Supremacy

At long last! After three months of miserable seafaring, the shore is near! We'll be arriving before sundown, and we're all anxious to finally have solid land beneath our hooves once again. We can already see rich forests only a few yards away from the beaches, and we're all excited to begin our settlements! I must admit, I doubted that we'd ever make it this far, but how glad I am that we did! Now begins our new nation. Now begins New Unicornia! Well, that's what I'm suggesting we call it. Knowing Vanity and Geo, they'll probably object and call it something ridiculous. The name of our nation, however, matters not! All that matters is-

With a sigh, Twilight Sparkle turned to the door, already forming a hunch as to who was knocking with such hyperactive urgency. As she opened the door, she found just who she'd expected. With a grin, Twilight said, "Hi Pinkie! What are y-" She stopped her greeting as she spotted the card that Pinkie held in her beaming mouth. "Oh! Is that an invitation?"

Pinkie nodded, speaking as clearly as possible while she held the card between her teeth, saying, "Yesh! Ish Opulent Majeshty here?"

Twilight beamed, gesturing inside. "As a matter of fact, he's right inside. Glad to see you're finally making amends!"

Pinkie rolled her eyes as she walked inside, mumbling, "Yeah. Making amendsh...." Stepping past Twilight, she found Opulent Majesty, grinning deviously as he looked to the card that Pinkie held.

"Is that for me?" He asked, nodding to the invitation.

Pinkie spit the card at the smug unicorn, which he caught with his magic. "Sure is." Her tone was blunt, and her general air of excitement had dimmed as she glared at Opulent. Opulent smirked at Pinkie for a moment, then opened the card. He chuckled at the burst of confetti, then proceeded to read the card. Pinkie had been sure to hoof deliver Opulent's card, as it held a message aside from the basic invitation.

Hey, you ambassadors! Do you know what time it is? It's party time! And it's a party in your honor! Pinkie Pie (that's me!) invites you to a super fun Welcome to Ponyville Party! The big bash will be at Sugar Cube Corner, the best bakery in town, and will start at 7:00 P.M. sharp! Hope to see you there!

Pinkie Pie

Game on, Opulent. You don't stand a chance.

With a small flare of magic, the card vaporized, the ashes falling to the floor as Opulent turned a crazed smirk to Pinkie Pie. "Confidence. That's good. I always like to hear that the game is going to be fun."

Twilight Sparkle glanced from Opulent to the vaporized card, then turned a nervous grin to Pinkie. "Pinkie...what's he talking about? What did that card say?"

Pinkie, ignoring Twilight's question, raised an eyebrow, saying, "Fun? I doubt you'll have fun when you're losing."

Opulent's eyes seemed to ripple with light as he broadened his smile, absently adjusting his monocle with a hoof. "Heh. See you at seven, dearest." With an explosion of black smoke, the stallion disappeared, startling Twilight and Spike.

Twilight stared at the floor where Opulent had been standing, then turned to Pinkie with a stern expression. In a somewhat dark tone, she said, "Pinkie....what did that card say?"

Pinkie shrugged, already beginning to trot to the door. "It just said that he was invited to a party at Sugar Cube Corner. I don't know why he'd react like that..." She cleared her throat, resisting the urge to giggle with satisfaction.

Twilight perked up, saying, "A party? Pinkie, that's a great way to say you're sorry!"

Pinkie froze mid step, her face contorting into a scowl. "Yeah....you could say that....but, those ambassadors aren't gonna feel all that welcome if their hostess is late. So, I'd better be off." She opened the door and hurried through, pulling it closed with her tail as she ran off.

Spike, who looked as confused as Twilight was, asked, "Do you think Pinkie is acting a bit strange? Or, stranger, at least?"

Twilight shook her head, mumbling, "I can't say for sure. But, I think it's safe to say that she isn't planning to apologize to Opulent with this party. Or at all, for that matter."

Spike rubbed at his chin, mumbling in a skeptical tone, "From the way they talked, it sounds like they've got it out for each other...but why?"

Twilight sighed, rubbing at her temple. "With Pinkie Pie, who knows....maybe I should go to this party? You know, to see if I can straighten this out."

Spike smirked, wagging a claw at Twilight. "Are you sure it's not just to see Opulent Majesty?"

Twilight blushed, scowling at Spike. "Of course not!"

Spike chuckled, shaking his head. "Right. Of course not."

Twilight cleared her throat, then pointed to the ashes that lay in a small pile on the floor. "Looks like you have a mess to clean up, Spike."

Spike rolled his eyes, beginning toward the kitchen without protest. "Sure, sure. Just don't make a fool of yourself at the party."

Twilight groaned with exasperation, then disappeared with a flare of magic and a flash of light. Spike sighed as he walked along, silently chuckling at her frustration.

"So, after I won first place, yet again, I bowed to the adoring crowds. To be in the spotlight for seven straight years in a row was an honor, but I was starting to become bored with the competitions. After all, none of my opponents ever really gave me a challenge. Winning was just far too easy, you see." Bodacious Boldness paused to take a sip of his coffee, but frowned as he set the mug down. Nurse Mend had her gaze fixed on a mare on the other side of the cafeteria, which meant that she wasn't fawning over him. "Excuse me, nurse. Who are you looking at?"

Nurse Mend blinked at the question, returning her focus to Boldness with an embarrassed smile. "Oh, nopony. Nopony at all."

Boldness scowled at her for a moment, then glanced in the direction Mend had been staring. "What? The one wearing that goofy hat?" He turned back to Mend, raising an eyebrow. "What's so fascinating about her?"

Nurse Mend's smile twitched slightly as she gritted her teeth, restraining herself from shouting her thoughts. She's the damned Element of Honesty, you bloke! But, you aren't smart enough to know that, are you? You bloody meat head! Rather than say anything resembling her thoughts, Nurse Mend sighed, putting a hoof to her temple as she answered, "She looked familiar. I thought she was somepony I knew. However, she isn't who I thought she was. Anyway, you were in the middle of a story?" She smiled innocently, picking up her own mug, sipping at her coffee.

Bodacious Boldness grinned, putting a hoof to his chest. "Well, as I was saying-" He halted what he'd been saying as he was bombarded with a spray of scalding coffee, which Nurse Mend had spit at him. "What the hay?!"

Nurse Mend sat her mug down and hurried away from the table, stammering, "Just remembered something, gotta go check on it! Thanks for the coffee!"

Shift...what was that all about? Aqua Grace asked within the "nurse's" thoughts.

I wanted to see if I could blind him in at least one eye. I'll have to check up on him later to see if I was successful. Shift giggled maliciously as she dashed down the hallway, more alert and focused after a much needed draught of espresso.

Splendid...but aren't you also headed to check up on that pegasus filly? You know...the one you poisoned. Aqua thought within Shift's mind.

That I am. I've determined that she's connected to Applejack's younger sister, Applebloom. When Applebloom came running into the cafeteria with that look of panic, I could only assume that our little pegasus had met a terrible fate. Shift skidded to a halt just outside of Scootaloo's room, grinning as she opened the door. What she found inside, however, left her with a bewildered look about her. She stared at the vomit on the floor for a moment, then looked to Scootaloo with a confused expression.

Scootaloo laughed weakly at Shift's confused gaze, mumbling, "I should probably explain this...you see, I-"

Shift held up a hoof, interrupting her with, "No need. I'll go get something to clean this up. Then I'll be right back." She smiled at the filly, then backed out of the room, snatching a discarded bagel off the floor and tossing into her mouth as she trotted down the hallway.

...did you just eat a bagel off the floor? Asked Aqua Grace as Shift swallowed.

Did you see that? The pegasus avoided any harm through regurgitation! Doesn't that seem like the strangest coincidence? Shift thought as she opened a janitor's closet and stepped inside.

Well, she is suffering from a rare sickness. Maybe it is just coincidence that she threw up after you fed her all those pills. Aqua reasoned, causing Shift to chuckle aloud.

Magic Poisoning doesn't affect the digestive system, Aqua. She must have known that the pills she'd taken would have negative effects...She made herself vomit! She saved herself from death! I just know it! Shift grabbed a rag from a nearby shelf and exited the closet, leaving the door open as she made for Scootaloo's room once more.

Um....not to call you a convoluted psychopath, Shift, but you're undeniably a convoluted psychopath. I know you think she's different, but I'm sure this doesn't correlate with your ridiculous 'experiment.' Aqua argued.

Shift chuckled quietly before stepping into Scootaloo's room, where she threw the rag to the ground and started wiping up the filth. Keep an open mind, teardrop. Since when am I wrong?

The majority of the time, Shift. I can think of more instances where your hunches have proved wrong than I can of ones that were right. Aqua answered bluntly, which only caused Shift to grin wryly.

You'll see soon enough, teardrop. Now shut up while I speak with this pegasus. Shift looked up from her cleaning, smiling at Scootaloo. "You didn't say anything about an upset stomach, dear."

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow, finding herself returning Shift's smile with a frown. She seemed so bitter and grumpy earlier. Why the sudden sympathy?

Be observant, young one. Answered the masculine voice within Scootaloo's thoughts. Scootaloo scowled at his return, but mistakenly projected the expression at Shift. Perhaps we can determine what her intentions are through watching and reasoning.

We? Thought Scootaloo. There is no 'we.' There's me, and there's you. Guess which of us has first rights to this brain.

Fine. See what you can glean from the situation without me, arrogant young pegasus. The voice said as Scootaloo's vision took on a mysterious violet hue once more. Scootaloo groaned in annoyance, but quickly shook off her frustration, finally grinning at Curiosity Shift.

"Yeah. Sorry about that...and about the mess." Scootaloo mumbled, gesturing to the already majorly cleaned-up filth on the floor.

"Oh, don't worry about it, sweetie!" Shift smiled warmly at the embarrassed pegasus. What Scootaloo saw, however, was more puzzling than reassuring. Although Shift's tone had been friendly and cheery, Scootaloo had heard something of a spiteful undertone to what she'd said. And now, as the "nurse" smiled at the filly, Scootaloo saw a familiar red glow surrounding Curiosity Shift. This glow, however, took on the appearance of flames, the red aura flickering about as it surrounded the "nurse."

Okay...so this means she's dangerous? Scootaloo thought, looking Shift up and down.

Correct. Through the clarity of these eyes, it can be plainly seen that this nurse is not as innocent as she would have you believe. From what I can gather, Nurse Mend intentionally poisoned you. The voice answered.

If that's the case...why does she seem all cheery now? Scootaloo thought, blinking at the flickering red aura that indicated danger.

Shift looked about the floor, searching for any remaining filth. Satisfied, she nodded to Scootaloo as she trotted out of the room, carrying the soiled rag on her hoof as she exited into the hallway. Well, our young pegasus certainly hesitated in saying anything. Would it be too far fetched to assume that she was conflicted? She wasn't sure whether to tell the truth or fabricate a lie.

Shift, how could you possibly determine that? She's been through a really rough day. Maybe she just didn't know what to say. Aqua reasoned as Shift tossed the rag into a nearby trash can.

Well, let's think on it, shall we? She scowled at me, for one, then groaned audibly at nothing. Only after this did she speak up. Such actions must have indicated measured thinking, Aqua. Shift argued as she trotted back to Scootaloo's room.

I guess...but that doesn't prove she was lying. It only proves that she thought about what she was going to say. I know you want to believe you're right, Shift, but this has got to be coincidence. Aqua said, much to Shift's amusement.

Fine...if you aren't convinced now, perhaps another test is in order? Shift thought, her sinister grin quickly changed to a friendly one as she stepped into Scootaloo's room once more.

Shift, no! Isn't trying to kill her once enough for you? Aqua pleaded.
Shift chuckled quietly, then spoke aloud as she said, "How are you feeling now, sweetie?"

Scootaloo blinked at the question, eyeing Shift with suspicion, then answered, "I'm fine now, thanks for asking..." The red aura radiating from Shift only seemed to intensify as the "nurse" nodded with a bright grin.

"Is there anything I can get for you, dear? You might say you're fine, but I just want to be sure." Shift eyed Scootaloo with an innocent grin.

What do I say? Scootaloo thought, smiling nervously at Curiosity Shift.

Hmm...ask for something that will help with your upset stomach. I'm curious to see what she'll do to that. The voice answered.

Scootaloo cleared her throat, then shyly said, "Actually, if you don't mind, could you bring me something for my stomach? I'm still feeling a bit nauseous."

Shift nodded, spinning to face the door once more. "Sure thing, darling! Be right back!" She hurried out the door, giggling with dark satisfaction. Excellent. This little brat just gave me the perfect opportunity to poison her again!

Shift, what are you really trying to prove? That your ridiculous hunch is right? That the young pegasus is some sort of psychic? Tell me what any of this is accomplishing, Shift. Aqua Grace thought, drawing another sinister giggle from Shift.

I'm not trying to prove anything, really. In truth, this is just a way to entertain myself. After all, it isn't often that I deal with prey that won't easily die. Where's the sense in letting such a fun opportunity go to waste? Shift thought, wiping the crazed expression on her face away as Applejack and Applebloom passed her by. Besides, what harm will I do her if she's able to see the danger before it affects her?

....toying with children is crossing a line, Shift. It's something that you just shouldn't do. Aqua thought, sounding defeated. Have you no conscience?

You're the closest thing I've got, teardrop. So quit the badgering. You're ruining my fun. Shift thought, happily trotting to wherever she could find something poisonous.

Spike looked up from the dustpan as he heard a timid knock at the door. He set it, along with the broom, aside and hurried over to the door, opening it to find Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, hi Fluttershy! Hi Rainbow Dash!" Greeted the young dragon as he more fully opened the door to welcome the two inside. "What's up?"

"Hi Spike...we were....um...." Fluttershy began, only to be interrupted by Rainbow Dash.

"Where's Twilight? We need to tell her about....something." The cyan pegasus cleared her throat, glancing away from Spike as she whistled a partially off key tune.

Fluttershy shook her head, gesturing to Spike as she whispered, "Spike already knows, Rainbow Dash. Besides, we don't really need to keep the...b-b-b.....the b-b....." She coughed weakly, as if the word she was attempting to say hurt her throat. "The.....b-b-burial secret...."

Spike looked bewildered for a moment, mumbling, "Burial? Burial for...oh." He put his face to his palm, sounding irritated as he said, "Right. That. You need to see Twilight to tell her about that....dragoness." His expression remained frustrated, but he visibly shuddered at the mention of the deceased.

Rainbow Dash answered with a curt nod, but gave Spike a perplexed look as she said, "Okay, so maybe I forgot that you saw the dragons in the forest, but how could you forget what you saw?"

Spike dug his claws into his forehead, releasing an annoyed exhale accentuated with a small puff of smoke from his nostrils. "I was gonna tell her. Honest. I just sorta got....caught up. With something..."

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, her expression indicating her intent to rebuke, but Fluttershy quickly put a foreleg between the two, gently responding with, "That's okay Spike. Can you, um, at least tell us where she went? Or maybe, um, when she'll be back?"

Spike dropped his hand, blinking at the question before guiltily answering, "Actually, I don't know where she's at right now. She stormed out on me, and-"

"Spike!" Interrupted a now airborne cyan pegasus. "What kind of assistant are you?!"

Spike crossed his arms and shrugged, earnestly answering, "Twilight's number one assistant. That's the kind of assistant I am."

Rainbow Dash put her hoof to her face, then pointed to Spike with the clear intent to accuse. Spike, however, halted her with an upheld hand as he quickly added, "I may not know where she is, but I do know where she'll be." He pointed forward his upraised hand, a single index claw protruding toward the now scowling rainbow pegasus. "Pinkie Pie is hosting a little welcoming party for the embassy at Sugar Cube Corner, starting at-"

"Embassy?!" Interrupted Rainbow Dash, who was now pressing her hooves against her temples as she glared down at Spike. "What the hay are you talking about?! How come I haven't heard of this 'embassy?!'"

Spike withdrew his pointed hand, raising an eyebrow at the flustered Rainbow Dash. "Really? They've been the talk of the town ever since they arrived. It's almost as bad as the whole 'Great and Powerful Trixie' mess. In fact, I can already see it starting to become worse."

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs, more or less mirroring the grounded dragon that stood before her. "Worse than Trixie? There aren't a lot of things I know about that are much worse than that perfect phony pony."

Spike shook his head, muttering, "Yeah. It's like Trixie times four. And the worst part is...." Spike cleared his throat, looking irritated once more. "...Twilight can't see that."

Rainbow Dash snorted in aggravation, furrowing her brow as she asked, "What do you mean?"

Spike snorted similarly, his irritation more definitely demonstrated by the flames escaping his nostrils. "Well, Twilight....she's....uh..." He scratched at his neck, gaze drifting to the floor. "Um.......well, I think she might have some sort of 'interest' in one of them...." He crossed his arms once more, then rapped his claws against his elbow as he unintelligibly muttered a continuation to himself.

Rainbow Dash looked to be somewhere between shell-shocked and flabbergasted, but Fluttershy beamed at what Spike had said. "Oh! You mean, um, that Twilight has found her special somepony?"

Spike stomped forward a foot and dropped his left arm, his right pointed at Fluttershy as he donned a furious expression. He opened his mouth to yell at her, but faltered when he saw Fluttershy's eyes grow wide and noticed her legs already trembling. He bit his lip, drawing away from the startled pegasus with an embarrassed chuckle. "Well, I, uh, n-never said that. I just said that she.....was kinda, sorta 'interested' in one of the ambassadors...."

Rainbow Dash glanced to Fluttershy, who still looked a bit shaken by Spike's (almost an) outburst, then shook her head. "What time is Pinkie's party at? We'll let Twilight know then."

Spike sniffed, looking a bit guilt-stricken for almost yelling at Fluttershy, then said, "Seven. The party starts at seven."

Rainbow Dash nodded, already starting toward the door when Fluttershy meekly piped up, saying, "W-wait! Spike, um, who is it that Twilight is, um, 'interested' in?"

Spike scoffed, his guilty expression replaced by a disgusted one as he rolled his eyes. "What, that creep? Opulent Majesty is his name."

Rainbow Dash froze at the door, then hovered back to Spike with a smirk on her lips. "Pfft. With a name like that, I'm guessing he's a real tool!"

Spike smirked as well, shrugging as he said, "Yeah, something like that." He quickly regained a serious expression, however, and added, "Keep an eye out for him. Along with the rest of the embassy. Something just tells me they're out to cause trouble...some way or another."

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin, looking thoughtful for a moment before nodding slowly, saying, "Okay, Spike. If you say so." She turned to the door, suddenly looking doubtful as she trotted away.

Rainbow Dash shook her head, chuckling as she drifted through the door. "Alright, Spike. Whatever you say." She closed the door behind her with a stray kick, then landed beside Fluttershy. "Ha! Looks like Spike is a little worked up that Twilight has finally found somepony to go gaga over."

Fluttershy rolled her eyes, mumbling, "Well, it makes sense that he would be a little, um, protective. Twilight is always watching out for him, so, um, Spike is always watching out for her."

Rainbow Dash chuckled, taking to the air once more. "Yeah. Well, we should probably get to Sugar Cube Corner. If it's one of Pinkie's parties, there's no way-" Rainbow Dash halted what she was saying as the immediate area suddenly darkened. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both turned their gazes skyward to find a large, somewhat ominous storm cloud darting through the skies, propelled by a lone pegasus. Tailing her was a group boasting a dozen armored pegasi, all of which were shouting unintelligibly at their target.

Rainbow Dash blinked at the pursuers, asking, "Police? Did that pegasus pushing the cloud steal it or something?"

Fluttershy glanced to the wayward storm cloud, meekly answering, "I don't know, but those officers don't look or sound very happy..."

Rainbow Dash turned a scowl to the quickly disappearing cloud thief, saying, "None of those cops are fast enough! Come on, Fluttershy! We've got a crook to catch!" With that, she dashed into the skies, the resulting wind force nearly toppling Fluttershy.

The startled pegasus, however, was quick to regain composure and follow behind, all the while mumbling, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness...."

"Um....Applebloom?" Questioned Applejack as she glanced about the room, looking confused. "Ya said that Scootaloo lost 'er lunch....so where is it?"

As Applebloom was about to answer, Scootaloo hurriedly said, "A nurse came in and cleaned it all up. She was really quick about it, so it was completely gone before you got here." Scootaloo grinned nervously at Applejack, hoping that she wouldn't pursue the issue.

Applejack shook her head, giving Scootaloo a pitying look. "Scootaloo, why didn't ya tell us ya was nauseous?"

Scootaloo glanced to Applebloom, who wore a reproving scowl, then mumbled, "I was feeling fine, but then out of nowhere I....upchucked...." She cleared her throat, nodding curtly to conclude what she'd said.

Applejack eyed the wary young pegasus in bewilderment, but didn't press the matter, instead saying, "Well, shoot. How are ya feelin' now?"

Applebloom shot her older sister a disbelieving look, then looked back to Scootaloo, who was clearly pleading for her to keep quiet through a widened eye and a quivering smile. Applebloom sighed, glancing back to Applejack as Scootaloo answered, "Oh, a little queasy. But don't worry. That same nurse is also getting something to help with the nausea. I'm sure she'll be back any minute."

Applejack nodded, glancing to the door. "Sorry t' hear that yer so bad off, but ah know ya'll be fine. Yer a tough 'un, Scootaloo." With that, she trotted out, shutting the door behind her without looking back.

"That sure ain't what ya told me." Applebloom said in a scolding manner. "Why'd ya lie t' Applejack like that?"

Scootaloo grimaced at her friend's scowl, but nonetheless answered, "Is it really that important? Any trace of me....'losing my lunch' is gone. Does it really matter how it happened?"

Applebloom stomped a hoof, sounding rather cold as she said, "It sure as sugar does. If ya puked 'cause yer sick, that's one thing. But, if ya made yerself do it, then that's somethin' else." She inched closer to Scootaloo's bed, her glowering gaze obviously working as she'd intended it to. "Ah think ya owe me an explanation."

Scootaloo cleared her throat, clearly very discomforted by her friend's persistent drilling. "I already told you, Applebloom. I took the wrong pills. I had to get them out of me." She rubbed at her neck, looking away from Applebloom. "Somehow or another...."

Applebloom shook her head, pointing an accusing hoof at Scootaloo. "Somethin' don't seem quite right with that little excuse o' yer's. If ya knew they was bad business, then why'd ya take 'em?"

Scootaloo bit her lip, putting a hoof to her chin. "Uh....b-because the nurse made me?"

Applebloom raised an eyebrow at Scootaloo, eying her dubiously. "Made ya, huh?"

Scootaloo brightened at the question, pointing her hoof to Applebloom. "Yeah! She was really forceful, but I didn't try to resist her, because.....uh....she might have fought back!" Scootaloo nodded, but quickly paled and bit her lip again, realizing how odd that would have sounded to Applebloom.

The earth pony filly looked utterly bewildered by Scootaloo's reasoning, saying, "So, what yer sayin' is she was fixin' t' drug ya up and be on 'er way?"

Scootaloo put her hoof to her chin once more, blinking at a rapid pace. "I, uh, don't really know....I know that she more or less forced that crud down my throat, so I had to save myself. What was I supposed to do?"

Applebloom tilted her head, clearly unconvinced. "Well, ah never.....yer makin' out this nurse t' be somethin' awful. Why would she do any of that stuff t' ya in 'er right mind?"

Scootaloo sighed, turning her gaze to the ceiling. "Applebloom, I know it all sounds a little ridiculous, but you've got to believe me. I only did that to save myself. Whether or not that nurse knew what she was doing, I..." Scootaloo paused, gulping quietly. "....can't say. But she's still dangerous. You need to get word out to somepony, quick."

Applebloom silently looked Scootaloo over, drawing a nervous squirm from the pegasus filly. "Scoots....um....ah don't know what yer talkin' about. If yer sayin' that Nurse Mend is a mare that ain't right in the head, ah suppose that's understandable. But....ya ain't sayin' she's a bad 'un, right?"

Scootaloo waved a dismissive hoof, quickly responding, "Of course not! Why would I think that? I'm sure she just got a little mixed up with the medicine, and she was probably just a bit impatient when I hesitated to take what she came to give me."

Applebloom took on a thoughtful expression, mulling over Scootaloo's explanation. "Hmm....this all seems a tad suspicious, wouldn't ya say?"

Scootaloo shrugged, her tone still somewhat wary as she answered, "I'm just telling it as it is. If Nurse Mend is crazy, then she shouldn't be working here."

Applebloom glanced to the door, then back to Scootaloo as she said, "Well, ah think ah'll talk with this nurse mahself. Somethin' 'bout what yer sayin' don't seem right, but ah'll check with 'er just t' be sure." With that, she trotted to the door, leaving behind a disgruntled Scootaloo who looked ready to shout after her friend. However, Applebloom left the room without another word from either of the two, leaving the pegasus to rub at her forehead in frustration.

"Could today get any worse?" She mumbled to herself.

You should really stick to telling the truth. From what I've seen, it's easy to gauge that you're a horrendously bad liar. The voice within the filly's mind thought.

"Yep. That's just how it works. It only gets worse when you don't want it to." Scootaloo mumbled despairingly.

Oh? I know you don't appreciate my company, but I sincerely doubt a day such as today can become significantly more dreadful than it already is. The voice said with copious earnest.

This is all your fault! Scootaloo thought, sending a blunt stamp to her forehead. I would have been fine! This weird disease, my broken legs, and the vomiting is all because of you!

The voice didn't respond immediately. When it did, however, there was something curiously soothing about it, something that somewhat dampened Scootaloo's anger. I know you've come upon rough times, young one. You've been pushed to the limits of your endurance, both physical and mental. I can see why you would be upset. I know my intrusion may be discomforting, and the events of today haven't been the most pleasant, but I must ask that you calm yourself. I assure you, everything will come to light with time. Your wounds will heal, your mind will recuperate, and all will be well. All with time.

Scootaloo breathed in deeply, releasing a shaky sigh. I don't know what's going on. Why is all this happening? Who are you, really?

The voice answered bluntly, I will divulge to you only a name. All else, you are capable of discovering on your own.

Scootaloo rolled her eye, but made no mental objection. You mean with that freaky sight thing?

Ha! There's hardly anything 'freaky' about the Eyes of Revelation......but yes. I believe all truths will be uncovered, as you are certainly a pegasus meant to pursue truth. The voice paused, allowing Scootaloo to look dumbfounded for a moment, then said, Call me....Mist Wing.

Oh, so you're not just a disembodied voice, but you're actually a pegasus? Scootaloo thought.

Hmph. An interesting notion. Have you ever actually met a pegasus by such a name? Mist Wing thought, which took Scootaloo aback.

No....it just sounds like a name that a pegasus would have. She rubbed at her forehead, groaning quietly. So, Mist Wing. I'm beginning to suspect that you aren't going to leave all that easily.

Ah. You are a bright one, my young pegasus. Mist Wing thought, drawing an annoyed sputter from Scootaloo.

Wonderful. I've always wanted that special somepony who I could share my thoughts with. She thought bitterly, already struggling to keep from clonking herself on the head once more.

"Ew! This paper mache is so gross!" Sweetie Belle said as she fumbled about with the strips of paper that would cover the wire frame of her volcano.

Rarity shook her head at the sight, muttering, "I should really make you do this on your own, but this is just ridiculous." With that, her horn alighted, and the sticky strips began to move toward the frame with a blue glow about them. "Of course, you had to remember you had a project due at the last minute while mother and father were out of town."

Sweetie Belle watched the paper mache strips delicately hover to and land on the wire frame for a moment, then looked to Rarity with an apologetic grin. "I'm really, really, really sorry about this, Rarity. I was going to do it myself! I just...never got around to it."

Rarity inhaled boisterously, but withheld her reprimand when she heard a rapid fit of knocking at the front door of the boutique. She exhaled sharply, nodding to the wire frame as she went to answer it. She took a moment to better compose herself when standing before the door, but scowled when a second, more impatient fit sounded on the entrance. She opened the door, and was startled to find a lavender unicorn rushing inside and grabbing her by the shoulders.

Twilight Sparkle, nose pressed against Rarity's, yelled in a somewhat crazed tone, "Rarity! I need something to make me smell pretty! Now!"

Rarity blinked at Twilight's demand, backing up slightly to alleviate her discomfort. "....what?"

Twilight blinked as well, then stepped down, backing out the door and clearing her throat. With a more level (and less insane) tone, she said, "Good evening, Rarity. I was wondering if I might be able to borrow some perfume from you."

Rarity cocked her head, looking puzzled by the request. "Perfume, darling? Whatever for?"

Twilight laughed, sounding more wary than she'd intended. "Oh, you know. Just headed to one of Pinkie Pie's parties, and I thought I should, you know, wear a nice fragrance."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, putting a hoof to her chin. "A nice fragrance, hmm? I wasn't aware that Pinkie was hosting a party today. I can't say I'm surprised, but....I've never known you to wear perfumes, Twilight. Why now?"

Twilight rubbed at the back of her neck, laughing the same nervous laugh as before. "I'm just trying to be as presentable as possible. I mean, it's always important to smell good, right?"

Rarity furrowed her brow, her gaze becoming scrutinizing. "Well, no argument there. However....you've never reasoned the same way before. Even attending the Grand Galloping Gala, or your brother's wedding, you never wore perfume. And now, you want to wear a fragrance for one of Pinkie's welcoming parties?"

Twilight grinned nervously, only able to answer with slightly reddened cheeks and a slow nod.

Rarity squinted at her for a moment, then smiled wryly. "Ah. But of course. One must smell nice for the embassy." She winked at the embarrassed unicorn, drawing another, weaker nervous chuckle from Twilight. Rarity ushered her friend inside, already cheerfully chatting away, saying, "Oh, if only this was a more formal event. Nothing quite so frivolous and silly as one of Pinkie's parties. Nonetheless, this will be an excellent opportunity to meet with the apple of your eye and get to know him better. You should probably dress up a bit. If you're trying to bedazzle him, that is."

"Oh, n-no. I think casual wear should be fine. At least with the right perfume, that is." Twilight said, her cheeks noticeably more red than when she had first stepped into the Carousel Boutique.

"Right! The subtle approach. Always a viable strategy, my good mare." Rarity nodded, stopping in front of a large cabinet. "I have many scents to choose from." She opened the cabinet with her magic, revealing a plethora of colorful vials within. "Don't be shy! Please, sample whichever you'd care to."

Twilight scanned the shelves of perfume, clearly a little bewildered. She levitated a vial filled with blue liquid down from the shelf, raising her hoof and spritzing the fragrance on her ankle. She evaluated the scent with a quiet inhale, then glanced to the vial, shaking her head as she dropped her hoof and replaced it. She repeated this process, sorting through a good dozen perfumes before finally smiling at the vial she'd selected. "Perfect!"

"Ah, good to hear, darling. Now, do be careful not to-" Rarity halted what she was saying as Twilight commenced showering herself in the fragrance, the vial already half empty by the time Rarity intervened. "Twilight! Ugh!" She covered her nose with a hoof as she magically held aside the vial that Twilight had dowsed herself with. "There's no need to overdo a good thing, Twilight. Just because this scent is good doesn't mean-"

"It's perfect! Thank you, Rarity!" Twilight, obviously oblivious to the thick stench of excessive perfume that hung over her, briefly embraced Rarity, then hurried to the door, shouting back, "I smell like a bed of roses!"

Rarity blinked as Twilight departed, then coughed lightly as she heard the door close, allowing the tears that had built up in the corners of her eyes to fall. "Roses....Right...." She replaced the vial and closed the cabinet, the lingering waft of the rose perfume stinging her nose as she trotted back to Sweetie Belle.

"What did Twilight need?" Sweetie asked, fumbling about with a strip of paper mache.

Rarity put her hoof to her chin, smiling absently. "Oh, just a small favor. I'm sure it would bore you, anyway."

Sweetie shrugged, flattening down the mache she had just put on the wire frame. "Whatever. I don't care why you gave her perfume, but I'd think you'd at least be a little mad that she used so much."

Rarity chuckled, raising an eyebrow at Sweetie. "Normally, she would have received an earful. But, I think I'll let her go. Tonight is a special night..." She trailed off, drawing a puzzled look from Sweetie Belle.

"What's so special about tonight?" She asked, standing up from her incomplete project.

Rarity looked down at Sweetie Belle, trying to sound stern as she said, "Ah bup bup! It isn't your concern, Sweetie Belle. And you have a project to finish!"

Sweetie pouted at her sister's words, but returned to plastering the volcano's frame with paper mache all the same, mumbling to herself, "Nopony ever tells me stuff..."

"There you are!" Shouted an indignant Bodacious Boldness as he stomped down the hall. "You owe me an apology, nurse!"

Nurse Mend swayed from side to side as she squinted at Boldness, slowly saying, "What are you talking about?"

Bodacious Boldness snorted at her response, stamping a hoof in frustration. "I'm talking about you damaging my perfect eye with that spray of scalding beverage!" He opened wider his 'damaged' eye, pointing at it as he scowled at Nurse Mend.

The nurse, holding a hoof to her temple, shook her head, saying, "I'm really sorry about your eye, but....uh....I don't really remember doing anything to you."

Bodacious Boldness tossed his mane about, scoffing a ridiculously dramatic scoff. "Ludicrous! You very deliberately spat that coffee into my eye! No one can do something so atrocious by accident!"

Mend blinked at his melodrama, then grinned awkwardly. "Coffee sounds really good right now. My head's killing me, and-"

"You've already had some! And don't try to change the subject!" He pointed an accusing hoof at her, ready to chastise, but he stopped suddenly, glancing behind him to find an earth pony filly jabbing him in the hind leg.

"Excuse me, mister, but ah need t' talk with this here nurse." Applebloom said, nodding to Nurse Mend.

"We're rather busy, little filly!" He shouted at her, which only enticed Applebloom to glare at him. "Be gone! Get out my-" Bodacious Boldness howled in pain as Nurse Mend delivered a jab to the side of his head. He turned back to the nurse to find her baring a fearsome scowl.

"You do not talk to children that way." She leaned toward Boldness, obviously a great deal more focused and a great deal less dazed than before as she glared at the stallion. "Ever."

Bodacious Boldness bit his lip, quietly gulping as Mend's eyes pierced his form. "Uh....w-well, we'll discuss this at a later time. But for now....I bid you farewell, nurse." With that, he shuffled away from Nurse Mend, then turned and hurried away. Nurse Mend sighed, rubbing at her head as she looked to Applebloom, grinning warmly at the filly.

"What do you need, dear?" She asked, dropping her hoof and continuing her back and forth swaying.

Applebloom glanced in the direction that Boldness had fled in, saying, "Uh....ah was here to ask ya 'bout one of yer patients. Ya know that orange pegasus filly, Scootaloo?"

Nurse Mend nodded, her smile becoming a rueful one. "If I'm correct, the poor thing has a pair of broken legs and a nasty disease, to boot. I feel so sorry for her." She sighed, but quickly brightened once more, her smile returning. "What about her?"

Applebloom turned her attention back to Nurse Mend, saying, "Ah was sorta confused by somethin' ya gave 'er. Ya know those pills ya had 'er take?"

Nurse Mend raised an eyebrow, sounding bewildered as she answered, "What pills? I don't remember giving her any sort of pills."

Applebloom cocked her head, looking even more confused than Nurse Mend. "Ya....don't remember giving 'er any?" Nurse Mend shook her head, which caused Applebloom to turn a scowl to the floor. "Alright. Thank ya, nurse. That's all ah needed t' know." She turned and started back to Scootaloo's room, muttering unintelligibly under her breath.

"No problem, sweetie!" Nurse Mend called out after her, stumbling away in a different direction.

"Well, here come the guests of honor." Pinkie whispered to herself as she glared at Silver Gleam, who was trailed by Patsy Craft and Aqua Grace. "Right on time. Wonder where their ringleader is...." She shook away her dark expression, donning her peppy smile as she trotted over to Silver Gleam. "Hiya! Glad to see you could make it!"

Silver Gleam looked about the cheery party-goers that surrounded him, looking awed. "My goodness! I didn't expect a welcoming party in the first place, let alone one with so many attending. I think I speak on behalf of the whole embassy when I say we are greatly honored to be treated to such festivities."

"Yeah. Woo....." Mumbled a despairing Patsy Craft, who fidgeted about nervously as she scanned the Ponyville citizens attending the party.

Pinkie giggled with satisfaction, gesturing to the crowd of party-goers with a sweeping motion. "Please, get to know everypony! I'm sure they'll love meeting all of you!" Aqua Grace beamed at this, darting for the nearest group.

Silver Gleam nodded, turning to find a pair of mares already standing before him, chatting away at an incomprehensible speed. "Ah, yes. Quite. Um....I see." Silver Gleam attempted to be an active part of their conversation as he was ushered away, despite not catching a word of what they'd said.

Patsy Craft was left standing alone, legs trembling as many a friendly smile turned her way. The first to approach her with words, however, was none other than Pinkie Pie. "Your name's Patsy Craft, right?"

Patsy cleared her throat, then nodded slowly. "Yes. That would be me....wait....aren't you that mare who knocked Opulent Majesty off his pedestal earlier today?"

Pinkie chuckled, sounding more embarrassed than cheery. "Oh. Sorry about that. I sorta did that without thinking. You'd be surprised what kinds of stuff ponies do when they don't think about it. Like eating sweets! They just munch and chomp away, and before they know it, they blow up like a balloon! Of course, I usually think about all the sweets I'm gonna eat. Like cookies, brownies, eclairs, donuts, pies, taffy, chocolate, and my absolute favorite, cupcakes!"

The expression on Patsy's face had gone from nervous to dumbstruck as she stood before Pinkie Pie, who was licking her lips at the thought of all that sugary goodness. She just said all that in a single breath. I think we've made a mistake in coming here if we have to deal with anything this insane.

"Oh..." Pinkie said, blinking a few times before continuing. "Speaking of Opulent Majesty...." Pinkie glanced behind Patsy Craft, her smile replaced by a stern, observant expression. "Where might he be at at this moment?"

Patsy shrugged, turning Pinkie's stern expression to a scowl. "I haven't the foggiest idea. But if he got the invite, I'm sure he'll be here soon. He's almost never late."

"Almost?" Said a unicorn from behind Pinkie Pie, who spun around and set a glare on the smug Opulent Majesty. "I'm never late, Patsy. You should know that by now." He turned his attention to Pinkie, grinning wryly. "Especially not when it comes to such amusing little soirees such as this."

Pinkie inhaled deeply, returning the snide grin with a somewhat belligerent one. "Pleasure to have you. I hope you enjoy yourself."

Opulent's grin widened, his eyes revealing a good measure of insanity behind his expression. "But of course, dearest. This is a party, after all." He looked to Patsy, flicking his head as a gesture for her to step away from Pinkie. The two stood a short distance away from the mare, Opulent whispering to Patsy, "Have you any idea who this mare is?"

Patsy stifled a laugh, coughing quietly before answering, "Yeah. She's the one who put a dent in that thick skull of yours."

Opulent snorted angrily at this, but quickly said, "Not just that. She also happens to be the Element of Laughter, and your spell didn't seem to sway her all that much."

Patsy glanced to Pinkie, who had now cocked her head and bared her teeth, smiling a more deranged smile than before. Patsy grimaced at her expression, looking back to Opulent as she said, "This might prove to be a complication. Don't worry, though. We have ways to work around this."

Opulent adjusted his monocle, scowling at Patsy. "No, you don't. I have ways to work around this. Pinkie Pie is already one of the more major threats we've had to deal with. And this time, I'll see to it that our mission isn't disrupted by such a thing." He turned back to Pinkie, donning his grin once more. "Go mingle, Patsy. I need to have a word with our hostess." Patsy shot Opulent an indignant glare, but said nothing to object as she shuffled away.

As Opulent stepped closer to Pinkie, she reflexively drew away, lowering her head. After a moment, however, she stood up straight, clearing her throat before saying, "A word? With me?"

Opulent chuckled, looking from Pinkie to where Aqua Grace stood, fumbling about with a feathered nail as she attempted to properly pin it to the tail-less pony on the wall. "Children's games for childish citizens. Ponyville is certainly old, but it's hardly mature."

Pinkie shook her head, gesturing to the "Pin the Tail on the Pony" crowd. "If it's a child's game, then why is one of your own playing it, huh?"

Opulent rubbed at his chin, his tone dark yet still amused as he said, "Aqua Grace is no more an adult than I am a pegasus. She trusts others too easily, seeks to spread merriment far too often, and is all too innocent for her line of work. A child, through and through."

Pinkie Pie looked to Opulent, now glaring as she eyed the gray-lavender unicorn. "Trust? Merriment? Innocence? Explain to me how any of these are immature."

Opulent chuckled once more, sounding especially pleased with Pinkie's demand. "It's evident, from your ignorance, that you are just as bad. Worse, even....but, no matter." He turned to meet Pinkie's glare, still smiling his smug smile. "Childish or not, you already make an interesting opponent. After all, I've never encountered an enemy who hosts a party in my honor."

Pinkie furrowed her glare, gritting her teeth at Opulent's words. "And I've never met somepony who I wished would stop smiling. Forever."

Opulent cackled at this, quietly enough as to not draw attention to himself. "Is that a threat? Good. It proves you'll actually be fun to crush. No victory is worthwhile without having to fight for it."

Pinkie sneered at the smug stallion, her teeth now clear as she ground them together. "You need to stop being full of yourself. There's no reward for thinking you're the best."

Opulent sighed, slowly shaking his head. "Perhaps not. But believe me. I've met the best. I've fooled the best." He leaned closer to Pinkie, who struggled to not uppercut him at that moment. "I've destroyed the best. If that doesn't entitle me to something, nothing does." He held his face close to her's for a moment, his malicious grin prevalent as she glared back at him. After the moment passed, he turned abruptly, quickly starting up friendly chats amongst the other party-goers.

Pinkie kept her attention on him as he stood, so casually cloaking his true self with his demeanor of friendliness. He doesn't know who he's messing with. If he wants to play this crazy game with me, the queen of crazy games, he can look forward to losing. She held her glare for a moment longer, then shook her head, putting on a bright smile as she went about greeting guests and spreading merriment in a way only Pinkie could.

"So, you can't talk?" Asked one of the mares who had gathered around Aqua Grace.

Aqua answered with a solemn shake of the head, but she retained her smile all the same.

"Well, how do you communicate with other ponies?" Asked another, tilting her head in puzzlement.

Aqua Grace beamed at the question, her horn aglow with rose red aura. The air seemed to quiver above her head, then droplets of water swirled about, quickly condensing to form eight very definite letters, spelling out, "Like this."

The small crowd gasped at the sight, already bombarding Aqua with questions. She sighed, tilting her head as the letters disappeared in a burst of water, the droplets reforming themselves. The new message read, "One at a time please."

The group chuckled at this, but a question was still quick to arise. "So, even if you're mute, you can still talk with others easily?"

Aqua turned a thoughtful expression to the text above her, then reformed it to say, "Unless those others can't read of course."

The group chuckled once more, another mare stepping forward to ask Aqua Grace, "So, how long have you been able to communicate like this? Like, how old were you when you could write fluently?"

Aqua Grace scratched behind her ear as she tilted her head, looking as if she was at a loss. "I've never been able to say anything I've heard, but I was able to learn how to spell and utilize words that I picked up very quickly."

The eyes of the group moved from side to side as they read the line of text. Many nodded their approval, and another question was quick to present itself. "How did you get that cutie mark? I've never seen magic like yours before."

Aqua Grace brushed back her mane, smiling awkwardly. "Well, I got my cutie mark when I was really young. You see, we don't have pegasi in New Unicornia, so there has to be a good amount of unicorns who specialize in weather alteration."

The two pegasi of the group gasped at this, stepping forward and saying in unison, "But unicorns can't control weather!"

Aqua blushed, drawing away from them as the text reformed to say, "It's true. Pegasi are meant to structure and control clouds and atmosphere. But, since our country lacks pegasi populace, it's up to us unicorns to do what we can. We're pretty sloppy when it comes to weather alteration, but I think we do a pretty nice job."

The pegasi turned to one another, blinking rapidly for a brief moment before looking to Aqua Grace once more, the mare asking, "Would you mind showing us what sorts of weather manipulating you can do?"

Aqua Grace shrugged, gesturing to the rest of the party-goers with a sheepish grin. "I'd be happy to show you what I can do, but can it wait? I don't get to attend all that many parties."

"Oh." The mare nodded, reflecting Aqua's sheepish grin. "Of course. I didn't mean right now, anyway."

Aqua nodded gratefully, reforming her text to say, "Tomorrow for sure. I haven't met many pegasi before, so I'm sure it would be fun to see how they work."

The mare cleared her throat, offering a hoof to Aqua. "In that case, I'd best introduce myself. Call me Sleek Sleet. Precipitation expert. I'll show you the way to Cloudsdale when you have the time."

Aqua shook Sleek's hoof, changing the text to say, "Pleasure to meet you, Sleek Sleet. I look forward to it." Sleek grinned, withdrawing her hoof. That is, if Aqua Grace hadn't curled her own hoof to hold Sleek's in place. Sleek raised an eyebrow as she examined the hold Aqua had on her hoof, then looked to Aqua's face. The unicorn's smile was terse, and one of her eyes seemed to twitch nervously. Sleek looked to her hoof once more, then tugged at the hold, breaking Aqua's grasp. She eyed the unicorn with suspicion, but Aqua only lowered her hoof to the ground and held her somewhat disturbed expression.

Aqua Grace shook her head, creating a new line of text above her head to say, "I think I want to try the refreshments. Those cookies look pretty tasty." She started toward the table the aforementioned cookies lay upon, the group agreeing with her as they went along, chatting amongst themselves. Aqua, however, quickly lost her smile, her expression seemingly pained as she shuffled forward. Shift, why did you do that? That's really impolite.

Relax, teardrop. Curiosity Shift thought, only serving to further unnerve Aqua Grace. My fun at the hospital was so rudely interrupted. I get a little on edge when I'm denied anything.

Shift, please don't do this....I'm trying to be nice to these good ponies. Can't you just leave them be for now? Aqua pleaded, absently observing the various sweets that lined the refreshments table.

Ha! Benevolence? You're funny, teardrop. I don't care what you're doing. My interests are my priorities. And those interests don't include befriending any pegasi. Shift thought, causing Aqua to glance to Sleek Sleet, who was chatting away with the pegasus stallion that accompanied her.

Well, you won't be harming them. Not if I can help it. Aqua thought, donning her smile once more.

Yeah. Good luck with that, teardrop. Thought an indifferent Curiosity Shift.

Let's see.... Thought Opulent Majesty as he smiled absently at the ponies that had surrounded him, bobbing his head on the occasion to make it seem like he was paying attention. What has she got planned? There's something about this ridiculous little gathering that is meant to catch us off guard. But what.... He scratched at his chin, nodding once more.

"Well?" Asked an expectant mare as she put a hoof to Opulent's shoulder.

Opulent blinked at the touch, lowering his hoof and glancing to the mare's hoof. "I'm sorry. What?"

She chuckled, lowering her own hoof. "I asked what you thought of Ponyville. So? What do you think so far?"

Opulent pondered the question for a moment, then nodded approvingly. "It's certainly one of the nicest places I've ever visited. Plentiful hospitality and an abundance of friendly faces." The mare who had asked the question laughed triumphantly, turning to speak with somepony else. Opulent thought to join their conversation, but out of the corner of his eye he spotted a familiar mare. He turned his head to see Twilight Sparkle standing across the room, looking too nervous to move. He harrumphed with amusement, stepping past the chatty group surrounding him, calling out to Twilight, "Miss Sparkle! I didn't expect to see you here."

Twilight turned her attention from her hooves to the approaching Opulent, gulping hard. Okay, Twilight. Just stay calm. You're good at small talk. Twilight shook away her outward fear and trotted toward Opulent, a big grin on her face as she said, "I didn't expect to see you, either!"

Opulent glanced to the bright banner that read "Welcome to Ponyville, Embassy of New Unicornia!" With am amused chuckle and a shake of the head, Opulent said, "Right. Because I have no reason whatsoever to attend this party."

Twilight glanced to the banner in turn, scratching behind her ear as her cheeks reddened. No. You're not good at small talk. Jump into your common interests. Quickly! Twilight cleared her throat, waving a dismissive hoof as she said, "Right. Silly me. So, I, uh...how...." Just start talking! He's interested in magic, you're interested in magic! That's all you need! Go! "You....say you're a spell inventor?"

Opulent sniffed the air, looking perplexed. "Hmm....do you smell roses?"

Twilight beamed at this question, quickly answering, "So you did notice my fragrance! I-I mean.....yes. I thought I would put a little perfume on for the party."

Opulent inhaled the scent, smiling warmly at Twilight. "There's something bold about it. Something robust. An appropriate scent for a mare such as yourself."

Twilight giggled at this, blushing profusely, "Th-that's very kind of you, Opulent..."

Opulent nodded earnestly, saying, "But of course. Anyway, you had a question for me regarding magic?"

Twilight blinked at the question, still smiling with a blissful look about her. "Uh....y-yeah. I was asking about what you do....you invent spells, right?"

Opulent put a hoof to his chest, responding in a tone that could only be called regal (or pompous), "That I do. I come from a long line of spell creators and magical enchanters. My family can be credited for a large portion of New Unicornia's arsenal of spells and enchanted items."

Twilight tilted her head, her embarrassment quelled and her interested piqued, "Enchantment, you say? What sorts of enchantment?"

Opulent adjusted his monocle, looking exceptionally smug (even more so than usual.) "Well, as you already know, unicorn magic is extraordinarily powerful in regards to the alteration of reality. Be that as it may, major spells of an altering nature are often temporary. Augmentations to anything, living or not, are short lived. The field of enchantment is dedicated to long lasting spells that enhance or alter objects or individuals."

"Whoa." Twilight said, looking genuinely enthused by Opulent's definition of enchantment. "So....how do you cast enchanting spells? I know about the temporary ones, but like you said, they only last so long."

Opulent rubbed at his chin, even his thoughtful expression obscenely proud. "Well, they're rather complicated. Most enchantment spells can't be defined along the same lines as conventional spells, but there are a few that can be explained in the most basic of terms. That is, they act as enhanced versions of already existing spells."

Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, asking, "Such as?"

Opulent brushed back his mane with a hoof, answering, "Very basic spells; density alteration, teleportation spells, and, if I recall, a single enchantment exists for telekinetic augmentation. Even being amongst the simplest of enchantments, they're still difficult to use, both in terms of skill and scarcity of proper resources."

Twilight pursed her lips, rubbing at her chin in thought. "Proper resources? What do you mean by proper resources?"

Opulent chuckled, tilting his head as he mused, "I can't reveal too much. I can tell you that all enchantments require very specific reagents, but you must understand that certain trade secrets must be preserved."

Twilight rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless, saying, "I understand that, but are there any enchantments you could teach me? Any at all?"

Opulent grinned at this, putting a hoof to his chin, "Well....from my understanding, you're perfectly capable of mastering enchanting....oh, why not?"

Twilight brightened at this, her smile broadening as she leaned closer to Opulent. "Alright! Let's hear it!"

Opulent adjusted his monocle, a stern expression on his face as he said, "Right. One of the easiest enchantments to cast is a slight differentiation of basic levitation. The skill required is actually quite close to the basic spell, but the reagent required is rather uncommon. Rare, even."

Twilight nodded, but quickly donned a puzzled expression. "Okay, so what does it do?"

Opulent gained a smug expression once more, answering, "From the simplest standpoint, it can be called the Gravity Reversal Enchantment."

Twilight's eyes widened as her jaw dropped. "No way! You mean...objects-"

"Independently levitate. The heavier the object, the more upward force delivered." Opulent interrupted, causing Twilight to change her expression from shock to awe.

"That's amazing! Wh-what's the reagent required?!" Twilight's excitement was prevalent in both her tone and in the fact that she was enthusiastically hopping in place in a fashion similar to Pinkie Pie.

Opulent sighed, his smile diminishing. "Well, that's the complicated part. The reagent required is-" Opulent was interrupted by a mare that had fallen in front of him. He looked down with puzzlement at the earth pony as she struggled to push herself up, Twilight looking equally confused.

The mare, now standing straight (mostly), wobbled from side to side as she glanced from Twilight to Opulent, smiling a somewhat dopey smile. "Hello! How'sh it goin'?" She hiccuped after saying this, clearly explaining why she had stumbled and fallen between them.

Twilight sighed, obviously annoyed that her conversation had been interrupted by a drunk. "Fine. We're sort of, uh, in the middle of a conversation. So, could you maybe-"

"I getcha!" The mare shouted, throwing her foreleg around Twilight's neck. "I'll just leave you two-" She hiccuped once more, drawing an annoyed groan from Twilight. "-to your...uh....chattin'." She winked at Twilight, then withdrew her foreleg and stumbled away.

"Is she....a friend of yours?" Opulent asked, his perplexed gaze lingering on the intoxicated mare.

Twilight shook her head, hurriedly saying, "No no no! Of course not!"

"Hmph." Opulent scanned the crowds, looking ever more intrigued by what he saw. "It would seem that she isn't the only guest with such behavior. Look around."

Twilight turned her attention to the scattered party-goers in the room, seeing that many of them had less than perfect motor skills and dumbfounded (or blissful) looks about them. "You're right....that's strange. I wonder how they all got like this..."

Opulent frowned at the sight, then turned abruptly, saying, "One moment, if you will. I need to check something." Twilight nodded, hurrying over to steady a nearby stallion about to topple.

Trotting over to the punch bowl, Opulent eyed the seemingly harmless red liquid with suspicion. He sniffed at the drink, then drew away with a disdainful expression of recognition. "Charming. Seems these simpletons have their own unique sense of celebration."

Pinkie Pie, utilizing her ability to materialize from thin air, appeared on the other side of the table, smiling snidely as she offered a glass filled with the drink to Opulent. "Care for some punch?"

Opulent dislodged the cup from Pinkie's grasp with a swat of his hoof, but Pinkie only withdrew her hoof, otherwise reacting in no way. "A clever tactic. I can't say I didn't expect it, but it's certainly something fresh. Something new."

Pinkie swirled her hoof in the punch bowl, turning her gaze and maddened smile toward it as she mused, "It's one parts punch and two parts rum." She took her hoof out of the bowl, licking at her drenched ankle before saying, "Don't tell anypony!"

Opulent chuckled, shaking his head. "I can't imagine what you hoped to accomplish through this convoluted scheme of yours."

Pinkie returned her hoof to stirring, but this time turned her attention to Opulent. "Simple. It's so much easier to get ponies to spill the beans when they don't know which way's up."

Opulent adjusted his monocle, his smile seeming to become more that of admiration than smugness. "An amusing gesture, but you can't fool us that easily. I'm fairly certain that my fellow ambassadors would catch on before it was too late."

Pinkie shrugged, shaking her head. She pointed her soaking hoof to the right, designating a merrily laughing Patsy Craft with half a cup of the spiked punch hovering beside her.

"....dammit all." Opulent mumbled under his breath as he strode toward Patsy, Pinkie Pie cackling with satisfaction as he went. Standing next to Patsy, Opulent bore a frightening scowl. "Patsy! What do you think you're doing?!"

Patsy blinked at the demanding shout, then turned to look at Opulent. Her expression was blank as she swayed from side to side, seeming to study the glowering Opulent Majesty. "Huh.....I think....I'm havin' a good time." She smiled once more, playfully jabbing Opulent's shoulder. "How 'bout you?"

Opulent flared his nostrils, putting a hoof to Patsy's shoulder. "Marvelous." He shoved the wavering mare, sending her to the floor with a muffled thud.

The (slightly) less inebriated party guests that watched this occur shot Opulent looks of mixed shock and scorn, but they quickly turned their attention back to Patsy as she burst out laughing. "You need to lighten up, Regalia! It'sh a party, after all!" Opulent growled at this, sending a sweeping kick to Patsy's jaw as he turned. This drew a startled gasp from those watching, but Opulent ignored them as he stomped back to Pinkie Pie, who had observed the whole scene with a satisfied grin on her face.

"Regalia? I thought your name was Opulent Majesty." Pinkie mused, putting her foreleg on the table and resting her chin on her hoof.

Opulent glared at Pinkie, remaining silent for a long while. He repeatedly glanced from Pinkie to the punch bowl, then donned an amused grin. "I see. A commendable first move, dearest." At this, Pinkie's grin faded, quickly being replaced by a sneer. "But, your efforts won't yield much here. You may think you've done yourself good, but Patsy won't reveal much. She's worthless when she can't focus."

Pinkie squinted at Opulent, shifting her jaw before responding with, "Right. And I'm assuming that watery mare or that silvery stallion are out of my reach as well?"

Opulent chuckled, his grin widening. "Rest assured, Silver Gleam and Aqua Grace have a great deal more endurance than Patsy Craft. I'm surprised she's still conscious. But those two..." He shook his head, laughing with satisfaction. "Watch this." He turned to where Aqua Grace stood, holding a hoof to the side of his mouth. "Aqua Grace! Come here for a moment!"

Aqua looked up from the 'conversation' she'd been having, trotting over to Opulent with a somewhat fearful expression on her face.

Opulent pointed to the punch bowl, saying, "This foul drink must be disposed of. Rid of it!"

Aqua looked to the bowl, sighed, then stepped up to the table, horn aglow. She puckered her lips, as if fitting them around a straw, then held her head above the punch bowl. Pinkie watched with a seriously doubtful look on her face as Aqua did this, but the expression was replaced by that of disbelief as the spiked punch funneled into Aqua's mouth, as if there were actually a straw there. After an incredibly short moment, the bowl had been sucked dry, Aqua exhaling as if exhausted upon finishing it all.

"B-but.....that's...." Pinkie cocked her head, blinking rapidly as she pointed a trembling hoof at Aqua Grace.

Opulent cackled with satisfaction, placing a hoof on Aqua's shoulder. "If there's one thing I can respect about you, Grace, it's your unreal capacity for drinking." He stepped away from Aqua, a malicious grin on his face as he returned his attention to Pinkie. "Well, dearest, I believe that undoes a large portion of your first plan of attack. Would you care to hear my thoughts on what you did wrong?"

Pinkie snapped back into focus, slamming her hooves onto the table as she glared at Opulent. "Ha! I haven't done anything wrong! And I don't need you telling me how to do anything!"

Opulent shook his head, shrugging as he said, "Very well. I don't often offer my opponents such input, but so be it." He grinned devilishly once more. "Even so, I can at least tell you that discretion is key in a battle of wits. The less is known of your attack, the more effective it becomes."

Pinkie paused, making a quick scan of the crowd of guests. She turned her attention back to Opulent, sputtering indignantly. "Fine then. Make your move. I'll be ready for it! Whatever it is!"

Opulent sighed, shaking his head as he chuckled a sinister chuckle. He looked away from Pinkie, making a quick scan of the other party-goers as well. "Hmph. It would seem you have more than a hooful of guests that have fallen prey to your ill-conceived plot. I would suggest getting them to the nearest medical center. Looks like alcohol poisoning abound." He pointed to Aqua Grace abruptly, startling the mare. "Aqua! Go fetch Silver! We're leaving." Aqua gained a despairing look upon being commanded, but she trotted off to find Silver Gleam nonetheless. Opulent adjusted his monocle, glancing back to Pinkie with a snide grin. "Good night, dearest. This party has been....interesting, to say the least."

Pinkie hopped onto the table, knocking the empty punch bowl to the floor with a shattering of glass. "Not so fast! You're off to do something evil! I'm not going to let you just waltz out of here!"

Opulent looked Pinkie square in the eye, his expression totally relaxed. After a moment, he cleared his throat, his horn suddenly glowing. With a burst of black smoke, Pinkie's perch vanished, reappearing a few hooves behind the mare. Pinkie, not expecting her stand to disappear from underneath her, fell to the ground with a yelp, landing in a heap. Opulent harrumphed, musing, "Interesting indeed. Best of luck, dearest Pinkie Pie. May the better lunatic win." He chuckled, swatting the furious Pinkie with his tail as he turned to depart. Pinkie sat there, fuming as she absently rubbed at the lash mark on her cheek, silently glaring at Opulent as he strode to the door, collecting Patsy Craft with his magic as he went.

"Noooooo!" Pleaded Patsy, who hiccuped before continuing with, "I don't wanna goooooo! Nooooo!" Patsy made no further objections as Opulent exited the bakery, Patsy clonking her head on the door frame as she hovered through.

Pinkie dropped her hoof, standing and breathing furiously through clenched teeth. She started after him, but was interrupted by Twilight Sparkle, who appeared in front of Pinkie with a flash of magical light. "Pinkie! Perhaps you have an explanation for why so many of these poor guests are so....'out of it?'"

Pinkie breathed an annoyed sigh, looking away from Twilight as she said, "I don't know. Maybe somepony thought it would be a funny prank to spike the punch. I may throw the parties, but that doesn't mean I'm in complete control of them."

Twilight stamped a hoof, gesturing to a nearby group of ponies doubled over and writhing in pain. "Pinkie, this is serious! Whatever was in that punch is way too much for some of these guests to tolerate! A lot of them are getting really sick because of it!"

Pinkie glanced to the door, then frowned in defeat. "Okay, okay. We should probably help them out." Pinkie donned a warm smile, trotting over to the group of downed ponies. She put a hoof to the shoulder of a random stallion, asking in a cheery tone, "How are you hanging in there?"

The stallion groaned, but managed a weak smile as he looked up at Pinkie. "Oh.....well enough....."

Pinkie giggled, rubbing the stallion's shoulder. "Don't worry. We're here to help. We'll have you in a hospital before you know-" A faint quake of the building and an explosive noise cut off Pinkie Pie. The party goers who still had their senses about them looked startled, some even appearing panicked. Pinkie glanced to the door, blinking in confusion. "What was-" Before she could ask what the noise had been, a rapid sequence of bright flashes appeared outside, the same sound as before following several times over in succession.

"Lightning strikes?!" Twilight shouted, running for the door. Many of the guests followed behind, frantic to assess the damage done.

Pinkie, however, remained in the bakery for a moment, mumbling under her breath, "Yeah. Real subtle move, Opulent. If either of us 'lunatics' is winning this, it's gonna be me." She looked to the downed stallion that she stood beside, stamping a hoof. "I have to!" Pinkie bolted through the door as well, leaving behind a bakery full of poisoned ponies poised on passing out or puking their putrid punch. (Alliterations are hard.)