, raising in volume like an incoming train, mixed with three filly voices that bickered like sisters. It almost brought tears of joy to my eyes; smiling, I skipped towards the door, waiting for the right moment.

“You think Twilight will help?” It was the unruly voice of the pegasus filly.

“I don’t think she is home. My sister was going to Rainbow Falls with her, something about a traders exchange.” This one was the singsong voice of the unicorn filly.

“Then why come here? We should be workin’ on our presentation.” The farm accent of the earth pony filly was unmistakable.

“Perhaps Spike is here. And, if he isn’t, Twilight did say that we could borrow any book we needed for school,” said the unicorn.

The voices stopped. I opened the door as I imagined them nodding to each other, before they had a chance to knock. “Why, welcome! May I help you?”

The three fillies stopped, slack jawed, in stunned silence.

“I know. Shocking, isn’t it?” I looked down, waving at my chest. “Fluttershy means well, but a pink and yellow apron simply does not match my complexion.”

“... Discord?” asked the three fillies in chorus, after taking their time in closing their gaping mouths.

“Why, of course. Who were you expecting, the Hearthwarming Reindeer?”

Scootaloo, with all the impatience of a young pegasus, shot inside, circling the central table with the horsehead effigy while looking everywhere; Twilight has an odd taste in decoration, and the library’s first floor show.

Completing her circle, Scootaloo asked, “Where is Spike?”

“Oh, I suppose he is trading his comics,“ I said, touching the duster to my chin. “He was so eager to go to the exchange with Twilight that, when I overheard he would be staying to take care of the library, I couldn’t not help. So, I offered to stay in his place.”

Apple Bloom gave me a flat stare, so like her sister Applejack. “Overheard? Here? Twilight making Spike remain behind?”

“No, no. Twilight asked Spike to come, he just didn’t want to leave the library closed. And you know,” I said, pointing to my ears as I swiveled them around, “I was visiting Fluttershy, and I have quite good hearing.”

“Wait just a minute,” said Apple Bloom, beckoning to the other fillies.

They huddled together, whispering to one another; surely they didn’t pay attention to what I had just said. I didn’t want to eavesdrop on them, so I ignored as they discussed the history presentation they had to prepare, and if I could be trusted to help them. I thought about walking to them and looming over their little huddle, but it wouldn’t feel right.

Finally Sweetie Belle took the front. “Would you help us find a book? It’s…” she sat and started to gesticulate with her front hooves. “It’s a large one, the title is something with Sun, about history. Twilight showed it to us last week.”

“Well, I think I can help.” Putting down the duster, I went to the closest shelf and started to search the books one by one. “No. No. Not this one…”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Can’t you just, well, snap your fingers?”

“Oh, no, I can’t. You see, Spike still didn’t want to let me help, so I made a bet with him.” I slinked to her side and said in a loudly whisper, “If I take care of the library without using magic Spike will help me prank Twilight!”

“But it will take forever like this!” said Scootaloo, briefly hovering while pointing both hooves at me.

“No, not forever. Just a few hours. After all, organization isn’t a strong suit of a spirit of chaos. Of course, if it was not for this bet, I could…”

Sweetie Belle was gawking at something. Following her gaze, I spied the duster I put down earlier moving on its own. It — she — was circling around the shelves, dancing with such grace and nimbleness that clouds of dust rose in her wake, all the while throwing glances towards something in the center of the room; there, at the base of the horsehead effigy, was the three candles candelabrum. His burning interest was a beacon for all to see as he beckoned the duster with both arms, his waxen face alight from above and dripping hotness.

Before they did something inappropriate for little fillies I snapped my finger, making candelabrum and duster appear, motionless, atop a counter in the kitchen. “Well, since I already lost the bet…” In a couple finger snaps I was in front of the three fillies, a large book floating in front of me. “Here, is —”

The three fillies were all over the book before I even finished speaking, with all the enthusiasm and abandon from when they wanted to get pony cannonball cutie marks. Throwing a storm of thank yous my way they prepared to gallop out of the door, not missing a beat. I even considered letting them do it their way; there was some excellent chaos to be had when they got bored from reading, which should take, oh, no more than ten minutes.

But I had a better idea.

“You know, I could show you much more than an old, dusty book.” I started to juggle a few objects, the golden crown and the battle axe catching their attention. “Why, I was there to see story happen, and for what happened while I was Celestia’s unwilling guest I can use my magic. What do you say?”

On cue the three shifted their attention from the spinning objects to me, huddling again and trading whispers. I kept not noticing as they discussed if it would be dangerous, what their sisters would say, and if tree sap would be somehow involved.

Entertaining as it was, I was on a schedule; if I was to help them, I had to be done by the time Spike and Twilight returned. So I dropped a pin and, as it crashed into the floor, added nonchalantly, “I have seen things that not even Celestia and Luna have. Why, with my help your presentation might be the coolest, most fabulous, best crafted presentation in the story of school presentations.”

That seemed to do the trick. The three broke their huddle, Apple Bloom taking a tentative step forward. “Suppose we agree. What then?”

“Oh, you hurt me with all that misplaced distrust. Why, I was just going to take you all on a little trip, to see history as it happened.” I pointed to the book, now firmly held in my claw. “But if you prefer to just read it from a boring book…”

Scootaloo hovered as she yelled, “Wait! We agree!” Sheepishly, she turned to the other fillies and added, “It’s better than the book, anyway.”

“Well,” I said, appearing behind as I gave them a photo-worthy embrace, “just keep it a secret from Spike and Twilight, alright? They would tear my ear off if they learned of this. Now, what, or when, do you want to see?”

They started discussing heatedly, but this time I’m in the middle; that was an improvement. They went on, throwing suggestions like a hummingbird with hiccups; the fight between Nightmare Moon and Celestia, the first Wonderbolts presentation, the first kindling of the Fire of Friendship, Celestia and Luna’s coronation…

“Wait!” Sweetie Belle pointed at me. “If even Celestia and Luna don’t know everything Discord knows, how can we know what to ask?”

“Oh, you can just tell me which kind of story you want to see, and I will find something appropriate.”

Scootaloo opened her mouth to say something, but Sweetie Belle was faster. “I want a love story.”

“As you wish,” I said, nodding. With a finger snap we all started to float, beams of light coming from the fillies’ eyes.

I watched as the fillies opened their sparkling eyes, looking each other over. Sweetie Belle was the first one to say something — she whispered, “Beautiful” — but they all were still stunned by the sight of each other.

So, I cleared my throat.

“You’re a crystal unicorn!” said Scootaloo. She opened her wings, staring at them. “And I’m a crystal pegasus!”

“Of course. We need to mix in. But not right now, there is just one pony close.”

With this the fillies finally looked around, at the snow covered landscape around the foot of a mountain; the mountain sparkled in the sun, making the whole scenario alive with light and color despite being almost barren of vegetation. I nodded towards a cave — disguising myself as a pony is so inconvenient, with the lack of arms and claws — and started walking quietly, trusting the fillies to follow. We sat close to the cave’s mouth, behind a crystal berry bush, peeping at a single crystal unicorn mare lying down inside.

“Is this a love story?” asked Sweetie Belle, her head tilted in childish curiosity.

“Of course it is.” I waved a hoof at the landscape. “Do you know where we are?”

A hoof supporting her translucent mane in front of her, Apple Bloom answered with a flat stare, “The Crystal Empire?”

“Close enough; I made it too easy.” With a flourish I pointed at the pink crystal unicorn. “Notice anything different about miss Amore here?”

It’s a good thing I can multitask. Sweetie Belle whispered, “As in, Mi Amore Cadenza?” Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide as she exclaimed, “She’s a blank flank too!” Meanwhile I had to catch Scootaloo in my magic to prevent her from getting to the unicorn, bringing back the filly as she screamed about the unicorn needing help.

I turned first to Scootaloo. “She is… Well, not fine; she has not eaten in more than a week. But she will be fine soon.” Thankfully, this calmed down the little pegasus enough for me to release her. I then turned to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “Yes, and yes. She is Cadance’s ancestral, and she is still a blank flank despite being an adult.”

Scootaloo looked at the unicorn again, concern still in her eyes. “What is she doing?”

If a dashing Scootaloo couldn’t draw her attention, four sneaking ponies wouldn’t do either. “Follow me.” I entered the cave, seeking a vantage point that still offered some concealment. Finally, I pointed at something that was gently glowing in front of Amore, brightening in time with her horn.

“The Crystal Heart,” they said as one.

As soon as they spoke Amore’s horn glowed one last time. She closed her unfocused eyes, only her shallow breathing proclaiming that she was not dead. That, and the magical light suddenly shining in her flank, leaving behind an almost double of Cadance’s cutie mark.

“Did she just…” Sweetie Belle’s eyes were tearing, but she had that kind of dumb smile only lovestruck fools get.

“Create the Crystal Heart? Get her cutie mark? Yes. It’s what the story books you ponies wrote call the Birthing of Love. She spent the last months working on it, and this last week just laying there, focusing all her magic into the crystal. She nearly died for it.”

My last words made Apple Bloom shiver. “But why?”

“Well, she is a princess. The Crystal Heart will be the one thing that will bring spring to this land; without it, there would be eternal winter here. Why, she…”

My voice trailed off as I found myself talking to the wind. I scanned the cave; the fillies weren’t by the princess’s side as I expected, but at the cave entrance. Then…

They came back, each bringing as many crystal berries as they could, and placed them close to Amore’s muzzle. Ponies.

“I said she would be fine.” I sighed. “Oh well, ready for another trip?”

Before they could answer, we all were floating again.

The fillies recovered far more quickly this time, despite the bleak surroundings. Still, I couldn’t leave anything to chance; not here, of all times and places. So, I pulled the three behind a black crystal monolith and whispered, “Stay quiet.”

The fillies nodded, Scootaloo crossing both hooves in front of her mouth. Apple Bloom mouthed a question about where they were, prompting me to point at something.

Far into the field of black monoliths stood an enormous, forlorn building, the setting sun behind it lending the dark palace an even more menacing aura; while the fillies had seen it in happier times, they needed some time to recognize the fearsome crystal minaret.

“When are we?” whispered Scootaloo.

“Well, that was the correct question,” I whispered back. Waving my hoof at the large circular patch of black monoliths I asked back, “Do you know who Sombra is?”

The three nodded, fear in their eyes. They each were quite close to somepony that took part in Sombra’s second defeat, and Certainly heard the story from them; but seeing the Crystal Empire like this, at the height of Sombra’s power, was something else entirely.

Our musings were interrupted by the clanking of chains. Just on time; I really didn’t want to stay here any longer than needed. The fillies looked as one at the source of the sound…

And I was again forced to use magic to hold them, this time flattening them into the ground like critters under a net. Gritting my teeth, I walked towards them, and almost succeeded in not growling. “For goodness sake, will you stop with that? We are here to watch! The princess is perfectly safe.”

The three kept silent, but their glare told me that they didn’t fully accept what I was saying. So we stood like that, myself sitting, the three held sprawled on the ground, watching a crystal pony pegasus in dark armor march around the chained Princess Amore. Despite the fillies’ agitation we remained unseen, and after a while pegasus and princess stopped at the edge of the monoliths.

The pegasus took a step towards the princess, imposing despite his smaller stature; the princess had clearly grown since we last saw her. With a flap of his wings the pegasus floated above her head, gently removing something from the princess’ horn. All the chains around her legs instantly flashed in a pink light, dropping, unlocked, to the ground; I let the aghast fillies stand.

As princess and guard muzzled each other Sweetie Belle asked, “What just happened?”

“Of course you know that Celestia and Luna defeated Sombra the first time.” I pointed at Princess Amore, already some distance beyond the furthest monolith. “Somepony had to warn them.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Didn’t the Crystal Empire vanish for, like, a thousand years?” Scootaloo floated, pointing at the princess. “What happened to the princess?”

“Well, she was recovering at a hospital in Canterlot when the Crystal Empire vanished. Without the Crystal Heart —”

“Sorry,” whispered Scootaloo as she passed me, rushing towards three shadowy horrors that had encircled the crystal pegasus from before, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle closely tailing her.

“For… Oh, why do I care?” I shifted back into my true shape; mere unicorn magic wouldn’t cut it this time. I lifted my claw, ready to turn the shadows into mice…

And stopped. Why not let the children feel useful? Perhaps that will calm them, I mused.

So I changed plans. With a snap I doubled their size and strength, granting them also immunity to the shade’s dreadful touch. Conjuring a sofa and a pack of popcorn, I watched as the trio made short work of their nearly immaterial foes, shouting “Cutie Mark Crusader Cymbal Nights” or something like that.

As the trio stood atop the pools that were their foes, the unnamed crystal pegasus long gone, I turned them back to their right size and approached clapping slowly. “Bravo, bravo. An extraordinary performance. Now, why don’t we go to our next destination? I still have things to show.”

This time I let them answer, their cheers reverberating through the dark crystal city. Oh well, we would be gone in a moment anyway.

The trio were on their hooves nearly instantly this time, pointing at each other and at me; they were back to being regular, non-crystal ponies, and I was now a regular, boring brown unicorn.

“Now,” I said close to them, “there are no enemies, no princesses in distress, no danger. Will you please refrain to racing off to interfere?”

Nodding, the trio threw a cacophony of agreements in my direction. It took some effort not to sigh; those fillies had even less patience than me, which all but guaranteed that they would forget this specific promise faster than a sonic rainboom.

Still, there was something here that I wanted to show them. Beckoning to the trio, I guided them towards a tent town, from where the sound of merriment filled the air. This place I knew very well indeed.

“This one,” I started louder to catch their attention, “is a time and place your pink friend would give anything to see; it was not called the biggest party in Equestria for nothing. Any of you want to guess what we are seeing?”

They were shaking their heads when Scootaloo suddenly gawked at something in the distance. “Uh, your defeat?” Sure enough, as I followed her gaze I saw my glorious countenance caught in stone.

I somehow managed to shrug despite my pony body. “Close. It’s the party that followed that, and Celestia and Luna’s unofficial coronation. I used to think of this as Celestia’s usurpation, but now I recognize that I was a bad king anyway.” Approaching them, I whispered, “In any case being a good king is too much work. Better to avoid that, don’t you agree?”

The trio didn’t answer, trading glances instead. They had a princess as a friend and tutor, after all; I can’t blame them for not agreeing with me.

“Well, we are here.” I wave around, at the multitude of tents and multicolored ponies. “The princesses are just ahead at their improvised thrones, there are games and food everywhere for the taking, and my past self is stoned behind the thrones. Try to not get lost.”

The three nodded at each other, muttered something about shabby plums, and procured notepads from I don’t know where. To their credit, instead of just having fun they went about asking ponies about what had just happened; at least the motivation to make the best presentation ever they clearly had.

At that time I clearly became too entertained with the girls’ antics. Between accidentally bumping couples, something that involved an exploding wind-powered fan, and mysteriously getting covered in tree sap, I was too entertained to notice the newly minted guard moving towards me, or the princesses inconspicuously taking to the air.

“We don’t know how thou escaped, villain, but thine flight shall not succeed.”

I looked up, from where Luna’s voice had come, and saw both alicorns coruscating with magical energy, the elements circling them like blazing comets.

Oh, crud.

“Wait, you got the wrong pony.” I desperately pointed behind their thrones. “Your Discord is right there!”

“And how dost thou knowest who we are searching, pray tell, when everypony else is none the wise?”

I winced, and from the corner of my eye saw the three fillies rushing towards me, desperation in their eyes. I held a hoof high, urging them to stop, while I lighted my horn to do something, but the rainbow colored blast was faster; the girls reached me as I tumbled to the side, petrified in my pony disguise.

I was still fully aware, of course, so I heard clearly when Celestia ordered the fillies thrown into a cell, and myself placed inside the neighboring one.

I knew what would happen with the fillies; I had been aware the first time I was petrified, after all. They were safe at least for now, and Luna’s soft spot for children would guarantee that they would be well treated unless they attempted something really outrageous, so I could spare maybe ten minutes. Closing my stone body to my senses, I opened a different pair of eyes.

I was again in a tent town, but a completely different one; instead of games, this one had trading stands. In the distance I could see the princess box, where Twilight was supposed to be…

And a pair of blue hooves grabbed me. The pegasus took to the air with the haste of somepony racing the sun, granting me a good look at the stand from where this little body came from; amazing how somepony could fill a whole trading stand with just lamps in my likeness. But I hadn’t much time to spare, so I just took notice of the time — the sun was already approaching the horizon — and moved my conscience back to my stony body.

And just in time to see Celestia and Luna leaving. Focusing on the three fillies, I could hear them bickering… about each other’s hair color? I kept listening, enthralled, as they shifted to bickering about their breakfast, their friends, their sisters, favorite food… It sounded so artificial, but they at least should get A for effort.

“I told you it was not going to work.”
“It could work. Anypony has a better idea?”
“Why don’t Sweetie Belle try her magic?”
“I tried it already, all right?”
“Like that would work.”
“Sorry if I can’t undo the Elements of Harmony by myself, you turkey.”
“Hey!”

Ah, that was much better disagreement. So spontaneous, I could feel my stony heart beating again; a pity I had to cut it short.

Stone fragments raining around me, I turned into my old self and shushed the fillies, taking us away in a flash.

“Where…” The fillies said in unison, scanning their surroundings; we were in a long room, with two thrones atop a raised platform and a single, larger, throne on the floor. The walls were covered with banners that reflected my grandeur; a pity this would be torn down shortly, but at least I could enjoy it for the time being.

I climbed the central throne; it was as comfortable as I remembered. “Why, the old Everfree Castle, of course. It’s the last place the princesses will search. Now, what happened while I was… indisposed?”

The fillies sat on the ground, looking up at the throne and exchanging glances. Oh, poo, I thought, as I climbed down and sat on the floor, in front of them. “Well, anypony?”

“Well,” started Sweetie Belle, in a timid voice, “the guards locked us up and left. Then the princesses came.”

“Princess Celestia was askin’ where everypony else was over and over, and she was really scary.” Apple Bloom stopped to think for a while. “But Princess Luna was sayin’ all the time that everything would be fine.”

“And…” Scootaloo looked right at my eyes, a mix of pity and curiosity in her eyes. “Did Celestia and Luna cry? Well, not cry cry, but I think I saw tears.”

And I missed that! Well, just thinking about it is amusing enough.

“Uh,” Apple Bloom took over, “who is ‘everypony else’?”

Right. Them. “Oh, Just some crazy ponies that wanted to free me. I never liked them.”

“Why?”

I sighed. “Well, wanting to free me is all nice and good, but they were hurting ponies. I never did that.” The three gave me a level stare. “What? Oh, I teased and pranked ponies alright, and I admit I might have made their lives miserable, but I didn’t hurt anypony.” It would be a waste anyway, I didn’t add.

“But then why did Princess Celestia and Princess Luna seem so… sad?”

I admit that I considered lying right then; Celestia gave me a hard time while I was in her garden, and my relationship with Luna is… complicated. But setting those fillies against them would only serve to hurt the fillies, more so with them being friends with Twilight.

“Tell me, hullabaloo —”

“Scootaloo,” she corrected in an annoyed voice.

“Or that. Did you meet Luna?” Scootaloo nodded slowly, the other two fillies replicating her gesture. “Do you think she would ever make a filly cry?” Head shakes from the three. “Hurting anypony hurts her inside. Celestia is like that too, she just doesn’t show. But being a princess mean doing what is right to everypony, even if it hurts. Why, this is why I would never make a good king —”

“We meet again, villain!”

Well, they didn’t mind hurting me. At least not back then. With a shrug I sent a swarm of pies towards the large doors, where both alicorns stood, and sent me and the fillies to our next destination. We had time for one more stop.

“Wait —”

I watch as Apple Bloom extends a claw forward, and yelps as she finally notices it. The other two fillies start to scream, only for each to clamp the other’s beak.

Well, it’s not easy changing from pony to griffon. I stretch, my movements languid; a griffon body is much closer to my own than a pony’s, so that issue, at least, I avoid.

“Of course you already figured what you are.” They started to voice their agreements, only to stop in mid sentence; a beak sure makes your voice strange. “The question is, when are we? I will do something different this time; you go play with the cubs, and after that I tell you what happened and will happen here.”

The three fillies cheered in agreement, not letting their changed voice bother them anymore, and went bounding at my side as I made my way towards the close village. The streets were teeming with griffins, adults and cubs, all commemorating; the fillies took a look and raced towards a close group of cubs, still trying to find their notepads — the ones I made sure to remove when we made the jump — only to shrug and go mingle. Good girls.

Well, all except Apple Bloom. She took a look at the hayburgers being prepared and raced to my side, an inscrutable expression in her face.

“Why, What is the problem, Apple Gloom?”

She just looked at me, not bothering to correct the error. Gloom, indeed.

Well, the surprise should happen at any moment; that might draw her attention. I scan the horizon; sure enough, there is what, from here, looks like a huge multicolored cloud, stubbornly moving against the wind…

Wait, this is not how hayburgers smell.

“You took three little fillies to see the most savage battle in Pony history?”

The projector goes out in a cloud of electrified smoke; I stop gesticulating and look at Twilight, letting my annoyance show in the sudden flashes as light floods back into the room. Twilight is just standing there, mouth slightly open, her eyes showing more white than they should. While she did say she would let me finish, I’m surprised it took this long for her to interrupt.

“Well, it was not that bad. I’ve seen far worse. Not that I would be involved, of course. Why —”

“Just. Answer. The. Question.”

Something in her flat tone freezes me, and I suppress the urge to let my body be covered in ice for effect. This time I do more than look, I scrutinize Twilight; her eyes are now little more than horizontal slits, glaring daggers at me. No, that is not right; I feel like Twilight is twitching to bore through me with her gaze, all the way to the Tree of Harmony, to rip her Element of Magic back if I give the wrong answer, even if this means destroying its precious box.

I sniff something and shift my gaze to her mane; it’s sizzling — literally sizzling, I can see the heat waves above her. Not a good sign.

But this time I’m in the clear, so I shrug. “What kind of monster do you think I am? No, no, don’t answer that. I just let the kids play a bit with the griffin cubs, hear about the battle the griffins won against the ponies. Then I noticed that the feast was wrong, so I called them back and teleported us to the top of a nearby hill. From there I pointed the pegasus army that had just appeared on the horizon, explained about the earth pony and unicorn armies waiting in ambush, talked a bit about how the ponies didn’t want to fight and would not attack cubs, how their commanders regretted having to make their subjects fight in the first place, how after that griffons and ponies sued for peace, and all those things you tell fillies when they are too young to understand.”

Twilight is still glaring, but at least the daggers are sheathed away and her mane is not prepped for spontaneous combustion anymore, so I continue. “It’s not like the fillies would figure out what happened. The griffins didn’t tell everything to their cubs either, so…”

I stop when I hear Twilight inhale; it sounds almost like a sob. Twilight, crumbling down like a house of cards, whispers, “Apple Bloom noticed. She had nightmares about the Chimera again.”

“Oh,” I say, before I regain control of my mouth. My ears stubbornly refuse to rise, though. “I… I forgot about that. Is she…”

The corners of Twilight’s mouth rise, and my ears rise together with them. “Yes, she’s fine. She’s an Apple to the core; like her sister, she is stronger than she seems.”

“Oh, good. You know, I only wanted to help. Those kids freed me in the first place, after all.”

Twilight narrowed her gaze, lifting one eyebrow. “By taking them from danger to danger?”

“Of course you remember they were the fillies that wanted cutie marks in tiger taming,” I say, cracking a whip for effect. “They did ask for the most exciting times I could show them. Aren’t they adorable?”

“Yes, yes, they are. But you didn’t answer my question.” I can almost hear the gears turning in that little purple head of hers. “You didn’t take the fillies through time; Celestia would have told me if she had misplaced a second Discord statue. What did you do to them?”

“Why, I simply took them through our imaginations, of course!” I touch her ear, my claw returning with a conic shaped bottle filled with a white liquid. “Surely you remember the potion you used to see the past. It’s the same magic, I just added a bit of imagination —” glowing sparks float from both our temples, purple for her, plaid for me; they plunge into the liquid, making it change colors in a hypnotic pattern “— and presto, instant imagination trip. See? Perfectly safe!”

“So, it was just a fake, an illusion.”

“Oh, an illusion it was, but a fake?” I draw Twilight closer, making a large book — All That the Sun Touches, the same history book the fillies wanted me to get — appear in my other claw. “Does reading the story as told by another pony, rather than seeing it first hoof, make it a fake?”

Twilight shifts her eyes, and I resist the urge to hold a rose in my mouth. “No. But —”

“Now, that is simply what I did. Just with magic instead of words, and mixing the fillies imaginations to keep the scary things in my mind from coming through.” Including the imagination of the filly that the Chimera almost had for supper, I berate myself while I release Twilight. “I should have stopped earlier. I was so sure their imaginations would override the nasty bits, and I thought any left over would never be noticed by the fillies. I guess I can’t blame them for ratting on me.”

“They are smarter than you — than we think. Do you know what they did their presentation about?” I shake my head. “The weight of leadership...”

Her pensive tone draws my interest, and I turn towards Twilight’s just in time to notice the furtive glances she is throwing towards her desk. More specifically, to the drawer where her best paper is kept. The same paper she uses to write to Celestia.

I decide to let her to her writing. Slowly, with Twilight still staring at me, I start to vanish; first my arms, then my legs, then my body from tail to head, until only my smile remains. “Anything else? Still want to turn me back into a lawn ornament?”

This draws a chuckle from Twilight. “There is something else. It was you that ‘ratted’ yourself, when you started babbling as soon as you arrived. I called you here just to talk, since you were already in Ponyville for your picnic; you had a point when you complained that only Fluttershy speaks with you.”

I make my head reappear, feeling my brow furrowing. “Then the fillies…”

“Never told anything. I asked who had helped with their presentation; they said it was a secret, that they couldn’t break a promise made to a friend, not even if it was a princess asking.”

She ends with a smile, as if mocking my error. I should be frustrated, flustered, thinking of a retort to make me feel in control, but for the second time my mouth betrays me, forming a wide grin as I finally vanish.

Author's Note

Feel free to point flaws, errors, or to make suggestions; I'm here to learn.