No Plan Survives Contact

Chapters

Chapter 1: By the Book
Chapter 2: Wonderbolt Wrap Up
Chapter 3: Battle Lines
Chapter 4: Fire, Lightning, and Explosions
Chapter 5: Dreams and Desires

Chapter 1: By the Book

“So as you can see Princess Twilight, with this very modest sum we can begin construction within the month and create hundreds of jobs for ponies everywhere. Furthermore, the very marginal increase to the bit tax can easily be made up for in-”

A purple hoof was suddenly raised into the air, cutting the speaker short. On a throne constructed from a twisting curving tree sat the Alicorn Twilight, a bored look on her face, her horn glowing softly as she levitated a thick sheaf of papers near her head. “You can stop now, I've finished reading your report,” she said, levitating it back to the noble pony.

“You finished all of it?” he asked with a gasp.

“It was either that or fall asleep listening to your droning voice,” came the sarcastic reply. “The answer is no.”

“W-what? B-but the charts! And the graphs-”

“Are absolutely meaningless or otherwise grossly simplified. First, you're not going to evict anyone, even with compensation. Second, I am not going to raise the tax on the goods of your competitors. Third, the import tax is universal and exceptions are not going to be made for the sake of one business or any other and fourth...” At this the Alicorn practically threw the stack of papers at the cowering pony in front of her, “If you ever throw a huge stack of papers at me and expect me to read them, curb your pathetic tendency of repetition, punctuate properly, and put in some page numbers and a table of contents!”

Her horn glowed a bright violet and the door to her library slammed open, the earth pony quickly taking the invitation to turn tail and run.

“Geez Twilight, why didn't you just blast him and save some time?” said Spike with a chuckle. “Who was that pony anyways?”

“Another one of Blueblood's lackeys,” came the grumbled response. “I'd recognize his style over substance approach anywhere.”

“Again? That's like the fourth one this week!”

Twilight shifted, stretching her stiff wings as she moved off of her makeshift throne. Even two years hadn't gotten her anywhere close to being comfortable with them. “It's part of his political game. He'll have different ponies represent him, appeal at different angles and try to wear down resolve until he can get a compromise or a concession.”

Spike yawned and rolled up the scroll he had been taking notes on during the court and sent them off to Celestia for the official records. “I still say you should have just blasted him.”

Twilight giggled and gave the dragon a rub with her hoof. “Maybe you're right.” Levitating the fatigued dragon onto her back, Twilight took him upstairs to his bed before returning to her library. With a quick application of magic the wooden throne slid back into the body of the tree and several dozen books slid out from the shelves.

“Every faith in me huh Celestia?” she said as she began to pore over the law books once again. “Just couldn't wait to cut the hours of your court and foist your subjects onto me, could you?”

Despite her grumbling, there was no malice in it. It was very touching that her long time mentor and friend trusted her with a piece of her kingdom but she had much preferred it when her duties as a princess merely consisted of driving back whatever ancient evil was going on a rampage that week. Dealing with these nobles on a daily basis practically made her miss Chrysalis and Sombra.

Looking up from her pile of books, Twilight saw an equally large stack of books that remained untouched. Her own personal reading had been falling behind in service to the kingdom and every day it seemed like the leisure time she'd been having with her friends was being pushed to the side for more royal duties. It was only thanks to her organizing skills that she'd been able to squeeze in time for everyone as it was.

Being a princess sounded cute to little ponies but the reality was a sea full of monotony punctuated by brief moments of panic whenever a catastrophe showed up, and after a year Twilight was ready for a break.

“No vacation time, no leave of absence...going anywhere outside the borders causes hell for everyone,” she mumbled, looking over the text again. “Is it even possible to get a princess off the throne?”

Curiously her books were absent of those particular laws. Celestia had been a kind and just ruler for as long as anypony could remember so the issue of succession probably never came up. Well, at least not in her era.

“But what about the really old laws?” mused the purple Alicorn as she let her mind wander. It browsed through the Canterlot library, going back to dusty corners and old books but ultimately coming up empty. No, if she wanted to find old and ancient laws she had to go back even further. And that just left one place. “The castle of the two sisters,” she said aloud.

Her mind immediately rebelled at the thought. The Everfree Forest was bad enough during the day, but at night it was something else altogether. Still, her cutie mark wasn't just for decoration. Sitting down in the center of her library, Twilight closed her eyes and began to focus on her destination, picturing the castle in her mind while cutting off the outside world. Minutes passed and from the outside one might have assumed the Alicorn had gone to sleep. Suddenly though her eyes opened, showing a pure white light. Magic filled the room and in a bright flash, Twilight was gone.

Swaying around unsteadily after the long distance teleport, Twilight was thankful she had forgone dinner that evening. Taking a moment to regain her bearings, the Alicorn smiled as she found herself standing in the midst of the library, having hit her destination perfectly. It didn't take long to narrow down her search to the law books, most of them having remained untouched despite the expeditions to the castle to recover the lost literature.

Horn glowing softly, Twilight began to build a promising stack of books, pulling out several titles from the shelf and sorting them by apparent usefulness. As the stack grew and Twilight realized she was in for a long night, the glow from her horn expanded outwards, lighting the various lamps before she sat down to read.

Finding stupid laws didn't take long. According to these texts, eating daffodils on a Tuesday could net you prison time, and apparently there was a fine given to ponies who tried to perform exorcisms without a proper license, but nothing was forthcoming about her problem. An hour or two passed and the lights dimmed slightly as the magic began to fade. Much of the material was simply old versions of more current laws that had been revised and the nonstop reading marathon was beginning to make her head lull. Despite her drive and passion, there was only so much law a pony could take in one sitting.

After what seemed like an age and a half, a promising text appeared. Even with the magic put in place to preserve the tomes this one looked incredibly old and worn. Two minutes later and she had the solution in her hooves, though as she read through it, numerous questions sprang into her mind. Who in the heck had implemented this law? Had Celestia really approved it? The date of transcription and ratification put it only a couple years after Luna's banishment so it might have been a possible attempt to dethrone Celestia while she was emotionally weak and vulnerable.

Still, the law was perfect for her needs if perhaps a bit unorthodox. Celestia and Luna would most definitely strike it down within the year, and with King Sombra's near reincarnation fresh in everypony's minds no one was going to defend it save for the ones who held a grudge against her personally. Even better it would serve as a black mark against the very ponies who tried to enforce it.

A dozen pieces of parchment and quills flew from her saddlebags and spread out on a table. One set began writing a personal letter in neat, elegant script. The other set was transcribing the ancient law. The library filled with the sounds of scratching quills while Twilight concentrated at the center, focused on keeping everything moving.

Thirty minutes later and the task was done, the messages rolled up and tied with neat little bows, each one addressed to a specific noble pony. While there were plenty of intelligent ponies who played political games on a daily basis with Celestia and Luna, there were also plenty of hotheaded idiots who would jump at the chance to kick her off the throne for however briefly the law would stick.

“And maybe in a year or so I'll actually be ready for this mess Celestia threw into my lap,” she said to the empty library, stifling a yawn. Packing her saddlebags, Twilight prepared her long distance teleportation spell once again, aiming straight for her soft, warm bed.

The ground seemed to tremble slightly beneath the hooves of the guards stationed just outside Celestia's sleeping quarters. There was barely time for the two to share a nervous glance before the door burst open. With a furious look in her eyes and her mane slightly tangled, Luna stood before the two guards, radiating fury and making the air hum with barely restrained magic, a faint blue aura surrounding her. “I will speak with my sister!”

Her voice seemed to shake the walls ever so slightly. The guards couldn't have stood aside faster if the ground had been on fire. Flinging the doors open, Luna strode inside, a grim look on her face just visible to the guards before the door slammed shut.

In the next moment a muffled sound was heard behind the door that could only have been described as a wail. “Sister! They're trying to take Twilight away from us!”

Celestia's eyes snapped open at her sister's panicked voice, her horn glowing and activating the lights in the room, illuminating the lunar mare who appeared to be trembling with rage.

“Luna, what on Equestria is the matter?” said Celestia calmly, doing an impressive job of maintaining her composure despite having just woken up. Pushing off her covers and rising to her hooves, the sun princess nearly stumbled backwards as a thick scroll was shoved at her face.

“This was delivered to us not even an hour past,” explained Luna as Celestia unrolled it and began to read while using small applications of magic to make herself more presentable. “I had hoped it was merely a jest, but they referenced the appropriate texts and I've confirmed myself that there has been no revisions to the law since its creation!”

Celestia's look shifted from mild confusion and concern to one of disbelief before developing a very slight but noticeable twitch. “How in the name of Equestria did they find out about this?”

“So it is true?” asked Luna, her voice rising in pitch. “How did a law like this ever pass?”

Celestia sighed. “It was one of many attempts pushed forward by the nobility at the time to try and remove me from power...shortly after I had banished Nightmare Moon.”

“And you let it go?”

“Fulfilling the law back in those days was a fairly simple task, especially for a powerful and beautiful Alicorn like myself,” she replied with the hint of a smile. “Finding twenty ponies to dedicate their lives to me was not a challenge, so I let the law slide as to allow my focus to be maintained elsewhere.”

“But after all this time why does it remain?”

“You of all ponies should know just how hard changing a law can be, even one as flawed as this. It was more convenient to simply let it fade into obscurity since there was no reason to enact it...at least until Twilight.”

“And yet they've found out regardless,” said Luna mournfully. “What are we to do sister? You and I could easily fulfill these requirements but Twilight is...well...she's-”

“Twilight,” finished Celestia flatly, getting a glum nod from her sister. “Please do not worry yourself Luna, this law would only see her dethroned for a year or two at most while we worked to remove it. In the meantime though we can do our best to help Twilight meet the requirements.”

There was a moment of hesitance before Luna spoke again. “Could I be of assistance in this endeavor?”

Celestia blinked, briefly floored by the question. “I don't think you can be numbered among the twenty, but it might do my old student good to have some...royal guidance all the same.”

Taking that as her sister's blessing, Luna unfurled her wings and sped off to prepare while Celestia looked over the noble's letter once again. “This has your hoofprints all over it my old student,” she said with some amusement. It was remarkably devious for her, using her own political foes predictable habits to her own ends. “But what sort of friend would I be if I let my fellow princess fall from her throne?”

Twilight's accession and taking on of royal duties had been a breath of fresh air to her. Banishing herself into the sun was preferable to letting Twilight slip away that easily. Pulling out a golden quill, Celestia began to write out a message. “It's a good thing you have so many understanding friends willing to help out in such a trying time.”

Beside her on several blank pieces of paper, the same message began to appear, addressed to five particular ponies.

To my dear subject Rarity,

First allow me to give you my deepest thanks for being such a good friend to Twilight. Her letters during her first year as a princess have contained no small praise for the help you have provided her.

Unfortunately, any pony in politics has their dissenters and Twilight Sparkle is no different. Enclosed within this message is an excerpt of the law certain ponies are trying to enforce upon her and while in time I will be able to strike it down, I would greatly prefer it if it is avoided altogether.

Naturally, I would never force anypony into such a task, but any help you can provide in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

Concern rising, Rarity unrolled the other scroll and began to read through the law. “Let's see here, twenty members...mares or stallions...species not defined...intimate binding...slave collars? Oh my...”

The scroll wasn't a long read but Rarity took several minutes to read through it multiple times. “This can't be a real law,” she said finally. If it was though, Twilight's dethronement was almost a certainty. “Well, perhaps a certainty if we leave her to handle it on her own,” she corrected aloud.

Moving to a corner of her kitchen, the mare pulled aside a red curtain. Behind was a glass case with a magically preserved cupcake inside coated with delicious looking frosting and sprinkles that seemed to glitter against the sun. Pulling out a golden key, Rarity opened the case and slowly lifted the glass covering, wincing as an unearthly amount of pure, concentrated sugar seemed to fill her senses and slowly permeate everything in her shop. Mentally beginning a countdown from five, she had just gotten to three before the door to her home crashed open.

“I smell a cupcake!”

Rolling her eyes, Rarity tossed the cupcake into the air with her magic and watched as a pink blur devoured it in an instant, the party pony letting out a shudder as the sweetness infused her body. “Ahhh...it's like sugar in the shape of a cupcake,” she said with glee. “Oh hey Rarity! What am I doing in your shop?”

“I need you to call together the others except Twilight and bring them here. This is an emergency.”

Pinkie looked surprisingly serious. “How bad?”

Rarity thought about that for a second. “As bad as decaf.”

Pinkie's eyes widened impossibly large as she sucked in a breath. “I'll get right on it!”

“Yes, do that, but remember, no Twilight!”

It took less than ten minutes for Pinkie to find the others and bring them to order for the decaf level crisis, and by that time Rarity had fixed up a few small snacks for everyone and had pulled together a small bulletin and presentation. “Thank you all for coming so quickly,” said Rarity, floating each pony their own parchment and quill. Anypony walking in might have thought that a board meeting was ongoing.

“Ya'll can't tell me this law is real, can ya?” said Applejack, holding up a copy of Celestia's letter. “Slavery ain't been legal fer...I don' even know how long! Long as Celestia's been on the throne!”

“Wait, slaves? That's what this is about?” asked Rainbow Dash in shock. “I just thought it was some stupid legal jargon.”

“T-that's just terrible, how could Celestia allow something like this?” said Fluttershy with no small amount of concern.

“It's not...quite slavery,” said Rarity carefully tiptoeing around the word. “But just so we're all clear about the situation, let's go over what needs to be done in order for Twilight to stay a princess.” The page on her poster board flipped over to a new page with several bullet points on it. “In two months time, if Twilight is unable to put together a harem consisting of no less than twenty members, she will lose both her throne and her title.”

“So why can't twenty ponies just pretend to be part of it?” asked Applejack. “Ah mean, just how much of a commitment is this?”

“So glad you asked Applejack,” said the designer, flipping over the page that showed off the title 'How to Join' in big bold letters. “First, Twilight has to construct a special collar and infuse it with her magic before placing it around a willing pony's neck. Second, the recipient must repeat the binding oath, chosen by Twilight. Lastly, the contract becomes magically and legally binding once...um...” Rarity hesitated at this, looking for words that wouldn't come. “Lastly Twilight must er...consummate the relationship and bind the other pony to her with the...energy of her release.”

There was silence around the table. Rainbow was the first to break it. “Meaning...what exactly?”

Beside her, Applejack facehooved. “Sex, Rainbow. They have to have sex.”

“Ohhh...yeah, Twilight is doomed then.”

“Rainbow!”

“What? Have any of you even seen her date another pony before?”

“Well there was that one handsome stallion who was part of the royal guard...Flash, was it?”

“That idiot ended up with a concussion and a dozen bruised ribs within the first five minutes of that 'date'. Are we really counting that one?”

“She did say it went better than her previous dates though,” protested the white mare weakly.

“She's still doomed and you know it.”

“Not if we help her as Celestia asked,” corrected Rarity. “I'll admit though, some of the other conditions of this law might be hard for other ponies to accept.”

“Like what?” asked Rainbow curiously.

“Well...any pony who becomes a part of Twilight's...harem would also be giving her control over all their possessions too.”

Applejack gave a low whistle at that. “Whoo wee, that's a tough sell. I mean, Twilight wouldn't abuse somethin' like that, but aside from us, who could we convince?”

“W-what? We're all joining?” came a soft squeak from Fluttershy. There was a silence as every pony at the table gave her a look. “I...I mean of course we're joining.”

“Maybe Twilight is only the second hardest pony to pull this off for,” said Pinkie with a grin and a nudge with her hoof.

“Well regardless, we'll need to find ponies who are open about sex and willing to be in an open relationship,” said Rarity finally.

“And really really kinky!” added Pinkie

Silence dominated the table for a little while until...

“Why is everypony looking at me?” grumbled Rainbow Dash.

Rarity gave a polite cough. “Well, you have impressed upon us certain stories about...various exploits you've done in the past.”

“And there are several dozen rumors about how you're never lonely on a Friday night...” added Applejack.

“And there was that one time at flight camp-”

Fluttershy suddenly found a cyan hoof covering her mouth. “We agreed not to speak of that Fluttershy,” came a low growl.

“The point is Rainbow, you seem like the type who would-”

“Not a chance!” came the sharp reply as Rainbow suddenly slammed all four hooves onto the table, making the dishes rattle.

Rarity was taken aback. “What? But I thought-”

“This is Twilight we're talking about! Do you think she deserves the type of pony you can find in a bar looking for a one night stand?”

“Well, when you put it like that...” murmured Applejack hesitantly.

“Our princess, our Twilight deserves the very best ponies for her harem! None of these status seekers or ladder climbers or people just looking to get with an Alicorn...Twilight needs a harem that reflects the awesome pony that she is!”

Rarity's eyes were positively shining by this point. “My goodness Rainbow, you're absolutely right. Nothing sub-standard for her!”

“Damn straight Rainbow!”

“We're going to get Twilight the sexiest ponies ever!” squealed Pinkie.

“Um...yaaaay...”

“Rarity, start making a list!” ordered the pegasus, the white unicorn quickly flipping to a blank sheet on her bulletin board. “I wanna hear the best ponies you can think of and our plans to convince them! Every pony you can think of! No pony is too awesome for Twilight!”

“Wow Dash, you're really excited about this!” said Pinkie with admiration.

“Well she never did get to go to that flight camp orgy-”

“Fluttershy!”

“Twilight, there's a letter from Celestia!”

The pony in question groaned as she turned over in her bed. She'd returned home rather early this morning and with two long distance teleportations added to that, the princess wanted nothing more than to curl up and stay asleep for another several hours. “It can wait,” she grumbled, already having a good idea what the letter contained.

The fur on her back rose as she felt the young dragon staring at her. “Oh no, it's that hay fever that's been going around, isn't it?”

Twilight blinked, the last vestiges of sleep escaping her as she suddenly felt the baby dragon's weight on the bed. “Wha-”

“Is it a magical curse?” came the panicked voice, a claw gently resting against her forehead right below her horn. “One of Zecora's potions? Did something traumatize you?”

Sleep fled in a hurry as Twilight recognized genuine panic in his voice. “What? No! Spike, I'm fine!” she finally got out, kicking off the covers and shaking off the warm blanket of sleep.

“But...you've never waited to read a letter from Celestia!” he accused. “You're a changeling aren't you?”

“Ughh...give me that!” she snapped, pulling the scroll from Spike's claw and sending him tumbling off the bed. Silently she read through the letter. The first part read out exactly like she expected, with Celestia explaining the situation and about the law itself, a smile working its way over her face as she read that Celestia was already working to overturn the law. The first part of the plan was coming to fruition.

The smile died a slow death as she read the second part.

In the meantime we should work to rectify what has happened. I shall be sending my sister along shortly with the supplies you'll need. I am also entrusting her with the task of instructing you in the finer points of developing and maintaining a harem. Lastly, I have given you access to the royal treasury to help you care for each pony's needs. I have every confidence that this task will be well within your ability and perhaps even an excellent learning experience.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

Twilight read the last part of the letter several times just to be sure she hadn't missed anything. “She actually expects me to go through with this?” she said aloud.

“With what exactly?” came Spike's voice as he peeked at the letter. “Twilight, what's a harem?”

Deciding that she didn't want to have this conversation right now or even years from now, Twilight quickly rolled up the letter and tucked it away. “I'll tell you when you're older. Much older. Right now I think we're going to be having-”

“Princess Twilight, it is I, Princess Luna!”

“-Princess Luna over in a bit,” she finished with a groan. “Could you put on some coffee?” The library didn't have a doorbell so Luna had improvised with her royal voice. Yawning and stretching her wings, Twilight began the long journey to the front door.

“I have come at the behest of my sister to instruct thee in the ways of perversion and pony pleasure!”

The Alicorn's eyes widened as Luna's voice rang loud enough for half of Ponyville to hear. Abandoning her leisurely pace, Twilight galloped to the library door and flung it open. “Luna! Inside voice!” she snapped with clear embarrassment.

The moon princess simply smiled at her. “Good morning to you as well Twilight Sparkle, I bring a gift from my sister.” An ornately carved box floated inside after Luna as she entered the library, the pair of lunar guards outside giving Twilight a nod before closing the door behind her.

Opening the box the young princess' eyes widened as she saw a set of twenty golden chokers, each one gleaming in the sunlight and set with three star-shaped amethyst stones in the pattern of her cutie mark. “Celestia made these herself?” asked Twilight with a bit of awe.

“Of course. She helped create them the moment the news of this reached her. You will still have to put the binding enchantments on yourself though.”

Closing the box, Twilight gathered her thoughts and pulled out her best diplomacy skills. “Look, Luna, I appreciate you and Celestia helping me with this, but I'm not really comfortable with the thought of 'owning' another pony and I don't think any pony would be comfortable being owned either...well, at least not any ponies I know.”

To her surprise, Luna chuckled, one of her hooves coming up to lightly stroke her back. “That innate respect you have for other ponies feelings is already a good sign that you'll fill this role wonderfully.”

“Um...thanks but I really don't see a plausible positive outcome from this,” she tried weakly. “I really think it would be best to just get the law repealed-”

Luna's hoof pushed softly against her muzzle, silencing her. “Allowing the nobles to even consider dethroning you is an even worse idea. It would set a precedent for them to perhaps try it against myself or Celestia in the future.”

Twilight had nothing to say to that so Luna took the opportunity to continue.

“Now, Celestia gave me a list of your traits and many of the fetishes you enjoy,” she said, pulling out a scroll.

“What? How could she possibly know that?” squeaked the younger Alicorn.

“The 'hiding a book inside a book' trick was old even when Celestia first came to the throne. Beyond that though, we're going to have to work on your submissive tendencies-”

“Submissive...what?” she deadpanned.

“-and your habit of shying away from affectionate contact.”

“I do not!” Her words were caught in her throat as she noticed Luna's sudden smile and almost predatory look.

“Oh really?” Luna stepped forward and Twilight found herself taking a step back. “Then kiss me.” Another step forward and Twilight found her back legs touching against one of the shelves.

“Luna, you can't just ask a pony something like that out of nowhere!”

The lunar mare chuckled as she stepped forward again, her muzzle nearly touching against Twilight's. “I believe my point has been proven, wouldn't you agree?”

Twilight groaned and slumped backwards onto her flank. “F-fine, maybe it's a little true.”

“Excellent! Now then, I have prepared a lecture for you with the help of my sister on the certain advantages Alicorns possess during intimacy.” Wrapped in the soft blue color of her magic, a poster board appeared along with a stand were set up while a pair of sharp spectacles appeared over her eyes.

“Where were you keeping all that?”

“Please hold your questions until after the lecture,” came the sharp reply, “and be sure to take good notes. Now then, let's start with foreplay and erogenous zones.”

Twilight twitched slightly but her quill was already starting to take notes automatically. 'It's only a couple months. Sixty days. Just make the effort, fail heroically, and then you're free for a couple years,' she told herself as Luna launched into her lecture with an almost worrying level of excitement.

Rarity's place was a mess, though surprisingly not one made up of fabrics and fashions. A single wall had been covered by a large sheet of paper with various pictures on it connected by strings to six ponies that made up the center of the diagram. Notes about various favors and angles of approach were prominent as well. At the table, five of those six ponies continued to work diligently through a huge stack of folders and photographs of potential members.

“Ah still can't believe ya had all this stuff just lying around Pinkie,” said Applejack as she set her stack aside.

“Well how else am I supposed to remember everypony's birthday, anniversary, work picnic party, and favorite party favors without them?”

“Honestly Ah thought you had all that memorized.”

“Oh I do! This is just the backup in case I suffer amnesia due to sugar overload!”

The ponies around the table briefly looked up from their work to try and comprehend just how much sugar that would take. “Not enough sugar in Ponyville,” said Rarity at last, the others making sounds of agreement.

“That's the last of them,” said Rainbow Dash, letting the last stack of folders hit the table with a thump. “How many do we have?”

“Nine, not including us,” said Fluttershy, flying in front of the board. “At least nine we all approve of,” she added. There was a large stack of folders that had been put into the 'maybe' pile, having been contested by one or more of the ponies.

“Well at the very least we have a place to start now. Does everypony have their assignment?” asked Rarity, pointedly looking at Fluttershy. There was a general murmur of agreement and a squeak from the shy pegasus. “Good, now let's help Pinkie get this stuff back to her place. I'm sure everypony will sleep better at night if they never see it.”

With the help of Applejack and a cart, the five of them managed to get the information that would have made Celestia's spymaster green with envy hidden away once again. A few goodbyes later and the others departed, leaving Rarity and Rainbow Dash alone to mull over the three folders they had selected for their first assignment.

“I must say, this is a rather ambitious choice even for the standards we set. Do you really think they'll go for this?”

“Are you kidding me? After those killer outfits the two of you put together there's no way they'll refuse. And really, how much more awesome can you get than the Wonderbolts?”

Rarity couldn't help but chuckle. “Not very much I suppose. Especially not since they're wearing my outfits.”

“Yours and Twilight's,” corrected Rainbow with a playful nudge of her hoof. “You never did tell me how you made them.”

“That's because it's a trade secret now,” teased the white mare.

“Aww...c'mon Rarity!”

“But since you're a terrible hoof with a needle and thread, I suppose it couldn't hurt to let you in on the secret.”

Several months earlier...

“Magical outfits?” asked a confused Twilight as she looked at Rainbow Dash from her seat on the throne. The normally brash pegasus seemed unusually nervous in front of her right now, a clear sign that she wanted something from 'Princess' Twilight rather than normal Twilight.

“Yeah, for like aerial acrobatics and high speed maneuvers.”

The Alicorn considered the question for a bit. “Have you tried a Wonderbolts uniform? They come specially made with materials and enchantments for lessening wind resistance, thread durability, and-”

“I destroyed it.”

“You what?”

Rainbow Dash groaned, clearly embarrassed. “I got to try one of those uniforms on recently and I went for a spin. It was awesome and all but then I tried a sonic rainboom...”

Twilight sighed. “Completely shredded it?”

“Like you wouldn't believe. Seriously though, the rainboom is my signature move! How am I supposed to be a Wonderbolt if I can't wear the uniform and pull it off without ripping it apart?”

Twilight puzzled over the problem. Wonderbolt uniforms were already a seriously complex piece of magic and Rainbow's sheer speed seemed to defy the laws of nature and physics as it was.

“It's not just my problem either. All of the Wonderbolts go through their outfits pretty fast. I've heard Spitfire and Fleetfoot complain that they can't really cut loose either.”

The Alicorn's eyes narrowed slightly as she picked up the subtle signs of her friend's nervous twitches. She could tell Rainbow was slightly embarrassed to ask this of her. It had probably taken her some time, agonizing over her pride before she'd worked up the courage to ask. “Alright Rainbow, I can help you,” said the Princess with a nod

Her head perked up. “Really?”

“Yes, really...hopefully,” she corrected. Hopping off her throne, Rainbow watched with interest as Twilight went into full princess mode. “Crimson, Stalwart, go tell the ponies outside that court is closing early today. If any of them are not nobles, offer them free room and board at the local inn until court resumes.”

Twilight's two personal guards snapped off a salute and moved to do just that. “Spike, take a letter. Ask Celestia if she would be kind enough to forward me the relevant texts on the Wonderbolt uniforms and potential enchantments for such clothing.”

Spike looked uncomfortable. “Ugh, Twilight you know how my stomach gets when Celestia sends whole books over.”

“Did I mention that there's ice cream in it for you?”

Spike's claw practically flew as he wrote out the message and sent it away in a flash of fire. “Done and done.”

“Rainbow Dash!”

The pegasus practically snapped to attention as she spoke. “Yes Princess?” The address, not unlike how Rainbow Dash spoke to her superiors at the Wonderbolts academy made Twilight giggle.

“Find Rarity and tell her to bring her A-Game.”

“Wait, why are we going over this part? I was there for that!”

“It's for completion's sake dear, now hush and let me finish the story.”

Barely able to contain her excitement, Rainbow snapped off a salute and flew from the library. Fetching the unicorn took some time though, as even at her fastest there were many things to gather and being prepared was more important than being punctual in this case, no matter how much Rainbow insisted otherwise.

Upon finally getting back to Twilight's place, Rainbow saw the throne room had been morphed into a study. Several volumes had been put into a stack, and in the corner Spike groaned quietly while nursing his stomach.

“I came as quickly as I could Twilight,” said Rarity, ignoring Rainbow's snort. “What is all this fuss about?”

“Your biggest break ever,” said Twilight with a grin, handing Rarity a scroll with Celestia's seal on it.

Rarity read it over in silence, her eyes slowly widening. “Wonderbolt outfits? Those would be seen all over Equestria! Oh my...this is...” she trailed off, feeling a bout of dizziness, but before she could faint backwards the warm comforting tingle of Twilight's magic enveloped her and kept her upright.

“Pass out later Rarity, I need some help with this right now.” Quickly composing herself, the mare nodded and joined Twilight at the table.

The conversation quickly went over Rainbow's head but she got the general gist of it as Twilight laid out the problem and the exact calculations of how much force the clothing would have to stand, along with the necessary magical retention the fabric would need as well.

“My, that is quite a challenging problem. Really it all comes down to the materials and the tools though.”

“What about the materials you have on hand?”

“I can't imagine I would possess something that a royal commissioner would not. From what I've studied it would be difficult to improve upon them without more exotic materials.”

“How exotic are we talking? Dragon scales?”

“Good heavens no. Dragon scales are naturally resistant to magic and while they're certainly strong and lightweight, they just don't have the flexibility of fabrics for precise movement. And that's before even considering how ornery dragons can get about their scales to begin with.”

“Looks like you're safe for now Spike,” teased Twilight. The dragon only groaned in response. “So give me some ideas then. Don't worry about how hard they are to acquire, just tell me what will work.”

The two mares began to brainstorm and the list began to fill. Furs of various animals were present, though most would likely be rejected outright later due to the difficulty and morally gray area they rested at in terms of fashion. Other types of scales were suggested too, or at least Rainbow thought a Quetzalcoatl was a scaly thing, but she didn't recognize half the things on the list.

Once they'd filled out a sheet between them they began to strike off potential targets. Twilight pointed out the creatures that were merely myths and legends with too little information to go on while Rarity struck things based on the difficulty of crafting and encumbrance on a Pegasus. Soon the list was down to a single entry that fit all of the requirements.

“Everfree spiders...ugh, I knew it was going to come to this,” said the unicorn with a moan.

“Well they are the most logical option. Strong as steel under the right conditions, able to hold enchantments, accessible to us in large quantities...it fits perfectly.”

“But...spiders! Are you sure we shouldn't go with the Quetzalcoatl?”

“Rarity...”

“Alright, alright! Spiders it is,” she lamented with a full body shiver, “but I'm not going to like it!”

“Well honestly Rarity if you don't want to go you don't have to. I can just bring Stalwart and Crimson along and collect the materials we need.”

“No, I couldn't do that. I'll need to assess the quality of the silk and I won't know the exact quantity I'll need until I've practiced with it a bit. I know the theory behind working it, but this will be my first practical application.”

Pulling out a few books from the stack, Twilight levitated them to Rarity. “There's a few sections on spider silk in those you can look at if you'd like. I'll need to send out a few messages to make sure I don't cause a panic while I'm gone.”

Rarity chuckled and placed the books in her bags. “Not as easy to drop everything and go on an adventure when you're a princess is it?”

“Only when the danger is right in your face,” she grumbled. “And it's not an adventure, it's a diplomatic mission...of sorts. At least that's what I'll be telling Celestia. Spike?”

Another groan, though it was less pained this time.

“Take another ten minutes,” she said, correcting herself in mid-thought. “I've got a list to make.”

“That reminds me, what happened to you while Twilight and I were speaking?” asked Rarity, briefly pausing in the recount of her tale.

Rainbow chuckled nervously. “I uh...kinda split while you guys were going over the monsters. I had an early shift the day after and it's not like you two needed my help.”

“Well I suppose I can't blame you for that,” said Rarity, surprising the pegasus. “She's quite passionate about her research, sometimes exhaustively so. It took me a while to even skim through the reading material she gave me.”

“Right, right, I get it. Now about those spiders-”

The unicorn sighed. “Yes, of course. Well, you remember when we traveled through the Appaloosan Mountain Range to get to the Changeling Kingdom?”

Rainbow groaned. “Ugh, don't remind me...wait, you mean you actually went after those giant spiders in the old gem mine? Twilight couldn't even make a dent in them last time!”

Rarity simply smirked. “Twilight Sparkle may have had some trouble with them, yes. Princess Twilight on the other hand...”

“Was...all of this...really necessary?” huffed Crimson as he and his fellow guard pulled a wooden cart behind them laden with Rarity's brightly colored bags.

“No, in fact I'd say about eighty percent of it won't be used. However, we're also not sure what twenty percent we need either so we're bringing a hundred percent, got it?”

“Yes Princess, my apologies,” said Crimson quickly, fighting back a groan as he and Stalwart continued over the uneven road.

“Twilight dear, I don't mean to presume but how exactly do you plan on dealing with these spiders? Our last encounter with them did not go terribly well.”

“Oh I've learned a few things since then,” said Twilight with a grin. “A couple spells, a few tricks here and there, you don't need to worry.”

“Dear me Twilight, it almost sounds like you're looking forward to some payback.”

Putting on her best accent Twilight brushed her mane aside and scoffed. “Me? Stoop to such things as petty payback? Never. I merely came here to negotiate...with a certain level of menace.”

Behind them Stalwart and Crimson looked on as they struggled with the cart. “It's like looking at a younger version of Celestia,” remarked the first.

“Nnhh...maybe, but even Celestia doesn't pack this much,” he groaned.

“I still say it beats standing at attention all day.”

“Can't argue with that. The last time someone actually tried to attack Celestia she was so eager for a break in the tedium she took care of things herself and gave the throne room a new sunroof.”

“And now our youngest princess is about to go do battle with giant spiders. She really is Celestia's student.”

“If you two have breath to talk, use it to pull faster,” came Twilight's sing-song voice.

“Yes princess,” came two grumbled replies.

Despite their complaints, the party of four continued at a steady pace, moving across the plains which were slowly turning into a wooded area that ended abruptly at the foot of the ominous cave. It looked no less imposing than last time, and the mouth now had an addition to it from princess Twilight herself placed at the foot of the gigantic diamond dog statues that rested on either side of the entrance.

“A Diamond Dog mine?” asked Crimson with a trace of nervousness.

“It's long been abandoned,” said Twilight casually.

“Why?”

“It seems the Diamond Dogs dug too greedily...and too deep.”

“R-really?”

“No, the mine just stopped being profitable so they closed it down.”

“Oh...”

“Is that going to be a problem?” asked Rarity, pointing towards the sign warning of the high risk of cave-ins. “I remember the construction here being quite sturdy save for that one changeling induced cave-in.”

Twilight chuckled. “It's a bit of a fib. If we put up a sign that just said 'DANGER' it would only make ponies curious. If we mentioned giant spiders, we'd have to deal with idiotic adventurers trying to make a name for themselves. No one is going to risk a ton of rocks falling on them though. Oh, were you able to finish the gift?”

“Well, it's not my best work since I had to make it more durable than my usual fare, but yes, I did finish it.”

“Thanks Rarity, I know how you hate to work on such short notice.” With a flick of her tail and a quick bit of magic, a bright ball of light emerged from her horn and lit up the darkened cave.

The sounds of wildlife faded almost instantly as they entered, the echo of their hooves filling the stale air along with the faint hum of Twilight's magic. While the cave may have looked creepy from the outside, traveling through it was almost mundane.

“Po...nays?”

The voice made the party stop in their tracks, the two guards quickly freeing themselves from the cart as they stood beside Twilight. There was a faint rumbling as dust shook from the walls of the cave while the sound slowly got louder.

“Princess?” asked Stalwart worriedly.

“Relax,” said Twilight, her horn glowing as a large package the size of a stallion was withdrawn from the cart. “This possibility was in the top ten points on my list.”

“PO-NAYS?”

The cave shook and a few loose rocks fell from the ceiling to the ground, though any in danger of hitting the group were quickly levitated away.

“Stand down you two. Rarity? Now!”

The mare's horn glowed and the package in front of them seemed to shine with its own radiance, the unicorn stepping behind it as if it were a shield. “What is it?” asked Crimson finally.

“Tribute.”

“PONAYS!”

The cave gave a final shake and suddenly the owner of the voice appeared, a cave troll at least ten times the size of a stallion, wearing only a loincloth over his tough gray hide. His rampage was stopped quite suddenly as he saw the comparably large box, a gigantic fist reaching towards it and tearing away the top.

Inside was one of Rarity's mannequins, though heavily altered and re-purposed to allow the limbs more flexible movement and positioning. It had a full mane and tail as well made from silk threads and a very impressive set of clothes.

“Is that...a life sized pony doll?” asked Stalwart in a hushed tone as the troll looked over the gift wide eyed, moving a cautious hand towards it.

“Troll sized pony doll,” corrected Twilight as she stood easily in front of him, not shying away in the slightest.

“PONAY!” he cried out, finally grabbing the offering and brushing a thick finger through the mane. It took him a while to even look beyond his gift and the destroyed box, but he seemed to recognize the Alicorn standing there. “TWALAH!”

Very subtly, Twilight let her magic flow from her horn, gently casting a spell to tone down the bellowing words coming from the troll's mouth. “It's good to see you again Jim.”

Jim smiled, showing off a row of diamond teeth that glittered in the light of Twilight's magic while he continued to pet his new toy. “Pink ponay?” he asked inquisitively.

“I'm sorry Jim, Pinkie couldn't make it today, but your birthday is coming soon, right?” His head nodded enthusiastically. “And you know she'd never miss out on a party for a friend, right?” Another nod. “And she probably has an awesome gift planned too.” It was almost dizzying to watch his nodding head at this point.

“So what are you going to call your new pony?”

The troll seemed to give the dilemma serious thought before proudly proclaiming, “Timmeh!”

Rarity twitched. “T-Timmy? That pony is clearly a mare you rock headed idi-mmphh!”

Twilight smiled and continued to keep a hoof over Rarity's muzzle. “Well I'm sure Timmy would love to meet his new friends, wouldn't he? But before you go, can you point us to where Fwuffy is?”

“Fwuffy?” muttered Crimson under his breath.

The troll pointed the direction before happily stomping off, the rumbles slowly dying away. Twilight waited until they had faded completely before removing her hoof from Rarity's mouth. “Let it go Rarity, it's his doll after all.”

“B-but Timmy! And George-”

“Are wonderful pony names,” insisted Twilight, pulling the distraught unicorn behind her towards Fwuffy's lair, the two stunned guards grabbing the cart and following behind.

“Wait wait wait...Pinkie's throwing parties for a cave troll now? What does that even look like? Who does she invite?” asked Rainbow, mouth slightly agape.

“I believe she managed to track down his family with a little help from Twilight. Personally I've never been to one, but whatever Pinkie does seems to satisfy him.”

“You know, one of these days I'm going to stop being surprised at the stuff Pinkie pulls...”

“Now that would be the biggest surprise of all. Anyways, not long after that we finally made it to Fwuffy's lair...”

“You two can put that down now, we're here,” said Twilight finally, her relaxed posture sliding away as she moved into the more open cavern. There was a satisfied groan as the stallions did just that and let the cart rest on the ground.

“Are you sure about that? This place looks just as abandoned as the rest of the mine,” said Stalwart, stepping forward.

In response, Twilight let the ball of violet light brighten and rise into the air, illuminating a tangled weave of webs and almost thirty glowing eyes looking down at them. Most of the spiders were pony sized and smaller, but the party's eyes were immediately drawn to the largest and meanest looking of the bunch.

Almost as big as the cave troll from before, the angry red colored spider carefully slung down from the webs towards the ground. He had a pair of eye-patches across two of his four eyes. His body was scarred, showing signs of numerous conflicts and fights and his narrowed eyes made it clear he was not happy to see the princess in front of him.

“Stay back you two, I'll handle this,” said Twilight, stepping forward with a small, almost creepy smile on her face. “Hello Fwuffy.” The name drew a noticeable tick and the eight legs stabbed into the ground as he approached.

“I hope you and Jim have been getting along okay,” said the Alicorn, her words prodding at the sore spot of his last defeat by the cave troll. “I've come as a representative-”

Rarity couldn't help but gasp as a torrent of web shot out, the sticky mass hurtling towards the Alicorn...who suddenly disappeared in a flash of violet light before reappearing inches away from where the webbing struck.

“-of Equestria in the hopes that we can offer a trade,” finished Twilight, continuing on as though she hadn't just been attacked. This only seemed to make the spider more angry. One of his legs struck out, but Twilight was gone again, reappearing behind him this time.

“As a princess of Equestria I should warn you that any further acts of aggression is going to merit-” Another crash as the spider slammed his leg down on the teleporting pony who appeared on his back. “-serious repercussions.”

Panicked, the spider tried to roll but Twilight merely hopped off, extending her wings and floating gracefully to the ground. “Have it your way then.” Another flash and suddenly the giant spider was in a ring of Twilights.

“Dear Celestia that's one hell of an illusion,” said Stalwart, an impressed look on his face.

Flailing at the center of the ring, the spider lashed out at the images, his legs slicing through one illusion after another, but while his strikes cracked the stone beneath them, he never seemed to find the real one. An almost blinding light began to fill the cave as all of the horns began to charge, the spider's eyes widening as he placed two legs in front of his head, bracing himself.

The wave of released magical energy made all of the ponies fur stand on end and when the light faded there was only a single Twilight and a downed spider, a magical burn mark on his underside and a dazed look on his face.

“Now then, are you ready to talk civilly?” said Twilight with false sweetness as she stood over him. Despite his position of defeat, he looked away defiantly only for Twilight to magically grab both of his eye patches and pull his head back into place.

“Let me make your situation clear to you Fwuffy.” There was a bit of a growl in the Alicorn's voice now. “You are in Equestria under the sovereignty of Princess Celestia. You've attacked innocent travelers at least once that I know of, and now you've just attacked royalty. The BEST you can hope for at this point is eviction and exile...or you can do me a small favor and I might just forget about you once I leave here.”

While it wasn't quite a Fluttershy stare, it definitely seemed to have a similar effect.

“My, I've never known Twilight could be so intimidating,” said Rarity.

“She's been cooped up in that library doing Princess things for weeks,” explained Stalwart. “This was probably some great stress relief.”

Rarity paused in her retelling of the story so Rainbow could finish laughing. “Seriously? Our egghead pulled off something like that?”

“Well, she doesn't quite have the voice of Luna, but she's certainly getting there.”

“I would pay good bits to see Twilight shout someone into submission with that,” said Rainbow with a giggle, stretching her wings a bit. She'd been listening to Rarity's story for a while now and even though she itched to get back into the air, the tale was interesting enough to keep her attention.

“So what happened next?”

“The spiders were quite helpful after the fact, giving me a lot of their silk to work with. After a few hours I managed to determine the type and quantity that I needed and we had a rather uneventful trip back.”

“Wow, I never really knew how much effort you put into those things. Guess I owe you and Twilight more than I thought.”

“Nonsense. I did get a lovely commission from Celestia for my work and the opportunity to play around with a new material. Twilight even came through with a special needle designed specifically to handle the silk.”

“Cool! What's it made out of?” asked Rainbow, watching as Rarity pulled out a small plastic box from a drawer with a vaguely black colored needle inside.

“I didn't ask, but it certainly did the trick.”

Looking curiously at it, Rainbow's eyes widened. “Rarity...that's an Ursa Major claw!”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Daring Do is never wrong about these things,” said Rainbow confidently. “She had an entire section of one of her books about having to get a claw from one to complete some sort of ancient puzzle. How did Twilight get a hold of one?”

“Well she is a Princess now, perhaps she has connections.”

“Or she did the awesome thing and beat up an Ursa Major just like Daring Do!”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Well regardless, it worked well and afterwords she put some sort of enchantment on the outfits I couldn't even begin to recognize.”

“Well if the Wonderbolts are anything to go on, whatever she did worked. Even Celestia said that their latest shows were the best she's seen in ages.”

“You haven't tried yours out yet?” asked Rarity, slightly puzzled.

“Er...well...it just wouldn't feel right using it unless I was actually a Wonderbolt, you know?” came the sheepish reply. “I'm keeping it perfectly preserved until I've reached my goal. Something to look forward to.”

“I suppose I can understand that, though it's going to drive me crazy not knowing if it fits or not. So how do you plan on approaching the Wonderbolts?”

“Oh I think I've got an idea...”

CRASH!

The door to the Wonderbolt lounge suddenly burst open as a cascade of rainbow colors flew inside, slightly out of breath. The three pegasi who had been inside jerked to their feet.

“Spitfire! Fleetfoot! Soarin!”

“Rainbow Dash, explain yourself!” came Spitfire's sharp voice, immediately making the cyan pegasus stand to attention.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow let it all out at once. “A bunch of stupid nobles found a stupid law and are going to take away Twilight's title of Princess unless she gets a harem of twenty mares and or stallions in sixty days and we want you to be a part of it because you're all really awesome and Twilight is awesome too...ma'am.”

There was a small silence following the torrent of words as the three front fliers of the Wonderbolts looked between themselves and nodded to one another. Finally Spitfire looked back towards Rainbow.

“Tell us more.”

Author's Note

Concept borrowed from KnightMysterio's story Twilight's Harem. Picture borrowed and altered from Chameleon55.

Comments and Critiques are greatly appreciated.

Chapter 2: Wonderbolt Wrap Up

Author's Note

The author would like to take a moment to remind you that this story is tagged 'Mature' and 'Sex' for a reason, and if anyone would like to avoid those parts, they are tagged with a line of asterisks at the start and the end of the scenes in question.

Chapter 2: Wonderbolt Wrap Up

“And that should cover everything you need to know about pegasi and unicorns. Remember to review pages twenty-eight through forty-six of the kamare-sutra and have your report done by tomorrow.”

“Yes princess,” mumbled Twilight, her eyes glazed over and focused on her notes, an almost permanent blush staining her cheeks.

“Do you have sufficient instruments for the facilitation of pleasure between two mares?”

Twilight blinked. “You mean...sex toys?”

“Exactly!” The booming voice caused Twilight to squeak and nearly fall out of her chair. “No doubt your harem will be comprised of several mares and while your hooves and tongue are excellent conveyers of pleasure some only find true bliss with a nice stallion strap-”

“Luna! Inside voice!” Twilight had long ago put up a bubble of silence around the library, but she wasn't eager to test her magic against the absurd power of Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice.

Pulling out a scroll and a quill, Luna began to scribble furiously. “I shall send a missive to Celestia at once. A harem owner must be able to fulfill the needs of every potential fetish after all. Do you prefer Good Dragon or Stallion La-Natural? Oh no bother, we can provide both.”

Twilight groaned and placed both hooves on her head as Luna began listing off all manner and brands of 'pleasure enhancers' until Twilight felt like teleporting to the other side of the world.

“Of course, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, there's always this little spell,” provided Luna, levitating a book in front of Twilight's face. Peeking out from between her hooves, the alicorn's eyes widened as the provided spell was burned into her analytical mind.

“That can't be real,” she said finally. Even so, there was no way she was going to be able to forget it now. “Where did you get that? I know it wasn't from here!”

“Oh this is from my sister's personal collection,” said the lunar mare with a wink. “She wasn't always the mentor type you know. Fifteen-hundred years ago she-”

Twilight's magic slammed the book shut. “I don't need to hear this! Look, Luna, I really appreciate how much trouble you're going to for my sake, but there's no way anypony is going to-”

Her voice stopped short as there was a sudden knock on the library door. Giving Luna an embarrassed look, the alicorn calmed herself and answered it. Standing there was a lavender coated pegasus with a jasmine colored mane. “Oh...hello Cloud Kicker, did you want to check out a book?”

“Actually I was passing by when I heard Princess Luna shouting something about building a harem. Can I help?”

Nonplussed, Twilight gently grabbed the door with her magic and quietly closed it again before whirling back towards Luna. “As I was saying, there's no way twenty ponies are just going to be alright with this!”

“Really? Have you asked your friends what they think? Because I've seen a few of their dreams and you'd be surprised at just how many-”

Twilight's magic snapped out, encasing the princess in a ball of silence before she could finish. “I am not hearing this!” she declared loudly, putting her hooves over her ears for good measure.

With an annoyed sigh, Luna let her magic free to pop the bubble. “Really Twilight, must you be so dramatic? Are you simply frightened of intimacy?”

“What? No!”

“Is there some embarrassing fetish you possess that makes it otherwise impossible for you to become aroused? You do have some rather risque dreams yourself after all.”

“Okay first, that's really creepy. Stop it. Second? No!”

“Then if you have twenty willing ponies and you are not afraid of intimacy, what are you frightened of?”

“I don't have twenty ponies I trust that much and I'm perfectly happy to keep my current relationships where they're at without intimacy getting in the way!”

To her surprise, Luna seemed to stop and consider that for a moment. “I believe I am seeing the problem. You are a pony who believes that intimacy should only be showed between two ponies with a special bond? Perhaps only with a single other?”

Relieved, Twilight nodded her head, thankful that she was finally getting through.

“And where did you develop that opinion from? I take it my dear sister impressed this knowledge upon you? As a young foal I would assume?”

Celestia's student didn't respond but her look said everything.

“Twilight, sex is as simple or as complicated as you wish it to be. How important it is will ultimately be up to you. While it certainly can be unhealthy if you're trying to use it as a substitute to fill a hole in your life, there is nothing wrong with enjoying sex and seeking pleasure.”

“Well what if I don't want that with twenty other ponies?” said the alicorn defiantly.

“Then sometimes a princess needs to put the good of the kingdom above her own desires.”

Twilight groaned and slumped back onto her flank. Luna was crazy, that's all there was to it. Maybe a thousand years on the moon had gone to her head after all.

“Now that we've gone over the theory, let's put your knowledge to a practical test,” said Luna, several lewd objects levitating in the air around her as she grinned at the purple alicorn.

The force of Twilight's sudden teleport scattered all her nearby papers and created a brief vacuum that air rushed to fill.

With a pop, Twilight materialized into existence a foot above the ground in a lightly wooded area. Gravity took effect soon after and with a yelp she fell to the ground on her head before righting herself.

“Ow...okay, no more long distance teleporting,” she said to herself, shaking out her wings. “Now where the heck am I?” Recalling the emotions she had been feeling at the time, Twilight remembered wanting to go somewhere safe, quiet, and peaceful. Taking a closer look at the lightly wooded area, Twilight put the pieces together in short order. “Fluttershy's place. Of course.”

Normally it wouldn't have been her first choice, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Luna had probably already told half of Ponyville about her 'harem' but if there was one pony guaranteed to stay far away from the chaos, it would be Fluttershy.

“I'll just stick around here for the rest of the day...or week, and let all this blow over,” she said to herself, though the thought of having to reschedule the rest of those days sent a chill down her spine.

Pushing the feeling down for now, Twilight made her way to Fluttershy's cottage, nodding to the few animals who were lazing in the sun after their morning meal. Raising a hoof the alicorn knocked smartly on the wood, her head turning to the spot in the curtains where she knew Fluttershy would be peaking out from. Giving her a wave, Twilight frowned as the door opened only a fraction of an inch. Something had turned the Fluttershy terror level to yellow.

“H-hello Twilight.” The timid voice was barely audible and the nervous energy was rolling off of her in waves.

“Morning Fluttershy. Sorry for dropping in unexpectedly. Things were getting a bit crazy around the library. Can I come in?”

“Oh! Um...no, I don't think that's a good idea. I'm coming down with a really bad...um...flu...” From the small view she got through the crack in the door, Twilight saw the pink maned pony raise a hoof to her mouth and give a cough so unconvincing that even Fluttershy had the decency to look ashamed of it. “Sorry!”

Twilight carefully considered her options as the door closed. Shouting would accomplish nothing even though it was the most cathartic choice. Barging in would likely upset the animals and probably make things worse. Fluttershy was definitely hiding something though, and Twilight was willing to bet good bits it had to do something with the current craziness.

Putting some magic into her voice to make sure Fluttershy could hear it no matter where she was hiding, Twilight turned towards the animals that were gathered around her house. “Well, I suppose that since I'm here, I could at least practice my flying animal routine.”

“Eeep!”

“What's that Mr. Beaver, you want to go higher? Well okay...”

“Eeep!”

“You five want to go too? Well I think I can handle all of you...”

“Eeep!”

“Faster? Sure thing! Try to hold onto your breakfast!”

The door slammed open. “Alright, I'll talk! Just put them down!”

Outside, she saw Twilight, horn not glowing as she stood in the midst of a small group of animals who all looked to be sniggering quietly. Even they enjoyed a good prank now and then.

Before Fluttershy could slam the door closed again, Twilight gently took hold of it with her magic and kept it open as she walked inside. “Alright Fluttershy, what's going on?” asked the princess.

“N-nothing!” Twilight gave her a look before slowly walking around the house, watching Fluttershy's reactions from the corner of her eye, using the increased signs of her nervous energy to determine if something was hidden in the house. By the time her search took her to the couch, the mare was practically sweating.

Lifting up the cushion, Twilight found the hastily hidden letter Fluttershy had received from Princess Celestia. “Nothing is it?” Despite a muffled squeak of protest, Twilight began to read, her eye slowly developing a twitch. “Clever mare...”

Realizing that Fluttershy was still trembling behind her, Twilight put the parchment down. “Why were you worried about me seeing this?” she asked finally. “I'm pretty sure everypony is going to know before the day is over. Gossip is one of our leading exports.”

“W-well I just thought...” Her words trailed off into an incoherent mumble.

Twilight considered between letting Fluttershy work up the confidence to speak up herself or cast a spell that would increase her hearing and decided she really didn't want to wait around for two hours.

“W-well I just thought that since Celestia was asking for our help and you were going to lose your title as princess that we'd have to help out and join your harem but I really don't want to but I also don't want to disappoint Celestia or you!”

Twilight could feel a headache coming on. “Fluttershy, I'm not here to ask you to join my...ugh...harem.”

“R-really?” Her voice was now a more normal volume now so Twilight dispelled the magic.

“Fluttershy, this harem thing is nuts! It's a stupid law trotted out by a bunch of ponies who have been plotting against me ever since I became a princess. I'm not going to start building one, and even if I was, there's no way I'd be so callow as to try and guilt my friends into going along with it!”

The pegasus looked embarrassed and traced a design on the ground with her hoof, avoiding Twilight's eyes. “S-sorry, I guess I was just being silly.”

Twilight took a breath and let it out slowly, calming herself down. “That's alright Fluttershy, sorry for shouting. I had a pretty arduous morning with Luna.”

“Oh my...yes, I think I heard her voice all the way out here. Something about...um, perverted pony p-pleasuring?”

Twilight groaned. That was it. All of Ponyville knew by now. “Look, I'll be fighting this law in the royal court. It might take a couple years, but there's no way something like this will stick.”

“But what if it does?”

“Then Luna and Celestia will find another way to beat it. They've been doing this for longer than all of our lives put together.” Twilight have the pegasus a reassuring smile which was hesitantly returned.

“Okay...if you're sure.”

“I'm sure. I'm not going around building a harem. I don't even know twenty ponies I'd even consider asking,” she said with a small giggle at the absurdity.

Nervously, the pink maned mare shared her laugh, deciding to carefully avoid mentioning anything about the meeting she'd had with her friends, thankful that Twilight had stopped once she'd found the first letter and hadn't continued looking for the folders she'd carefully hidden elsewhere.

Luna looked thoughtfully at the papers she had tacked up to one of Twilight's spare wall spaces, several arcane symbols drawn on them along with a few words here and there in Luna's elegant script. “Clever Twilight, very clever. But we can't make progress if you keep running away.”

Absorbed in her notes, Luna took several moments to realize that there was an insistent knocking coming from the door. Opening it, Luna was surprised to see Spitfire there, flanked by Soarin and Fleetfoot. Upon seeing the princess, all three of the Wonderbolts bowed.

“Captain? What brings you and your kin here?” asked Luna curiously.

“Princess Luna, we are acting in official capacity as guards to Princess Twilight,” came the sharp reply. “We have come to offer our assistance in the midst of this crisis.”

Luna couldn't help but grin. “Oh? You've come to help Twilight build her harem?”

Spitfire seemed nonplussed. “Yes ma'am. My wingponies have also expressed interest in helping. I approve, since they've had positive experiences with Twilight in the past, and Soarin's flank was constantly distracting her when she flew as his wingmare.”

“Hmm...perhaps her perverse side is a bit less repressed than her dreams implied...this is wonderful news,” said Luna gleefully. “There is a minor problem though.”

“Ma'am?”

Stepping aside, Luna revealed the notes she had been working on. “Twilight can teleport and she's very good at it. If she ever finds herself in a situation that's too embarrassing for her, it's quite likely she'll use it to get away. I've been working on a solution though.”

Spitfire nodded sagely. “This seems in character. Fleetfoot had little success flirting with Twilight and often caused her to flee.”

Fleetfoot gave a nervous chuckle. “You saw that?”

Reaching into the small pouch at her side, Spitfire pulled out a thin, golden ring and handed it to Luna. “Last time, I had this made for Twilight's training, but she found a way around it. Do you think it could work?”

Luna glanced at the ring before gently taking it with her magic. “My sister's work,” she said with some admiration. “If anyone would know Twilight's magic, it would be her, though Twilight is equally familiar with Celestia's magic.”

Delicately, the lunar mare began to weave her magic around the ring, adding her power to it and enhancing the enchantment until she was satisfied with the results. “There we go,” she said, returning the ring. “With that, it should delay her more advanced magical abilities by a good fifteen seconds.”

“That's not a whole lot of time,” mused Fleetfoot.

“Well if you can keep her attention focused elsewhere and her mind off of magic, then you'll have far longer,” said Luna with a small smile. “Before you start looking though, don't forget to take one of these.” From inside the ornate box Twilight had left behind, three gold necklaces rose into the air, shimmering with Twilight's magic, the amethyst stones glowing softly.

Each of the Wonderbolts took one, placing them around their necks. The gold color matched the blue of their special uniforms quite nicely, though the gems were a bit distracting.

“Actually Luna, we're going to need one more...”

Ten minutes changed a lot. Twilight had finally cooled down and Fluttershy had finally stopped squeaking every time the alicorn looked and spoke to her. Away from the lunar mare, she was doing exactly what she'd intended to do all along, namely relax a bit and spend some time with her friends.

“So how have things been here? I haven't really been able to follow up on that group after they went underground. They haven't been giving you any more trouble have they?”

“You mean Ponies for the Eradication of Terrifying Animals?”

“PETA, yeah that was it. They haven't been picketing your house anymore have they?”

“Oh no, Rainbow Dash was very helpful about that. All the weather ponies were, really.”

Twilight chuckled. She'd had to calm down a very irate Rainbow Dash who had been ready to deliver a one-two hoof to the ponies whose shouting and ranting had been driving Fluttershy's animals wild. Instead, the alicorn had signed some papers and gave Rainbow authorization to repurpose some weather resources. Two days of cold hard rain later and Fluttershy's cottage was as peaceful as it had always been.

“You wouldn't believe the number of petitions I got around that time. All these ponies seemed to think that putting a bunch of signatures on a misleading piece of propaganda would somehow force me to action.”

“I'm just glad it was taken care of,” said Fluttershy diplomatically. “None of my animals deserve to be called terrifying.”

“Hehe..yeah...” said Twilight nervously. Not unless you counted the bear, the numerous snakes, the cockatrice she was certain she'd seen on more than one occasion, and Angel Bunny who was a terror all his own. “So did every one of my friends get a letter from Celestia?” she asked cautiously.

“Oh um...I'm not sure really,” said Fluttershy, her nervousness returning in full force.

Twilight finished off her snack and sighed. “Well I should probably make sure this doesn't get blown out of proportion. Thanks for having me over.”

With one hoof on the door, Twilight nearly jumped as she heard a firm and demanding knock from the other side. For a moment she feared Luna had caught up with her, but then remembered the princess rarely (if ever) knocked, preferring to simply announce her presence.

“Fluttershy?” asked Twilight politely.

“Just tell them I'll be right there,” came the pegasus' voice from the kitchen.

“Alright!” Answering the door, Twilight put on a smile, assuming she was about to speak with one of Fluttershy's customers. “Hello there, Fluttershy should-eep!” The alicorn recoiled as she saw Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Soarin standing there in full Wonderbolt gear and looking quite imposing.

The new outfits were definitely a big part of that look. While the striking blue and gold colors had made them stand out, the enchanted spider silk seemed to shift and waver all on its own, giving the appearance of running beneath a bright sky.

All of them were wearing goggles around their necks too, as if ready for some serious flying. What immediately caught Twilight's eye though was the new addition to their outfits. Specifically, the bright golden chokers each of them wore.

“No, no, no! Take those off, right now!”

Spitfire gave her a raised brow before a hoof snapped forward faster than the princess could react, very gently brushing against her horn. When she pulled away, a small gold ring, barely a hair thin was circling it.

“Princess Twilight, it has come to my attention that there is an internal threat to your title and throne. The Wonderbolts are here to assist.”

Twilight looked between Soarin's sheepish look, Fleetfoot's playful grin, and Spitfire's expression of utter seriousness. She tried the ring but the magic which usually came so easily to her was taking far too long to build up.

Taking a step back, the alicorn extended her wings and bolted through Fluttershy's window, cracking the glass as it slammed open in her wake, a violet streak trailing behind her.

In the wake of her exit, Soarin cursed and handed ten bits to a grinning Fleetfoot. “See, I told you she'd run.”

“Focus squad!” came Spitfire's sharp command, the two pegasi snapping to attention behind her. “Our target is panicked, powerful, and adverse to perversion. I want a very gentle takedown with no injuries. Soarin, you're in C-Position as catcher. Fleetfoot, you're my wing mare. Fluttershy?”

There was a squeak from the pegasus who had dived behind the couch upon hearing the crash. “Y-yes ma'am?”

“Apologies for intruding. We will take care of the damaged window of course. Wonderbolts, move out!”

Taking to the air, three blue streaks began to chase after the rapidly vanishing alicorn.

Fluttershy let out a calming breath once she was alone again, carefully closing the door and shutting the cracked window before uncovering the secret compartment where she stored things she didn't want the animals getting into.

Opening the single folder she had been given, Fluttershy gave it another glance before gathering her writing materials and starting a letter. Despite Twilight's words, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for not being as committed as all of her friends seemed to be, but in this small way she could still help.

Dear Lightning Dust...

Several Months Earlier...

“A flying routine?” asked Twilight incredulously. “What's wrong with the magic display we gave last year?”

The pony known as Inkwell and one of many personal advisers to Celestia cleared his throat and adjusted his polished spectacles. “Well, we've gotten several complaints from pegasi that the overemphasis on magical displays wasn't very representative of the other species.”

“That's ridiculous. Celestia and Luna did the same ceremony even before I got involved. Why change things now?”

“Because there are three princesses now and some very important ponies have raised some...concerns.”

“Really? Have we had any 'concerns' from the earth ponies then? Should we have Princess Celestia buck a tree so they're not 'concerned' about not being represented?” came the irritable reply.

Inkwell pulled out his parchment and made a note. “I shall be happy to field the idea for the next celebration,” he said cheerfully, completely oblivious to her sarcasm. “In the meantime, I believe this modest show of aerial acrobatics should suffice.”

Twilight looked at the provided paper for ten seconds. “Inkwell, I can't understand any of this,” she said finally. “But even putting that aside, what makes you think I could perform it?”

“B-but you're an alicorn! And a princess too!” came his shocked reply.

Twilight had to remind herself that Inkwell was probably used to dealing with Celestia and Luna, two alicorns with hundreds of years of experience to draw on. He probably held them on a very high pedestal. Even so, it was hard not to shout him down. Flying may not have come easy to her, but the Canterlot Royal Voice was coming along nicely. “Two weeks isn't going to be long enough. I haven't even had my wings for a year yet!”

“B-but Celestia said you had a personal instructor who was very talented!”

“Between her work schedule, her training, and my duties, we're lucky to get one day out of the week together,” came the terse response. “Until just now, it really hasn't been important, and even now it still doesn't seem that important. Just change things back to the normal routine and send whatever pegasus complained about it a letter telling them that we heard their complaint and we'll consider other options in the future.”

“I see...yes, I suppose that might be for the best. Celestia will be disappointed but that can't really be helped.”

“Wait, what?” Twilight stopped him before he could continue.

“Oh, well she seemed excited to do something different for this year rather than reprise what had already been done countless times before.”

The words wormed in through her ear, into her brain, found a small lever called 'guilt' and pulled. “Look, Inkwell,” she began hesitantly. “I'm not promising anything but there's no reason to give it up just yet. If it doesn't work out, we can switch back to the normal schedule.”

Inkwell's eyes seemed to light up at even that small concession. “Wonderful! Princess Celestia will be delighted!” With a spring in his step, Inkwell pranced out of the library, leaving Twilight behind to massage her head tiredly. “Spike, take a letter. I'm going to need to do some damage control.”

“So how bad is it?” asked Twilight as Rainbow looked over the diagram.

The pegasus studied it a bit further before shaking her head. “Well, to put it nicely, with your level of flying there's a very good chance that you'll crash into Celestia or Luna and turn this Summer Sun Celebration into the biggest disaster since that one time at the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“That's putting it nicely?” said Twilight flatly.

“A tight corkscrew flying formation isn't easy Twi, and you're barely able to fly in formation with just me. Not to mention how the size difference is going to affect things. We don't even have a third pony to practice with.”

“Really? Not one pony in Ponyville?” asked Twilight with surprise.

“Most pegasi are fine just knowing how to fly from point A to B. Ask them to do anything more complicated than that tornado thingy though...”

Twilight sighed. “Well I guess I can't fault them that. Most unicorns don't bother learning much beyond basic levitation.”

“Sorry Twi, I wish I could be more help. Maybe if I had an uninterrupted month but two weeks is-”

“-just enough time so long as you're willing to work for it,” came a voice from above.

With a landing that was accompanied by a small tremor through the floor, the Wonderbolt captain burst into view.

“Don't you ponies ever use the door?” said Twilight exasperated.

“Rainbow Dash left the window open. I invited myself in,” came the calm reply. “But that's not important right now.”

“Actually I think it is.”

“Oh. Well it's not interesting then.” Ignoring Twilight's groan, the Wonderbolt captain looked over the diagram. “A reverse corkscrew huh? That's going to be difficult, especially considering Celestia's large fl...size. Do you really think you're up for it?”

“Well, I hope so. I mean, I realize I have a ways to go but-”

“Rookie, I asked you a question,” came the sharp interruption. “And I want a simple yes or no answer. Are you willing to work your wings off for the next two weeks to do this?”

“Erm...yes?” came the hesitant reply. From the corner of her eye she could see Rainbow Dash holding back a laugh, amused to see Spitfire turning her sharp tongue on someone else for a change.

Reaching into the pocket of her instructors uniform, she produced a gold ring and pushed it towards Twilight. “Put this on your horn.”

Twilight recognized the telltale sign of Celestia's magic almost immediately. “A sealing ring?”

Spitfire gave a curt nod. “For the next two weeks, you're not going to be an alicorn. You're going to be a pegasus. You're going to think like one, live like one, and by the time I'm done with you by Celestia you'll fly like one. Now put that ring on, or put your tail between your legs and go study whatever pretty little light show you're planning on doing instead.”

Helplessly, Twilight looked towards Rainbow Dash who gave her a sheepish look. “She's the best instructor there is, Twi.”

Sighing, Twilight braced herself and put the ring on over her horn, getting a nod of approval from the Wonderbolt. Celestia's calming influence washed over her even as her magic began to turn inward, curling up inside her core and hiding away. It wasn't a complete seal, but it was enough to make reaching for her magic and utilizing it a trying task.

“Good to see our princess has some drive after all. I expect to see you front and center at the Wonderbolt Academy in one hour.”

“An hour?” squeaked Twilight in shock. “But I've got court to put in order and things to pack...and that's going to take even longer without magic!”

“Yet apparently you have time to sit there and run your mouth. Forty-five minutes.”

Before Twilight could protest further, Spitfire took off through the window once again. Behind her, Rainbow Dash finally let out the laughter she had been holding in.

“Keep laughing Rainbow, I have the authority to cut the weather budget you know.”

“Aww c'mon Twi, don't be like that. Here, I'll help you pack.”

“Thirty minutes late,” came the sharp reprimand as Twilight landed, panting slightly. Behind her, looking completely calm, was Rainbow Dash who'd even done her the kindness of carrying the single bag she'd managed to pack. “That's going to be one lap for every five minutes.”

“Haa...haa...technically...only twenty seven minutes so...that should be-”

“Seven laps and it's only going to get higher the more you complain.”

The alicorn groaned, but stretched her wings, wincing slightly as the mostly unused muscles protested the exercise while bringing her unsteadily into the air. The one small concession she took from this as she began to fly around the camp was at least Spitfire wasn't treating her like a princess, though she probably would have talked to Celestia that way if she had been her instructor.

“Fly with me Rainbow Dash,” said Spitfire as she took off, staying behind Twilight as she pushed herself around the academy on a shaky path. “You've been teaching her right? What have you learned?”

Rainbow gave the issue a bit of thought before replying in a low tone that Twilight had no chance of overhearing. “She knows the theory inside and out but she hasn't gotten over the fear of flying. She has to think about everything before she does it, and it's easy to disrupt her concentration.”

“And the inconsistent schedule means that your lessons don't really stick.”

Glumly, Rainbow nodded. “Well, it's hard to blame her really. She's a princess after all.”

“Not for the next two weeks she isn't.”

“Um...Captain, I know it might be out of line to ask but...well I don't want you to take it easy on her or anything but-”

“Spit it out cadet.”

“Just...help her learn to enjoy flying, alright?”

Spitfire looked ahead to where Twilight was struggling halfway through her first lap. “Being a hard ass who gets results is in my job description and I don't intend to change that, but I'll drop a few hints to Fleetfoot and Soarin.”

One lap in and Twilight was already struggling to stay aloft. Rainbow watched the display with a small frown. “She's not going to like this, is she?”

“Let me put it this way. Do you remember Tartarus week?” Rainbow cringed at the memory. “This is going to be the two-week version.” Pushing on ahead, Spitfire caught up to Twilight. “Alright rookie, bring it down.”

Landing awkwardly, Twilght let out a heavy breath, the flight already having taken a fair bit out of her.

“If you were a foal two months out of the crib I might be impressed. Right now I'm impressed you even manage to make the trip here. Now spread those wings, I'm going to show you some stretching exercises.”

Groaning, Twilight stretched her protesting wings and followed Spitfire's motions while Rainbow quietly made her exit, silently wishing Twilight luck.

Thankfully, sore wings weren't too hard on her legs, though each step she made caused her back and sides to ache a little bit as she walked behind Spitfire. “There are a lot of hopefuls here at the academy so space is at a premium. You'll be having a roommate while you're here and if you've got a problem with that you can go find a cloud to curl up on.”

“I'm pretty sure I'll manage,” came the mildly sarcastic reply as she knocked on the door. To her surprise, the one who answered was wearing a full Wonderbolt uniform.

The pegasus' eyes lit up in recognition. “Twilight! How have you been?” she asked excitedly. “And for that matter, what are you doing here?”

“Twilight will be staying here for a couple weeks while going through an intensive training routine,” came Spitfire's answer before Twilight could respond. “We don't have room to spare so I'm putting her with you. I'll be expecting you on the runway bright and early tomorrow.”

With a flick of her tail, Spitfire was gone down the hall, leaving the two behind. “Sorry for intruding Fleetfoot, this was kinda thrown at me last minute,” she said apologetically. “How have the outfits been working out?”

Fleetfoot grinned. “Best suit of clothes I own. I actually crashed wearing them once and you know what? Not only were they not even torn or dirty, but I'd swear they cushioned my fall too. It felt like I was wearing a suit of armor!”

“That's not too far off actually,” said the alicorn with a light chuckle. “I'd try to avoid crashing all the same though.” Stepping inside the room, Twilight was surprised to see a tidy, if rather spartan living space meant for two. Despite the suddenness of her arrival, Fleetfoot had obviously taken time to make sure all of her things were on one side, leaving Twilight with a generous amount of space.

“Okay princess, I'll bite. What did you enchant them with? Are we talking Stonehoof's iron cloth technique?”

With her saddlebags haphazardly thrown onto the bed, Twilight flopped down onto the mattress and carefully tried to move her sore wings. “Not unless you wanted to carry an extra fifty pounds when you fly. It only worked for Stonehoof because he was a mutant...” Her words trailed off and she looked at Fleetfoot curiously. “You know who Stonehoof is?”

The pegasus gave her an innocent look. “What, are pegasi not allowed to study magic?”

“What? No! Of course not! I was just surprised, that's all. Most unicorns don't know who Stonehoof is.”

Fleetfoot chuckled and walked over to Twilight's bed. “Admittedly most of what I learned was from one of my old friends. I did a bit of reading here and there just so I could keep up with her. So c'mon, try me. What did you use?”

Twilight gave her an embarrassed look. “Sorry, I'm not allowed to say.”

“Ooh, is this a royal secret?” asked Fleetfoot, now more excited and eager than before.

“Technically, yes.” While Twilight hadn't exactly broken any rules or laws per say, she seriously doubted that Celestia wanted the enchantments placed upon her golden battle armor being common knowledge.

“Now you're just making me even more curious,” said Fleetfoot. “What if I offered you something in return?”

Twilight gave her a playful look. “Bribery? I think there are laws against that.”

“Really? I thought you called it lobbying. Stay still for a moment,” she said before bringing a hoof down on Twilight's wing, causing the princess to tense up. “I can tell Spitfire put you through the ringer today and tomorrow isn't going to be any easier.”

Aside from one small lesson Rainbow had given her a while back, Fleetfoot was the only other pony to ever touch her wings and her skilled hoof quickly found the aching joints and sensitive spots, carefully massaging each one and eliciting a surprised gasp from Twilight.

“Stay still, you're really stiff,” said Fleetfoot, continuing her careful massage. “How often do you go flying?”

Twilight groaned and tried her best not to squirm. “Nnhh...once a week...”

“That's like an earth pony who only walks once a week. You should take time each morning to do some flying even if it isn't for very long.”

Twilight mumbled an affirmative, the day's fatigue catching up with her as the relaxing massage continued.

Fleetfoot giggled at her cute sounds. “I realize it might not feel like a lot of fun right now, but trust me, going through this training is like trying to learn how to levitate objects for the first time. Once you finally get it, it'll feel like the greatest thing in the world.”

On the verge of sleep now, Twilight only gave a soft moan in response, slowly drifting off beneath the tender care of Fleetfoot's hooves.

Fourteen days until the Summer Sun Celebration...

“Look alive rookie, up and at 'em! Front and center in ten seconds or by Celestia I'll park a thundercloud over your bed!”

The subsequent crash of the door being opened by a well placed kick made Twilight yelp and fall from her bed. In the doorway stood Spitfire, radiating with authority and looking sharp in her instructor's uniform. On the opposite bed, Fleetfoot continued to snore quietly, oblivious to the noise.

“Ugh...what time is it?” A tiny bit of sunlight was peeking through the curtains, signaling the time as being criminally early.

“It's time to see if our new princess can live up to the title of rookie! On the runway in five! Every minute later than that is an extra lap!” Flinging a bag forward onto the floor in front of her, Twilight saw the corner of a Wonderbolt training uniform poking out. “And put that on too.”

It took the princess four minutes and forty-two seconds to complete her task and join Spitfire on the runway in the cool morning air, trying to avoid shivering openly. The higher altitude was making the wind chill all the worse, though Spitfire didn't even twitch.

“Cold? Don't worry, you'll be sweating before long. Let's get those wing muscles warmed up and then we'll go through those stretches again. Keep up with me and don't fall behind.” Barely giving the alicorn time to catch her breath, Spitfire took to the air.

To her minor annoyance, Spitfire performed several aerial tricks in front of her as she tried her best to keep up, going as far as to fly backwards at times. One small benefit to the cool morning air was that sleep was quick to flee and her shaky flight path soon became straighter and more sure.

After two laps, Spitfire brought her down. “Not bad for a pegasus half your age. Now spread your wings and go through your exercises.” Willing her body to move, Twilight pushed her wings through the various motions while Spitfire continued to bark criticisms and corrections at her. By the time she was satisfied, Twilight was already feeling yesterday's soreness creep back in and hunger was starting to set in as well. Like clockwork though, it seemed as though the Pegasus instructor knew exactly how far to push before breaking off.

“Keep that up rookie and you might be worthy of being called 'runt' by the week's end. Now give me one more lap around the clouds and you can get yourself some breakfast!”

Despite her fatigue, it was her fastest lap yet.

The stares were probably inevitable since Twilight stuck out like a sore hoof among so many pegasi, but that didn't make it any more comfortable. Loading up her tray, she turned and looked for a place to sit and soon spied Fleetfoot waving her over.

“Heya Twilight,” greeted a male pegasus who had been sitting beside her. “Welcome to the Wonderbolt Academy. Enjoy your morning?” he asked with a knowing grin that made Twilight want to drop something heavy on his head.

Quelling the urge, she focused on putting a name to the face. “Soarin right?”

“The one and only!” he said proudly, though his bravado was quickly ruined when Fleetfoot put a hoof in his gut.

“And thank Celestia for that. Equestria has enough trouble with one of your egos.”

Recovering his dignity after a small coughing fit, Soarin eyed the alicorn. “So what did you do to earn Spitfire's personal attention? I thought after those awesome outfits she'd at least give you the honor of pretending you don't exist.”

For the second time Soarin was doubled over into a coughing fit as Fleetfoot's hoof found the same spot again. “Don't pay too much attention to him Twilight. He may be a flying savant but on the ground he barely qualifies as a moron.”

“Spitfire is sort of giving me an intensive course. I've been neglecting my wings so I need to play some serious catch up before the summer sun festival comes around.”

“How much catch up are we talking?” asked Soarin curiously.

“Er...ground up instruction,” said Twilight with a small sigh.

To her surprise, Soarin simply nodded. “Don't sweat it. Every pegasus had to start there at some point.”

Twilight nodded and took a moment to glance around the mess hall. “So what are you two doing here anyways? Do you usually eat with the rookies?”

“Not usually but Soarin and I are going to be your flying partners for the stunt you're practicing.”

Twilight looked shocked. “You are?”

Soarin's voice came a breath behind hers. “We are?”

Fleetfoot rolled her eyes. “Twilight I can understand but what's your excuse? Spitfire sent you a message this morning.”

“Er...well I think I remember seeing something like that...”

“Point is, this is a three pony stunt so you're going to need two others. Spitfire is going to handle your morning workouts and in the afternoon you'll practice squad flying with me and captain oblivious over here.”

“I know I'm in good hooves then,” said Twilight, wondering privately what Rainbow was going to think when she learned that her friend was going to be flying with the Wonderbolts before she had the chance.

“The very best,” bragged Soarin before digging into his meal.

“So can you tell me a little more about this trick? I saw the diagram but I really only have a rough idea of what's involved.”

Fleetfoot grinned and launched into a detailed explanation, even going as far as to illustrate the trick with carrot sticks on the table as Twilight listened intently.

As it turned out though, no amount of explanations could compare to the real thing when she saw the three Wonderbolts performing it an hour later. It was short, barely half a minute long, but it was effective, nicely symbolic, and sure to be a real crowd pleaser.

“So what did you see, Twilight?” asked Spitfire as she landed next to her.

“The difficult part will be maintaining the ring formation and timing the wingbeats properly. The dive and sudden stop seem a bit dangerous too.”

“Good eye. You can't fly worth a foal right now, but you can deconstruct it well enough. That trick is a ways off though. For now, you just have to learn to fly straight. Fleetfoot, take point so Twilight and Soarin can catch air.”

“Be sure to enjoy the view,” teased the Wonderbolt, giving Twilight a wink as she shook her flank a couple of times.

“No cheek from you Fleetfoot or I'll bust you back down to Cadet.”

Obviously used to Spitfire's taunts, the threat only merited a salute from the pegasus before she took to the air, closely followed by Soarin.

“Try to stay two feet diagonal of Fleetfoot. Use Soarin's position to measure yourself and let Fleetfoot break the air in front of you. We'll switch the lead pony every thirty seconds.”

Nodding her understanding, Twilight focused on flying and maintaining her position, while most definitely not enjoying the view...even a little bit.

Thirteen days until the Summer Sun Celebration...

“One of the most important things you need to learn as a pegasus is how to pull yourself out of a freefall. In your case it's doubly important since you're likely to go into freefall flying in a straight line.”

Twilight gulped as she looked at the dizzying wheel in front of her. Rainbow Dash had told her about this particular method of 'training'. “No chance of something maybe a little less dangerous?”

“Oh, well, since you asked we do have a far more pleasant device that simulates a nice and peaceful crash. I can roll it out for you if you want.”

Fighting her urge to roll her eyes at the thick sarcasm, Twilight approached the wheel, thankful she hadn't had breakfast yet. Strapping herself into the harness, Twilight braced herself as her world was turned upside down and sideways. Wind rushed through her ears and by the fourth turn she felt like closing her eyes, only barely managing to keep them open.

“Release!” Twilight yelped as the harness snapped free and sent her flying. Her wings tried to catch the air and her legs flailed. Her vision suddenly turned white for several moments as she flew straight through one of the clouds, the impact altering her course slightly and weakening her momentum. Finally, the inertia faded as gravity began to take over until at last she was able to orient herself, fighting back nausea as she unsteadily headed for the runway, coming in for a landing that was immediately followed by a stumble.

Click. “Thirty-one seconds, not bad. If you spin out more than a thousand feet into the air, you might be able to recover before you hit the ground. Back on the wheel rookie, you're not getting breakfast until you hit twenty!”

Groaning and still unsteady on her hooves, Twilight made her way back.

Ten days until the Summer Sun Celebration...

Twilight winced as the smartly dressed unicorn very carefully shifted her wing before letting his magic take over. “It's only a minor sprain. With a bit of regeneration therapy she'll be ready to fly by tomorrow.”

“Thank you doctor,” said Spitfire curtly, waving him away. “What did you do wrong rookie?”

“I caught too much air with my wings and tried to turn against the wind,” said Twilight immediately, who had been thinking it through ever since the accident.

“Good. Learning from your mistakes is important...and at the rate you're making them, you'll be a grandmaster of flying by the end of the first week. Air currents are incredibly important, especially at higher altitudes like this. You need to use your wings to feel them and take in that information before reacting. Take your rest and enjoy the recovery time because I'm going to drill that lesson into your head once you're out.”

Spitfire left quickly but before the door had closed behind her, Fleetfoot and Soarin slipped inside, taking her place at her bedside.

“Congratulations on your first flying injury Twilight,” said Soarin giving her a good-natured hit on the leg. “You're looking more like a Wonderbolt than ever.”

“Really? Doesn't feel like it...feels more like pain,” she groaned as the unicorn doctor's magic quickened the healing process.

“Injuries come with the territory Twi, that's why we have a dedicated unicorn doctor up here. I've had more wing sprains than I can count and Soarin actually managed to fracture his foreleg the first time he was on the wheel.”

“That's not exactly inspiring you know...”

“The point is, injuries are going to happen on occasion. Just don't try to act tough or hide them. That'll just make things worse.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two Wonderbolts took off. With nothing left to do, Twilight began to probe at the ring around her horn, testing her limits and the restraints it imposed. It was a very clever bit of magic, but that only encouraged the alicorn to experiment, distracting herself with the puzzle Celestia had inadvertently given her. An observing pegasus might have thought Twilight had fallen asleep. A unicorn would have felt the hairs on their mane raise in reaction to the steady hum of magic emanating from her.

An hour later, there was a very faint but clear glow coming from her horn while the golden ring had a similar glow. She was nowhere near her full power, but it was enough for a small simple spell. Bringing to mind what the doctor had used on her before, Twilight began to focus her energy inwards.

“You used your magic,” came the accusation not one hour later.

“Me? Never. I have respect for the rules and this ring came from Celestia herself, remember?” Spitfire's probing stare made her fidget slightly but there was no reason to doubt Celestia's magic, right?

Spitfire finally sighed. “I won't question our fortune then. Perhaps you're simply more receptive to healing because of your nature as an alicorn.”

Twilight gave her an innocent look. “Me, an alicorn? I'm just another pegasus ma'am.”

The glare she received told her that she'd be paying for that little comment. “Two laps for your cheek rookie, and once you're done, meet me on the runway for formation flying.”

Imitating what Fleetfoot had done before, Twilight gave her a salute before taking off.

Eight days until the Summer Sun Celebration...

Twilight's eyes snapped open the second the morning sun cracked the horizon and exactly six minutes before Spitfire was set to pound on her door. Opening the window she let some of the cool air inside, letting it run through her mane and urge her awake. Counting down mentally she did a few stretches, grinning inwardly as she heard the soft sound of hooves outside her door.

“Good morning ma'am,” said Twilight suddenly, opening the door onto Spitfire who had a hoof raised in mid knock. “I was just about to head out and do my morning laps.”

“Glad I caught you then because you're getting a couple extra now,” came the smooth reply.

“Of course ma'am, I'll get right on it.” Yes, she was probably going to pay for that prank later, but getting one over on Spitfire had been worth it. Taking to the air, she began the long trek around the Wonderbolt's camp, occasionally waving to the other pegasi going through their own morning routines.

“You were looking good out there Twilight,” said Soarin as she took a seat at what she'd come to see as her usual table. Their group never seemed to increase beyond three despite space in the mess hall being rather scarce.

“Six whole days learning to fly straight and turn without injuring yourself. I'd call that good progress,” teased Fleetfoot.

“Don't be mean Fleet, she couldn't fly at all a few months ago and I think she'll have a trail soon.”

“A what?”

“You know, a color trail, when you fly really fast.”

“Well...that'd be nice I guess, but the trick I'm trying to perform is all about finesse, not speed. We're supposed to give the ponies a chance to admire their royalty after all.”

“What? Don't tell me you're not going to keep flying after this,” said Soarin aghast.

“Well...I am pretty good at teleporting. I just don't really see the point...sorry.” Twilight gave the two Wonderbolts a sheepish look. “I...I mean not that I'm saying it isn't nice but-”

The alicorn was cut off as Fleetfoot put a hoof on her shoulder. “Twi, you've got a lot more to learn than you think. Soarin, you thinking what I'm thinking?”

“I think so Fleet, but where are we going to get twenty pounds of chicken feathers?”

“Not that one you moron, I meant the other one.”

“Ohhh...wait, didn't Spitfire specifically warn-”

“What she doesn't know won't hurt us.”

“This is already starting to sound like a bad idea,” said Twilight with narrowed eyes.

“Don't worry, this is all on us,” reassured Fleetfoot. “Just be ready in two days.”

Despite her further attempts to get information out of them, the Wonderbolt pair were very tight lipped and evasive with their answers until it was time for noon day practice.

“Put these on, they're part of your uniform now.” Momentarily forgetting her lack of magic, the pair of goggles nearly hit her in the face before she managed to catch them with her hooves.

“What are these for?” asked Twilight, dropping them around her neck.

“Today you're going to learn how to fly fast. Part of your trick involves a freefall so this is going to help simulate one. You're going to fly straight at that cloudbank,” she said, gesturing towards a mass of soft clouds, “and once you pass that line, you're going to try and change your course. I'll demonstrate.”

Crouching low, Spitfire took off like a bullet, leaving an orange trail in her wake that gave the impression of fire. Within seconds she reached the line and suddenly the trail turned a full forty-five degree angle, her sleek form just barely cresting the wall of clouds before turning back and landing.

“As you can guess, this is just as hard as it looks. Turning at those speeds requires near perfect wing control. First though, we need to get you moving fast enough.”

It took some time for Spitfire to teach her the proper technique and positioning, but the results spoke for themselves, like the difference between an earth pony trotting and galloping. Once she'd had the technique drilled into her, Twilight began to make her runs. It was just as difficult as Spitfire said. Adjusting too little resulted in a crash. Adjusting too much killed her momentum entirely. Fortunately, the impact was soft, though it left her fur feeling damp each time.

Finally, on the sixth try, she hit the angle perfectly, her hooves skimming the cloud bank as she lessened her speed and came around for a landing.

“Good job rookie. Now let's see you do it with enough speed to outrace a baby foal.”

Seven days until the Summer Sun Celebration...

Twilight groaned as she collapsed into her bed, not even bothering to get beneath the covers as she clutched the pillow to her head. Spitfire had been particularly on her game today with her critiques and her inventive insults and even though the practice had cut off early, she still felt exhausted. Thankfully, Soarin and Fleetfoot were always there to soften the blows after practice, but her time with them was half over and while she could fly straight and had steadily been picking up speed, practice on the trick itself hadn't even started.

Tap...tap...tap...

Shifting her head slightly, Twilight looked towards the window. In the light of the moon she could just barely make out a hoof tapping at the window. When she got up to answer, Twilight had to resist the urge to groan.

“Fleetfoot, why are you sneaking into your own room?”

“Sorry Twi, couldn't let anypony see me wearing this, they're only supposed to be for shows and special occasions,” said the pegasus flying through the window, fully clothed in the Wonderbolt outfit she and Rarity had crafted. The material looked different in the evening light, almost as though the soft blue colors were shimmering not unlike Luna's mane. “You seriously need to tell me what you did with this thing. I find out something new every time I wear it.”

Twilight chuckled nervously and hoped Luna wasn't a fan of theirs. The shimmer would have been a dead giveaway. “So...this is one of those occasions?”

“Yes, now let's get going.” Anticipating her protest, Fleetfoot quickly grabbed her by the hoof and began to pull her towards the window, forcing the alicorn to start flying or get dragged along.

“Wha...wait, what are you doing?”

“Unofficial lessons. Don't worry, nothing dangerous.”

Fleetfoot's strong wings beat quickly as she pulled Twilight along, staying low to the ground and out of sight, only picking up altitude once they were away from the camp facilities.

“So am I heading to some sort of hazing ritual?” asked Twilight.

“Hazing? What sort of cadet do you think I am?” asked Fleetfoot with mock offense. “This is a rule breaking ritual.” Cresting the final cloud bank, Twilight saw the moonlit figure of Soarin below, holding something beneath his leg while dressed in his own uniform.

Waving the two mares down, Soarin tossed a bag to Twilight. “Go ahead and put that on. It's not as awesome as your uniforms, but there's still plenty of regular awesome in it.”

Flipping the bag open, Twilight gasped. “Soarin, I can't wear this!” she whispered harshly. Inside was a full Wonderbolt uniform that looked to fit her perfectly.

“No complaining Twi, we don't have enough time to wrestle you into it.” Seeing hers and Soarin's matching grins made Twilight realize they were only half joking.

“F-fine, but not a word to Rainbow. I'll never hear the end of it if she learns I wore one of these before she did.”

“I'm sure you've heard Spitfire talk about night time flying-” began Fleetfoot.

“Yeah, she said only the most idiotic pegasus would even consider it and even then only after they've been knocked on the head a few-”

“Well she exaggerates a bit but yeah, it's dangerous. That's why we're here though,” she interrupted, reaching into the bag and giving Twilight a pair of goggles. There was an enchantment on them but it was hard to tell exactly what with her sealed magic. She'd been guessing at some sort of night vision enhancement but instead of an ugly color filter, the lenses simply enhanced the glow of the moon, giving the soft clouds vibrant color as they reflected the light.

“You'll be following my lead and Fleetfoot will be at your back, so don't worry too much, but be careful all the same.” Taking to the air, Soarin flew a casual loop before suddenly putting on speed and punching a hole straight through the clouds with a dive.

Peeking through the hole, Twilight had to fight off a sudden sense of vertigo as she saw the ground far below. The cloud construct of the Wonderbolt's Academy had done a good job of hiding just how far up in the air they really were.

“That's...wow that's high,” she said numbly.

“Been a while since you've seen the ground huh? Here's a tip, don't pull out of the dive until you can start to make out individual trees.”

Taking a breath, Twilight closed her eyes and jumped, diving through the hole and folding her wings to catch less air. Soarin's soft glowing outfit quickly caught up to her vision while she could see Fleetfoot following in her wake from the corner of her eye.

The feeling was exhilarating. Twilight hesitated to blink just in case she missed a moment of seeing the ground rushing towards her, eyes taking in the scope of the realm for a few brief moments as she went into freefall.

Despite the intense feeling, the second she saw Soarin pull out of the dive, she did the same, giving herself plenty of time. The Wonderbolt outfit felt like a second coat of fur on her body and cut the wind chill to a cool pleasant feeling through her mane and tail.

Ahead of her, Soarin's course swerved and began to take them over the tops of the faintly glowing trees. To an earth pony the forest might have been a dangerous place at night, but to the three pegasi it was little more than a fantastic view as they swerved around the tops of the branches.

It was all perspective really. Up among the faceless clouds it was hard to tell how fast she had been going. Down among the trees whipping by her in a blur of green, it encouraged her to push herself, the fatigue of earlier fading away for the moment. Soarin was picking up speed now, the moonlit colors of his trail streaking behind. Gritting her teeth, Twilight straightened her body and rode the wind tunnel he was leaving, the forest below turning into little more than a green blur as they flew towards the full moon.

Catching sight of Fleetfoot in the corner of her eye, Twilight noticed that she was casting a trail, but even now she was keeping up with her. Did that mean...

Quick as a flash, Twilight risked a glance backwards. It was there. A streak of purple, pink, and violet trailing behind her, glimmering in the moonlight. A surge of pride overtook her and with a cheer she put on an extra burst of speed, managing to close the distance with Soarin and show off her accomplishment. Soarin's own cheer was lost in the rush of air but she could see his enthusiasm.

Despite the new found speed though, she was quickly reminded that she was in the presence of two Wonderbolts when the two of them flanked her, easily keeping pace while Fleetfoot gestured in a particular direction.

Flying above the treeline, Twilight gasped as she saw their destination. A lake, smooth as a mirror lay in the midst of the thick forest, reflecting the full moon. With the help of the goggles the place was bathed in the soft white glow while the stars blanketed the sky. Her flight faltered, slowed, and finally stopped as the alicorn fixed the amazing sight in her mind.

“So how did you get into the Wonderbolts?” asked Twilight sometime later. The three of them were resting on a cloud Fleetfoot and Soarin had managed to bring together, positioning it so they could continue to take in the view.

“Forced is the word I'd use,” he said with a chuckle. “I was pressed into guard duty once my parents kicked me out, and I probably would be wearing gold armor right now if Spitfire hadn't found me.”

“Played him like a drum,” cut in Fleetfoot. “Got him to sign up for Wonderbolt training by saying he wouldn't amount to much and someone as unskilled as him would collapse after the first day.”

“Well she was right about that part,” said Soarin sheepishly.

“Only because you kept giving her cheek and she kept giving you laps!”

Twilight giggled. “My brother was the same way. He was already dating Cadance when he joined the training school for the royal guard so the drill sergeant had to take his ego down a few pegs.”

“Wish I could say my story was as interesting. I just joined because I liked flying and the Wonderbolts were the ultimate flyers. Perhaps a bit too heavy with all the ceremonies, but it was pretty much everything I thought it'd be. Now I even get to say I taught one of Equestria's princesses.”

“Planning on leaving out the part where you taught me to break rules?” The jibe earned her a soft hit on the leg.

“Only if you tell me you didn't enjoy it,” she shot back. “You'll even have something to show Spitfire tomorrow...today.”

Twilight grimaced. “Well I had the help of a wind tunnel and I was-”

“Ah ah ah, none of that now,” interrupted Fleetfoot. “You did it once, you can do it again. Don't start thinking otherwise.”

Twilight's intended response died on her tongue. “Alright.”

“Good, now let's get back before the sun starts coming up. It'll be impossible to sneak in during the morning.”

“And just where in Tartarus have you three been?”

“Busted,” moaned Soarin, hanging his head.

“You two are back on my list, starting today. Night time flying is dangerous enough but taking a princess along over the Everfree Forest when she doesn't even have her magic?”

“I don't suppose a sorry is going to cut it?” said Fleetfoot with a weak smile.

Spitfire glared at her. “That's a good start, but when I'm finished you're going to be looking worse than Twilight will tomorrow morning. As for you...” she said, turning towards a suddenly nervous alicorn, “Give me back my uniform. I'll be expecting you on the runway at the usual time.”

Twilight winced as her head provided her with a depressingly small number for the hours of sleep she was going to get that night.

Six days until the Summer Sun Celebration...

If Spitfire had been impressed with her speed, she didn't show it, though she did celebrate Twilight's midnight flying by putting her through a grueling routine, barely giving her time to rest. Despite it though, Twilight left with a grin when she heard Spitfire's last remark of the day.

“Adequate. We'll begin work on the stunt properly tomorrow.”

Fleetfoot did not share her enthusiasm. “Not so loud,” she groaned as Twilight entered their room. “My head is pounding.”

“Oh, sorry,” whispered Twilight as she carefully closed the door. “Spitfire?”

“Spitfire,” she agreed with a groan, “Lots of it.”

Looking around conspiratorially, Twilight approached her bed. “I might have something that can help with that...but it doesn't leave this room, alright?”

Wearily, the pegasus looked up at Twilight. “Go on...”

Concentrating, the alicorn carefully began to filter her magic through the seal on her horn, her body taking on a faint violet glow. Touching it to Fleetfoot's head, she imitated the spell she'd seen the unicorn doctor use, easing the pain before making it vanish completely.

“Hey, I thought you couldn't use magic!” said Fleetfoot in surprise, getting to her hooves and rubbing her suddenly clear head.

“Oh I can't, not like I usually can, but I'm Celestia's student remember? That's like being the Wonderbolt of magic,” she teased, putting on her best impression of Rainbow Dash at her most exuberant. “You wanna help me try something else? It's untested though, so it might not work, but it's perfectly safe. Just turn over onto your stomach.”

“Alright...go ahead,” she offered, following Twilight's request.

It took a minute for the magic to come to her and the effort made her perspire a bit, but slowly she got around the ring once more. When her hooves began to rub the pegasus' back like she had done to her previously, it came with a flood of warmth that spread throughout her body. The moan she let out made Twilight blush a bit, her hooves briefly pulling away in surprise.

“Mmhh...do that again!” she gasped out. Twilight did so and her pleased moans continued to fill the room. Her technique was lacking, but her magic more than made it up for it and as her hooves continued down her back and over the muscles of her wings, the mare's moans only grew more lewd. By the time she finally pulled away, Twilight could have sworn she saw a trail of drool coming from Fleetfoot's mouth.

“Ahh...I'd call that a success,” mumbled Fleetfoot. “Do it again sometime and I'll be sure to buy you dinner first,” she teased. “I'll even provide the candles if you wanna set a mood.”

“H-hey! I was just trying something out,” she protested. “I didn't expect you to react so...strongly.”

Fleetfoot let out a yawn and lightly flexed her wings. “You've no idea Twilight.” Before the alicorn could inquire further, a soft snore rose from her bed.

Five days until the Summer Sun Celebration...

Twilight had to admire the patience of Soarin and Fleetfoot. Each time the stunt fell apart, she knew it was her fault, knew that she was the one holding the other two back, but they never were discouraging. Even Spitfire's attitude seemed to have shifted somewhat, and while she was still as hard as ever, the insults had lessened to a softer degree, though she still held the title of rookie.

While the stunt wasn't as visually impressive as some of the more common Wonderbolt acrobatics, there were hidden challenges scattered everywhere. The wingbeats of each pegasus had to be timed perfectly with one another and the strength of each flap had to sustain her in the air and keep her perfectly level for a certain time. The slower parts were perhaps the hardest, forcing the princess to make constant adjustments while trying not to overcompensate. It was somewhat grueling and she couldn't imagine having to run such drills for entire routines.

Fumbling the landing after a shaky decent, Twilight gave Spitfire an apologetic look and readied herself for another try. She'd come too far to fail now.

Two days until the Summer Sun Celebration...

“Soarin, Fleetfoot, take fifteen and cool yourselves off. Twilight, go take a lap and take it slow.”

The alicorn in question let out a sigh but did as she was told, taking a lazy route around the camp. It wasn't the first time Spitfire had ordered her to do so either, often doing so each time practice became too frustrating. To her surprise, this time Spitfire joined her.

It wasn't until halfway through the lap that Spitfire finally spoke. “You've come quite a ways, you know that?”

Twilight appreciated the compliment but her cynicism spoke for her. “Not far enough.”

There was another silence, broken only by the muffled cries of instructors barking orders to other ponies. When Spitfire spoke again, it was with a far off voice.

“When your friend Rainbow Dash was attending here and breaking every academy record we had, I told her that I respected pegasi that pushed themselves. One week later, she threw that in my face when I realized my creed was pushing ponies in the wrong direction for the wrong reasons and breeding bad habits. Lightning Dust in particular was so intent on pushing herself that she didn't care who she pushed down or out of the way to do it. Right now I'm seeing some of that in you Twilight. Tell me, why are you pushing yourself? And no vague answers please.”

“My mentor...Princess Celestia. I want to impress her,” she admitted finally.

“What if you're not able to do the trick by day after tomorrow then?” Twilight's flight balked slightly but she quickly recovered. “If you can't perform it, would you consider these last two weeks wasted?”

“What? No! Of course not! I've learned more than ever flying with you!” It hardly seemed like two weeks when it came to that. Everything had been so fast paced that one experience just seemed to bleed into the next. Add to that the time she'd spent with Soarin and Fleetfoot and the memories gave her a warm feeling that she often associated with her close friends.

“A lot of pegasi try out for the Wonderbolts for really superficial reasons. Some try out because they have family in here. Others see it as a status symbol. Most of these types tend to wash out in the first year. The ones who succeed more often than not are the ones who are doing it for themselves. Ponies who want to push themselves and their abilities for its own sake. For example, do you think Rainbow Dash would stop trying to improve herself if she couldn't become a Wonderbolt?”

No, of course she wouldn't, Twilight realized. Dropping out of flight camp hadn't even slowed her down. She might be devastated if she were to lose that chance, but she would never stop trying to push herself and her flying abilities.

“Don't misunderstand me Twilight, trying to please Celestia is certainly an admirable goal, but if you take anything away from these two weeks, I'm hoping that it's pride in what you've accomplished.”

The rest of the lap passed in thoughtful silence, the frustration she'd been feeling slowly bleeding away. Fifteen minutes later when the Wonderbolts returned, there was a determined look on her face, mirrored by Soarin and Fleetfoot. At Spitfire's signal, the three of them took to the air once more.

The day of the Summer Sun Celebration...

“Nervous?” asked Fleetfoot as they looked down from the cloud cover the weather ponies had provided for the occasion.

Twilight shook her head and turned away from the sea of colors below. “I'm going to be too busy flying to be nervous,” she said humorlessly. “There must be hundreds of ponies down there.”

“I do apologize for this Twilight, I had no idea Inkwell had something so elaborate planned. He must have caught me at a busy time while I was organizing the event.”

“It's okay princess,” said Twilight quickly, giving her old mentor a smile. “Even if it was unintentional, I managed to get a lot out of the experience.”

Her touching statement was followed by a sudden hoof to the back of the head. “Don't give me this defeatist attitude now Twi! You've come this far, now get out there and nail it!”

Grinning at Fleetfoot, Twilight flicked her wing before taking off, closely followed by Luna and Celestia.

Far below the conversation above, an orange mare was muscling her way through the crowd. “Place seems a bit more crowded than usual,” said Applejack, finally making it to her group of friends.

“Lot of pegasi from Cloudsdale around,” provided Rainbow Dash. “Spitfire suspended training camp for the celebration but everyone knows she wants to see Twilight do this, and a lot of the academy members showed up too.”

“Well Pinkie seems excited. Then again, Ah think she has emergency stashes 'round Ponyville just in case she needs to make a celebration bigger.”

“Shh, here it goes!” said Rainbow excitedly. A breath after she'd finished and suddenly the clouds that had been covering the sky were banished, clearing a wide circle in the sky above the ponies below. The glow of the moon now revealed seemed to shine intensely, overpowering the artificial light that had been strung up for the occasion.

An azure streak arced across the sky, leaving a trail of stars that slowly faded in its wake. Behind that came a streak of blazing gold, following for a brief moment before diverting onto its own path. The two bright trails danced around the crowd of ponies, slowly drawing closer to one another on their seemingly random paths through the sky until a bright flash of purple light drew everypony's attention upwards towards the moon where a violet comet was hurtling towards the earth in a freefall, the trail set to intersect with those of the celestial princesses.

As she descended, the sky began to shift colors, the glow fading as the horizon turned from black and blue to a lavender hue as the light arrived.

The three streaks raced towards one another, looking for all the world as though they were about to collide, but at the last possible second, high in the air, the three alicorns spread their wings wide, the light of the coming dawn catching each of them and making their manes shimmer.

The stillness only continued for a moment as gravity began to take over, but with a single beat of their wings, all three alicorns moved into a new position, a circle slowly spinning against the image of the fading moon with each pony touching front hooves to back, flapping their wings in perfect synch to maintain the slow speed and stay aloft, a living imitation of the mural of the two sisters, with one small addition.

At an unseen signal, the formation broke, the three alicorns entering a freefall. With a few almost unnoticeable adjustments to their wings, the three of them began to spiral downwards, their trails igniting once more and weaving together into one. Less than ten feet from the ground, their wings snapped open, the ponies closest to the stand feeling a rush of air as the three landed gracefully on the stage, Twilight in the middle.

Luna's horn brightened first, the moon lowering and fading into the morning light. Twilight was next, adding splashes of color to the sunrise. Finally, Celestia raised her head, her horn giving off a brilliant, almost blinding light, the sun rising into the sky and banishing the night. A cheer went up from the crowd along with a thunderous sound of hooves beating the ground. Then, in a flash of light, the royal alicorns vanished.

Twilight had barely come out of the daze that accompanied teleportation when a rainbow blur tackled her, sending her to the soft grass. “That. Was. Awesome!”

Closely followed behind the excited Rainbow were the Wonderbolts. “Gotta say, you did well.”

“And you owe me twenty bits,” came Fleetfoot a moment later. “I told you she was going to nail it.”

Twilight gave Soarin a mock-hurt look. “You were betting against me?”

“Only for fun!” he insisted with a nervous laugh. “I had every confidence in you.”

“As did I,” said Spitfire, “even though you were off by a quarter wing beat, a tad too slow on the corkscrew, and a breath behind the others on the stop at the end-”

Twilight groaned. “Come on Spitfire...”

“-I think you've officially graduated from rookie.” To Twilight's surprise, the Wonderbolt captain had a rare smile on her face. “You've at least earned the right to be called 'runt'.”

The alicorn gave her a playful glare. “How about princess? I seem to remember getting that title at some point.”

“Cheer up Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash who still had a leg around Twilight's back. “She still calls me names and I can fly faster than her hooves down.”

“Yes, and flying faster than all your squad members is still a problem I need to hammer out of you,” said Spitfire, her serious look sliding back into place. “That aside, there is one thing I'd like to ask of you Dash. Something I'd consider a personal favor.”

Rainbow's eyes lit up with excitement while Twilight suddenly developed a sinking feeling in her stomach. “You name it!”

Pointing a hoof towards Twilight she gave the alicorn a look that seemed to radiate with mischief. “Make sure she gets some flying practice in three times a week. I'm sure you of all pegasi would know just how tragic it would be for flying talent to go to waste.”

“You got it ma'am! No back-sliding here, you can count on that!” Her grip around Twilight's midsection turned into a tight hug.

“I don't suppose anypony cares what I think?”

“You can have a say in the matter once you make newbie rank,” said Spitfire with a deadpan tone. “Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go make some of the cadets really uncomfortable while they're trying to enjoy themselves.”

Soarin shook his head as the captain flew off. “Mare's got a mean streak, but I guess that's a perk of the job. Be sure to drop by and visit sometime. If you ever get tired of this princess thing, you're welcome back at the academy. I'm sure Spitfire would love to turn you into a proper pegasus.”

“And you still owe me another one of those massages,” said Fleetfoot with a suggestive wink before she flew off as well.

The sudden blush that appeared caused Rainbow Dash to stare and the second the two of them were alone, Rainbow Dash's hug turned from tight to bone-crushing. “Alright Twi, spill! Just what sort of 'massage' did you give her?”

“Gah! Dash, it wasn't like that!”

Present day...

Derpy Hooves hummed to herself as she carefully flew through the air, a mailbag slung across her shoulder packed with messages for every pony in Ponyville. Today had been particularly busy, but she was getting a decent overtime wage and didn't mind the extra work.

ZHOOM!

The pegasus yelped as a violet blur suddenly rushed past her, a wave of air following after and dislodging the partially open bag, sending several dozen letters flying.

“Ahhh! No no no!” Pumping her wings, Derpy chased after the falling letters, sweeping back and forth in an impressive display of flying, catching each and every one of the letters fluttering towards the ground and depositing them back in her bag before any of them managed to fall. “Whew...close one.”

ZHOOM! ZHOOM! ZHOOM!

The world briefly turned white as letters flew everywhere in the sudden wave of air following in the wake of the three Wonderbolts. Derpy whimpered as she saw the letters scatter everywhere, her mailbag almost empty now. Taking a breath, the gray pegasus reached deep inside her bag and pulled out an emergency ration. A chocolate muffin. Taking a bite, her defeated look turned into one of determination, the remainder of the muffin disappearing back into her bag as she raced after them.

Twilight, meanwhile, was struggling with the ring around her horn. Using magic while flying had always been difficult, and now with Luna's improved ring, it was impossible. Oh, and she was trying to outfly the Wonderbolts.

Air was rushing past her ears, making any sounds inaudible, but the Wonderbolts had a way of communicating that didn't involve speaking. From the corner of her eye, Twilight could see Soarin and Fleetfoot gaining on her at a steady pace, their expressions relaxed to the point where it almost seemed like they were on a casual morning flight.

Twilight squeaked as Spitfire disappeared, only to suddenly descend from above, one of her hooves sliding along her back and causing her flight to waver slightly. Folding her wings, Twilight shot downwards towards the forest below, trying to use the trees as cover, taking the most random and unpredictable path she could, but soon she found her route being decided for her as the other pegasi began to cut her off and outpace her.

Pushing herself now, Twilight looked around for options. Flying through the forest was far too dangerous, but up above there was a large collection of clouds. Gritting her teeth, Twilight began to fly straight up, the three Wonderbolts in close pursuit. For a moment it seemed as though she was going to make it, then from the corner of her eye she could see a fast moving rainbow trail.

Twilight barely had time to cry out in surprise before the pegasus passed in front of her, the force of the air pushing her off course. Zipping around faster than her eye could track, Twilight didn't have time to steady herself before a pair of hooves gently gave her tail a tug, killing her momentum and sending her downwards. The fall was short lived though as she fell into the hooves of Rainbow Dash. To her dismay, she was wearing a familiar golden choker.

Every pegasus had to know at least the basics of weather work if only to learn how to fly safely. Anypony who took a career in flying had to take several courses and work for a weather factory, so it was little surprise that the Wonderbolts had a cloud fort constructed within minutes that concealed the five of them from view.

At the same time, Rainbow Dash had the important job of keeping Twilight from flying away and distracting her each time she tried to call on her magic.

“You know, you could have just asked me to talk rather than ambushing me!” she grumbled, fighting a gasp as Rainbow Dash's teeth gently nibbled at her neck.

“Mhmm...sure, I can tell you were really eager to talk about this,” said Rainbow with a grin as she pressed down against Twilight's back a bit more, keeping her from squirming too much. “You ran the second you saw Spitfire wearing your collar.”

“I haven't exactly had the most calming day,” she shot back, groaning as Dash's tongue suddenly slid over her horn. “Will you stop that?” she asked, stammering slightly.

“Only when you stop trying to teleport.”

“I wasn't-”

“The ring glows blue every time you start thinking about it.”

Curiously, her eyes turned upwards towards her horn as she began to concentrate. Sure enough, the small gold hoop began to shimmer with a soft azure color. “Damn you Luna,” she groaned. Despite not intending to teleport, Dash took the chance to give her belly a rub with her hoof and break her concentration again.

“Excellent work Rainbow Dash,” said Spitfire as she landed inside the cloud fort with the other Wonderbolts.

Twilight took a moment to glare at each of them. “You know, I'm almost certain there's a law against treating royalty like this.”

“That depends on whether or not you'll still be royalty in two months,” said Spitfire, lowering her goggles and letting them hang around her neck. Beside her, Fleetfoot and Soarin did the same. “But that is aside the point. Princess Twilight Sparkle, I and my companions Fleetfoot and Soarin wish to be formally inducted into your harem.” The statement was followed by a bow from all three.

“And me,” said Rainbow, nuzzling the back of her neck. “Got the neck thingy and everything.”

“Why?” asked Twilight, fighting back another gasp as Dash's hooves continued to massage her sides and belly. “And will you stop that already? I'm not going to teleport away!”

“Ring is still glowing,” mumbled Dash, giving said horn another kiss.

Twilight let out a growl of frustration but slowly the glow from the ring abated and finally vanished. “There, now will you get off?”

“Mmm...nope. I like this spot,” teased Dash.

Before Twilight could start snapping at her friend, Spitfire interrupted. “My answer is three-fold, Princess Twilight. First, I hold respect for you as you were willing to work towards a challenging goal far outside your comfort zone and rise to the occasion. Second, I find this ham-hoofed attempt at dethroning you to be little more than petty bullying, of which I am opposed to. Third, as part of the royal guard, it is my duty to protect the royalty from all potential threats, both internal and external.”

“Not to mention the new uniforms,” added Soarin, tapping his hoof against his chest. “We've been fielding these requests for ages but Celestia never had time for them.”

“Hey that's not entirely her fault,” said Twilight defensively. “She has a lot of things to deal with!”

“And obviously you've helped her with that,” cut in Fleetfoot. “Sure, uniforms should probably take a back seat to diplomatic relations and food production, but you still got it done.”

Twilight sighed and shifted beneath Rainbow Dash once again. “Those are...decent reasons but this isn't like exchanging a favor you know! You're potentially walking into a lifetime commitment if the law can't be revoked!”

“I've made my decision Princess Twilight, and I stand by it.”

“What about aside from your duty then?” asked Twilight. “What makes you think I'd accept you just out of some sense of obligation?”

Spitfire blinked, but she'd obviously been prepared for the question. “Apart from my duty? Well, putting everything else aside, I think you're attractive, you're driven towards self-improvement, which I find to be an appealing quality, and the few times you let that cynical side of yours show with that biting wit made me want to give you a lesson completely unrelated to flying.”

It wasn't exactly the most flattering delivery, but the blunt way she had given it to her was almost charming in its own way. “And what about you Twilight, do we meet your standards?”

Twilight fought a blush as she looked over the three in their form fitting outfits. As Wonderbolts under a constant regimen of intense physical training, they were at the near peak of physical fitness and it showed. “Of course you do...” she mumbled, pushing her head against the cloud. “But that doesn't explain why you're in on this!” she snapped at Rainbow.

“Pfft. I wanted to ask you out the first time I saw you in Ponyville. I've just been waiting for an excuse.”

“I get the impression that you're nervous Twilight,” said Spitfire before the alicorn could respond.

“Of course I'm nervous! I've never even...you know...” She trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.

Spitfire nodded. “I see. Soarin, Fleetfoot, I want you two to go on patrol. Don't let any pegasi come near this cloud cover. Tell them that there's a weather experiment going on if they ask. Rainbow Dash?”

“Ma'am?”

“I leave this in your capable hooves,” she said before the three of them took off, leaving her alone with the rainbow pegasus.

“Hey there,” said Rainbow with a soft nuzzle. “You looked good out there trying to outfly Spitfire.”

Twilight blinked at the praise but didn't respond, so Rainbow continued talking, even as she nipped at her neck and caressed her fur. “I wasn't joking you know. I've wanted to do this ever since I saw you in Ponyville.” Her body shifted and suddenly Twilight found Rainbow's mouth gently nibbling on a sensitive part of her wing. Her sharp moan was muffled by the clouds as her body trembled. “And I've wanted to do that ever since you got wings.”

“D-Dash, we're right out in the open!” she protested weakly.

“Relax Twi, we've got clouds. They'll keep things muffled no matter how loud you get.”

Despite Rainbow's assurances, Twilight tried her best to remain silent, a feat which became increasingly difficult as the pegasus continued her pleasurable assault on her wings. For a pony who had built her reputation on being fast and oft times impatient, she was moving almost tortuously slow, relaxing her with gentle touches and soft nips.

“A-aren't we supposed to go on dates before we do this kind of thing?” she gasped out, her entire body feeling warm.

“There's no rules for this sort of thing Twi,” murmured Rainbow Dash into her ear. “But if you really want me to stop, I'll go tell Spitfire to lay off and send the Wonderbolts packing. Promise.”

The conflict played out in her mind in an instant. She wasn't trying to build a harem. She'd only brought up this silly law because she wanted a break after all. Even now though, she could feel the warmth and affection coming from her close friend. She wasn't helping her out of obligation, but out of a genuine sense of affection and attraction, and if Twilight was being honest with herself, that attraction wasn't one-sided either. The stupid harem law may as well have just been window dressing.

Besides, Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts were just four ponies, a far cry from the twenty she needed, and if she took in a few members then it would look as though she were at least making an effort and perhaps get Luna to ease off a bit.

“T-turn me over,” she said finally, shifting to face the smiling pegasus. Swallowing, she recalled the words Luna had her recite when she was enchanting the chokers. “I, Twilight Sparkle, do welcome Rainbow Dash among my herd. Her burdens will be my burdens. Her happiness, my happiness. I accept the tribute of her worldly possessions along with her body and mind and bestow this collar as a symbol of my...ownership.”

“And I, Rainbow Dash, accept this gift.” There was a flash as the inert magic in the amethyst gem activated and began to glow a muted violet color. All of this went unseen by Twilight though, as Rainbow Dash has pushed in close, her mouth opening and pressing against Twilight's in a soft, sensual kiss, her tongue sliding out and gently licking along her mouth before slipping inside and briefly touching the alicorn's tongue before breaking away.

“So...did you come up with that on your own?” teased Rainbow, giggling lightly in an effort to help Twilight relax.

“I-it was Luna's idea,” she murmured nervously. “I didn't have a better one. The important part is the intent though and the thoughts associated with-”

Rainbow silenced her with another soft kiss, this time simply running her tongue along her muzzle. “I believe you,” she murmured. “Did you want to do the next part?” she said with a grin.

Blushing, Twilight nodded.

“Do you want me to lead?”

Another hesitant nod.

The warm smile Rainbow had on her face made Twilight's heart beat faster. Slowly, with the same care and affection she'd shown since her 'capture', Rainbow Dash began to move, her tongue trailing down her stomach and gently teasing at her fur.

**********

The pegasus' forelegs shifted to curl around Twilight's hind legs, her warm breath gently passing over her marehood before her tongue plunged inside. The sharp cry of pleasure was the signal Dash had been waiting for, her pace intensifying and her tongue sliding in deep, abandoning the gentle pace she had been building up to give Twilight a taste of the speed she'd been expecting.

Within moments the pegasus had the princess moaning and squirming on the cloud, bucking upwards towards her skilled tongue which seemed intent on exploring and pleasuring every inch it could reach. Just when the alicorn was adapting to her new pace, Dash shifted again, giving her longer, slower licks, occasionally pulling out completely to slide her tongue along her folds.

It almost made Twilight feel guilty to just lay there and enjoy the other mare's tongue, though the myriad of sweet cries and moans that filled the cloud fort seemed to more than satisfy the pegasus.

“D-Dash...close...” she managed to gasp out. The rainbow mare's response was to thrust faster and deeper with her long, wet tongue, quickly pushing the alicorn to her blissful peak. Juices spilled out, staining Dash's muzzle even as her tongue worked to lap up her offering. Around her neck, the amythest centerpiece glowed brightly and flashed as the energy of Twilight's release sealed the spell and cemented Rainbow Dash's place at her side.

Panting from her sudden and quick release, Twilight couldn't help but blush deeply as Rainbow Dash slid up Twilight's body, her tongue licking a small bit of cum from her muzzle before nuzzling her neck, embracing her in a warm hug and cuddling with her in the valley after the peak.

“You taste good Twi,” murmured Dash. “Really good. Wonder if it's a princess thing,” she teased.

“I'll take your word for it,” mumbled Twilight as she rested her hooves on Dash's back, careful to avoid disturbing her wings even though she didn't seem to mind.

“No really, have a taste,” said Rainbow with a grin, leaning in for another kiss.

Twilight squeaked and began to squirm beneath Dash whose grip had tightened a bit to keep her in place. “Nnhh! Dash, don't you d-mmph!” The pegasus proved faster, planting another kiss on her open mouth, her tongue darting in once more to share the taste with her. When she pulled back, the alicorn was glaring at her, shivering slightly at the sharp, potent flavor.

“Aww, don't be like that Twi, was it that bad?”

Twilight's glare gradually faded under Dash's knowing grin. “No...” she murmured, her legs tightening around her middle.

“Do you want me to call the Wonderbolts back?”

“Actually, can we spend a bit more time together?” mumbled Twilight with a hint of embarrassment.

Rainbow grinned and gave her neck another nuzzle. “Tell me what you want.”

“Turn around.” Rainbow gave Twilight another kiss on the cheek before standing up and turning, her rainbow tail brushing against her mouth as she lowered herself down onto the alicorn.

Small details bombarded Twilight's mind as a shiver of anticipation spread through her body. The pleasant scent of Dash after a bout of intense flying mixed with the aroma of her arousal flooded her senses while her eyes locked onto the mare's hips that were slowly descending towards her open mouth.

Hesitantly at first, Twilight pushed her tongue forward and slid it across Dash's outer lips, pleased to hear the pegasus moan encouragingly and press more firmly against her. The princess' hesitance and inexperience were plain, but Rainbow took immense pleasure in being her first, and in the cute muffled sounds that continued to escape even as she tried to concentrate on pleasuring her.

Rainbow's own tongue didn't remain idle for long, once again diving into the alicorn's slick folds, feeling her partner falter slightly as her concentration was split between giving and receiving pleasure. Dash's competitive spirit was also starting to rise, and even though it was a competition Twilight was ill prepared for, the alicorn gave it her all, locking her hooves around Rainbow's flank and licking earnestly, eager to see what the pegasus would do when she wasn't holding back.

Within moments she had her answer. Dash's tongue was everywhere; thrusting hard, lapping at her walls, taking in her juices. Her speed was incredible and Twilight found herself bucking instinctively towards her mouth, though Rainbow was quick to move her muzzle each time and remain in control.

The one advantage she had was rapidly diminishing, but the alicorn fought through the fast growing haze of pleasure, trying to imitate even a fraction of what Rainbow was doing. While the pegasus didn't respond openly, a taste of her juices and a shiver of her wings was encouragement enough.

Resistance crumbling rapidly, Twilight tried focusing on her magic. There wasn't much she could do, but she used what little she could cobble together to send a spark dancing from her tongue, giving the pegasus a jolt that made her jerk in surprise and briefly break her pace. Panting with desire and need, Twilight took the chance to push Rainbow over and take the top.

“Magic huh? Guess that means I get to use my wings!”

Twilight only had a moment to consider what that meant before Rainbow Dash showed her, the deceptively strong wings fanning out over her back, massaging her while pressing down hard, causing her legs to buckle. For a moment it almost felt like Rainbow's muzzle had pushed inside before her tongue lashed out, hitting even deeper than before. The alicorn's cry of pleasure filled the cloud fort as a tingling sensation raced up and down her body.

Movements shaky, Twilight tried to reciprocate in kind, but Dash wasn't giving her a moment to rest, her hooves massaging her flank and her sensitive cutie mark to add to the pleasure of her tongue, shattering the last of her resistance and pushing her over the edge a second time.

It wasn't until the pegasus had licked her juices clean that Twilight got a taste of her in return. Strong rear legs wrapped around her neck and pulled her close, and with a buck of her hips, Rainbow peaked, spilling her juices inside the alicorn's mouth, who found the taste surprisingly good despite her earlier reservations and made an effort to lick up every bit that had landed on her fur.

“Sweeter the second time,” teased Dash, slowly pulling Twilight onto her side before shifting once more to cuddle with her, playfully licking at some of the cum on her muzzle that her own tongue had missed. “How do you feel?”

The alicorn let out a satisfied sigh as she hugged her tight. “Good. Really good,” she admitted. “Not sure I have the energy to face down the Wonderbolts though.”

“Don't quit on me now Twi, you handled two weeks of Spitifire's personal attention...but I'll be sure to tell them to go easy on you.”

With another soft kiss, Rainbow took off, breaking through the cloud fort while Twilight took a moment to relax. It was hard to believe that all her friends were in on this. Sure, neither Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy had admitted it, but if both of them knew, then all of her friends knew, and their combined efforts had already coerced three of Equestria's finest fliers into this. She could only imagine what else they had planned.

“On your hooves rookie!” Twilight's eyes snapped open and her body jerked upwards at the sharp command.

Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot stood in front of her, all out of uniform. It was actually the first time she'd seen Spitfire without one, and the pegasus had a very bright and striking color in her mane and tail. Despite her younger look though, the air of authority was still present and seemed to overshadow everypony else.

“Wait, rookie? I thought you said-”

“You're not a rookie flier anymore but if you were about to fall asleep after two rounds with Dash, you're a completely different type of rookie. Now I believe you had something to say?”

Sheepishly and with some nervousness, Twilight recited the vow she had given to Rainbow Dash earlier. Like before, the chokers they wore began to shimmer with her magic as they accepted her vow.

“About face rookie. Spread your wings and lift that tail. This is an inspection!” The command had Twilight complying before the embarrassment of the position could catch up with her.

“Good to see you taking care of those wings. You get some points back but you're still in the negative from skipping on your morning flights with Dash and your inability to outfly us for more than thirty seconds.”

“W-what? But how could-eep!” Twilight let out a sharp yelp as Spitfire's hoof smacked against her flank just below her cutie mark.

“No talking during the grading portion of the exam,” came the sharp retort. “Fleetfoot! Soarin! I want a full examination of her wings!” Leaning down, Spitfire murmured something into the princess' ear before stepping back, watching as Twilight's body relaxed slightly even as the other two pegasi took their spots beside each wing.

Sharing a nod, Fleetfoot and Soarin began to examine her wings, rubbing their hooves tenderly across her feathers and flight muscles, nibbling and nuzzling the sensitive parts while Spitifre remained behind her.

“I expect you to remain standing for the duration of this examination rookie, or I will be most...disappointed.” Sliding her foreleg in between Twilight's hind legs, Spitfire rubbed firmly against the squirming alicorn who had to fight back her gasp.

The two pegasi at her sides soon gave up pretense, quickly becoming more perverse with their touches, caressing her back with their own wings while Sptifire's hoof rubbed intimately against her. Soarin and Fleetfoot worked well together, keeping the pace of their hooves and playful nibbles similar but varied enough to make it unique for each wing, preventing her from ever getting used to the sensations or relaxing fully.

Soon, Spitfire's petting turned to rough grinding, making Twilight's legs tremble as she was barely able to move without putting strain on her wings. Losing herself for the moment, Twilight's mouth opened and a soft moan escaped.

Then, just as suddenly, the sensations stopped, giving the princess a moment to catch her breath as Spitfire pulled away. “Your sensitivity gets a passing grade and the quality of your moans is top notch, but your most important mark...is endurance.” The last word was almost whispered and a warm breath passed over her flank as Spitifre took advantage of her upraised tail, building the tension once again with soft nuzzling and gentle rubs.

From her position, Twilight couldn't see Spitfire, only feel her touches and hear her words, her breaths slowly turning into ragged pants as the Wonderbolt's tongue teased at the edge of her folds. Finally, just as the tension was about to peak, Spitfire pushed her wet hot tongue inside, her hooves wrapping around her hind legs and preventing her from squirming away.

Later, Twilight would observe that while Dash had the better tongue, the wings and hooves of the other two ponies determined to caress and rub every sensitive part of her body made it impossible to tell which was better. Within moments, Twilight failed. Hard. Still, Spitfire hardly seemed to mind as she lapped up her juices and swirled her tongue along her walls, the gemstone in her choker glowing brightly.

**********

If there was one clear advantage pegasi had over their earth and unicorn cousins, it was their ability to cuddle, their soft yet strong wings giving them a sharp advantage. Despite the altitude, the warmth provided by the three pairs of wings was just as good as any blanket she could remember.

“I still feel a bit bad that you didn't um...you know...”

“Don't be,” murmured Fleetfoot. “You were obviously worn out after Spitfire.”

“I make no apologies,” came the captain's sharp retort as she pulled Twilight against her chest. “And neither of you seemed to mind either.”

“She does make the cutest expressions,” added Soarin. “Besides, we're officially part of Twilight's harem now. We'll have plenty of time to spend together.”

“And by Celestia she definitely needs the practice,” added Spitfire. “Your endurance scores were abysmal.”

“That's okay though,” said Fleetfoot with a nuzzle. “Practicing is half the fun.”

Reaching critical mass embarrassment, Twilight buried her head in Spitfire's fur, using her wings for cover while the Wonderbolts chuckled at the sight.

Minutes passed in a warm comfortable bliss and Twilight found herself drifting in and out of consciousness. Some time later though, she was being nudged fully awake by Fleetfoot. “We've got to get back to the academy and Spitfire has paperwork to do, but we'll be seeing you later tonight,” she promised.

“Don't worry, I'll make sure she flies home straight,” said Rainbow Dash from the cuddle pile.

“See to it Dash,” said Spitfire, carefully dislodging the other pegasi. “That's our mistress after all.”

Twilight groaned. “Never thought I'd miss being called rookie...”

Soon it was just her and Dash again. “Did you enjoy watching?” teased Twilight as she lay on her back. “Don't even try to play innocent, that necklace can tell me where you are.”

Rainbow gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I couldn't help it. Kinda surprised you went along with it though. Spitfire can be pretty intense.”

“She gave me a safety word,” admitted the alicorn. “Otherwise I might have really panicked. It was really...intense, yeah.”

It took some time for Rainbow's giggles to die down. “So what about Soarin huh? You didn't let him do anything with his stallion parts. Got a special harem member in mind that you're saving it for?”

“Gah! No! I don't have any members planned! You four practically strong-hoofed me into this!”

“I'll say sorry if you tell me you didn't enjoy it,” shot back Rainbow. “And my other question still stands. You waiting for a special stallion?”

“N-no, I was just tired after you and Spitfire,” she mumbled. “Still kinda feel like a nap actually,” she said with a yawn.

“Well get your wings in gear and start flying then. I'll give you a wind tunnel on the way back.”

Twilight gave her a playful grin. “You know, as your princess I could order you to carry me back.”

“Do it and I'll be sure to carry you over the most populated places in Ponyville so everyone can see us,” teased Rainbow in return.

“Fine, you win this time,” said Twilight with a pout, standing up and stretching herself out to prepare for the coming flight.

“Hey Twilight, what time is your court supposed to start?” asked Rainbow suddenly, stopping in mid-flight.

The alicorn briefly scrambled in mid air to avoid a collision. “Not for several hours, why do you ask?”

Putting a hoof on her forehead, Dash squinted into the distance. “Well, I might be off, but I'd say there are about a hundred ponies around your library right now.”

“What?” Twilight tried to squint like Dash had, but her vision could only make out a few bright dots in the distance.

“Don't worry princess, I'll go see what's up.” Before Twilight could protest, Dash had taken off, leaving Twilight to rest on a nearby cloud. A minute later she was back, holding a paper in her hand. “Guess this explains it,” she said, handing it to Twilight.

Snatching it from her hoof, Twilight quickly looked it over. It was a flier, printed professionally in neat, elegant script with a stylistic drawing of Twilight displayed prominently at the top.

“Save our princess,” she read. “Let's see...plot to dethrone...archaic law...building a harem...offer yourself to her...preserve our royalty...finest among all alicorns...who the buck wrote this thing?” snapped Twilight, the fatigue from earlier fading as it was replaced with anger, her eyes narrowing in on the fine print at the bottom. “Oh...he's a dead pony.”

Rainbow blinked in confusion but before she could ask who, Twilight took off, her violet trail streaking behind her as she raced towards Canterlot. Curiously, Dash picked up the paper and took a closer look, finally spying what had set Twilight off in the bottom corner.

“Endorsed by...Prince Blueblood?”

Chapter 3: Battle Lines

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 4: Fire, Lightning, and Explosions

Wind whipped through her mane as Twilight poured on as much speed as she could, using her pegasus magic to push aside the air in front of her just like Rainbow had shown. The difference in speed was immense, the terrain flying below her in a blur of greens, whites, and blues, and yet for all her speed, Rainbow and Fleetfoot kept pace beside her.

It was an impressive sight to behold how much effort the rainbow mare put into her technique, giving the illusion of barely trying even though she could feel the magic humming around her in the air. Fleetfoot was a bit more refined, and though she lacked the raw energy Rainbow possessed, her technique was likewise elegant and graceful.

Ponyville was far behind the trio now, and the empty landscape between it and Canterlot stretched out before them. From the corner of her eye, she could see Rainbow grin and share a look with Fleetfoot, a small tremor passing through her body as she realized what she was in for.

Rainbow made the first move, spinning suddenly in the air and sweeping beneath her, one of her soft wings sliding against her belly. Unlike the two Wonderbolts, Twilight wasn't wearing a uniform, leaving her vulnerable to the soft, pleasant touches, and Fleetfoot was quick to join in, mirroring Dash's moves as her wings stroked along her back from mane to tail. Twilight's flight faltered, but she remained airborne, determined to fly through the distraction.

The two pegasi weren't making it easy though, their touches getting more bold by the minute, their flight paths taking them closer and closer to the princess with each pass. Flying close quarters like this was usually quite dangerous, but Twilight knew she was in good hooves and simply focused on keeping herself steady as she was caressed and teased.

Hovering just above her back now, Fleetfoot made her move, bending down and sliding her tongue along Twilight's neck, drawing a gasp from the alicorn, her wings faltering again and her flight failing. Rainbow was ready for her though. Her wings snapped out and her legs opened, catching the princess as she fell, holding her tight while Twilight squeaked in surprise, their flight arcing down towards the ground. Fortunately, even this had been planned, and instead of a hard landing against the grass, Twilight and Rainbow hit a soft cloud bank, the rainbow mare giggling as she held her tight and placed a kiss on her muzzle.

Fleetfoot was only a breath behind, landing gently on Twilight's back, her teeth nibbling at her neck, pinning the alicorn between them as they began to torment and tease her with soft, playful touches, drawing out sweet, small gasps as the flying was forgotten and an entirely new exercise began.

“Not interrupting, am I?”

“Ahhh!” Twilight yelped as the familiar voice cut through the pleasurable haze and startled her. Standing almost casually on the cloud was Luna, her face bearing a small smile as she watched the two pegasi teasing her. Rainbow and Fleetfoot seemed quite unbothered by her presence.

“L-Luna? But that means...” Twilight sighed as the dream faded around her, the scenery and pegasi disappearing from sight while the princess tried not to let her disappointment show.

“Why the forlorn sigh, Twilight? Can you not ask your marefriends to simply perform such acts for you in the waking world?”

Twilight blinked and traced a forehoof on the featureless ground in front of her. “M-maybe,” she mumbled, “But it still feels really awkward...and speaking of awkward, what the hay are you doing here?” she snapped, a bit of indignation entering her voice.

“I do apologize, Twilight, I did not intend to interrupt such a pleasant dream. Indeed, I did not expect you to be having one at all.”

Twilight coughed, her cheeks red. “I couldn't help it. I've never spent a night...well, like this.”

Luna gave her a curious look but before Twilight could respond, the dark mists around her began to part into a hazy image of her lying comfortably in her bed, pressed in between Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash. “That still doesn't explain what you're doing here though!”

Luna smiled and dissipated the image with a wave of her wing. “Well, it has to do with being your adviser for the future. It is clear to me that I can't compete with Cadance on matters of the heart-”

“You and everypony else...”

“-but I do have a unique talent in helping ponies delve into their subconscious minds. May I give you a demonstration?”

Twilight hesitated but eventually sighed and nodded her head. She had practically invited this after all. Luna smiled and tapped her forehoof on the ground. Suddenly, the world seemed to shake, but the noise was muted, almost non-existent even as a room slowly began to form around them, taking the shape of a long hallway filled with doors of various colors.

“These are vestiges of my subconscious, right?” asked Twilight, fascinated at the sight as she looked over the detail of the hallway and the designs on each of the doors. “How are you able to find anything in here? There's no sense to any of this!”

Luna approached the door Twilight was standing in front of. “'Tis not an easy feat. Yours is among the more organized of minds I have been in, but each vestige of thought represented by these doors has emotions associated with them, and with practice, one can learn to read them.”

“So what do you read from this one?” Twilight asked, trying to see if she could feel anything from the door her hoof was against.

Closing her eyes, the Lunar Princess pressed her hoof against the door. “Feelings of longing, desire, and more than a hint of arousal. This is clearly a lewd fantasy of some sort.”

Twilight's mind was already starting to put the pieces together as she began to pick up the details of the red, slightly worn door. “Maybe we should move on to something else...”

The purple alicorn made to leave but was stopped by Luna's wing. “Do you think that I have never seen a lewd dream before?”

“Well...no, but-”

“Whatever fantasies you entertain are simply that.”

“There is a little thing called privacy too...”

Luna sighed and moved her wing away. “Then you may leave and choose Cadance as your adviser. I cannot help if you do not wish to open up to me.”

Twilight cringed. It wasn't clear if Luna was serious or simply playing her guilt against her, but it was an effective tactic nonetheless. “Fine...but if you breathe a word of this to anypony...”

Without waiting for her response, the purple alicorn pushed open the door. Instead of an image appearing though, the entire world seemed to lurch slightly, the inky blackness around them fading into hues of red and brown, the colors slowly growing more vibrant as the images formed around them. The place was immediately recognizable to Twilight and it only took Luna a second longer.

“This is the barn of your friend Applejack, yes?”

Mutely, Twilight nodded, her face red.

“I believe I am starting to see the full picture now.”

As if in response to Luna's assertion, a sudden muffled yelp came from behind one of the stacks of hay. Almost unbidden, the obstacles seemed to slide out of the way, the young princess covering her eyes with a hoof as the fantasy revealed itself.

“Ah thought ah told you we don't use magic on mah farm, Twilight! You got something ta say for yourself?”

“I said I was sorry!” The reply was almost squeaked out as the bound princess squirmed against the heavy ropes binding her, each one anchored to a solid post and holding her legs spread.

The orange mare sighed and gently lifted Twilight's head, placing a gentle kiss on her muzzle. “Ah know ya mean well Twi, but I've given you all the chances ah can. Yer just not gonna learn anything without a hoof's on approach. You're supposed to be a third earth pony, ain't ya?”

Applejack's hoof struck out and smacked the princess on the flank, drawing out a yelp, the ropes pulling tight as Twilight squirmed against them. “P-Please teach me, Applejack.”

The farm pony smiled and gently slid her tongue along the place she struck. “Aw shucks, Twi, I ain't no teacher, but I can show you a few things...”

Luna spread her wings, her horn glowing as the scene faded from view, the slight sense of vertigo returning as the frame of the door passed over them and shut. Twilight finally pulled the hoof from her eyes as the hallway returned, her look daring Luna to make a comment.

The Lunar Princess simply ignored it. “Twilight, do you see yourself as a submissive?”

“What?”

“Do you prefer your partners to take the dominant role?”

The purple alicorn hesitated. “I...maybe?”

Luna nodded in understanding. “It is nothing to be ashamed of. You are generally inexperienced and the thought of another guiding and teaching you is appealing, is it not?”

Meekly, the smaller alicorn nodded, her cheeks red.

“And you've had these dreams of most your friends?” asked Luna, sweeping her wing towards the other doors. She was met with another nod. “Are any of them about stallions?”

Twilight stopped short. “What?”

“Have you ever dreamed of stallions?”

As if in response to her thoughts, the doors began to fade until they were left alone in the inky blackness.

“I see,” said Luna with a nod. “Though if your preferences lay in that direction, why welcome the Wonderbolt Soarin into your herd?”

“I don't know...” started Twilight, working up the nerve to speak her mind. “I don't know what my preference is!” she snapped, embarrassed. “I didn't even have friends until three years ago, do you think I had time for a special somepony?”

“Not even after you moved to Ponyville?”

Twilight let out a mirthless chuckle. “I think I've been busier in Ponyville than I ever was as Celestia's student. Then there was that whole promotion to princess thing.”

“So do you believe your attraction to your friends and your preference for gender is a product of your environment?”

“I...don't think I can answer that. My friends are amazing, and they have a lot of attractive qualities that really stand out.”

“Then here is my advice for you, Twilight. Let Soarin take you out on a date the next time he is with you. See for yourself if there is any connection with him. As a member of your herd, he is already committed to you.”

“What if it turns out I don't have any connection?”

“Then it will be on you to tell him so. The sooner you realize your feelings, the weaker the backlash will be.”

Twilight sighed and hung her head. “You know, you actually are kind of good at this.”

“Why, thank you, Twilight, I am most happy to assist you. But let us move on to a more fun subject.”

“Er...okay?”

Luna tapped her hoof on the ground and a new location faded into existence, the lightning turning from black to a dark red, walls draped with thick velvet curtains sliding down from the newly formed ceiling to frame bright red doors leading deeper into the dreamscape.

Twilight looked around, impressed. “Is this some sort of club?”

“Close. It is more akin to a brothel. Beyond those doors you'll be able to experience all manner of fetishes. From there, we can best determine what you enjoy and establish how the members of your herd can best cater to your needs.”

Twilight balked, instinctively backing a step away from the lunar mare. “Um...you know, maybe this isn't the best ti-ahh! Hey!” Twilight's hooves slid against the plush carpet on the ground as Luna's magic gently pulled her forward.

“Time is flexible here, Twilight. I dare say we'll have enough to get through at least half of these doors before the night is out, and you'll have two lovely mares to attend to your needs once you wake. Now then, let's start with some light bondage.”

Twilight awoke with a groan, feelings of arousal, embarrassment, and admiration all swirling inside of her. Luna was a different pony in the realm of dreams, her normal reservations gone and her more playful side on full display. She'd run her through the erotic gauntlet and once she was on the other side, even Twilight had been surprised at exactly what had turned her on.

“One more night like that and I'm actually gonna start wanting a herd,” mumbled Twilight, her cheeks slightly flushed. One thing was certain, though. Any more of Luna's 'help' was going to reveal her plan and send it crashing down in flames. Right now she needed some specific help, somepony disconnected from these events. She needed...

There was a soft moan on her right and suddenly Twilight remembered where she was, just in time to feel Fleetfoot shift and pull a hoof over her barrel, pulling her in closer against her chest, muzzle resting against her cheek. Not to be denied, Rainbow was quick to press against her back, rubbing gently against her flank while letting her warm breath pass over her ear. Worse yet, Luna's gauntlet had already gotten her rather hot and bothered, and if the two pegasi awoke to find her like this...

'Okay Twilight, think. You're stuck between two mares who react more lewdly every time you try to...nnhh...y-yeah, just like that...every time you try to free yourself. How do you escape?'

Twilight swore she could feel some of Luna's influence as the warm hugs and soft touches only seemed to get more persistent. Dash in particular was determined to slip a hind leg in between her own, rubbing insistently and pleasantly against her.

'This is bad, this is bad, this is...nnhh...okay that felt pretty good actually. No! Don't think that, Twilight. Think about how to escape! You just need...oh right, magic.'

Thankful that nopony could see her embarrassment, Twilight carefully built up her magic behind the seal before letting it release, disappearing from between the two pegasi with a soft pop, landing neatly on her hooves beside the bed.

'Okay...shower first, then Zecora. Make that a long shower.

“I need a weeks worth supply of dreamless sleep. The strongest you have.”

Zecora paused in the midst of her breakfast and gave Twilight a curious look. “I would be happy to grant such a boon, but tell me, are you plagued by Nightmare Moon?”

Twilight shook her head. “Worse. Luna.”

The zebra gave her another odd look. “Luna is hardly the type to cause harm, why are her dreams a cause for alarm?”

“It's...complicated,” said Twilight sheepishly. “She's trying to help but at the moment she's just exacerbating a delicate situation and I need some sleep to myself.”

Taking a sip of the foul smelling liquid that Zecora insisted was tea, the zebra reached out with her other hoof and snagged a loose piece of paper from her notes. “I do not mean to pry, but is this flier the reason why?”

Twilight looked at the paper and groaned. “Really? They delivered one to you too?”

“Your mail mares surprise me, I must confess. The one called Derpy found me, I was most impressed.”

“You know, I'm starting to find everypony a little too helpful these days. Just how far have these fliers gone?”

“Zebrica at the very least, I've already heard word from the high shaman priest.”

“How in the name of Celestia did that happen?”

“I confess it remains a mystery, much like your good pony friend Pinkie.”

That simple name explained both everything and nothing. Twilight decided not to question it. “Wait, why would they contact you about this?”

Zecora hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I have some connections as you can see, I brew a few potions for royalty. Your orientation they wished to assess; mare, colt, or herm, whoever you like best.”

Twilight barely resisted the urge to facehoof. “If I tell you, will you give me the potions?”

“Agreed, and I wish you the best of luck, now tell me, which do you like to f-”

“Oh, you were just waiting to use that rhyme, weren't you?”

Zecora smiled. “I confess nothing. Now less talk about this, and more about bucking.”

A half hour later, a bright flash of purple light heralded the princess' return, her bags heavy with a weeks supply of dreamless sleep. “Damn pervert zebra, why are there so many Equestrian words that rhyme with buck anyways?”

Three days. Three blasted days and already this was starting to look like the second coming of the want-it-need-it incident, and yet, despite all of her irritation, waking up in the warm embrace of Fleetfoot and Dash had definitely been a plus.

“There you are, egghead!”

The sudden shout brought Twilight out of her thoughts, her eyes widening as she saw the rainbow mare approaching at mach one. “Wait, I have glass!”

Unable to teleport in time, Twilight could only brace herself, but instead of a crash like she was expecting, Rainbow made a sharp turn and landed on her back instead, the force of her controlled landing only pushing her forward a couple steps.

“You didn't think you'd be getting out of a morning fly rooming with two Wonderbolts, did you?” asked Fleetfoot as she landed in front of her, matching Rainbow's grin.

“Well, no, I was just-eep!”

Rainbow giggled at her squeak and nibbled lightly on her ear again. “Good, 'cause we got a lot of sky to cover. I'll take your bags. Fleet, you get her in the sky.”

“Be careful with those!” cried Twilight as Rainbow left her back with her bags in tow, speeding off towards the library. Looking sheepishly towards Fleetfoot, Twilight hesitantly began to speak. “I don't suppose we could-”

“Nope. Even Celestia makes time for a morning flight and you will too. Now get those wings stretched out!”

Groaning a bit, Twilight did as she was told and joined the pegasus in her morning routine.

The best types of chaos did not happen spontaneously. This was something Discord had come to terms with a long time ago. Sure, a random gag here and there could get the ball rolling, but the absolute best results always came from careful preparation followed by simply letting the pieces fall where they may. Sure, somepony could argue that organization was the antithesis of chaos, but any true follower would be willing to use any tools, including order, to cause the best chaos possible.

And so, Discord was thinking and planning. “Hmm...what to do, what to do. Lilim? No, she's bound by that pesky contract. Bast? Probably can't pull herself away from the war. Slepnir? No, I'd rather not get caught in a time loop again.”

Forming a fist with his clawed hand, the draconequus hit the arm of his chair, a large brown box appearing in the center of the room. A snap of his claws and the entire room spun around, the box now on the ceiling and opening to let a pile of junk tumble out. “I know there's an address book in here somewhere...”

Conjuring a pair of goggles and a flotation ring, Discord dived into the pile and began to dig. Various items began to fly out; a staff with a blue gem, a jagged crown, a red and black uniform, several branches of mistletoe, until finally he emerged, spitting out a mouthful of water as he stared at the object in his hand. “Now why on Equestria did I keep this around? He muttered, looking at the object in his claw.

It was a rock. A very plain, average, and all around boring rock with the only defining feature being the smoothness of the pony-sized stone. Shrugging, Discord tossed it in the air before smacking it with his tail. The stone bounced off each wall, flew out his closed window, skipped several times across his lawn, and flew off the edge of the universe into a bottomless pit where it was promptly forgotten and dismissed from memory.

Once it reached the bottom of the pit, it fell into Equestria. Specifically, a nondescript spot in the Everfree Forest, and slowly, magic began to gather around it.

Sure, the best chaos might be planned, but there was something to be said for improvisation too.

“My wings...are trying...to die...” Twilight groaned as she flew unsteadily between the two Wonderbolts.

Playfully, Fleetfoot nudged her side, causing the alicorn to yelp and nearly tumble out of the air. “Mare up, princess. You've got another five hundred feet.”

“If you saved half of that snark for flying, you'd be home now,” added Rainbow. “Maybe we need to get Spitfire to chase you again.”

Growling slightly, Twilight shifted suddenly and bumped Rainbow with her flank. The mare simply laughed and quickly corrected her course, barely phased. Finally, the library was in sight. Her landing was shaky, but passable. The two Wonderbolts barely looked winded.

Folding her wings, Twilight slowly walked the last stretch to the library. For all her sarcasm, she knew Dash and Fleet were practically bending backwards to accommodate her less than stellar abilities, and she did appreciate them for it.

“So do you sill run the library as well as doing all the princess things?” asked Fleetfoot.

“Honestly? Spike takes care of most of that now. I even have him listed on the payroll as the head librarian, although-”

“Twilight Sparkle! The Great and Powerful Trixie demands your attention!”

“Oh, buck...”

In a flash of smoke accompanied by a pair of fireworks, the blue unicorn appeared, her cape billowing in the wind. One notable difference this time though, was the sudden appearance of Crimson and Stalwart. “Hey! I told you no fireworks were allowed within the city limits!”

“Hmph. Do you take me for some careless filly? Trixie is an expert pyrotechnic. My fireworks only go off when and where Trixie says!”

Twilight blinked. “We have a law about that?”

“Mayor Mare made one after the third time one of the Wonderbolts was shot down by friendly fireworks,” murmured Rainbow.

“And it was me all three times!” snapped Fleetfoot.

“Now, now, let's at at least figure out what she's doing here,” said Twilight, holding back the Wonderbolt with a cautionary wing. Stepping in between her and the arguing guards, Twilight confronted the unicorn. “Well, what are you doing here, Trixie?”

The sky blue mare gave her a small smirk. “Why, to generously help you in your time of need, naturally.”

“My...what?”

“Your title of princess is at stake! And although we've had our differences in the past, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall lend her helping hoof!”

Twilight's face fell. “You're not...”

“I, Trixie, shall become part of Princess Twilight's herd!”

“Yep...she is.”

Another fireworks display accompanied the announcement, one stray rocket streaking out of alignment and heading straight towards Fleetfoot. Fortunately, she was prepared, vacating the ground in a flash, leaving only a black spot behind.

“I knew it! They're like...magnetized towards me or something!” she accused.

“Trixie, what on Equestria is possessing you to do this?” asked Twilight. “You didn't pick up another amulet did you?”

“Ha! This inspiration comes from no mere trinket, but from the Great and Powerful Trixie's noble spirit! Allow me to recount the tale...”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Mmh...the Great and Sleepy Trixie must rest for another spell...”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Throwing off the blindfold she was wearing, Trixie stormed out of her bed. “What is that accursed noise?” she growled. “Some ponies are trying to sleep in here!” she snapped, throwing open her door.

“Sleeping? But it's noon!”

Trixie yelped as her vision was quite suddenly filled with pink. Recovering from her mini heart-attack, the unicorn put a name to the face in front of her. “For your information, Pinkie, Trixie is a night pony and entertainer. Fireworks look dreadful during the day. Now why are you tapping on Trixie's cart?”

“Hmm? Oh, I'm finished, you can go back to sleep.”

“Finished with what? What did you do to Trixie's brand new, almost paid...off...cart?” The unicorn's words trailed off as she saw the tacked on fliers that were now covering her home, each one of them bearing Twilight's image along with phrases such as 'Save Twilight!', 'Twilight for Princess', and 'Mare of Tomorrow'.

“What is the meaning of this?” she snapped, gesturing towards the poster covered cart.

“Oh, that? Well, that's a Supermare reference-”

“I meant generally!”

“Ohh! Well, it's advertising. Twilight needs to get hitched to a bunch of ponies so she can stay a princess!”

Trixie blinked, briefly caught off guard. “That sounds incredibly silly, but supposing I take you at your word, why would Trixie assist her greatest rival in such a fashion?”

“Because rivals are supposed to help each other,” said Pinkie, as though it were obvious.

“Perhaps the definition of 'rival' might have changed while Trixie wasn't looking, but Trixie remembers it as an adversarial relationship,” she said pointedly.

“Well yeah, but your rival is supposed to make you look good, right?”

“I...suppose?” said Trixie uncertainly.

“So who would you rather have as a rival, huh? Bookwork Librarian Twilight, or Super Alicorn Princess Twilight?”

Trixie opened her mouth and then paused. “Humph. The Great and Powerful Trixie will consider lending her support.”

“And you'll keep the posters up?”

“Absolutely not! Remove them at once!”

“Awww...”

Twilight twitched, unsure if she wanted to smack Trixie or Pinkie more at the moment. Fortunately, both ponies were now within reach.

“And that's how I convinced Trixie to come back to Ponyville,” concluded Pinkie.

Crimson yelped as he suddenly noticed the pink pony standing next to him. “When did you get here?”

Trixie blinked. “Did you just take over Trixie's flashback?”

“Necessity,” said Pinkie, unapologetic. “You're an unreliable narrator. Anyways, got a party to plan. Later everypony!”

“When don't you have a party to plan?” muttered Dash, the rest of the group silent as each pony internally resolved the logical conflict that Pinkie's mere presence called.

Trixie was the first to recover. “Anyways, that is why the Great and Powerful Trixie is here to assist you in your time of need.”

“How generous of you.” Twilight's voice was thick with sarcasm.

“Now hold it right there,” interrupted Stalwart. “That's twice now you've used fireworks within the town limits. I'm afraid we're going to have to do a thorough search of your belongings...with your permission of course, Princess.”

“She has more, I can sense them,” said Fleetfoot with a pointed glare.

“That won't be necessary,” interjected Twilight, putting a comforting hoof on Fleetfoot's back. “Just...put her under house arrest for a little while. I'll deal with it later.”

'And for the love of Celestia, please give me at least ten minutes away from this marem nonsense.'

“What? House arrest? You cannot contain the Great and Powerful Trixie! Unhoof me you brutes!”

Twilight sighed softly as she collapsed onto the floor of the library. In the end, it had taken the combined efforts of her guards and the Wonderbolts to drag Trixie off. She wasn't sure how they planned to keep her in her cart, but she was happy to leave that problem to them. “Peace and quiet, I know I scheduled some and by Luna I'm going to get it.”

And she had the perfect book as well. “Alright, Star Sailor, let's see what you know about space and time.” Opening up The Art of Folding Space, Twilight began to read, steadily relaxing as she lost herself in the book and the magic lessons contained therein.

“Twilight?”

“Gah! Oh...hey, Spike,” said Twilight, “When did you get back?”

“I've been back for two hours,” Spike deadpanned.

“Oh...wow. How long was I out of it this time?” she asked sheepishly.

“I figured after you didn't blink for the past half hour it was probably time to wake you up.”

Letting out a cute yawn, the princess set the half-completed book aside. “We're not behind schedule, are we?”

“Nah, I penciled in some 'trance time' for you already.”

Twilight giggled. “I did a good day's work when I hired you, Spike.”

“Good enough for a raise? I'm practically running this library now. Not to mention the place is just gonna get more messy with your new roommates.”

Twilight hesitated. It had been easy to put out of her mind since Spike had been absent the past couple days, but if Rainbow and Fleetfoot were going to make a habit of sleeping here...

“Maybe I can do you one better Spike. How would you like your own room?”

Spike's eyes widened. “You mean you're actually going to clean out the basement?”

Twilight grimaced. “Not if Celestia and Luna begged me. I've got something a little more magical in mind.”

Spike's curiosity was obvious. “Okay, show me.”

In the midst of the Everfree Forest, a casually discarded rock lay still. This in and of itself wasn't unusual. The unusual bit came from everything else that moved around it. Below the solid stone, the grass seemed to sway towards it while black thorny vines reached out and constricted it. Like a large spiral, the immediate surroundings were being pulled in, and if a unicorn were present, they would have sensed the very magic in the air getting pulled in as well.

And it was getting bigger.

From the edge of the trees, a low growl filled the air, a young timberwolf breaking through the foliage, its glowing eyes settling on the rock at the center of the clearing. Curiously, it approached the stone, its wooden muzzle nudging it, only to yip as an oppressive black aura sprang outwards, enveloping the creature's body, the cohesion of its wooden limbs shaking and slowly losing their form before collapsing into a pile of sticks.

Instead of reforming though, the pieces of its body were drawn towards the rock, the twisted magic of the Everfree Forest spiraling around it and forming a crude construct. Two legs gradually appeared, followed by a torso and two arms, bark from the surrounding trees starting to strip away as the spiral grew bigger, slowly forming a bipedal body around the stone at its center.

When the magic finally waned, a wooden construct stood in the place where the stone had once been, sharp wooden claws flexing and shifting as the crude mass of wood and sticks settled into a densely packed body with glowing red eyes, the figure turning its gaze towards the edge of the forest and the town that lay beyond.

Twilight panted as her horn glowed with a near blinding light, the laws of reality bending and twisting around her as she coerced and occasionally forced them into her desired shape. Thankfully, the binding ring wasn't affecting her magic beyond limiting how quickly she could draw upon it, and in this case it was actually helpful considering the delicacy of the task.

“And...done!” said Twilight with a gasp, falling back onto her flank. “Well, Spike, what do you think?”

The young dragon looked over the room with a critical eye. The dimensions were certainly more to his size and the bookshelf she'd grown out of the tree was perfect for storing his numerous comics. Room had even been made for his posters, and a large wooden chest was available for his collection of gems.

Still looking thoughtful, Spike turned back towards her. “Has it been soundproofed?”

Blushing slightly, Twilight nodded. “Then it's perfect. Thanks Twilight, this is awesome!”

The alicorn laughed with relief, wrapping a foreleg around the purple dragon as he gave her a tight hug.

“You're not about to start charging me rent for this, are you?” asked Spike suspiciously.

“Well, you did mention something about a raise...”

“Aww, c'mon!”

The playful argument was interrupted by a tapping on the library door. Curiously, Twilight looked out the window, smiling when she saw the gray mailmare just outside. “Afternoon, Derpy, isn't it a little early for our delivery?”

“Special expedited package!” responded the pegasus, clearly excited at being trusted with such an important task. “They told me to get it to you right away!”

Curiously, Twilight took the package being offered to her, no more than half a foot in length and two inches tall. “Who sent it?”

“Dunno. We already checked it over at the office, so we know it's safe. Oh, and Princess Cadance has offered to take care of all your marem related mail,” she added.

“Bury her in the stuff,” said Twilight almost immediately, signing for the package and giving Derpy a tip.

“You sure you wanna open that, Twi? Last time you got an anonymous package it turned out to be that snake monster from Discord.”

Twilight shivered at the memory but shook her head. “Discord wouldn't use the mail service..” Even so, the princess made sure to hold the package away from her as she opened it, just in case.

The reality, however, was a lot less chaotic than expected. “It's a quill,” said Spike finally, dissolving the tension away.

Peering into the package, Twilight saw it for herself. A bright red feathered quill with an almost needle fine point on the end of it. It took a few moments but eventually her memory handed her the card she needed, eliciting a surprised gasp. “Spike! Do you recognize this type of feather?”

“Er...a red one?”

“Besides that! This is a phoenix feather quill!”

Spike blinked and looked again. “So what's so special about those?”

“They're almost impossible to separate from a phoenix, for one thing. Any part of a phoenix burns up a few minutes after it leaves the body. You'd need some seriously powerful magic to actually keep one intact.”

“So does it do anything besides look cool?” asked Spike skeptically, gingerly taking the quill from its resting place inside the box.

Twilight grinned. “Well if what I've read is correct...grab some paper and try writing on it.”

Spike shrugged and drew some paper from the many emergency stashes Twilight kept around the library. “Ink?”

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “No need.”

Spike stared. “No way.” In disbelief, he drew the tip of the quill across the paper and gasped when a thin black line followed it. “Does...does this mean that I'll never have to buy ink during our shopping trips again?”

“Well, I wouldn't say never again, but maybe not for the next fifty years or so. Maybe longer depending on the phoenix this is from.”

“Oh dear Celestia, thank you!” cried Spike towards the ceiling. “Why didn't you get one of these sooner?”

“That's a good question. My ink budget alone probably would have covered the cost over the past three years.”

“And then some,” agreed Spike.

Ignoring his jibe, Twilight continued. “The obvious answer would be Celestia, but why wouldn't she put her name on it?”

“Maybe it's one of your possible marem hopefuls.”

Twilight hesitated. That did seem rather likely, but she couldn't even begin to think of anypony who could potentially fit that bill. “Unless Celestia is one of my secret admirers, this is way out of anypony's bit budget. Well, except Rarity maybe, but she puts most of her bits back into her business.”

Spike shrugged. “Who cares? It's an awesome quill and for once I'm not dreading your one-hundred and thirty-four point checklist.”

Twilight blinked. “Only one thirty-four? I could have sworn I had at least one seventy-”

“I was kidding!” groaned Spike as he unrolled the titanic list. “Geez, this thing has only gotten heavier since you got wings.”

The alicorn sighed and nodded. “You made sure to put in a box for us to spend some time together, right?”

Spike nodded. “Well yeah, but with this whole marem thing...”

“I'll make time, promise,” assured Twilight. “Now what's on today's agenda?”

Clearing his throat, Spike began to read. “Item one. Meeting with Mayor Mare on the subject of a princess staying in a low class library.”

Twilight groaned. “We are not putting a castle in the middle of Ponyville. Check that one off.”

Spike nodded and slid the quill over the item, leaving a bright red mark. “Item two. Pinkie's 'return of the line' party. Longer, Harder, and Bigger.”

“Oh for the love of...please tell me she's not actually calling it that...”

Grinning wide, Spike nodded.

“Immediate message. Change it. I don't care what,” said Twilight, rubbing a hoof across her forehead. She didn't even bother suggesting trying to stop it. Trying to stop one of Pinkie's parties was like trying to stop Rainbow Dash from flying.

Spike made a note and squinted at the next item on the list. “We have our monthly dinner at Applejack's place this evening.”

Twilight nodded. “Shouldn't be any issue there. Let her know we're both coming.”

“And lastly you have a...random calamity of the week? What's that?”

“Just my attempt to try and find a pattern for all of the crazy events that come to Ponyville,” she explained, waving him off with a wing. “Just so long as they Rose sisters don't-”

“Eeek!”

“Nooo!”

“Oh, the horror!”

The cries of Ponyville's expert over-reactors floated in through the open window. “Well that could just be another stampede of bunnies for all we know,” said Twilight hopefully.

“It just destroyed a house!”

“It's eating everything!”

“Oh, the equinity!”

Twilight groaned. “Alright, that actually sounds like something I need to look at. Do you wanna tag along?”

Spike waved her off, rolling up the list and placing the phoenix quill back in its box. “Just give me a call if you need some dragon fire.”

Giving her assistant a warm smile, Twilight concentrated and vanished in a flash of light. Several moments later, Spike's smile vanished with it.

Letting out a sigh, the young dragon returned to his new room, giving it another look over. It really was the perfect design he'd imagined and yet...

Heading to the door of the library, Spike turned the sign to closed and set out across Ponyville, seeking a particular alicorn.

With a pop, Twilight materialized on top of the town hall at the center of Ponyville, quickly turning in a circle to try and orient herself to the danger. It didn't take long to see it, nor was she surprised to spot Rainbow Dash's trail, with Fleetfoot close behind. Wincing slightly at the sore feeling in her wings, Twilight took off after them.

Fifty meters away, Rainbow finally noticed her. “Twilight! Don't go near it!”

“Don't go near wha-oh sweet Celestia, what the flying buck is that?”

The creature, or rather construct, was massive. Easily twice the size of a minotaur and vaguely resembling the shape of one with long arms that dragged near the ground, tipped with sharp, lethal looking claws.

By far the most bizarre part of it though was the material it was made from. What appeared to be tree bark made up a decent majority, but along the chest and back were pieces of thatched roof and a broken door or two.

“Is that thing wearing a house?” asked Twilight, briefly dumbfounded, watching as it swayed and shambled along, each step it took making the ground tremble.

“Yeah! Crashed right through Berry's place and all the pieces just stuck to it, and each time I approached, I felt my wings getting heavier!”

Twilight's eyes narrowed and her horn glowed, a thin trail of magic reaching out towards the golem. Suddenly, the alicorn felt a sharp tug, as if something had grabbed onto the thread and yanked.

Grunting, Twilight cut the magic off at the source, staggering back slightly. “That thing has some sort of absorption aura,” she gasped out, noticing the golem briefly shimmer with a violet color. “Rainbow! We're in code red! Grab the weather team and start evacuations! Get Crimson and Stalwart to help! If you see Applejack, tell her to set aside a part of her orchard she won't mind losing!”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I need more information so I can work out a plan, now move!”

The two pegasi saluted and vanished in a flash of colors, quickly rallying the pegasi and ponies that had come to see what was going on.

Trusting the Wonderbolts to take care of business, Twilight turned back towards the construct, watching as it approached another house, reaching a fist back before smashing through the roof, bits of plaster and wood sticking to the fist as it retreated. “So it needs to touch to absorb, but the ambient drain seems to extend for about thirty feet,” she mused.

Then she realized which house was being destroyed. “Oh buck. Vinyl!” Her wings were spread and her body was in flight before the words had even left her mouth. Fifty...forty-three...thirty...and suddenly Twilight's wings seemed to lock up, her flight path staggering and sending her to the ground as she entered the aura.

“Okay...maybe not a great idea,” she gasped, folding her wings and charging towards the door of the house. Thankfully, the drain seemed to be quite a bit less when it came to her earth pony magic and it didn't take much to break inside.

A loud crash to her left made her wince, the huge claws of the golem smashing through the wall of the house, it's claws entangling themselves in the highly magical and fragile speakers and turntables that took up most of the room on Vinyl's ground floor. “Stupid nocturnal ponies!” cursed Twilight as she ran up the stairs, sweating as she felt the drain intensify.

Another crash and the stairs began to crack and fracture beneath her hooves as the construct grabbed at the equipment that had been stored beneath. Vaulting from the collapsing stairs to the landing, Twilight dashed to the room at the end of the hall and broke through another door.

As expected, Vinyl was there resting, glasses over her eyes and headphones around her ears, drowning out all the sound around her as she slept, oblivious to the golem who had torn half the house away.

“Hope this part of your home is as shoddy as the rest,” growled Twilight as she dashed to the opposite wall and turned on her forehoof, launching a powerful kick. The wood splintered, and for a brief moment it felt like the bones in her legs did as well. “Ow...ow...how does Applejack make that look easy?”

Concentrating hard, Twilight managed to get just enough magic summoned to move Vinyl's headphones and glasses a few inches, making the white unicorn groan and shift. “Ughh...never drinking Luneshine again,” she groaned.

“Vinyl! Out of bed! Now!”

The unicorn shot awake at the command, red eyes blinking rapidly.

CRASH!

With a yelp, the DJ fell from the bed to the floor as her bedroom suddenly obtained a new door, light streaming in from around the golem. Twilight had a moment to see Vinyl's mouth open in shock before she grabbed her around the neck, pulling her out of the way before the construct's next strike destroyed her bed and the floor beneath it.

Finally, the unicorn's limbs seemed to kick into gear, and the two half-ran, half-stumbled to the opposite hole and tumbled out, the two hitting the ground hard with Twilight on the bottom. Groaning from the impact, Twilight picked herself up and pushed the white unicorn off.

“Woah...hey, Twi, is that thing wearing my base?”

“Move now, talk later!”

Even as she pulled Vinyl along though, she couldn't help but look back and watch as the golem began to shift, electricity arcing along its form as the systems and turntables stuck to its body, the largest of which stuck right out of its chest.

Twilight could feel the magic building up along with seeing the construct's size increase. The general area of its head seemed to become more defined and a pair of strobes now sat in place of its eyes. Standing in the wreckage, the golem's head leaned back and the speakers crackled to life.

“TOOOM!”

The shockwave of sound nearly blew both of them off their hooves again. Twilight groaned but could feel her magic rushing back as she escaped the golem's aura. “Wait...where have I heard that name before?”

Rarity's needle stopped abruptly as the wave of sound passed over her shop, several of the windows developing hairline cracks. Slowly, she removed her glasses and looked outside. “My word, what was that?”

“TOOOM!”

The needle Rarity had carefully been holding with her magic snapped. “Who dares speak that name aloud?” she growled, tossing aside her glasses and rushing outdoors.

“Hey uh, Twi, did that thing just eat my base or did I get waaay more drunk than I thought last night?”

Grumbling under her breath, Twilight concentrated for several seconds in silence, working her way around the limiter before hitting Vinyl with her most powerful sobering spell.

“Gaah! Oh, Luna dammit, the light! Why? Where are my glasses? It burns!”

“Vinyl...”

“Ponies are not meant to sober up this fast...ughh...”

“Vinyl!”

“Right...right...moving now. Thanks for the save and all...ow.”

Letting out a sigh as Vinyl staggered off, Twilight turned her attention back to the golem, breathing heavily as her strength slowly came back. “Okay, so I'm dealing with a magic sponge in a town seeped in magic. Wonderful.”

“Twilight! Are you okay?” Beside her, Rainbow Dash landed, a worried look on her face.

“Yeah, just dizzy. How's Ponyville?”

“Working like a well oiled machine,” said Fleetfoot, landing on her other side. “How many times have you ponies done this?”

“Far more than any town reasonably should,” grumbled Twilight.

“Price you pay for cheap property taxes near the Everfree Forest,” said Rainbow with a shrug. “So, got a plan to deal with it yet?”

“Yeah, I need to find a way to drain the magic from this thing or reverse its aura. Find Applejack yet?”

“Second orchard, but she's not happy.”

“It survived Flutterbat and Discord, it can survive this. Now get that things attention and get it away from Ponyville!” With magical formulas and rituals running through her mind, Twilight vanished in a flash of light.

Rainbow and Fleetfoot shared a look. “How are we supposed to get its attention if we can't even get near it?”

Fleetfoot looked skyward and grinned. “I've got an idea...”

Applejack closed her eyes in time to avoid the bright flash that signaled the arrival of Twilight. “Please tell me yer gonna leave at least half mah orchard standing this time,” she pleaded.

“It's a single section at most,” said Twilight irritably. “I need to create a zone where I can sap and redistribute some chaos magic. Once the monster isn't a problem anymore, I can set things straight. There shouldn't be any permanent damage.”

“Yeah, just tell that to the blue apple orchards...”

“Come on, Applejack, that was one time!”

“Think it's big enough to get his attention?” asked Rainbow with a wide grin, looking proudly at the cart sized thundercloud the weather team had put together.

“Only one way to find out. Cover your ears!”

The surrounding pegasi scattered as Rainbow and Fleetfoot took opposite sides, gaining some distance before shooting towards it. As one, their legs struck the cloud, a shattering boom sounding out as the lightning sprang free, arcing through the sky towards the golem below. The energy hit with the sound of an explosion as the sap within the trees ignited and caught fire, scattering flaming wood over a large distance.

“TOOOM!”

The construct teetered and swayed, falling to its knees as the fire around it grew.

“Ha! Didn't need any magic after all!”

And then the fires began to dim, the charred burnt body crackling with electricity as its voice came distorted through the speakers, the creature rising again as it turned towards the pegasi that had struck it, body arcing with lightning.

“TOOOM!” CRASH! KA-BOOM!

“Look out!”

Twisting through the sky, blue streaks of lightning suddenly shot back at them, slicing through the cloud and detonating the remaining charge within, the two mares just barely managing to get clear of the maelstrom of escaping lightning.

Panting and slightly singed, but otherwise unharmed thanks to Twilight's outfits, Fleetfoot darted over to Rainbow who had fallen on a cloud. “You know, Rainbow, I think I might have miscalled this one...”

“Ya think?” groaned the pegasus as she recovered as well, the tip of her tail slightly blackened.

“TOOOM!”

“Flying time!” Two streaks left the cloud just as another bolt cut through the sky, the newly formed electric golem shambling after them while bright blue bolts danced over its body and across the sky.

“If Twilight asks, it was a fluke tornado from the Everfree!”

“Agreed! At least we got its attention!”

“Shut up and fly, Fleet!”

Thankfully, the construct did not have very good aim. Unfortunately, he made up for it in sheer volume. Lightning danced through the sky as the pegasi weaved and dodged, the two careful not to outpace it lest its attention should get diverted. With all the other ponies evacuated though, Twilight's Wonderbolt outfits were the most potent magical sources around, and it continued to give chase.

“Where the heck are we leading this thing anyways? Applejack's orchard ain't exactly small ya know!”

“Don't worry, if I know Twilight she'll give us a sign...like that!”

Shining brightly even against the rays of the sun, an amethyst star rose into the sky. “Right! Almost there! Just don't fly too close to the trees or the lightning will- hey, what's it doing?”

Just on the edge of town, the golem hesitated and slowly turned away, its eyes moving elsewhere. “Did it pick something up?” asked Fleet. For a moment it seemed to teeter unsteadily before suddenly taking a sharp turn and moving back into town.

“No! Damn it, you stupid rock, get back here!”

“Where's it going?”

Rainbow Dash looked into the distance, her eyes squinting slightly. “Oh crap, Trixie!”

Near the end of the road and covered in chains was a small looking wagon. The key word was 'look' though, as the wagon itself was a product of folded space and hundreds of magical trinkets Trixie used to make her tricks work.

“I don't suppose you've got the key.”

“Nope.”

“...do you think she could get out by herself?”

“Rainbow...”

“Fine!” With a rainbow burst, the pegasus shot forward, forming a wide arc around the golem's path, bracing herself as she headed straight for the reinforced wood. “Don't let me down now, Twilight!”

CRASH!

“Hmph. House arrest. Trixie hasn't suffered such an indignity in all of her career!” Tossing her hat and cape aside, the mare settled on her couch, mentally counting down the minutes until the guards chains would be released. “Well, there was that one time with the diamond dogs...and the other time with Rough Diamond...and it is rather amazing Trixie didn't suffer any punishment for that alicorn amulet incident...perhaps Trixie needs to reevaluate some of her decisions.”

CRASH!

Trixie's eyes widened as the wall in front of her couch shattered, wood splinters flying everywhere as a rainbow maned pegasus suddenly burst through the hole, a brilliantly colored trail behind her.

The unicorn's eyes could barely follow her movement as she swerved in the small space, forehooves outstretched as she headed straight towards her. There wasn't even time to blink before Rainbow closed the distance, slamming into her, twisting her body just enough to crash into the opposite wall with her back. The magically reinforced wood was strong, but Rainbow's and Twilight's magic were stronger.

CRASH!!

“What the buck-”

BOOM!

Trixie watched open mouthed as her cart rapidly shrank, Rainbow taking to the skies as the space folding magic started to disrupt, the contents of her cart spilling from the holes in the sides. And then, it was buried beneath the golem.

“No! Trixie only had two payments left on that cart!”

The magician's stomach lurched as Rainbow turned sharply and set the two of them down on a roof. “Trixie! Real fast! What's the most dangerous thing you have in that cart?”

Trixie hesitated. “Just...several magical items and props I use to put on the show!”

“TOOOM!”

Their attention was drawn back to the construct that was growing and shifting once again, the burnt wood cracking as several pointed red cones burst from beneath.

“Oh, and...several hundred fireworks.”

“What?!”

“Trixie needs them for her show!”

“TOOOM!” F-woosh! F-woosh! F-woosh!

Bright red rockets with red and gold trails streaked through the sky, all of them uncannily aimed towards the house they were on. Ignoring Trixie's cry of protest, Rainbow grabbed her once again and darted away, wincing as she heard the explosions detonate against the house behind her.

This time their landing was on solid ground a fair distance away. “Trixie misses the Ursa Minor...” groaned the unicorn as she wobbled unsteadily on her hooves.

“Quick version. Dangerous thing, absorbs magic. Don't get close. Go to evacuation zone.”

“Wait, where is the-”

But Rainbow was already speeding towards Fleetfoot. Sighing, the magician looked around for some indication before spotting the bright violet star in the sky. “Hmm...Trixie believes that looks promising.”

“Please tell me that thing didn't just shoot fireworks,” groaned Fleet as the construct turned towards them again.

“Plan hasn't changed, it's just gotten harder. Don't tell me you're getting cold hooves!”

“Hey, once you've taken a ball of fireworks to the head, then you can give me crap about it!”

Rainbow grinned. “Alright, fine. I can take him myself, just hang back and try not to go blind from awesome.”

“Oh, you cheeky little-”

“Can't hear ya, Fleet, too busy being awesome!” Rainbow shot off with a grumbling Fleetfoot following a few lengths behind.

“Don't let me down now, Twilight,” she said, patting the shoulder of her outfit. “Heck of a way to field test this thing...”

Lightning sparked across the construct's form and sparks from lit firework fuses began to fly. The screeching of rockets filled the air and suddenly the two pegasi were dodging and weaving for their lives as lightning and fire filled the sky, loud detonations ringing in their ears.

Rainbow could feel the pull of its aura. It had grown bigger. Fighting through it and banking hard to avoid another arc of lightning, Rainbow pumped her wings and finished her arc.

“We've got its attention!” shouted Fleet as they met on the other side.

“I know, keep flying!”

“TOOOOOM!

The houses around Ponyville seemed to shudder as the newly grown Tom began to pick up speed, a torrent of lightning and fireworks shooting at the nimble ponies as they flew towards the shining star in the distance. Thankfully, they were quickly outside of Ponyville. Unfortunately, the intense aura around the golem seemed to wither the trees as it passed, the magic getting torn away from the plants and soil.

“Keep away from the trees!” shouted Rainbow, but her cry went unheard over the noise. Fleetfoot cursed as a lightning bolt streaked overhead, connecting with a rocket, detonating it with an explosion of green sparks. Rolling out of the dive, Fleet flew low to the ground, swerving between the trees.

CRACK! BOOM!

Fleetfoot yelped as one of the lightning bolts struck a nearby tree, detonating it right beside her. Bark and fire burst outwards, the Wonderbolt spinning and crashing across the ground, rolling to a stop several meters away, the golem descending on her fallen form like an avalanche.

Rainbow didn't even notice the explosion behind her as she shot to her aid, scooping her up off the ground, barely registered the feeling of the lightning splashing off her suit, and didn't stop until she was far, far away. “Dammit, Trixie, how many fireworks did you have in that cart?”

The star was in view now, and Rainbow's wings practically blurred as she rode the rainboom to the finish line, the figure of Twilight and two other unicorns rapidly coming into view. Putting the brakes on a rainboom wasn't really an option, but with a sharp bank and a wide loop, a painting Rainbow Dash soon landed next to the concentrating alicorn. “Twi! Fleet's hit!”

“Give her to me dear, Twilight's concentrating,” cut in Rarity, pushing between them, her horn glowing gently.

“What? You know medical magic?” asked Rainbow, bewildered.

“I very quickly learned when Sweetie Bell became a crusader.”

“Ahh...”

“Trixie would like to know how close Twilight is to being finished. That monster is getting closer!”

Twilight didn't respond, but her horn seemed to glow a bit brighter.

“What the hay you even here for, Trixie? Why ain't you evacuated with everypony else?”

“Trixie has been to this town twice before in her life, how should she know where everypony is running to? Why are you here? Were you planning on running up and kicking the thing?”

“Ah'm here because Twilight said she needed me here. What are you still doing here?”

“Ya know, I don't know a whole lot about magic, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work very well with ponies shouting around you!” snapped Rainbow. Her sharp tone finally seemed to do the trick as Applejack and Trixie settled on glaring at each other instead.

“You should be fine, Fleetfoot,” said Rarity finally. “No concussion, thank Celestia, but it did knock you silly.”

Fleetfoot groaned and slowly got to her hooves, wincing as they heavy footfalls of the golem got closer. “No worries, I've had worse crashes, and damn did this outfit come through. Not a burn mark on me!”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Twilight let the glow from her horn fade. “Circle complete. As soon as it steps inside, the magic vacuum will pull away it's energy. Rarity, you and I are going to pull magic from the circle and feed it into the orchard.”

“Isn't he just gonna pull it back?” asked Fleetfoot, rubbing her head.

“He'll try, but it's gonna be...well, think of it like trying to hold air inside a balloon with a hole in it. This circle is our needle.”

“Trixie believes you are grossly oversimplifying-”

“It's a convenient lie! If you know the spell, step up, otherwise back off!”

Trixie blinked, momentarily stunned. Twilight's eyes widened slightly before she took a breath and rephrased herself. “I'm sorry, Trixie. If you can help, we'd appreciate your assistance.”

“Hmm. Trixie would be delighted to aid her rival in her time of-”

“TOOOOOM!”

“Drain it, now!” Three different horns glowed as the construct barreled into the clearing and right into the center of the blackened circle Twilight had drawn. As if it had taken a hammer to the back of the head, the golem dropped onto all fours, bits of wood and housing falling away as it lost cohesion. The materials around it shuddered as it tried to reabsorb them, but the circle was stronger, ripping away at its magic bit by bit.

“Soon as you see the core, buck it as hard as you can, Applejack! You'll only get one shot!” The farm pony gave a nod and pulled her stetson down just a bit, her legs tensing in preparation to spring.

“TOO...oo...OOO-!” The speakers shorted out and cracked as they began to fall away, the construct shuddering and shaking violently, a few fireworks and bolts of lightning shooting away from its fallen form.

“That's right, you stupid rock! Crumble before me!” shouted Rarity, putting everything she had into the spell.

Suddenly, a large crack sounded throughout the orchard, the back of the wood and rock golem splitting open down the middle, a giant red rocket emerging as more of its body fell away. It was at least the size of a pony.

“Uh...Trixie?”

“Be careful! That is Trixie's Grand Finale!”

“Your what?”

A sizzling sound reached their ears. The rocket had been ignited and was pointing straight at their group. “Twilight?” asked Rarity, a note of panic in her voice.

“Shield spell, now!”

The drain stopped and the defenses went up not a moment too soon. The flash was blinding, the noise deafening, and the explosion of colors made every bone in Twilight's body feel like it was shaking as the shield strained and flared brightly against the blast.

Panicked, Twilight looked around, blinking spots from her eyes, desperate to see if everypony was alright. Thankfully, once her vision cleared, five other ponies were still standing. Rainbow was the first she managed to pick up above the ringing in her ears.

“What bucking trick were you saving that one for?”

“Trixie was experimenting! How could she have possibly known this would happen?”

“Oh yeah, that's a great excuse to be hauling around something like that!”

“Girls? It's getting back up!”

Rarity's shout drew their attention back to the golem. It looked in near shambles, and yet the materials were slowly starting to reform and come together once again. Twilight's eyes went wide. “Everypony get back!”

Her shout came a second too late. With a distorted roar, the aura came back, bigger and stronger than before, almost as though it were compensating for the intense loss it had just suffered. The two Wonderbolts and the three magic users almost immediately fell to the ground, the pegasi barely able to lift their wings. Only Applejack remained standing.

“Twi! Ah can see the core!”

“No! You get close now and you'll be sucked dry!”

“Y'all got a better plan ah'm all ears!”

Twilight forced her mind to work even as the pressure of the golem's drain pulled at her magic. It had grown stronger to compensate for loss, so maybe...

“Reverse it!”

“What?”

“Feed this thing everything you've got!” Her horn glowed and the circle broke. All the magic that had been pulled free suddenly came rushing back, and the aura began to relax.

Forcing herself to her hooves, Twilight's horn glowed intensely. Beside her, Trixie and Rarity got up as well, panting hard but looking just as determined. “Now!”

Three solid beams of magic struck the golem at once, the construct staggering as he was forced to take in the new sources of energy. The aura shrunk further, compensating for the magic, the pegasi taking to the air once more as the drain faded. Rarity was the first to weaken, her stream fading and her legs collapsing.

“Fleet! Pull her back!”

The Wonderbolt didn't even hesitate before doing so, and seconds later Rainbow was doing the same with Trixie, leaving Twilight and Applejack standing alone against the bloated and unsteady golem, the massive gray rock that made up the core glowing brightly with a myriad of colors.

“Ah'm going for it!” Like an arrow loosed from a bow, the farm pony ran straight for the goelm, powerful hooves kicking up patches of ground as she poured on the speed and strength.

Desperately, Twilight tried to switch gears, cutting off the stream of magic and forcing it into the shape of a shield, an intense lightheaded feeling hitting her as she tried to make the switch with the drain still affecting her. “Applejack, wait!”

In slow motion, Twilight watched as Applejack turned perfectly on her forehooves, drawing a massive amount of strength from the earth as her innate magic anchored her to the ground. The sound of the kick was deafening, white hot cracks appearing along the solid gray rock, the sea of magic it had absorbed ready to burst out, with Applejack standing at ground zero.

And then, a blinding blue flash of light appeared in front of her. A blink latter and Twilight was suddenly staring at Cadance, horn lit and wings outstretched as though she'd teleported mid-flight.

BOOM!

The golem burst with an earth-shaking explosion of magic, but Cadance's shield was already up, glowing powerfully while rocks, speakers, lightning, and wood impacted it. On one side, the ground was blackened and the trees were reduced to ash. On the other, Cadance stood strong, and her friends were untouched.

The construct itself was reduced to rubble and ash, with no chunk bigger than a hoofball. The ringing subsided and the spots in Twilight's eyes faded, the alicorn doing a quick headcount to make sure everypony was there. Only when she got to six did she allow herself to collapse, letting out a relieved sigh. “Oh thank Celestia...and thank you too, Cadance,” she murmured. “How did you even know we were here?”

Cadance smiled. “Oh, I learned to detect your magic a long time ago. And there was that giant purple star in the sky.”

“Oh yeah, that thing.” Groaning, the alicorn tried and failed to get up again, glaring at Applejack as she approached. “That was really, really stupid, Applejack. If I wasn't so relieved right now, I'd smack you. All three of you.”

“Sorry, sugarcube, ah was sure you had something to pull my flank outta the fire.”

Twilight looked slightly embarrassed. “I thought I did too, but that was still a...oh wow, I feel really dizzy. Any of the orchard survive?”

Concerned, Cadance approached and began a slow, steady examination of Twilight with her magic. Applejack shook her head. “Not a damn tree for half an acre.”

“Ugh...the Great and Powerful Trixie would very much like to spend a single day in Ponyville without something crazy happening.” Partially supported by an annoyed Rainbow Dash, Trixie staggered back into the clearing.

“I seem to remember somepony mentioning that this was a quiet town some years ago,” added Rarity, one of her hooves wrapped around Fleet's neck.

“I regret nothing,” said Twilight with a light giggle.

“How are you, Twilight?” asked Rarity.

“I feel like I should be collapsing. Just waiting for my magic high to wear off. Ah...there it goes.” Cadance caught her before she hit the ground, her magic gently picking her up and placing her on Applejack's back.

“Food and rest. Nothing serious, but tell Spike not to let her use any magic until she's recovered.”

“I'm not a foal,” grumbled Twilight with a yawn. “I know how to deal with magic fatigue. Just lemme get one last look at that pile of rubble. Make sure the thing's down for good.”

Cadance gave her a look. “You know, that sounds like the opposite of going home and resting...”

“Last thing, I promise!” pleaded Twilight.

“Fine, very well. But no more excuses once you're done.”

“Don't you worry, princess, I'll put her to bed good and proper,” cut in Applejack.

Slowly, the farm pony began to push her way through the rubble, kicking aside various bits of stone and wood while Twilight looked around. Rarity soon joined them, a distasteful look on her face. “I swear on Celestia's rainbow mane I'm going to crush what's left of that rock into dust. I thought I buried that blasted thing.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait, you mean the thing we were fighting was that Tom?”

“Trixie is a bit lost. You say you knew this...thing?”

Rarity grumbled something crass under her breath. “Tis a lengthy story I vowed never to speak of aga-eek!”

“TOOOM!”

“It's still alive! Kill it! Kill it with fire!”

Much to the disappointment of Rarity, the other unicorn and alicorn were slow to react, both of them too busy staring in surprise at the six inch humanoid rock figure shaking a fist in the designer's direction.

“Well, at least we know who's responsible now,” grumbled Twilight. “Rarity, let it be.”

The charge on Rarity's horn faded. “But...but-”

“The core is shattered, it can't absorb much of anything anymore. Cadance, could you hold on to Tom until I get a chance to rub Discord's nose in this?”

Placing a calming hoof on Rarity's back, Cadance trapped the miniature golem in a ball of magic. “It almost looks cute like this,” she giggled, watching as it beat against the side of its prison.

“Hmph. It'd be better as a meal for Spike,” grumbled Rarity.

With the last bit of drama and danger dying away, Twilight let out another yawn. “Fleet, do me a favor and get the royal guard up here to do magical containment and cleanup. Gonna need a while before I can do any restoration magic.” The Wonderbolt nodded, taking to the skies to seek out those who had moved to the evacuation area.

“Rainbow? Could you find Fluttershy and see if she can get in touch with Discord and kindly ask him 'what the buck'?” With a salute, Rainbow sped away as well.

“Rarity, are you gonna be okay getting home?”

“I'm quite fine darling, but thank you for your concern. Thankfully my home doesn't need repairs this time.”

Fighting back another yawn, Twilight turned her attention to the final two ponies. “Cadance-”

“Oh, is little Twily giving me orders too?” said the pink alicorn with a grin.

Fighting back a blush, Twilight composed herself. “Could you help Trixie find someplace to stay?”

“Hmph. Trixie does not need cha-mmph!”

“I'd be happy to,” said the Princess of Love sweetly, holding her hoof against Trixie's muzzle. “I need to interview your potential marem member anyways.”

Twilight opened her mouth but decided against saying anything. “Fine, interview away,” she grumbled. “Alright, AJ, I'm ready to collapse now.”

“Rest all ya want Twilight, you ain't exactly a heavyweight,” she teased, setting an easy pace back to the library, making sure not to jostle the alicorn too much. “So why are you so tuckered out when Trix and Rares are walking just fine, anywho?”

Twilight gave an embarrassed chuckle. “I might have used a bit more magic than was strictly safe. I didn't realize how much I'd put into the spell until I couldn't throw up the shield in time.”

It was Applejack's turn to look slightly bashful. “Real sorry for jumping the creek there.”

“I'm just glad you're okay,” murmured Twilight against the earth pony's neck.

Twilight was sure she'd dozed off during the trip, as it seemed like only a matter of seconds before they were at the door to golden oaks.

“Spike, you here?” called out Applejack. There was no response. “Must of evacuated with everypony else.”

“Mmm...might have found something else to do. Library closes in event of monster attacks. Just drop me off at my bed, I'll be fine,” murmured Twilight sleepily.

“Ah think I'll stick around until Spike shows up just to be sure,” countered Applejack as she made her way up the stairs, gently rolling the alicorn from her back to the bed.

“Applejack...”

“Unless you got the magic to throw me outta yer house, this ain't up for debate.”

Twilight let out a resigned sigh. “Fine, but I swear if this has anything to do with the marem...”

“Now Twi, y'all know darn well I'm your friend first.”

“Right, sorry, just been kinda hectic the last couple days...” Twilight's voice faded as Applejack suddenly moved into view, her face just above her own.

“This jus' happens to be one of those times where ah can do both.”

The princess barely had time to let out a 'meep' of surprise before Applejack's muzzle gently pressed against her own, giving her a light kiss and a small caress with her tongue, taking advantage of Twilight's open mouth.

'Apples...she tastes like really...really sweet apples.'

Seconds later the farm pony pulled away from the blushing princess, a warm smile on her face. “Y'all get some rest sugarcube, and gimme a call if you need anything.”

The flustered princess watched until Applejack was out of sight before groaning and falling back onto the bed. “I swear it feels like somepony is planning all this.”

“Our apologies, Master Spike, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza does not appear to be available at the moment.”

“You know, you don't have to keep calling me master. That just sounds weird.”

“But you are the vassal of Princess Twilight Sparkle, yes? It is only befitting to address you as your position demands.”

“I'm not a vassal, I'm an employee. Do you refer to all the royal guards as 'master'?” grumbled the young dragon.

“Nevertheless.”

Spike sighed and let himself drop from the counter and onto the floor. “Ugh, why do we even have a fancy hotel in Ponyville? I thought this place was too far out in the countryside for this kinda stuff.”

“'Tis only natural that a princess would attract such industry. Anypony important seeking Twilight's attention would naturally need a place to stay.”

“Princess Luna!” The young dragon quickly gave her a bow along with the hotel staff.

“I could not help but overhear, nor could I help but notice that you seem distraught. Perhaps I might be of some assistance?”

“Er...” Spike hesitated. Luna was a far cry from Cadance when it came to his particular problem. “Thanks, but I don't think-”

“I am not unskilled in providing counsel of the heart, young one.”

“What? How did you-”

“Why else would you be seeking out Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?” asked Luna flatly. “Do you think I am incapable of giving you assistance?”

“I dunno, when was the last time you went on a date or had a special somepony?” asked Spike flatly.

Luna's eyes narrowed. “'Tis been many years and language has changed quite a bit since my imprisonment, but sarcasm and incredulity have changed little. Do you doubt my abilities?”

“Well, considering how the last Nightmare Night went...”

“That one night is hardly representative of us!”

“And there was the whole Nightmare Moon thing...”

“We have improved much since then!”

“In a nutshell...yes, I have some doubts.”

Spike braced himself as he saw the princess take a breath, only to be surprised when she simply let it out. “I see. I admit that my history might not paint me with the finest brush-”

“That's an understatement...”

“-but I am confident of my abilities. Perhaps you would like to make a wager?”

The young dragon hesitated. “Go on.”

“You give me one chance to walk with you in your dreams. If you are not satisfied with my counsel, then you may demand of me any gem you desire. If I do help you though, I will require your recommendation so I might officially take the position of Twilight's marem manager.”

Spike's eyes narrowed slightly, his skepticism plain. “Midnight ruby,” he said, folding his arms over his chest.

“Easily done.”

“Orihalcon.”

“Difficult, but doable.”

“Mithril laced diamond.”

“There's one collecting dust in the royal treasury.”

Spike hesitated, his claws briefly tightening around Twilight's choker. “Fine. One dream.”

Luna smiled in triumph. “Then let us retire to my chambers. I feel we have much to discuss.” Azure magic gently wrapped around the young dragon, placing him on the princess' back.

“But really, when was the last time you went on a date?”

“A princess does not kiss and tell, Spike.”

“So more than a thousand years then?”

“I believe it is time for the sleep spell.”

“Huh? But-” There was a flash of magic and before Spike could even finish his thought, he was gently slumped over Luna's back, sound asleep.

Author's Note

The Explosion Golem, brought to you by Mister Minotorgue, produced by Michael Neigh.

Comments are always appreciated.

Chapter 5: Dreams and Desires

“Tooom!”

Twilight watched dispassionately as the tiny rock figure beat against the glass jar. Normally, she might have been sympathetic, but after the creature’s rampage, it was taking a fair bit of self-control to not shake the jar.

Maud, on the other hoof, seemed to have no such emotional hangups and tilted the jar from side to side as she carefully examined the tiny prisoner.

“My initial analysis suggests that Tom’s composition is ninety-eight percent granite, one half percent wood, and one point five percent electrical equipment, including one tenth of a speaker. The magical composition is a bit more layered and complex. Difficult to get a read on-”

“-because granite is notoriously fickle when it comes to holding magic,” finished Twilight. “Do you have any idea how long he’s going to last?”

With deliberate care, Maud turned the jar upside-down, the rock creature within letting out a squeak as its head impacted the lid. “It’s a she.”

Twilight took a moment to process that information. Deciding that she didn’t really want to know how Maud had come to that conclusion, Twilight rephrased her question. “Okay, how long is she going to last?”

“The magical absorption field appears to be active and continuously absorbing magic. The damage I inflicted earlier from shaking the jar is already repairing itself. As long as she has a constant source of magic, it should sustain her just fine.”

“Is it...ya know...gonna get big again?” asked Applejack cautiously.

“No,” said Maud immediately. “The granite core was shattered. It can only sustain a small amount of mass.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. One less headache to worry about. Of course, that just left the question of what to do with him...her.

“Have you given her a name?” asked Maud suddenly.

Twilight blinked. “Excuse me?”

“A name. A designation. A combination of letters and phonemes to signify-”

“Yes Maud, I know what a name is. Why does it need one?”

“To distinguish it from other rocks.”

Twilight held Maud’s gaze for a long moment. There wasn’t a trace of humor in her eyes. “I’m pretty sure he...she already has a name. She’s been saying it nonstop ever since she was created.”

“Tom is a poor name for a rock,” said Maud dismissively. “You should try for something more nuanced.”

Twilight let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay...what would you recommend?”

Bringing her muzzle forward, Maud bit the cork and popped it free from the bottle before dumping the rock creature out onto the desk where it collapsed into a pile before reforming and facing the stoic earth pony. To Twilight’s surprise, she remained still as she was examined.

“Pebble,” said Maud after a moment.

“Tom!”

“She doesn’t like Pebble. How about Stone?”

“Tom!”

“Diamond?”

“Tom!”

“Steel?”

“Tom!”

“Basalt?”

“Tom!”

Watching the scene with the same morbid curiously as Twilight, Applejack moved closer to where she was laying on the bed. “Can she actually understand that thing, or is she just messing with us?”

“She’s from the Pie family. It’s probably a bit of both,” murmured Twilight.

“Quartz?”

“Tom!”

“Ruby?”

“Tom!”

“Emerald?”

“Tom!”

“How about Tom?” interrupted Twilight.

There was a brief pause as both Maud and the golem turned to look at her.

“...Tom.”

“Tom says she likes that name.”

Feeling a twitch in her eye, Twilight took a calming breath. “Maud, would you be so kind as to keep an eye on Tom for me? Make sure she doesn’t get into trouble?”

“Sure,” said Maud with a nod. “Boulder could use a new friend. He doesn’t get out much.” Setting the glass jar on its side, Maud gestured to it, her eyes fixated on Tom.

“Tom!” In response, the tiny rock figure crossed its arms and looked away. With a loud thump, Maud’s hoof came down on the table, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. A second later, Tom was secured in the jar once more and placed in Maud’s pouch.

“Ya reckon she coulda just talked ‘em down if we called her earlier?” asked Applejack once the other earth pony had departed.

“Maybe. I’ll be sure to send her a message the next time an animated rock golem is terrorizing Ponyville.”

Applejack chuckled nervously. “Ya think there’s gonna be a next time? Mah farm can only take so much.”

“No, there won’t be,” said Twilight flatly. “Discord, get your scaly flank out here!”

Almost immediately, a zipper appeared in the air, slowly unsealing from the other side. Applejack got a brief glimpse into the void before Discord stepped through. “Now now, I know this looks bad, but hear me out.”

Silence followed, with both Applejack and Twilight staring at him. “Well?” asked Twilight finally.

“You mean...you’re actually going to hear me out?”

“Yes Discord,” said Twilight flatly. “Please inform me as to why you unleashed a semi-sentient rock golem onto an unsuspecting Ponyville. I promise to try and keep an open mind.”

“Unsuspecting? Why Princess, Ponyville couldn’t have been better prepared. You evacuated the town flawlessly. Minimal property damage, too.”

“Discord...”

“It was a simple rock in my junk drawer, I swear!” he protested, putting up his paw and claw in a placating gesture. “It was a bit of Spring cleaning. I wasn’t trying to cause trouble...this time.”

Twilight stared at him for a long moment, her eyes narrowing as she saw a halo form above his head. “I believe you,” she said finally, “but that doesn’t absolve you of blame.”

Discord sighed. “Fine, I shall help with the cleanup.” A snap of his claw and a maid outfit and headdress appeared over his body.

“And?” Twilight asked, drawing the word out.

“And I’ll keep the houses right side up. Ugh, you’re becoming more like Celestia every day. And not in a beautiful big-flanked way, either.”

With a final snap, Discord vanished, all save for his disembodied paw which took a moment to zip up the zipper to the void before vanishing as well.

Applejack let out a low whistle. “Since when did you get the clout to order him around?”

“It’s just a matter of picking my battles,” confessed Twilight. “Let him get away with just enough so he’s more willing to reign himself in when things get serious.”

Letting out a groan, Twilight stretched her wings and hooves before turning to her bedside and taking a sip of the drink Applejack had provided. “Thanks for sticking with me. I haven’t felt this drained in a while. Come to think of it though, where’s Spike?”

Applejack grinned. “I dunno. Little guy is smart though. Maybe he can read the mood?”

The stern facade Twilight had been maintaining cracked slightly, a hint of red appearing on her muzzle before she turned away. “I’m still in recovery you know...”

There was a small creak as Twilight’s bed was suddenly taking the weight of two ponies. Surprised, she turned back to see her friend laying beside her, hat off and mane undone with a distinct piece of jewelry around her neck. “Applejack...”

“You look plenty energetic to me, Twi, and this ain’t gonna take one bit of magic.”

Twilight’s mind raced as Applejack’s mouth moved closer, her strong body gently pressing into hers while a hoof slid along her neck to tilt her head upward. Several things became clear to Twilight, such as how nice Applejack looked without her hat, how strong and firm her body felt against her sides and stomach, and how passionate and honest her eyes were.

When her lips finally pressed against her own, the doubts and nervous feelings seemed to melt away, leaving behind only the pleasure and gentle passion of the moment, and a single thought overshadowing all the others.

Buck it...why not?

Her mouth opened, a soft moan escaped, and soon Twilight was eagerly returning Applejack’s kiss.

Spike was sure that he wasn’t falling, but that didn’t quite assuage the feelings of vertigo as the world shifted around him, moving rapidly in a swirl of colors until it finally settled into place. Slightly dizzy, he tried to take a step, relieved to feel something at least resembling solid ground beneath his feet.

“Try to remain calm,” came Luna’s voice, nearly making him stumble as she appeared next to him without warning. “Do not focus on anything in particular. We are in a place where your subconscious thoughts define our surroundings.”

“Easy for you to say, you do this all the time!” accused Spike, grabbing onto her for support.

Around them, the swirling mass of shapes began to take on a more solid form. At first, it seemed like nothing more than a simple cave, but slowly more features came into focus. Posters faded in on the rocky walls, crystals began to form along the ceiling, and mighty tree roots began to break through the stones.

As the rumbling faded, Spike slowly let go of Luna’s foreleg, looking at the scenery with wide eyes. “This is my subconscious?”

“Correct,” said Luna with a nod. “A vague manifestation of your thoughts and desires. Whenever a pony has a problem, I have often found it expedient to search here first.”

“But...why a cave? I like my tree-house room,” protested Spike.

“It is simply how you view where you live. Subconsciously, you might think that dragons are ‘supposed’ to live in caves, and thus you have taken to looking at the library as your version of a cave,” she explained.

“Huh.” Unsure of how to respond, Spike took a moment to examine the posters. “So...how does this work? Do you just...read my mind?”

“Hardly. You must simply think on what is troubling you and this place will give it shape.”

Spike hesitated, suddenly unsure of himself, but trying not to think of his problems only made him think of them all the more. Behind him, a rock wall suddenly collapsed, making him jump. Turning towards the brightly lit opening, Spike’s mouth opened in shock. Cheeks red, he turned back to Luna. “I...um...I mean...”

“Please be calm,” said Luna with a smile. “These sorts of things are perfectly natural, and nothing I see shall ever pass my lips in the waking world.”

“Still kinda embarrassing,” mumbled Spike as he turned back to the opening.

In sharp contrast to the cave around them, the scene playing out through the hole was brightly lit, clearly outdoors, and on a beach of some sort. On a folding chair was Spike, lounging back while flanked on either side by two unicorns, their horns glowing as they took turns feeding him gems.

Hesitantly, Spike turned back to Luna, but there wasn’t a hint of judgment in her eyes, merely curiosity as she watched Spike’s mental image of himself being fawned over by Rarity and Twilight. “Your mental projection appears to be older than your physical self.”

“Ah...well, I mean...”

“Why do you choose to remain in your younger form if you see it as an obstacle to your desires?”

Spike’s mouth closed suddenly, but even though he couldn’t find the words, his mind was already providing the answer. Wincing as he heard another wall crumbling away, Spike turned to face what he’d been dreading.

“You’re not my Spikey-Wikey!”

“A big, mean, nasty, fire-breathing dragon?!”

“Just smash it already!”

“Everypony run!”

“It’s...complicated,” said Spike finally.

“Is it?” asked Luna. “You seem fearful of how ponies might see you as an older dragon based on their past experiences, and you are worried that becoming an adult will cause you to lose control over your sense of self as before.”

Spike groaned. “Okay, maybe it’s not complicated, but it’s not easy!”

“Facing your own shortcomings is never easy,” agreed Luna. “And we know all too well the perils one can face when confronting one’s darker side.”

Spike sighed, sitting down next to Luna as he watched the scenes of fear and terror play out. “It’s just...I have it really good in Ponyville, you know? Great friends, a decent job, and...”

He hesitated again, trying to find the words, but his subconscious was already moving ahead of his mouth. A flash of Twilight reading to him while sick. A late night with Rarity, helping her fill an order while the two of them laughed and talked with each other. Several more moments in time, all filled with warmth and affection.

“And you do not wish to jeopardize what you have by trying for something more,” concluded Luna as the last of the images faded and the rocks shifted back into place.

Spike sighed, nodding even as he avoided her gaze. Luna within the dreamworld was far more direct, succinct, and on point than he’d been prepared for. A far cry from her real world self. Maybe she was still learning about the modern era, but emotional problems like these were probably common even a thousand years ago.

“It’s not like my race has set the best example, either,” grumbled Spike, various walls falling away to show his ‘interactions’ with his kind.

“How long have you been with Twilight?” asked Luna suddenly.

Spike thought for a moment. “Since I hatched. Almost nineteen years now.”

“And do you truly believe Twilight will forget all of those years simply because you’re a bit larger and older looking?”

“W-well no, but Rarity-”

“Where do you wish to be in five years time? Will you remain Twilight’s baby dragon forever? If you wish to ever be seen as more, it is on you to show them,” concluded Luna, her hoof coming down hard against the stone ground, all of the openings in the stone sealing back up.

A ringing silence followed her declaration before being broken by Spike. “Easy enough to say...”

“Have faith in your friends, young Spike. Your caretaker is the Princess of Friendship and one who has been your friend for a very long time.”

“But what if I get rejected?”

“If you confess your feelings, things will change,” interrupted Luna. “Such change can be good or ill, but change will be inevitable. However, if you do nothing, things will still change and you will not be a part of that change.”

Spike let his head fall back onto the ground, his eyes looking towards the ceiling. Even there though, he couldn’t escape the images playing through the cave walls, showcasing Twilight’s spectacular failure of a romantic evening and Rarity’s several disastrous dates. “You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know, but now Twilight has more company than she can manage and Rarity seems set on joining her.”

“And you?” asked Luna suddenly.

“Me?” Spike coughed, suddenly blushing as his traitorous mind provided the image of an amethyst collar around his neck. “Is that allowed? I mean-”

“Nothing within the law states anything about species. Merely that they must be able to take and receive the binding vow and consummate their relationship. Both are tasks I believe you are more than capable of.”

“W-well yes, but...hey don’t look!” Panicked, Spike tried to jump in front of Luna’s view, not even having to look to know which memory was being revealed now.

Luna simply stared at him.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve seen it a thousand times. That doesn’t make me feel any better!”

“There is more to love, affection, and pleasure than just the size of your equipment, young Spike,” said Luna calmly. “And there is much more to relationships than lovemaking.”

“But if I can’t measure up to a stallion...”

“None of that has impeded the efforts of Rainbow Dash or the Wonderbolts. Why should it stop you?”

Spike opened his mouth to respond, but words failed him. Even his subconscious was silent.

“If you still feel as though it will impede you, then perhaps you should see it as further incentive to shed your younger form.”

“You keep saying that like it’s something I can just turn on and off,” said Spike irritably. “I only did it one time on accident and that was triggered by greed. You know, the bad kind of greed?”

“It was greed that triggered your magic, much in the same way that fear and panic triggered Twilight’s magical outburst that hatched your egg so many years ago,” corrected Luna. “That does not mean the magic is your enemy.”

More images manifested around the cavern as Spike considered the possibilities, but he was barely paying attention to them. “Can you show me?” he asked finally.

Luna smiled. “As a matter of fact, yes. And this dreamscape is the ideal place to practice.”

For almost ten minutes now, Trixie had been sitting in silence, twitching and fidgeting as the Princess of Love continuously walked around her with a quill and a clipboard, occasionally scratching out a few unseen notes. She hadn’t said a word or even asked a question since she’d pulled Trixie into the hotel room, but it was hard not to feel like those light purple eyes were seeing straight through her.

When the princess finally spoke, Trixie nearly jumped from her seat in surprise.

“B minus.”

“I...what?”

“It’s your grade. Your compatibility with Twilight and possible overall contribution to her marem.”

Comprehension dawned. “How...absurd! Trixie demands to know how you arrived at such a conclusion!”

“I’m glad you asked.” Flipping over several pages on her clipboard and clearing her throat, Cadance began to read. “Your appearance is well maintained and cared for, as is standard for anypony in show business. Mane, tail, coat, and flank all make A-grade.”

“Oh, well of course-”

“However,” continued Cadance over her, “your pseudo-rivalry still has a lot of unresolved sexual tension, and most of Ponyville, Twilight’s base of operations, has a less than favorable opinion of you.”

“Trixie supposes that can’t be helped...”

“Furthermore, you appreciate being at the center of attention, have a difficult time admitting when you’re wrong, are attracted to dangerous artifacts-”

“That was one time!”

“-and you constantly seek shortcuts to power. All of that hurts your final grade.”

Trixie fought back her reflexive protest and focused on the other burning question on her mind. “You could tell that from a simple walk-around?”

“Yes, much in the same way that I can tell your fetishes include bondage, mild humiliation and degradation play, natural and magical hypnosis, role-playing and...” Cadance took a long breath, seemingly enjoying the surprised look on Trixie’s face, “...you still have something extra from that time with the alicorn amulet.”

With a squeak and a blush, Trixie crossed her hind legs, glaring daggers at Cadance. “H-how?”

“Do you really need to ask? I’ll give you a hint. It has a little something to do with my title.”

Embarrassed, Trixie looked away from Cadance’s probing gaze. “Trixie has not had time to seek out a proper counterspell.”

“Really? Or is it more that you haven’t wanted to seek out a counterspell? You seem to have adapted well enough.”

“Trixie has...enjoyed some parts of the change,” she admitted quietly. “How does it affect Trixie’s final grade?”

“It doesn’t, but a marem always works best with variety, even though I’m sure Twilight already knows the spell herself. I’ve used it plenty of times.”

Trixie blinked. “You mean, with Shining?”

“Of course. It feels much more natural than a strap-on, and he makes such adorable noises. He’s like his sister in that way.”

“How do you-”

“That’s not important right now,” interrupted Cadance. “We’re talking about you. Specifically about how you’re the type who would monopolize Twilight’s attention and be an overall drain on her energy.”

“That seems awfully presumptuous...”

“Is it?” asked Cadance with that all-knowing smile. “You thrive at the center of attention, have a dominant personality, and a pseudo-rivalry with my sister that’s very likely to escalate into passionate, angry sex in the bedroom.”

Trixie stared at Cadance, open mouthed. “I um...I mean...Trixie may have had a few fantasies.”

“Oh don’t play coy with me, Love is my domain,” said Cadance, putting a very clear emphasis on the L-word. “And there’s something there. Something beneath all of your ego and desires. Some hint of genuine affection, although I don’t quite know why.”

“You don’t?” asked Trixie, genuinely surprised. “You’ve been able to tell everything else about Trixie.”

“I’m not a mind reader,” corrected Cadance. “I can read your emotions like a book, but determining the spark that ignited those emotions is a bit more difficult. To my understanding, you’ve only met twice before today.”

“Four times,” corrected Trixie.

“Oh? What was the third meeting about?”

“That’s rather private...”

“Having a genuine emotional connection can only improve your grade.”

“As if something as shallow as a letter grade would be enough to sway the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she retorted with a scoff.

Cadance simply stared at her. Trixie blinked. “It was shortly after the incident with the Ursa Minor. Upon learning that it was Snips and Snails who had woken up the beast, Twilight sought Trixie out to make amends and...help repair Trixie’s cart.”

“And yet you still decided to put on a cursed amulet and run her out of town?”

“That was not Trixie’s intention! All Trixie wanted to do was improve her own magic!”

Nodding, Cadance raised her clipboard and made another note. “Relax, I’m not going to penalize you too much for what you do under the influence of cursed artifacts. Tell me about your next meeting.”

Trixie huffed slightly, but didn’t fight the point. “Our second meeting was after another of my shows in Carbon Creek a few weeks after the...incident.” For a brief moment, Trixie paused, looking worriedly around the hotel room.

Cadance blinked. “What are you waiting for?”

“Just...checking to see if that bothersome pink pony is around. As Trixie was saying...”

Trixie cursed as she looked between her hind legs, a bright blush on her face even as her horn glowed in an attempt to counter the surprisingly complex and powerful spell. It had been a small miracle that she hadn’t been exposed on stage with how suddenly it returned, but thanks to her cloak and a quick illusion spell, she’d avoided disaster.

Now if only the damned thing would go away! Focused on her task, the sudden knock on her door nearly made her jump out of bed. Cutting off the spell, Trixie glared at the door and raised her voice. “No well-wishers at this hour, please! The Great and Powerful Trixie requires her rest!”

“Trixie? It’s Twilight. I promise I won’t take too much of your time.”

The showmare bit back her immediate retort, hesitating as she looked from the door to the space between her legs. “This is not exactly the best time.”

“It’s kind of important,” said Twilight urgently. “I was reading about the Alicorn Amulet and I discovered some side effects that might persist even after being removed.”

Trixie was silent for several seconds before finally responding. “What kind of side effects?”

“Um...fluctuations in magic, lingering emotional instability, and persistent transformations.”

Another long silence passed. “What sorts of transformations?”

“Trixie is something wrong?” asked Twilight, her voice slightly exasperated.

“...Trixie may have a sm- err, moderate problem.”

“I’m coming inside.”

With a squeak, the showmare quickly threw her blanket over her barrel right before Twilight entered. “Trixie has changed her mind. She has not been experiencing any side effects whatsoever!”

Twilight gave her a funny look. “You know, some of these side-effects are pretty severe.”

“What?”

Withdrawing a scroll from her saddlebags, Twilight began to read. “Exploding from magical overload, disintegration, excruciating magical pain that can put you into a coma, complete metamorphosis into a being of nightmares-”

“Alright! Do your stupid tests!” shouted Trixie finally.

“Thank you,” said Twilight, rolling up the scroll. “Trixie, I can’t examine you through a blanket.”

“Fine! But if you breathe a word of this to anypony-”

“Trixie, do you want your beauty rest or not?” snapped Twilight.

With a glare, Trixie grabbed the edge of her blanket and threw it aside.

Twilight blinked, staring between Trixie’s hind legs. “So you...gave yourself a-”

“A stallionhood, yes,” said Trixie irritably. “I thought I was rid of it when the amulet was removed, but...”

“Do you know why you gave yourself...that?” asked Twilight curiously, finally moving her gaze back to Trixie’s eyes.

“Trixie felt the need to compete with Twilight on every level. That included possessing and pleasing her own five-pony marem, too.”

“Five pony...you mean...Trixie, we’re just friends!”

“Trixie didn’t say her thinking was reasonable!”

Silence followed the outburst, the two mares keeping their gazes locked with one another. “I’m going to start my examination now.”

“Trixie believes this is wise.”

For a minute, the only sound inside the cart was the gentle hum of Twilight’s magic and the occasional scratch of a quill against paper. It was clear to Trixie that she was making a concentrated effort to remain professional, and for the most part, she was succeeding.

“So how does Trixie compare to other stallions?”

Twilight choked, the quill nearly dropping to the floor before she caught it, wielding it like a small missile as she nearly jabbed it against Trixie’s grinning muzzle. “First of all, we’re not on stage. Feel free to use pronouns. Second, how the ever loving buck would I know that?”

“Because you’re a princess now.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Clearly you have admirers now and don’t lack for companionship,” Trixie pointed out as though it were obvious. “Or at least a consort or two.”

Twilight stared at her. “You seriously think that...you know what? Never mind. I’m not that kind of princess. You’ve probably had way more experience with that than I have.”

“Hmph. Hardly. I’ve always preferred mares over stallions,” said Trixie with a scoff. “Even so, I assumed you would have looked through a book about the subject.”

Twilight fought to control a twitch in the corner of her eye. “You’re above average. Now shut up and let me finish.”

A few minutes later, Twilight withdrew two vials from her bags, lighting up the interior of Trixie’s cart for a brief moment as she enchanted them. “Well, aside from the...extra growth, there’s nothing wrong with you. Just take one of these vials tonight and the second two days from now and you should be just fine.”

“Trixie...appreciates the assistance,” said the showmare slowly.

“You’re welcome,” replied Twilight honestly. “Just try to stay away from cursed artifacts in the future, will you?”

“Trixie can agree to this.”

“And you didn’t take the potion?” concluded Cadance.

“Trixie took the first!” she snapped. “But...after which, it became easier to hide herself and-”

“No need to justify yourself so long as you feel comfortable with it,” interrupted Cadance with a raised hoof. “Now let’s see it.”

“What?!”

“Twilight gave you a medical examination, now I’m going to give you a practical one.”

“Absolutely not!”

“If you’re going to be using that magically grown member on my sister, the least you can do is make sure it’s completely safe,” chided Cadance, completely straight faced. “And I know quite a bit more about this subject than Twilight.”

“Trixie...can’t find fault with that reasoning as such...”

“There’s no need to be shy. I am a love professional, and I’d never get in the way of your lewd fantasies towards my sister-in-law.”

“Trixie does not find this very reassuring!”

“And I’ve already placed silencing spells around the room and a privacy ward on the door so we will not be disturbed.”

Trixie gulped.

Spike let out a small groan as he shook himself awake. Unlike every other time he’d slept, he was feeling more tired than before. “I feel exhausted.”

“Tis only natural. Sleep is meant to relax the mind as well as the body, and lengthy, lucid dreaming can tax the untrained mind.”

Spike turned his head, examining the alicorn resting beside him. “I don’t feel any bigger.”

“That is because you are not,” said Luna simply. “You must do what we practiced in the real world now.”

Slowly, the young dragon sat up, one hand moving to rub his head while the other braced against Luna for support. “Later,” he decided.

“Now then, young Spike, would you say I have fulfilled my end of our agreement?”

Spike hesitated a moment before realization dawned. “Oh, right, the recommendation. Hey, why do you want to compete with Cadance anyways? Isn’t this kind of her thing?”

Luna turned her head upwards with a ‘hmph’. “Just because she embodies love does not mean she has exclusive rights to it.”

“Oh...kay, but why fight over it? Isn’t this whole marem business kinda silly?”

“Because I refuse to be upstaged by her one more time!”

Spike stared at her, eyes wide, but Luna continued undaunted.

“Ponies used to come to me with their fears and desires. I gave much counsel on matters of the mind and heart, only to find even that had been forgotten in my...”

“Imprisonment?”

“Absence,” finished Luna with a glare. “I wish to show the ponies of Equestria that I am capable of providing the counsel today that I once did, and not just within dreams.”

“That seems like a crazy leap of logic,” said Spike cautiously.

“You came here to see Cadance did you not?” asked Luna pointedly, “And now that you have my advice, do you still wish to seek Cadance’s aid?”

Spike quickly shook his head. “No, no, your advice was good...but didn’t you technically give it to me in a dream anyways?”

Luna’s eyes narrowed. Spike gulped.

Trixie groaned as she staggered out of Cadance’s hotel room, her hat bunched up and her cloak full of creases. “B plus?” she muttered beneath her breath. “Trixie has never suffered through so much injustice for so little!”

Focused on her dark mutterings and exaggerated thoughts of revenge, Trixie missed the sound of a door opening next to her, revealing a young purple dragon who seemed equally distracted, right up until the two collided and were knocked to the ground.

“Trixie would appreciate it if she could suffer in p- Spike?”

Rubbing his head, the young dragon blinked and looked Trixie over. “Uh...yeah, how many other purple dragons are there in Ponyville, Trixie?”

“Trixie knew of one, but he was smaller and didn’t run into mares without apologizing,” she snapped.

“Oh, right, sorry. I...wait, did you say bigger?”

“Yes. Trixie recalls you as barely the size of her foreleg, and now you are looking Trixie in the eye, are you not?”

“Huh...it really did work,” murmured Spike, slowly moving his hand from the top of his forehead towards Trixie’s head to compare their sizes.

Annoyed, Trixie quickly grabbed Spike’s wrist with her magic and pulled it away. “If you will excuse me, Trixie needs to find accommodations for the evening.”

Shaking his hand free of the magical grip, Spike gave her an apologetic look. “Don’t you have a cart?”

“Smashed to pieces.”

“Again?”

“Yes, but Trixie made sure to insure herself this time.”

“Well...you’re in a hotel right now.”

“Trixie plans to give this place a wide berth.”

“Why?”

“Privacy concerns.”

“Oh.” Spike was silent for a moment before turning and falling into step beside the pony, trying not to marvel too much about not having to jog to keep up with her. “So what are you doing here anyways? I don’t think Ponyville is ready for another one of your shows.”

“As if Trixie would waste her time and talent putting on another show for these small town hecklers. Trixie is here for Twilight.”

Spike stared at her. “You mean the marem thing?”

“Hardly. Trixie is simply here to repay Twilight for her help in removing the Alicorn Amulet,” she corrected.

“And you’re going to do this by joining-”

“By helping my rival preserve her status as Princess.”

“Uh huh,” said Spike doubtfully. “Lifetime of servitude seems like a bit of an extreme repayment.”

“Trixie would have spent an eternity in service to that cursed amulet.”

Spike’s eyes narrowed. “And sleeping with her is just a bonus?”

“Trixie will not deny this.”

Spike let out a small groan. “Seriously? Is there like...anyone in Ponyville who doesn’t want to be a part of this?”

“If that were the case, why has she not completed her marem already?” asked Trixie. “It seems to me that Twilight will need all the help Trixie can offer.”

Twilight had entertained more than a few fantasies about Applejack in the past, and in those fantasies, she had never imagined her as anything other than straightforward and direct. The reality was far from disappointing.

From the very first moment, Applejack took the top and took control, pushing her hind legs to either side and settling against her belly, nipping and kissing along her neck and pressing her strong forehooves against her sides. This close, Twilight could feel the strength in Applejack’s body, both natural and magical.

When those strong hooves turned to her wings, the press behind the massage made Twilight gasp in unexpected pleasure. Applejack simply chuckled, placing another kiss on Twilight’s cheek. “Beggin’ yer pardon, Princess. It’s easy to forget how squishy unicorns are.”

Twilight huffed. “I’m not squishy, I’m padded. I’m also part Earth Pony now.”

“So what yer sayin’ is, I shouldn’ take it easy on ya just ‘cause yer a princess,” concluded Applejack with a sly smile. “If yer sure...”

“I’m sure,” said Twilight quickly, failing to hide her blush.

Gently, Applejack raised a hoof to her head, drawing her face upwards, and then she began to kiss in earnest, boldly pushing her tongue into Twilight’s mouth and wrestling hers down. Her forehooves slid back to her sides as well, exerting pressure near her wings and rubbing hard, drawing out a few gasps as she found several points of tension along her body.

When Applejack finally broke the kiss, Twilight was already panting for breath. “Like that?” murmured the farm pony, nibbling on her ear. “I may not be a fancy froo-froo massage pony, but I know how to help somepony relax after a hard day’s work.”

Twilight couldn’t help but agree. Where Rainbow and the Wonderbolts had taken expert care of her wings, Applejack was doing something similar to the rest of her body, with her hooves digging in deep and bringing her to an increasingly relaxed state.

Despite her increasing lethargy though, Twilight was determined not to leave all the work to her friend. Waiting for her moment, Twilight wrapped both sets of legs around Applejack’s barrel and pushed her hips upwards, rubbing directly between her legs and using the moment of surprise to roll her over onto her back and take the top position.

“I dunno,” said Twilight playfully. “Still feels like you’re taking it easy on me.” Her mouth found Applejack’s ear and gave it a light nibble.

“Just warming up, Princess,” came her quick retort. Raising one of her hind legs, Applejack slowly pressed it against Twilight’s lower lips, sliding it back and forth several times before pushing the hoof against her folds.

“Best legs in the business,” she boasted, pausing only briefly before moving that strong leg with a bit more vigor, alternating between soft presses and firm rubs, making the alicorn quiver in pleasure. Even though she’d never spoken of it, it was becoming clear to Twilight that her friend had more than a little experience.

Twilight could feel her control waning rapidly under the skilled, intimate massage, and it wasn’t long before she could feel her body responding and wetting Applejack’s fur.

As if sensing her dilemma, Applejack’s pace slowed, a forehoof coming around her neck and drawing her into another soft, sweet kiss. “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, Twi. That cute look on yer face is doin’ plenty for me.”

Blushing at the compliment (of a sort), Twilight shook her head. “You know I’m not the type of Princess who just waits to be served.” Pressing her hooves on the bed, Twilight began to slide backwards, her muzzle rubbing along Applejack’s chest. Before she could reach her destination though, Applejack’s hind legs suddenly spread and wrapped around her barrel, squeezing tight and drawing a surprised squeak from her lips.

“Now just where do you think yer goin’, Princess?” teased Applejack as she rubbed a forehoof through her mane. Twilight didn’t answer, but no amount of squirming or wiggling could budge her friend’s strong legs, and for her trouble, Applejack simply squeezed tighter, making her gasp. Against her belly, she could feel a very clear sign of her friend’s arousal.

“Now, ah may be mistaken, but Princess Cadance told me to help you relax. Yer not gonna make me break my word to a princess, are ya?” Her legs thighs clenched, drawing out another gasp and a rapid shaking of Twilight’s head. “That’s good. Ah’d hate to have to tie you to the bed.”

Unable to help herself, Twilight blushed. Had Luna tipped her off?

“But, I suppose ya are the Princess of Friendship and all, and ya want to make yer friends feel appreciated, so...” For a brief moment, Twilight felt Applejack’s legs cross over her back, and in the next, she was being turned over.

The bed creaked slightly as Applejack rose to her hooves, but Twilight barely had time to adjust her position before the farm pony turned and pressed her weight against her, this time with her head between her legs and her firm, apple-stamped flank hovering above her muzzle.

“Now, if yer feeling it Princess, all ya have to do is-nnh!”

Twilight smiled to herself as she heard her friend’s surprised gasp, her forehooves squeezing tight around her flank and her tongue delving deep into her folds. Knowing that she only had seconds at most, Twilight went all out, swirling her tongue along her walls and lapping eagerly at her juices, her efforts soon rewarded with a full body tremor and a pleased moan.

“Well if yer that eager, Princess...” Her hind legs bent and soon Twilight’s muzzle was being enveloped while legs squeezed tight around her head, those tantalizing folds sliding up and down her lips as Applejack moved her body back and forth. Then, she felt her tongue.

Within moments, Twilight could feel the difference in experience. The first few licks were slow and measured, giving her time to feel the heat and the texture of her tongue, building up anticipation before paying it off with a deep thrust and a long, slow drag along her walls as she pulled back, her movements unwavering even as Twilight did her best to distract her.

The second lick was faster, the farm pony’s tongue once again plunging deep, but this time swirling around and lapping up her juices for good measure, and from there the pace only increased until Applejack’s head was quickly bobbing up and down between her legs.

It was difficult to keep pace, but Applejack didn’t seem to mind when Twilight’s rhythm faltered. If anything, she seemed almost encouraged by it, and soon her tongue was positively gliding inside her, drawing out several muffled moans against her flank.

Determined, Twilight put her hooves to work, massaging firmly beneath Applejack’s cutie marks, squeezing in time with her licks while varying her pace. Her efforts were rewarded with a sweet taste on her tongue and a few pleased groans, but Applejack was unshakable, continuing to escalate her speed and pushing her tongue ever deeper until Twilight’s forelegs were holding onto her for support.

As if sensing just how close she was, Applejack’s own forelegs suddenly wrapped around her starry flank, squeezing tight and pulling her lower body into the air. For moment she was precariously balanced on her hind legs, but the angle allowed for an even deeper push than before.

That was the tipping point for Twilight. Her folds clenched, her forehooves and head fell back onto the bed, and her body surrendered to Applejack’s embrace. With a soft cry, the princess peaked, soaking the farm pony’s tongue and wetting her muzzle as well.

Far from finished, Applejack’s grip tightened, making Twilight squeak as she was suddenly resting more on her shoulders than her back, squirming as her juices were thoroughly lapped up. Only once she was satisfied that Twilight had nothing left to give did she finally set her back down on the bed and turn to lay beside her.

“You’re...really good,” murmured Twilight, still slightly breathless.

“Ah might have had a bit of practice,” said Applejack coyly.

“Don’t tell me. Rainbow Dash?”

“Naw, it was mostly Rarity.”

“Really?”

Applejack chuckled. “Maybe. But I ain’t interested in either of ‘em right now. Let’s see what Luna left you.”

“How did you-”

“Ah did a little cleaning while you were out. Beneath your bed is a terrible hiding place.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide them...”

With a small smile and a ‘hmm’, Applejack rolled off the bed and briefly dipped out of sight, soon, returning with the case Luna had delivered three days before. “Good Dragon seal of quality. Princess has an eye for this. Mighta misjudged your size though.”

Twilight couldn’t help but squeak at the toy Applejack revealed. “That thing is as thick as my leg!”

“Says here it’s alicorn sized. Ya reckon-”

“No, I’m not thinking about that!” exclaimed Twilight quickly.

Applejack grinned knowingly but put the toy away before rummaging further. “Ho boy, is this what Spike is gonna look like when he’s older?”

The toy she was holding was very much a dragon’s ‘tool’. A pointed tip followed by several segmented ridges that got thicker towards the base, exactly like the pictures she had stumbled across when learning about the dragon whose egg she’d hatched.

Applejack opened her mouth to continue but Twilight quickly cut her off, her embarrassment plain. “Are there any normal toys in that collection?”

Chuckling, Applejack withdrew a stallion shaped toy. Twilight couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer attention to detail; from the shape of the head and the medial ring, to the soft textured veins running through it. Distracted as she was, she didn’t notice Applejack moving to the toy closer to her until the tip bumped into her muzzle.

“I’ll take that as a royal endorsement,” teased Applejack, stepping back and threading her legs through the provided straps that helped it rest easily between her hind legs.

“Well, how do I look?” asked Applejack, closing the case and jumping back onto the bed, turning her flank towards Twilight to show off the swinging ebony toy between her legs.

“Like a mare with a toy between her legs,” teased Twilight, her horn glowing for a moment and enveloping the length, giving it a firm squeeze. Applejack’s eyes widened as she suddenly realized the other unique property of the high-end toy, the magical feedback providing a surprising amount of stimulation to her body.

“Nnh...is it supposed to do that?” asked Applejack curiously, touching the ebony length with her forehoof and shivering a bit as she felt the ‘head’ quite plainly as if the toy were real.

“Only the best quality ones,” said Twilight sheepishly. “It’s perfectly safe.”

“Then I won’t worry ‘bout it,” said Applejack, turning and slowly moving back over Twilight’s body, her hooves pressing down on either side of her barrel while the smooth toy brushed up against her hind legs.

The slow, steady pace was making Twilight squirm in anticipation. Each nudge of her friend’s hips was dragging the fare of her stallionhood across her folds, and her forehooves were actively sliding across her sides, through her mane, and gently over her wings. Her emotions were a mixture of nervousness and warmth, but the longer Applejack’s teasing continued, the more the former faded, until her moans became softer and her hips began to gently thrust towards the toy.

That seemed to be the signal Applejack was waiting for. Her body leaned forward, her muzzle pushing against Twilight in a passionate kiss and swallowing her cry of pleasure as she thrust forward and parted her folds.

Even as familiar as she was with the magic infused within the toy, Twilight was ill prepared for just how good it felt. The high quality material spreading her wide was already pleasant, but the warmth borrowed from its user’s body was enough to make her squirm, her walls seeming to clench just a little tighter with each gentle thrust.

“Worth...every bit Princess,” gasped Applejack, shuddering as Twilight’s walls worked the toy over and fed the sensations right into her body. “Gonna have to find the bits for this model next time.”

“It’s not a complicated enchantment, I could-eep!” Twilight’s cute squeak cut off the rest of her words as Applejack gave her a potent thrust and buried the medial ring inside her.

“No more magic talk, Twi. There’s only one word ah wanna hear from ya right now.” Tensing her hind legs, Applejack gave Twilight another firm thrust and immediately got her wish as Twilight cried her name loud enough to be heard from the basement.

Applejack was quick to adapt to the toy’s unique properties, moving from slow and steady thrusts to a faster, more measured pace. For her part, Twilight was simply trying her best to keep up and reciprocate. Her hips pushed upwards to meet a few of Applejack’s thrusts, and her forehooves squeezed tight around her neck, running through her lovely orange fur, but Applejack’s pace was only getting faster, and it was getting harder to do anything except hold tight and moan in pleasure.

“Mmhh...you feel downright amazing, princess,” moaned Applejack. “And I don’ just think it’s the toy, neither.”

Panting heavily, Twilight still managed to get out, “Not too much for you to handle, is it?”

For a moment, Applejack stilled. “Was that a challenge, Princess?”

“Could be. I heard from somepony how much you like those,” replied Twilight playfully.

When Applejack returned the smile, Twilight felt a small excited tingle of anticipation run through her body.

Powerful legs gripped her barrel on either side, holding her firmly in place, and for a moment, Twilight could feel the surge of Earth Pony magic before the first powerful thrust, slamming the toy deep inside her and loudly clapping her hips against her starry flanks. Beneath her, the bed rocked and creaked, but there was no time to notice it before the second thrust sent stars into her eyes.

Alicorn endurance was pitted against Earth Pony stamina, and within a minute, it was clear who was coming out on top, with the princess moaning, squirming, and even thrashing in pleasure, her cries only overshadowed by the protests of the bed beneath them.

At one point, Twilight managed to get her legs around Applejack and hug her close, but even then she simply started a series of shorter and more rapid thrusts, often bucking her hips from side to side to make that toy rub against her in a myriad of pleasurable ways.

It wasn’t until Twilight reached her peak that her friend’s pace faltered, her walls squeezing tight just before the toy was soaked with her juices. Dimly, she was aware that the amethyst collar was glowing brightly around her friend’s neck, but that was secondary to the passionate kiss she was sharing as Applejack reached her peak as well.

“So is that what ‘taking it easy’ means to an alicorn? Because if so, we could have had these houses rebuilt already,” said Fleetfoot as she lazily flew away from her perch in the library tree with Rainbow at her side.

“Oh come off it, Fleet. You’ll get your chance to play nursemaid,” teased the other pegasus. “It’s not like these monster attacks are uncommon.”

“You know we almost got blown up, right?”

“Any near-death experience more than two hours old is fodder for jokes,” said Rainbow with a dismissive wave of her hoof.

And from the looks of it, the rest of Ponyville seemed to agree. Most of the ponies below were talking and joking with one another as the frameworks for the destroyed houses were put into place. By nightfall they’d have a full complement of furniture to go with them.

“How has this town stayed standing for so long?” asked Fleetfoot.

Rainbow shrugged. “I’d like to say it’s thanks to Twilight, but I know they’ve been dealing with monsters way longer than she’s been here.”

Rainbow stopped in mid-flight as she passed over an area that had received far less attention than the destroyed houses. For a moment, she frowned before sighing and catching up to Fleetfoot. “Hey. Go get a repair team together for this. If they complain, say it’s an order from Twilight.”

Fleetfoot looked confused as she glanced between Rainbow and the destroyed husk of Trixie’s cart. “Why would I need to do that?”

“Because Trixie ranks fourth or fifth on Ponyville’s worst monster attacks. Long story. But if they’re willing to accept Discord, I think it’s high time we buried this hatchet, too.”