Author: ShadowFax
Ultimate Price
15th May
2 years after Night Mare Moon’s defeat.
Order is a rare word, at times of hardship.
The massive stone complex was nothing short of stoic. Intricate cravings etched at every other bridge. Ironically, it offered little neither protection nor comfort the first remains of the ‘Resistance’. A stark reminder against the burning towers of the capital. Gathered at the fortress were members who managed to escape the madness of Discord and it’s minions. One of the important heads leading this ragtag group was a particular blue azure pony.
Still, its lush trees made it a sharp contrast between the very lines of pandemonium and harmony. Perfect to capture Trixie’s current desire for calmness and stability.
Trixie had every right to be annoyed. She was forced to relate a simple truth. A truth that can best be described in shades of grey. A clammy sensation ran through her back as she slowly climbed the creaky stage stairs. Ponies jostled around the raised platform, uttering soft murmurs.
She silently scanned for her much-needed supporters among the coats of multiple colored ponies. Finally she spotted them at the back row.
Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Apple Jack and Pinkie Pie.
The small crowd of ponies held their breath, eyes pinning on the caped magician. Lips pursing. She would have soaked in in the jubilation of the roaring crowd. This was not how she imagined it was to be. The clock ticked silently.
Not this day.
Swallowing her saliva, she began her tale.
“Great & Powerful Trixie wishes to tell you that there have been a spy among us!”
She paused. The audience grasped.
“Gilda, please. Bring out the Elements of Harmony.”
The griffon rose from the V.I.P row to join her friend on stage. Swiftly, her arm went around her shoulder, pulling her closer. Another claw stretched out an intricate carved glass cover box. On closer inspection, one could see the five necklaces and a tiara encased with golden weaved emblems resting on miniature silk pillows.
Trixie trembled. Shaking.
“You okay, Trixie? We can continue this tomorrow, if you want.” Gilda’s face darkened.
“No, I can do this. Please, let me finish. I must.”
Again, she glanced over the faces of her audience. Her friends.
Slowly, fragmented memories connected. She remembered her importance.
“Fortunately, the spy has yet to land their hooves on the elements of harmony!”
“What about Twilight?” a random voice asked.
“That’s the topic for today.”
* * *
One day earlier.
Trixie was undeniably tired. Eyelids momentarily closed. She just couldn’t do it anymore. The blue caped pony was in charge of getting the final piece of logistics to the correct location.
Fatigued. Still, it was no excuse for not taking a small break. No pony would notice her absence. A brief moment of panic was being replaced by calm. Twilight would find a way to defeat that monster. She always did. Soon, she shall bring over the “Elements of Harmony”, and it will be over in a split moment. Over time, both of them had become best friends. Twilight was special indeed. Not just a mentor at Canterlot, but also pushed her to the best of her abilities.
She cantered towards the foreboding Everfree forest.
Trixie sank deeper into the rich canopy, ignoring the feared twisted claws of the willow trees resting in the foreground. She continued to take in the crisp fresh air and its familiar sights. She stopped. Something tantalized her nose. The smell of burning cedar trees began to overwhelm her senses. Air began to sparkle with dust.
Then she saw a tangled mass against the rough forest floor, painful sobs wracked her body.
Blood spattered the rocky surface. A familiar cry rent the air. Flames leaping into trees. A lavender unicorn sprawled over the rocky ground on all fours. Multiple lashes of cuts defined her body. Celestia’s sun poured a shadow over a nearby ornate object.
Twilight.
That once-magnificent unicorn was now a shriveled husk of the mare she once was. A weakened hoof beckoned her. The blue magician shivered as she approached her former rival.
“By Celestia! Twilight!” Trixie screamed. “What happened at Canterlot? It was just a simple task!”
“I know.”
Trixie’s hooves instinctively closed around the lavender pony.
“It’s alright now, I’m here. You could tell me what happened.”
“There’s a traitor among us. Some pony torched our food supplies! I tried to catch her but it was too late!”
She could feel the tremor intensifying within Twilight. Cringed.
“Take this.” A hoarse voice spoke somberly.
Twilight gestured towards the treasure chest.
“The Elements of Harmony.”
“Take what?” The caped magician blinked as the lavender pony repeated herself.
“The Elements of Harmony.”
“Twilight, did you see who done it?” asked Trixie.
“I don’t remember, it was quite fast…”
“But this is everything you have stood for! You can’t die now! We are your family!” Trixie’ tone became earsplitting.
Twilight turned away. Her body rolled sideways.
“I was rash and stupid. My experiment failed. It was to seal Discord, and yet he escaped and became more powerful. More Insane!”
“You can’t do this,” Trixie whimpered. “Not on my watch.”
Silence.
Reaching for the box, Twilight added, “You need to tell my friends. They will understand what happened.”
Silence.
“You are our only hope now, Trixie. I’m sorry. I really am. If only my friends were with me…”
“No, I can’t do this. I’m not as strong as you.”
“Trixie, listen to me, you are the most wonderful pony I know. You must continue in my place. My legacy.”
“Not without you.” Answered the blue magician.
“Promise me!” Twilight’s voice weakened. Desperation. It was not a question, but a demand. An oath.
“I promise.”
Twilight’s pale eyes rolled backwards, her last breath finally left. Trixie stood dismayed. She scooped the slumped body into her arms. Hoof tracing the contours of her fallen friend.
“Twilight, you stupid mare. Who will now taunt the Great and Powerful Trixie once you’re gone?” she said softly, trying to stop the sad tone of her voice from creeping in.
Trixie shivered. On one hoof, her greatest rival was dead. But on the other hoof, she had lost a best friend and a heroine.
Most ponies would have cowered in fear, blamed their circumstances and questioned their beliefs and thoughts. One pony, however, decided to be different.
A tint of resolve lit her eyes. This was her moment to shine.
* * *
“The Great and Powerful Trixie knows this. Earlier today, Twilight has gone to seek allies by boarding the last train out of Canterlot. She wanted to tell the rest of you but it was too late. Trixie tries to convince her otherwise. But no, she would not stay. Even if it’s Trixie.”
Stream of tears fell from Trixie’s cheeks as the last sentence of Twilight’s ‘story’ rolled off her tongue. What could she have told the roaring crowd? The lavender unicorn had been special to each and every one of them.
The least thing she could offer was a ray of hope. What happened next, was completely out of her control.
A crescendo of voices began to spread across the room. Confusion spread among its occupants. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted a certain cyan pony’s jaws dropping. It seemed a fellow pony did not take the news too lightly. Skepticism.
“No way! Not Twilight! You liar!”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. A look of disbelief ran through her visage. No, this can’t be the truth. Twilight wouldn’t leave them that easily. She was the one of the most powerful ponies in Canterlot for starters!
“Great and Powerful Trixie was there, Rainbow Dash. She passed me this. Besides, I would require some assistance.” Responded Trixie dryly. Tossing the scroll high, it was plain for all to see.
No doubt many ponies would continue to deny her ‘truth’. It just was not viable. Already she felt the heat of the room rising. It wasn’t just her sweat. Dash, with her speed could easily catch up with the supposed train.
Not if Trixie could help it.
As she shifted her gaze towards the looming mountains, she saw that its once majestic ice caps started to disconnect itself, sending white waves of snow tumbling towards the valleys below. Trixie was pleased. Even the onyx clouds reeled backwards, allowing the rays of the sun to fill the land with its heavenly light.
Apple Jack had already left for the fillies.
Swiftly re-adjusting her prose, Trixie forced another smile. The pleasant echoes of her thoughts overwhelmed her with relief. Her Master’s troops would soon burst through various arched doorframes.
After all, she had planned everything.
The last thing that Trixie needed was some pony making her grand plan fall apart.
Tricondon's Winning Response (No title for response)
Owner's note: (What? I don't write the entries. I'm only the owner!) Sorry this took so long. I promised weekly updates, but there were some complications this time around. I'll try to be much quicker this time around.
The Prompt:
You are running through Everfree Forest late one night, a manticore hot on your heels. All of the sudden, a fiery bolt comes from the sky and lands on the manticore behing you, killing it and saving your life. As you approach the smoking crater where the object landed, what do you find? What do you do with it?
The winner of our prompt this time around was Tricondon! Here's his response:
Tricondon's Prompt Response:
The Everfree forest is dangerous. Terrifying creatures call it their home, the sort of creatures that would see a single lone pony as a decent meal, or perhaps merely a snack, depending on the size of the pony. Everypony in Ponyville knew to stay away from the forest unless it was absolutely necessary to enter it. Everypony that is, except for Silver Hooves.
He’d heard of the rumours surrounding the Everfree forest, and wrote them off as just that: rumour. Besides, the timid Fluttershy lived in a small cottage just on the edge of the forest, and she was never attacked by any wayward creatures. The same went for the Apple family and their expansive farm, bordering on the edge of the ‘dangerous’ forest. Of course, there was that issue with the Ursa Minor some time ago when that braggart Trixie came to town, but it’s to be expected to find a bear or two in a forest.
“C’mon, dude, I bet you wouldn’t last one night in the Everfree forest.”
“Yeah? Why should I spend the night outside anyways? What’s in it for me?”
“I hear Vani likes brave colts. Perhaps I could spread the news that you braved the monsters in the woods. You do still have a crush on her, don’t you?”
“Outside of a couple of bears, I doubt there’s anything scary in that forest. And it’s none of your business.”
“Then what’re you afraid of? Just one night, that’s all I ask.”
‘Nothing scary in that forest’ clearly did not account for the ravenous manticore now snapping at Silver’s hooves. The ground was slick with mud from the brief rainfall an hour prior. Silver scrambled for footing, fighting for leverage at every opportunity, but the manticore’s giant claws gave the creature superior grip, and the beast was closing the distance between them at a disturbingly fast rate.
Silver’s sides hurt as he ran as fast as his hooves and the ground would allow. He wasn’t out of shape by any means, but running for over thirty minutes tended to wind all but the most athletic ponies. The moon hung above, light streaming through the branches and illuminating the path ahead, but it was still far too dark in some patches. This lack of light made running difficult, and Silver was constantly tripping over outstretched tree roots and rocks jutting up from the ground.
It was probably a surprise to no one, then, when Silver’s front left foot struck a rock and he tumbled head over heels, coming to a full stop lying against a tree. His foot throbbed in pain, and he looked up in time to see the manticore come to a screeching stop in front of him. The animal looked at Silver, sizing him up. The beast opened his mouth, revealing a very sharp set of teeth. Silver closed his eyes, bracing for the worst…
Only to be thrown backwards by…something. At once, Silver was immersed by intense heat, and the force of something large hitting the ground made every tree shake. He tumbled back to the ground, his foot still throbbing, though thankfully the heat had already passed.
Silently, he counted the seconds as they passed. Ten, twenty, thirty. Finally, he dared to open his eyes…and found himself staring into the eyes of the manticore. Silver jumped back, a girlish scream leaping from his throat. The manticore stayed where it was. It didn’t even acknowledge Silver’s existence. Confused, he glanced over the manticore’s body, only to realize it no longer had one. Bile rose in his throat as he regarded the manticore’s severed head, and looked around, trying to find his savior.
“Or potential killer, depending how well things go.” He muttered to himself sarcastically.
Silver’s gaze was drawn to a large smoking hole in the ground where there wasn’t one previously. As he neared it, the scent of charred flesh and burning fur filled his nostrils, and a quick glance around the edge of the crater revealed the other pieces of the manticore’s body.
A soft humming sound drew Silver’s attention away from the remnants of his would-be killer, and he looked into the hole. There, at the base, was a tiny oval-shaped object. Confused, but curious, Silver slowly stepped down the steep edges. He winced in pain; the crater was still very hot, and sweat poured off his body. Curiously, the closer he got to the bizarre object, the cooler he felt.
At the very base of the crater, Silver nudged the strange egg-like thing with a hoof experimentally. Despite the heat of the crater, and the still-burning body of the manticore, the item itself was ice-cold. Silver lowered his head to the object, and was shocked to hear that soft humming noise was coming from within. As he stood there, the humming grew more and more intense, blocking out all his other senses. His vision focused on the tiny orb, and he reached out to grab it.
“…no way, you’re saying you killed a manticore? Yeah, right, you’d probably run at the first sign of danger, you liar.” The red Pegasus colt sneered, a look of victory on his face. Silver glared back, gritting his own teeth.
“I did kill it! What makes you so sure I didn’t?” Silver’s cheeks flushed, his own excitement getting the better of him.
“Well, I think it was very brave of you to go into the Everfree forest to begin with.” A soft voice spoke up, and Silver turned to face the bright orange unicorn. He smiled goofily at her.
“Heh, thank you, Vani.” Silver’s blushed hotter, his cheeks growing red, easily showing through his white fur. Vani trotted over, giving a knowing wink to Silver.
No! Don’t listen to him.
Silver grinned at the red Pegasus as he turned to walk with Vani. The fiery stallion just laughed as he watched the two of them walk off together.
“Told you she likes brave colts, you dummy.”
Vani held on to every word of Silver’s tale, gasping in shock as he recounted his battle with the manticore.
“And there I was, stuck beneath a fallen tree, and the manticore was inching closer and closer. I spied a bramble bush to my left, and nabbed it with my magic. I wrenched it from the ground and smacked it into the side of the manticore’s face. He didn’t like that, and his agonized growls gave me enough time to worm my way out from under the tree and assume a proper battle stance.” Silver took this moment to pose for Vani, who giggled a bit at this display.
Stop it…stop lying to her…
“Oh, Silver, you are quite the tale-spinner.” Vani giggled again. “You don’t have to make up stories to impress me.” She smiled, her whole face lighting up. Silver blushed and walked beside her calmly again. The two walked down the streets of Ponyville in silence for a time.
Eventually, they got away from the main thoroughfare, and they found themselves more isolated. With it being easier to talk without shouting, Vani began pressing Silver for what really happened in the forest.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. There was no manticore. All I found was…” Silver let his voice trail off.
“What? What’d you find?” Her voice was positively dripping with curiosity.
No! Leave her alone! Don’t!
Silver smirked as he brought out the strange egg-shaped object. It glowed softly, seemingly from within. Vani stared at it, transfixed.
No! Vani, run! Don’t look at it! Don’t touch it!
“I found this egg thing. It’s pretty, isn’t it? Reminds me of you.” Vani nodded, trancelike, as she reached out to rub her hoof on the egg.
Princess Celestia paced around the throne room nervously. She walked back to her throne and read the letter again.
To Princess Celestia:
Ponyville is cold and uninviting, not like how it was last year. Most ponies I passed on the streets either ignored me or sneered condescendingly. Some smiled and even tried to make conversation, but were unable to shed any light on the situation. I was unable to locate Twilight or the other element bearers. I hope to have better luck in Apploosa.
Shining Armor
Celestia sighed as she replaced the letter on the arm of the throne. She glanced at the date stamped on the envelope; it was marked two weeks ago. She trotted over to the window and stared out, her gaze focusing on Ponyville far below. Twilight’s letters had mysteriously ceased coming one month ago. None of her own letters asking what had happened had been answered, and so it was, rather reluctantly, that she sent the Captain of her guard to find out what was going on in Ponyville.
Wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn’t hear the guard come in until he cleared his throat right behind her. Centuries of practice ensured that she gave no outwardly sign that she was startled, but her heart rate did increase at the sudden intrusion.
“Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but Twilight Sparkle is here, and she requests an immediate meeting with you.” Celestia’s eyes widened, and she nodded. The guard gave a salute and ran back out of the room.
Celestia wandered over to her throne and sat down. She took a moment to calm her thoughts, and once again exude an air of regality.
The doors across from her throne opened slightly, and in walked a very familiar lavender unicorn. Twilight trotted across the room, her hooves echoing in the otherwise empty room. She bowed as she neared the Princess, and the sound of the large doors slamming shut signaled to both that they were alone.
“Princess Celestia, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to communicate with you lately.” Twilight lowered her head, averting her gaze from Celestia’s eyes. “I’ve been sneaking around, trying to find out why ponies are acting so strangely towards each other. I haven’t seen Spike in a couple weeks, but I had to bring my findings to you immediately.” She raised her head, looking Celestia in the eye.
Celestia nodded, the urgency obvious in Twilight’s voice.
“What have you found out?” Even now, she kept her own voice calm and steady. Letting her own fears creep into her voice would only worry her student.
“I’m not certain, but ponies seem to be falling under some sort of mind-control spell. I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to snap them out of it with my own magic, but it’s a powerful spell on them.” Twilight frowned, her expression falling. “Pinkie Pie is under the spell. I can’t snap her out of it.”
Celestia nodded, her own expression falling.
“I understand. I will do what I can to help them.” With a nod, Celestia dismissed the young unicorn and stood, heading for her chambers. Luna would have to be alerted; her help would come in handy.
A gentle cough from behind her caught her attention, and the Princess turned to see Twilight still standing there.
“Ah, there was one other thing, Princess.” Pausing, Twilight levitated her saddlebag off and began rummaging through it. She searched for a moment before pulling out a tiny oval-shaped object, which she hovered over to the Princess.
“I found this weird egg-thing on my way over here. I was wondering if you knew what it was.”
Engrossed by the egg, Celestia never saw the twisted smile forming on Twilight’s lips as the regal Princess reached for it…
