The hands of the clock ticked inexorably onward to the hour of twelve. The echoing ticks and tocks of their endless march fell into cadence with the pacing hooves of Twilight Sparkle. She glanced at the time-piece for the umpteenth time and groaned in frustration. Time was running out. Every minute that passed was another gone in the ever-shortening lifetime of the filly Sweetie Belle. There had to be something she was missing, some puzzle piece she hadn’t considered, some book she hadn’t…

There was a knock at the door.

Twilight looked sharply up, but said nothing. She froze, waiting for her visitor to announce himself. Weren’t all the ponies assembling for their little parade? Who in Equestria would be…?

A second knock. “Miss Twilight?” A familiar voice called out.

Mr. Cake. The baker.

Twilight grimaced. “Can I help you with something, Mr. Cake?”

“I wanted to bring you a little something to eat. I had a feeling you wouldn’t be joining us today, and I know Time Turner won’t be able to fuel up your balloon until this evening. I whipped you up some cupcakes before I shut down the shop for the day.”

Twilight’s growling belly betrayed her. “That’s… very thoughtful. Please come in.” The door swung open… and Twilight had to repress a scream as a leering monstrosity bearing a tray of brightly frosted cupcakes barged in. “What in Equestria are you wearing?!” She demanded.

Carrot quickly regained his footing and, after placing the tray on a nearby table, lifted off the crudely carved over-sized horse head he was wearing. He grinned sheepishly. “Didn’t mean to scare you. I’m the Fool in the procession this year. I have to wear this while I dance around and act like a… well, a fool.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I don’t get it.”

Carrot laughed as he jingled the bells attached to the tall hat on the mask’s head. “Well, the Fool is the King for the Day. It’s really quite interesting…”

He continued to talk, but Twilight was thinking of the procession. Applejack had said the procession would end with a sacrifice, so logistically Sweetie Belle would be located at wherever the parade would end. If Twilight could follow the parade from a distance, they would lead her right to the filly. Her gaze landed on the mask Carrot was still showing her. She took in the rest of his costume, how the ridiculous frilly sheet covered the whole of his body… “Mr. Cake?”

“Yes?”

“Where exactly in the procession will you be?”

His chest swelled with pride. “Right at the front, next to Applejack.”

She smiled. Perfect. Why follow the procession, when she could be right at the front, ready to snatch Sweetie Belle and bear her to safety before anypony else knew what was happening? Her horn lit and she lifted a cupcake from the tray... as well as the tray itself. “What flavor did you say these were, Mr. Cake?”

“Why, they’re apple of co…!” The reverberating bang of the tray colliding with Mr. Cake’s head drowned out his last words prior to unconsciousness. He dropped like a stone, out cold.

Twilight worked fast. She quickly stripped the earth pony of his costume and pulled it over herself. Satisfied that even her hooves were covered, She lifted the wooden horse head an examined it. The tall jester’s cap looked to be just big enough to conceal her horn. She lowered it over her face and smirked when her horn slid right into a slot in the cap. Clearly the role of the Fool had been played by a unicorn once before. Knowing time was of the essence, she gave Mr. Cake a cursory glance to ensure he was still breathing and raced out the door to where the procession was due to begin any minute.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The sun shone down on the fertile green grass that surrounded Ponyville. A slight breeze crossed the air, carrying aloft birds and their songs. Squirrels and other small woodland creatures chased each other or gathered small nuts along the long dirt path that led away from the little town, chittering all the while.

Slowly, gently, a new sound made itself known.

The birds stopped their singing, as years of instinct had taught them to recognize this sound and remain silent so long as they could hear it. The squirrels nimbly climbed the nearest tree and hid themselves away in convenient holes. Even the wind seemed to die down, almost in deference to the new song.

A steady, repeating drum beat. And joining it, as the procession made its way over the first hill out of town, a rhythmic and hypnotizing melody played by a trio of young ponies wielding brass instruments.

Thus came the procession of Ponyville’s Summer Sun Celebration.

Two ponies led the way; one decked out in the elaborate yet shabby costume of a fool, the other an orange mare clad in a flowing sun-dress and bonnet. Behind them came nearly every adult mare and stallion in the whole of the town, each dressed in their very best. They swayed rhythmically to the music with each step they took. Some wore carved wooden masks bearing the images of rabbits and birds. Others wore hoof-made crowns of flowers and wire, gifts from the colts and fillies still too young to take part in the Celebration.

The two lead ponies scampered and pranced along the trail, occasionally crossing the other’s path. The pony wearing the costume of the Fool would stumble more often than not, as though they were unfamiliar with the feel and dimensions of the costume. The mare in the sun dress tried not to show her frustrations, but it was difficult when the Fool kept stepping on her tail. The orange mare calmed herself as best as she was able, telling herself that the procession would not last long this year, just to the edge of the Everfree Forest.

Applejack smirked beneath the ceremonial bonnet. A shorter than usual procession, yes, but this was only the beginning of the day’s festivities…

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Twilight didn’t know how much longer she could keep up the ruse. Her hooves were screaming at her from the dancing and her muscles were strained to the breaking point from holding up the deceptively heavy costume. Only her sheer willpower kept her from heaving the whole of the wooden monstrosity from her body.

She silently prayed for Princess Celestia to give her the strength she required to see this task to completion.

Just before the procession reached the tree line, Applejack stopped her frolicking and held up a single hoof. The drums and brass band fell silent as one, and everypony stopped dead in their tracks. All eyes focused on the brush. After milking the moment for all it was worth, Applejack put her hoof to her lips and blew a single, shrill whistle.

Big Macintosh emerged from the trees… with a little unicorn filly by his side.

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat as she finally, after all this time, saw Sweetie Belle in the flesh. The filly looked around nervously at the assemblage, her spotless white dress hanging limply around her small body. She looked nervous and slightly confused. Of course, why wouldn’t she be? How could any filly possibly comprehend the horrors that her own friends and neighbors were preparing to visit upon her? How could anypony so young fathom such betrayal, especially from her older sister, from the only family she had in this world…

Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated. It would be simple. All she had to do was wink over to Sweetie Belle, then wink the two of them safely away. She focused all her magic into her horn, repeating the silent mantra of the spell in her head, picturing the spot beside Sweetie Belle as best as she was able…

“Belenus!” Applejack’s strong voice cried out. “Our most beloved god of the Sun! Look upon this, our gift unto you! See how she comes before you of her own free will! See how she comes before you untouched and pure, a virgin in both body and mind! Accept her, and grant us your favor, if that so be your desire!”

...It wasn’t working. Twilight didn’t understand. The spell wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working? Why now of all the times… She didn’t have time. The sacrifice was about to commence. She had to act and act now!

Before she could talk herself out of it, she rushed past Applejack, galloped over to the little white filly, and hurled the bulky wooden costume at Big Macintosh with all the strength she had.

Mac took the full force of the hit and fell with a grunt and a great thud.

Before he could recover, Twilight snatched Sweetie Belle up by the nape of her neck and tossed her onto her back. “Let’s go!” She cried as she galloped into the only place that might offer any safety; the Everfree Forest. Twilight heard the hoof-falls as the villagers began to give chase, but she didn’t stop to look behind her.

“Who… who are…?”

“My name is Twilight Sparkle.” She panted as she jumped over a tree root. “I’m here to rescue you.” She dared to stop for a moment and looked around for a trail of some kind. “But it won’t be much of a rescue if we get lost in this place.”

Sweetie Belle pointed a hoof at a nearby oak. “My friends and I play down there sometimes. There’s a glade where we play hide and seek.”

Twilight smiled as she took off running again. “Well, we’re gonna play hide and seek alright. We’re gonna find a nice place to hide and we’re gonna let them seek while I figure out why my magic isn’t working and… AH!” Twilight screamed as the ground seemed to dissolve beneath her hooves. Suddenly she and Sweetie Belle were falling in darkness. The fall was short but the impact still knocked the air from Twilight’s lungs. She looked around in confusion. They were in a pit or a sinkhole of some kind, probably twelve or thirteen feet deep and six or seven feet wide. Twilight turned her attention to Sweetie Belle and gave her a once over. “Are you alright?”

Sweetie Belle sat up, rubbing her haunches where she’d landed. “Uh huh.”

Twilight did a quick walk-around of the pit. Her first thought was that the bit had only recently been dug. Otherwise, why wouldn’t Sweetie Belle have warned her about it? But the pit's walls were smooth, like they'd been here a very long time... She looked at the little unicorn’s horn. “Can you use your magic?”

“Uh huh. Why?”

Twilight grimaced. “Because mine’s not working. You could lift yourself out and go get help while I distract…”

“Maybe you can’t use your magic because of that thing on your horn?” Sweetie offered in her most helpful tone.

Twilight stopped still, reached a hoof up, and felt the cold ring that encircled her horn. Despite its coolness, it still gave off a strange heat… a heat that she’d felt before. After all, weren’t these very devices used to punish young unicorns that lost control of their magic or tried to advance their own studies too quickly? “Silver.” She murmured. “A magic suppression ring made of silver. But how…?”

“Maybe you should’ve checked that costume before you just shoved it onto your head?” A voice full of good humor drawled from above.

Twilight looked up to find the pit surrounded on all sides by villagers. There was Rarity beside the fuchsia mare that must’ve been the school-teacher. There were the two mares she’d seen observing the orgy by the fountain. There was Pinkie Pie. And Big Macintosh. And Rainbow Dash. And Mayor Mare.

And there was Applejack, her costume discarded and her familiar hat back on her head. She smirked down at the unicorns with ultimate satisfaction written across her face.

Twilight squared herself, ready to defend the filly even if it cost her own life…

“Did I do it right?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she looked over at Sweetie Belle. The little mare no longer looked confused or scared. She was practically bouncing up and down on her hooves, looking to Applejack with wide, smiling eyes.

She looked elated.

And, in the back of her mind, Twilight Sparkle finally began to understand.

“You did beautifully, dear Sweetie Belle. Just beautifully.” Applejack called down as Rarity’s magic lifted the filly from the pit and pulled her into a warm sisterly embrace. The villagers crowded around her for a moment, patting her mane and telling her how wonderfully she’d done.

Rarity nuzzled her little sister and kissed her forehead. “Mother and father would be so proud of you, darling.” She set her down, took her hoof, and began leading her away. “Come along now. We need to get you back to town. Your friends can’t wait to see you.”

Applejack watched them leave before turning her attention to the pit’s sole occupant. Her chest swelled with pride. She relished the moment just a while longer before tilting her head down in a bow. She swept her hat from her head and stretched it out as though it were an offering.

All around her, the other villagers copied her and bowed as well.

Applejack’s eyes remained locked on Twilight’s. Outside, she was reverent, but inside she was laughing joyously. “Welcome, Fool. You, by the grace of the gods, have come of your own free will to the appointed place. The game, at last, is over.”

Author's Note