My Little Academia: Friendship is Heroic!

Chapters

Twilight Sparkle: Origin
Training and a New Friend
Teamwork
Block and Progress
Race to the Finish!
Celestia's School for Gifted Ponies
Activation
Apology
Celebration
Class 1-A
Try Your Best!
But You Don't Succeed
Reality and Dream
The Mark of a Hero
Pink and Meek
Speed and Strategy
Rainbow at Dusk
Awesome As I Must Be
Scales and Gems I
Scales and Gems II
Draw
I Will Beat You!
Extra Chapter: Beware The Fluff! Tale of the Number Six Hero
Leader
The Weather Training Facility
Division
Subtraction
Addition
Multiplication
Eleventh Hour
Midnight
Clean Up
Recovery
Declaration of War
Wind Up Wound Up
The CSGP Sports Festival
Starting Line
Scootaloo
Rainbow in the Dark
Intermission
Magic Duel
Cry Thunder
Fluttershy: Origin
Burnout
Fashionable Fighters
Pie Fight
Rainbow Dash: Origin
Rainbow At Dawn
Theory and Application
Rocky Road
Dragon's Cry
Clouds Gather
Prismatic Flames
Awakening
Dragon's Roar
Dragon's Ascent
Awards and Advice
Recovery II
Names
Internships: Start!
Cowl
Ponyville
Stand
The One
Consequences
In the Depths of the Everfree
A Thousand Years Ago
Out of the Woordwork
Results and Discussion
Testing Testing
The Practical Midterm
The Practical Midterm Part II
Prologue: We Could Be Heroes
Dragon's Quest
Even If You Don't Ask

Twilight Sparkle: Origin

The Summer Sun Celebration brimmed with crowds. A blare of trumpets perked up all their ears, and they swarmed away from the concession stands and game booths towards the main stage. Twilight Velvet and Night Light flowed along with the sea of ponies, jostling to get as close a spot to the stage as they could.

Night Light looked back at the tiny filly, little more than a foal, planted on his back. “Hold on, Twilight.”

Velvet tightened her grip on the white colt at her side. “You too, Shining.”

“Why does Twilight get to stay on Dad’s back?” Shining whined. “I can’t see anything from down here.”

Shining glanced forward but could only see legs and tails. With a snort, he jumped up, but heads, manes, horns, and wings still blocked his view. Landing back on the ground, he wrinkled his muzzle and stomped.

“Well…” Velvet mused, “I guess I can pick up my big strong colt if that’s what he wants.”

Shining blushed and lowered his head. “I… I’m okay. Maybe… just when Princess Celestia shows up.”

“Of course.” Velvet scanned over the crowd. Her eyes zoned in on a gap. “Oh Nighty, over there!”

Night Light swiveled his head around and then locked onto the spot Velvet was looking at. He lit up his horn, the air popped, and Night Light vanished. With another pop, he reappeared in the open space Velvet had spotted.

Tiny hooves glomped onto Night Light’s neck. Twilight exclaimed, “Again! Again!”

Night Light’s sudden appearance forced a slender mare in a hat with a brim as wide as her body to jump back. She stumbled into a stallion with a mane that glistened from one too many applications of product. Both glared at Night Light and then turned their noses up at him.

“Abusing his special talent like that,” the stallion huffed as he searched for a new viewing spot. “The nerve!”

“Probably just some lowly punch-card hero.” The mare planted herself down. She and the stallion were a bit further back, but they still had a decent view..

From her father’s back, Twilight marveled at the platoon of Royal Guards gather atop and around the stage. Anypony could see the guards that stood in front of the castle or glimpse the pegasus patrols that soared around its spires. However, it was only on rare occasions that a normal citizen could see the earth, the unicorn, the pegasus, and the praetorian guards all in one spot.

The trumpets blared again, and the crowd grew quiet. Heads turned toward the rosy horizon. Everypony waited with baited breath.

Then, there was a glint. Some ponies began stomping while other reared up to get a better look as the sun climbed a little higher.

Amidst the first rays of dawn, Celestia rose up and stood tall. Light radiated off her and glistened in Twilight’s eyes. Books and newspapers always showed Celestia dwarfing even the biggest of stallions. Up close, it was clear that those pictures were only slightly exaggerated. Her body was well-muscled and sleeker than the fastest Wonderbolt. Her wings were as big as a full-grown pony and filled with pristine feathers that matched her snow-white coat. Her shimmering horn extended past her crown, far longer than any unicorn’s.

Cheers filled the air and stomps shook the ground. Yet, there was one spot not filled with ponies in the throws of adulation. Right at the front of the stage, between the guard that stood at its base and the cheering crowds in front of him, was a space too small for a grown pony to fit, but just right for a filly. Twilight’s eyes widened as did her grin.

Clambering to her hooves, she balanced on Night Light’s back and then leapt. Her parents’ shouts were lost in the crowd’s roar. Landing a few feet away, Twilight found herself in a forest of legs. When a pony stomped near her, she yelped. Taking a breath, she focused back on the spot and snaked through the crowd. At the front of the crowd, ponies were packed side-to-side, but Twilight pushed against them with all her weight. With a huff and a shove, she tumbled out on the other side right in front of the guard.

She gulped when he glared down at her. His eyes were like steel placed into the chiseled sockets a statue. With a snort, he turned his attention elsewhere. Twilight let out the breath she did not realize she had been holding and focused back on the Celestia.

Celestia had taken to the air just in front of the gilded statue. As she rose, so did the sun. The crowd’s cheers grew louder and louder until Celestia and the sun aligned at the statue's crescent apex. Light flooded off her and the trumpets sounded again.

Twilight’s smile enveloped most of her face. The rest of her head was taken up by her widened eyes. Just as Celestia floated back down to the stage, she looked in Twilight's direction and smiled.

~~~

A week without dessert and comics for running off was well worth it. Plus, while Velvet had yelled Twilight’s ear off, Night Light had slipped away and bought a picture of the Summer Sun Celebration Ceremony. He gave it to Twilight a few days later, while Velvet was out running some errands.

Twilight immediately hung it above her bed. As soon as it was firmly in place, she sprung off the bed and gave Night Light a hug. “Thank you so much!”

“You really like Princess Celestia, eh?” Night Light chuckled.

Twilight nodded so hard that she rocked back and forth on her hooves.

“Well, Twilight…” Night Light reached down to steady Twilight and stroke her mane. “… you keep studying as hard as you do and I’m sure you’ll be a great hero someday, just like Princess Celestia.”

“I’ll get wings too?” Twilight squealed.

Night Light coughed into his hoof. “Well, Princess Celestia is a very special pony, so maybe not exactly like her, but I know you have what it takes to be a pony everypony looks up to.”

“Yay!” Twilight exclaimed as she pranced around Night Light.

*Ten Years Later*

A hoof slammed down on Twilight’s desk and sent up a ring of embers and smoke. Twilight yelped and fell out of her chair. Everypony—save for Moondancer—laughed.

Sunset sneered down at Twilight. “Off daydreaming again, blank flank? Don’t you think you’re overworking Princess Luna at this point?”

“Leave me alone, Sunset,” Twilight whimpered and picked herself up.

“And let you keep pretending you’re gonna be a hero?” Sunset scoffed as she lit up her horn, pulling Twilight’s saddlebags out from under her chair. “Somepony needs to put you in your place, and this may be one of my last chances to do so.”

“That’s not yours!” Twilight shouted.

“Just making sure you don’t have any hero contraband.” Sunset lifted the flap on Twilight’s bags and peered inside them. She chucked Twilight’s schoolbooks aside and then exposed the other textbooks. “Oh? This is rich. Clover the Clever’s Spell Matrixes, Starswirl’s Appendix of Spellcasting…”

“Stop it!” Twilight shouted. She raised up a leg to take a step. A blast of fire from Sunset’s horn kept her at bay.

Sunset grinned and pulled out a magazine. “Ah, the latest Rumor Mill. Think I’ll keep this one.”

After floating the magazine to her desk, Sunset returned to rummaging through Twilight’s bag. Buried at the bottom of the bag was form. When she unfolded it, her jaw clenched. Twilight’s blood ran cold. Sunset flipped the paper around, displaying the seal at the top that made a few fillies and colts gasp and then snicker. The motto under the seal shimmered in the classroom’s afternoon light. Sunset glared at Twilight.

“What is this?” she hissed.

“It…” Twilight gulped. “It’s a form a doctor has to fill out if you haven’t gotten a cutie mark yet and you apply for the School for Gifted Po—”

“Shut up!” Sunset snapped. The edges of the form crinkled and blackened. “Your daydreaming is one thing, but you might as well have insulted me to my face! You are not applying here, you got that, blank flank?”

“N-no.”

The paper fell out of Sunset’s grasp. Her horn flared up and a lasso of fire wrapped around Twilight’s neck. Sunset yanked her close. “Sorry, didn’t quite hear that.”

“I…” Twilight felt the flames licking at her coat. Her body shook within Sunset’s grasp but she managed to meet her glare. “Th-there’s nopony who says I can’t go, n-not even you, Sunset. O-once the doctor says I’m all good, I’m going to apply!”

Sunset stared at Twilight. Then, she grinned. Her spell turned to smoke that rose up and made Twilight cough. She shoved Twilight aside and stepped around her. “Okay, I get it. Of course you won’t listen to me, even though I’m the one who’s actually going to the School for Gifted Ponies, and even though I’m the one who’s actually going to be the greatest hero since Princess Celestia. So, lucky you, blank flank, I’m just going to let you go get your little checkup today. I can’t wait to see the look on your face next class.”

“And why is that?” Twilight asked while she scrambled to pick up her belongings from off the floor.

Sunset smirked and watched Twilight shove her stuff into her bag with just her hooves. “Because that doctor will tell you what everypony else has been telling you all along: you’re a loser, Twilight Sparkle. Even your name is an embarrassment with that dinky thing you call a horn.”

Twilight’s face grew hot. “I’m just a late-bloomer is all.”

“That what your mommy says?” Sunset snickered as she tore one of Twilight’s books from out of her grasp. “Well, how about what these books say? Ever read about a unicorn your age that can barely lift a book with her magic?”

“I’m sure there must be…”

“Must be what? Other pathetic magicless unicorns like you?” Sunset snorted. “Trust me, I’m sure they are, but even they have more brains than you. They know they’re losers and don’t get in my way. Maybe this doctor will finally set you straight though.”

A few tears trickled down Twilight's face. “You… you just wait, Sunset Shimmer! The next time you see me, I’ll show you that I can be a hero!”

~~~

“I can’t in good conscience sign this.” The doctor set the crisped form to his side. “Or a clean copy either.”

The walls seemed to close in on Twilight. The plush examination table sunk beneath her. As her stomach dropped, her breathing quickened. The floor careened away from her, while the doctor contorted upwards to loom over Twilight.

Velvet bit her lip and put a leg around Twilight. “I don’t understand. The actual tests might be a little challenging for Twilight, but surely she’s fine health-wise.”

“Of course,” said the doctor. “Twilight is a perfectly healthy pony. It’s just that heroics often require strenuous use of magic and her mana levels are below average.”

“Why?” Twilight choked out. Tears dotted her eyes. “My parents can use magic just fine. My Dad’s a hero and my brother’s a knight!”

“I know, I know,” the doctor sighed. “I’ve dealt with a few other patients like this before. We’re still trying to piece it out, but what you have appears to be a rare atavism linked to what we imagine was a depowering plague sometime in the pre-Celestial era.”

“A plague?” Tears spilled from Twilight’s face and fell onto the tiled floor. “So I am sick then.”

“No, no, no.” The doctor waved a hoof. “As I said, you’re perfectly healthy and are set to lead a full life. It’s just that heroics isn’t for you.”

A shiver ran down the doctor’s spine when Velvet threw an icy glare at him. Her features softened when her attention went down to Twilight. She pressed her leg tight against Twilight’s back.

Twilight did not move. She did not blink. She did not breath. The only sign of life from her were the tears flowing down her face. Velvet opened her mouth to say something— anything— but no words reached her lips. The leg against Twilight’s back tensed, and Velvet wrapped her other leg around Twilight in a hug.

Velvet’s lips grew taut as her own tears welled up. Just when they started to trickle down her face, speech returned to her. It was the only thing she could think of as a mother to say. “I’m sorry, Twilight.”

Twilight unfroze just long enough to stare straight at Velvet. The way her head shook back and forth and the way her lips trembled was the only warning Velvet got that she had said the absolute wrong thing. Twilight wailed and broke into sobs.

~~~

“Twilight!” Night Light called up the stairs. “Dinner!”

“Let her be,” Velvet sighed. Bags hung under her eyes. She floated two plates onto the table. “This is going to take time for her— for all of us— to process.”

“Well, we can’t just let her sit up there forever.” Night Light took his seat and propped his head on a hoof. “I know this must be hard for her, but we’ve been expecting something like this.”

“Not so loud, dear,” Velvet cautioned. “And haven’t you encouraged her as well?”

“When she was younger, but I’ve been staying clear of hero talk with her for a while now.” Night Light shoved some broccoli into his mouth. “Twilight still has an amazing mind though. She could easily become a researcher, an analyst, or an agency manager. Maybe I’ll have Glitz and Glamor show her around the office next week.”

“I just don’t know what to say to her.” Velvet shook her head. “She’s been so dedicated to becoming a hero, and now…”

“We’ll figure something out.”

Night Light’s ears perked up, and he paused eating. It was faint, but he could have sworn he heard light clops from the top of the stairs. He glanced up, but saw no sign of Twilight. With a sigh, he returned to his meal. Neither he nor Velvet spoke the rest of the time they were at the table.

~~~

After dinner, Night Light ascended the stairs. He knocked on Twilight’s door. “Twilight? Can I come in?”

There was no response from Twilight’s side of the door.

“Sweetie, I know you’re upset, but just know that your mother and I love you no matter what, and Shining will always be there to protect you.” Night Light lit up his horn and turned the doorknob. At least the door was not locked. “You’re a smart little filly, Twilight, so I’m sure yo—”

Night Light looked around the room. Celestia posters lined the walls and Celestia memorabilia filled the scant space on the shelves not filled with books or comics. Only one spot in the entire room was bereft of anything Celestia or hero-related. A lump formed in Night Light’s throat. There was a gap right over Twilight’s bed.

“Twilight?”

~~~

Shining Armor veered through Canterlot’s back-allies. His eyes raced around, taking in the scratched walls, the gashes in the road, and the shattered remnants of chests and cabinets. He glimpsed the tip of a scaled tail wrap around a corner.

“Damn,” he cursed. “If that thing gets to the fashion district…”

“Well, we can’t have that now.”

Shining slammed his hooves into the ground. He spun around and then dropped into a bow. “Your Highness!”

~~~

Twilight galloped down the streets. Everything blurred around her. Keeping her picture clenched between her teeth, she sped through Canterlot.

It was nearing the end of spring, so the sun was only halfway over the horizon when Twilight reached her destination. The fairgrounds were still nothing more than a vast field, as they were most of the year. Even the gilded statue hadn’t been brought in yet.

Twilight looked down at her picture before staring out at the field. The wind stirred the grass, and the setting sun colored it orange, gold, and crimson. A few tears splattered onto Celestia’s smiling image.

“Please,” she whimpered. “I’ve studied hard every day since I saw you. I practice until my horn aches. All I want is to be a hero… a hero like you. That’s all I want to be!”

As Twilight sobbed, dusk crept over the fairgrounds, deepening the shadows and lowering the temperature. When a gust rustled the grass, Twilight sniffled and clasped her picture. Another rustle perked up her ears. The wind was no longer blowing.

“Mine,” something growled.

As Twilight turned in the direction of the growl, goosebumps ran up her legs.

Out of the grass came an adolescent dragon as big as a stallion. Its purple scales and the green spines spiking out of its head and back glinted in the setting sun. A forked tongue flicked out of its mouth. Its slitted eyes locked onto Twilight.

“Want…” it bellowed.

Twilight stiffened and realized it wasn’t staring at her, but at the picture in her hooves. She brought it close to her chest. “No, this is mine!”

“Spike…” The dragon’s chest swelled. A glow rose up in the back of its throat. “Want!”

A blast of emerald flame shot out of its mouth. Twilight screamed and closed her eyes. There was a woosh of air, and then heat washed over her. However, the sensation was merely warm, like sitting in front of a fireplace rather than being in a fireplace. Twilight had read that sustaining a severe enough burn numbed your nerves. At some point, as you fried to a crisp, warmth became the last thing you felt.

Yet, Twilight still felt the grass beneath her hooves and the picture pressed against her chest. Both should have been ash by now. Or, at least, Twilight's nerves should have burnt to the point where she could not feel them. Curious, she dared to open an eye. When she did, her jaw dropped.

Princess Celestia stood before her, horn aglow and wings spread wide. Her coat and wings glistened with the last light of day while her flowing mane sparkled with the first rays of moonlight. Her horn grew bright and hefted the dragon off the ground. While the dragon thrashed around in her spell, its body shrank down.

“Stealing is one thing,” said Celestia. The dragon snarled at her. “But trying to harm my subjects is another.”

There was a bright flash. In place of the dragon, there was now a speckled egg floating in Celestia’s spell. A bit of crimson lightning crackled from it.

Celestia turned. “That was a close call there, my little pony. Dragons aside, it’s dangerous for a fi—”

She blinked.

Twilight lay strewn on the grass. A bit of drool dripped from her muzzle. Her eyes swam around her head. “P-P-Princess Celestia…”

Celestia lit up her horn, picked Twilight up, and gave her a gentle shake. “Oh dear. Well, that knight wi—“

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed as her eyes refocused.

“Ah, you’re lucid again, good.” Celestia set Twilight back on the ground. She glanced at the egg and floated it to her side. “I’m sorry you got involved in this mess, but you have my thanks. This drake was a bit hard to pin down, but it can’t resist filching valuables.”

A wind then blew through the field and lifted Twilight’s picture into the air. Celestia caught it with ease, brought it close, and smiled. “A fan, I see. The Celebration isn’t for a few more weeks though. Until then, have this as a token of gratitude!”

Smoke rose off the picture. Celestia then floated it back to Twilight. Right by Celestia’s image, there was now a scorched autograph.

Twilight’s eyes glistened. “Th-thank you!”

“No problem, my little pony.” Celestia spread out her wings. “Now, you’d best get home. The streets are no place for a filly after dark!”

Time slowed for Twilight. Princess Celestia was standing right here with nopony else around. Her legs moved even before the thought fully registered with her that she would never have a chance like this again.

“Wait!” she called out.

With a single flap of her wings, Celestia rocketed into the sky. As she climbed higher and arced over Canterlot, she glanced at the egg and frowned. “I’ll need to set up more barriers near Ta—”

Something tugged at her right hind leg, slowing her down and causing her to tilt. She glanced back and saw Twilight clinging to her leg with all the strength she could muster. The roaring winds forced Twilight’s mouth open and shoved her scream and breath back down her throat.

“My word!” Celestia exclaimed. “I don’t mind admiration, but this is taking it a bit far!”

~~~

Sunset stormed down the fashion district’s main drag. Her bejeweled saddlebags rustled with each stomp of her hooves. Blackened hoofprints were left in her wake. The lights from the stores and the street vendors caught on the jewelry that poked out of her bag.

Snips and Snails trailed a safe distance behind her. The sparks coming from her horn gave them pause. They thought deeply on their words —a rare event for the duo— before daring to speak.

“Sunset? It’s just Twilight. There’s no way in Equestria she’ll get in.” Snails gulped. “Heh, even Snips and I can’t get in.”

“Because you dunderheads couldn’t study to save your hides!” Sunset snapped before jabbing a smoldering hoof into Snails’ chest. With a yelp, he jumped back and patted out the embers Sunset left behind. Sunset snorted and spun back around. Smoke joined the sparks trailing off her horn. “Stupid blank flank, thinking like she’s still a foal.”

“Maybe she’s just inspired by you,” Snips suggested.

His hair stood on end when Sunset twisted her head around, revealing her horn aglow and her eyes ablaze. At that moment, being turned to stone by a cockatrice seemed lovely compared to the full brunt of Sunset’s glare. The air grew hot between him and Sunset.

Before Sunset could unleash her wrath on Snips, something falling from the sky caught his eye. It appeared to be an egg. As it plummeted into the fashion district, crimson lightning sparked from it. A flash lit up the main drag.

“Spike… WANT!”

~~~

Twilight was pale. Her eyes, wet with tears just a few minutes ago, were now bone-dry. It stung just to blink. Her legs wobbled beneath her, but she managed to feel out a nearby chimney and braced herself against it. Gasps of air passed her parched lips and cracked them further. “Scary…”

“This is certainly a first,” Celestia sighed and looked down at the streets below. She coughed, sending bit of red spittle out of her mouth. Damn, not now... she thought as she turned to Twilight. “I must be going now, my little pony. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to see if somepony that lives here can help you down.”

“Wait!” Twilight cried out. “Please!”

Celestia saw the desperation on Twilight’s face and steeled herself. Just a moment longer...

“I want… I need to know…” With her heart racing, Twilight gulped and closed her eyes. “Can a pony with barely any magic become a hero like you?”

Celestia blinked. “Magic is…”

Another cough racked Celestia and sent up more blood. As she doubled over, steam rose off her body. No! Not here!

“Because everypony says I don’t have a lot of magic,” Twilight continued with her head bowed. “I don’t even have a cutie mark yet. I… I get picked on a lot at school because of that, so maybe that’s why I want to help other ponies. There’s another reason, though. You’re always there to save the day, and if I could be even a fraction like you, Princess Celestia, I’d…”

Twilight raised her head. An emaciated pink filly stared back at her with sunken eyes. A chest plate almost as big as her whole body hung from her frail neck. Tiny wings with only a few feathers poked out of her back beside the bumps of her spine and shoulder blades. Spindly legs that barely made the filly taller than Twilight linked to her skeletal torso. Dangling from her small, cracked horn was a tiara. Her cutie mark, a gold and bronze sun, was frayed and faded.

“Huh?” Twilight gasped. “An impostor?”

“No,” the filly sighed. Twilight stiffened. The filly’s voice was raspy, but it was unmistakably Celestia’s. A bit of blood dribbled from the filly’s mouth. “I am Princess Celestia.”

“What?” Twilight shouted. “How?”

“Ssshhh! Shh!” Celestia grunted and lit up her horn. A thin veil of magic wrapped around Twilight’s mouth. “If the public at large found out, this would be a disaster. Do you understand?”

Twilight nodded.

Celestia sighed, unleashed her spell, and slumped up against the edge of the roof. She stared at Twilight for a moment and then pushed her chest plate aside. Twilight’s stomach turned.

Scar tissue stretched across Celestia’s chest. Numerous stitch marks and skin grafts marred the discolored mass of flesh. At the center of the grisly injury was a deep and ashen puncture wound.

“Centuries ago, Princess Luna and I faced a great calamity,” said Celestia. “We managed to defeat it, but the fight left us both at death’s door. It was only thanks to the quick work of the doctors and the great power we wielded, the Elements of Harmony, that we survived, but it came with a price. The Elements' power was infused into me, but their power has been declining since then. Eventually, I'll lose my connection to them and be stuck like this. Heh, at this point, I’m barely able to handle royal duties, let alone heroics.”

Twilight sank to her hooves. “This doesn’t make sense! You always walk or fly with smile that says nothing worries you! That you're strong enough to take on an army or help anypony in trouble and barely break a sweat!”

“Is that how it looks?” Celestia’s ears flopped to the sides of her head. “I smile because I know if ponies saw anything else, their world would be turned upside down. Sometimes, I fear ponies have come to rely on me a bit too much. I only hope that when the Elements' power gives out, somepony else can smile and bring ponies the same comfort I do.”

Twilight felt like she was back at the doctor’s office. Even with no walls around it, it seemed like the air itself was pressing against her, squeezing the breath out of her.

“I’m sorry, my little pony,” said Celestia. “Seeing me with barely a glimmer of magic must be disheartening. Like this, I could never be a hero, but magic and heroics are not everything in this world.”

“Yeah.” The word numbed Twilight’s lips. The numbness wormed down her throat and spread to the rest of her body.

Celestia glanced over to the edge of the roof and spread her tiny wings. “I must get back to the castle now. Forgive me.”

With a leap, she vanished from the roof and landed in the street below. Huffing, she swung her chest plate onto her back, covering her wings. She gave one last look back at the roof and then disappeared into the crowd.

When the castle came into view, the realization struck her that that egg was no longer in her possession.

~~~

Twilight stared out at the night sky for some time. Once the wind began to chill her, she dragged herself over to the edge and looked down. The thought crossed her mind of just jumping straight off, but at this height the worst that could happen would be some broken bones. With a sigh, she resigned herself to clambering down.

She shambled through the streets. Her parents would probably scream her ears off when she got home, but the thought barely registered to her. Celestia’s words played over and over again in her mind. Fresh tears welled up.

“Even the princess told me,” she sniffled. Stumbling over to a wall, she slumped down and cried. “Sunset was right, I really am just a blank flank lo—”

An ear-splitting roar cut Twilight off. Something rent the air above her. An explosive crash sent her ears ringing, and she was thrown off the ground. Struggling to her hooves, she gasped and shuddered. The crumbling remains of a shop's roof had cratered into the street. Cries of terror filled the air along with the bitter scent of smoke. Ponies bolted off in all directions except where the roof had crashed from.

“This is the Canterlot Guard!” a stallion’s voice boomed through the air. “There’s an immediate threat to the area! Please evacuate to a safe distance while the Guard and heroes handle the situation!”

Twilight sprinted away from the smashed roof and joined the mad rush to flee from whatever the threat was. Something more than just the thought of another building crashing down on her formed a lump in her stomach. Another roar forced Twilight to look back. Ice flooded her veins.

The dragon loomed over the fashion district, far bigger than when Twilight had encountered it. Winged heroes and pegasus guards buzzed around it, blasting it with concentrated gusts and thunderbolts. The dragon snorted, slashed at the air with a claw, and whipped its tail, sending the heroes and guards into tailspins. Beams of magic flew at it from the streets below, but the spells just bounced off its scales.

“No…” Twilight gasped. “Princess Celestia had it.”

Twilight’s breath quickened. She remembered grabbing onto Celestia. This is my fault!

No, don't worry. A hero will come… she thought as the dragon smacked away more ponies with its free claw. We’re in Canterlot, there are plenty of heroes here, not to mention the Guard... The image of Shining Armor crushed under the dragon’s claws flooded into Twilight’s mind. She shook her head. No! Shining is strong! Maybe not as strong as Princess Celestia, but there is no way the heroes and guards can’t take that monster down!

The dragon roared again.

Twilight then noticed one of its claws was balled up. See? They’ve already taken out of its cla—

A blast of fire shot out of the dragon’s claw and exploded against its wrist. Twilight's heart caught in her throat. A mop of yellow and red hair stuck out of the dragon's claw. Flames blazed around Sunset's horn as she readied another spell. The dragon snorted and gave its claw a shake, snapping Sunset’s head back. When she went limp, the dragon sneered.

Twilight broke into a gallop straight for the fashion district. Ponies fled in the opposite direction all around her. A guard spotted her when the panicked masses thinned. His shouts for her to stop went unheeded, and she spurred herself even faster.

From a nearby rooftop, Celestia watched the dragon rampage. Her hoof slammed down and cracked a few tiles. Damn! If I had just been a little more careful! Her eyes went wide when she spotted Twilight burst out of an alley and onto the main drag of the fashion district. That foal! What is she doing?!

The air on the main drag stung to breath. It was hot and thick with smoke. Fires blazed out from shattered windows and spread to the crushed signs and wooden beams spread across the street. Guards and heroes swarmed the dragon from the sky and the ground, but were easily scattered by a stomp of its hind legs or a swipe of its tail.

Between attacks, the dragon would bring a claw down on a nearby shop and swipe everything its massive talons could carry from within. With each theft, it limbs thickened and it grew taller. Building crumbled in the wake of its exponential growth.

“This is hopeless!” a guard shouted. “We’ve never dealt with anything this size in the city! Have we gotten a connection to Princess Celestia yet?”

“Nothing!” another guard yelled back.

“We’ve got agencies sending everypony they’ve got!” A costumed pegasus swooped by the guards and the grass under him dried out. Water swirled around his hooves and then solidified into a spear of ice. With all his might, he threw at the dragon’s underbelly, but it shattered against its scales. “Just help us hold out a little longer!”

“C’mon, you brute!” an earth pony huffed. Roots snaked down from her hooves and wrapped around the dragon’s hind claws. It snapped then with a slight twist. “Damn!”

Twilight watched the fight— if it could even be called that— with shaking legs and a bit lip. Daring to look away from the dragon, she scanned the ruined shops and the rubble strewn across the street. Think! Think! There has to be something that can get past those scales! Something that can loosen its grip!

Amidst the burning wood and scorched bricks, something glinted.

Up above, a pegasus extended a wing that glistened like steel. He zoomed by the dragon’s head and managed to cleave off the tip of one of its spines. The dragon scowled at the pegasus and raised a claw to strike him down.

Something sparkled from down below. The dragon turned and looked at the street. Its eyes widened. A diamond as big as a yak had appeared amidst the rubble. As if its size alone was not miraculous, the faint violet glow around it only increased its allure. The dragon gave a halfhearted slash of its claw and a whip of its tail to disperse the heroes and guards swarming around it. With its path clear, the dragon leaned forward to snatch up the diamond.

Its snout dipped between the buildings. Hot breath filled the street. It panted seeing the jewel only a few yards away and reached out its claw.

Just as the jewel came within the dragon’s grasp, it cracked. For a brief moment, magic trickled out of the tacky store sign like an overripe plum getting squeezed. Then, it exploded, flooding the street and the dragon’s eyes with light and glass. A pained roar tore through the air, and the dragon reared back. It unclenched its claw, and Sunset fell to the ground.

Sunset’s head spun. She wobbled to her hooves, but then fell again.

“Sunset!” a voice cried out.

Sunset’s pupils shrank and she glared over at Twilight. “What are you doing here?”

“You were in trouble!” Twilight coughed. Her horn ached and the ground roiled under her. Blood dripped from a few shards of glass poking out of her legs and her barrel. She stumbled over to Sunset. “We have… have to get… out of here…”

Twilight then collapsed.

“Idiot!” Sunset snapped. She managed to get to her hooves, lit up her horn, and lifted Twilight off the ground. “What were you thinking blowing all your magic trying to fight this thing?”

“Not fight,” Twilight groaned. “Just had to get you free.”

“I can protect myself!” Sunset secured Twilight onto her back, and then looked through the fires and the rubble. “I swear, when we’re out of here, I’m going to ki—”

A roar silenced Sunset. She twisted her head back. Smoke fumed out of the dragon’s snout and past its bloodied eyes as it glared down at Sunset and Twilight. Sunset's legs locked up. The dragon raised up a claw.

"No!" heroes and guards screamed as they raced to stop the dragon.

“Spike…” it bellowed, “… want!”

Sunset channeled all her magic up into her horn. I'll give it a scar to remember at least!

Despite the thought, Sunset closed her eyes as the dragon's claw slammed down.

Warmth flowed around her. When she realized she could still feel the ground beneath her hooves, she dared to open her eyes. Her spell fizzled into the air.

A golden shield glistened around her, Twilight, and Celestia. Standing fully empowered and radiant, Celestia glared up at the dragon. Above her, the dragon pressed its claw around the shield, but was unable to penetrate it. She coughed, sending up a bit of blood, but then smiled at Sunset and Twilight.

“Fillies these days,” Celestia chuckled. She then focused on Twilight. “I don’t know whether to lambaste your foolishness or commend your bravery.”

“I had to,” Twilight wheezed. “No matter what… Sunset was still my friend. I had to save her."

A glow rose from behind Celestia, quickening her heart. With wide eyes, she saw that her cutie mark was shining bright. It can’t be!

Another glimmer of light drew her attention. It came from Twilight’s flanks. Celestia’s heart now thudded against her chest as she watched the glow from both her cutie mark and Twilight get brighter.

“Of all the places…” Celestia shook her head. “Tell me, my little ponies, what are your names?”

“S-Sunset Shimmer.”

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“I see,” said Celestia. “Sunset, time is short, so could you please give Twilight to me?”

“S-sure.” Sunset lit up her horn and floated Twilight over to Celestia.

Above them, the dragon roared and leveled its maw at Celestia. Its jaw opened wide. The depths of its throat glowed bright.

Celestia secured Twilight onto her back and then turned back to Sunset. “Thank you, Sunset Shimmer. I’ll be sure to remember that name.”

“What are yo—”

A spell shot out of Celestia’s horn and rammed into Sunset’s head. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she collapsed, sound asleep.

“What are you doing?” Twilight gasped.

“Sorry, Twilight,” said Celestia. “This next bit needs to be just between you and me. Plus, if I’m wrong, I’d rather your friend not see us get roasted alive.”

“What?” Twilight yelped.

The dragon’s throat grew brighter. The swelling of its chest shook the remaining buildings around them.

“I just need you to focus on what brought you here.” The light from Celestia’s horn grew. Sweat rolled down her face, and blood dripped from her mouth. “Why you chose to face a monster you could never hope to defeat. Why you risked everything for a single friend. Why you want to be a hero!”

“Because…” Twilight closed her eyes and focused. Her horn lit up and her flanks brightened. She thought back to the first Summer Sun Celebration she saw. She thought of her brother and her parents. She thought of Moondancer comforting her. She thought back to drawing out every syllable on the page of a Daring Do book with Sunset at her side. “Because I want to protect my friends! Because that's what a hero does!”

Twilight’s horn blazed with magic. Her eyes glowed white and crackled with energy. The magic flooded down her horn, enveloping her body, and spreading outwards. When it reached Celestia’s shield, it flashed and then merged with it. The shield swelled and morphed into a sphere of fiery aura that blazed with every color imaginable.

The dragon shut its mouth and stared at the brilliant display. It reached out a claw. “Spike want.”

When its claw touched the shield, smoke curled off it and it shrank.

Celestia observed the change and then faced the dragon head on. Her horn was now blinding to look at. With all her might, she willed the aura swirling around her and Twilight up to the tip of her horn. Twilight felt the immense magic flowing around her and within herself. She could feel it radiating for her horn and spiraling over to Celestia’s. The spell grew bigger and brighter. It was like a miniature sun.

Despite her bloodied muzzle, Celestia smiled. “Never thought I’d wield the Elements like this again.”

The spell exploded into a beam of rainbow light that washed over the dragon. It reared up as the spell raced over it and roared. Just as the spell spiraled up to cover the dragon’s head, Twilight could have sworn she saw a horned shadow lift off the dragon, but it was then consumed by the spell.

The last thing she saw was a blast of light more bright and beautiful than the most stunning rainbow.

~~~[

“…light!”

Twilight stirred.

“Twilight!”

She half-opened an eye at the sound of her name.

“Twilight!” Shining yelled.

Bolting upright, Twilight smacked her head against Shining Armor’s.

Shining stumbled backwards and shook his head. A bit of his chin reddened and swelled up. “Guh, I thought you were an egghead, not a blockhead.”

“Shining?” Twilight looked around.

Rescue crews were putting out the fires and cleaning up the rubble around them. Ponies were spread out nearby on blankets or being rushed off to the hospital. Sunset slumbered at Twilight’s side with a few bandages here and there.

“Good, you’re okay,” Shining sighed. When he lifted his head up, his glare chilled Twilight. He jabbed a hoof at her chest. “What in Equestria were you thinking? Before we even get to the giant rampaging dragon, I know Mom would never let you be out on the streets alone at this time! And, from the sound it, you actually were running towards that monster!”

“I…” Twilight gulped.

“Whatever punishment Mom gives you will be too light. Do you know what could have happened to you?” Shining lit up his horn and pulled Twilight into a hug. She felt tears on his face. “How I’d feel if you got hurt on my watch?”

Twilight hugged Shining back and nuzzled him. “I’m sorry, Shining, but when I saw that dragon had Sunset, I couldn’t just run away.”

“You stupid foal.” Shining gave Twilight a squeeze and then placed her back on the ground. He shook his head. “Darn it, Twily, you’re making this whole situation difficult. It’d be easy to just be mad at you, but I can’t, not after how hard you’ve worked.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “How hard I’ve worked? Shining, I haven’t gotten a test back or anything lately.”

Shining blinked and then smiled. “Twilight, I’m not talking about any test you took. I’m talking about something way more important. Something you’ve wanted for so long. Something that’s right there on your flanks.”

Twilight's eyes widened. Stretching back a leg, Twilight ran a hoof over her flank. Parts of her coat now felt smoother and warmth flowed off them. Her heart throbbed. With baited breath, she looked down.

A six-pointed magenta star surrounded by six smaller white stars glistened on her flanks.

~~~

A few days later, Velvet answered a knock at the door. A portly stallion in a lab coat with a bushy mustache and a mane that went in every direction stood before her.

“Can I help you?” asked Velvet.

“Is zis ze residence of a Ms. Twilight Sparkle?” the stallion asked.

“If this is about the incident a few days ago, we’ve already given our statements to the Guard and the press,” Velvet sighed.

“Oh, no, no, no,” said the stallion. “I am Professor Hoofenbacker from ze Equestrian Thaumaturgy Research Society. Ve received a report zat your daughter may be a carrier for a rare atavism and ve vere ho—“

“Look.” Velvet pressed a hoof between her eyes and took a breath. “It’s been a very stressful week for everypony here and the last thing Twilight needs is for a bunch of scientists prodding her and seeing if her horn sparks. Besides, she earned her cutie mark, and her magic seems to be acting like a normal unicorn’s now. Honestly, I’m not in a very trusting mood toward doctors right now.”

“I see.” Hoofenbacker stroked his mustache. “Miss…”

“Velvet.”

“Ms. Velvet, ve’ve seen a few cases like zis as vell.” Hoofenbacker smiled. “It always brings me such great joy to see a unicorn who has struggled all her life finally attain vat she vants, but in zose cases, it is very important zat such unicorns be eased into using magic or zey risk exhausting themselves and permanently straining zeir mana supply.”

“I see.” Velvet put a hoof to her muzzle. Hoofenbacker glanced up at the sunny day and waited. Taking a few steps back, Velvet held the door open for him. She then looked up the stairs. “Twilight? There’s somepony here to see you!”

Twilight rushed to the head of the stairs. “Is it Sunset? If she’s still mad, I’m sorry!”

“Ah,” Hoofenbacker mused. “Hello, little filly. How are you?”

Twilight, just go along with what I say, Celestia’s voice echoed in Twilight’s head.

“Prince— ”

“Vould you mind coming down?” asked Hoofenbacker.

That’s me, said Celestia.

Twilight blinked and nodded. Her sight remained on Hoofenbacker as she descended the stairs. Only when she concentrated did she noticed a thin flicker of magic coming off spots of Hoofenbacker's body. She also spotted the tip of a sunray poking out from behind his lab coat’s tails. When she noticed that Velvet was watching her stare, Twilight jolted her head forward.

Once Twilight joined them, all three made their way to dining table.

When they were all seated, Velvet asked, “Mister… Hoofenckaber?”

“Hoofenbacker,” Hoofenbacker corrected. “Yes?”

“Forgive me, but I’m not too familiar with this Equestrian Thaumaturgy Research Society, and, given recent events, I’m a little cautious of who our family talks to.”

“Completely understandable.” Hoofenbacker reached into his coat and pulled out a business card and a myriad of forms, each bearing the royal seal. “I suppose I got a little overexcited given ze report ve received combined with ze news, but I assure you ve are a legitimate organization zat reports directly to ze Princesses.”

Hoofenbacker floated the forms over for Velvet to pour over. While Velvet inspected them, Hoofenbacker grinned at Twilight.

After a few minutes of skimming through the forms and flipping over the business card to read both sides, Velvet leveled her gaze back on Hoofenbacker. “Okay, so what exactly do you want with my daughter?”

“Training,” Hoofenbacker answered. “As you can see, ve offer programs suited to each unicorn’s needs. For Twilight, ve vould develop a program to ease her into using magic and getting accustomed to her special talent. Nothing too intense.”

I’ll be frank, Twilight, this is going to be harsh if we’re going to get you ready for the entrance exam, said Celestia.

“Yes, we couldn’t believe it ourselves.” Velvet glanced at Twilight’s cutie mark. “To have gotten a cutie mark in magic… I’m still not sure what to think. What I do know though is that I want my daughter to be happy, so if your training could make life easier for her, we’re willing to consider it.”

“Wunderbar.” Hoofenbacker clapped his hooves. “I assure you Ms. Velvet, vith our training, your daughter vill become completely proficient in magic.”

Hoofenbacker turned to Twilight. “Let me guess, my little pony. You are a big fan of all ze heroes out zere, eh?”

Twilight nodded.

“Vell…” Hoofenbacker grinned and Twilight knew Celestia was smiling, not a put-on smile for the crowds, but genuinely smiling like Twilight had thought she had at that Summer Sun Celebration all those years ago. “You can be a hero!”

Training and a New Friend

Hoofenbacker returned to Twilight’s house a few days later.

“Good morning!” he exclaimed when Velvet opened the door.

Twilight zoomed over to the door. She trembled with excitement. “Are we going? Are we starting?”

Placing a hoof on Twilight’s head to keep her stead, he said, “Yes, yes.”

“Now…” Hoofenbacker turned toward Velvet. “Before ve begin, vould you like a tour of ze facilities?”

“Well, that does save me time asking Shining to check into it,” said Velvet.

“Ah yes, your son, ze knight.” Hoofenbacker raised her eyes. “Quite odd how magic and genetics work, no?”

“Shall we get going?” Velvet asked.

“Ah, yes, of course.” Hoofenbacker spun around. “Come along zen.”

Velvet furrowed a brow. “No chariot?”

“I considered requesting one, but I was told valking vould be best,” Hoofenbacker answered. “Besides, I spend so much time in ze lab, a little morning air is good for me.”

Twilight stifled a giggle. Princess, you really like playing this role, don’t you?

Hoofenbacker did not respond.

Twilight’s ears drooped. Darn, I’d heard telepathy is an advanced spell, but I thought it was easier once a link is formed. I still have a lot to learn… Twilight grinned. But I’m learning with Princess Celestia! I’m learning with Princess Celestia!

Velvet broke Twilight out of her reverie. “Twilight, I know you’re happy, but other ponies are staring.”

Twilight realized that, in her excitement, she had risen up onto her hind legs and was pawing at the air, like a cat that had gotten one too many snips of catnip. Nearby, a couple left their cappuccinos floating by their muzzles to ponder what in Equestria Twilight was doing. When her eyes met theirs, they quickly returned to their drinks. The stallion raised up the paper to cover his face. Blushing, Twilight sank back down to four hooves.

“You are very enthusiastic, little pony, but you vill need focus for today,” said Hoofenbacker.

Right, thought Twilight. This could be on the level with Shining’s training, or even worse. Don’t worry, Princess Celestia, I’ve been practicing on my own too! I’m ready for anything!

~~~

A bit of sweat trailed down a yellow filly’s muzzle. Her horn sparked and fizzled. Just ahead of her floated a small wooden cube, but the spell holding it aloft flickered every couple of seconds. With each flicker, gravity plummeted the cube to the floor. The filly gave a huff, and her horn and the cube lit up once more, a fizzling spell tugging the cube back into the air.

Twilight watched the filly struggle with the spell from behind a pane of one-sided glass. Glancing down the hallway showed more rooms with windows. Ponies in lab coats went in and out of the rooms with fillies and colts in tow. Sweat collected on Twilight’s brow. She turned to Hoofenbacker.

Um, Princess Celestia? This seems more like Magic Kindergarten than training for the entrance exam.

“So,” Hoofenbacker said to Velvet. “As you can see, ve have both individual training stations and a group area. Ve chart our students’ progress and use it for our research, but as you saw in the contract, ve always ask for additional consent for anything more invasive.”

Velvet smiled. “Well, everything here seems fine then. She’ll be done by 5:30?”

“Normally,” Hoofenbacker answered. “Ve may run a little late today since it iz Twilight’s first day, but ve vill contact you if it looks ve vill run over an hour.”

Velvet nodded. She then bent down and pulled Twilight in for a nuzzle. “You be good today, Twilight. Some of this stuff may seem simple now, but don’t push yourself, okay?”

“Um…” Twilight glanced at Hoofenbacker, who smiled. “Yes, of course.”

“You’ll do great.” Velvet nuzzled Twilight again and then pulled back. “Tell me how everything goes tonight.”

Velvet turned and made her way back to the exit.

Once she was out of sight, Twilight turned toward Hoofenbacker. When she saw that he was pressed up against a wall and gasping for breath, she blinked. Braced against the wall as Hoofenbacker was, his lab coat was askew, revealing a bubbling beaker overlapped diagonally with a unicorn horn on his flanks.

“Oh,” he moaned, “thank Equestria I’ve done zat spiel so many times. Your highness, please do not ask zat of me again.”

A now-familiar warmth flowed from behind Twilight.

“I doubt I will,” said Celestia. “But you did fine, Professor.”

Going into a blinding twirl, Twilight faced Celestia. Her neck twisted back and forth, taking in Celestia and Hoofenbacker standing behind and in front of her. Celestia could not resist letting out a small chuckle at Twilight’s confusion.

“But I… you…” Twilight jabbed in Hoofenbacker's direction. “Him!”

“Forgive the slight duplicity,” said Celestia. “Professor Hoofenbacker here was kind enough to let me use him for my doppelganger spell, but I needed to conserve my magic for our training today.”

“Then, this place is real?” asked Twilight.

“I would find the paperwork, illusion spells, and guards in costumes more of a hassle than just telling your family you’re working with a program we already have in place. Plus, as a knight, you brother has access to enough resources to get curious if something seemed off.”

“And the fillies and colts?”

“All suffering from some form of disability that inhibits their magic.” Celestia looked through the panel to her right at the yellow filly. She had managed to move the block across the room and had deposited it within a red circle. Although the filly could not see her, Celestia smiled. “They are still trying their best though, and Hoofenbacker and his staff ensure they get the care they need.”

“Please, Princess.” Hoofenbacker waved a hoof. “We could not give such care without your patronage or Sir Mystic’s guidance.”

Celestia’s lower lip tensed for a second but then curved back up. “Well, Professor, it certainly has been quite a morning for you, why don’t you relax a little before getting back to work?”

“Vell, Sweet Tooth did say she had a new recipe she vanted ze staff to try out.” Hoofenbacker smiled down at Twilight. “Good luck, little filly!”

As Hoofenbacker trotted down the hall, Celestia lit up her horn. “Come by my side, Twilight. It will make the teleport easier.”

Twilight nodded and stood by Celestia’s left leg. She opened her mouth to ask about the day ahead, but immediately shut it when she saw Celestia’s eyes closed and her face taught.

“My apologies,” she said. “I must make sure the spell is accurate or we will not have enough to get back.”

“Where are w—”

A blast of golden light from Celestia’s horn cut Twilight off. Everything went white for a moment and then Twilight smacked into the ground. Shaking her head, she waited for her eyes to refocus before taking in her new surroundings.

Thin beams of light streaked through a canopy of branches and leaves above, leaving the area around Twilight dim. Beyond the dense cluster of trees, the morning sun shimmered down on a field that stretched to the horizon. The grass over there was tall, but yellow, and a few spots of cracked earth blemished the field.

Yet, the air in the forest was humid and the ground felt moist beneath Twilight’s hooves. The trees’ roots snaked across the damp soil, crisscrossing and forming a bumpy blanket over the forest floor. They also reached up to cover the boulders strewn around the trees. Anything not covered in roots was encumbered by a thick blue moss.

A cough drew Twilight’s attention to her side. Celestia wiped a bit of blood from her mouth, more glistened beside her hooves.

“Oh my gosh!” Twilight exclaimed. “Are you okay, Princess?”

“Fine, fine,” Celestia hacked. “Happens every time I teleport a great distance now. Do not worry, I’ll recover by the end of the day. Until then, we have training to do.”

Twilight smiled. “Right. So what are we doing?”

“You…” Celestia trotted over to a boulder and placed a hoof on it. “…are lifting these.”

“Huh?”

“Like this.” Backing away from the boulder, Celestia lit up her horn. Aura flowed over the boulder and lifted it off the ground. The roots connected to it strained against the spell and then snapped. A spray of blue gas hissed out of the severed roots. The roots still clinging to the rock then vanished in a puff of smoke.

The way the roots acted stirred something in Twilight’s mind. For some reason, it made a few of her hair stand on end, but she could not place why.

With a slight twist of her neck, Celestia flung the boulder through the canopy. A blast rang from high above a few second later. “I’m sure your brother has told you about the grunt work knights fresh out of the academy have to deal with.”

“They get sent to the edge of the Everfree for ‘trimming.’” The forest’s humidity had already coated Twilight in a sheen of sweat, but it now beaded out of her pores as frigid dots. She gulped. “We’re in the Everfree?”

“The edges are relatively safe.” Celestia coughed again. Steam pooled off her, and she shrank down to her emaciated form. “The Everfree has always been a nuisance and a den for countless dangerous beasts, but they are warry to venture past its borders. It’s also a habitat for many rare species of plants and animals, some of which are of use in medicine. So, as long as we keep the Everfree contained to a reasonable area, future guards are trained and the forest is left largely undisturbed.”

“Shining always complained about the nettles,” said Twilight.

“Yes, those are quite bothersome, so take heed while you’re clearing out this sector.”

“Sector?” Twilight repeated. More sweat dripped from her face. “Shining said it took a full squadron to clear a sector.”

“Well, you’ll start with just the rocks, then the saplings, and finally the trees.” Plopping herself under one such tree, Celestia leaned back and admired the way the sunlight filtered through the canopy. “I must admit, it’s quite nice to relax out in the open like this.”

“What about spells?” Twilight asked. “Or those Elements you mentioned? I couldn’t find anything out about them.”

Straightening up, Celestia took a breath. “Twilight, you’re familiar with the three types of magic, correct?”

“Earth, Pegasi, and Unicorn,” Twilight recited.

“Good, but how then can zebras sense below the earth? How can griffons fly? How can dragons do the same and also breath fire? Are these and other races’ abilities not magic as well?”

Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “Starswirl’s General Theory of Thaumaturgy suggests that world, down to the plants and rocks, is connected by a massive spell matrix that imbibes everything with a bit of magic.”

“You are quite the learned filly, but there’s a bit Starswirl left out of his public research. The Elements tap into that pure, unfiltered magic that flows through everything. They grant anyone that can wield them access to power beyond their wildest dreams.” Turning her head down, Celestia sighed, “When they were still individual relics, anyone with enough magic and the proper fortitude could activate them.”

“And that’s what you and Princess Luna did?”

“After years of intense training.”

Twilight’s heart sank. “Years?”

“Before I absorbed their power and they fused with my magic.” Celestia glanced up at her horn and then stared at Twilight. Her steely glare made Twilight tense up. “Now, activating the Elements is easier in the sense that the output and concentration required is less, but if a pony’s mana is too low, they will draw on life force instead. The Elements now must also be transferred. If their Bearer dies, the Elements go with them. I will not lie, Twilight, but I have searched for a successor ever since I was injured all those centuries ago, but you are the one who has finally inherited them and their risks.”

Twilight gulped. “What are those risks?”

Celestia clenched her jaw and cast a spell, plucking a flower off the ground. “There are two major risks. As I said, the Elements now draw on life force if you don’t have enough mana. So, if your stamina isn’t strengthened and raised…” The flower wilted and then turned to dust. “Your death will be painless since you’ll pass out from exhaustion first.”

The spell flickered out, and the dust floated to the ground. A wind kicked up and scattered it through the forest.

Twilight shuddered. “And the other risk?”

Another spell lifted a pebble off the ground. When Celestia grit her teeth, the pebble glowed bright.

“If you can activate the Elements, they can provide a great boost to you, their inheritor’s, natural skills. If, for example, a pegasus were to inherit the Elements, she could easily shatter the sound barrier, a feat only a few Wonderbolts have ever accomplished. For a unicorn, the most challenging of spells would be like foal’s play to summon and regular spells would be greatly magnified.”

“Is that how you raise the sun too?” Twilight asked.

“My connection with the sun is a bit more complex and doesn’t matter right now.” Celestia made her aura around the rock glow brighter. “A pony must have expert control of their magic in order to properly channel the Elements’ power through it. The Elements’ power, once activated, must go somewhere, and if it isn’t properly channeled…”

The rock exploded.

“Your horn will burst as your thaumic system burns from the inside out. Dismemberment from the internal backlash is highly likely. If you are lucky, the backlash will rupture a vital organ and finish you off quickly. There are few deaths I can imagine that are more painful. That is why you must train to strengthen your mana and familiarize yourself with basic spells until they are like breathing to you. I will instruct you in spells that are vital to heroics, but nothing beyond that, understood?”

The words sank into the Twilight. It felt as if they summoned up the Everfree's roots and anchored her to the ground. Yet, at the same time, her stomach roiled just imagining her horn glowing bright, only to suddenly turn pitch black and then explode. To add just one more kick of anxiety, her mind picked the ruined fashion district as the site of her gruesome demise.

Celestia strode over to Twilight and placed a hoof on her shoulder, quelling a small bit of her unease. “I would be more than happy to just give you some basic training if this is all too much. We live in a relatively peaceful time now, Twilight, so you need not bear this burden.”

A crow’s caw echoed through the forest. A bit of sweat still dripped off of Twilight, but all she could feel was the throbbing of her heart and the dense pit in her stomach. Then, the image of the rainbow beam came to her, how it felt to wield magic greater than anything she had ever seen or read about before. For a second, she stared at her cutie mark and then met Celestia’s steely eyes with a determined stare.

“I can do this. No matter how peaceful it is, there are still ponies out there that need help and the Elements may be the only way to save them. You said it yourself, right? When you lose your connection to the Elements, ponies are going to need somepony else to comfort them, I…” Tensing up, Twilight summoned the best smile she could, even with her lips trembling and her jaw unsteady. “I’m going to do it, Princess! I won’t let you or anypony else down!”

Celestia blinked. For a second, it appeared like Twilight’s cutie mark overlapped her pupils. With a smile, Celestia shifted her hoof around, pulling Twilight into a hug. “Fate works in mysterious ways, Twilight Sparkle.” She then pulled back. “That being said, you’re going to need to work on that smile a bit.”

Twilight blushed. “Sorry, the whole ‘die by fatal thaumic exhaustion or die by fatal thaumic backlash’ stuff has me a bit spooked. What if the Elements activate while we’re still training? I mean, I’ve gotten used to some spells these past few days, but to wield something like that…”

“You’ll be fine.” Celestia tapped Twilight’s horn. “Actually, your unfamiliarity with using magic is a boon in this case. Like I said, the Elements require a large outpouring of mana to activate and that requires intense concentration and a certain mindset. It would be much easier for a unicorn used to spell-casting to accidentally tap into the Elements.”

Tilting her head, Twilight repeated the phrase, “What about having 'a certain mindset?'”

“We can save that talk for closer to the exam.” Celestia moved back over to her spot under the tree and laid down. She then pointed at the nearby boulders. “For now, a royal decree: I command my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, to clear this sector of the Everfree. You have until the end of summer.”

Twilight breathed in the swampy air, allowing the words to sink in. Rearing up onto her hooves, she spun around and faced a boulder about as big as her head. Casting a spell, aura flowed over her horn and then the boulder. She gave it a tug. The boulder held firm even though no roots clung to it.

Celestia leaned back against the tree. “And I’m sure your brother told you how everything the Everfree touches resists magic, right?”

Twilight steeled herself and her horn grew brighter. Celestia’s decree repeated in her head. Her back was to Celestia, so she dared to grin before she gritted her teeth.

Twilight’s first task as Celestia’s faithful student had begun.

~~~

Huffs and grunts filled the forest’s air. Twilight’s horn sparked and throbbed against her skull. She dug her hooves into the dirt and pulled herself forward. A boulder trailed along next to her. It raked through the ground and deepened a jagged rut that led to the edge of the forest. Several other trenches marked the earth under and around Twilight. Roots were already regrowing over the shallower ones.

With each lunge forward, Twilight gulped down air. When her hooves hit the ground, her horn glowed bright for a moment and the boulder inched ahead. Her legs were aflame, and the ache from her horn combined with the sweat dripping into her eyes to blur her vision.

Just a little more!

She felt the sun’s rays touch her left leg as she slammed it into the grass. A breeze carried fresh air to her muzzle. Steeling her muscles and her mind, she focused and dug deep into the earth and her willpower. Her horn pounded, but she concentrated and felt the spell that bound her horn to the rock tug at it like a coil of rope— an old one. The spell was frayed and snapped all over, so that it barely moved the boulder along.

Twilight clenched her jaw, sending bolts of pain down her horn and into her skull. The spell’s link reformed and tightened, causing the boulder to skid forward. As it rumbled past Twilight, it lifted a few inches off the ground. It flew into the field and crashed into a collection of other rocks strewn nearby.

With the boulder clear of the forest, any strength Twilight had left fled her. Her knees gave out, but a thin leg caught her.

Celestia smiled. “I think that’s enough for today.”

Twilight wiped her right eye and then stared at the stones scattered nearby. Counting little more than a dozen rocks— the largest of which was about as big as Twilight—she frowned. “I barely made a dent.”

“Canterlot wasn’t built in a day.” Celestia stood Twilight straight up and took a step back. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the late afternoon air. The space around her rippled and then sparkled. There was a flash, and Celestia once more stood tall over Twilight with a white coat, dazzling wings, and a flowing mane. “Not with all the arguments Luna and I had over whether to have marble or granite for the castle’s floors. Besides, Twilight, think of where you were just a week ago.”

“My room?” Twilight coughed.

“Twilight, I assure you, we will have you ready for the entrance exams by the end of summer, but results don’t come instantly just because you earned your cutie mark.” When Twilight’s ears drooped, Celestia’s lower lip tensed. “That being said, if you are still doubting how far you’ve come already, there was someone I wanted you to meet once we were finished up here.”

Twilight lifted her head. “Who?”

Celestia smiled and lit up her horn. “You will see in a moment.”

There was a flash and the world went white. A massive room with walls that stretched into darkened rafters replaced the forest. Light filtered into the room through a stained-glass window that reached up into the shadows. Colorful beams fell upon ancient tapestries. Priceless relics glistened atop stout marble pedestals. Rows upon rows of books from across the ages basked in the setting sun.

Twilight marveled at the blazing stars forged into the glass. Guidebooks always touted how they were made out of actual meteorites, but the pictures that accompanied such descriptions failed to capture the sheer majesty of the window. But, for most ponies, the guidebooks were the closest they could get as the glass resided in the tallest room in most guarded tower of the castle.

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight squealed. "This... this is your room!"

Celestia nodded.

“Princess?” a voice called out.

Twilight turned and caught a glimpse of something duck behind a couple of thick cylindrical pillows. Advancing closer, Twilight saw that the pillows were at the head of a ground-level bed stretched in front of a fireplace as wide as a cart. Whatever or whoever was hiding by the bed scurried out of Twilight’s sight. She could have sworn she saw part of its body glint with the glow of the fire.

A brow went up nearly past her horn. There was a fresh fire billowing smoke up the chimney. Certain she was only seeing the fire due to exhaustion from having worked in the forest’s muggy air all day, Twilight shook her head. The crackling of wood, forced her eyes back on the fireplace. A few embers spat out of the wood and onto the fireplace’s stone base.

“Does fire help restore your energy?” Twilight asked Celestia as she shrunk down.

Celestia coughed, wiping away a little blood, and then waved a hoof. “No, no. My… guest has a few peculiarities. Spike, it’s okay. You wanted to give your thanks, correct?”

“Is it…” A small dragon poked its head out from behind the pillows. Twilight tensed up. Even if the rest of the dragon’s features had softened and it now stood shorter than Twilight, its purple scales and green spines were unmistakable. “Twilight!”

The dragon crossed the bed in a blink. Its claws reached out. Twilight tried to jump back, but the dragon was quicker and wrapped its claws around her.

“I am so sorry!” it exclaimed. “I don’t know what came over me! If it hadn’t been for you and Princess Celestia, I…”

Twilight jabbed a hoof into its chest and pushed it away. She scuttled backwards and hid behind Celestia. The dragon stared at them, raised a claw, but then let it drop. The fins at the sides of his head drooped.

Celestia sighed and shook her head. “I doubt I could provide much protection to you now, Twilight, even if Spike was still a danger.”

“I said I was sorry,” Spike muttered and kicked at the air.

“So…” Twilight dared to move out from behind Celestia. She glanced at Spike. “It’s not dangerous anymore?”

“He,” Celestia corrected. “And no, he’s not. We’ve had difficulty piecing things together, but it seems Spike was living comfortably until something awakened his greed— an unfortunate curse all dragons bear—perhaps he stumbled upon a hidden treasure trove or a gem horde.”

“Everything from before is still a blur.” With his widened eyes and quivering frame, it was impossible to imagine that Spike was the same dragon who had towered over Canterlot. “I swear, I’d never take anyone else’s stuff normally, even if they had the most delicious gems!”

“Oh…” Twilight bowed her head. Seeing Spike standing beside himself stirred far too many familiar memories for Twilight. In most of them, Moondancer would come to her side. “I’m sorry, I’ve never met an actual dragon before. All the books I’ve read on them just say to keep a safe distance at the faintest sign you’re near a dragon’s hoard. There isn’t much else.”

“And drakes like Spike are often kept deep in their mother’s hoard,” said Celestia. Her eyes then sharpened. “Twilight, I’ve already gone over this with Spike, but you should know this as well: the spell we unleashed with the Elements is something beyond normal unicorn magic. In fact, it’s beyond regular magic in general. What we summoned was the Elements of Harmony in their purest form: a force of balance, able to purify creatures and the land of any imbalance that blights them. Were it not for that spell, I would have had to rely on my own magic to neutralize Spike.”

Twilight glanced at the faded sun on Celestia’s flank. The hairs on her neck rose up.

“I see you understand.” Celestia moved over to Spike and rested a hoof on his shoulder. “Since that is the case, Spike owes me very little, but he owes you much. A dragon’s debt is a rare thing, but a dragon’s friendship is even rarer. Plus, he’s become quite enamored with Equestrian society and could use a guide to help acclimate him.”

“Yeah!” Spike grinned. “All this hero stuff is really cool! Way better than just sleeping around my cave all day and digging for gems to eat.”

“So, you eat gems?” Twilight peered at Spike. “You don’t just guard them?”

“Well, I guard a few of them for days when I can’t find more, but ponies do the same thing with stuff like fridges, right?”

“Hmm, good point.” Grinning, Twilight drew a little closer to Spike. “So, what’s your den like?”

“Um…” Spike scratched his spines. “Like a cave? But with a small hole in the wall where I kept a few gems, I guess?”

“Spike,” said Celestia. “Didn’t you have something you wanted to show Twilight?”

“Oh, right!” Spike bolted over to a drawer and pulled out one stack of papers, and then a second, and then a third. After hefting all the stacks onto his arms, he lumbered back over to Twilight and Celestia. With a huff, he set them down by Twilight. Wiping his brow, he faced Celestia. “I triple checked them and everything, Princess!”

“Well done, Spike.” Celestia’s smile made Spike grin, and he puffed up his chest. Celestia focused back on Twilight. “Like you, Spike is quite the quick learner and has been helping me the last few days in drafting your summer training plan.”

“It’s in addition to the regular recommendations from the School.” Spike glanced to his side and muttered, “Though that guide is a little thin.”

“Self-study is one of the key traits of a good student.” Celestia laid a hoof on the stack. “You’re a unique case though, Twilight. I, the Board of Education, and the Hero Association make sure the entrance exam in both its written and practical portions are held to a high standard that requires utter devotion to preparation during the summer. And that is for regular unicorns. The plan Spike and I have developed is guaranteed to get you ready.”

Lifting the first page, Twilight scanned the table of contents. At first, she would turn a page, pour over its contents, and then move on. But, as she read more and more, her eyes moved faster and faster, widening with each page. At some point, she paused and looked up. “Meals, timesheets, sleep schedules… this is incredible! Thank you, Princess! And thank you too, Spike!”

Spike blushed. “Well, it’s the least I could do for a future hero.”

Twilight let the pages lay flat. The way Spike grinned. The way he added extra emphasis to the word “hero.” His entire demeanor strung a familiar string in Twilight’s heart, one that even Moondance could not pluck. The irony of having an actual firebreather kindle memories of Sunset— albeit a younger one, one that was still a blank flank— was not lost to Twilight. “You really like heroes, don’t you, Spike?”

“Of course!” Spike exclaimed. “I mean, I obviously owe you and Princess Celestia my life, but the way they use all their cool powers, the awesome fights they have…” Spike’s eyes glazed a little. “… the way those costumes look… it’s all so cool!”

Twilight grinned. “So, I guess you know about partnerships then?”

Spike furrowed his brow. “Like the Power Ponies?”

“They’re a pretty rare example. It’s hard to coordinate a team like like theirs.” Curving her lips up while trying to keep her voice steady, Twilight continued, “Buuuttt, it’s a lot more common for heroes, especially ones fresh out of school, to partner with another hero. Sometimes they stick together throughout their entire careers, and sometimes they go their separate ways, but if the partnership is strong, both heroes’ reputations increase. Plus, going solo from the get-go is only possible for the best of the best, and all the other heroes usually spend their first years on the job just pushing paper at whatever agency will take them.”

“And we're just talking about regular pony heroes, right?” Spike glanced at Celestia. “Are there even any dragon heroes?”

“There is one, but her situation is a bit complex,” Celestia answered. “Her hero status is part of broader effort to strengthen ties with the Dragon Lord, but I’m afraid dragons are still treated more like wild animals than the ancient and intelligent creatures they truly are. Although, having a dragon go through the normal education and licensing process could show ponies that dragons can be just as brave and heroic as themselves. Of course, that choice is entirely up to said dragon.”

“I hadn’t even thought about that.” Spike rubbed his chin and then snapped his claws. “Okay! I’ll do it.” He then turned back to Twilight. “Consider us partners!”

“A partner...” Twilight beamed.

Rushing over to hug Spike, a memory from a few summers after that first Celebration came to her.

***

A breeze rustled the leaves around Twilight. From behind her, the moon stretched her shadow and the trees’. She shivered and drew closer to Sunset.

With a snort, Sunset enlarged the flame sprouting out of her horn. “You really need to work harder, Twilight.”

“I know,” Twilight sighed. “But you’re so good at fire spells, Sunset. I’ll bet you get your cutie mark in that!”

“Heh, we’ll see.” Sunset came to a halt at a ridge.

Past the trees, Canterlot spanned outwards. All the buildings and houses were dark at this hour. Twilight imagined she and Sunset were the only ponies awake right now save for Princess Luna— although she was probably more of a technicality. She also hoped that her cabin’s counselor was still fast asleep.

Both Twilight and Sunset lifted their gaze from the city to the castle. Its grand spires rose up to touch the stars, and the moonlight shimmered off its gold and lilac tiles. Sunset’s hoof pointed toward its massive drawbridge.

“Someday, we’re gonna get in there, Twilight.” Her eyes narrowed. “Once you finally manage to get your horn working.”

Despite the harshness in Sunset’s tone, Twilight smiled and nodded.

“We’ll mingle with all the other top heroes.” A grin spread across Sunset’s face. “Maybe we’ll even chat it up with the Princesses.”

“Yeah, it’ll be great.” Another gust of wind sent goosebumps up Twilight’s leg. “Hey, Sunset?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve, um, been reading some books lately.”

Sunset wrinkled her nose. “You should be practicing.”

Waving her legs back and forth, Twilight exclaimed, “I know, I know. It’s just…” She took a breath and steadied herself. “We wanna be the best, right?”

“Of course,” Sunset smirked.

“So we don’t wanna get caught just doing some agency’s grunt work and never seeing any action, right?”

The words made Sunset pucker her lips. “Never. Let some losers do that junk. We’ll be real heroes: out on the street, fighting villains, and making a name for ourselves.”

“Then…” The wind swirled around Twilight. Raising a hoof from the ground, she held out a leg. “Why don’t we become partners?”

Sunset stared at Twilight’s leg. Her jaw shifted around as if she were chewing on Twilight’s proposal. With a chuckle, she shot out a hoof and clasped Twilight’s leg. “Deal! But if you don’t shape up fast, Twilight, you’re just gonna have to be my sidekick.”

Twilight’s heart fluttered. She embraced the warmth and strength that flowed from Sunset’s leg, holding it tight. “Okay!”

***

“I got a partner!” Twilight exclaimed as she held Spike tight.

“Yes, a training partner,” Celestia mused.

“Uh… what?” Spike gulped. Twilight felt his scales bristle beneath her.

Celestia’s smile sharpened and sent a chill down both Spike and Twilight’s spines. “I think this will make training much more interesting.”

A little sweat dripped from Twilight’s face. “Maybe I should have just called you a friend.”

“Bit late for that, Twilight,” said Spike.

Author's Note

Have I mentioned I'm an Oroboro fan?

Then again, Weekly Manga Recap has ensured that I can only imagine Bakugo with Kirishima. Heehee, lets see how that pans out with their equivalents.

Teamwork

Every day began at five. Some days, Twilight would throw off the covers, leap off her bed, make a quick breakfast based on her regimen, and then slip out the door. Other days, her covers felt like lead, and the walk down the stairs was a challenge that strained muscles Twilight didn’t even know she had.

On days like that, Twilight would supplement her meals with an herbal drink that tasted like it was scraped out of the foulest bog in the Everfree (and it most likely was). It helped numb the ache in her horn and perked her up though. No matter what, she was always out of the house by five thirty.

Velvet and Night Light had been inquisitive the first week or so, but Twilight told them she was just getting up early to do supplemental training. Technically, she was telling the truth.

When she returned home, she gobbled up dinner and then made her way upstairs. Sometimes, her legs refused to listen to her after dinner and either Velvet or Night Light had to help her to her room. After nights like that, Velvet usually sent a letter to Hoofenbacker. A reply filled with assurances, charts, and half-truths would follow in quick succession.

If Twilight did have enough stamina after dinner, she would pull herself over to her desk. Books had always cluttered the desk in some manner, but now they towered over her head. Flashcards and practice tests also littered her desk. When her horn hurt too much to cast a spell, she clenched a pencil between her teeth and jotted down notes. There were many times when her alarm awoke her, and she found her desk under her instead of her bed.

~~~

Sweat dripped off Twilight and Spike. The thick and humid air within the Everfree turned their training ground into a sauna. Even the field outside, with its blazing sun and hot winds, was a much-appreciated respite whenever Twilight managed to drag a boulder or a sapling out of the forest.

As he followed Twilight with his own boulders and saplings clenched in his claws or balanced on his back, Spike savored the fresh air. However, once he came to the heap he and Twilight threw everything onto, his breathing shifted. No longer enjoying the faint scent of wildflowers or the relatively gentle touch of dry grass against his legs, he concentrated on funneling his breath through his nose.

Once he had filled his lungs, he expelled the air back up his throat. As it traveled upwards, the exhale sparked with green flashes and then ignited. By the time it flew out of Spike’s mouth, the air had transformed into a blast of emerald fire. It spilled over the wood and scorched the nearby rocks.

In the morning, Spike could incinerate saplings with ease and leave rocks black and glistening. As the day went on, the rocks retained more and more of their original color, and the saplings took longer and longer to incarnate. Spike’s breathing grew labored and his throat ached.

“Interesting,” Celestia commented as Spike recovered and then jogged back to join Twilight within the forest. She took a sip of a drink with a sun shaped umbrella sticking out of it. “I’ve heard stories, but it’s quite fascinating watching a drake build up tolerance to his own flames.”

Spike groaned and then joined up with Twilight. A rock covered by weeds glowed ahead of her. She twisted her head and flared up horn. The rock shook off some dust and lifted a few centimeters, but the roots kept it anchored. Twilight gasped and dimmed her horn. The rock sank back down.

“Spike?” she huffed.

“On it,” he wheezed.

Advancing up to the boulder, Spike gulped down some air before blasting the roots with his fire. The smaller roots hissed and cracked before turning to smoke and ash. The larger roots held firm even while their outer skin blackened. Spike kept the fire going for a few more seconds before the flame shrank and sputtered out. Spike went to his knees and gasped for breath.

Celestia glanced at a stopwatch at her side. “Excellent! That was a second longer than yesterday. You’re revealing so much about dragon anatomy, Spike!”

Spike groaned again and then took a breath.

~~~

Fire consumed the scroll. Twilight watched the smoke rise off Spike’s claws and then looked across the bedroom at Celestia. She dared not blink. Celestia’s horn then glowed and the scroll reappeared in a flash. Celestia noted its blackened edges, but then smiled at Spike.

“Okay, that’s a new record on distance,” she said as she crossed the room. “Focus on fine-tuning now.”

“Why can’t ponies just write on gems?” Spike wheezed. “Sending gems was always easy.”

“Remember, Spike, sending letters could be critical in an emergency, so you have to make sure the recipient can read it,” said Celestia. “And, if you’re able to master it, you could even use your flames to get ponies out of dangerous situations.”

“You could rescue ponies even faster than Fili-Second!” Twilight squealed.

“Heh,” Spike huffed. “Isn’t being the fastest supposed to be the main hero’s gimmick?”

Celestia displayed the grin that sent a chill down Twilight’s spine. “And that’s why it’s now Twilight’s turn. I’m sure she’s been a little curious about teleportation spells, correct?”

Twilight gulped.

~~~

Thunder cracked the sky and shook the trees. Rain poured down through the canopy, turning the edge of the Everfree into a bog. Only the carpet of roots kept Twilight from sinking as she trudged through the mud. Suddenly, her legs gave out. The glow faded from her horn and the boulder floating ahead of her crashed. It sent up a wave of mud that washed over her and Spike.

Spike wiped the mud off his face and then rushed over to Twilight’s side. “Twilight! Come on, I know the weather is a little rough, but it’s only been a few hours!”

“I knew it,” Celestia sighed. She stomped through the mud and frowned at Twilight. “You’ve been spellcasting at night, haven’t you?”

“Only…” Twilight heaved. “Only a little.”

“A little means a lot right now!” Celestia snapped, send specks of blood from her mouth. “Your regimen is built to make sure you get the training and the rest you need to pass the test!”

“I know,” Twilight coughed. She wobbled to her hooves. Spike kept his claws on her to keep her steady. Twilight’s horn sparked and she grit her teeth. “But I don’t want to just pass! That’s not what your student would do!”

“You foolish filly!” Celestia raised up a hoof. Spike rushed over to get between Celestia and Twilight, but Celestia was faster. Bringing her hoof down, she patted Twilight’s mane. “You really are something special, Twilight Sparkle.”

With a flash, Celestia assumed her empowered form. Her horn blazed with magic, and the rain around Twilight and Spike evaporated. Angling her horn up to the tempest raging over the forest, she sent out a blast that annihilated chunks of trees as it rocketed straight into the storm. An explosion like a mix of a canon blast and thunderclap rang through the air. A blinding light forced Twilight and Spike to close their eyes. When they opened them, the rain was no longer falling anywhere near them. Beams of sunlight once more poked through the canopy.

Celestia shrank down. She smiled at Twilight and then pointed her horn over to the field outside the forest. Twilight looked at her, nodded, and then wobbled over to the field. Spike followed her.

Dew glistened off the grass, the mound of incinerated trees, and the boulders. It was as if the storm had passed hours ago, with the closest clouds pummeling the distant mountains with lightning and rain. Twilight marveled at the contrast between then field and the mountains before lifting her head. Her jaw slackened. Spike’s did too.

A rainbow spanned over the Everfree. It trailed through the clear blue sky until it reached the distant mountains. Even the grand prismatic falls that cascaded down Cloudsdale were dwarfed by the display. Gazing at it, Twilight thought back to the day she had saved Spike and smiled. When she glanced at Spike, she saw a grin planted on his face.

“Well, Twilight,” Celestia mused as she strolled out of the forest and admired the scenery, “given what you’ve said, I think some modifications to your regimen are in order.”

“I…” Spike took a breath. “I’ll do it too!”

“Spike, you don’t have to,” said Twilight. “I honestly should have just said something to Princess Celestia first, it was foolish of me to augment the regimen on my own.”

“Nothing a few alterations and some proper rest can’t fix,” said Celestia. She then looked at Spike. “She’s right though, are you sure you want to modify too?”

Puffing up his chest, Spike declared, “I’m going to be sidekick to the greatest hero in Equestria. I gotta make sure I can keep up!”

“Not even in school yet and already quite a team.” Celestia grinned. “All right, Twilight, we’re switching today from magic to muscle training. How lucky we are that the rain stopped. You should be able to get a decent grip on the boulders now. Spike, I want you to double up on clearing the roots and rocks with your fire and claws. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” both Twilight and Spike proclaimed.

~~~

One morning, Twilight woke up and found a letter with darkened corners resting beside her pillow. She opened it up.

Twilight,

Take a break from the schedule. Relax today, you’ve earned it. We’ll be doing something a little different later in the day. Get some extra rest, you’ll need it.

From,

Celestia

Twilight reread the letter, yawned, and sunk back into her pillow. Her horn still throbbed from yesterday’s training, and it had been a struggle just so raise her head. Plus, the practice exam she had taken after getting home had sapped whatever energy she had had left. It was only at the back of her mind as she drifted back to sleep that something about the day mattered.

~~~

Twilight devoured her pancakes as soon as Velvet floated a plate over to her. Whipped cream dotted her nose, and syrup lined her lips.

When Night Light chuckled, she blushed and wiped her face. He floated a napkin over to her and cleaned off a bit of pancake that had somehow flopped onto the top of Twilight’s horn. “You’re not in a race, Twilight.”

“Though, given how you look every evening, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were.” Velvet cut into her stack and ate a few slices. “They’re not pushing you too hard, are they?”

“No, mom, for the fifty-third time,” Twilight droned.

“She’s just looking out for you,” said Night Light. “You should have seen how she fretted when your brother was in boot camp and out of contact.”

It was Velvet’s turn to blush. “Dear!”

Both Twilight and Night Light chuckled.

~~~

Twilight passed the morning hitting the books and reviewing her practice tests. She heard the door creak once or twice but kept her focus on her studies. There was also a bit of noise coming from the outside. It was Saturday after all, so Twilight did not pay much heed to the ponies streaming through the streets.

Returning downstairs for lunch, Twilight fixed herself a daffodil sandwich. Velvet came in just as she finished off half of it.

“It’s nice to see you taking it easy today,” she said as she pulled some vegetables out of the fridge. “Are you planning on doing anything tonight?”

“Oh… Dr. Hoofenbacker said he had something special planned for us tonight.” Twilight taped her chin. There was that feeling again, a gap in her mind, that there was some detail she was missing.

“I see.” Velvet washed, sliced, and mixed the vegetables with such finesse that the vegetables appeared to dance themselves into a salad. Picking up her bowl, joined Twilight at the table. “Any idea what Moondancer will be doing then? You usually have something planned.”

“I’m sure Moondancer is fine, I told her I wouldn’t be available that much this summer and that was before I even got my cutie mark.” Twilight took a bite of her sandwich. “Besides it’s not like we always had something planned every Saturday.”

Velvet’s fork clinked against her bowl. “Twilight, you honestly forgot what tomorrow is?”

“Sunday?” Twilight guessed.

“The Sun Day,” said Velvet. “I’m just glad Dr. Hoofenbacker has something planned or you might have forgotten all about it. I know getting into the School is important, sweetie, but it’s not everything.”

“The Summer Sun Celebration…” Twilight muttered. “So that’s what she meant.”

Velvet raised a brow. “’She?’”

“A friend!” Twilight yelped. “Yeah, after, um, Dr. Hoofenbacker mentioned it, but a friend at the lab and I were talking about it. Completely slipped my mind.”

Velvet’s eyes narrowed. “You haven’t mentioned a friend before.”

Sweat beaded up on Twilight’s face. “Oh, well, I’m so tired after training, I always forget. You know how it is, right?”

Velvet stared at Twilight for a moment, sighed, and went back to eating her salad. “I just hope tonight is fun.”

The tone of Velvet’s voice raised the hair on Twilight’s neck. Scarfing down the rest of her meal, she then made a hasty retreat up to her room. She bit her lower lip and stared at the doorknob for a second while internally debating the pros and cons of the locking it. With a groan, she spun around and began to pace back and forth.

“What could it be? What could it be?” she muttered. “She’ll have to be at the Celebration and then at the Soirée for most of tomorrow, so she’ll probably need to use all her magic for that. Why not do any training today then?”

Glancing at the letter dangling from her desk, she took a deep breath.

“She said to relax, Twilight. You’ve studied today, so why not read something fun?” A grin forced its way onto Twilight’s face. “Yeah, been a while since I’ve read a Dirt Clod book, I’ll check out Queen of Bellona. Haven’t read that in ages.”

Twilight yanked the book off a shelf and took it up to her bed with her. She held it open and delved into the opening chapter. Dirt Clod was on the run, with a mix of outlaws and buffalo warriors on his tail for several different reasons. Just as he found himself trapped in what he thought was an abandoned gold mine, his hoof caught on an ancient switch.

Suddenly, the cave turned bright as day. A hum unlike any noise he had ever heard flooded his ears. As it grew louder and brighter in the mine, Dirt Clod fell to his knees and tried to shield his ears, but the mysterious contraption he had activated continued to assault his senses. There were buffalo hollers and outlaw curses mixed in with the light and the noise, but Dirt Clod could not even see his own hooves or hear his own cry for help.

Then, silence. Opening one eye and then the other, Dirt Clod found himself back on the prairie. A slap on the cheek reassured himself that he was indeed awake. There wasn’t even a jug of cider around to offer an alternate explanation. Just as Dirt Clod reassured himself that he had not drank any cactus juice, the western horizon glinted.

Twilight paused.

The image of Dirt Clod beholding a western sunrise was one of the most vivid images from the book. There were even some editions that featured an illustration of the scene as the cover art. Twilight re-read the scene from the start, taking in the rich descriptions as the sun rose higher, revealing purple plains, spongy and bulbous plants, and bipedal natives racing straight at Dirt Clod on pony-like mounts.

The alien world should have been crisp in Twilight’s mind. However, the plains gave way to the fairgrounds, the plants transformed into concession and game stands, and the natives faded into the air while the mounts morphed into crowds gathered around the Celebration’s main stage. The sun was now back in the east, and Celestia rose along with it.

Twilight shut the book and groaned.

“Gotta think of something else.” She then glanced at the cover: Dirt Clod surrounded in a massive field of aura with the Bellonian Queen towering over him. Twilight grinned. “Practice, just a little.”

Twilight pulled another book in the series off the shelf. She got off her bed and brought both books over to her desk. She sat down, stared at them for a moment, and closed her eyes. Aura formed around her horn and the books.

“Think of the place you want them to go.” Twilight’s aura brightened. Both books vanished with a pop and then reappeared where the other had been. Twilight took a breath and opened the cover of Queen of Bellona. The title was repeated on the first page. Twilight flipped through the book, noting the key plot points until she got to end. When she closed the end cover, she grinned. “Two-way is a success!”

Glancing back at her cutie mark and then up at her horn, Twilight murmured a prior lesson, “A proper balance must be maintained. You can’t expand the spell’s field too far or you’ll consume too much mana. You can’t keep the field too close or the spell will feed back into your thaumic system and cause a backlash.”

Twilight spun around and focused on a groove in the floorboards. “Just a few feet ahead. That’s all.”

She closed her eyes and lit up her horn. It grew brighter and brighter as aura spread down it and over Twilight.

A knock at the door broke Twilight’s concentration. The spell dispersed and she opened her eyes.

“Twilight.” Velvet poked her head inside the room. “Sunny is here to see you.”

“Sunny?” Twilight asked.

Celestia, in shrunken form, peaked through the door. “Hiya, Twilight!”

Twilight heart caught in her throat. “I, um…”

“Geez, Twilight, you look like a Princess just walked into your room,” Celestia chuckled.

Twilight blinked and looked over Celestia as she strode into her room. Celestia’s cutie mark was now a cartoonish smiling sun, and her back was bare. Her chest was discolored and her ribs still stuck out, but the wound and the scar tissue were not visible. A glistening locket hung right above where the puncture wound should have been.

Twilight was so focused on the locket and Celestia’s appearance that she didn’t notice the purple blur zoom past Celestia until it fell upon Twilight, knocking her off her hooves. A purple puppy stared down at her. Its emerald ears flopped down to cover its muzzle when it bent close to Twilight’s ear.

“If you mention this to anypony, our partnership is off,” Spike muttered into her ear.

“Spike, down,” said Celestia. Spike sighed and then went back to Celestia’s side. “Sorry, Twilight, you mentioned wanting to see Spike so much that I thought it would be fun to bring him with me. Guess he wanted to see you too.”

“Yeah. It’s, uh, nice to see him too.” Twilight smacked her leg with a hoof but made it look like she was just rubbing it. Here she was with Princess Celestia in the guise of a filly, her dragon training partner in the guise of a dog, and her mother none the wiser. The summer so far had been like something out a dream, but this took the cake.

“Twilight, I know you’ve been working hard, but you need a break every now and then,” said Velvet. “Why don’t you and Sunny have some fun together this afternoon and then go off to your little party?”

“Yeah…” Twilight nodded. “Sure.”

”Break” is a flexible term here, but I’ve got something special for you tonight, Celestia’s voice rang in Twilight’s mind. In a higher pitch, she said, “Yeah, it’ll be great, we’ll hang out today, party tonight, and then go to the Celebration! I even heard Princess Celestia might come by and say hi to everypony at the lab.”

“That would be an improvement over the last time Twilight saw her,” Velvet quipped.

“Oh yeah!” Celestia willed her eyes to widened. “Twilight told me all about it! I think it was super cool how Princess Celestia came in and saved her, but the really awesome part was when Twilight used that store sign to distract that huge dragon and save her friend! Nopony else at the lab could ever do something like that!”

“Oh…” Velvet bit her lip and tried to avoid looking directly at Celestia’s cracked horn. “Yes, well, it certainly was impressive what Twilight did, though I hope she’s not fighting dragons again anytime soon.”

Spike barked.

“You good to go?” Celestia asked Twilight.

Twilight nodded. “Lead the way.”

All four of them made their way downstairs. Velvet opened the door and waved Twilight, Sunny, and Spike off.

The trio walked down a few blocks before Twilight spoke. “You are the last hero I imagined having a secret identity.”

“I’ve gotten quite creative in the last century,” Celestia chuckled. “Plus, a simple illusion spell is easier to maintain than fully empowering myself.”

“Then why those charms?” asked Twilight.

Giving her locket a tap with a hoof, Celestia answered, “Test run for the R&D Department. We’re considering offering them to heroes who like to keep work and home life separate as well as those in witness protection.”

“They’re still working out a few bugs though,” Spike muttered.

Twilight giggled, but it was stifled when Sunset Shimmer, Snips, and Snails rounded the corner in front of them. Twilight skidded to a halt and realized how thick and muggy the air was. Sunset glared at her. “H-hi, Sunset.”

Sunset was upon Twilight in an instant. A hoof that was hot to the touch jabbed into Twilight’s chest. “Don’t ‘hi, Sunset,’ me! Acting like a hero doesn’t make you one. You’re still an idiot in way over her head. I hope you got on your knees and begged Celestia and the Guard for forgiveness after the stunt you pulled.” Sunset’s glare softened and shifted to Celestia and Spike. “Who’s your friend?”

“I’m Sunny!” Before Sunset could react, Celestia was at her side and clasping her leg away from Twilight’s chest. “Sunny Days. Are you Sunset Shimmer? Twilight’s told me a lot about you.”

Sunset clenched her jaw and recoiled her leg. A few sparks shot from her horn. Twilight paled when Sunset leveled a blazing glare on her for a second and then looked back at Celestia. “Don’t believe a word this foal says about me. She’s barely more than a blank flank that thinks she’s the next Princess Celestia. What a joke! Trust me, Sunny, was it? You’re better off staying far away from this lame-brain!”

Sunset snorted and then stormed off. Snips and Snails looked at Twilight, Celestia, and Spike, gulped, and raced after Sunset.

“That is not what I expected.” Celestia pursed her lips and turned to Twilight. “I don’t mean to pry, Twilight, but I assumed Sunset was a close friend of yours.”

“She was,” Twilight sighed. “We did everything together back in magic kindergarten, but we started talking less when she got better at practical tests than me. Then, when she got her cutie mark…”

***

“Heads up, blank flanks!”

A carton of milk flew over the lunchroom, careening straight at Moondancer. With a yelp, she made her horn spark, but it couldn’t obtain a steady glow. When it was inches from hitting her square in the face, Twilight darted in front of her. Her horn did not even fizzle before the carton got skewered by it. As milk dripped down Twilight’s head, roars of laughter went through the lunchroom.

Sunset sauntered over to Twilight and Moondancer with a smirk spread across her face. “Congratulations, Twilight, you finally found a use for that waste of alicorn.”

Averting her eyes to the ground, Twilight muttered, “That… that wasn’t nice, Sunset.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.” Sunset drew closer and circled around Twilight and Moondancer. Both took a step back so they were back to back. “Here I was hoping you could at least bat it to the side, but you two are still the most pathetic unicorns here.”

“Sunset, please stop,” Twilight whimpered. “You know we both try our best. You know I still want to be yo— “

A red-hot hoof decked Twilight in the gut, sending her off her hooves and crashing to the floor. With her horn ablaze, Sunset glared down at Twilight as she gasped for air.

“Stop acting like a foal and face facts!” Sunset hissed. “You are nothing but a loser!”

***

“I see.” Celestia closed her eyes and took a breath. “Fillies and Colts can be so callous when it comes to cutie marks.”

“Kinda glad I don’t get one now if she’s what happens when you do,” said Spike.

Celestia went over and gave Twilight a pat on the back. “I’m sorry things between you and Sunset went this way, but just know you did the right thing. Being a hero isn’t all fame a glory. It can often be a thankless job.”

“You’re not going to hold this against Sunset, are you?”

Celestia thumped Twilight’s spine. “You, my faithful student, have too big of a heart! Worry not! A little rudeness is no reason to decline a pony from the School. In fact, smoothing out those rough edges is a key competent of the School. For some, it’s attitude and for some it’s skill. Speaking of which, let’s get a little more out of the city and then the fun can begin.”

~~~

Twilight, Spike, and Celestia popped out of the air and landed in a field. The grass around them baked in the afternoon sun. Twilight took in the surrounding area, but saw only grass and hills for miles. She locked onto a spire poking out from behind a far-off mountain.

Spike reached one arm behind his head and stretched it back with his other arm. “Ah, nice to back on my feet again. Let’s not do that again unless we have to.”

“Just a precaution,” said Celestia. “Plus, concealing your identity for now will make your debut at the Entrance Exam all the grander.”

Spike grinned.

“So, where are we?” asked Twilight. “I’m guessing somewhere near Rambling Rock Ridge.”

“Very astute, Twilight. Keeping track of your surroundings will be quite useful tonight. Now, as you know, I have a busy day tomorrow, so there will be no time for me to train you. Instead, I invite you to enjoy the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“Uh…” Spike raised a claw. “Isn’t the Celebration open to everypony?”

“Ah.” Celestia grinned and hefted up the lockets. “I meant the Soirée. Consider these your tickets.”

“Oh my gosh!” Twilight exclaimed. “A ton of top heroes will be there! I… I could get all their autographs!”

“Me too!” Spike’s cheeks reddened. “And I can’t imagine what the heroines will wear... I bet some of it will be gem studded.”

“Of course…” Celestia’s lips curved into a crescent. Her horn sparked and a saddle bag and a backpack appeared in front of her. “… that’s if you make it there in time.”

Twilight glanced at the barely visible spire off in the distance. A bit of sweat formed on her brow. “Princess, we’re at least a day’s journey out of Canterlot by hoof.”

Celestia lit up her horn. “Then you’d best get moving.”

Celestia vanished in a flash. Twilight and Spike stared at the space she had occupied, and then at each other. They raced over to the backpack and the saddlebags, threw them on, and then ran off in the direction of Canterlot.

“Your Princess is a madmare,” Spike huffed.

~~~

A wind howled across the prairie. Under the moonlight, the tall grass waved and glistened. It also reflected the flames from a fire rising from an outcrop of rocks. When the wind prickled Twilight’s skin, she scooted closer to the fire.

Spike tore a chunk out of a rations bar. As he swallowed it, it formed a visible lump in his throat. His neck strained and the lump sank down. He coughed and thumped his chest before guzzling some water. “Ugh, and you say your brother survived on these things?”

“Could be worse.” Twilight nibbled on her own rations, but the bar refused to yield to her teeth. “At least you’re built for eating things hard are rocks.”

“Tasty rocks,” Spike whined. “I swear, even zircon tastes be— “

A low growl silenced Spike.

“T-that was your stomach, r-right?” asked Twilight.

The ground trembled. Pebbles jostled into the air. The fire fell apart and the flaming wood scattered across the ground. It was like something had turned the earth into a drum.

A shadow prowled around the outcrop. Twilight gulped, took a stance, and lit up her horn. Something whipped through the air. Spike raised up his fists. Smoke curled out of his mouth.

When the shadow advanced forward, both of Twilight and Spike felt their knees grew weak. The dying flames danced off limbs as thick as trees and a chest a big and rigid as a boulder. Moonlight glistened off claws as long as Spike’s arm and a stinger the size of Celestia’s horn. The creature’s mane and leathery wings fluttered when the wind howled again. Its fangs were as white as the moon.

“N-no,” Twilight stuttered. “This… this shouldn’t be outside the Everfree.”

“Well it is, Twilight.” Cold sweat poured down Spike’s face.

The manticore panted, showing off more fangs.

“S-spike, I…” Twilight gulped. She could feel the manticore’s hot breath filling the air. She steeled her stance. “I need you to get a letter to the Princess.”

“B-but Twilight, I’ve got nothing to w-write with and I’ve never…”

“Spike! You’ve trained for this.” A shaky grin came to her face. “Y-you can do it, because you’re my pa— “

The manticore roared. It was like thunder, and left Twilight and Spike’s ears ringing. Then, it pounced at Twilight. All the weight suddenly surging into at Twilight and Spike sent up a cloud of dust. Twilight and Spike threw themselves to either side of the manticore. The force of its lunge tugged the air forward, pulling Twilight with it. The manticore barreled through the rock like it was glass, shook of the stone fragments, and spun around. With a bone-chilling grow, it faced Twilight.

“Twilight!” Spike screamed. “We need to run for it!”

“You run!” Twilight yelled and lit up her horn. “Get a letter to Celestia no matter what!”

The manticore crouched. Before it could leap though, a blaze of emerald fire raced over its right hindleg. The manticore howled and slashed at the air. Its claws rent through the flames, and the slices’ pressure knocked Spike off his feet. The manticore snarled and glared at Spike before racing at him.

A blast struck it from the side, and it roared at Twilight.

“Spike, I said run!”

“No way!” Spike shot off another blast at the manticore. “Partners don’t leave each other behind! Even if I could get a letter out, this thing will kill you before Celestia can get here and you know it!”

Twilight yelped and sent up a shimmering wall of aura. The manticore cleaved through it like soggy paper. Another blast from Spike brought its attention back on him. Closing her eyes, Twilight focused. “Elements, now would be a really good time to work.”

Summoning up every image and feeling of the day she had saved Spike, Twilight looked deep inside herself. She thought of the rainbow beam. She thought of the magic exploding off her horn. She thought of the power she had wielded alongside Celestia. But, her horn just continued to glow as it normally did.

A roar brought her attention back to the fight. Spike gasped for air. Smoke curled off the manticore’s singed fur. With a growl, it lunged at Spike. Casting a spell on a boulder, Twilight sent it flying at the manticore. It felt the air distort and whipped its stinger through the air. The boulder fell the ground in two. Its halves bubbled and hissed.

Think! Think!

The manticore was instantly upon Twilight. Claws tore the air asunder. Twilight rolled to the side. Another claw slammed to her left. She spun right. The wind tore at her face as a claw scored the rock by her head. The manticore then howled in pain.

Spike drove his own claws deeper into the manticore’s flank. “I may not want a cutie mark, but I can give you o—“

The manticore snarled and bucked. Spike sailed through the air and slammed into some rocks. Facing Twilight again, the manticore raked the ground, leaving deep gashes in the stone.

I… I can’t fight this. Twilight felt her throat constricting. She glanced at Spike as he shook his head and tried to get up. No, I have to fight this! This is what I’ve trained for! I just have t—” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Spike! Can you hear me?”

Spike wobbled to his feet and gave a thumbs-up.

“Okay!” Twilight leapt back to avoid a slash. She sidestepped when the stinger lashed out. It crashed against a shield when Twilight did not have time to dodge. “If we can’t send a letter, then we can send it!”

“How?” Spike sprung back into fight and clawed at the manticore. “That thing is way too big for a spell and it can cut through my flames!”

“It’s just like a gem buried deep in the rock!” Twilight shouted. “You just need to get the right angle on it!”

“Okay.” Spike gulped. “And where do I send it then?”

“Any place is fine! Just not here!” A spell decked the manticore in the jaw. It shook its head and then renewed its assault. “Can you do that?”

“Better than anything I’ve got!”

“Okay!” Twilight’s horn grew brighter. A glow surrounded Spike. “Just focus!”

“Got it!” Spike drew in breath, unaware that Twilight had directed the words more to herself.

The manticore was unfazed by the change it strategy. It struck out with fangs, claws, and stinger. Spike and Twilight wove around it until they were as close as they could get to each other. Twilight gasped for air. The tip of her horn smoked and its base pounded against her skull. Smoke wisped out of Spike’s nose. His inflated chest shuddered.

“Tw… Twilight,” he coughed.

“Just a little more.” Twilight closed her eyes. Claws rent the air to her right. She jumped, but a rock caught her hoof. Claws dug into her side just as the aura around her horn and Spike flared. Pushing the pain aside, she yelled, “Now!”

Spike popped out of existence and reappeared behind the manticore. Flames exploded out of his mouth and washed over the manticore.

“Don’t stop!” Twilight screamed.

Spike blew harder. More flames raced over the manticore. It roared and tried to turn but a lasso of aura wrapped around its neck and forelegs. The flames consumed its bottom half and surged up its torso. In a final gambit, it lunged at Twilight. Suddenly, the aura around its neck and limbs vanished while the aura around Twilight’s horn became blinding.

The flash a second later did not deter the manticore. However, when its jaws snapped down on Twilight’s head, it only tasted air. It slammed into the ground and rolled, exposing its underbelly. Spike sucked down air through is snout and breathed out more fire even as he felt his throat dry out and his tongue crisp up. The manticore gave one final roar before the flames raced over its face and then flared up like a great bonfire.

Then, there was only smoke. Falling to the ground, Spike retched onto the scorched and scored rocks. Ash came out of his mouth when he heaved. When he could manage to choke down some air, he looked around.

Twilight lay a few feet away. Her horn smoked and was blackened in a few spots. Blood coursed out the claw marks on her side and onto the stones. Spike tried to shout her name, but only produced a guttural wheeze. He wobbled over to her, falling a few times in the process, but he managed to make it. Looking over the wounds, he balled up a claw. With his other claw, he reached out and stroked Twilight’s mane. Then, he took a breath.

Twilight screamed while the flames seared the wounds shut. On top of her horn slamming again and again into her skull, it was too much and she passed out.

When Spike saw that the wounds were cauterized, his flame sputtered out and he collapsed onto Twilight.

Nearby, the smoke cleared from where the manticore had vanished. Scorched rocks and burnt grass remained. In the middle of the ashen battlefield lay what at first appeared to be the charred remains of the manticore’s claw, but closer inspection revealed it to be a thick thorn, naturally black and shimmering.

The thorn righted itself, floated up, and then dispersed into a thick mist-like substance.

“Pathetic,” a voice hissed.

Author's Note

I'd like to imagine that in this Equestria comic books and fiction in general went in a direction similar to Watchmen though perhaps without the graphic pirate murder.

No, Celestia was not crippled by a giant squid. Next question, please.

Block and Progress

“You are a failure, Twilight Sparkle.” Sunset shoved Twilight to the ground and smirked. Fillies and colts filled the hazy classroom air with laughter.

“I’m not!” The laughter quieted. Wobbling to her hooves, Twilight stared down Sunset.

“You think getting a cutie mark automatically makes you a hero?” Sunset cast a spell and pulled Twilight towards her with a blue smoke-like aura rather than flames. Up close, her teeth appeared sharpened. Seeing pale moonlight glisten off them reminded Twilight of the manticore.

Something stung Twilight’s side and her vision blurred. A snort pulled Twilight’s attention back to Sunset. Her breath prickled the hairs on Twilight’s muzzle, and her glare was so intense it was like her irises were aglow, shifting them from light cyan to an icy blue. “Even with Celestia’s training, you’re still a weak foal.”

Twilight jerked back. Three spots on her side throbbed, making her head spin. The classroom walls wavered, and the desks disintegrated into the air. Even the floor appeared to fade a little, revealing only darkness below. If there had ever actually been anypony else in the room, they had now vanished aside from Sunset. Twilight’s heart pounded. “H-how do you know that?”

Sunset appeared taller now and her coat a darker shade. Her eyes glowed and her pupils lengthened into slits. “I know everything about you, Twilight Sparkle. It’s time for you realize what you’re up against!”

Sunset’s last word rang like a thunderclap. Thick, blue smoke cocooned around her and then exploded outwards. When it raced over Twilight, a cold like the most bitter of winters took hold of her. It opened a void in her gut, and a sense of vertigo struck her. The completely dissipation of the classroom only intensified the feeling. In its place was an inky abyss, like a night sky bereft of the stars and the moon. The only source of light was the chilling smoke swirling around the thing that had assumed Sunset’s form.

An armored hoof formed out of the smoke and slammed into the ground. Twilight inched back. Three more legs coalesced out of the smoke, all of them rippling with muscle and blacker than the most monstrous of storms. Next, a torso wreathed in silver armor formed. Already, this thing stood as tall as Celestia. Leathery wings materialized out of the darkness and sliced the air apart. Gales erupted out of the void, forcing Twilight into a crouch. Just one more flap of those massive wings and it felt like Twilight’s skin would be torn off.

The smoke thickened upwards, forming a helmed head. With most of her body now formed, it was clear the thing was a monstrous version of a mare. An obsidian horn, sharper than Celestia’s and just as long, spiraled out of the mare’s forehead. What was left of the smoke flowed through the her helm and past the sickle-shaped moon on her flanks, forming a ghostly mane and tail.

When the mare opened her eyes, Twilight’s hooves froze to the ground. She wanted to scream, but her mouth would not move. The mare’s slitted pupils pierced Twilight’s heart and dredged up a fear so pure it did not attach itself to any dragons, or manticores, or even the black alicorn herself. This was the terror that only provoked two responses: succumb and remain rooted on the spot soon to be a grave or allow instinct to take over and flee, flee until hooves cracked and muscles ripped from the bone.

Twilight whipped her legs into a frenzy. The world blurred as she spun. The relief of not having to face the mare was drowned in a flood of adrenaline. No strategies this time. No spells. No attacks. Just escape. Where she could escape to in this void did not register to her. Self-preservation was at the helm and it only had one command: run.

The mare’s icy mane clenched around her throat before Twilight had gotten even a foot away.

“Coward!” the mare roared. She forced Twilight to look straight at her. Like the rest of her, the mare’s breath was frigid. It was another piece of the nightmare Twilight could not escape from. With her body and mind paralyzed, her lungs shriveling, and her vision darkening, she surrendered and cried in hysterics. The mare growled, “You are weak, Twilight Sparkle. As you are, you are no— “

“Enough!” Celestia’s voice boomed, turning the entire void white.

The mare snorted and the darkness returned to most of the void, but a part high above her remained bright. Heat, far more intense than even the hottest days of Twilight’s training rained down from the spot of light.

The mare dropped Twilight. Gasping for air, she watched the mare’s hooves turn back to smoke as she took to the sky. More and more of her faded away into the air. The inky abyss around her and Twilight shifted to a dark blue and pinpricks of light poked through it.

“This is not over, Twilight Sparkle!” the mare snarled. “I’ll be watching!”

With one last flap of her wings, the mare blasted Twilight with icy winds, knocking her off her hooves. Whatever had kept the plane solid under Twilight faded away. As the world tumbled around her, the pinpricks widened until they consumed the void in a blinding light.

~~~

Twilight bolted upright and gasped for air. Looking around, she realized she was in Celestia’s bedroom.

“Twilight!” Spike hugged her tight. “Thank goodness! I tried to wake you up, but nothing I did worked!”

Twilight hugged Spike back. “What a nightmare.”

“You talking about whatever you were dreaming or the manticore?” Spike sighed and sat down on the bed.

“Both.” Pulling off the covers, Twilight sat up. She noticed Spike had a few bandages on his arms and legs. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. I woke up when you started screaming in your sleep.”

More of the fight came back to Twilight through the haze of her dream. Recalling her last waking memory, she turned and looked at her side. The pain of having her wounds seared shut felt like it had been part of the nightmare, but she still braced herself for the sight. Only a few faint scars and burn marks remained. The wounds could have passed for a months-old culinary accident now. “Huh?”

Before Twilight could ponder about the miraculous recovery or let the thought of how long she had been unconscious bloom into paranoia, the doors to the room flew open. Celestia stormed in. Her eyes were ablaze and her jaw clenched tight. But, when she spotted Twilight and Spike up, her features softened. Her entire body seemed to sink closer to the floor. “Oh, thank the stars. Twilight, Spike, please forgive me. If I had known this would happen, I would never have left you on your own.”

“It’s…” Twilight chewed her lip. “Well, it’s not fully okay, it was a manticore attack after all, but I’m just glad we’re safe. We weren’t in the best shape though, how did you manage to find us?”

“Your gear,” Celestia answered while keeping her eyes to the ground. “It was enchanted to track you in case you got lost or…”

“Or a manticore attacked us?” Spike asked. Both Twilight and Celestia stiffened.

“Spike…” Twilight shivered. “Th-there’s no way...”

With sharpened eyes, Spike glanced at Twilight and then back at Celestia. A bit of smoke curled out of his mouth. “You’re the one that said it, Twilight. That monster shouldn’t have been outside the Everfree.”

“Spike! Princess Celestia would never endanger our lives like that!” Twilight’s words echoed through the bedroom. With her heartrate quickening, she turned. Celestia stood as still as a statue with her head bowed. Twilight paled. “You… you wouldn’t, right, Princess? Th-that thing nearly killed us.”

“Your lives were never in true danger.” Celestia’s voice was little more than a whisper. Her head dropped lower. “I promise you, I would never do anything so stupid and reckless like that, no matter what benefits it yielded.”

“Benefits?” Spike snarled. Balling up his claws, he advanced closer to Celestia. “What the hay kind of benefits does having a manticore maul us give?”

Celestia lifted her head upwards as if the ceiling or the sky beyond held an answer. When she turned towards Twilight, her eyes appeared even more sunken than usual. “You recall our first day of training? When I mentioned the Elements require a certain mindset?”

Twilight nodded.

“Aside from intense concentration and a vast outpouring of mana, the Elements require a deep desire to protect others in order to activate. It gets easier over time, but for those unfamiliar with the Elements, only devoting all your might to save someone will awaken them. Receiving your cutie mark and melding your magic with mine allowed you to bypass the first two requirements and activate them with just that selfless devotion.”

Celestia glanced at Spike. “Once I was certain Twilight had enough stamina to withstand activation and I had given her some advice on the concentration aspects, I had planned closer to the end of summer to stage something that would put you in false peril. I swear on all the stars, I would never have let either of you sustain any injuries as serious as this.”

“Was…” Twilight gulped. “Was that mare the one who sent the manticore then?”

“Mare?” Spike asked.

“In my nightmare.” Just thinking about it made Twilight’s skin crawl. “There was this mare. Maybe. She was…she was as if you took everything about you, Princess, and made the opposite. An alicorn, no, a monster. I thought she was Sunset at first, but then she said knew about our training and changed.” Twilight now shook with every word. “I… I couldn’t’ do anything.”

“She,” Celestia spat out the word, “has been dealt with, for now.”

“For now?” Spike shouted. “You mean there’s another Alicorn out there that knows about Twilight and wants her hide and you didn’t finish her off? Why don’t you use whatever the Elements have left in you and turn her to ash?!”

“You know nothing, so keep your mouth shut!” Celestia roared, eyes suddenly ablaze one more. Their intensity withered Spike, forcing him to inch back. As quickly as the fire had appeared, it went out from Celestia’s eyes. Twilight glimpsed a pained grimace before Celestia turned her back to them.

“Please,” Celestia said, voice cracking, “This matter has become personal. I… I’m sorry, so sorry, but I cannot say more right now. You are not ready.”

“Princess…” Twilight dared to take a step closer to Celestia. Confusion laced with anger forced words out of her mouth. “We’re sorry too, but we need to know just what we’re up against. Whatever this is about, we’re a part of this now.”

“I know. I now know that all too well.” Celestia raised a leg and wiped her eyes. When she turned, she stared at Twilight for a moment.

In the months since her training had started, Twilight had come to know a Celestia far different from the noble all-powerful ruler she had idolized in her youth, and not just because of her physical appearance. As a teacher, Celestia was strict with a mischievous side that took a bit of enjoyment watching Twilight toil away, but was always there at the end of the day to get her back home. When she disciplined Twilight, she was harsh, but when she acknowledged Twilight’s accomplishments, she was genuine and warm.

A Celestia that was neither ruler nor teacher now faced Twilight. Twilight’s gut clenched when she realized she had seen this side of Celestia once before: when she had first shown Twilight her wound. The sunken eyes and stretched skin spoke not only of her injuries but her age and exhaustion as well. Whatever had transpired to make her so enraged when she had entered the bedroom or what she had done to rescue and heal Twilight and Spike had allowed that raw emotion to come to the surface.

Then, Celestia did the one thing—the only thing—Twilight could never imagine her doing to anypony. She wanted to scream at her to stop, but Celestia’s act held her transfixed. It could not be happening, not to her, but unless this was still a nightmare, her sight did not fail her.

Celestia got on her knees and bowed her head. Twilight felt the ground fall from underneath her. Spike reached out to steady her when she faltered. His grip was only thing assuring her that this was real: Princess Celestia, the most powerful pony in Equestria, her teacher, her idol, was prostrating herself before her, grinding her horn into the floor. “When you can control the Elements, I will explain more. I promise from the deepest depths of my being. Please, I beg of you to forgive us for our foolishness.”

“S-stop it,” Twilight stuttered. “Y-you’re a Princess. I’m j-just...”

“An incredibly brave pony that has now stood against two of Equestria’s most powerful beasts.” Celestia ground her horn against the floor. “And I am just a teacher that failed to look after her student.”

Twilight rushed forward and wrapped her hooves around Celestia. Tears spilled down her face. “That’s not true, Princess! You gave me the chance to be a hero! You’re the greatest pony in Equestria! You could never fail!”

Celestia embraced Twilight as she devolved into sobs. As she held Twilight close, she noticed a puff of blue smoke trail out of the fireplace. Words were on the tip of her tongue, but with every last scrap of willpower she had, she sealed them away. But I did, Twilight.

~~~

The trio walked back home in silence. Spike did not even complain about wearing the locket again. Ponies celebrated all around them with sun themed foods, dances in the street, and cheers to Celestia. Were it not for the crowds being so thick and celebratory, somepony may have noticed and questioned why two fillies and a dog looked so glum.

When Twilight’s house came into view, Celestia brought the trio to a stop. “Twilight, rest today. The spells used to heal you and Spike take much of your stamina. If you are still feeling weak, we can cancel tomorrow as well.”

Twilight shook her head. “Whoever that mare was, she said she’d be watching… and that I was a failure. I’m not going to let her insult all the hard work we’ve done this summer, and I’m going to prove her wrong.”

Celestia stood there for a moment. Before Twilight could react, Celestia had her in a hug. Twilight could have sworn she felt where Celestia’s face pressed close to her own grow damp. “I know you will, my faithful student.”

As suddenly as she had embraced Twilight, Celestia pulled back and stood as tall as her shrunken form would allow. “I must be off now. My stand-in can only last so long. Send a letter if you need anything, anything at all.”

Celestia’s movements and words had struck Twilight like a barrage. They combined with the tense exchange, the lingering thoughts of the mare, and the ache from the manticore encounter to cloud Twilight’s brain. All she could manage to respond with was a nod.

As Celestia turned back toward the castle, Spike waved a paw at Twilight. “See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, of course,” Twilight said, forcing her lip’s muscles into a smile.

Once Celestia and Spike had disappeared into the crowd, Twilight let the smile drop from her face. Despite having only awoken little over an hour ago, Twilight felt her knees bend under her own weight, and her eyelids drooped down. She shuffled over to her house, slipped through the door, and slunk up the stairs.

“Twilight?” Night Light called out. “That you?”

Twilight paused. She glanced back and saw Night Light at the foot of the stairs. “Dad… sorry. Mom probably had a fit when I didn’t come back.”

“Oh no worries, Twilight. Your friend sent a letter. Sounds like you had quite a wild night,” Night Light chuckled. His grin faltered when he noticed the slump in Twilight’s back and the frown pulling down the rest of her face. “Sweetie, is everything okay?”

“Just tired.” Twilight whipped her head forward, out of Night Light’s sight. “I’m… I’m going to take a nap now.”

“Oh, okay. If you need anything, your mother or I will be in.”

Without a reply, Twilight dragged herself to her room. For two months, she had trained day in and day out, working herself repeatedly to the point where just climbing the stairs at the end of the day was a near-insurmountable task. Yet, she had always propelled herself forward, up the steps, through the Everfree, and past whatever challenge Celestia threw at her.

Now, that zeal was gone and all that was left was exhaustion. Making her way to her bed, Twilight curled up and fell fast asleep. Neither dream nor nightmare came to her, just sleep.

~~~

Jostling awoke Twilight. Velvet stared down at her. “Sorry, sweetie, I know you were absolutely beat, but Sunny wanted to make sure you were okay.”

The sleep instantly cleared from Twilight’s vision. She sat up straight. “She’s here?”

Celestia poked her head through the door with a sheepish grin on her lips. “Hi.”

“Oh, um…” Twilight bowed her head. “Good morning?”

A glance back at Celestia brought a grin to Velvet. “Twilight, I was worried after you started seeing Sunset less and less, but it looks like you’ve met another hero fanatic. Been having your little midnight rendezvous again, haven’t you?”

“Mom!” Twilight yelped, her face now bright red. “I was like, six, and it was just that one time at camp!”

Celestia corked her head. “What’s this?”

“Nothing!” Twilight blurted out. She went white with the realization she had just yelled at the highest point of authority in all Equestria.

“Oh, I don’t know why she hides it,” Velvet chuckled. “You’d never guess it on the surface, but when Twilight was younger, she and her friend Sunset were quite the mischievous duo, going on ‘patrol’, keeping the rougher colts and fillies in line, and occasionally facing their greatest foes, disobeyed parents, teacher, and camp staff. From the sound of it, seems like she’s gotten back into her old habits with you.”

“It’s not like that, Mom!” Twilight practically felt steam rising off her face. “I haven’t done anything like that with P— “

“Oh, Twilight, nothing to worry about,” Celestia interjected. Turning to Velvet she said, “Ms. Velvet, I don’t know what Twilight did with her friend Sunset, but she didn’t do anything bad, I promise… eating a full platter of hoofburgers isn’t bad, right?”

“No, no.” Placing a hoof at her chest, Velvet gave a laugh. “Honestly, I’m just glad Twilight had a chance to relax. She’s been working quite hard this summer on getting into the School for Gifted Ponies.”

“Yeah, she tells me all about it.” Celestia glanced at Twilight. “I know she’s working really hard. No matter what gets in her way, she takes it like a champ!”

Celestia flexed a leg. With no muscle on it, her display elicited pity from Velvet. Twilight took in the act and the true meaning hidden behind Sunny’s playful mask. With a hop, she landed on the floor, stretched out, and stood tall.

“So, did you want to hang out again today?” Twilight asked.

“Only if you want to.” Celestia’s smile shrank. “Spike is a bit tired from yesterday, so it will just be us today.”

“Well, let’s not waste any more time then.”

~~~

The wind carried the clink of a spoon against porcelain over the tall hedges. The warm summer breeze drifted through the granite muscles of ancient heroes, and blew around the marble curves of legendary heroines. When wind whistled by the mismatched limbs of a serpentine statue, it produced a discordant note that pricked up Twilight’s ears. Celestia did not appear to notice and took a sip of her tea.

Everypony in Canterlot, and probably most of Equestria, took at least one trip to the Statue Gardens. It was technically as a part of the castle, but outside the moat, making it the easiest “royal” tourist spot in Canterlot to visit. Today though, it was just Twilight and Celestia. Bereft of crowds, the gardens had a slightly unsettling silence to them. And, with all the statutes, it was impossible for Twilight to not have at least a faint feeling that she was being watched.

“I want to thank you again for coming out.” Celestia’s slowed her hoof as it swirled her teaspoon. “It would not be unreasonable for you to never speak to me again after yesterday.”

“You…” Twilight paused and thought on her next words. “You were worried and I can’t blame you for being mad at that mare.”

Celestia stopped stirring her tea. The action sealed Twilight’s lips. Celestia sighed, “Things involving her are complicated, but it’s not an excuse for how I acted. That mare is an ancient creature, neither villain nor hero, but a force you, as Bearer of the Elements, must face some day. Until then, I will use every piece of power at my disposal to keep her at bay.”

“There’s more to this, isn’t there? A pony that terrifying that’s not a villain is hard to believe.” Twilight furrowed her brow, but Celestia met it with the same steely eyes reporters filled front pages with whenever Celestia stood triumphant over a villain.

“I could have explained things much better yesterday.” Celestia sighed once more. “But my promise and my plea still stand. You cannot handle her right now, and if I were to tell you more, it would only be a distraction to your training. Just know that no matter what she said, you did your best and managed to use teamwork with Spike to prevail. That mare fails to see the bond you two share, but friendship like that is the key to the Elements.”

“I…” With a breath, Twilight leveled her gaze at Celestia. “I don’t want to just use Spike just to activate the Elements though.”

“You won’t.” Celestia bowed her head. “The Elements are a part of you now. They are not just a spell to cast. When your friends are in danger and your bond with them shines bright, that is when the Elements will lend you their strength. Only a pony already willing to give it her all can call upon them. You, Twilight Sparkle, are such a pony, and you proved it when you had neither magic nor cutie mark. No manticores or other nightmares can change that.”

A gust of wind howled through the gardens. When it whipped around the serpentine statute, it almost sounded like a screech. Celestia’s eyes sharpened.

“How are you feeling, Twilight?” Celestia furrowed her brow, further steeling her eyes. “Do not hold anything back.”

“How am I feeling?” Twilight repeated the questioned and weighed it in her mind. There were three paths she could pursue: reply to Celestia, the ruler; reply to Celestia, the teacher; or reply to Celestia, the tired. She answered, “Confused. So much has happened, and I have so many questions. It’s all a little overwhelming.”

“I see.” Celestia clasped her hooves in front of her face. “And how do you feel about that mare?”

“Curious now, but mostly terrified.” The vision of the mare’s slitted eye forced Twilight to shudder in the warm summer air. “Just looking at her made me afraid. It… it was something deeper than just regular fear. I think the closest thing is the flight response cranked to eleven.”

Celestia clenched her jaw. “I was concerned this might happen. That mare is able to wield fear like a weapon and plant its seed within you. Unfortunately, even I cannot stop her from spying on you and that seed makes it all the easier. Luckily, there is a simple solution to deal with the seed that carries quite a number of additional benefits as well, including sharpening the concentration needed to activate the Elements.”

The mention of a seed formed a lump in Twilight’s stomach. It was not hard to envision some black thorn-riddled monstrosity bursting out of her chest while the mare cackled above her. For the first time in her life, Twilight regretted her love of comics, especially the space-horror genre. “What should I do?”

“Meditate,” Celestia answered.

Images of Twilight sitting atop a mountain with rocks swirling around her as she floated inches off the snow-covered peaks flitted through her mind. With a shake of her head, she brought her focus back to the garden. “Okay, but without somepony in danger, will that actually help with activating the Elements?”

“I’m not sure.” The words were blunt. Celestia’s stony face intensified their impact. “I know that is not the most encouraging thing to hear, but trying to force the Elements to activate is foolish at best. Dealing with the seed is our top priority though. Aside from that, at the very least, mediating and ridding yourself of that mare’s taint will strengthen your focus. A cool head makes a massive difference in the myriad of emergencies heroes face daily.”

“Hmm, that is true.” Twilight grinned. “I’ve never heard of mediation being used in such a way though. Is this another one of Starswirl’s secret teachings?”

“This is actually a discovery Princess Luna made.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Celestia bit her lip. “Yes, but perhaps do not think too much of it, or it may seep into your dreams. Luna only discovered this technique due to her injuries and she is hesitant to share it with anypony. Her permission for me to teach it to you was not exactly forthcoming.”

“Oh.” Twilight couldn’t help but glance at Celestia’s wound. “How is Princess Luna? I mean, actually?”

“She…” Celestia turned her head upwards. Her gaze fell upon a tower jutting up from the center of the castle. Where the tower that held Celestia’s room glinted with gold coating, this tower soaked up the sun with its deep lilac hue.

“Sorry!” Twilight blurted out. “You don’t ha—“

“It is fine.” Celestia’s vision lingered on the tower for a few more seconds before she faced Twilight again. “Princess Luna’s injuries are of a different nature than my own. Combined with her nightly tasks, they keep her mostly confined to the castle. The Luna you’ve seen or heard about on Nightmare Night and Hearth’s Warming or perhaps the Gala is just a doppelganger—one of her trusted guards. Maybe, once you have gotten into the School, I will properly introduce you to her.”

Excitement rushed back to Twilight’s face. “I can’t wait.”

“Well, let’s focus on training for now.” After one last sip of her tea, Celestia pushed away from the table. She made her way over to a grassy knoll away from the path and the table and took a seat. With a tap of her hoof on the ground, she beckoned Twilight over.

Twilight followed her and sat beside her. Celestia sat up straight. Her exposed ribs, sunken cheekbones, and stretched skin reminded Twilight of the some of the fillies and colts she occasionally saw at the lab. Yet, the calm yet focused look on Celestia’s face called another image to Twilight’s mind: Celestia atop her throne. Stretching out her spine, Twilight assumed the same position as Celestia.

“This is just the start. There is no right or wrong in this meditation,” Celestia instructed as the breeze brushed her mane. “For today, just feel your body. Later, you will learn to focus on magic. Feel the wind swell your lungs. Feel the air leave your mouth. Embrace the touch of each blade of grass.”

Twilight listened to Celestia’s words and then shut her eyes. Her chest pushed outwards as the breeze swirled around her. Then, it sank back down.

“Right now, there is just you and your breath” Celestia’s voice drifted along with the wind. “Training, heroes, and the Elements can come later, but we must always remember our breath. If other thoughts come to you, do not reject them, but gently set them aside and come back to your breath.”

Twilight did as she was instructed and breathed. Every couple of inhales, words or visions would come to her. Training the Everfree. Practicing spells with Spike. Defending herself from Sunset. At first, she did as Celestia said and put the intrusions aside. Then, more recent memories started assaulting her. Watching powerless as Spike rampaged. Facing down the manticore. Falling into the abyss of a slitted iris. Twilight’s eyes flew open and she gasped for air. A hoof shot to her chest to steady her heart.

“Meditation can lead our minds to all sorts of places. That mare’s influence may lead it to unpleasant ones.” Celestia remained rooted to her spot, even as Twilight scrambled to get back into a proper seated position. “No matter what you may see or feel though, you always have to breath. Fear can only truly conquer the mind when it steals our last breath.”

Twilight nodded and closed her eyes. More breathes. The thoughts returned. Her focus shifted from the air filling her lungs to the blood pumping through her heart faster and faster. Visions of claws came to her mind. Visions of blood. Visions of Spike clenched and skewered between the manticore’s fangs. The manticore shifted into the mare.

“Breathe.”

Celestia’s voice cleaved through the terrors. Twilight sucked in the hot air, and the illusionary Spike vanished from the mare’s maw. The mare hooves turned wispy and bits of them flicked into the air. Twilight’s heart still throbbed in her chest, but she managed to gulp down some more air. The mare’s limbs dissipated and her torso wavered. Twilight’s next inhale was smoother, and she took notice of the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Only the mare’s head remained now, but it was quickly crumbling aside from her eyes. Her glare was just as icy as in the nightmare and stared past Twilight to peer into the darkest corners of her soul. Twilight’s next breaths were still steady, but she had to pause when a thought of Sunset shoving her or her classmates laughing at her invaded her mind. But, with another intake of air, she turned her attention back to her breath.

For how long this continued, she was not aware. There was just her and the air. That is what she felt, but at the edge of her mind, the mare’s eye still glared at her. At some point, her neck grew slack and her legs bent.

~~~

Twilight awoke to find her head on a pillow. She heard claws drop onto the floor from nearby. Spike came into her view and took a seat beside her bed.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Better.” Twilight smacked her lips. “A lot better actually. Guess meditation is more relaxing than I thought.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “Medi-what-now?”

“A new technique Princess Celestia taught me. I’ll ask her to teach you too.” Twilight threw off the covers and advanced over to Spike. Thinking over what had transpired, she stopped a few feet away from him and pressed her lips together. “What about you? How are you feeling?”

“Still a little out of it,” Spike sighed. “I mean, I feel bad for yelling at the Princess after all she’s done for me, but not dealing with that mare after what she did to us still really ticks me off.”

“I know.” Twilight got closer and gave Spike a pat on the shoulder. “But Celestia does have a point. You may not have been there, but that mare is strong, stronger than any manticore. The only way we’re gonna learn more about her and fight her is to get stronger. Overall, I definitely don’t want to do it again anytime soon, but defeating a manticore has got to be a good milestone on the way to becoming a hero. So, are you still in this, partner?”

“How can I say no to that?” Spike chuckled and shook his head. Clenching his fist, he gave Twilight light thump on the chest. “No way am I letting that mare or anypony else get the better of us. Plus, I’ve got a reputation to uphold as the soon-to-be greatest dragon hero in Equestria.”

Twilight smirked. “Didn’t the Princess say there was only one other dragon hero…” Her hoof lifted from Spike’s shoulder and tapped at her chin. “I should really look into whoever she is sometime.”

The air behind Twilight warped and grew warm. With a flash, Celestia appeared behind them. “Do you really think you have time for that with all your training?”

Twilight yelped and jumped up. However, she was still quite close to Spike, so when she launched into the air, one of her hooves decked him right on the schnoz. Stumbling backwards, he smacked into a pillar supporting a large orange and black vase depicting blocky ponies playing a variety of ancient instruments. The vase wobbled and then crashed to the floor. Its shattered remains petrified Spike and Twilight.

With a sigh, Celestia shrank down. “I should have saved my pranks for when I was more rested.”

“Please tell me that wasn’t priceless,” Spike managed to choke out.

Celestia offered Spike a sheepish grin. “Well, it cost me twelve dongolas at the time if that makes you feel any better. Just, um, don’t look up how much that costs now. Given how I’ve acted recently, consider that repayment.”

Spike was silent for a moment. A nudge in the ribs from Twilight stood him straight up, but he quickly bowed his head. “I’m sorry too, Princess. Just the thought of what that mare did makes me want to spout flames, but if it hadn’t been for your training, we could have ended up a lot worse. So, please let me continue to get train with Twilight.”

Celestia smiled. “Apology accepted. Now, it’s getting quite late, so what say we get Twilight home and get ready for tomorrow? You’ve had a well-earned break, but we can’t let up on your training.”

“Yeah!” Spike and Twilight replied, pumping a claw into the air and stomping a hoof.

~~~

The manticore battle and the encounter with the mare had left a mark, but the entrance exam was still fast approaching. The group resumed their daily regimen in the Everfree. With each passing day, the pile of rocks and cinders grew larger, as did the rocks and saplings themselves. Twilight could not help but smile the first day she felled an actual tree. True, she did not tear it out of the ground, roots and all, like she imagined Celestia would have, but the exhilaration she felt when her spell finally cleaved the trunk from the base was worth it. Celestia had said she just needed to clear the sector, she did not say how Twilight could accomplish the task.

Every day, when the sun began to sink to the west, Celestia would give Spike and Twilight a five-minute warning to wrap up whatever task they were on. Their pace quickened to get one last boulder out of the Everfree, or cut down one last tree, or incinerate one last pile of timber. But, when Celestia called the time, they stopped and sat down beside her to meditate.

For most days, it was a relaxing note to end training on. On some days though, the sweltering heat or the torrential downpours made meditation just as difficult a task as clearing the Everfree. When the hot air assaulted them or the rain filled wind whipped them, Twilight and Spike remained seated and focused on their breath and clearing their mind. Through it all, Celestia sat still as a statue, the only sign of life from her was the slight rise and fall of her chest.

For Twilight, the meditation carried an additional challenge. Every couple of days, the mare’s eye would appear when she closed her eyes. To disrupt her breathing and break her concentration, it would summon memories of the manticore, conjure images of Shining, Spike, her parents, Celestia, and even Sunset crushed under claws or hooves, or just try and pierce through Twilight’s mental fortitude to instill the instinctual terror. These attacks came most frequently on days when Twilight was already spent from cutting down trees and hauling off boulders. Sometimes, they succeeded and left Twilight gasping for air with her stance broken.

When this had first happened, Spike had stopped his own meditation and gotten up to go to Twilight’s side. A raised hoof from Twilight had given him pause. Inhaling deeply, Twilight took her seat, diving back into the exercise even with the mare’s eye still upon her. With Twilight back to her meditation and Spike lingering on Twilight for a moment before sitting back down again as well, neither noticed the small smile on Celestia’s lips.

~~~

Twilight forgot which day it was, but there was one time she was showering after a harsh day of training. From the tip of her horn to the end of her tail, everything was sore and throbbed. At least the shower helped wash off the sweat and grime. Yet, as it did, Twilight noticed the definition in her leg muscles and the rigidness of her barrel. It was not close to Celestia’s frame or even Sunset’s, but it still made Twilight marvel over her change from a scrawny filly.

Unicorns in general were not particularly known for physical strength. Magic was their forte. Even most unicorn heroes were not known for physical prowess. Training anything but her horn had always been on the back burner for Twilight. The way reading texts and learning about spells entrapped her had cemented an unbalanced focus on magic. She could only recall a brief period of time when she had devoted herself equally to both magic and physical fitness.

***

Sunset ground her hooves to a halt, sending up a cloud of dust. Sweat glistened off her. With a snort, she glared back. Twilight stumbled forward, gasping for air and yards behind Sunset. When she finally reached Sunset, she fell to her knees.

“Really, Twilight?” Sunset growled. “This was your idea after all.”

“I…” Twilight wheezed. “I know. Just gotta… gotta get used to it. Nothing like P.E.”

“Damn straight. You don’t shape up soon, you’ll get a snail as a cutie mark.” Lighting up her horn, Sunset summoned a bottle of water from her bags. “Get some and then we’re on to the circuit. Think you can handle it?”

After Twilight gulped down some water, she nodded. “Yeah!”

With narrowed eyes, Sunset spun around. “Yeah, we’ll see.”

***

Twilight flexed a leg and smiled. “I guess we will, Sunset.”

Author's Note

Anyone else feel like they tried to get Sam Elliot to also star in the new ep but he didn't take so they were just like "Eh, let's just make this stallion look and sound like him. The fans will take the Big Lebowski jokes from there."

Race to the Finish!

On the second-to-last day of summer, and two days before the exam, Twilight fidgeted a little in her dress. The discomfort of having to cancel training early with so little of the Everfree left combined with the strained trappings of the dress. All her new muscle did mean a bit more weight.

She made a mental note to take her measurements. It was too late to change what was on her admission forms, but she could always ask Celestia. That might be too suspicious though. She recalculated and decided to look into the staff at the School and see if she could contact the Costuming Department.

A clink broke her rambling thoughts. She blinked and realized everypony else at the table had raised their glasses. Her own glass shot up and crashed into the other three, sending shards and cider onto the table. Twilight turned beet-red. “Sorry!”

Shining stared at his broken glass and then chuckled. “Geez, Twily, this was supposed to be the nice dinner, not the brawl my mates are planning.” He set the glass down and helped Night Light and the waiter that had rushed over clean up the mess. While he picked up the shards and dotted the soaked tablecloth with a napkin, he said, “Honestly though, I’m glad to see all that training you’ve been doing at that lab has paid off. You’re looking more like a true hero every day.”

“It has been good,” Velvet mused. “Though they really misrepresented how intense it would be. It’s not exactly hard to count the amount of times you’ve made it to your room on your own this summer, Twilight.”

Twilight kept her gaze lowered. “It isn’t that bad.”

“Ah, don’t be too hard on her, mom,” said Shining. “It sounds like she’s really put her all into this and getting the hang of her cutie mark. Practically feels like this dinner is as much for her as it is for me.”

“Shiny, stop it.” Twilight gave him a jab to the shoulder. “You’re the one making lieutenant.”

~~~

It was the last day of summer. The day in the fashion district felt like a millennium ago. The morning air was cooler now and carried faint scent drying leaves on it. Spike, Twilight, and Celestia stood before the edge of the Everfree. All around them was scorched earth and pits where trees and boulders had once rested. The true interior of the Everfree was a thick green and blue backdrop to the barren landscape. Only one extension burst out of it: an area laden with boulders the size of small hills and thick trees. One towered above the rest and matched the columns that supported parts of Canterlot Castle in size.

“Is it weird that I kinda miss the Everfree a little?” Spike asked while scanning over the blackened ground. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the training, but this just seems a little desolate.”

“Yes, it would be a shame to leave the land in this state. That’s why, when knights normally do this work, they reseed the area once they are finished clearing it,” said Celestia. The grin that sent chills down Spike and Twilight’s spines appeared. “So, you have your work cut out on your end, and so does the squadron coming this evening. Though, if you finish up, they’ll be heading in quite early as well.”

“You’re sending a squadron here?” Spike asked while a lump formed in Twilight’s stomach. “You aren’t worried about them seeing you like this?”

“Oh, I’ll make sure to keep myself concealed if you aren’t finished by the time they arrive.” Celestia raised a hoof to her chin. “You know I’ve always wanted to see the look of pure catharsis on a new lieutenant’s face when he’s the one finally giving orders.”

Under the hot sun, Twilight felt the world turn to ice. “You didn’t.”

“Consider having to explain things to your brother that last bit of motivation you need to finish the task.” With a chuckle, Celestia turned and strutted over to the last remaining bit of extra Everfree. “Don’t get too riled up though. You both still have an exam to take tomorrow.”

~~~

Twilight and Spike worked like fiends. The former’s horn and the latter’s throat burned through the day. Boulders were sliced into manageable chunks and trees were felled at an astonishing speed. When a spot was finally clear of both rock and foliage, Spike sent out a blast of flame to scorch the earth and remove any roots he or Twilight might have missed.

By the late afternoon, the boulders were gone, and ash blanketed the ground. Only the single behemoth of a tree remained. Its roots alone were as thick as a regular tree’s trunk, but only the uppermost ones broke through the surface. How deep the rest of its roots went was anypony’s guess.

“What’s the plan?” Spike glanced at the sun as it dropped westward. “Should we burn it?”

“Can you?”

Spike brought a claw to his throat. It was hot to his touch and would have burned a hoof. Inside, he felt how dry it was. Swallowing was getting difficult and even breathing stung a little. “If we didn’t have the exam tomorrow, I’d be willing to do it.”

“We’ll dig it out then.” Aura swirled around Twilight’s horn and seized a block of dirt from under the tree. The force of the spell yanked at Twilight’s skull, cracking a few vertebrae on her neck. With a huff, she undid the spell and let the dirt drop to the ground. “Expose the roots, disconnect them, and then let gravity handle the rest. Once its connection with the Everfree is gone, it will be a lot easier to manage. Sound like a plan?”

“And I just wanted to burn the damn thing,” Spike quipped before he bent down and raked his claws through the dirt. Dragons were built to burrow through mountains in search of gems and spaces to guard their hoards, so the damp dirt of the Everfree was no match for Spike’s claws.

At least, if his claws were pristine, but the work of slicing both wood and rock had left them dulled and sore, slowing Spike’s work. The fervor that had taken hold of him and Twilight in the race to finish clearing the sector was fading with the day, and the ache and stiffness in his arms was growing.

The same could be said of Twilight’s horn. It constantly throbbed now. The heat coming of it forced more sweat onto Twilight’s brow.

Yet, neither let up. They dug deeper, scooping mound and mound of dirt away from the tree and exposing more and more gnarled roots. Celestia observed them from atop a charred piece of rock, but also kept an eye on the advancing trail of dust coming from the direction of Canterlot. She smiled when Twilight and Spike shoveled out dirt and found only more dirt below. Her ears then perked up when the wind carried the echoes of hoofbeats and the clinking of armor.

“They’re getting close!” Celestia called out.

“Twilight, get back!” Spike barked, inflating his chest. “I’ve got t—”

“No.” Past the sweat and labored breath’s, Twilight’s eyes were focused and fiery. “You are not blowing it here and failing the exam tomorrow. What’s one tree compared to a manticore? Just stay calm and we can do this.”

“Heh, looks I’ll be the brash gruff one in our partnership then.” Spike turned away from Twilight and unleashed a concentrated jet of flame at a root. Over the summer, Spike had gotten more precise in controlling his flames, and was now able to send them out in a variety of ways. When he focused them down into a thin beam, the flames glowed white with a brilliant green outline. Instead of crisping the root, his flame sliced it clean apart.

As more roots blackened and spewed blue fumes, the sounds of the squadron reached Twilight and Spike. They were still too distant to make out individual voices, but they were growing louder. Spike blew more flames while Twilight tore out the roots.

Just as they finished separating all the roots, Celestia poked her head in. “You’ve got five minutes at best. This is a particularly difficult tree, and you’ve done well, so let’s call it a win.”

Twilight stared up at Celestia and then shook her head. “Thank you for the heads up, Princess, but we can do this. Five minutes is just what I need for my escape plan.”

“Oh?” Celestia grinned. “You had time to come up with an escape plan through all this work?”

“A hero always thinks on her hooves.”

“Excellent. I leave it to you then.” Celestia pulled back from the hole. With a flash, she assumed her empowered form. A quick zap of her horn and her body blended into the air.

“Just keep an eye out for us!” Twilight called out. “This plan is really only good for short distance retreats right now!”

For a moment, Celestia pondered Twilight’s words. Then, her invisible eyes widened. When did she learn that?

A glow enveloped the tree. Light poured out the hole underneath it. Underground, Twilight closed her eyes and focused on the spot in the grassy plain she had marked and rechecked throughout the day. In total, she was now a little less than five hundred feet away.

Some of the boulders had been closer, but their mass would have put too much strain on her. The time constraint made it so that carving up the boulders and handling the smaller trees first was the most efficient plan. Plus, it allowed Twilight to conserve a portion of her strength. Factoring in her and Spike’s exhaustion, leaving the tree for last had seemed like the most practical choice. Now she just had to use what strength she had left to draw her trump card.

As the spell grew brighter, she felt a bit of pride in having kept her ace a secret from Celestia. If Celestia had known she had a way to escape with the tree at the last second, she may have made the situation a bit more challenging than it already was.

“Spike?” she asked. “We got all the roots, right?”

“Yep!”

“Then hold on to me,” Twilight ordered. Spike listened and grabbed onto Twilight. “This may be a little rough!”

~~~

Shining fought with all his might to contain his grin. Everypony knew freshly-minted lieutenants derived a comedically sadistic pleasure from the first time they got to lead greenhorns into the Everfree, but he was still a commanding officer. He had to be a strong example to his men, no matter what the task was.

The instruction of his drill sergeants and his own commanding officers still rang clear in his mind: even the best knight falters under a weak lord. True, the aristocracy had long since ceded personal armies to a national force, but the saying was still instilled into every cadet and remembered by those who wanted to do more than just grunt work.

Yet, it was entertaining to watch the bravado of the greenhorns fade away as they advanced closer and closer to the Everfree. This was the real deal. A tame introduction compared to dealing with rogue buffalo or securing trade routes up north that more seasoned knights handled, but the Everfree was a whole different league compared to Basic.

When the tips of the trees came into view, the greenhorns’ steps grew shorter and their jokes drew chuckles rather than guffaws. Shining had considered teasing them with a few stories of cragadiles or ursa majors, but those were just tales used to throw greenhorns off-balance.

On their first day, Shining wanted them to get used to the work and how the Everfree resisted magic. In Shining’s view, it was much more fun to wait until they were comfortable working in the Everfree to leave a few scratch marks on the trees and snap some twigs. The “Manticore on the Prowl” prank never failed, even if greenhorns knew it was coming.

A blaze of purple light broke Shining out of his mischievous planning. He gave an order to halt and watched whatever the light was blast into the sky and then vanish. It almost looked like a spell, but the size and intensity of the aura could only have come from an expertly trained mage. Faced with a variety of unexpected factors, Shining recalled his training, and he tightened his muscles.

“Men,” he said. Gone from his tone was the put-on harshness he had based off his drill instructor. Now, his words came out clear with precise pronunciation so no meaning could be lost or misunderstood. “That was an unknown. What do we do with an unknown, Brick-a-Brack?”

“I, uh,” Brick-a-Brack stuttered before finding his voice. Straightening up, he answered loudly, “Report to the commanding officer and then wait for orders, sir!”

“Correct.” A sheet of paper and a ballpoint pen flew out of Shining’s bag. He scribbled out a note and then sent it off with a spell. “And I then send a report to my commanding officer back in Canterlot. As a lieutenant, I then have a choice: wait for orders if possible or take the initiative and investigate further.

“On assessment, I have with me a squadron of combat-ready knights with full provisions and gear. Our squadron includes all three races with various talents that have been honed through Basic. Were we at the end of our first day, the former option would be my choice, but this is now your chance to make your first ‘trimming’ interesting. So, we will take up a reconnaissance formation and advance on the unknown.”

“Yes, sir!” the squadron replied in unison.

The squadron’s close-knit square dispersed into a diamond with unicorns at the four corners. The knight at the back corner cast a spell so his vision reversed and he once more saw Canterlot in the distance. The other unicorns, with Shining in the lead, cast enhancements on their eyes so even the distant mountains’ rocks and crevices appeared defined.

The pegasi in the squad quietly launched off the ground and kept to a low hover. The earth ponies of the squad filled in the gaps in the perimeter while a few remained in the center with everypony else’s gear on their backs. A faint outline of magic covered those in the center, rendering them and the rustling from their bags silent.

When the formation was secure, Shining cast another spell. The squadron felt a tingle at the back of their minds and then Shining’s voice resonated in their heads. Be ready with evasive and defensive maneuvers. Advance.

The order was met with a slow uniform trot by the ponies on the ground and an in-synch flap of the wings by the pegasi in the air. When the grass ended, Shining halted the group again. He bent low, scooped up a part of the blanket of ash on the ground and let it slip from his spell and back into the dirt. As it passed through his magic, he faintly sensed that two other types of magic had left a trace on the ash. One was certainly from a unicorn, but the other thaumic trace was unfamiliar. Combined with how much time had passed since the ash had been created, the traces were a dead end alone.

Given the uniform desolation around him though, a picture of what had happened started to form. His jaw clenched. He was certain he had not misread the map or his orders. Still, the situation and ensuring his squadron’s safety took precedence over covering up a mistake if he had made one. Night Owl, repeat our assignment orders.

The voice of one of the pegasi chimed in Shining’s head, Orders were to clear sector zero-six by thirty-two, sir.

Confirm our location.

Zero-six by thirty-two, sir.

Something was amiss. An error in orders was not unheard of, but Shining had been extra diligent in reviewing his assignment and studying the maps. There was no indication that another squad had been anywhere close to this sector. Yet, here he was, amidst a razed but unseeded forest. The thaumic trace and the uniform row of trees in the distance were clear signs that a forest fire was not to blame.

His horn glowed and his vision shifted from enhanced and turned the world into one mainly comprised of black. Around him were pony-shaped masses of mostly green energy with wings, horns, and hooves painted purple. A kaleidoscopic mishmash of color swirled in the distance. Blue spots dotted the void underneath him. Scanning over the area, he noted pits of green and even purple here and there.

He did his best to get a general sense of the thaumic imprint on the land before he turned his attention to where he had first seen the flash. With regular eyes, that area was just empty space now, but under his spell, it was like a blinding beacon. Spots of purple and red eveloped in a field of green surrounded it. The imprint itself was red on its edges and white in its center. The magic was so intense that when Shining acclimated to the glare, he could see that a tree had once stood there based on just the outline of energy. However, the magic was so concentrated at its base that he could not even stare at it let alone make out its shape.

Canceling the spell, he stared at the spot. To the naked eye, it was just a hole in the ground. With a raised hoof, he ordered an advance. Close up, he saw there were blackened roots poking out of the hole. They still smoked.

“What in Tartarus…” he muttered.

As if in response to his confusion, his horn suddenly lit up with golden aura. A letter popped into existence that Shining grabbed with a spell. His eyes widened when he saw the that letter was not sealed with the Guard’s stamp, but with the royal emblem. With care, he broke the seal and pulled out the letter.

To Lieutenant Armor,

My deepest apologies. There has been an oversight regarding the training of my personal students and your orders. I have informed your commanding officer of the situation and told him to relieve you of duty for today. Please return to Canterlot. Again, my apologies.

Her Majesty,

Princess Celestia

Shining reread the letter three more times. He did a thaumic scan to be extra sure it was genuine. When the scan revealed a trace that was gold in color, he canceled the spell, carefully folded the letter back up, and placed it in his saddle bag. With the letter secure, he made a mental note to get it framed. Twilight would not believe it when he showed it to her on his next break.

“Men,” he said, bringing his attention back to the present. “I have just received an explanation from the Princess herself. There is no mention of security or classification of this communication, but since there has been no official word from the Castle on this matter, I want our lips sealed. That being said, get a good look around you. What we’re seeing is the work Princess Celestia’s newest students.”

Shining smirked watching the tension evaporate from his squadron and give way to admiration and wonder. One of the earth ponies remained alert and drew closer to Shining. His name was Ironside, which fit well with his silver mane, dark grey coat, and massive frame. Given that he hailed from the frontier, Shining had to wonder if Ironside’s size came from at least some buffalo ancestry.

“Sir? If I may?” he asked.

“Yes, what is it?”

Ironside bent down and ran a hoof through the ash. “I’ve seen this kind of ash before. Regular fire can’t create something so fine and uniform. We could find ash like this near the mountains back home, but, if we ever did spot any of the stuff, we turned tail as fast as we could. There’s only one creature in Equestria the creates ash like this.”

“Hmm. That would explain the other thaumic trace. Makes sense that the Princess’s students would be training to deal with dragons after that incident a few months back, and this isolated area makes for a safe training ground.” Shining scooped up some ash out of the hole and cast a spell on it.

The trace was clearer now. Unlike the chaotic magic that flowed from the Everfree or the simple outlines pony magic left, a fresh trace of dragonfire appeared to Shining as crackling embers. It glowed the same colors as pony magic though. The warm ash floating before Shining was a collection of reds and purples. A few spots were already turning green.

“It is a little odd,” Shining mused. “This trace has to be fresh, but I’m getting a read from whom I’m guessing is Lady Ember and only one other trace. I was sure the Princess said stude—”

Shining paused.

“Sir? Ironside moved a little closer. “Is everything okay?”

With a blink, Shining canceled his spell and let the ash drop back into the hole. “Er, sorry. Ironside, let’s go off record for a minute, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, I think the unexpectedness of this all might be messing with my head.”

“Sir?”

“Nothing serious, so no need to worry. It’s just the strangest thing. If I have misread anything today, it must be this, but I know this trace. Or, at least I know one like it, but it can’t be. The last time I did a trace on her was years ago and that was when I was still a colt, just messing around.”

Ironside raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you know who one of the Princess’s new students is?”

“No.” Shining shook his head and laughed. “That’s what I mean when I say something must be up with my head. I’m probably just remembering things wrong. That makes a whole lot more sense than me being right.”

“And why is that?”

“Because,” Shining chuckled, “it would have to mean my sister, who just got her cutie mark, was out here, training with a dragon, clearing this entire sector, casting what I can only assume was a teleportation spell, and is Princess Celestia’s new student. I’ve hauled off vagrants spouting less gibberish than that.”

Ironside tried and failed to restrain a laugh. He then stiffened. “I apologize, sir. I’m sure your sister is quite talented. You just made it sound very funny.”

“No worries.” Shining glanced at the hole and then at the first stars of the evening. “My little sister has done well training this summer from the looks and sounds of things. I’m sure she’s gonna be a great hero, but that’s in the realm of reality. Her being here is just…”

Shining’s brow furrowed for a moment, but Ironside’s words pulled him out of his thoughts. “Best of luck to her.”

“Okay then, enough chitchat.” Shining strode away from the hole and faced his squadron. “Men, prepare to return back to Canterlot. Don’t think you’re getting off easy. Every mile on the way back, we will circulate between a march, a buffalo run, and leap frogs. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir!” they all responded.

“Then move out!” Shining ordered.

~~~

Spike watched Shining from afar. He remained crouched behind the felled tree, praying for Shining and his squadron to not advance any closer. Twilight lay beside him, letting out small snores.

As soon as they had reappeared, Twilight had displayed a giddy grin. Then, she had collapsed. Her horn was neither smoking nor blackened though. When Spike had pressed a claw to her chest, he had felt a steady heartbeat. Biting his claws, he opted to hunker down and wish with all his heart that Celestia would show up and get him and Twilight out of there.

Thoughts ran wild in his head when Shining approached the hole he and Twilight had been in just minutes beforehand. Twilight had told Spike about him. Spike chalked a bit up to familial admiration, but it was clear from all the stories Twilight told him that Shining Armor was intelligent, strong, and an adept magic user. Seeing him in the flesh, casting spell after spell, and handling a squadron and a bizarre situation with ease assured Spike that Twilight was not exaggerating when she had gushed about how Shining was set on being the Captain of the Guard.

It also assured Spike that Shining probably knew trace and tracking spells. While Twilight slumbered as if back in her bed, Spike was at full attention. He knew a teleportation spell left a huge thaumic trace, but he also knew the trace was so intense that, close-up, it was near-impossible to track. His heart still caught in his throat when he saw Shining pull some ash out of the hole.

Then, he saw a flash of gold from Shining’s horn. Spike watched him read the letter, talk with another knight for a second, and then round up his squadron. When they turned back towards Canterlot, Spike let out his breath and slumped down next to Twilight.

“My goodness! You made it just in time!” The air parted like a curtain, revealing Celestia standing right by Spike. He yelped and launched into the air, only to fall and bump his head on the tree. Celestia chuckled. “Sorry, thought one surprise deserved another.”

Rubbing his head, Spike looked down at Twilight and then up at Celestia. “Princess, I think we need to get Twilight some help. She passed out as soon as we got here.”

“I noticed.” Celestia bent down and scooped Twilight onto her back. “Ever have that woozy feeling when you stand up too fast?”

Spike nodded.

“Magnify that by a hundred and you have teleportation sickness. If I had known Twilight was already capable of self-teleportation, I would have warned her. Quite the little trump card she had on me.”

“So, she’ll be okay?” Spike asked.

“After a good night’s rest, which is well deserved.” Celestia beckoned Spike closer. As she lit up her horn, she glanced back at Twilight slumbering atop her back and smiled. “She’s done better than even I anticipated. As for you, Spike, your control of dragonfire is something to be very proud of at such a young age.”

Spike blushed and grinned. The glow from Celestia’s horn spread down her body and enveloped Twilight and Spike.

“No matter what happens tomorrow, know that you and Twilight are destined for great things,” Celestia continued. “Everything you two have endured this summer is a testament to that.”

“Couldn’t have done it without Twilight,” Spike replied. “When she sets her mind to something, she can really pull through… after babbling about all the different plans and scenarios for five minutes.” Spike glanced up at Celestia. “Don’t tell her I said that last part.”

A laugh rang through the field and then a flash illuminated it.

~~~

A knock at the door summoned Velvet to the front of the house. When she opened it, her eyes narrowed at the sight of Hoofenbacker with Twilight on his back. Before either anger or concern could fully manifest, confusion came to the forefront of Velvet’s mind when she spotted a familiar purple and green dog beside Hoofenbacker’s leg.

“Good evening, Ms. Velvet,” said Hoofenbacker.

“Is it?” Velvet asked, eyes centered on Twilight. “My daughter doesn’t look so good, and this isn’t the first time.”

“My deepest apologies.” Hoofenbacker bowed his head, allowing the locket around his neck to swing towards the ground. “Oh, but Ms. Velvet, if you had seen Twilight today, you vould not believe your eyes. She’s not only made great strides over zis summer, but she’s helped so many of our other patients improve as vell… including my daughter.”

Velvet glanced down at Spike, then at the familiar lockets. The dots connected and her anger waned. “You’re Sunny’s…” She coughed into a hoof and collected herself. “That’s all well and good, but then you should also understand why I am not pleased seeing Twilight like this almost every night.”

“I know,” Hoofenbacker sighed. He raised his head and displayed a small smile. “Twilight has given it her all zis summer. I could not be prouder of her. Again, my apologies if zis training has worried you, but I doubt Twilight vill ever need our services again. Best of luck to her tomorrow.”

Hoofenbacker lit up his horn and transported Twilight over to Velvet. As Velvet secured Twilight onto her back, Hoofenbacker turned to leave.

“Wait,” Velvet called out. Hoofenbacker stopped. “I know this hero business is dangerous, and with the way Twilight has been for most of her life, I’ve always worried about her. I may not have appreciated having to lift her up the stairs some nights, but you’ve helped her more than anypony else has to achieve her dream. Plus, Twilight has always had a bit of trouble making friends, so seeing her bond with your daughter meant a lot.”

“It meant a lot to her too,” said Hoofenbacker. Velvet did not notice his accent had vanished. “Sunny may appear very energetic, but these last few years have been hard on her. Despite that, Twilight inspires her to work hard. Even without magic, Twilight has given her a place in this world.”

Velvet looked back at Twilight slumbering away. “You should really tell Twilight that sometime.”

Hoofenbacker grinned. “She already knows.”

~~~

Twilight opened her eyes. Her head then shot up as she recalled casting the teleportation spell. She was certain she had made it to the field, but then she everything had blurred before going black. A myriad of reasons for the sudden loss of consciousness flooded her mind, but a chill brought her attention back to the present.

When she took in her surroundings, her stomach dropped. She was in the void, swirling with that inky substance that shifted between appearing like a liquid, a gas, and a solid. Twilight took up a battle-ready stance.

The harsh clink of armored horseshoes striking each other rang from behind Twilight. She spun. The mare sat before her, as imposing as she had appeared before and in Twilight’s meditations. She rested atop a throne of the amorphous substance, but her relaxed posture did not quell the terror her eyes provoked. “Congratulations on finishing your ‘training.’”

The mare's words made Twilight’s skin crawl. Her legs grew weak, her breath quickened, and her body barked commands to run. With a snort, she slammed a hoof down and glared at the mare.

“So, you do have a spine,” the mare mused. She stood up, throne fading to the void. “Without the Elements though, you’re still just a foal playing hero.”

“I…” Twilight raked what passed as the ground with a hoof. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Everypony is afraid of me,” the mare hissed. “And they have every right to be. I am more powerful than you could possibly imagine. So, save your false bravado, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I know this is a dream.” Twilight dared to grin. “The meditation helped while I was awake, but I read up on lucid dreaming too! Let’s see how you like me as strong as Princess Celestia!”

Twilight closed her eyes and envisioned herself taller, her horn longer, with wings on her back, and the sun itself at her beck and call. When she opened them again, the mare was still standing before her, still forcing Twilight’s rationality to fight against her baser survival instincts. The mare’s lips sharpened into a scowl while Twilight’s grin evaporated.

“Are you done playing make-believe?” she growled. The mare zoomed forward in a shroud of smoke. A hoof caught Twilight in the ribs and sent her flying. While Twilight lay coughing on the ground, the mare advanced over to her. “Your mind is weak, your body is untrained, and your magic is pathetic! It’s time to stop dreaming, Twilight Sparkle, and face reality.”

Twilight managed to suck in enough air to hack, “The Princesses wi—“

“The Princesses are not here now and they will not be here forever!” the mare roared, causing the entire void to shake. The smoke rising out of her helmet grabbed Twilight by the throat, just barely loose enough to still allow Twilight to breath. Pulling Twilight close, the mare bared her fangs. “And their legacy is you, a foal who cannot even summon the faintest glimmer of the Elements’ magic. I’d laugh if it wasn’t m—”

A blast of magic slammed into her left eye. With a pained hiss, she dropped Twilight and stumbled back.

“I’ve been hearing stuff like that for years,” Twilight huffed. “And even if I can’t active the Elements right now, Princess Celestia chose to believe in me. Spike believes in me. I believe in me! No matter what you do, I’m going to be the hero that inherits the Elements! You can’t change that, and whatever you have planned, I’m going to stop you!”

“Foal!” the mare hissed. Removing the hoof covering her damaged eye did not reveal a wound but rather a normal eye with a round pupil. Blue fur instead of black lined it. Sensing the change, the mare turned to hide the transformed side of her face. Her still-slitted eye glared at Twilight. “You and your teacher have no idea what you are doing. That School is useless now! You will learn nothing about wielding the Elements there!”

Twilight’s chuckle made the mare snarl. “Princess Celestia was right, you really do know nothing about the Elements.”

“Do not speak like you know anything about the Elements!” The mare crouched, ready to launch herself at Twilight, but the echo of something ringing invaded the void. The mare’s slitted eye twitched. She jabbed a hoof in Twilight’s direction. “You know nothing, Twilight Sparkle, and I will not rest until you are made aware of just how out of your league you truly are.”

The ringing grew louder. The void brightened to blue and the mare’s limbs turned to smoke.

“I still have a lot to learn, but no matter what, Elements or not, I’ll be here to protect Equestria from evil like you!” Twilight proclaimed.

“Evil?” The mare smirked. Even though Twilight had managed to keep it together, there was something about the mare’s grin that shook something deep in her core: even with fangs, it bore an uncanny resemblance to Celestia’s. The mare’s lips curved further upwards. “See? You know nothing, Twilight Sparkle, and you can do nothing without the Elements. Your exam will be the ultimate proof of that.”

As the mare dissipated into mist, the ringing grew deafening. The space around Twilight went white.

~~~

A purple leg flailed off the bed out of instinct and shut the alarm off. The leg immediately retracted and went to Twilight’s chest. Closing her eyes once more, she sat up and focused on her breathing. The mare and the nightmare faded away. With unclouded eyes, Twilight looked out the window at the sun rising over Canterlot.

The day of the Entrance Exam had arrived.

Author's Note

It's a fic so I can't draw characters like they're straight out of a Todd McFarlane or a Frank Miller comic, but I can still make references!

Speaking of Frank Miller, be sure to check out the free official release of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes!

Hell, they even got down the gritty anti-hero that's definitely a crazy homeless man with a name I'm sure Franky would think of as MANLY, but... Knuckleduster.

Celestia's School for Gifted Ponies

A cool wind prickled Twilight’s skin. Ponies from all three races marched forward around her and Moondancer. Their destination towered ahead. With the lengthy stairs leading up to its main entrance and its tall spires, the School for Gifted Ponies was like a miniature castle. Despite having been in the actual castle, in Celestia’s room no less, Twilight still felt butterflies rise up in her stomach staring at the School.

Moondancer glanced down at her watch. “It’s getting close, you’d better get going. Got all your pencils?”

“Yep,” Twilight replied.

“Erasers?”

“Check.”

“Lunch before the practical?”

Twilight pulled a daffodil sandwich, a bag of chips, and a bottle containing the medicinal brew she had been using all summer. Celestia has assured her that all the ingredients were allowable. As she stowed them back away, she gave her saddlebags a pat. “And quills, ink bottles, tissues, whiteout, ibuckprofen, and an umbrella. Trust me, my mom had me covered.”

“I know. It’s just…” Moondancer pursed her lips. “I barely recognize you, Twilight. With all the stories you tell me about Sunset, I…”

Before Moondancer could say anymore, Twilight grabbed her and brought her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I really wish we could have hung out more over the summer. I promise I’ll keep in touch more now.”

Moondancer chuckled. “Think you’ll have time, hero?”

Twilight smirked. “Well, I will need a manager.”

“You got it!”

“There, uh…” Twilight glanced to the side. “… might be a few specifics we need to work out.”

Moondancer raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“Hey, Twilight!” A purple claw sprouted up amongst the sea of applicants.

“Like him,” Twilight replied with a sheepish grin.

Spike wound through the crowds and joined Twilight and Moondancer. At the sight of a dragon, even a small one, Moondancer tensed up. Spike did not appear to notice. “Hey, know we’re not supposed to talk about things too much, but I’m guessing this is Moondancer, right?” Spike held out a claw. “How’s it going?”

“Um…” Moondancer gawked at Spike for a moment before her head snapped in Twilight’s direction. “Explain, now.”

“Oh…” An unsteady chuckle rose out of Twilight’s throat. She scratched her head while avoiding looking at either of her friends. “Uh, Moondancer this is Spike. We… met through the training lab. Yep, Spike is, uh, a transfer student from the dragon kingdom! And he… he also helped the lab understand dragon magic better!”

Moondancer’s face twitched. With a shake of her head, she sighed and clasped Spike’s claw with a hoof. “Nice to meet you, Spike. I’m Moondancer. Time is short, so I’ll be frank, if it weren’t for Twilight, I’d be a bit more cautious around dragons, and she’s already making this a bad first impression.”

“Little on the nose, eh?” Spike quipped as Moondancer let go of his claw.

Moondancer pushed up her glasses. “Well, I’ve got a billion questions, but now is not the time to ask them. I’m guessing you’re applying for the School too based on that bag.”

Spike gave his bag a pat in much the same way Twilight had. “Yep! Gotta make sure I get in so Twilight and I ca—“

“What in the name of the moon is this?” Moondancer, Spike, and Twilight stiffened. Sunset stood behind them. Despite it still being that last lingering days of summer, the air around Sunset’s face was visible and smoky. Sunset stomped closer, barely noticing Moondancer, lingering on Twilight’s new physique, but mostly focusing on Spike. She drew closest to him. “Mind explaining what you’re doing here, scales?”

Before Spike could respond, Twilight stepped forward. “His name is Spike, Sunset.”

“Out of my way,” Sunset snapped. A flaming hoof surged up to Twilight’s barrel, but it was stopped by a violet shield. Sparks flew off from the shield and the flames. Sunset’s brow furrowed. “So, you didn’t waste your summer then?”

“I’m getting in, Sunset,” said Twilight. “And so is Spike.”

“Yeah, we’ll see.” Sunset pulled back her hoof. With a snort, she bent down to Spike’s eye level. “Sounds like ‘Fizzle’ here knows you. My advice, dragon or not, is to stay clear. She’ll just weigh you down.”

“And my advice, dragon on not, if for you to mind your own bucking business,” said Spike.

Sunset’s horn blazed and her eyes turned fiery. Just then, a few other applicants passed by.

“Hey, isn’t that the filly from the dragon attack?” one of them asked.

“Yeah, pretty sure,” said another.

The fire in Sunset’s eyes went out. Her horn dimmed. She spun, sending up a few sparks. Her glare remained on the group. “I don’t have time to waste on losers today.”

Without another word, she stomped off, leaving hoofprints burned into the grass and the dirt.

When Sunset vanished into the crowds, Twilight turned to Spike. “When did you learn that language?”

“You really never notice how ‘colorful’ some stories can get with their curses?” Spike asked. “Do sailors and cowponies just spend their off-hours coming up with new swear words?”

“I know, right? I mean, I get that it adds a little flavor, but if you’ve got more than five curses a page, just stop.” Both Spike and Twilight looked at Moondancer. She coughed into a hoof. “We, uh, should probably discuss this some other time.”

The wind rustled. Moondancer traced a circle in the ground. Her lip tensed. Taking a breath she straightened up, but kept her eyes to the ground.. “But… I should say this now.” She gulped. “I’m sorry, Twilight.”

Stunned for a moment, Twilight tilted her head and asked, “For what?”

“I… I had doubts about you. Even after all the times you stood up to Sunset, I still didn’t think…” Moondancer sniffled, but then smiled. “I should have known you’d be a hero no matter what.”

Twilight gave Moondancer a pat. “Well, this summer changed a lot of things. I’d be lying if I said I’d have as much confidence now if it hadn’t been for…”

When Twilight paused, Moondancer looked up. With narrowed eyes, she asked, “For what?”

A smile spread across Twilight’s face. “My great teacher and my partner!”

Spike blushed. “C’mon, Twilight, we gotta get go—“

“Attention all applicants! a voice blared. A spell was magnifying it so that it reached everypony’s ears within walking distance of the School. Whatever spell it was, it also added a melodic tinge to the voice, so that every word sounded like it was part of a song record. “You have fifteen minutes to sign in and receive your exam block placement! Exams start in twenty-five minutes!

“Guess that’s your cue.” Moondancer glanced down for a moment before giving Twilight a tap on the chest. “Knock ‘em dead, champ…” Her face grew hot. “Guh, that sounded way cooler in my head.”

“It’s the thought that counts.” Twilight mirrored Moondancer with a bit more a steady bump. “Start thinking of places to celebrate at, cause tonight, we party like it’s Hearth’s Warming Eve!”

“Party?” Moondancer gasped. “Who are you and what have you done with Twilight Sparkle?”

All three of them then had a good laugh. With a wave, Moondancer made her way off to enjoy a few more days of summer. Spike and Twilight turned to face the School. Together, they marched up the steps. Some applicants stared. Whispers about a dragon and Twilight looking familiar wafted through the air.

The duo moved ahead until they reached rows of snaking lines. At the front were tables where applicants confirmed their identities. The ponies handing out the ID badges made Twilight’s heart flutter and widened Spike’s eyes. Zecora, the Hornless Mage, sat at one table. At another, Donut Joe whipped out badges like they were the deceptive pastries he used to serve justice to the wicked. Other heroes checked everypony in, many of them recognizable even in civilian clothing, but some were unfamiliar to Twilight and Spike without their costumes.

Peering ahead, Twilight saw that the mare manning the line she was in fit into the latter category. The three smiling flowers on her purple flanks provided no hint to who she was. Perhaps one of the more secretive heroes that hid their cutie mark to protect their identity.

Before Twilight could ponder more about the mare, somepony tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned, she was met with a yellow pegasus shaking like a leaf. Even with most of her face hidden behind a lengthy pink mane, it was not difficult to see the nervousness etched onto it.

“Oh… um… hello?” the pegasus squeaked.

“Uh, hi? I’m Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight held out a hoof. The pegasus grasped it with such a loose and quivering hold, Twilight could not tell if she was actually shaking it. “Are you feeling okay?”

“J-just a little nervous. I… I’ve heard so much about the k-kind of tests they do.” The pegasus blushed upon the realization she was still holding Twilight’s leg. Her leg snapped back and she hid behind more of her mane. “I… I’m Flu…”

The rest of the pegasus’s words were so soft Twilight could not hear them. She leaned closer. “Didn’t quite get that.”

“I’m Flutte…” The pegasus’s words trailed off again.

Twilight got within inches of her. “One more time?”

“I’m Flu—“

“Hey!” somepony yelled. The pegasus went pale.

A blur of blue with a rainbow streak darted through the crowd. When it came to a stop in front of Twilight, it sent up a blast of air that knocked back her mane and sent a bit of dust into her eyes. Blinking, she was greeted with the ruby-eyed glare of another pegasus. A hoof jabbed into Twilight’s chest. “You messing with Fluttershy?”

“I…” Twilight gulped, unsure how to answer. At least with Sunset, she knew that a flaming hoof was likely to lash out at her. An unfamiliar and ticked off pegasus could attack in several different ways. Her sleek wings could be sharp enough to slice apart flesh and even shield spells. Her legs and barrel were well-toned, so a kick from her could be brutal.

The biggest red flag in Twilight’s mind though was the scar that ran along the pegasus’s right side. It was particularly thick in one area, but unlike most scars that were just a blotch of discolored tissue, this scar sprouted roots that traced along the pegasus’s side.

Lightning was the only force that could deal such a wound, and only an incredibly skilled or an incredibly lucky pony survived something like that. A pegasus with the proper training could redirect and discharge a fatal bolt, but that took complete mastery of weather manipulation and the reflexes necessary to use that mastery just as the lighting met flesh. A split-second off meant death. For a filly to have survived a strike and manage to get medical aid in spite of what must have still been life-threatening injuries was unprecedented. The scar spoke of talent even professionals struggled to attain.

To her growing concern, Twilight spotted two more lightning scars just below the pegasus’s cutie mark. They appeared to have destroyed the lower part of it. Twilight could barely make out that something comprised of blue, yellow, and red streaks had once been there.

The additional scars only confirmed Twilight’s fears: this pegasus did not just survive lightning strikes, she actively sought them out and trained to deal with them. Twilight had read stories and seen pictures of Wonderbolts that gained similar scars after accidents while training to combat massive storms. Pegasi that succeeded in this training method became true masters of the sky, able to soar at unrivaled speeds and summon phenomena that usually took several pegasi to call forth.

Twilight was certain the inherent risks restricted the training to adults, and even then, only to professionals that could obtain a multitude of permits, but that had not stopped this pegasus. Twilight’s brain re-prioritized itself and designated this pegasus a danger on the scale of a concentrated and living storm. One wrong word, a single mistaken utterance, and Twilight imagined herself fried on the spot.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy shouted, shocking Dash, Twilight, and Spike with the sudden outburst. “I was just talking to her. You…” The anger dissipated from face and she shrank back from Dash, hiding behind her mane once more. “You know I like baby dragons, and when I saw T-Twilight stand up to the scary unicorn…”

“Alright, alright,” Dash sighed with a shake of her head. “Just don’t want anything to screw you up today… if you’re still serious about this.”

“Of…” Fluttershy gulped. A bit of resolve firmed up her face. “Of course I am!”

“Then I’ll be waiting for you.” Dash held up the ID card dangling from her neck. A seven-digit number was written onto the top half while a blocky one dominated the bottom. “If you’re in my block, find me, okay?”

Fluttershy lowered her gaze to the floor. “Right.”

With a flap of her wings, Dash took off and vaulted over the crowds. As she did, she raised a hoof to her eyes and then jabbed it at Twilight. Then, Dash was gone.

Fluttershy wobbled but Spike rushed to her side and propped her up. Catching her breath, she murmured, “Th-thanks.” Her pupils shrank and she bowed her head. “I am so sorry! Rainbow Dash is a really nice pony, but she can be a bit…”

“Crazy overprotective?” Spike quipped. Fluttershy whimpered and nodded.

“It’s okay. A little scary to meet a pony that talented, but this is the place for that sort of thing.” Twilight reached out and laid a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “I think we're all a little on edge. She had a point though, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Just gotta do my exercises.”

“Oh?” Twilight grinned. “Like meditation? My teacher showed me a lot of te—“

“Next!” the mare at the table called out.

Twilight blushed, realizing nopony else had paid much mind to the little encounter and had kept advancing forward in line. Everypony behind Fluttershy glared at the group. “Hee-hee, whoops.” Twilight moved so fast she left an afterimage of dust behind. At the table, she blurted out, “Sparkle,Twilight.Applicationnumbersixthreeoneninefour!”

“Riiiggght… Could I get that one more time?” the mare asked. With a face as red as a tomato, Twilight repeated her information at an understandable pace. The mare looked through the list in front of her, made a check on it, and then handed a pass over to Twilight. “Good luck.”

Twilight moved aside, but Spike glanced at her and then at the mare. “Twilight, didn’t you want to ask who she is?”

“I think we’ve wasted enough time, Spike,” Twilight said in a hushed tone, eyes on the disgruntled masses piled up behind poor Fluttershy.

“Oh no worries, I don’t have to look hard for this one,” the mare chuckled as she handed Spike his card. “You can call me Cheerilee, but get in and maybe you’ll see me in costume sometime, especially you, little drake.” The well-polished smile of a weathered teacher curved into a mischievous grin. Cheerilee licked her lips. “I’m curious how dragons fare against me.”

Spike inched back. “We, uh, should probably get going.”

“Uh, Spike?” Twilight pointed to his card. A large one stood at the bottom. Twilight levitated her own card close, revealing a two below her personal number. “Looks like I’ll see you after the exam.”

“Aw, I was hoping we’d kick butt together in the practical,” Spike grumbled. “Hey, wonder where that Fluttershy pegasus got assigned? She said she was interested in baby dragons, so maybe…” He looked up, but Fluttershy had vanished. Twilight and Spike scanned the crowds, but saw no sign of her. “Hey, Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

“Are unicorns the only ponies that can turn invisible?”

“Hmm…” Twilight brought a hoof to her chin. “Well, with the right manipulation of the temperature and the humidity, a pegasus could theoretically create a localized mirage around themselves. That would have to be a special talent though, and Fluttershy’s cutie mark appeared to be butterflies of some kind.” Twilight nibbled on the keratin. “Then again, cutie marks aren’t a surefire indication of what a special talent is. Even if that was the case though, in a crowd this size, somepony would have to have noticed the sudden atmospheric shi—“

“Five minutes to get to your testing location!” the voice rang again.

“Right, can ask her later, maybe,” said Twilight. She gave Spike a jab in the shoulder. “Good luck, partner.”

Spike tapped her back. “You too.”

They smiled and then went off in opposite directions. Twilight followed the signs up some stairs and entered a classroom. She had read brochures and looked up pictures since she was little more than a foal, but actually stepping into the very classroom where the greatest heroes throughout Equestrian history filled Twilight with glee.

The sight of other applicants in deep concentration, and the sealed boxes at the front of the room brought Twilight back to the present. Taking a breath, she scanned the room for an empty seat. While she looked, she spotted Fluttershy near the back with her eyes closed. Measured inhales and exhales filled and emptied her lungs. Recalling Rainbow Dash’s words and out of genuine worry for Fluttershy, Twilight quelled her curiosity and looked elsewhere for a seat.

After a little more searching, she made her way over to a spot in a middle row by a window. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at the filly sitting to her left: an orange earth pony with a stetson hat that made her stand out. The hat had been part of what had led Twilight to notice the spot in the first place. Up close, Twilight saw that the three apples that served as her cutie mark sat atop pure muscle. Twilight could only imagine what those legs could do to an unfortunate villain.

“Can I help you?”

Twilight reeled back, lifting one of her desk’s legs.

“Woah, woah, easy, girl.” In a blur, one of the earth pony’s legs whipped out and grabbed hold of the desk, steadied it, and set it back down. With a sigh, she looked up at Twilight. “Don’t you know it’s a might bit rude to stare though?”

“Sorry.” Twilight bowed her head. “There, uh, aren’t that many earth ponies in Canterlot, and your, um, hat is a bit eye-catching.”

“Well, I’d hope it is, what with it being a family heirloom and a part of my future costume.” She then raised up a hoof and clasped Twilight’s leg. Even having taken in the earth pony’s impressive frame, the strength of her grip still shocked Twilight. “Where are my manners? Name’s Applejack, pleasure to meet you.”

“Twilight Sparkle.” When Applejack loosened her grip, Twilight hoped her relief didn’t show. Her leg stung a bit, though the genuine smile on Applejack’s face told Twilight any harm was unintended.

“Twilight…” Applejack rolled the word around on her tongue. She then clanged a hoof on her desk. “Wait a minute, you ain’t one of those crazy fillies that got caught in that dragon attack, are you?”

“Well, I…” Twilight glanced at the floor. “I mean, Princess Celestia was…”

Before Twilight could say more, Applejack chuckled. “Where I’m from, you do some crazy stuff on the farm, and you do some stupid stuff on the farm, but facing down a dragon has got to be the stupidest, craziest thing I’ve ever heard of. And, trust me on this, given my friend who came along, that is saying a lot.”

“I know.” Twilight frowned. “My parents gave me the scolding of a lifetime.”

“As they should.” Applejack grinned. “I’d take a licking from my Granny too though if my friend’s life was on the line like that.”

Recalling the article making no mention of her relationship with Sunset, Twilight blinked. “How did you know that?”

“Us Apples may not be the smartest bushel, but it doesn’t take a genius to guess what drives a filly to stare down a dragon like that. My honest opinion, they shoulda let you skip all this hoity-toity testing and just give you a license now. You’re a bona fide hero in my books, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Th-thank you.” Twilight almost felt like crying.

“Just telling it like it is. That being said, I’ve got plenty of grit too.” Applejack flexed a leg, enhancing the already defined muscles further. Twilight pondered how long it would have taken Applajack to clear the Everfree and bet it was less than her and Spike. “So, I think this whole exam thing is a load of bu—“

The door to the room slammed shut. A grey mare with a black, silky mane moved toward the front of the classroom. A purple bowtie wrapped around her neck, and a cello case rested on her back. Her hooves clicked against the ground in a steady tempo, like a metronome taking pace.

“The Melodious Mare, Octavia!” Twilight squealed in as hushed a voice as she could manage.

“Big hero fan, I take it?” asked Applejack. “Looks like we ain’t got any more time to chat, but why don’t we have lunch together? I got a pal who’s probably dying to meet you. Kinda impressed she didn’t burst out of her seat to come say hi.”

“Oh, um, sure!” Twilight smiled. She could not recall the last time somepony had asked her to join in at lunch. Sunset had always ensured she and Moondancer were kept isolated in a corner of the lunchroom. Yet now, Applejack was not only going to have lunch with her, but so was somepony else. Twilight made a mental note to ask Fluttershy to join in too if she could find her after the exam.

A string of notes brought Twilight’s attention back to the the front of the room. Octavia had pulled out her instrument and was in the midst of a captivating piece. Despite a lack of a horn, her clef note cutie mark and her bowstring glowed purple. An identical glow pulled the tops off the boxes, and the exams flew out to every applicant’s desk. The aura hummed as it brought out more and more exams guiding them along.

“The exam shall start at the end of this performance,” Octavia said while continuing to play. “This is a closed-book exam. You will have an hour and a half to complete the exam. A five-minute warning shall be provided. If you need extra scratch paper or have to use the restroom, please raise your hoof. Your time begins…” Octavia slashed at the strings with a her bow, leaving a sharp tone to echo through the room. “Now!”

~~~

Ponies pushed and bumped into Spike. He did not mind that as much as the whispers he heard.

“What is that?”

“Why’s a dragon here?”

“What are they thinking?”

Spike flowed along with the crowd until he reached a gymnasium. With the wider space, Spike was able to take a breath and get a better look at the applicants as they made their way to a door leading outside. It was also harder to hear the them whisper.

“Attention Block One!” the voice blared. Spike could now trace that its source was coming from beyond the doors. “You are scheduled for the practical exam first. Anything goes, so in regards to gear, take it or leave it! Wouldn’t mind seeing somepony score some points with an eraser! Time to see if you kids can handle this beat!”

Just as Spike found an open spot and put his bags down, he felt heat flare up from behind him.

“Well, well, well, so I get to see what a dragon runt can do,” Sunset mused. Spike spun and glared up at her. She grinned. “Just be careful not to get in my way out there. I’ve been training hard this summer to deal with dragon scales.”

“That a threat?” Smoke curled from Spike’s mouth. “Twilight’s told me about you. She may be a bit more forgiving, but you’re a grade A jerk in my book.”

“Well, seems dragons can use their brains then. I’m a ‘jerk’ because Twilight’s nothing more than a flea, clinging to other, better, stronger ponies, and now, dragons. It’s pathetic. When she fails today, you’ll see you’re backing the wrong horse.” Sunset snickered and strutted off. “Maybe you can join up with a real hero if you pass.”

Spike smoldered on the spot for a moment. Recalling Celestia’s training, he closed his eyes and took a breath. His claws unclenched and his shoulders slackened. With his mind clear, he stepped forward. He should have opened his eyes first though. Without seeing where he was going, he slammed into somepony.

“Eep!” came the cry of a filly.

“Sor—“ Three diamonds floating in a white void filled Spike’s vision. He gave his head a shake, certain he had not bumped into the filly that hard. When he opened his eyes again, the diamonds were gone and Spike was left staring at the teeming crowds.

He decided to take another breath. The faint scent of a gemstones, finely quality ones and different from the lunch Celestia had provided Spike with, wafted through the air. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Spike mumbled, “Focus. You’re here to pass.”

Making sure to open his eyes first this time, he moved over to the doors and out into the practical exam test site.

~~~

Twilight could feel the warmth coming off her horn as she exited the classroom. Even with all her preparation, the exam had still taken her down to the last second to finish. A part of her was shocked at how difficult it had been even with Celestia’s mentoring, but another part of her told her that Celestia was not a mare that gave handouts.

Still, she had not imagined she would already be thankful for her training. Had it not been for that, instead of her horn just being a little warm, it would be throbbing and useless in the practical. A reminder of how far she had come and the confidence that she had triple-checked her answers kept the growing number of butterflies in her stomach from multiplying exponentially.

“Hoo-wee!” Applejack hollered and gave her hoof a flick. “Thought my head was gonna pop in there. Do we really gotta know all that just to rope varmints off the streets?”

“Heroics requires a deep understanding and obedience of the law,” Twilight answered. “Having costumed ponies running around without regulation would be chaos for the Guard.”

“Shoot,” said Applejack. “This hero stuff is a whole lot different than Big Mac said it would be. I probably ain’t scoring that many points on the essay. Oh well, I’ll just have to make up for it on the practical.”

“I’m sure you did fine.” Applejack’s words flicked a switch in Twilight’s mind. “Wait a minute, Big Mac? As in ‘Barn Razer’ Big Mac?”

“You really are a hero fan if you know him,” Applejack chuckled.

“Well, I mean, I know he’s only part-time, but everypony in Equestria must have heard about the Great Timberwolf Incident.” A twinge of panic stifled Twilight’s excitement. Her gaze again shot down to Applejack’s hind legs. “I’ll, uh, be sure to stay far away during the practical.”

Applejack glanced at her legs and then let out a roar of laughter. Before Twilight could react, Applejack slammed a hoof against her back. “Oh, that’s a good one, Twilight! Me? Pulling off bucks like Big Mac? I wish!” After a few more laughs, she let go of Twilight and straightened up. “Sorry, that was a bit rude. Probably still a good idea to stay clear though. I got my family reputation to uphold, and I don’t intend to hold back.”

“Good to know,” Twilight said as the pair passed through the large doors leading into the lunch hall.

“Now…” Applejack scanned over the room. “Woulda thought she’d come to us.”

“Your friend?” Twilight asked. She swiveled her head around, trying catch a sign of Fluttershy. “What’s she look like?”

“Aw, horseapples,” Applejack cursed while trying to peer over the thick crowd. “If you see anything pink, that’s probably her.”

“Pink?” Twilight grinned at the coincidence. “Is your friend’s name Flu—“

“Flugelhorn?” a distorted voice blasted out from behind Twilight. Instinct forced Twilight to jump back, horn aglow. She dimmed her magic at the sight of a pink filly with an even pinker mane giggling at Twilight’s expense. With a flick of her leg, a horn featuring more loops than a rollercoaster flipped into the air and then sank into the filly’s poofy mane.

In a blink, she closed the distance between herself and Twilight and had her in a hoofshake. While turning Twilight’s leg into a blur, she exclaimed, “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie! I totally recognize you from the papers! You gotta tell me all about fighting that dragon! Or meeting Princess Celestia! Oooh, what’s your talent? Favorite food? What abo—“

Applejack crammed an apple into Pinkie’s mouth and shook her head. “Easy there, you’re gonna overload the poor girl.”

Pinkie inhaled the apple whole. Twilight could have sworn she heard the sound of a vacuum cleaner rising out of Pinkie’s throat. “Um, why don’t we find some seats. Oh! And, uh, I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“Greaty-great-great to meet you, Twi!” Pinkie giggled. “It okay if I call you Twi? That way it rhymes with Pie!”

“That’s, uh, that’s okay.” Twilight spotted a table and made a beeline for it. Pinkie darted ahead of her and plopped down three placards marked RESERVED from somewhere. “It’s better than a lot of other names I’ve been called.”

A frown flashed across Pinkie’s face for a split-second. “Oh, I can call you Twilight then. I’d hate to be anything like a meanie-pants.”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s just…” Through the table, Twilight glanced Pinkie’s cutie mark: a trio of balloons. Another task was added to her mental backburner: find out if three-image cutie marks were growing in commonality. The thought only lasted a second as a million others, all related to the mass of energy calling itself Pinkie, vied for attention. “You’re quite perky for having just come out of the test.”

“I’m just so excited!” Pinkie replied. A hoof shot up to her chin. “Oh no, wait, I’m nervous? Nervoucited? Yeah, let’s go with that.”

“Probably shoulda given you a heads up, Twi.” Applejack pulled out another apple from her bag, two sandwiches, a third apple, a carton of chocolate milk, and an apple fritter. “Pinkie’s a great mare, but she can be a hooffull at first. I’ve been friends with her ever since she came to Ponyville and she still finds ways to surprise me.”

“Surprise is the greatest element of battle!” Pinkie raised a fork high to the air and stabbed a salad that had appeared in front of her. Twilight blinked and glanced under the table. Pinkie had no saddlebags at her side or below her seat. When Twilight raised her head, there was now an array of pastries surrounding Pinkie’s salad. A cupcake had also materialized in front a Twilight while a donut rested beside Applejack’s milk. “And a good way to have fun with friends!”

“You really don’t have to,” Twilight said out of politeness, but her mouth watered at the sight of the cupcake. She had kept to a strict diet all summer long, but hunger and the stress of the exam ebbed at her willpower. “But thank you.”

“No problemo.” Pinkie leaned over the table. “Chocolate’s okay, right? I can do something else if it’s not. I just thought chocolate would be good cause it perks you up just a teensy-weensy bit.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Pinkie.” Twilight grinned. Pinkie’s own smile widened. “You really like making other ponies happy, don’t you?”

“Yep, yep, yep!” Pinkie squeeled. She then traced her hooves up from her lips and wide over her head. “I wanna be a hero that can turn any frown upside down, just like Mr. Ponygliacci!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“Aw!” Pinkie slammed her head into a pie that was suddenly on the table. Pulling her cream-covered face out of the tin, she licked away the majority of the mess, but left two spots that resembled teardrops. “You’ve really never heard of the great Ponygliacci?”

“Can’t say I have,” Twilight replied. “Is he a type of entertainment based hero?”

“I think—no—I’m sure he is, or was.” Pinkie reached up and rubbed her temples at a blinding speed, producing twin trails of smoke. “Guh, why did he have to show up when I was so little?”

“So who is he?” Twilight asked.

“Only the greatest and most amazing party pony hero I’ve ever met! I would never have thought to use my talent to make ponies smile without him!” When Pinkie threw her hooves to the sky, confetti filled the air above her. A serious look crossed Pinkie’s face. Her next words were in a put on gruff tone. “And trust me, I’ve been searching high and low since I was filly, and there’s nopony I’ve met that could match him.”

“Given all the shows she been to, she’s not pulling your leg,” Applejack added. She then crossed her hooves against her chest. “Still think that was a bit of a mean joke telling you he was from Ponyville though.”

“Maybe he was just tired from the trip out to my folks’ farm and made a mistake.” Pinkie flexed a hoof. “But no matter what, I’m going to find him someday and thank him!”

“If he’s a hero, getting your license would give you the connections and the resources to do a more thorough search,” Twilight mumbled. Would it be too suspicious if I asked Princess Celestia and then told Pinkie?

The thought gave her pause. Twilight was not a selfish pony in any sense of the word, but before this summer, she had rarely thought about doing things with others. Even her outings with Moondancer were rare for fear of running into Sunset or other ponies from school. Yet, here Twilight was, sharing lunch with two fillies she had just met and thinking of ways she could use her connections to help one of them.

Staying partners with Spike, living up to Celestia’s expectations, and proving to Sunset she could be a hero had motivated Twilight to recall every scrap of text she had crammed into her brain throughout the written exam. Now, another motivation cemented her determination: to see more of Applejack, Pinkie, and hopefully, Fluttershy too. Maybe Pinkie was a little quick say it, but Twilight had a sense that if she got in and was able to spend more time with these fillies, they could become something Twilight had always wanted more of besides magic and a cutie mark: friends.

Author's Note

Say hi to this Equestria's Mane 6... and a few other characters as well. Time for the real fun to start. Let the theories and guesses roll this Labor Day Weekend!

More serious note: Do you wanna help make Twilight a hero? Do you have experience improving the flow, pacing, grammar, and wording of fimfiction stories (including links to stories you've worked on)? Then there may be an editing position open to you! PM me with a bit of background and your relevant experience and we'll go from there.

Happy reading everyone!

Activation

Spike stumbled back into the gymnasium. His arms ached and hung limp at his sides, and even his head felt heavy. At least a nurse had used a spell to sooth his throat, but the healing left him parched and famished. The ponies around him were in similar states of exhaustion as they picked up their materials and shuffled to the lunch hall.

Only a few ponies walked out of the practical with just a little sweat and slightly quickened breath to show for it. Spike spotted Sunset and Rainbow Dash among that group, but he dared not let his sight linger on either for too long.

A gurgle from his stomach drew his attention. Picking up his bag, and quite more appreciative of Celestia for having gone out of her way to give him some gems, he followed along with the rest of the crowd. Through the musty collective scent of everypony, Spike picked up the smell of gemstones again.

Unzipping his bag enough to stick a claw in, he pulled out a sapphire and gave it a whiff. To a pony, at best, it would have smelled of burnt earth given the fine cuts Celestia had given it. To a dragon, it held notes of cream and something somewhat akin to earl grey. At least, that was the closest scent Spike could attach to it in pony terms.

But the smell in the air, faint as it was, was savory with smoky undertones. Spike’s mouth was already watering from hunger, but he had to wipe his lips when he finally placed the smell. He was certain it had to be a ruby, aged not just by the earth, but by skilled hoof or horn, or maybe even a claw. Spike had not seen any other dragons during the practical, but given what they had all just endured, it would not have been hard to miss another dragon if there was one.

Spike’s curiosity about the mystery ruby and its owner was paused when he saw a sign to the side of the lunch hall.

Nopony In Group One Past This Point

Violators Will Be Dismissed

“Guess they don’t want either group to spill the beans on their part of the exam,” Spike muttered and sighed. “Aw, where should I sit?”

“You can always join me,” Sunset snickered. Spike snorted and glared up at her. Sunset rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop it. Are you really that upset I told the truth about a loser like Twilight?” She grinned at Spike. “You’ve actually got some decent moves on you though. I wouldn’t mind testing my spells against that flame sometime.”

“Keep calling Twilight a loser and you won’t have to wait long,” Spike growled.

“See, that’s why you’re better than Twilight. You actually know when to get pissed off.” Sunset shook her head. “But if you want to keep defending her, it’s quite hilarious to watch.”

With a shrill laugh, Sunset sauntered off. Spike balled up his fists but quickly unclenched them. Fuming over Sunset would get him nowhere. He needed to recover his stamina. Plus, without all the applicants crowding together to get into the lunch hall, it was easier to trace the scent.

A few ponies paused their eating to watch Spike snake through the hall with his nose held high. He was getting closer. He could practically taste the ruby. Certain it had to be within view by now, he looked around. Everypony was devouring their lunch, or doing stretches to work out the ache from the practical, or praying to Celestia or whatever entity that would hear them to let them pass the written portion.

Then, Spike spotted her. She had a snow-white coat, an alabaster horn, and a body that appeared as if sculpted from marble. Everything, from the luster of her fur to the dazzling swirl of her rich violet mane and tail made Spike’s heart flutter. Having three diamonds as a cutie mark was the icing on the cake. Yet, what impressed Spike most of all was that this pony’s radiance did not appear to have suffered one scratch from the practical. Even her hooves glistened as if freshly cleaned.

Just when Spike thought he could not have been any more enchanted by her, the pony looked right and left, and, not seeing anypony with eyes on her, and not spotting Spike due to his height, she pulled out the ruby. It had the deepest, purest crimson hue Spike had ever seen. Its surface was uncut but it still shone brilliantly for the brief second the pony pulled it out of a lunchbox also bearing her cutie mark. Then, she shoved it into her mouth and split it apart with a resounding crack.

Spike’s jaw dropped. When the nurse had healed up the worst of his injuries after the practical, she had warned Spike he would feel a little exhausted. He reached up and smacked himself hard across the cheek to ensure he had not just passed out and was slumbering in the gym atop a heap of gear. The sting assured him he was indeed awake.

Another crunch drew his attention back to the pony. Red tinged her face. She put her head to the table and covered the lower half of it with her hooves while she crushed the ruby between her teeth. Just as she swallowed, she felt something poke her side.

“H-hi, I’m Spike,” he stuttered, his own face now red and hot. One of his feet drew circles on the floor. “I, uh, was really surprised to see a pony eating a gem like that.”

“Y-yes,” said the pony, color draining from her face. Her right hindleg flipped around the bench she was sitting on and touched the ground. “I, uh, should really be going. Must get ready for the test!”

Spike spied an untouched array of fruit and a salad tucked into the pony’s lunchbox. She hastily zipped it up before Spike could ask her about it, and jolted out of her seat. She turned to leave, but Spike called out, “Wait! Can I at least get your name… you know, in case we’re in class together?”

The pony didn’t turn. She stood still for a moment, biting her lip. When she finally unclenched her jaw, her voice was little more than a whisper, but Spike was at rapt attention. “R-rarity.”

“Rarity,” Spike repeated, eyes glazing over as he did. He found the name a perfect match. He refocused. “I…”

Rarity was gone. Spike frowned pondering what had gotten Rarity so spooked. Upon a moment of brief consideration, he chalked it up to regular nervousness about the exam. Deep down though, he hoped he had not embarrassed her by asking about the ruby. Even he knew it was more than a little weird for a pony to eat a gem.

Still, Rarity had lit a fire within Spike, one kindled by mystery. With a jet of smoke from his nose, Spike vowed to work even harder now to pass the written exam. More than just staying by Twilight’s side, he wanted to get to know Rarity more too. Plus, Spike guessed that if there was one gem-eating absolutely stunning pony trying to get into the School, there could be more. Grinning with excitement, Spike sat down and happily enjoyed his lunch.

~~~

Between the chill she may or may not have imagined in the classroom, and the stuffy atmosphere in the gymnasium, Twilight appreciated the fresh air as she stepped outside. A shaky grin came to her face when she saw that just ahead of a red line was a miniature version of Manehatten with some lower level buildings stitched to its edges. There were no lights on, and, barring what was on display in windows, there was no furniture or other fixtures to be seen.

At first, she thought there were ponies wandering the faux-city streets, but closer inspection revealed they were only mannequins. All of them bore a glistening piece of metal in their chests, even the fake-foals in carriages.

“Ooooh.” Pinkie placed a leg to her forehead and looked over the faux-city. “I don’t remember seeing any pictures of this.”

“You probably did,” said Twilight. “Just different. The metropolis testing zone is regularly destroyed as part of classes here. Given the mannequins, we may have a—”

“No spoilers, Miss lavender unicorn!” the melodic voice blared. Twilight looked away from city and was greeted by all the applicants looking at her. Instead of staring back at them, Twilight’s attention was on the electric-blue maned mare standing atop a nearby stage. Her magenta shades hid her eyes, but combined with the headphones over her ears and the cocky grin on her face, she was recognizable to everypony. “Can’t have you stealing my thunder just yet!”

“S-sorry, Ms. S-scratch!” Twilight yelped with her face turning red. Ohmygosh! DJ Pon-3! DJ Pon-3 talked to me!

“Hey!” Vinyl Scratch blared despite not a single amp or microphone in sight. Only her horn was aglow. “This is showtime, so stage names only please!”

Twilight grew even more red and bowed her head. A few ponies snickered.

“Aw, I’m just kidding, just kidding!” Scratch said, words coming out as if they had gone through a synthesizer. “Call me whatever you want… except quiet, cause a hero has always gotta make a big entrance!”

Pinkie’s leg shot into the air first and then the rest of her left the ground. “Even if we’re doing some super-secret spy hero mission thing?”

“Well, I…” Scratch’s voice faltered. She pushed up her glasses to massage her eyes. Before anypony could get a good look at her, she reaffixed them. With a shake of her head, she muttered, “Kids these days.” Her voice then swelled up again. “Okay, enough chit-chat! It’s time for you little kiddies to show us what you’ve got!” Scratch swept a leg over to the faux-city. “As some of you have probably guessed, your exam is going to be an emergency simulation!”

The ground rumbled. Scratch’s grin widened as she watched some applicants stumble while others like Applejack and Twilight crouched and readied hoof and horn. Her sight lingered on Pinkie bouncing up and down to the shaking of the earth for a moment. Then, a rocky paw emerged out of the earth in front of Scratch’s stage. The nearby applicants jumped back.

An earthen diamond dog emerged from out of the ground. A few pebbles tumbled off its blocky body. One of its coal eyes pulled to the right and its head split and reformed with half of it returning to its original shape while the other half morphed into a one-eyed bird. Each flap of its wings sent out a cloud of dust.

The ground rumbled again, with greater intensity this time. A claw shot out of the ground, followed by another one. Twilight stiffened. Some other applicants gulped. Rocks stood in place of a mane and tail, and roots filled in for wings, but the creature that had pulled itself out of the ground was unmistakably a manticore.

“Well, not exactly the most vibrant bunch, but they’ll do for today,” Scratch chimed in. “A bunch of these little guys are gonna be running wild once the exam starts, and it will be your job as heroes to protect the city by any means possible. You’ll get points for every heroic act you commit.” Scratch’s grin sharpened. “We’ve also got a little something special in store.”

“What is it? What is it?” Pinkie asked while bouncing up and down.

“That’s for me and the rest of the staff watching to know, and you to find out. Now, you’ll have ten minutes to show us what you’ve got, two of which will be with our surprise. So, get to the starting line and let’s kick things off!”

Twilight followed along with everypony else over to the starting line, but her attention lingered on the manticore golem. Watching it sink back into the earth reassured her that it was just a creation of magic, a testing tool and nothing more. With a snort, she took a spot beside Applejack and Pinkie.

Applejack adjusted her hat so that was wedged firmly between her ears. “Best of luck to both of you.”

“You too,” said Twilight.

Instead of immediately replying, Pinkie watched her tail flatten and then bend into a square. “Oh, wowza! Be careful of falling down!”

Twilight’s eyebrow nearly flew off her head as it raised up. “What?”

“Don’t question it.” Applejack shook her head. “In a world where ponies can do just about anything with their special talents, Pinkie is in a league of her own.”

“Being quirky is fun!” Pinkie chuckled.

“But what was that?” Twilight asked. “Actually, what is your special talent anyway? It seems like you have se— ”

“Start!” Scratch exclaimed.

“Tell you later, Twi!” Pinkie cartwheeled off into the city, and disappeared into the crowd.

A whoosh of air blew Twilight’s mane to the side. When she turned, Applejack was gone. Everypony raced ahead of Twilight. With a yelp, she galloped to catch up.

Crap! I got distracted! Twilight bounded down the streets. Ponies were duking it out all around her, sending dirt clods flying and rocky limbs flying in all directions.

Applicants were not just fighting off the golems though. Twilight spied a grey pegasus with a ditzy grin in spite of the situation floating away a mannequin mare and her fake-foal on a cloud of bubbles. Up above, an earth pony skittered up the walls and checked inside each floor for ponies.

So that’s how it is, Twilight thought as she approached a corner. Well this should b—

Claws ripped the space in front of Twilight. She swerved to dodge and found herself face to face with a manticore golem. It growled at her, exposing its quartz fangs. Twilight snorted and lit up her horn. Just as the golem raised up a leg to strike at Twilight again, she blasted it right in the face.

“Haha!” she exclaimed watching the dust swirl around where the golem had had a head. “I di—“

The leg slammed down and sliced Twilight’s right foreleg. She jumped back, leaving crimson splatters on the street. Seizing her injured leg, she gasped upon seeing the golem unharmed. A faint blue glow swirled around where Twilight had struck it. That same glow surrounded its granite claws, giving them sickle-like edges.

Twilight’s gut clenched. “No.”

Yes, the mare’s voice hissed in Twilight head as the golem raised up it leg to strike again. This hero nonsense ends here, Twilight Sparkle!

Just as the golem’s leg came crashing down on Twilight, a dumpster slammed into its side. With a snarl, it turned just before a yellow hoof smashed its head apart. Stones and dirt clods smacked against an adjacent wall. Twilight watched the golem crumble with her jaw dangling. Before she could blink, Fluttershy zoomed over and gently took hold of Twilight’s injured leg.

“J-just hold still,” Fluttershy stuttered as she pulled out a roll of gauze and a bottle from her saddlebags. The sting of antiseptic forced Twilight’s eyes to clench while Fluttershy kept her leg still. Through the sear, Twilight felt the impressive grip Fluttershy had on her.

She also felt the tips of something pressing into her fur. Looking down as the pain faded and Fluttershy tended to her wound, she saw thick black claws poking out of Fluttershy’s hooves. Her legs and barrel appeared bulkier as well. The sight that drew the most attention from Twilight though was the pink paw mark on Fluttershy’s flanks. Twilight could have sworn it was a trio of butterflies when they had met in line.

“I…” Fluttershy gulped. Her cutie mark sparked and the claws reformed into full hooves. The trio of butterflies was back. “I’m s-sorry. I wasn’t too rough was I? If I had been q-quicker I m-might ha—”

“It’s fine, Fluttershy.” Twilight gave her leg a flex. It stung to move, but not enough to fully hobble her. “You really saved my hide back there.”

Fluttershy’s head drooped. A few tears dotted her eyes. “N-no. I was s-so scared. I know manticores aren’t that bad if you approach them properly, but seeing that thing attack you…” Fluttershy could not hold it back anymore and let the tears fall. “Rainbow Dash was right, this was a mistake.”

“No.” Twilight stomped her unharmed leg. “Fluttershy, I know how scary this can all be, especially with manticores, but you did manage to save me. Plus, I was fully ready to get a little scratched up. Trust me, this is nothing compared to what I’ve dealt with over the summer. Keep up… whatever that is you did, and you’re sure to get in.”

“Th-thank you,” Fluttershy sniffled. She then wiped her eyes. There was a bit more fire in them now. “You… you’re still hurt though. I can help you get points if you want.”

“I appreciate the offer, but…” A chilling screech interrupted Twilight. She looked up and saw a flock of the bird golems hovering above. Their talons and beaks glinted blue. “Looks like I’ve got a bit more on my plate than the other applicants! Run!”

“You go!” Fluttershy’s cutie mark flashed. Three feathers replaced the butterflies. Her wings lengthened out, the feathers grew longer and slicker, and her eyes sharpened. Spreading her wings wide, she gave them a flap, summoning a gale that blew back a few of the birds. “I’ll hold them off!”

Twilight was paralyzed for a moment. Her heart told her to stay and back up Fluttershy, but instinct was reeling its head up through the back of her mind and telling her to get away from the golems and the mare’s enchantments. Both feelings drove Twilight to focus on the birds. The ones closing in on Fluttershy had lost their glow while the ones darting above Fluttershy’s gales and towards Twilight still retained it. Clenching her jaw, Twilight turned and galloped away. “You’ve got this, Fluttershy! I believe in you!”

~~~

“Oh,” a mare in the center of the darkened room mused. Her horn was the only source of light. The aura coming of it prismed out into several screens that showed group two’s practical from various angles. Behind her goggles, the mare studied the screen displaying Fluttershy blasting back wave after wave of golems while Twilight escaped. “Zat filly may be a little timid, but she haz quite an interesting talent. Have you ever seen anything like it, Princess?”

The question did not reach Celestia’s ears. Her attention followed Twilight as she raced from screen to screen. A bird golem dive-bombed her, razor-sharp magic ready to slice up Twilight’s face. A blast from her horn pushed it back, but did not leave a mark on it.

A diamond dog golem popped out of the ground and swiped at her. Its glistening arm crashed against and shattered a shield, knocking Twilight off her hooves. Scrabbling to get back up, she set her horn ablaze, and the ground beneath the golem caved in and buried it. Twilight sent out a blast that struck it dead on as it flailed under the rubble, but a spectral shield glistened around it. The shield only swirled for a split second before dissipating, so nopony else in the monitor room seemed to notice.

“Princess?” Photo Finish asked. “Iz everything alright?”

Again, Celestia ignored Photo. Her eyes locked onto a wavering mane on the opposite side of the room. A slitted pupil appeared out of the darkness and glared back. Octavia was sitting nearby and she tugged at her necktie and dotted her suddenly sweaty brow with a cloth. Celestia’s attenion remained on the slitted eye. Outside. Now.

Celestia strode out the room, floor quivering with each stomp of her hooves. She marched until she was a good distance away and beside a darkened hallway. When she was certain nopony else was around, she called out, “Luna! I will tolerate this no longer!”

Part of the shadows in the hallway seemed to thicken. A pair of blue eyes appeared from them. “And I will tolerate this hero business no longer. We have a Bearer, sister. She must be trained.”

“By what?” Celestia snapped. “You sicking more beasts on her? More traumatization with a few more nightmares?”

“I am doing what is needed!” Luna growled from the shadows. “I thank the stars we found a Bearer now, before the seals weakened any further, but what do you do? Let our hope—Equestria’s hope— continue living in a fantasy.”

“It is not a fantasy.” Taking a breath, Celestia lowered her head. “I have born the Elements all these years, and what is required is more than brute strength and more than superb skill. Twilight will find what she needs at this School more than anywhere else.”

“We do not have time!” Luna hissed. “You know as well as I do that that dragon attack was no stroke of bad luck. We already failed in the Frozen North, Tartarus is next, and then…”

“Discord will never reign again!” Celestia stomped hard enough to crack the tile.

“Just like Sombra would never get free?”

Celestia snorted. “He’ll never recover. When Twilight is trained, I’ll make tracking him down a top priority.”

“And when will that be?” Luna asked. The shadows writhed and lashed out from the darkened hallway and into the light. “A year? A decade?”

“You know the answer as well as I do,” Celestia shot back.

“But I know something more: Twilight Sparkle needs our direct instruction.” The shadows pulled back. Celestia leveled her gaze at Luna’s eyes. Luna sighed, but then glared back at Celestia, pupils now slitted. “You have forgotten why we created this School, Celestia. It is time to do away with these ridiculous heroics!”

Celestia ground her teeth. “You are out of line, Luna. Twilight is ready for this, and if you do anything else to impede her, I am dispelling you.”

“I fully believe you would.” Luna glanced at Celestia’s horn. “Do what you will with me later, but right now, it is time for me to show these ‘heroes’ what they will face if we fail in training Twilight.”

Luna’s eyes then vanished and the shadows thinned. Heartbeat quickening, Celestia raced forward into the darkened hallway. “Luna? Luna! What are you do—“

In the empty hall, Celestia shivered. Her mind raced to figure out what Luna could do. The shields and the enchantments on the golems were subtle enough to go unnoticed, but anything more would draw attention. A memory returned to her and stole her breath.

“Luna, I need to focus on Twilight’s training, can you handle this matter with entrance exams? Celestia had asked.

“Very well,” Luna had sighed. Her attention had been upwards on the radiant field of stars. Had she looked down, she would have had a similar view within her dreamscape. If Celestia had been paying more attention she would have noticed Luna’s eyes were on the constellation Leo. “Anything specific?”

“Well, we’ve already got golems planned. Given recent events, perhaps something the requires immediate evacuation. Nothing too dangerous, maybe a storm?”

Celestia had not taken heed to Luna’s grin. “Yes, I think a storm will do.”

~~~

Twilight could not stop to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She tried to think of attack strategies while on the move, but nothing had worked against the golems. Flame spells had not touched them, ice spells only froze their limbs for a few seconds, and neither blast nor hooves could break through the mare’s shields.

“No!” she screamed as she bashed a diamond dog golem across the head with a hoof. Pain shot up her leg. She pulled her leg back, revealing that an ethereal spike had shot out of the golem’s head and screwed Twilight through her frog.

Celestia has failed to teach you an important lesson, the mare’s voice echoed in Twilight’s head. The golem advanced closer while Twilight struggled to stay upright. That of utter defeat. I won’t make that mistake.

Clenching her hoof, Twilight glared at the golem. “I’m not done yet! I won’t let everything Princess Celestia did be for nothing!”

It will be for nothing if you continue this hero nonsense!

Twilight’s horn blazed in reply. Smoke and a sickening smell rose off of Twilight’s injured hoof as the wound glowed white hot. Then, the ground below the golem glistened and suddenly sprung up, launching the golem off into the distance.

And still you persist the mare sighed. Such tenacity would be admirable if there was power to back it up.

“You’ll have to do a lot worse than that to get to me,” Twilight huffed.

Very well, Twilight Sparkle, I shall oblige you. The ground jolted. When the mare spoke again, her voice was deafening and drove Twilight to her knees. Bear witness to a true threat to Equestria!

~~~

“Yeehaw!” Applejack bucked a diamond dog golem into pieces. Mounds of dirt were scattered all around her. Her legs were aflame and actually smoking near her hooves, but the thrill of the practical kept the adrenaline flowing. “Haven’t had a hoedown like this since zapapple season!”

“So do we get the jam after this then?” Pinkie asked.

Applejack yelped and jumped back. Somehow Pinkie had appeared right behind her without making a sound. A hoof raced to her chest to steady her heart. “Land sake’s, girl, I was about ready to let my legs fly at you.”

“Nope! Haven’t felt a thing about getting kicked in the face… still not quite sure what this means though.” Pinkie held up her left foreleg which had twisted itself into the knot. She wore a look of confusion rather than one of agony that a pony would normally have upon seeing what should have been a broken leg with ligaments and tendons cut to ribbons. “Oooh, maybe it means I pa—“

The earth shuddered under Pinkie and Applejack’s hooves. Buildings shook from far away. Then, a massive tentacle of inky aura exploded from underground, lashed out, and snatched Pinkie.

“Ohhh, that’s what it means.” Pinkie then screamed at the top of her lungs. Her scream did not reach far before she sunk into the aura.

Applejack could only watch as the tentacle gobbled Pinkie up. The ground cracked under her hooves and she took off with enough force to deform the air. With a flick of her tail, she spun around and tucked her hindlegs in. Speed and strength combined to turn Applejack’s legs into miniature missiles that shot straight into the base of the tentacle. The aura rippled from the impact, but then stabilized and began to stuck Applejack in.

“What in tarnation?” Her hindlegs pumped, faster and faster, until a hum filled the air. The aura around them vibrated and then burst apart, freeing Applejack. She jumped back, but the tentacle lashed out and tried to capture her. Even though her legs throbbed from the escape effort, Applejack whipped them into a gallop, turning herself into an orange blur.

Speeding through the city, she turned corner after corner, but more of the tentacles were in the streets. They smashed through buildings, tore apart roads, and absorbed ponies left and right. When Applejack spotted a mostly undamaged skyscraper, she darted inside and plowed up the steps.

Upon reaching the roof in only a few seconds, she looked out over the faux-city while catching her breath. Fires raged. Applicants fled for their lives. To her mounting concern, Applejack spotted wisps of inky aura rising up around the faux-city hall. The tentacles stretched all around the city, so if whatever was summoning them was coming up, it had to be the biggest thing Applejack had ever seen.

“They do not mess around with these things,” she huffed.

“I’ll say,” said the grey pegasus. In her rush to get a view of the situation, Applejack had completely missed her floating atop her bubbles with a multitude of mannequins standing nearby. She reached into her satchel and produced a muffin. “Want one? I’ve been using them to help keep everypony calm.”

~~~

Twilight limped down the street. Applicants ran all around her. Had the situation not been so dire, Twilight might have chuckled at the sight of pegasus swollen with muscles screaming like a filly and buzzing away as fast as his tiny wings could carry him. She looked around and noted city hall straight ahead. That meant the start line was ten blocks away.

Twilight buried the bubbling ache in her left hoof and the sting from the reopened slices on her right leg. Neither mattered now. Nor did the time or the exam. She just had to get back to the start line and warn DJ Pon-3 about the mare. Twilight prayed she was still there.

Then, as if to answer her call, Scratch’s voice rang through the faux-city. “Woah-ho! You see some nasty stuff in my line of work, but this takes the cake! We’ve got a real ‘monster’ on our hooves now! Best keep away and stay safe because if those tentacles get you, your exam ends here with a twenty-point deduction to boot! Pretty light for getting destroyed by a raging monster if you ask me, but a killer for all you applicants! Good luck!”

Twilight stared up at the sky. It felt like the ground was caving underneath her. “Wh-what?”

Do you feel foolish now, Twilight Sparkle? Calling a pony evil when I have done nothing but show you the error of your and Celestia’s ways? the mare chuckled. Now, look around you! Sear this image into your mind. This is but a taste of what awaits Equestria without the Elements and without my guidance. Celestia has let all this talk of heroes go to her head, but I wi—“

“Shut up!” Twilight yelled. “You invaded my dreams! You insulted Celestia! You hurt Spike!” Twilight’s cutie mark glistened. “I don’t care if you’re evil or not, you… you’re no better than Sunset! You’re just a bully that uses power to get ponies to do what you want!”

And you are a foal unaware of her place in the world! City hall’s dome cracked. A few of its pillars shook loose and shattered against the ground. Fissures tore the surrounding park apart, and aura poured out of them. It was as if night were seeping out of Equestria’s bowels. Then it coalesced into a shapeless mass that grew taller and taller. You are Bearer of the Elements, but you lack the power to wield them! Every one of these applicants’ failures is on you! Your inability to wield them will cost actual lives in the future if you refuse to listen to me! You have lost, Twilight Sparkle and it is time for you to submit!

All the ponies fleeing from the tentacles paused to observe the monster fully reveal itself. Its main body loomed over the city, a splotch of black in the middle of the day. Even Spike at his largest was dwarfed by the monster.

Suddenly, the mare’s eyes sprouted everywhere on it. Paralysis struck everypony. Blood-curdling screams filled the air. Even those in the monitor room felt a chill. While the applicants were rooted to the ground, the tentacles swept them away. Ponies could not even cry for help as the aura gobbled them up.

Applejack fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. “Ma, Pa, don’t go.”

Watch, Twilight Sparkle! the mare roared. Watch as these ‘heroes’ fall before me! They are nothing! Oh, but especially watch that applicant ahead of you. You may not fully fear me anymore, but I know you feared for her!

Time seemed to slow. Twilight’s heartbeat was like a timer counting down as her vision narrowed to the park ahead. Her lungs seized up. Fluttershy sobbed underneath a fallen tree. She curled her front legs around her chest, trying to get some form of comfort while she balled in hysterics. The mare summoned a tentacle above her, blotting out the sun over the park.

“No!” Twilight screamed when the tentacle came crashing down. Her cutie mark brightened. Rainbow aura wisped off it and swirled around her horn.

***

”We’ll be doing something a little different with meditation today.” Celestia led Twilight over to the grassy ridge where they usually meditated at the end of the day. “Instead of breath, today we will focus on magic.”

“So, what do we do different?” Spike asked.

Celestia frowned. “For you, Spike, I am not fully sure. Think of the fire you summon. Think of how it starts out as simple air, but then something inside you sparks it, changes it, and restrains it from scorching your flesh. Think of the feeling of that first spark. That is your magic at its most basic level. I wish I could offer more help, but there are some things even I do not know.”

“Okay…” Spike sighed. “Can I listen to what you do with Twilight before I start? Maybe that will help.”

Celestia’s smile returned. “Of course.” She then turned to Twilight. “Now, are you ready?”

Twilight nodded.

“Good.” Celestia took a seat in front of Twilight rather than to her side. With a flash, she assumed her empowered form, but her horn remained aglow. The aura extended off of it and reached out to Twilight’s horn. Twilight shuddered. It almost felt like the aura was trickling down her horn while also tickling every nerve along the way. “Relax, Twilight. I know thaumic connections can be uncomfortable but this is just a safety precaution in case you accidentally tap into the Elements. It will also allow me to guide you better as well. Let’s do some simple tests first. Close your eyes and focus on the connection.”

Twilight did as instructed. Pushing past the initial discomfort of having another pony’s magic shoved into her own thaumic system, Twilight at first felt only warmth and saw only darkness. But, as she took more breaths, her vision shifted to a golden hue.

“What do you see?” Celestia asked.

“Gold,” Twilight answered.

“Yes, that’s right.” Celestia unfurled her wings and gave them a flap. “And now?”

“Still… no, wait.” Twilights eyes twitched. Spike could teller her eyes were moving around under their lids. “Is it blue?”

“The color of the sky is fitting for pegasus magic,” said Celestia. She then brought a hoof to the ground. The scent coming off of that patch smelled crisper to Spike and the plants looked a little more vibrant. “Now?”

“Back to gold? No, yellow. Just yellow.”

“So far so good.” Celestia’s hoof left the grass. Gently, she touched Twilight’s horn and then her chest. “Now, turn your attention inward. Push aside my aura and all other thoughts. Take your time, there is no rush.”

By now, meditation came at ease to Twilight, even when the mare chose to interfere. A few breaths in and the world faded away from her. Celestia’s connection to her became no more intrusive than a gust of wind. Still at full attention, Twilight shifted her focus from her lungs up to her horn.

At first, the world turned black again. As Twilight concentrated though, she sensed a spark. It was just a little pinprick in the void, but she homed in on it while maintaining measured breaths. The spark stabilized into a violet dot, and then morphed into a wave.

“Is that mine?” Twilight asked.

“Yes,” Celestia answered. “Our own magic is the easiest to sense. It is at the core of our being. You have done well to get this far today, Twilight. It takes talent to achieve even this. So, now comes the next step. Look deep into your magic. I will be here to assist.”

Twilight focused even harder. In her mind, her magic spread out and up, until a purple haze replaced the black void. The grass rustled around Twilight and her horn grew hot. She pushed those sensations aside and dove deeper.

“Think of that day you saved Sunset and Spike.” Celestia’s muscles tightened. Sweat dripped down her face. “Recall what drove you to stand against an unwinnable foe.”

Within the lilac sea, something shimmered. Its prismatic light drew Twilight to it, and Twilight was propelled forward. Veins of color zapped through the sea, sucking bits of it into the source of the light.

“Stop,” Celestia called out, but Twilight plowed forward.

Spike’s eyes widened. For most of the time he had watched, only Twilight’s horn had glowed, but now aura was spreading down from her head. Her cutie mark was also sparkling. The grass around her whipped around without even the slightest breeze to move it.

Just as Spike spied wisps of rainbow, Celestia shouted, “Stop!”

Energy crackled and arced between Twilight and Celestia’s horns. Then, a small blast knocked them both back. Spike rushed to Twilight’s side. Cradling her head, he shouted her name.

Twilight opened her eyes but they swam in their sockets. “Medium hoofburger with extra syrup please.”

“Curiosity certainly is Twilight’s forte.” With a shake of her head, Celestia righted herself. A few spots on her horn were blackened, but it did not appear to affect her as she walked over to Twilight. Bending low, she asked, “Twilight, can you hear me?”

“Ima pri—“ Twilight’s eyes refocused and she looked up at Celestia. “Princess? What happened? I thought I could feel…”

“You did,” said Celestia. “The Elements were beginning to draw on your magic. There is no need to rush this, so I forced my magic to disrupt your own.”

Twilight noticed the blackened spots. “Your horn.”

“A risk I was willing to take.” Celestia smiled. “You did superb today, Twilight. Next time we do this, familiarize yourself with what that felt like, but take caution not to get sucked in. Remember, you wield the Elements. Do not let the Elements wield you.”

“So, what do I do when it’s finally is time to use them?”

Celestia extended a wing and wrapped it around Twilight. “When the time is right, concentrate and summon that selfless desire to protect others. Let your heart cry out, and the Elements shall answer your call.”

***

The rainbow aura spiraled down Twilight’s legs from her cutie mark. She crouched and then kicked off the ground with all her might. A prismatic blast exploded from where her hooves hit the asphalt, leaving twin craters in Twilight’s wake. She surged through the air with a blinding rainbow aura enveloping her. Every one of the mare’s eyes turned on Twilight, but no fear reached her anymore. All her magic swirled up into her horn, transforming into a massive sphere of aura.

“You wanted to see me use the Elements?” Twilight yelled. “Then here they are!”

A blast of pure white magic laced with flashes of rainbow erupted from Twilight’s horn. It tore through the tentacle, dispelling it into smoke, and smashed into the monster’s main body. The entire faux-city shuddered. The blast continued drilling into the monster, lifting it off the ground. Twilight was unrelenting and continued funneling magic into the blast, as the force of her leap into the air propelled her forward and pushed the creature upwards.

My stars! the mare hacked. How? You are but a filly! Even I could no—

“Enough!” Twilight roared. “I have had it with you! Go back to your nightmares!”

Wait, Twilight Sparkle! This is too much! Stop now before the Eleme—

The blast intensified. Bit by bit of the monster was either being blasted into smoke or being torn asunder. Twilight thought of Spike, of Fluttershy, and of all the other ponies she had met today that had given it their all.

The mare had tried to take that away. Twilight knew what it had taken to get this far and she was not going to allow the mare to steal that from anypony else. With all her might, Twilight summoned every bit of magic she could and threw it at the monster. The beam pierced through it and tore into its core. Its form quivered as fissures of light erupted across it.

A rainbow explosion consumed the monster. Windows shattered, buildings swayed, and a few applicants were lifted off their hooves by the shockwave. Ponies watched in awe as the last smoky remnants of the monster faded away, and the ponies it had absorbed fell through the air.

Without the mare’s eyes on them, the applicants’ wits returned, and the literal gravity of the situation dawned on them. They surged forward, summoning clouds, racing into the sky, bounding up buildings with a single leap, and doing whatever else they could to prevent the captured applicants from hitting the ground.

Some applicants were still out of reach though and the ground was getting dangerously close. Suddenly, giant mounds of jello, sponge cake, and jiggly pancakes appeared under the falling applicants. Pinkie wiped the sweat from her brow and crashed into a massive slab of tiramisu. With a groan, she passed out, head half buried in coffee-laced whipped cream.

Applejack marveled over the scene. Her legs still wobbled a bit and she had to brace herself against the roof. “Holy smokes. I had a feeling that Twilight had a good noggin, but that was som—“ She spotted Twilight still high up in the air. Unlike the other applicants, there was nothing underneath her. Then she got a closer look at Twilight. The color drained from her. “Twilight!”

She was gone in a blink.

~~~

“Ha-ha!” Celestia exclaimed. Everypony in the room turned away from the screens to look at her. The darkness hid the blush on her face. She coughed into her hoof. “My apologies. That was just a most impressive attack.”

“It certainly waz,” said Photo Finish. “De power, de look, de magics!”

Celestia smiled. It widened when she felt something click in her head. Luna’s voice, raspy and weak, reached her. Sister, I have not the strength, go get Twilight Sparkle.

You are in no position to be making demands, Celestia huffed. Go and tend to your wounds, Luna, and think of the apology you shall give to Twilight for all you have put her through.

I won’t be able to apologize if you don’t save her! Luna shouted. I accept responsibility for goading her, but look at the state she is in!

Celestia’s eyes jolted up to the screen displaying Twilight. As the glow around her faded, Celestia’s stomach dropped. Her horn lit up and then fizzled. A bit of blood dribbled down her chin. “Get medical teams out now!”

“Huh?” several teachers asked.

“That’s a royal order!” Celestia barked. Her teeth clenched so tight they looked ready to crack. Twilight! Forgive me!

~~~

“I… I did it.” A smile spread wide across Twilight’s face. Sure, there were ponies still falling, and she herself was up quite high, but nothing a simple levitation spell couldn’t fix. Twilight looked over the faux-city, feeling a little lightheaded from seeing what she had accomplished. “Well, if that doesn’t get me some points, I do—“

A crack rang through the air. Twilight looked up as a series of pops and hisses came from her horn. When she saw it, her lunch climbed back up her throat. The alicorn was cracked in several spots, exposing the raw throbbing nerve underneath. What alicorn remained was black and smoking. The flesh around the base of her horn was blistered and sizzled. The nauseating burning stench was overwhelming.

Before Twilight could vomit, a fresh wave of pain forced her jaw to clench. It came not from her horn, but from her legs. The surging updraft from the fall made both her hindlegs flap in the wind. The bent more like cloth than flesh, broken bones and torn muscles grinding against each other.

Twilight entered shock again and the world, already blurred from the fall, grew distant. She recalled Celestia’s warning and the rock exploding. Tears flew skyward as Twilight plummeted down. She sobbed, “Princess, I’m sorry!”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy screamed as she watched Twilight fall. Something fell from her chest as she unclenched her legs and slammed them into the ground. Her cutie mark morphed back into a paw and she pushed up. The toppled tree rolled off her as her cutie mark shifted again from a paw to feathers. She tried to open up her wings, but her right one was bent at an odd angle. Gritting her teeth, she forced misaligned bone against bone and readied herself for takeoff.

“Most impressive,” came a high-pitched voice, giving Fluttershy pause. “Do not fear, I have her.”

A blast of wind shot up next to Fluttershy. With widened eyes, she watched a tiny winged figure zoom up to Twilight. A twister erupted off it, swirled upward, and caught Twilight. Rather than whip her around, the twister kept her perched atop itself, the vortex forming a cushion of air.

Applejack arrived with a few new bumps and scrapes just in time to observe the miraculous weather phenomenon. With Twilight at least safe from crashing into the ground, whatever strength and speed had returned to Applejack faded. She collapsed out of breath and out of energy. She tried to keep her eyes open, afraid of memories and nightmares those slitted eyes had dredged up, but she had already been near empty from outrunning the tentacles. That last burst to try and save Twilight sent her over the edge and into sleep.

Atop the cushion of air, Twilight spotted a creature that resembled a miniature pony but with antenna almost as long as his body. Even those were dwarfed by his relatively massive translucent wings. Each flap he took summoned more winds into the twister as it spun lower to the ground. Even with the cushion of air, Twilight’s legs and horn were still radiating pain. Her head swam as she approached the ground, and her vision was fading.

“Quite a class we have shaping up.” If the miniature pony said anything more, it was lost to Twilight, and she passed out.

Author's Note

Cue the You Say Run.

Apology

When Twilight opened her eyes, she found herself back in the void. Only, it was not exactly a void anymore. Stars and space dust transformed the inky abyss into a vast cosmos. A comet streaked an immeasurable distance away. Glancing down, she saw her hooves glistened against a translucent path of moonbeams.

She then realized she was standing. The way her shattered legs had flailed about roiled her stomach. The injuries her horn had suffered only served to increase the nausea. Even the books and pictures that had haunted Twilight since magic kindergarten about the risks of magical misuse and overexertion contained nothing like that. Yet, in this realm of stars, Twilight found her horn unblemished, as if the exam had never happened.

“Thank the stars,” came a voice. There was a flash and then Celestia stood before Twilight. Aura curled around her, but it was a deep azure and resembled smoke. Celestia did not seem to notice and bowed her head. “Twilight, please forgi— “

The glow Twilight summoned to her horn gave Celestia pause. Twilight crouched and readied herself. “I know I passed out. Don’t think I’ll hesitate just because you look like Princess Celestia now.”

“Well, this is just a mess,” Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them, her sight was down on the aura swirling around her. “You had better make your case fast. She’s serious.”

“I know,” came a voice from the smoke. Twilight recognized it as the mare’s, but it was softer now and a bit raspy. Moving away from Celestia, the smoke coalesced into a mass at her side. “Twilight Sparkle, a thousand moons and a thousand suns cannot make up for my rash actions. I have put your life, nay, the entire fate of Equestria at risk out of fear.”

Twilight kept her horn aglow and her stance solid. “How do I know this isn’t a trick?”

“Hmmm.” Celestia brought a hoof to her chin. It suddenly swooped back down to the ground as she closed her eyes. A letter materialized out of the ether and floated over to Twilight. “This is a secret I have not even divulged to Luna. Ask me about it when you awaken. That should be enough proof.”

Twilight tentatively extended out her magic to take hold of the letter. She kept it a safe distance away as she read it. At first, her gaze shifted back and forth between the letter’s contents, Celestia, and the smoke. Yet, as she read, her focus narrowed down to the words in front of her. Red spread across her face along with a tinge of green. When she finally finished, one of her eyes was twitching and steam rose off her. “I-if this is a fake, you’re sick, b-but if it’s real…” Twilight shook her head. “Okay, let’s just move on, why am I here?”

“Tantabus wishes to make amends,” Celestia explained.

“Well, she ca—“ Something clicked in Twilight’s mind. “Tantabus? Manehattan’s Nightmare Knight? How is… why are you a mare… or smoke… Gah, whatever! More importantly, you’re supposed to be a hero! How could you do all this and still call yourself that?”

“The ‘Nightmare Knight’ is just one of many forms I have taken over the centuries,” Tantabus answered with Twilight glaring daggers at her, voice little more than a whisper. “The title of ‘hero’ is just one that came with the role.”

“Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, please wake me up,” Twilight huffed.

“I cannot,” said Tantabus. “I can only bring ponies into dream and nightmare, not awaken them. Even with treatment, you will still be unconscious for a while.”

“So, let us use this time constructively,” Celestia added. “We have much to discuss.”

“Not with her,” Twilight growled. “Princess, she may call herself a hero, but she’s rotten to the core! Even ignoring the manticore, she tried to fail everypony just to prove a point! She’s a petty, arrogant bully!”

As Twilight’s words rang throughout space, Celestia lowered her head. “Understand, Twilight, that what drove Tantabus to such reckless actions was not hate for you or contempt of heroes, but fear. It may sound strange, but just as Tantabus inflicted terror upon you, she did it because she knows of an even greater fear.”

There were no slitted eyes on Twilight now, but Celestia’s tone raised the hairs on her neck. “Which is?”

“An Equestria without a Bearer,” Tantabus answered. “I have stood at Celestia and Luna’s side for many moons and witnessed the countless foes Celestia has vanquished, but that cannot last. Before she found you, Celestia had a century or two at best to find a Bearer, all while she herself was able to fight less and less. Now, the Elements are seeping into you, accelerating the process. I… I feared what would happen if a threat attacked Equestria with Celestia incapacitated and you untrained.”

“Which led her to the belief that keeping you to a life fully devoted to training was the best path.” Celestia shook her head. “My attempts to explain that the Elements require genuine care and friendship to activate went on deaf ears until now.”

Tantabus wavered. “I was foolish. In my fright, I nearly destroyed the Elements I sought to protect. I have grown too accustomed to Celestia’s ease at wielding them. I should have realized activation with a new Bearer needed to be more controlled, especially given the unknown factors we could not have anticipated.”

“That fault is partially mine to bear as well.” A piece of the starry path below Celestia rose up. It split in two, with one half forming into a constellation that resembled a withered flower, while the other swirled into an ovular shape. “Twilight, do you recall our first discussion on the Elements?”

Twilight focused on the ovular constellation and recalled Celestia exploding the rock with her magic. The color drained from her. “I didn’t channel them correctly…” Her pupils shrank. “Am I dying? Is this what happens when you die? What do I—“

“You’re fine,” Celestia declared. Twilight simmered down and reigned in her breathing. The flower and the stone merged and were replaced by the ancient pottery Spike had destroyed. The celestial copy was whole, but multiple fractures ran through it. Celestia’s next words sent her heart racing once more, but she managed to stay composed. “Relatively. Your activation of the Elements was a success, but since Luna and I were the only ponies before you to wield them in any capacity, I hadn’t accounted for differences in biology. To put it simply, unleashing the Elements at full force like you did puts too much strain on a unicorn’s body. I suspect the same could be said if a pegasus or an earth pony were to wield them.”

“So only an Alicorn can wield them then?” Twilight asked, feeling her heart sink.

“Not necessarily,” said Tantabus. “There is much we do not know, but it seems an Alicorn is necessary to wield the full force of the Elements, but with proper regulation, you may be able to use them in a limited capacity.”

“’Limited’ being a loose term here.” There was a pause. Celestia shifted her focus from Twilight to Tantabus and then back to Twilight. “My familiarity with the Elements may now be a disadvantage, but Tantabus could instru— “

“No.” A stomp emphasized Twilight’s refusal. “Even if she’s says she’s sorry, how can I trust that she won’t throw somepony off a cliff just to get results?”

“Twilight, that i— “

A tendril of smoke wafted up in front of Celestia’s face. Tantabus’s wheezy voice and tired tone reminded Twilight of Celestia when she was weakened. “No, she is correct. It would not be the first time I have lost a Bearer’s trust.”

“That…” Even though she was empowered in the dreamscape, the shadow of Celestia’s true form flashed across her face. She quickly returned her expression to a reserved neutrality. “You know I have forgiven you.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. Then, she recalled Celestia on her knees with her horn grinding against the floor. The promise from that day was still clear in her head. Her attention went to Tantabus. “What exactly are you?”

Celestia’s jaw tightened. “Now is not the ti— “

“We have the time,” said Tantabus. Despite a lack of eyes, Twilight felt Tantabus shift its focus onto her. “Perhaps you will better understand why Celestia thinks I am still a suitable mentor if I explain. I leave that choice to you though, Twilight Sparkle. You have earned that and much more. Perhaps you should take a seat.”

With steely eyes, Twilight sat down. The starry path felt softer now, like a large cushion.

“The form I assumed is of an ancient evil,” Tantabus began. “And my creator.”

The constellations glinted above her. Stars zoomed through the sky, forming into muzzle, ears, eyes, fangs, and armor. A few stars shifted from white dots to icy blue orbs, completing the visage of the mare Tantabus had taken the form of.

“Over a thousand years ago, that mare appeared and sought to plunge Equestria into eternal night. Where she would have ruled in place of Celestia, I was created as a dark mirror to Luna. Rather than bring ponies peace of mind through dreams as Luna does, I summoned nightmares to force ponies into obedience through fear.”

A piece of the mare’s starry mane split off and reorganized into the rough shape of a pony. Just as it did, there was a flash. Suddenly, a crescent moon and a near-blinding star filled up a large portion of the cosmos. The two celestial bodies raced forward, their glow driving back the mare and her spawn. A rainbow-hued flare erupted off the star and dispersed the mare back into stars, yet the pony-constellation remained.

“When Celestia and Luna defeated that mare, I remained. Having been purified by the Elements, I assisted Luna for some time.” The pony-constellation orbited around the moon and the star. Twilight felt a twinge of panic go through her when the moon fractured and broke apart while the star roiled, dimmed, and shrank. “Then, she and Celestia suffered their injuries. I took up the majority of Luna’s duties while also helping Celestia craft a system that would help find a pony suitable to be the next Bearer. If we failed to find a Bearer in time, the system also set up a loose militia on constant deployment to ensure law and order were maintained.”

“The Hero Agency,” Twilight muttered.

“Yes,” Tantabus continued. The moon and the star faded back into the cosmos while the pony-constellation remained. However, its form widened, shrank, grew wings, lost a horn, and continued to shift while Tantabus spoke. “I took on many guises through the years, and personally scouted out dense populations for a Bearer, selecting the best of the best among heroes. Routing out villains just happened along the way, but I never took much heed of it. When I was not donning the title of a hero, I offered my services at the School. As a creature born and comprised of magic, I have a unique understanding of thaumaturgy that better allowed me to suss out potential Bearers.”

“It’s why Tantabus’s actions came as such a shock to me,” said Celestia. “While a Bearer was not forthcoming, many of my personal students started out under Tantabus’s instruction: Clover III, Megan the Magnificent, and Mystic Rune just to name a few.”

“You…” Twilight pointed at Tantabus. “… taught all of them?”

“Basics in their years at the School,” Tantabus replied. “What I thought was enough to inherit the Elements. After transfer failed, I left them to either Celestia or their own pursuits, and continued the search. I see now that the talent I sought was not all that was required in wielding the Elements though. When I took notice of them, many had to have the concept of selflessness drilled into them. None would have ever thought to throw all their might at an enemy for the sake of a filly they barely knew. More than a cutie mark or magic, that is what makes you unique, Twilight Sparkle.”

The response left Twilight searching for words. So much had been dumped at her, mixing with concern over her injuries and her anger at Tantabus. As the feelings melded into a mass of confusion, a hack drew her attention back to Tantabus.

Her form vibrated and her ethereal glow brightened. A part of her stretched down to the ground. Three more rough approximations of legs followed. A ghostly tail formed while the majority of Tantabus’s form coalesced into a wavering barrel. A bit of her mass curled upwards and took on the shape of a featureless unicorn head with a wispy mane. It was like looking at a silhouette filled with stars.

“I have no right to ask anything of you, Twilight Sparkle, and to mentor you now would just be a distraction.” Tantabus’s legs bent. Her head arced down and pressed against the starry path. Despite everything she had done to Twilight, the act of supplication from such a powerful creature summoned up a feeling of unease in Twilight. A season ago she was an impotent and scrawny filly. Now, she had had two of the most powerful entities in Equestria bend the knee to her. “But if you ever struggle with the Elements, I am always at your call.”

Tantabus’s entire body shook. Bits of her wisped off into space. She coughed again, and collapsed back into a cloud-like form. The realization struck Twilight that perhaps whatever allowed Twilight to appear physically fine in the dreamscape did not apply to Tantabus. A bit of pity welled up in her, even as it forced her to recall ever heinous act Tantabus had committed. A glint to her left buried it again. The space in that direction appeared a bit brighter.

Celestia drew closer to Tantabus, but a tuft of smoke kept her at bay. Tantabus’s focus remained on Twilight. “I have said my piece and it seems you will awaken soon. I know an apology will not make up for my actions, and you may not trust my promise, so I accept whatever actions you take. Celestia is an excellent teacher, so I am sure she will guide you well.”

Tantabus began to fade away. Twilight called out, “Wait.”

Tantabus reformed and waited for Twilight to say more.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight looked straight at her. “You’re right, an apology alone won’t make up for this. Nothing you do for me will.”

“Twilight,” Celestia interjected, “I think Tantabus fully underst— “

“I’m not finished.” Red tinged Twilight’s face. With a bowed head, she stammered, “S-sorry, Princess.” Straightening back up and sharpening her glare, she focused once more on Tantabus. “If you really were the teacher of so many legendary heroes, then prove to the whole class. Show me you’re not just bossing ponies around to get what you want.”

“Twilight Sparkle…” A few shimmering stars streaked through Tantabus. “You have my eternal gratitude. I shall do all in my power to make not just you, but all the applicants that passed, the most astounding of heroes. I’ll even waive the point deduction to make up for my outrage.”

“Hold it.” A hoof shot off the ground. “I don’t want you running off just trying to get on my good side. That’s what got us here. That attack was a part of the exam, so it wouldn’t be right to fully waive it. It was a twenty-point deduction and an automatic end to your exam, right?”

“Correct.”

As the space began to brighten, Twilight pointed at Tantabus. “Make it ten points and have whatever any applicants that you caught did after they were freed count.”

“It shall be done.”

“Well, that’s a start,” Twilight sighed. It felt like something was pulling her back, distancing her from Celestia, Tantabus, and the dreamscape. A glance down revealed that the path was floating away from her, or rather, she was floating away from it. Her hind legs stiffened and a dull ache rose up around her horn. With the last of her concentration, she pointed down at Tantabus. “If you do anything out of line though, I want you gone, got it?”

“That is only fair,” Tantabus replied. “Congratulations, Twilight Sparkle. It may be a little early to say this, but I have no doubt you have aced your written exam as well, so allow me to welcome you to the School for Gifted Ponies.”

Celestia grinned as Twilight’s body grew bright. “See you in class, Twilight.”

“Wait,” Twilight called out, “you didn’t say anything about yo— “

With a flash, Twilight vanished from the dreamscape. Tantabus waited a moment and then turned her attention to Celestia. “Well, we managed to keep my teaching position at least. Are you certain staying as Tantabus is the right move though? Would it not be easier to tell her everything?”

“That can come in time.” Celestia’s lips curved down and her eyes grew stony. “You’ve seen what happens when we rush. We shall guide Twilight in wielding the Elements and allow her to enjoy her time here. You know even more than I do that this is something she’s dreamed of for years, Luna.”

“I know,” Luna sighed. “But if she despises me now, how will she handle the truth about Nightmare Moon?”

Celestia bit her lip and looked up to the stars. “A concern for another day.”

“Hmm, yes. I’ll have to be in top form if I ever hope to gain her trust back.” Despite a lack of any solid form, Celestia sensed something shift around within Luna. “So, what is this secret you told her?”

Celestia grinned. “That is something for Twilight and me to take to the grave.”

~~~

The faint scent of antiseptic and wooden tongue depressors came to Twilight before she opened her eyes. The ache she had first felt in the dream was a bit stronger, but nothing compared to the dizzying, nauseating backlash she had felt before passing out. With a shudder, she peeled black the blankets covering her lower body and was greeted with bandaged hindlegs.

Her face scrunched up in confusion. She may have been in shock from the state her horn had been in when she had seen her legs, but she was certain they had been pulverized by the backlash. Curiosity growing, she glanced up. Bandages concealed the true state her horn was in, but she felt no wires or bolts welding the damaged alicorn back together. She reached up to feel for any cracks or missing pieces.

“Stop!” came a command just as Twilight’s hoof pressed against the bandages. Her leg shot back down, and she found herself caught in a snowy mare’s sapphire glare. The mixture of shock and fear froze Twilight in place, but it could not prevent a small zap of excitement. Above the mare’s sharpened eyes was a cap emblazoned with a red cross surrounded by four hearts at the corners. An identical cutie mark graced the mare’s flanks, assuring Twilight she was face to face with Redheart, the healing hero.

When she saw the Twilight was still, Redheart relented, allowing her expression to soften. “Try to avoid touching your horn for the rest of the day, and definitely no magic. Are you feeling serious discomfort anywhere else?”

Even laying on the bed, Twilight felt how worn out her muscles were. The test had lasted only a few minutes, but taking stock of herself, Twilight equated the soreness she was feeling to one of Celestia’s more ruthless days. “Nothing worse than what I’ve trained for.”

“I’d hope not.” The nurse advanced over to Twilight and brought a hoof to her forehead. “Not after that manticore attack.”

Twilight’s eyes bugged out, and she reeled back. “What? How do yo—”

Redheart shot a leg behind Twilight’s head and held it firmly in place. Another leg whipped out and pressed it against her brow again. She gave a tsk and a shake. “Well, you were unconscious that time, but I had still hoped our paths wouldn’t cross again so soon. Unfortunately, the Princesses’ students usually get to know us Heart Nurses fairly well.”

“Is that why the Heart Nurse title gets passed down?” Twilight asked with widened eyes. “I would have never guessed that tradition was actually a cover! I just read that certain heroes receive it for their vital role in healing others and ensure sa—”

A hard candy flew into Twilight’s mouth, silencing her for a moment. Redheart sighed. “Always such inquisitive ones. That talent of yours is something else though, and something dangerous. Even my magic can only heal you to a certain extent, and it consumes a bit of your energy as well. So, just take it easy, and have your friends help you get home. But first, I believe her majesty would like a few words with you.”

Celestia emerged from behind the right side of the partition that boxed in three sides of Twilight’s bed. She offered a small smile to Twilight, but given her weakened form, it appeared a bit unsteady. “Nice to see you up.”

“You too…” Twilight bit her lip and glanced at Redheart. “Is… is it okay for you be here like that?”

“The Elements are not the only treatment I have sought,” Celestia replied with her eyes cast down. With a breath, she summoned a grin back to her face and drew closer. “Now, I believe there was a matter we needed to discuss to verify our conversation with Tantabus.”

Twilight flinched backwards and rapidly waved a hoof in front of her face. “That’s fine! That’s fine! This is all the confirmation I need. Let’s uh, never bring it up again, maybe work on a memory spell to erase that but keep the rest of the conversation, please?”

Redheart watched Twilight’s purple hue turn to bright red, and then glanced at Celestia. “I’m going to demand a pay increase if this keeps up.”

“I’d be more than happy to,” Celestia chuckled.

With a grin, Redheart pulled the sheets off and extended a leg out to Twilight. Grasping it, Twilight pulled herself up and off the bed. It stung a bit when her hind legs first bent, but, letting go of Redheart’s leg, she managed to find her footing. It was then that she remembered the other injuries she had suffered, but her right foreleg now appeared unmarred. Lifting her left foreleg and glancing at its frog only revealed a small burn scar.

“Quite impressive work she does.” Celestia smiled and placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Now, I know you have many questions, but we can cover that in office hours, for now, yo—”

Wide eyes and an ear-to-ear grin taking over Twilight’s face cut Celestia off. “I knew it! You’re guest lecturing this year!”

“Well, it was scheduled no matter what.” Celestia’s vision went upwards. “I did want to surprise you after the test with the information, but, well…”

“Who cares?” Twilight exclaimed. “This is gonna be amazing! I can’t wait!”

“Perhaps a little wait is good,” said Celestia. Her attention shifted to Twilight’s horn and her bandaged legs. “Take it easy as you prepare for classes. Oh, and try to act at least a little surprised when you get the official letter, for your parents’ sake.” She glanced over to where Twilight assumed the door was. “Now then, I believe you have some friends waiting outside.”

“Friends?” Twilight cocked her head. “Like with an s?”

“Yes,” Redheart replied. “I told them you’d be out for a bit while the healing took effect, and since you and Princess Celestia were here, I wanted to make sure this room was secure, but they were quite insistent.” A frown crossed her face. “And I didn’t know what else to say to that poor pegasus. She looked just about ready to die of wo—”

Twilight was in a gallop before Redheart even finished. Redheart barked something at her, but Celestia chuckled and held her back. Twilight made a beeline for the doors past the rows of cots. With a heave, she thrust one of them open and burst out into the adjacent hallway.

“Twilight!” Four voices cried out.

Pinkie’s leg zipped away from Fluttershy’s back and Pinkie herself flew like a rocket off the bench. She zoomed into the air, shot her leg out, and brought it down on Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s, smacking their locked legs onto the floor. “Draw!”

“Hey!” Dash yelled. “I was totally gonna win!”

“It’s all yours.” Applejack jumped off the ground and gave her hoof a shake. Her focus shifted to Twilight. Advancing over to her, she asked, “You okay, sugarcube?”

“I think I—”

Claws wrapped tight around Twilight’s leg. Spike pressed up close against her. “I heard what happened! I knew I should ha—”

Feeling a bit of the fur on her leg grow damp, Twilight used her free leg to pet Spike’s spines. “It’s okay, Spike. Plus, if that doesn’t get a pass, I don’t know what will.”

“But…” Spike sniffed and stared at the bandages protruding out of Twilight’s head. “Your horn…”

“Just needs some fine tuning,” Twilight said, summoning up a smile that did little to calm Spike with its unsteady nature. With a sigh, Twilight bent down and pulled Spike close. “Until I can get the hang of it though, and even afterwards, I’ll always need a partner to help back me up.”

“Still mighty impressive,” said Applejack. Leaning back, Twilight raised up to face her. With a deep inhale, Applejack pulled the hat from her head and placed it at her chest. A forlorn look affixed itself to her face. “And more than I could do. I know this wasn’t the real deal, but if those…” She shuddered. “… eyes were hitting you the same way they hit me, well… I’ll fight anypony that says you don’t belong here, Twilight.”

“I think I’ve had enough fighting for the day.” Twilight grinned and bowed her head. “But thank you, Applejack, that really means a lot.”

“Hey.”

Twilight stiffened. Jolting her head up, she locked eyes with Rainbow Dash. Making her way from where she’d been sitting with Applejack, she drew close to Twilight. Applejack backed up a step to let Dash get right beside Twilight. Twilight stood like a statue, unsure if the air around her was actually thickening the way it did under certain weather conditions or if it was just her imagination.

“You had Fluttershy real worried,” said Dash. “She told me everything about what happened, so I just got one thing to say.”

“Y-yes?” Twilight stammered.

Without warning, Dash swept out a leg. With Redheart’s warning still fresh in her mind and her head still a little fuzzy, Twilight flinched and shut her eyes. No blow came. She could still feel pressure on her leg though. It was tight, about as strong as Applejack’s grip, but Twilight did not sense any animosity behind it.

Opening her eyes, she was greeted to a sight that took her a moment to register. A grin barely contained on her and wide eyes had replaced Dash’s scowl and glare. Her wings twitched and slight tremors ran through her body. The revelation that Twilight knew the look all too well smacked her so hard, Dash might as well have actually struck her: Twilight had worn it to every Summer Sun Celebration. Rainbow Dash was amazed. A filly Twilight categorized as a living typhoon was amazed by her.

“Show me sometime!” Dash proclaimed. “I thought spells might give you a few good licks, but nothing like whatever the hay you did! When you’re all good and healed up, let’s see how you stand up to some of the best flying in Equestria!”

“What?” Twilight asked. It was less a question and more a reflex to the barrage of questions Dash had filled her already drained mind with.

Dash pulled back and shrugged. “Okay, maybe full ‘destroy giant monsters’ blast is a bit much, but you and me, Twilight?” Dash locked legs with Twilight again and pulled her close. “Consider us rivals!”

“What?” Twilight asked again.

“Yeah, I know,” Dash smirked. “Quite the honor, and you’ll have a lot to live up to, but I owe it to you for saving Fluttershy’s skin. I mean, I told her this was dangerous, bu—”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy shouted. Everyone felt a chill go down their spines at the sight of her brilliant aquamarine eyes bearing down on Dash. She flew off the bench and stomped over to her. “I’m not a foal! I worked just as hard as you did! And you still haven’t apologized for how you acted before either!”

“But I was ju—”

“No buts!” Fluttershy shouted, eyes now appearing ablaze. Even Sunset at her most enraged could not summon a glare like hers. In a blink, Twilight envisioned Tantabus in place of Fluttershy, but the stare summoned less of a primal fear and more of an instinctive need to submit to it or suffer a wrath of legendary proportions.

“Okay okay!” Dash yelped, turning her head so as not to directly face Fluttershy anymore. With a deep exhale, she lowered her head. Fluttershy seemed to have stolen all the bravado she had summoned, leaving an unwilling embarrassment in its place. Dash now resembled a filly about ready to shuffle to her room after receiving a scolding from her mother. “I…” She snorted and grumbled. “I’m sorry for being a bit of a jerk earlier.”

“Um…” Twilight stammered.

“Forget it.” Dash whipped out her wings. With a leap, she took to the air, mane flowing over her face, shielding her expression from Twilight. “I’m not in the mood now.”

There was a whoosh of air. Applejack grabbed her hat while Twilight and Spike closed their eyes. Fluttershy stared up at the empty space Dash had occupied and frowned, a few tears filling the corners of her eyes.

“Aww,” Pinkie moaned. “I didn’t get to tell her where the party was at.”

“I…” Fluttershy sniffled and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. Everything was going so well, and then…”

Just as Fluttershy looked like she was about to break into full on crying, Applejack spoke up. “Yeah, it’s a shame Rainbow Dash left like that. I ain’t about to pry into whatever it is that’s going on with her, but can’t say a whole bushel of honeycrisps are jonathans just ’cause of one sour fruit.”

Everyone stared at her with a raised brow. Pinkie was the one to ask, “So like one bad apple?”

“Uh, no…” Applejack’s cheeks flushed red. “I, uh, just meant to say Rainbow Dash didn’t seem like that bad of a pony. A little standoffish is all.” The blush faded and a grin took its place. “Looks like she’s got a competitive spirit though, and I’m always up for fun little challenge. Whatever’s bugging her I’m sure we can work out.”

“I hope,” Fluttershy murmured.

“Buuutttt…” Pinkie rose between Applejack and Fluttershy. Extending her legs apparently longer than should have been possible, she pulled them close and affixed party hats onto Fluttershy’s head and above Applejack’s hat. “We’re still here, and I think we’ve all got plenty to celebrate! I have a feeling we all made it in for sure!”

“Pinkie Sense?” Applejack asked.

“Nope!” Pinkie chirped. “Just a good old gut check! So, let’s party!” Pinkie then dashed away from Applejack and Fluttershy and rushed over to Twilight. “That’s okay, right? I mean if you have other plans, that’s okay too, but I’m soooooo excited right now, and we’ve gotta do something to celebrate finishing the test, and you firing some super awesome magic beam thingy that saved me and everypony else from failing or something like that, okay?”

Spike looked up at Twilight. “She’s not set to explode or something, right?”

“Just with energy,” Twilight chuckled. To Pinkie, she answered, “I did want to do a little celebration with a friend, but you sound like you’ve got something a bit more exciting in mind.” Her smile broadened. “Is it okay if I invite her?”

“Yepperooni!” Pinkie exclaimed with a grin the diameter of a dinner plate. “You can never have too many friends!”

~~~

There were two rooms within the bulbous top of the School’s central spire. On one side of a dividing hallway lay the Principal’s office. Currently, the door was locked and the only light streaming in was the rays of the setting sun.

Lamplight streamed from the other room as did a multitude of voices. Inside, heroes known throughout Equestria pored over stacks upon stacks of files. Quills were dipped, empty red ink bottles were replaced, and shuffling filled the air. Questions and answers intermingled with comments and criticisms to fill the room with a hectic buzz despite night fast approaching. This had been the mood since shortly after the exam had conclude.

Whenever somepony finished marking up a file, they sent it down to one end of the table, where the principal waited. A breeze would catch the file and its contents would fly out and float in front of the wind’s tiny summoner. While his wings continued to summon up the breeze, his eyes scanned over the information, the comments, and the few pictures from the exam that found their way into a file here and there.

Despite his diminutive frame, his face was stern and those sitting near him felt the force of his gales when he blasted a file away and into a large bin behind him. A few staff members would take files from out of there with frowns, sighs, and shakes of their heads before pulling out some stationary and getting to work writing out a letter they knew by heart. It still pained them when they spotted marks just a few points off or the one comment that sank an entire practical.

Not every file was destined for the bin though. For the select few that made it past both the staff and the principal, their destination was at the other end of the table. Everypony would glance up and a few of the younger members would pause their work whenever a breeze carried a file across the table, hoping to spy a name or a picture of whoever the talented pony was. After all, many of them had agency positions to fill and this was the cream of the crop.

The files came to rest at the opposite end of the table. The position was the only one to feature a permanent seat, etched out of the same ancient stone that comprised Canterlot Castle. For most of the year, it sat empty, its decadent design and carved sun serving as a reminder throughout regular board meetings of whom the School ultimately served.

Today was one of the rare days Celestia rested upon the School’s throne. Hidden behind an illusion spell, she had to stand on her throne to reach the table, but the locket did its work, and nopony batted an eye as she carried out her duties. In addition to quill, ink, and paper, a bubbling kettle of wax and the royal seal rested in front of her throne. With polished grace, she would open a file when it reached her, scan the information and the comments, and then get to work writing a letter.

Unlike the ones the staff jotted down, each letter Celestia wrote, while similar in form, contained unique accolades that highlighted the recipient’s strengths. Occasionally, Celestia made note of an issue she spotted in the file that she felt deserved a constructive criticism. This letter opened the path to greatness, but the centuries had taught Celestia how narrow that path was. Sometimes, these letters needed to serve both as key and warning.

The final touch was placing the letter in an envelope and affixing the royal seal to it. With so many applications over so many years, at some point, Celestia had allowed the event to become mechanical, save for the few unique comments she threw into each letter. The actual search for a Bearer had always come later, when Luna could truly start sussing out the top tier students.

This year though, Celestia felt true investment in the process. Watching each file float over reminded her of Hearth’s Warming Eves long past when Starswirl would scrounge up whatever he could find to give her and Luna something fun to play with. She had always loved to ponder what Starswirl had hidden behind sackcloth.

Now, she had already sealed Spike’s letter and was quite impressed with the amount of rescue points and villain defeats he had scored. She knew Twilight’s file was upcoming, but each new student excited her as well. Hidden behind the partition in the nurse’s office, she had spotted the fillies that had waited all afternoon for Twilight, and had been delighted when she had received their files.

An Apple was certain to be a fast and loyal friend to Twilight, and perhaps Twilight could give her a boost on her written work. Celestia knew of the Pies from the long lineage and service to the Crown, although she didn’t recall any of them looking quite as energetic as Pinkamena. Rainbow Dash was unmistakable with her signature mane, though Celestia had not been able to get the best read of her, but her spectacular performance in the practical outclassed her middling written score.

Finally, there was Fluttershy—the filly that had finally drawn the Elements out of Twilight. Celestia considered her words carefully in writing her letter. She had done quite well on the written exam, but had severely blundered her start to the practical. In the face of danger, she had initially fled and hid behind a dumpster, an act of cowardice that could easily fail an applicant, even one with a strong written score.

Yet, when Twilight was in peril, she had rushed to her aid and shown quite the talent. An ability like that was rare for a pegasus to develop, and she had used it well to defend Twilight, netting her a few comments and points. As Celestia pondered the right words, a high-pitched chuckle from the other side of the table drew her attention.

“Oh-ho,” Seabreeze exclaimed. “Quite a good eye that one has. Can’t recall the last time somepony spotted me drifting through the test site, and to keep me safe in the throes of absolute terror takes truly impressive willpower. A little more confidence, and she’ll make quite the hero.”

“Indeed,” Celestia grinned. She then went back to work on writing her letter.

Once Fluttershy’s letter was sealed, she awaited the next one, eager to see more of Twilight’s future classmates and hopefully friends. A rough estimate of the A and B hero classes was already forming, along with the general studies group—those with high written scores but not quite enough points on the practical to get on the fast track to a license the hero course provided.

Every now and then, Celestia would bring her pen down on a file’s section and make what was for all intents and purposes a decree setting up the classes, ensuring Twilight would be among the fillies she had already risked life and limb for.

The action drew a few whispers the staff. Celestia had allowed her part in the selection process to be a ceremonial one for many years, but a perusal of the School’s constitution revealed that she had just as much authority as the principal and could even decline an applicant with a show of good reason. Those laws had gone unused for many years though.

So, when Seabreeze neither threw a file into the bin nor passed it to Celestia, she stood at attention while her illusionary form straightened its back. He had been looking at the file for a long time, and was now doing the same for the next file. A small knot formed in her stomach.

“Your highness,” Seabreeze called out as he shut the second file. The chatter stopped, quills fell to the side, and attention went to either Seabreeze or Celestia. With a flap, Seabreeze lifted both files into the air. “I think these two have had our attention ever since the dragon incident, and now we have seen what they can do.” He clasped his hooves in front of his face. “They both have shown great talent: Ms. Shimmer was relentless in her pursuit of villains, setting a new record in defeats, and Ms. Sparkle was perhaps even more impressive, being one of the few applicants to take out an evacuation level threat.”

Seabreeze’s brow furrowed. “However, in achieving that record, Ms. Shimmer deprived other applicants of points when she could have easily used her skills to earn rescue points instead. Her attacks are also some of the more destructive ones we’ve seen. In a real emergency, her collateral damage could be a major setback.”

His glanced then shifted to the other file at his side. “Ms. Sparkle could be seen as the exact opposite case. Her magic is on an unbelievable level, and was able to hone in on Professor Tantabus alone without directly harming a single student he had trapped. However, in the process, she brought unimaginable harm on herself. Defending others a key pillar of heorics, but self-sacrifice of this level will do more harm than good in the real world.

“The comments for each of these applicants show a split I have not encountered in my years serving the School. I too am conflicted. Our duty is to foster the next generation of heroes that will defend Equestria and inspire hope in future generations as well. But, we must also recognize the risks we expose both students and the public to with each acceptance. My experience falters here, and so, I beseech you and ask for your wisdom in these matters.”

The room was silent. Staff members waited as still as statues with held breath and tensed muscles. Never had any of them faced a situation like this. After what seemed like hours, Celestia spoke.

“This School is no stranger to risks,” she proclaimed. “I have seen graduates fail, I have seen them make mistakes we should have taught them to avoid, and I have seen them turn from the path of light to the road of darkness. What I have learned throughout all of this though, is that we are an institution that draws talent. No matter what we do, that talent will find a way to express itself.

“We hold a position to guide it though. It is wrong to say we can control it, and to do so would only bring ruin upon us as a bastion of education, but we can offer direction. I have seen these little ponies face the greatest of dangers, and in them I saw the spark of greatness. I have confidence in the staff here, and I have faith in these two that whatever challenges block their path, they shall overcome them with our guidance and become heroes.”

A round of applause went up. With a grin, Seabreeze sent the files over to Celestia. Taking them with a bit of a wider smile, she set to work writing a letter she had been thinking about for months. As the cheers died down and everypony returned to work with renewed vigor, words spilled from Celestia’s quill onto Twilight’s letter.

Yet, as she finally tipped her crown to her Twilight, her mind was already thinking about what to say to Sunset as well. With her own eyes, Celestia had seen what a powerful and fearless pony she was. Her memory was filled with guards and heroes who had withered under the fiery breath of a dragon. As a mere filly, Sunset had managed to retain enough of her wits to unleash spells that could have taken out a lesser foe with ease.

Celestia knew she had to choose her words well though. Within Sunset, coupled with her talent and power, were pride and a disdain for ponies she imagined could be strong, but did not work hard enough. It gave Celestia a little relief that it was not an outright dominance over weaker ponies, given how Sunset had treated her in her true from.

Based on reading her file and her own personal encounter with Sunset, Celestia hoped her worst traits were just childish bullying. While her confidence in Luna had taken a heavy blow over the summer, the numerous students Luna had instructed and disciplined when needed assured Celestia that Sunset would get the necessary guidance to cull those negative aspects. Still, she would share in Luna’s instruction this year, and, while Twilight was her main focus, all the students had earned her attention and wisdom. So, writing a proper letter was an important first step.

Taking in the scene and basking in the fresh wave of energy Celestia had instilled in everypony, Seabreeze mused, “Quite the interesting class indeed,”

Author's Note

Yes, I can confirm that Seabreeze is this world's equivalent of the Golden Snitch. Now which teacher is Hagrid will be a sur... wait a minute.

Celebration

“How?” Moondancer asked. “How did you manage to book this place?”

The question was directed at Pinkie, but her sight was on the sign towering above her. When lit, its neon added an iconic touch that made Donut Joe’s a Canterlot landmark, especially the caramel and golden hues that colored the Os. Heroes, celebrities, and even royal envoys had passed through Joe’s glass doors to sample the legendary donuts within. While the sign was dark, the lights inside were on. Streamers and balloons could be spied through the smoked glass windows.

“I knew Applejack and I would be super duper tired after the exam, so I called in a favor!” Pinkie chirped. “Plus, I was hoping I’d make some new friends today, and I did! All the more reason to celebrate!”

Moondancer blinked, shook her head, and turned to Twilight. “You just keep pulling surprises on me.”

“Well, this is a better one than these.” Twilight pointed to her bandaged legs and horn. A snort from Moondancer drew a nervous chuckle.

Moondancer’s stern look lasted for a moment before it gave way to a sigh. “Fine, I’ve said my piece and your mom is probably gonna pull you through the wringer for this, so for now, let’s celebrate what is, for all intents and purposes, a success!”

“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie cheered. She rushed forward and held open the door for everypony else.

Making their way inside, the group was buffeted by the heavenly smell of frying dough and music pumping through the sound system. Multi-colored lights flashed off the checkerboard floors, retro chairs, and well-aged booths.

Joe’s head appeared through the window behind the counter. Spotting the group, he glanced down at whatever confection he was preparing, finished off the step he was on, and then made his way out to the front. With legs spread wide, he called out, “Pinkie Pie, good to see ya!”

Like a tornado, Pinkie spun over to Joe, leapt over the counter, and wrapped her hooves around him. “You too, Mr. Joe! Thank you so so so so so so much!”

“Eh.” Joe swatted one hoof through the air and patted Pinkie on the back with another. “I always hate shutting down the entire day for the Entrance Exams. Plus, us Baker League members gotta be there to support the next generation of heroes and chefs. How are the Cakes, anyway?”

“Couldn’t be better!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Mrs. Cake’s getting pretty antsy though. I’m probably gonna need to go all out to make up for all the sweets she’s avoided these past few months. That’s not even getting to all the fun recipes I’ve got planned for the foals!”

While Pinkie and Joe chatted away and caught up, Twilight bent close to Applejack. “They mentioned the Baker League and the Cakes, right? As in the Dessert Duo?”

“Yessiree,” Applejack replied. “Gotta give it to you, Twilight, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d swear your talent was hero trivia instead of magic.”

“Sounds like Ponyville is filled with a bunch of retired and part-time heroes,” said Spike. He grinned. “Wouldn’t mind visiting sometime.”

“Well, you’ll always be welcome at Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack chuckled. “Granny Smith alone could tell you enough stories to keep you up for nights. Course, she’d probably fall asleep after one or two.”

Everyone had a good laugh at that, except for the gray filly with a pale violet mane that had appeared beside the group. She stood taller than everyone else and her figure was a bit closer to that of a mare based on the way her plain dress fit her. Her lips, pressed into a thin neutral line, and her half-open eyes combined to give off a somber tone that clashed with the festive surroundings.

“Um, hello?” Fluttershy dared to ask, since she was the closest to her. Such a sudden and silent appearance would have normally scared her half to death, but the filly gave off such a subdued vibe that her apparent teleportation did not disturb Fluttershy too deeply.

“Hello,” the filly replied, monotone giving no hint of emotion. Her leg reached out and clasped Fluttershy’s in a manner that matched an instructional diagram on how to greet somepony. “I’m Maud.”

“Nice to, uh, meet you, Maud. I’m Fluttershy.” After getting the introduction out, Fluttershy found herself at a loss of words. That was not out of the usual for her when meeting ponies. What was unnatural and stunned Fluttershy was the realization that she had never been the louder pony when making introductions.

Just as Fluttershy put her hoof back on the ground, Pinkie vaulted away from Joe and glomped onto the Maud. “Maud! You did a extracalafradiglistic job setting up! Test went well? Meet any fun ponies?”

Pinkie’s enthusiasm hit the brick wall of Maud’s stoicism. “The golems they used were of a poor quality. Too many sedimentary rocks.” With a slow methodic blink, she glanced at Spike. “Your creation of dragonglass was very informative though.”

“Uh…” Spike scratched her head. “Thanks?”

“So, are you another friend of Pinkie’s?” Twilight held out a hoof. When Maud took it, Twilight felt the rough texture of her hooves. Her grip was tepid, but a glance up the sleeve of her dress showed muscle not quite on Applejack’s level, but certainly clashing with the apathetic hold Maud had on Twilight. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. Nice to meet you.”

“And you too,” Maud said with the same tone she had responded with to everything else. “And, no, I’m not Pinkie’s friend. I’m her sister.”

“Best older sister ever!” Pinkie exclaimed and pulled the string of a party popper.

The popper’s confetti rained down on Twilight, but she remained frozen in place. A gear had fallen out of place in her head. Perhaps it was the long day. Perhaps it was the backlash from using the Elements. Or, perhaps it was being thrust into a social situation she was unfamiliar with, but one thing or another must have caused her to mishear Pinkie.

“You two are related?” Spike asked, breaching the question Twilight’s mind could not process at this point. “Uh, no offense, but I’m not seeing much of a family resemblance.”

“Aw, don’t be silly, Spikey!” Pinkie grinned and put her face right beside Maud’s. “Tell me we couldn’t pass for twins!”

No one said anything for a moment and just stared with the same confusion that had beguiled Twilight, save for Applejack, who remained silent since it seemed like the politest thing to do.

Twilight managed to regain her wits with a shake of her head. Her mind latched onto a different detail while sidestepping a familial relation her brain could only classify as one of the great unsolvable mysteries of the universe. “You said ‘older sister,’ right? But you were applying today? How?”

“It’s a little out of the ordinary, but the School makes exceptions,” Maud droned. “The family thought it was best to watch out for Pinkie while she’s at the School.”

“I told them it’d be fine, but after today, I can see they had a point,” Pinkie said with a few nods of her head. “I really had to pull out all the stops at the end to make sure nopony got hurt, but still…”

Twilight registered a frown flash across Pinkie’s face with one last nod. The motion forced down Pinkie’s mane, giving the illusion that it was straightened for a split-second. As quickly as she had bowed, Pinkie shot back up, wide smile once more on her face.

“Everything worked out amazing in the end!” she exclaimed. “Now let’s party!”

“With some well-earned donuts for the future heroes!” Joe add as he stepped out of the kitchen. Piping hot donuts of several varieties floated around him and zoomed over to everyone.

“Thanks!” Twilight said along with everyone else. Before she dug into the rainbow-dotted donut Joe had sent her way, she asked, “Um… Mr. Joe, if you’re here, does that mean they’ve finished scoring all the exams?”

“Right you are, Ms. Sparkle,” Joe replied with a sly grin. “Now, I’m forbidden from discussing the results of the exam. You’ll have to wait for the official letter to come by the end of the week. On a completely unrelated note, this is quite a nice party Pinkie has set up.”

Everypony save for Maud cheered. She gave a monotone yay and toasted with her donut alongside everyone else’s.

“Um,” Spike spoke up. He held up a donut encrusted with emeralds that would have looked more at place in an art museum. The chunk Spike had already taken out of it diminished that prospect a little. “First, this is amazing. Second, know you can’t talk about results, but you wouldn’t have happened to have heard anything about a filly named Rarity? Amazing white coat? Perfectly maintained mane and tail? Three diamonds for a cutie mark?”

With each descriptor, Spike’s face gained a shade of red and his eyes matched up more and more with the glaze on his donut.

Joe brought a hoof to his chin. After a moment, he pointed to Spike. “To start, thank Pinkie for sending over a quick letter.” He puffed up his chest. “I’ll get a kick now that I can say I can bake with rocks and it’s still delicious!” After a hearty laugh, his calmed down. “As for a filly named Rarity, I didn’t see her file, but the name rings a bell. Plus, pretty sure her last name is Belle.”

Spike leaned closer. “Anything else?”

“One of my more secretive customers if I’m remembering correctly,” said Joe. “Acts like she’s got the paparazzi after her whenever she comes in. Guessing she’s one of the fillies that wants to look good for the colts, but nopony can resist the occasional trip to Joe’s!”

“Hmmm,” Spike muttered while Joe bellowed.

“Sounds like somepony has caught your eye,” Twilight teased. “I’m not at risk of losing my partner, am I?”

“It’s not like that!” Spike stammered. “It’s just she was so…”

“Radiant?” Maud finished. Everyone’s heads except for Joe’s twisted toward her. Maud slowly blinked. “Her talent and usage of carbon manipulation was very impressive. I may be here mainly for Pinkie’s sake, but I’d be lying if learning more about her and you, Spike, didn’t excite me.”

“Really?” Spike asked, taking in Maud’s unchanged expression.

“Yes, I haven’t been this excited since we found a deposit of aluminum oxide crystals on the farm.”

“Oh, that was the best!” Pinkie stuffed a full donut into her mouth and gulped it down. “The look on mom and dad’s faces!” Her legs whipped out and grabbed hold of Moondancer and Spike. “Come on! Time to party!”

“Wait, wh—” Moondancer was cut off by Pinkie pulling her off the ground and into an impromptu dance.

While she and Spike tried to match up with the blur Pinkie’s legs turned into, the rest of the group made their way over to a booth.

When they were seated, Applejack looked at Fluttershy. “So, I didn’t get much from Rainbow Dash other than her apparently being the ‘awesomest at everything’, but doesn’t seem like you two would really cross paths, no offense. You two another pair of surprise siblings?”

“Oh, no…” Fluttershy blushed and bent her head a few degrees lower. “Rainbow Dash has been my friend ever since we were in flight school together. Even back then, I knew she was going to be a great hero someday. Nopony could match her in training, and she was always helping out the, uh… less talented at school.”

“I wouldn’t call you less talented.” Twilight smiled. “You really saved my skin during the exam, and with quite the talent to boot. With all the meteorological talents pegasi usually developing, seeing you use an animal related talent was quite a surprise.”

Fluttershy squeaked and blushed a deeper red.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that!” Twilight yelped, whipping her hooves back and forth.

“I know it’s a little odd,” Fluttershy murmured. “And I’m not the best flyer either if I don’t use my talent, but I’ve always loved animals, so I was so happy when I got cutie mark connected to them. I… I mainly applied because I was worried about Rainbow Dash, but becoming a hero that saves animals would be nice.”

“Hmmm.” Twilight rubbed her chin and began muttering, “Rescue operations are a bit of a neglected field in heroics. Helping with evacuations and doing damage control is a major part of hero duties, but heroes mainly act as support to the Guard in those situations. Most agencies avoid a focus on rescue operations because of that direct competition with the Guard. Plus, heroes tend to prefer combat with villains.” Her leg swept away from her chin and jabbed at Fluttershy. “That said, heroes can sometimes mobilize faster than the Guard, and their unique skillset may make them better suited from the task. With your talent and the proper backing, you could carve out a really strong niche market!”

“Um…” Fluttershy sank away from Twilight’s hoof and into her seat. “Okay?”

A hoof clasped Twilight on the shoulder and pulled her back into the booth. Applejack shook her head. “Simmer down, girl. I think ‘that’s nice’ will do. Don’t need to blow any more gaskets today.”

Twilight blushed and bowed her head. “Right. Uh, any particular animals you like?”

Fluttershy’s eyes lit up and she grinned. “I can’t think of an animal I don’t like. There’s blue jays, raccoons, bunnies, and all sorts of other animals I love taking care of. It actually made preparing for the exam quite pleasant.” She glanced across the room. Pinkie now had Moondancer and Spike doing a square dance with her. “Twilight, I bet you know all about the access hero licenses grant you, right?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well…” Fluttershy pressed her front hooves together, using them to hide a tiny grin. “A lot of areas only heroes and the Guard can go to are also home to incredibly rare creatures. Pigasuses, jackalopes, Orthroses, and so many more!” Even her own shout shocked Fluttershy and she hid behind some of her mane, but it could not fully cover her smile. “I… I really was impressed seeing you stand up to that scary unicorn, but when I saw Spike, I couldn’t resist. A baby dragon is one of the rarest creatures to see in all of Equestria. And, I mean, I want to be Spike’s friend because he’s nice, too.”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy, I get it.” Twilight smiled. “You should have seen me the first time we met. I had about a million questions, but the most important thing I learned is what a great partner Spike is.”

“So you two really are a duo, then?” Applejack asked and got a nod in reply. With a whistle, she leaned back. “Geez, Twilight, I thought I could zip around, but seems like you’re already leaps and bounds ahead of us.”

“I… I guess.” Twilight blushed. “What about you, Applejack? The Apples are a pretty old family, with lots of historical figures and heroes, so is heroics like a family tradition?”

Applejack did not immediately reply and instead vanished in a whoosh of wind and reappeared with a full mug of cider. She knocked it back and then set the mug down with a resounding smack. “Ah, sorry, Pa always took a big drink before telling us about the family. You’re partially right, Twilight. Us Apples take a lot of pride in our work: making sure ponies have good food, exploring the frontier, wrassling up varmints, and doing whatever else we can to make Equestria just a bit nicer.”

She pushed the drink aside, glanced at Fluttershy, and then looked straight at Twilight. “I’d be lying if I said Big Mac wasn’t a big reason I want to be a hero. There’s just something about how cool he looks in the papers, and how happy it makes it him when he helps a pony in trouble. There’s another reason though, but it’s a wee bit personal, so can you both promise not to talk about it too much?”

Fluttershy and Twilight nodded. Maud blinked.

Applejack took a big breath. “Granny Smith is getting on in years, and even with Big Mac and me helping to run the farm, Sweet Apple Acres just isn’t making the same ends meet that it used to. We get a bit of support from my Ma’s Pa, but, well…” Applejack glanced to the side. “That’s a whole ‘nother can of worms. Now, I know it ain’t the reason anypony should want to be a hero, but what a pro can make would go a long way to helping work out a lot of our finances and get a good nest egg going.”

Applejack lowered her head, sighed, and took another drink. Fluttershy shuffled a little closer and reached out a hoof. “As long as it’s for a good reason like that, I don’t see any problem.”

“Me neither,” said Twilight. “It could actually even be an advantage.”

Applejack’s hat skewed a little to the side. “Huh?”

“A major pitfall for young heroes is securing financing. The Crown provides a stipend, but it only gives those out to established agencies. That’s why a lot of graduates go to the big agencies at first, but those can trap you in contracts that make it difficult to scrounge up enough cash to go out on your own. Most young heroes are so eager to just get into the public eye and try and make a name for themselves, that they fail to consider long term planning.” Twilight smiled at Applejack. “So, if you’re already considering finances, you’re ahead of the game as well, Applejack!”

“I think that calls for another donut for all of us!” Applejack cheered.

Twilight lost herself in conversation, donuts, and friends. At some point, Pinkie, decked out in a fake mustache and clasping a rose in her mouth asked in a put-on accent if Twilight would have a dance. Everyone joined in for a bit. Some remained dancing, some went back to the booth. Everyone smiled and laughed the night away. Maybe if she were more familiar with outings like this, Twilight could have kept better track of the time or her drooping eyelid. At some point though, surrounded by new and old friends, Twilight fell asleep right in the booth.

~~~

Rainbow Dash guzzled down her mug of cider and slammed it down on the table. “Ah, needed that.”
“What happened to Miss ‘I’ll probably ace the practical so well, they’ll give me a medal or something?’” Gilda quipped before taking a gulp of her own drink. Flexing out a talon, she summoned over a waitress and pointed at Dash’s empty mug. “’nother round for the future hero.”

As the waitress bustled off, Gilda turned back to Dash. Rather than laugh or offer a cheer like she usually did when they went out, Dash was quiet and had her gaze was down on her empty mug. Hooves were clasped in front of her tense face.

“Hey,” said Gilda. “I was just messing around, nothing to get bummed out about.”

“I’m not ‘bummed out,’” A flex of her wings enunciated Dash’s words. Her focus remained on the mug. “I know I did awesome on that practical and I studied my flank off for that stupid written part.”

She looked up. Gilda tensed. She had only spotted the sharpened pupils on Dash when she was deep into her training and throwing all her weight at mastering a new flight maneuver.

“I’ve got a lot of competition, Gilda. There was this one jerk that stole a few of my points, nearly caught me in some of her spells too. Then, there’s the dragon. Little guy, but he’s got some serious firepower.” Excitement seeped into Dash’s tense expression. “And get this, he’s pals with the unicorn that took out that huge monster everypony was talking about! Nopony else in the other group could even put a scratch on it! All we got was a stupid rock hydra!”

Dash leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. “I knew there were strong heroes out there, but I didn’t expect there to be so many ponies our age that could even get close to my awesomeness.”

“Think it will be a problem with your plan?” Gilda asked. The pungent scent of ozone made her immediately regret her words.

Dash glared at her and slammed a hoof into the table. “It won’t. I’ll show everypony what I can do with just my wings, get a license, and I’ll watch him squirm. When he’s on his knees and begging me to come back, I’ll get what I need. Nopony can stop that.”

“Okay, okay,” said Gilda. Relief flooded her when the waitress returned with a fresh mug. Desperate to change the subject, Gilda’s mind latched onto a question. “So, how was Fluttershy?”

She flinched upon realizing that was probably one of the worst things to ask. Dash did not seem to notice as she took a few gulps of her drink. The intensity dissipated from her eyes as the mug emptied. With a wipe of her mouth, she set it down.

“I wasn’t in the same group as her,” Dash sighed. “If I’d known she’d be facing such a powerful monster, exam or not, I’d have busted in to get her out of there. That thing sounded like it meant business: a ten or twenty-point deduction, I forget which, as big as a city, and it paralyzed you with some sort of terror beam.”

“’Terror beam?’” Gilda chuckled.

“Something like that,” Dash continued, eyes once more cast down. “Nopony could do anything against it, especially Fluttershy…” There was a moment of silence. Then, Dash grinned. “But that unicorn, Twilight, came at it with this huge spell and blasted the damn thing to smithereens. Ah, I wish I could have seen it! Fluttershy and Applejack made it sound like something you’d see Princess Celestia do!”

“And you think a unicorn that can take out giant fear monsters isn’t an issue for your plan?” Gilda asked.

Dash smirked, placed her hooves behind her head and leaned back. “If she could do something like that normally, maybe. She royally messed herself up casting whatever spell that was. Scared Fluttershy and a bunch of her friends half to death. Gave me a chance to meet Applejack and Pinkie Pie though.” Taking a breath, Dash’s eyes turned to some distant point that lay beyond the ceiling. Her grin widened. “Still, I owe Twilight for keeping Fluttershy safe, so now we’re rivals.”

Gilda coughed and spit some of her drink back into the mug. After a few hacks and thumps to her chest, she asked, “Really, Dash? You’re doing this again?”

“Look, the plan is the most important thing, but who says I can’t have some fun on the side?” With a flex of her barrel, Dash arced forward, and leaned on the table. “Aside from her, I’ve got a hoof wrestling score to settle with Applejack. Gotta find out what her talent is too. Still need to show that bacon-haired jerk not to mess with me as well. There’s the dragon too. Oh, and Pinkie Pie, totally gonna pay her back for that electric buzzer trick!”

Shaking with excitement, Dash chugged the rest of her drink. Wiping the foam from her mouth, she exclaimed, “Man, this is gonna be fun!”

Gilda shook her head. “You sure this hero stuff is really for you, Dash? I mean, I get it with the plan and all, but you make it sound more like a sport.”

“Eh.” Dash shrugged. “Nothing wrong with saving ponies and kicking villains to the curb. Plus, I’ll have the best sidekick anyway.”

Thinking carefully about her next words and not wanting to spoil the celebration a second time, Gilda raised her glass. “Cheers, to great hero, Rainbow Dash!”

“Ha-ha!” Dash raised her own glass and smashed it into Gilda’s. Cider covered shards rained down onto the table. Dash blinked as the bravado fled her and was replaced with red on her cheeks. “Oops.”

~~~

“Well you always were good at making an entrance and an exit,” Gilda teased.

The duo walked along the Canterlot streets. Neon illuminated their path and much of the city with shop names, ads for the latest perfumes, and solicitations for a few less popular heroes that had to advertise rather the rely on word of mouth. Every couple of feet, an alley would provide a view of another part of the city just as bright.

However, here and there, an alley did not offer a glistening peek at the rest of the Canterlot but either dead-ended or twisted into a labyrinth that only a certain kind of citizen would know well. Even with all the boasts and the power to back it up, Dash and Gilda were still young girls. They may not have followed all the rules or heeded every word their parents and teachers gave, but there were some warnings they took to heart.

On the Canterlot streets at night, they stuck close and to the middle of the street. They kept up conversation, joked, and occasionally gave each other a slap on the back or a wing to the ribs, but their eyes were always looking around, carefully taking in the surroundings—a skill honed from flight practice.

As they walked, the crowds thinned and the buildings lost floors and grew smaller. Eventually, they reached a point where the road turned to dirt. Beyond that was grassland and distant mountains. Dash’s eyes were on a far-off cloud, its edges tickling the tip of the moon’s crescent.

Dash tapped Gilda on the shoulder. “Thanks a lot for coming out.”

“Eh.” Gilda shrugged. “I was here for the family, so why no—”

Gilda’s eyes sharpened like those of a hawk guarding its nest. Her wings flared out, and she charged at Dash without warning. Before Dash could even ask what in Celestia’s name Gilda was doing, some sort of crimson rock exploded into Gilda’s chest, right where Dash’s head had been a second earlier. Gilda gasped in pain as the stone tore through her flesh and buried itself in her chest. She went limp and crumpled on top of Dash.

“Gilda!” Dash screamed.

In a flurry of hooves and feathers, she flipped Gilda off and let out a deafening battle cry. Crackling filled the air as she reared up and slammed her hooves down, sending out a thunderous discharge. At the same time, her wings flared. Lightning arced off her, blackening the ground, but no bolt struck anywhere near Gilda. Barring her teeth, Dash roared, “Show yourself! I’ll te—”

A groan from Gilda stifled Dash. The winds died down and the lightning ceased. Turning her back, she rushed to Gilda’s side. “Gilda! Don’t move! I’ll get yo—”

Gilda’s eyes flared back open. Even though Dash knew the glare Gilda wore was directed at their assailant, it still sent a chill down her spine. With a grunt, she slammed a paw into the dirt. “Son of a bitch! What in Tartarus hit me?!”

“Wait! Wait!” Dash urged. She reached out to put pressure on the wound, but just felt feathers. “Huh?” She pulled back her leg and found it dry. “Where is it?”

“Where’s what?” Gilda grumbled as she stood back up.

“Whatever tried to take us out!” Dash stomped the ground and glanced out into the distance. “Dammit! Forget it, let’s just get out of here!”

Both rocketed off the ground and darted back into Canterlot. As Dash flew, her scowl deepened. It was only thanks to the late hour and the attack occurring on the outskirts of Canterlot that nopony had seen her summon the weather. That shook her to the core almost as much as the actual attack.

~~~

The wind howled around the top of the mountain. A near constant assault by snow, steep peaks, and treacherous crevices made reaching the summit virtually impossible. Even the Guard knew terrain like this was too harsh and dangerous for training.

On a rare night like this, when the clouds parted and the pale moonlight glistened off the snow, the summit provided a clear view of Canterlot off in the distance. Even at night, with its glitz and glamor, it was the perfect match to the radiant air Celestia carried.

The glow of the moon cast twisted shadows of cliffs and peaks across the barren snow. Amidst the silhouettes of the mountain’s features, there was one shade stretched across the snowy canvas that stood apart from the rest. The moon distorted the shape, but limbs, torso, and a horned head with a wild mane whipping about were discernable.

The shadow’s owner glared down and watched as Rainbow Dash and Gilda soared back into Canterlot’s confines. With a snort, the magnification spell canceled out, and Canterlot once more appeared miles away.

“Damn.” A hoof slammed into the snow. The ground beneath it shuddered, the cliffs nearby loosed their swollen snowbanks into the abyss, and fresh crevices tore open near the figure. “I’ll have to round up the scum.”

Author's Note

If you're wondering what Pinkie's favorite jam is

Class 1-A

“Oh, you look great, sweetie,” Night Light beamed. He reached out and ran a hoof across a part of Twilight’s mane. “Just gotta smooth out that one little bit.”

“Dad, come on,” Twilight whined, partially in jest. “A nice mane isn’t exactly a top priority among heroes. Besides, it’ll just get messed up in training.”

Velvet tensed. “You don’t think they’ll have you training already, do you? It’s just your first day, and your horn and your legs probably need to rest a little more.”

“Mom, it’s fine. Just some small sprains and a little over-exertion.” When the bandages came off, Twilight’s horn and legs had looked as good as new. Twilight thanked the stars that one of her new classmates or perhaps Moondancer or Spike had been a smooth enough talker to assuage Velvet’s fears when they had lifted Twilight out of Joe’s and back home. “Even if we do have some exercises today, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“I know, it’s just…” Velvet fidgeted in place for a moment before reaching out and pulling Twilight into a hug. Twilight felt a few tears splash onto her mane. “Oh, I’m never good at these. I promised I’d do better than with Shining, but here I am balling my eyes out again.”

She pulled back, sniffled, and willed back any tears, but she only managed to keep them from flowing out of her eyes, leaving her bleary and blubbering. “You hear it so much, ‘they grow up so fast,’ but you’ve really changed this summer. I… I can’t help it if I worry—that’s what mothers do—but…” She wiped her eyes and displayed the shaky but genuine smile Twilight had inherited. “Have a great first day!”

“Don’t worry.” Twilight’s grin was a bit more steady and wider. “I will!”

“Twilight!” a voice called out.

Everypony lifted their head and spotted Spike rushing down the street. He skidded to a halt in front of Twilight and her parents. Resting his hands on his knees, he gasped for breath. Twilight’s eyes darted back and forth between Spike and her parents.

Velvet let her legs slowly drop away from Twilight. “Oh, Spike. You didn’t have to come all the way here.”

Spike spotted Twilight’s eye twitching as her brain overloaded and gave a wheezy laugh. He paused and caught more of his breath. When he lifted his head, he displayed a grin. “Just thought it’d be nice go to school together on the first day!”

“Oh-ho,” Night Light chuckled. “What a wonderful little diplomat you are.”

Twilight jittered over to Spike, and whispered, “What did you tell them last week?”

“Pinkie’s one hay of a tale-spinner.” Spike shot out a claw and rapped Twilight on the back. With a put-on laugh, he declared, “Good to see you too, Twilight, and don’t worry about the security detail. I can handle myself!”

Twilight cricked her head to the side. “Uh, riiigggggghhhttt.”

“Well, you’d best be off,” said Night Light with a glance at the rising sun. “Don’t want to be late on your first day.”

“Right,” Twilight and Spike said in unison.

Velvet blinked and Night Light chucked, “You really do know how to surprise us, Twilight. Have a great day.”

With a wave, Twilight and Spike headed off. The streets bustled with ponies heading out to work and school. Along the way, Twilight spotted many fillies and colts her age, some in uniforms and some not, on their way to the first day of school. All of them bore ID cards either draped around their neck or attached to their bags.

“So,” Twilight asked, “are you ever gonna explain just what happened?”

“I could,” Spike chuckled, “but I’d rather you keep thinking it was my awesome draconic charm that wins over everypony.”

Spike laughed at whatever scheme he and the others had cooked out while Twilight was out like a light. All Twilight could do was smile and shake her head.

By the halfway point, Twilight had failed to spot any ponies that displayed the silver ID card pinned to one of her saddle bag straps and affixed to the front of Spike’s backpack. It bore a picture in the center along with personal number. The golden sun and the crescent moon were what truly made the card stand out. As the duo drew closer to their destination, excitement compelled Twilight’s search for other bearers of the School for Gifted Ponies’ card.

She was also on the lookout for her newfound friends, though she doubted they would cross paths on the way to school on the first day. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie had informed her via letter that they had returned to their homes to wait for acceptances. Each had sent a second letter when they had received the news they had gotten in. Velvet had thought Twilight was having a heart attack when she got the news, especially since Twilight had only displayed a fraction of that excitement when she had received her own acceptance.

Since all of Twilight’s new friends were all from out of town, they would be living at the School’s dormitory, which meant they all moved in the day before classes. Twilight had considered joining in to help, but a quick perusal of the rules showed that her ID Card did not activate until today, so it would have been a hassle for security to deal with. Plus, since going out to the School was not necessary at the time, Velvet had been very vocal in her insistence that Twilight rest and prepare her own materials.

Twilight’s thoughts were on point, and she arrived at school having sadly not spotted any of her friends. She had at least spotted some other students, but, aside from a wall-eyed grey pegasus, she did not recognize anypony from the exam. Besides, Spike was already with her. It was not like she needed to make a ton of friends on the first day. On the other hoof, friendship definitely was a cornerstone of unlocking the Elements.

Twilight reflected on the exam, her training, and everything else that had happened since the summer began. Even when Spike tugged at her, steering her out of the way of a businesspony sipping his morning coffee and hustling off to work, she remained transfixed.

“Twilight!” a shout finally broke her out of her trance just as she reached the front of the School. Twilight and Spike gulped and slowly turned.

Sunset appeared as she had on the day of the exam: teeth bared, eyes aflame, and horn ready to fire. Each stomp she took burnt the grass at her hooves and left a smoldering print in the dirt. She stopped right in front of Twilight and bent close. The heat radiating off her forced a bit of sweat onto Twilight’s brow.

“You conniving little cheater. I’ve been hearing you pulled some sort of flashy light show that even fooled the staff!” Sunset growled and then jabbed a hoof at Twilight’s chest. A shield stopped it before it made impact, but Sunset kept pushing, forcing the shield back and sending up streams of smoke. Cracks spread out from Sunset’s hoof. “Whatever you did can’t save you forever. If you know what’s good for you, leave before you get bu—”

A blast of emerald flame shot up and sheared off a tip of Sunset’s mane. Spike snorted smoke out his nose before readying another blast.

“Stop it!” Twilight slammed a hoof into the ground as hard as she could. A tiny bit of rainbow aura wisped up from where her hoof smacked the dirt. A similar glow swirled within her eyes. With a sigh, she bowed her head. “We are classmates, not enemies.”

“Tch, you would say that,” Sunset huffed. She turned to leave.

“Wait,” Twilight ordered.

Sunset twisted her head back, glare as icy as the bitterest corner of the Frozen North. “What?”

Twilight faced her, eyes firm, without a shred of fear showing. “We’re classmates, Sunset, which gives me all more chances to prove that I do have what it takes. Call what happened at the exam whatever you like, but I promise, now you’ll see with your own eyes that I’m not the weak blank flank you still think I am.”

Sunset glared at Twilight a moment longer, snorted, and then made her way for the steps. “Whatever. Do what you want, not my issue.”

Once Sunset was a good distance away, Spike spoke up, “Sheesh, is she ever not ticked off?”

“Me succeeding just doesn’t register to her anymore.” Twilight’s head drooped and she sighed, “I just hope that can change.”

***

Flames danced over Sunset’s head. They shifted from red and orange to green to purple and back to normal. Burning bright despite having nothing to consume, they morphed into birds, rams, and a whole fiery zoo that pranced through the sky. Almost everypony on the playground was captivated by Sunset’s magic.

Twilight peeked her head out from behind a nearby tree. Despite the bruises that still stung on her leg and barrel, she could not resist watching Sunset show off. She just did not understand why whenever she said anything to Sunset now, a smack greeted her in response.

Sunset had been getting more and more pushy before winter break, and she had started hanging out with other ponies a lot more, but now she never said a word to Twilight. She had even scared Twilight a few times with her flames. The first time she did it, Twilight even cried. Sunset had a cutie mark, her magic was strong, and everypony wanted to hang out with her. It stung trying to figure out why Sunset was so mean to Twilight when she had everything that could make a filly happy.

As Twilight pondered the question she asked herself constantly, she failed to spot Sunset hone in on her exposed head. With a smirk, she stopped her fiery phoenixes from doing loops and sicked them on Twilight. With a yelp, she stumbled backwards and crashed onto the ground. The phoenixes continued to dart towards her. She seized up and closed her eyes.

Heat flared around her, but she did not feel anything directly strike her. When smoke invaded her nose, she coughed, but a hoof slamming down near her head froze her up again.

“Well, I gotta give it to you, blank flank,” Sunset snickered, “I was betting you’d have yourself a little accident.”

Some of the other fillies and colts joined in with Sunset at laughing at Twilight. She bowed her head to hide her blush. “I... I just wanted to see your magic, Sunset. M-maybe if I study it, I ca—”

Twilight cried out when aura seized her mane and yanked her back. Sunset’s glare turned Twilight’s blood to ice.

“Get this through that waste of a horn and into your head, blank flank,” Sunset growled, “You had your chance, and you lost it. Now you want to rip me off!?”

Flames roared off Sunset and shot upwards. Everypony moved back, while Sunset kept her hold on Twilight, letting her flames lash out. The grass blackened near Twilight’s hooves and smoke forced her to cough. She wanted to break to the right, but a blaze shot up and kept her confined. Her legs shook and tears started to well up.

“P-please, S-s-sunset,” she blubbered. “I… I don’t know what I did, but I’m s-sorry!”

“Pathetic,” Sunset snorted. She stomped forward, but a crack rang out before she could inflict more torment on Twilight. Just as she glanced up at the source of the noise, a branch her flames had whipped snapped and came crashing down on her.

The wind flew out of her when purple legs slammed into her gut. Tackling Sunset away from the falling branch, Twilight sent both of them into a tumble. Everypony gasped and advanced closer to inspect the two, but their teacher barreling over scattered them like the ashes left by Sunset’s magic.

~~~

Nopony had dared to fib on Sunset for bullying Twilight, but the half-truth they told of Sunset just showing off gave their teacher enough to work with. Twilight had not known what to say when the principal called her to his office and thanked her, but she had paled when he informed her Sunset would be in detention for a week for “reckless use of magic.”

Twilight stayed far away from Sunset after that. Sunset’s searing glare served as a major warning, and filled Twilight with dread of an imminent attack that would leave more than just a few bruises and some singed fur. She looked over her shoulder everywhere she went, and made sure to avoid any prior spots she had hung out with Sunset. To be safe, Twilight spent her recess in the library after that, and it was there that she started talking with a filly named Moondancer.

The first time they had lunch together, Sunset sent their trays flying into their faces.

***

While the encounter with Sunset had sucked a bit of energy out of her and dredged up some unpleasant memories, Twilight felt herself regaining her pep with each step she took toward the classroom. Without the hustle and bustle of the exam to worry about, Twilight could take in the School’s elegant design. From its arched hallways to its stained-glass window, the School held a rich air brimming with a history Twilight had been entranced with since she was little.

She knew not to admire it too much though as the halls, while not packed to the brim, were still filled with students, some of whom she even recognized from newspapers and magazines. As she rounded a corner on the way to class, she even nearly rammed straight into Flash Sentry. Luckily, he sidestepped out her way, grinned, and went off in the opposite direction.

Spike smirked at the sight of red on Twilight’s face. With his best Twilight impersonation, he parroted, “I’m not at risk of losing my partner, am I?”

“He… he’s just been in a few articles is all,” Twilight stammered. “C-come on, let’s get to class!”

After a few more turns, a set of stairs, and past some lockers, Twilight found herself in front of the room. A single letter and a single number were painted onto it: 1-A. With a deep inhale, Twilight steadied herself, summoned a smile, and turned the knob.

“Point stealer!” Dash snarled, wings unfurled and hooves ready to fly from her desk straight into Sunset’s face.

“You wanna go?” Sunset smirked and summoned a ring of flames around her horn. “I’m in a bad mood already, so I could really use some stress relief.”

“P-please stop!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“So uncivilized,” came a voice that hastened Spike’s heartbeat. His focus moved away from the impending bloodbath and homed in on Rarity seated just to Fluttershy’s right. His eyes widened when he spotted an empty seat right next to her.

Spike rushed forward to claim the seat, Dash shot up a hoof to smack Sunset, Sunset let loose a blast of flame straight at Dash’s head, and Twilight raced to stop the two from destroying the classroom. All these events happened in a blink. Before an attack could land or the seat could be claimed, smoky aura rushed out of the floor. It forced Spike to jump back, and caused Twilight to come to a screeching halt. Despite its gaseous appearance, the aura seized Dash’s leg and slammed it down, making her wince. At the same time, it whipped out and dissipated Sunset’s blast like snuffing out a candle.

Sunset yelped when the aura flung her off the ground and shoved her into the seat next to Rarity. Spike groaned, but a chill and intense pressure coming from the front of the room silenced him. Twilight snorted and furrowed her brow as the aura collected itself between the desk and the podium at the front.

Thick legs emerged out of the aura. A tiny bit of it formed into a cropped ethereal tail, while the bulk of it went into forming a massive barrel. Were it not for the remaining aura concentrating into a starry silhouette of a stallion’s head with a chiseled muzzle and a horn that looked like it could cut through diamonds, the creature at the front of the classroom could have passed for a yak’s shadow. Albeit, one that was constantly shifting around and glistening like night.

“I see we have a few spirited students,” the creature spoke, voice deep and booming. “You will need that if you wish to get through this school, but what you don’t need are disruptions. Let me be very clear that I will not tolerate such petty squabbles in my classroom.”

The creature turned its head. Twilight glared at it. In a softer, but still gruff tone, it said, “Ms. Sparkle, glad to have you with us. Will you and Mr. Spike please find seats? We’ll be starting soon.”

“Yes, Professor,” Twilight replied. Tantabus nodded and then went to work scrawling on the board.

As Spike turned to walk with Twilight and to try and find a seat, he whispered, “I thought you said that Tantabus jerk was a mare.”

“But as the Nightmare Knight, she’s a stallion,” Twilight replied, making sure to keep her head bent and close to Spike’s ear. “Just keep your guard up. She may still try to get me to use the Elements again.”

“Right.” Spike then spotted an open seat next to a wall-eyed grey pegasus. “You want it?”

“You can take it.” The lime-green unicorn and the beige earth pony blabbing to each other and holding hooves in front of the seat made Twilight’s decision easy. The pink hoof whipping through the air a little more to the center of the room also helped and brought a smile to her face. “See you at lunch.”

“Yep!” Spike saddled into the seat. While Twilight walked off, Spike turned to the pegasus and held out a claw. “Hi, I’m Spike.”

“Hi, Spike!” The pegasus whipped out a hoof, but it missed Spike’s claw by a few inches. Trying again, she managed to connect with it. “I’m Derpy! Nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you too,” said Spike. A bit of relief flooded into him. While he had managed to make friends with Twilight’s friends, he had pondered if the same could have been said if Twilight had not reached out to them first. The whispers he had heard during the exam and the fact that he had eaten lunch alone after the practical still concerned him.

Yet, Derpy at least did not seem to care that he was dragon, although his status did prompt her next words, “So, do dragons like stuff other than gems, like muffins?”

Moving away from Spike, Twilight wound through the rows and made her way over to Pinkie. Her smile widened when she spotted a desk to Pinkie’s left and Applejack to the left of it. Even the sight of Maud sitting behind the empty seat was a pleasant surprise.

“Morning, Twilight!” Pinkie exclaimed. “What a way for our teacher to make an entrance, eh? Top notch stuff!”

“His materialization spell was quite impressive.” Maud blinked. “If that’s what it was.”

“Might bit creepy if you ask me,” Applejack said while Twilight took her seat. “A little too much like that stuff that attacked us during the exam.”

“It is,” Twilight grumbled.

“What?” Applejack asked in a flat tone.

“Oh, wowzers!” Pinkie’s leg shot up. “Professor! Professor!”

Tantabus paused his work to look at Pinkie. “Yes, Ms. Pie?”

“Are you really the one that summoned that super scary tentacle monster thingy during the exam?”

“I am,” Tantabus curtly replied.

While Tantabus’s initial appearance had sent a chill down a few ponies’ spines, a majority of the class went white upon hearing Tantabus’s words. Even the ponies that had not directly encountered Tantabus during the exam had heard of the giant monster that had attacked the other practical. They had learned of its countless eyes that could paralyze you with a terror like something out of your worst nightmare. A deathly silence fell over the class.

Tantabus seized the change in atmosphere and marched forward to face the class. As he did, the chalk flew back up and struck the board in the large blank space he had left for his name. “That was me only attempting to capture, not to harm. Villains will not be so generous. Know that the line of work you are entering is dangerous. In this class, I will not coddle you to that reality. Better to taste failure here and learn from your mistakes than suffer a grievous loss in the line of duty. So, know I will think no less of you if at any time you decide that the life of a hero is not one for you.”

The chalk floated down and Tantabus stepped to the side. “That being said, I also recognize the great effort you have undertaken just to reach this point. Welcome to Class One-A of the hero course! I will be your main professor. I am Tantabus.”

A grey hoof shot up.

“Yes?” Tantabus asked. “Ms. Hooves?”

Setting one leg down, Derpy raised up her other leg with a thick stack of papers clasped in her hoof. “I thought our professor was gonna be somepony named Artemis.”

Before Tantabus could respond, the papers fell out of Derpy’s grasp and scattered to the floor in a flurry of white. Sunset snickered while Spike reached down to help her pick them up. When he and Derpy had collected all her papers and everypony’s attention was fully back on Tantabus, he spoke once more.

“Those of you who know me know that I prefer privacy in my work. I won’t disparage heroes that prefer having their faces plastered on newspapers, but I find it distracting. That includes working here, so I would request that you keep my position a secret.” He paused and, while his face lacked a mouth so as to display a grin, everypony felt their skin prickle when some stars swirled around his muzzle in a pendulous orbit. “Of course, if you choose to ignore my request, you’ll find it quite difficult to prove my presence while I will find it quite easy to inflict a punishment on you for disobeying such a simple appeal.”

Once Tantabus was convinced his words had sunk in and everypony was done shuddering, he summoned up stacks upon stacks of textbooks. “Now that we have our introductions down, please take one of each of these. For this morning’s class, I will explain the syllabus and give you a basic breakdown of the texts.”

“Oooh! Oooh!” Pinkie wiggled a leg around.

“You are not a monkey, Ms. Pie,” said Tantabus. “Just raising your hoof is enough.”

“What about ice-breakers?” Pinkie leaned forward and asked. “There’s a bunch of us, and I barely know anypony!”

“I understand some of you are anxious to get to know each other, and, I assure you, teamwork will be a major focus of this class,” Tantabus explained. “So, this afternoon we will have a physical education class where you can display your talents. It will be good for all of you to know what everypony else here is capable of and it will give me a chance to get personally familiar with you and your talents.”

“Woohoo!” Pinkie exclaimed. A chill forced her back into her seat. She leaned close to Twilight and whispered, “Woohoo.”

“Now, we will have time for more questions at the end of class,” said Tantabus. “We have a lot of material to cover though, so let’s get started!”

~~~

“Now that was a doozy,” Pinkie groaned with a hoof held firmly to her head.

She immediately perked up when an array of sweet and savory scents wafted out of the lunch hall. Ahead of her, students from all classes flooded into the hall to enjoy what many regarded as the best school lunch in all Equestria.

“I’ll say,” Applejack sighed and wiped some sweat from her brow. “That Tantabus fella isn’t messing around.”

“But did you see the way he put the point stealer in her place?” Dash asked with a grin. “And I wasn’t holding back either, but he stopped my punch like it was nothing! Awesome.”

“Just be careful,” Twilight cautioned as she took a tray from off a stack and shuffled along with the rest of the crowd. Various heated containers filled with vegetables, hay soufflés, and numerous other delicacies rested just a few feet in front of them.

A light purple unicorn with a wide smile zipped back and forth along the line, dolloping out scoops of whatever the students wanted. If she was at one end of the line, her magic lifted the serving utensils on the other end. The whole process looked more like a fine-tuned machine at work than a single pony.

“Now I could get being a little spooked by him, but you looked more geared up let your horn loose again.” Applejack took her eyes off Twilight and indicated she would like to apple cobbler. “You know him or something?”

“I…” Twilight paused while a dollop of the soufflé landed on her tray. “I don’t, but what he did at the exam hit a sore spot for me. Being a harsh examiner is one thing, but terrorizing ponies is a step too far.”

“He… he was pretty scary.” Fluttershy shuddered. “B-but it was just for the exam.”

“That mistake he made with the point deduction was the scariest though,” said Pinkie. Turning towards the food, her grin widened. “Ohhhhh boy! Finally! I get to try stuff made by the Chefs’ Guild!”

“A fan, eh?” the lunchmare chuckled.

“Nope!” Pinkie swished her head back and forth. Her grin thinned and her eyes gained a mischievous glint. “A rival! The Cakes send their regards.”

“Oh-ho.” The lunchmare’s own smile gained a bit of sharpness as she bustled back and forth, never breaking stride while keeping one eye on Pinkie. “So, you are the dreaded Pie I’ve heard so much about. Come to steal the Guild’s secrets, I see.”

“Maaaaaayyybbbbee,” Pinkie teased. “I gotta try everything first! Are the other Guild members gonna be working here or is it just you, Ms. Belle?”

“Perhaps, just know we’re on guard with our recipes.” An extra scoop of ice cream floated onto the slice of pie Sugar Belle had placed on Pinkie’s plate. “We are always looking for apprentices though. Join us, Pinkie, and we will complete your training in the culinary arts.”

“Never!” Pinkie exclaimed, loud enough that a few heads turned. Both she and Sugar Belle could not help but laugh at their own theatrics.

“Um…” Fluttershy spoke up. “Is the sauce on the tofu steak vegan?”

“It certainly is,” Sugar Belle chuckled. She then glanced back at Pinkie. “Well, nice to meet you, Ms. Pie. I get the feeling you’ll make lunchtime a bit more amusing while you’re here.”

“That’s the plan!” Biting down on her tray, Pinkie skipped away and hummed, ignorant of the confusion on everyone’s face at the exchange.

Once Fluttershy got her meal, the group began the quest for a table. When Pinkie’s leg shot up and jabbed to the northwest, Dash spread out her wings and turned to Twilight. “Can you hold this for a second?”

Twilight lit up her horn and layered a shield spell over both trays. Dash grinned and took off in a burst of wind. Pinkie hopped after her, with her food rising off her tray at her apex and falling in the exact same spot when she landed. Applejack galloped ahead of Twilight, Fluttershy, Spike, and Maud.

As the group made their way over to wherever Dash had zoomed off to, Spike spotted Rarity through the crowd. He swerved over towards her and called out, “Hey! Rarity! You looking for a seat?”

He was certain Rarity spotted him, but instead of drawing closer, she rushed off in the opposite direction. Spike wanted to pursue her to make sure she hadn’t misheard him, but the rest of his group was wandering off. Just to tear his priorities further, the direction Rarity had run off to led straight to the table Sunset was sitting at. Yet, instead of scowling and barking at Rarity, a smirk was on Sunset’s face as Rarity spoke to her, but Spike couldn’t hear the conversation. His heart sank when Rarity took a seat across from her.

“Spike.” Twilight’s voice made him jump. With a tug at his shoulder, she turned him around. “Come on, everypony else is already sitting.”

“But Twilight, Rarity is sitting with Sunset!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got to do something!”

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “No, we don’t. Sunset’s already mad enough at me as it is. There’s no reason to cause a scene, especially on the first day. Besides, if Rarity is really as amazing as you say she is, maybe her talking with Sunset will be a good thing.”

“Okay…” Spike bowed her head and frowned. “I just hope she’s okay.”

“I’m sure she will be.”

“I’ll check,” said Maud.

Twilight and Spike both jumped back. Yet, their food managed to stay on their trays.

“Are… are you sure?” Spike panted while the tried to get his heart out of his throat and back into his chest.

“Yes.” Maud methodically blinked. “I think she might be a little nervous around boys, and there are some questions I have for her regarding her organic to crystalline carbonization process and the effect it has on her central nervous system.”

“Um… I got the first half of that.” Spike scratched his chin. “Guess that could make sense.”

“See you this afternoon.” Maud shuffled off, practically moving in slow motion across the room.

Spike and Twilight blinked, unsure what to say but each gaining the growing suspicion that questioning the Pies was the path to madness. Going the opposite direction, they joined everypony else at the table. Dash and Applejack were already tearing into the culinary towers on their plates. Pinkie munched on her own food with a speed that rivaled theirs. Only Fluttershy had waited for Twilight and Spike and did not touch her meal until they were seated.

“So…” Dash said with a mouth full of soufflé. She gulped and downed the lump that had formed in her throat with a large swig of juice. “Do I ask what the deal is with the food war stuff first or do I ask who or what the hay our professor is?”

“Me first! Me first!” Pinkie leaned over the table, bringing herself close to Twilight. “That okay?”

“Go ahead,” Twilight muttered, thankful that Pinkie had given her extra time to plot out her next words.

“Oki-doki!” Taking a deep breath, Pinkie sat up straight and cleared her throat. Her voice came out deeper, with a more commanding tone. “The Baker League and the Chefs’ Guild are both ancient defenders of justice and the culinary arts. Some even say our founder was Smart Cookie. In the early days of Equestria, ponies were still starving and cold, so the most powerful cooks in the land banded together to ensure nopony went hungry and helped maintain law and order. That legendary group is said to have created recipes that could warm even the coldest of hearts.”

The shadows seemed to deepen around Pinkie. “One day though, a great schism rent the founding group apart into the Guild and the League. Some say it was on what type of flour makes the best pancakes. Some say it was what the best hay-to-potato ratio is for hay fries. Me? I think they were planning on making the ultimate course— a dish so powerful that its very creation risked bringing even the mightiest cooks to their knees.

“Whatever happened though, the group split and each side took recipes with them. Now they are the most guarded secrets of the League and the Guild.” Pinkie smiled and, with her normal voice, said, “I know how good the League stuff is, but now I get to try Guild stuff too! Normally it’s forbidden ‘cause of tradition, but students at the School are a special exception! Neat, right?”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy murmured. She managed to summon a small grin. “You… you make it sound like they fight a lot, but you and the lunchmare seemed to get along.”

“Well, duh,” Pinkie chuckled. “We may be fated rivals, destined to see who’s cooking will reign supreme, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun while doing it.”

“I’m behind that!” Dash guzzled down the rest of her juice and slammed the cup down. Her gaze then fell upon Twilight. Twilight still was not sure which put her on edge more: Dash bearing down at her, hooves ready to fly or Dash with a giddy grin, itching for what Twilight imagined would be a quick friendly sparring match for Dash and a fight for her life for Twilight. “So, what’s up with this Tantabus guy?”

Closing her eyes, Twilight remembered her exercises and shut out the world while she took a breath. Lifting her eyelids but keeping her head down, she spoke, “The Nightmare Knight. Said to be one of the most powerful heroes in Equestria, but one of the most mysterious as well. He doesn’t do interviews and nopony has ever managed to capture more than a glimpse of him on camera. Everything, from his actual appearance to his talent are a mystery.

“What I do know though is that villains that cross him end up broken ponies. Whatever he does to them makes confessing to the Guard seem like a dream. With what he did at the exam, I think we can all see why now, and that’s him being merciful. It’s only thanks to the sheer size of Manehattan that he hasn’t monopolized the hero business there and cleared it of crime.”

The table was silent for a moment. Twilight’s words left Fluttershy shaking. Dash gave her a pat on the back to reassure her. At the same time, goosebumps ran up Applejack’s legs. Even Pinkie had been reduced to silence aside from the bag of popcorn she was munching on.

“Whoa,” Pinkie said before shoving another hooffull of popcorn into her mouth. “Sounds like our professor is going to put us through Tartarus.”

“Hey!” Dash huffed while Fluttershy shuddered a bit more. “Yeah, he’s tough, but nothing we can’t handle! We all made it through the exam! We all kicked butt! I bet he’s just testing the waters, trying to see for himself if we’ve got what it takes. It’s what I’d do.”

“Y-you think, Dashie?” Fluttershy asked.

Red tinted Dash’s cheeks. “Of course. I mean, how could a file or whatever they used to grade me contain all my awesomeness? So, this afternoon, let’s show him what’s what!” In a hushed tone, she added to Fluttershy, “And, uh, try not to call me that here, kinda throws the whole awesome thing off.”

“Oh…” Fluttershy nodded. “Okay.”

“I’m with you on this, Dash,” Twilight spoke up. Her words widened Dash’s grin. Looking at Dash now, it was even more difficult for Twilight to reconcile her with the short-tempered filly she had faced off against less than a week ago. Excitement and eagerness to prove herself, especially to Tantabus, shone through the initial intimidating image Twilight had constructed of Dash and resonated with her. “Let’s show Tantabus that we’re going to be the best heroes we can be!”

Cheers went up across the table. Cups were raised, and then the conversation went elsewhere while the group finished off their lunch. Questions were asked about the dorms. Dash and Spike shared stories about how their side of the practical went while the others were less forthcoming. For Twilight, it was like she was back at Donut Joe’s. Even the tension she felt knowing Tantabus could have anything planned was drowned out by the laughs she shared at the table.

Author's Note

Movie was fun and a comfort to my denial of szechuan sauce.

Also, MHA Season 3 AKA Hitting the Fan. Oh yeah.

Try Your Best!

A wall extended out from the school’s main building and stretched back a great distance. It went past a perfectly maintained race track, the middle of which contained an area for a long jump, a row of dummies, bars to perform pull ups and other exercises on, and several other spots designed for training.

Beyond the track lay a labyrinthian obstacle course. Towering walls, narrow corridors, and steep wooden inclines were the most visible aspects. There were also monkey bars, ropes, and paths lined with holes of various sizes you could fire a wide variety of projectiles through. That was just what could be seen from afar.

A great open field rested past the obstacle course and was where the wall finally turned, ran along the back of the enclosure, and then returned towards the main building. Being the start of the school year, the grass at the back was still pristine and unmarred, but here and there were a few spots where the dirt was fresher. No amount of landscaping could fully hide that this was where heroes trained.

Twilight and her friends stood side-by-side along with the rest of the class. Tantabus patrolled in front of them, exactly how Shining described his drill instructor had done on the first day of basic. Some students gulped and quivered as he marched by. Even without eyes, he gave off a pressure that assured a student when he or she was in his focus. There were many students with goosebumps and standing hairs, but there were also those that stood firm with their eyes forward and the muscles firm. Twilight, Dash, Applejack, and Sunset counted themselves among that group. Pinkie may have counted too if she was not straining to keep herself rooted to the ground.

“We will start with three laps around the track to get warmed up,” Tantabus commanded, voice resonating through the air. “You will all then gather at the starting line for the fourth lap. That will be a simple race—no wings, no magic, just hooves.

“You will then divide up based on race. Earth ponies will start with the 50-meter dash, unicorns will do a strength test on the dummies, and pegasi will handle the obstacle course. When everypony is finished, you will switch until each group has done all three stations. Then, we will convene on the rear field for the day’s final task.”

A few shudders went through the crowd when a pair of steely blue eyes materialized on Tantabus’s face. Some students shut their own eyes, while others braced themselves. A breeze blew through the field but no feeling of pure terror welled up in any of the students.

“Do not worry,” Tantabus said while his newly formed eyes scanned over the class. They glinted in the sunlight. “These only paralyze when I want them to. They are more to illustrate my next point. Just as I will be observing you to gain a better understanding of your special talents and general capabilities, you should also take notice of your classmates’ powers. No matter the situation, a hero, and a smart pony in general, must always be vigilant and take in their surroundings. Any questions?”

Spike shot up a claw. “Um, what group should I go with?”

“Dragons, despite their use of flame magic, are still creatures of physical might,” said Tantabus. “Mr. Spike, you will be with the earth pony group. That is how it shall be for the rest of the time you are under my watch.” Tantabus looked over the group. “Any other questions?” He waited a moment and then declared, “Then get into starting positions on the track!”

As the class broke formation and made its way over to the start line, Dash leaned over to Fluttershy. “See, he’s just getting a feel. Nothing to worry about. Hay, this is even better than flight school. No jerks so far to mess with you.”

Fluttershy nodded in silence.

Dash pressed close to Fluttershy, making sure nopony else could hear. “What have you got loaded?”

“S-still falcon and b-bear,” Fluttershy answered.

“Okay. That’ll totally work.” Dash pulled back and gave Fluttershy a slap on the back, producing a squeak. “You got this, girl.”

“And we’ve got ourselves a race.” Applejack grinned, lighting a fire in Dash’s eyes. “With all that bragging you did last week, I’m looking forward to this.”

“Ooh!” Pinkie popped in between Dash and Applejack. “Me too! Me too!”

While Twilight walked alongside her friends, she kept an eye on Tantabus as he made his way over to the inner side of the track. If Tantabus noticed her glaring in his direction, he did not appear to react.

When everyone had assembled, they fell silent and waited. With a booming shout, Tantabus sent them off. Dash and Applejack instantly took the lead. They smirked at each other and sped up. Sunset was in hot pursuit behind them. Just a few feet back, Pinkie hopped along with Maud nearby but slightly ahead. Somehow, despite the need to build up strength for a jump and recover on the landing, Pinkie managed to stay keep a strong pace.

Twilight and Spike were no slouches either. They pushed forward, weaving through the other students to get up to the front as well. It stung a little to keep racing ahead without even a glimpse of Fluttershy in her peripheral vision, but Twilight pushed it aside and focused on the task at hoof, while also keeping an eye out for any signs of blue aura.

She was pleased to not spot any by the time she finished her third lap. While catching her breath and stretching, she looked around and took in everypony’s state. Most of the class didn’t appear winded, but a few were taking sips from their water bottles.

Spike spotted Rarity having a drink. Even the simple act made his heart flutter. In his eyes, she seemed to bend her head back just right to let her mane flow while she drank. Even the beads of sweat rolling down her face appeared to emphasize her stellar cheekbones and delicate muzzle.

“Heh, nice warm up,” Dash chuckled. “Ready for the real deal?”

Applejack lifted her hat and wiped the sweat from her brow. “Are you?”

Grinning despite their hastened breathing, both assumed their positions along with everyone else. Like before, everyone waited in anticipation. This time, when Tantabus gave the signal, Dash and Applejack did not just burst from the starting line, they exploded from it, sending the unfortunate nearby students off balance.

Applejack turned into an orange blur. Dash grunted and slammed her hooves into the track, harder and faster. After only a few seconds of keeping pace, a gap formed, but by that point, the two of them were already a quarter around the track. Dash pushed every muscle she had save for her wings as hard as she could, but Applejack’s speed was too much.

The more the distance grew, the more Dash’s expression went from one of determined resolve to harsh scowl. When Applejack passed the third-quarter mark with a solid yard between herself and Dash, something snapped.

With a snort, she unfurled her wings. In a blast of air, she took off and rocketed forward. Just when her hooves came within reach of Applejack’s tail, a smoky tentacle wrapped onto her right hind leg and threw her into the center of the track. She was left staring at two different sections of the sky before she blinked and shook her head. Wobbling to her hooves, she fell back down when an immense pressure forced her knees to bend. A shadow spread across her and she looked back to see Tantabus looming over her.

“No wings, Ms. Dash,” Tantabus growled.

While Applejack and Dash had taken off like bullets, the rest of the class gave it their all as well. Like in the previous laps, Sunset took off in third. By the halfway mark, she was closing the gap between herself and Rainbow Dash. She could not help but smirk when Tantabus ripped Dash off the track. Taking her eyes off the track ahead had also allowed her to glimpse both Pinkie and Maud right on her tail. With a snort, she plowed forward.

Further back, Twilight found herself mixed with a large clump of the class. Careful weaves and pushing her legs to their limit led her to the front of the group, but other students surged up next to her. When she saw Dash take flight and Tantabus almost immediately slam her into the ground, she gritted her teeth and burst ahead until she was nearly matching pace with Maud and Pinkie. Ultimately, she finished a few seconds after the former.

Everyone was left drenched in sweat and parched when the race concluded. As soon at Twilight had finished, she wobbled over to where everyone had left their water and took a drink from her bottle. As she savored the refreshing coolness, she kept an eye on everyone else.

The lime-green unicorn and the beige earth pony that sat in front of Spike had clashed next to her in the race. As soon as they grabbed some water, they were chatting it up again. Twilight guessed from the conversation that the unicorn was Lyra and the earth pony was Bon-Bon.

A pair of earth ponies, one blue with a pink mane and the other pink with a blue mane, were next to finish. Twilight had to wonder if they were related. After them was Derpy. Despite zigzagging across the track, she managed to outrun the muscle-bound pegasus Twilight recognized from the entrance exam.

Spike had also managed to surpass him. Heaving, he stumbled over to his water, took a gulp, and then fell on his back. Between gasps, he managed to rasp, “Four… legs… not fair.”

“You never complained over the summer,” Twilight teased. Spike just groaned and allowed his body to go limp while his heart rate and breathing slowed.

Twilight was convinced Spike had given it has all in the race because Rarity had finished just after him. She may have even beaten him if she had been a little closer to the inner loop like Spike had been.

When she saw Fluttershy just barely beat out a rather shaggy looking earth pony, she bit her lip. It was not just that Fluttershy had come in second to last, but also that she was not sweating that much and her rushed breathing did not appear to arise from exertion alone. Twilight spotted her knees quivering when she got closer.

“Fluttershy,” she said, “is everything okay?”

“I… I just get nervous in big groups,” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Totally get you on that,” said the shaggy pony with a laid-back tone. “The aura around some of us is really intense, plus some of us have got some negative tones too.” When she turned to Twilight, the already-wide pupils in her droopy eyes grew even bigger. “You’re, like, really out there though. Most unicorns are pretty trippy to look at, but you’re, like, super trippy. They’re usually like ‘whoa” but you’re like ‘whoooooaaa.’ I’m Tree Hugger.”

The words had come out slow, but their meaning cluttered Twilight’s brain as she tried to translate them. It dawned on her after a second that Tree Hugger had extended a leg out to her. With a jolt, she shot up a hoof and grabbed Tree Hugger’s. “Uh, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Coooooool,” Tree Hugger replied. With one fluid motion, she leaned away from Twilight and swept over to Fluttershy, who had taken the chance to grab some water and collect herself. “You’re looking a little, uh, what’s the right word for yellow, but like, as a feeling?”

“Anxious,” Fluttershy blurted out, blushed, and ducked behind her mane. With a small yelp, she thrust out her hoof. “I… I’m Fluttershy. Sorry.”

Tree Hugger gazed down at Fluttershy’s leg for a second, and then wrapped both of her forelegs around it. “Awesome to meet you too. Your fur is super nice.”

“Um… thanks?” Fluttershy murmured.

Releasing Fluttershy, Tree Hugger said, “Yeah, I can totally tell you have a really deep affinity for life and nature. It’s a really good flow you’ve got. You just gotta get rid of some of those rocks in the stream, you know?”

A shadow rose up behind Tree Hugger. Tatubus’s presence did not appear to visibly affect her as her face and body remained relaxed. Tantabus’s eyes sharpened. “Ms. Hugger, you seem to have enjoyed a stroll around the track.”

“Yeah, teach, this is a pretty good set-up you’ve got,” Tree Hugger replied. “I think we’ll all get some major benefits to our inner balance from this.”

“Then I’m sure your balance will benefit from giving me fifty push-ups after you’re done at all the stations.” Twilight tensed when Tantabus turned his head in Fluttershy’s direction. Tantabus had said he was not using whatever ability he had to terrify anyone. Yet, Twilight equated Fluttershy’s look to the pictures she had seen of deer. Something about camera flashes momentarily robbed them of all wits and left them forever immortalized as shaking and stupefied. “That goes for you, too, Ms. Fluttershy.”

Twilight took a step closer. “But she’s ju—”

“Just a little nervous?” Tantabus interjected. His words stole the fire from Twilight’s eyes and her stance loosened. “I do not need you to tell me that, Ms. Sparkle. But, I do not have time for nervousness. Ms. Fluttershy made it through the entrance exam, so that excuse is an insult to her own skill. She will join Ms. Tree Hugger and Ms. Dash in doing pushups, am I clear?”

“Y-yes,” Fluttershy quibbled.

“Yes,” Twilight snorted, “sir.”

~~~

A few minutes later, Twilight stood before the dummy. To her ire, she saw that a sheet of blue aura clung tight to it. It was too easy to imagine Tantabus in its place. Plus, this was a strength test, so there was no need to hold back. Thinking back to the exam, she thought of Fluttershy once more pinned by Tantabus’s glare. She imagined Pinkie, Applejack, and Spike there as well, all caught and helpless. At the same time, she envisioned her own magic and allowed the perceived threat against her friends to push her deeper into the depths of her mind.

Just as streaks of rainbow began to appear within the lilac sea of her magic, the image of her burnt and cracked horn and shattered legs returned to her. Her vision went dark and she opened up her eyes. She found her breathing ragged.

“Having trouble?” Sunset snickered as she advanced to an open dummy next to Twilight. “Go on, I’ve just been dying to see what you can actually do now.”

“I… I just need to focus a little,” Twilight sputtered, mind hazed by memories and a swirl of emotions.

“Well…” Sunset grinned. Her horn lit up and then one of her hooves turned bright red with flecks of white here and there. The air around it wavered from the heat coming off of it. “Let me show you what I’ve been working on over the summer so you can know how easy I’ve been going on you.”

With a spin, Sunset launched herself at a dummy. Rearing her enchanted leg back, she threw all her weight to her right and slammed her hoof into the dummy’s head. Twilight glimpsed the aura around the dummy quake before an explosion roared out of the point of impact. The shockwave forced Twilight to crouch. On Sunset’s other side, Lyra was not as quick and was knocked off her hooves.

There was a moment of silence as everyone stopped what they were doing and gaped at Sunset. The silence was shattered by a loud thud when the dummy crashed back into the ground, having been launched into the air despite its weighted base. A corner of that base crashed into the ground and remained there, leaving the dummy poised on its side. Sunset smirked.

“Very impressive, Ms. Shimmer,” said Tantabus. Smoky aura lifted the dummy out of the ground with the easy of a foal lifting up a toy. Sunset’s smirk shrank when she saw that, aside from some dirt covering the part of the dummy’s base that had wedged itself into the ground, the dummy was unmarred. Appearing in full form beside the dummy, Tantabus marched close to Sunset. “There is always room for improvement though. Keep that in mind.”

Tantabus said nothing as he strolled by the other unicorns. Nopony dared cast their gaze in his direction for more than a second. Tantabus did not reciprocate, instead looking in every direction, eyes rapidly changing focus and glancing separate directions. It made a few students’ skins crawl. When one lingered on Twilight, she took a breath and faced forward.

The blast that rocketed out of her horn was neon purple in color. It rammed up against the thin veil of aura surrounding the dummy. Sparks flew as Twilight fed a steady flow of magic into the blast. Pings and pops rang through the air as the dummy’s base rolled over pebbles and dirt. Just as heat raced down her horn and summoned a sting at the base of it, Twilight clenched her jaw and fueled one last burst into her spell.

Huffing, Twilight ignored the sweat pooling off her forehead and the steam rising off her horn. Her sight remained locked on the rough outline of the dummy, its full detail obscured by a cloak of dust. A gale erupted behind Twilight and cleared the dust away, revealing the dummy completely unharmed. The only indication of a change was that it was a half-foot further back than the rest of them.

“A fine start, Ms. Twilight,” Tantabus commented. Before Twilight could reply, Tantabus spoke one more. “And you as well, Ms. Belle. Such a display caught me by surprise.”

Between Sunset and Tantabus, Twilight had only taken note of the Lyra and Rarity in the corners of her vision. She had thrown everything she had at the dummy, so she had spared not even a sliver of her focus on either Lyra or Rarity.

Given what it had taken just to move her own dummy back, she was amazed to see Rarity’s dummy on its side. Lyra’s only had the dirt around its base disturbed, but Twilight, more than anyone else on the field, knew what it took to even get Tantabus’s aura to give an inch.

Lyra and Rarity’s efforts also stoked the curiosity in Twilight’s mind, especially since both of them were shaking a hoof. Both were fit, but so was every other student to some degree. They were certainly not on Applejack or Dash’s level though. Twilight scolded herself for not being more observant, which only led to more self-condemnation because she had not heeded Tantabus’s advice. Stepping away from the dummy, she vowed to keep a closer eye on both of them at the other stations.

~~~

Twilight weaved left. The air rent where her flank had been just a second ago. She leapt, slammed her hooves against the ground, and summoned a shield. The spell rose up to protect her face just as a sphere of aura crashed against it. It ground against the shield and forced Twilight back before bursting, lifting Twilight off her hooves.

It was little more than an inch and she managed to stick a landing, but she had to immediately go back into a gallop. Spheres were coming at blinding speed from both sides. Not as fast as a raging manticore’s claws, though. With ducks and dodges, she managed to make it to a steep incline.

Aura coated the wood. As Twilight had observed when Lyra had gone first, it made her slip like ice at the end of winter in some spots, and clung to her hooves in others. Taking a breath, Twilight lit up her horn. A glow wrapped around her hooves as well. Looking up, she caught sight of Lyra zipping across the ropes at an incredible pace. Her horn was aglow, but Twilight could not make out just what spell she was using.

“Out of the way!” Sunset shoved Twilight aside and raced upwards. Before her hooves could slip or stick against the aura, a blast propelled her away from the incline.

Twilight gave chase. Like Sunset, her hooves did not actually meet the aura. Instead, four purple bubbles rose out of Twilight’s hooves, giving each step she took a little bounce. At the top of the incline, she glanced back and spotted Rarity making a beeline through Tantabus’s volley. The spheres struck her and knocked her off course, but she still plowed forward. Wasting no more time, Twilight resumed the chase and leapt for the first rope while Sunset was already halfway across them.

~~~

“Go!” Tantabus shouted.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack may have been rockets in the race at the start of the exercises, but neither summoned actual fire and smoke like Sunset did when Tantabus gave the word. The explosion propelled her all the way to the 25-meter mark in the blink of an eye. Red hot hooves smacked into the ground. Another blast rocketed Sunset past the finish line.

“4.51 seconds,” Tantabus declared. “Next!”

As Lyra went up to the starting line, Twilight glanced over to the where the dummies were. A second Tantabus stood near Applejack as she darted toward the dummy, spun, and unleashed the pent-up strength and speed of her legs into it. The dummy went flying and landed two feet away with a clang.

“Go!” the Tantabus at the 50-meter dash yelled.

Twilight spun her head back around just in time to see Lyra surge forward. She moved too fast to be certain, but Twilight thought she saw Lyra’s hind knees bend forward rather than back a second before she took off. Twilight could not linger on the thought because the sight of Lyra dashing across the track on just her hind legs raised so many questions in her mind.

Lyra’s legs moved too fast for Twilight to make out whatever Lyra was doing to give each step so much force, but she guessed it had something to do with length. If bipedal motion alone provided such speed, Spike would have been at the forefront of the earlier race.

Theories on what sort of spells Lyra was using were running through Twilight’s head when Tantabus shouted, “Ms. Sparkle! Next!”

Jumping to attention, Twilight raced to the start line. Taking a breath, she remembered Celestia’s training. Her vision shrank down to the broad white line only fifty meters away. Fifty meters. That was all she needed to clear.

When Tantabus gave the word, it seemed distant to Twilight. Sunset’s jeer sounded like it was coming through a fog. Her horn sent out a blinding flash. Sunset blinked as did everyone else. Another flash of purple had them all seeing spots. With a scowl, Sunset lit up her own horn, allowing her eyes to fog up for a second and then clear once more. She glared and watched Twilight wobble and bend one knee.

“4.38 seconds.” Tantabus drew close. With her true voice, she whispered, “Keep up the practice and the unsteadiness will fade.” Resuming the false baritone, she shouted. “All right, walk it off. Next!”

Twilight stumbled her way to the side and laid back. A sharp jab to her side forced her to look up at Sunset.

“A teleportation spell isn’t anything special, you know,” she huffed, “and the drawbacks aren’t worth it. In a real fight, using a move like that would be it for it.”

“But for an escape, it’s good.” It made her head spin, but Twilight forced herself up and met Sunset at eye level. “And against a magically inclined foe, it can really throw them off.”

“That a threat?” Sunset growled.

“Only if you think it is.” Twilight sighed and turned away from Sunset. Ahead of her, Rarity galloped across the track. She had decent speed, but it was nothing different from what she had displayed in the race. “You know, Sunset, everyone here is really talented, but they’ve all got different reasons for being here.”

“The buck are you talking about?” Sunset snorted. “We’re here to be heroes, idiot.”

“Being a hero can mean a lot of different things.” To Twilight’s left, she saw Fluttershy flapping with all her might to get through the obstacle course. Dash was already guzzling some water. To her right, Applejack was doing the same while Pinkie brought a giant hammer down on a dummy. Close by, Spike unleashed a stream of flame that drilled into the dummy, pushing it back. “I… I’ve wanted to say it for a while now, but we’re on different paths too… I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? Think I’ll be your friend now?” Sunset stood up. Tantabus had vanished and was now standing over by the field. Other students were already on their way over to him. “You’ll never get it, Twilight. You always grovel around me. It makes me sick! Get mad! Fight back! Stop acting like friendship will solve all your problems!”

“Sunset, come on,” Twilight pleaded. “It doesn’t have to be like this, especially if you still want t—”

“Shut. Up.” Flames flared up Sunset’s eyes. “You don’t get to talk about that anymore. Whatever you did over the summer and whatever you do here won’t change that.”

Sunset stomped off, leaving smoke and burnt grass in her wake. Twilight watched her go, frowned, and picked herself up. Inside, words and thoughts ate away at her. Seeing Sunset in full form in a school setting had dredged up the one challenge she had feared the entire summer. It was something Tantabus had only manifested briefly, but now it once more reared its head.

***

As Sunset and Twilight walked back from looking out over Canterlot, Sunset spoke up. “Hey, I just thought of something.”

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Princess Celestia always picks a personal student from the school, right?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, she picked one out a few years ago called Mystic Rune. I hear he’s super strong but he doesn’t really like talking to newspapers.”

“Who wants to deal with that when there’s crime to fight?” Sunset huffed. “Point is, she’ll probably keep him around for a while, but after that she’ll need a new student. That’s us.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she gasped. Sunset rushed forward and covered her mouth to keep her quiet. She watched Twilight’s pupils focus and her body slacken before letting go. With a cough, Twilight whispered. “But there’s only ever one student. I checked.”

Sunset bopped Twilight on the head. “Dummy, of course there’s only one. That’s why you’ll be Princess Luna’s student.”

Twilight was about to gasp again, but a glare from Sunset forced her to clamp down on her own mouth. While Twilight blushed, Sunset shook her head.

With a clenched hoof, she declared, “We’ll show them, Twilight. So what if there haven’t been two students before? There isn’t a rule against it. Just get your horn working and nopony is going to get in our way!”

“Hey!” came the counselor’s voice. “Who’s out there?”

***

That’s what I meant, Sunset, Twilight thought as she joined the rest of the group. Guess I’ll have to wait for another time to break it to you.

“Well,” said Tantabus as he trotted back and forth in front of the group, “you’ve all certainly demonstrated why you belong at this school. Each of you shined in various areas, even those that were lacking in others.”

Rainbow Dash turned a little red and Fluttershy hid behind her mane. Tree Hugger observed a dragonfly float by.

“Nopony is perfect though,” Tantabus continued. “The most important lesson that everypony, especially heroes, must recognize is we are only ponies… or dragons. Whatever the case, there will come a day when you fail. How you react to that is one of the most difficult skills to learn, since it involves confronting that which you cannot defeat. This final exercise will bring you to that point.”

The wind kicked up. Shadows swirled behind Tantabus, rose off the ground, and connected in a single point. Expanding out, the smoky tendrils turned into inky walls. A black dome now stood in the field, its walls swirling and flecking off smoke.

“Each of you will go inside one at a time,” Tantabus said, voice prickling everyone’s skin, “I shall face you there one-on-one for five minutes. You may yield at any time, but once the five minutes are up, we stop, and I will offer my comments.”

“So, it’s like a sparring match?” Dash asked.

“No,” Tantabus coldly replied. “A match implies there’s a chance of winning. I welcome you to fight with all your might, but you should do so with the proper mindset: facing something you have no chance of beating. I warn you, there are no rules outside of the five-minute limit. I will use every means at my disposal to break you.”

Twilight shot up her leg.

“Yes, Ms. Sparkle?”

“What do you mean ‘break?’ Are you trying to get us to quit?”

Tantabus took a breath and looked over the group. “That is a risk. Every now and then this exercise is too much and a student does quit. Better here than in the midst of battle. Fear, hesitation, anxiety, anger, regret. These are all common reactions to an unwinnable situation, and ones that will ensure your defeat is all the worse. This exercise is meant to help you recognize what that situation feels like and better prepare you for when it happens, because it is inevitable. It is my hope that everyone here has the resolve to face such a situation and persevere. As our motto goes: Through night, through day, and ever onwards!”

Tantabus allowed a moment of silence for the words to resonate with the class. Even Twilight was rendered silent by his speech. Taking Tantabus out of the picture and thinking on the words themselves, she imagined Celestia saying something along the same lines. Loss was impossible to avoid. Twilight already knew that lesson well.

“So, shall we begin?” Tantabus asked, eyes scanning over the class. “I can call or do I have a volunteer?”

“Oh!” Pinkie called out, waiving a hoof through the air. “I’ll go first!”

“Certainly, Ms. Pie.” Behind Tantabus, a tear opened up in the dome just big enough for a pony to fit through. “You do seem a bit eager. Are you certain you are ready for this?”

“Yep-yep!” Pinkie grinned. “Nopony likes losing, but it’s no reason to be scared. So, if I can show everypony it’s not that bad, the exercise will go even better, right?”

“That is one way to look at it.” Tantabus vanished, but his voice rang out from within the dome. “Come on in then. Ms. Dash, Ms. Hugger, and Ms. Fluttershy, start with your pushups! As for the rest of you, please stay here. I will call you after Ms. Pie is finished.”

Dash groaned and slunk away from the rest of the class along with Fluttershy and Tree Hugger. Everyone else watched as Pinkie hopped over to the dome and then disappeared inside.

Then, silence. Everyone’s ears perked up to see if they could hear anything. The dome swirled, but nothing could be heard from it. The way it stood in the afternoon sun, absorbing light like a massive smudge was unnerving to look at for too long. As the minutes ticked by, whispers spread among the class.

Spike wanted to join in on speculating what Tantabus might do, but the strained look on Twilight’s face sealed his mouth. A look around showed Applejack in a similar state. Sunset watched the dome with a furrowed brow. Maud stared at where Pinkie had disappeared and remained still.

When the dome opened up once more, everyone’s heads turned toward the gap. Pinkie emerged. There was not a hop, skip, or a jump to her step as she hobbled forward. While her mane always had a bit of a fizz to it, it was now downright unkempt, with parts of it matted and uneven. With each unsteady step she took, a few tears spilled down her face.

Ice flooded everyone’s veins. It may have been the first day, but out of all the students, Pinkie had endeared herself with her energy and wide smile. The sight of her barely managing to stay upright was enough to steal most of the class’s breath. Twilight seized up, Spike’s claws raked the dirt at his sides, Dash stopped doing pushups, and Fluttershy fell the ground and shook.

Only one pony managed to push past the shock and rush to Pinkie’s side. Maud was beside Pinkie in a blink, eyes now sharp and alert. Her hoof shot out and pulled Pinkie close. Pinkie buried her head in Maud’s chest and cried.

“I’m sorry!” Pinkie sobbed. “I… didn’t… I didn’t…”

The rest of her words were lost in a divulge of tears and ghastly coughs. Slowly stroking Pinkie’s mane, Maud helped lower her to the ground. In a whisper only Pinkie could hear, Maud sighed, “You’re okay, Pinkie. You’re okay.”

The dome seemed to loom over the class now. For those that had faced Tantabus before, they were all reminded of what the exam had been like. Everyone else was struck with a feeling of dread. A few inched back and prayed. Yet, amidst the thick air of alarm, Twilight and Sunset furrowed their brows. The later also bit her lip to the point where the skin was on the verge of breaking.

“Applejack,” Tantabus called out. “Come in.”

Author's Note

Luna is probably my favorite character to write for.

But You Don't Succeed

Twilight, like everyone else, was immobilized at the sight of Pinkie on the verge of hysterics. Part of her wanted to race over and comfort Pinkie alongside Maud, but another part of her wanted to do everything in her power to keep Applejack out of the dome. The option of blasting the dome to pieces was also on her mind, but Tantabus’s own words kept the thought from manifesting into action. Her chest tightened and her breathing quickened.

Something prickled her ear and Tantabus’s voice whispered, Endure.

Twilight’s breathing stabilized behind clenched teeth. Stop it. Now.

I have done this exercise with countless classes. You may confirm it with Celestia later if you wish. We all must face loss at some point and learn to deal it it, Tantabus said. And this is your weakness, Twilight Sparkle: powerlessness. There are simply some things, like a great uncontrollable storm, that we must let pass and pick up the pieces from there.

“I…” Twilight glared at the dome. A swirl of rainbow replaced her lilac irises for a split-second. I can stop you.

True, but what will that accomplish now? A breeze rustled Twilight’s mane. You are smart, Twilight. You know that this will ultimately benefit your friends and everyone else. You know what will happen if you actually attack. You know what the best course of action in a situation like this is. Endure this and learn from it as everyone else will. And, when it is your time, do as you wish to me.

“Applejack,” Tantabus called out once more.

Slowly, Applejack rose to her hooves. With a snort, she took a step forward. Before advancing any further though, she found Twilight at her side. Applejack greeted her with a sigh. “I know what you’re thinking, sugarcube. If I had a choice, I’d hightail it out of here, but…” Applejack glanced at the dome and pressed her hat closer to her head. “Whatever is in there, I’m gonna show everypony that it isn’t the end of the world. Somepony has to.”

“I…” Twilight flexed out a leg, but pulled it back before it could make contact with Applejack. “I’ll be here if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Twi...” Applejack marched forward to the dome. Just before she entered, she said, “Take care of Pinkie for now though.”

With that, Applejack disappeared into the darkness. Heeding her words, Twilight made the walk over to Pinkie. Spike jumped up from the grass he had raked with his claws and joined Twilight. Pinkie was sobbing and staining Maud’s dress, but her cries were weaker now. Maud gave them both a glance when they approached, but then lowered her eyes back on Pinkie.

At first, Twilight found herself unsure of what to do or say. Slowly though, memories of time with Moondancer came back to her. The two of them had often found themselves covered in trash, marked with bruises, and even bearing burns. They had cried a bit in their corner of the library and said very little, but just being at each other’s side had been enough then.

Yet, as Twilight recalled those days, another memory came to the forefront of her mind. Before meeting Moondancer, Twilight had found herself cast aside. Those first few weeks after Sunset had earned a cutie mark had left her confused and uncertain. She saw how it had weighed on her every morning with the way Sunset’s new attitude seemed to pull at her lips and drooped her eyelids. Seeing that expression had also filled her with the fear of her parents questioning why she was so glum.

She had refused to believe that Sunset had become a bully, and had resolved to never tell her parents. Velvet had already gotten mad enough whenever the two had gone off on adventures and had come back with fresh bumps and scrapes. Twilight had been certain telling on Sunset would have only pushed her further away.

So, she had made sure to summon up the only thing that could bring a smile back to her face long enough for her parents not to notice. That thing had been given to her by the one pony Twilight had told everything. First though, she had cried. She had bawled and wailed just as Pinkie was doing now, words lost to blubbering.

Taking a breath, Twilight recalled the words and began to hum, “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake.”

Out of muscle memory, Twilight’s forelegs tapped the ground as she sang and she gave her rump a small twirl. With a blush on her face, she sat down and took a breath.

“That…” a tiny voice hiccupped. Pinkie was still bawling her eyes out, but the faintest of smiles was back on her face. “That’s a nice song.”

“It… it always helped me when I was upset as a foal,” Twilight murmured back.

“Thanks,” Pinkie sniffled.

Nearby, Dash was back to doing pushups. Her muscles stung from the exertion, but she kept going non-stop. Beside her, Fluttershy went up and down at a crawl. Every time her legs bent, they wobbled and she fell to the ground. Lying prone for a moment, it was easy to see her shivering. That only made Dash move faster and sharpened her glare.

~~~

When the dome opened, everyone’s heads once more turned towards it. Applejack limped out of it, head down and muzzle stained with tears, but she was not currently crying. She managed to get over to Twilight and stopped.

“Applejack,” Twilight managed to choke out.

Applejack tipped her hat to hide her face. Her voice was dry and strained. “Sorry, Twilight. I… I need some time alone.”

“But I tho—”

“Please,” Applejack rasped. She wobbled off to a nearby tree and slumped under it.

Once again Twilight felt herself being torn, but now in three directions. At a loss of words and actions once more, Twilight felt a frigid realization grasp her. For all the fun she had had with Applejack and Pinkie, she still did not know much about them. All that she did know was that whatever Tantabus had done had destroyed the warm veneer that had surrounded Applejack and Pinkie and exposed something raw that Twilight was only seeing the tip of. Slinking back over to Pinkie and Maud, Twilight sunk to her hooves. She could at least stay by Pinkie, Spike, and Maud for now.

Then, Tantabus called out once more. “Spike.”

When Twilight’s hooves latched onto Spike, he looked up at her. “Twilight, stop, you’re going to get in trouble.”

“I… I don’t care.” Twilight tightened her grip. “There has to be som—”

Spike pushed her hooves aside. “I have to do this, Twilight. We all do.” He clenched his claws and gulped. His arms were shaking. “It’s just five minutes, and you’ll be out here.”

Twilight reached out to Spike, but he moved away too fast. She wanted to say something, but everything had clouded her mind. As the dome swallowed Spike up, her leg fell back to the ground. Her heart raced. As time inched forward, second by second, her breathing grew faster and faster. Tantabus’s manticore batting Spike aside like a toy flashed through Twilight’s mind.

By the two-minute mark, she was shaking and huffing. The image of Tantabus torturing Spike filled her head with visions of Spike crippled with fear while Tantabus systematically stomped on his limbs in a series of sickening crunches. She imagined Tantabus running Spike through on shadowy spears just enough to barely avoid his vitals. She imagined Tantabus summoning monsters from the darkest corners of Equestria to devour Spike. These and more horrors ran rampant in Twilight’s mind.

Sparks shot off Twilight’s horn when it was too much to bear. Slamming her hooves into the ground, she got up and braced herself. There was a minute left now. She just had to get Spike out, get Tantabus dismissed, and put this day behind her. Her horn grew bright. Nearby, Sunset perked up and narrowed her eyes.

As streaks of rainbow flicked off her cutie mark and her horn, a pink hoof clasped onto Twilight’s shoulder. The aura faded from around Twilight’s horn. Pinkie’s legs quivered and the hoof she rested on Twilight served the double purpose of stopping Twilight from casting a spell and keeping Pinkie from losing her balance.

“W-wait,” Pinkie coughed. “You… you have to let him finish.”

“Pinkie…” Twilight’s eyes stung. Anxiety over Spike and having to directly face Pinkie in such a distraught state hammered at her heart. A shake of her head brought her focus back on the dome. “No, Spike is my friend. I can’t let Tantabus hurt him like he’s hurt you and Applejack.”

Pinkie’s sky-blue eyes sharpened and sent a chill down Twilight’s spine. Appearing to sense the change, Pinkie lowered her head and sniffled, hiding her face behind a part of her tangled and mussed mane. “This… this is the worst… I’m not going to lie.” She hiccupped and a few fresh tears spilled onto the ground. “Professor, he… he said some really important stuff too. I hate this. I really, really hate this, but you’ve got to let Spike finish. Otherwise…”

Pinkie’s legs gave out, but Maud was at her side to catch her. As she comforted Pinkie, Twilight reflected on Pinkie’s words. Then, she looked over Pinkie’s body. Her mane was a mess and her sobs had puffed up her eyes and stuffed up her nose. While it had taken all her effort just to take a few steps out of the dome, her legs bore no scrapes or cuts. No injuries were visible on any other part of her body either.

A glance in Applejack’s direction revealed her curled up tight under a tree. Even from a distance, Twilight could see her legs throbbing and shaking, muscles worn down, but again not injured from an outside force. From her prior encounters with Tantabus, Twilight knew her malleable aura could leave precise injuries like she envisioned were currently being inflicted on Spike. Yet neither Pinkie nor Applejack were marked by any sign of attack.

The fragments of information lined up in Twilight’s mind and formed a theory: whatever Tantabus did in the dome, it was swift and merciless, likely aided by her fear inducing powers. With that combination, Tantabus could bring a pony to the brink of death. Then, she would cast some high level healing spell, undoing all the physical damage while still leaving her victim devastated by the brutality of the attack. Finally, while the victim’s mind was still raw, Tantabus would say a few paltry words to validate her attack and then release the student.

Twilight imagined Tantabus did a similar thing to criminals, only without the talk at the end. Shining had told Twilight horror stories about how drill instructors used similar methods. Even taking that into account, Twilight’s blood still boiled at the thought of Tantabus being the one to deliver such a harsh lesson. She could not convince herself that anything Tantabus could say in such a short time justified this lesson.

The only thing she could convince herself of was that once someone entered the dome, Twilight could not stop it. Given the injuries Tantabus could inflict during those five minutes, blasting the dome during that time could lead to Spike or another student winding up mentally and physically broken. Taking a breath, Twilight allowed logic to take over and concentrated on burying the fire boiling in her stomach. She braced herself for Spike’s return and waited.

Spike emerged a short while later. Like Pinkie and Applejack, he stepped out of the dome with an uneven gait. His snout was towards the ground and his fists were clenched tight at his sides. Twilight saw a few shallow claw marks on his arms when she stood up to come to his side.

The new bit of information did not have time to register into her working theory. Getting to Spike now that he was free took precedence. Before she could move from her spot though, Spike rushed at her and pulled her close. His arms constricted around her chest. Her fur grew damp as Spike cried and hiccupped, “Twilight!”

“It’s okay, Spike,” she said, drawing on words Velvet and her babysitter had said whenever she was brought to tears. Lowering him down to the ground as Maud had done for Pinkie, she brought a leg against his back. “I’m here.”

“I’m…” Spike shuddered and hacked. Twilight felt a bit of her hair get singed, but she kept holding Spike close. “I’m not a monster.”

The words struck Twilight harder than the small errant fiery sobs. It made her think back to when they had first met and how nervous and vulnerable Spike had been. Alone, in a strange land, and in the grasp of the two ponies that could have easily ended his life. Twilight did not want to think of their first meeting like that, but her mind’s tendency to wander had led it to some less than pleasant places, especially in the wake of Tantabus’s first attack on her and Spike.

Now, Tantabus had driven Spike back to that same level of insecurity and beyond. At least Twilight’s initial rudeness had not brought him to hysterics. Her jaw clenched, but a hiccup from Spike stole away her anger. Words tumbled out of her mouth as she tightened her grip on Spike. “No, you’re my partner.”

Spike cried even more after that, but soon his breathing grew more steady and his grip a little less constricting. Twilight was so focused on calming Spike down she did not hear Tantabus call out the next student. The following minutes were spent soothing Spike, until eventually, he stopped crying and fell fast asleep. Setting him down beside her, Twilight let out the breath she realized she had been holding in and sat back, feeling utterly drained.

It was then that she saw the dome open. Rarity emerged, for the first time displaying a mane and tail with split ends. Makeup and lipstick ran down her face, but through ruined mascara, her pupils shrank when she looked in Twilight’s direction. Her eyes then rolled up and she collapsed.

“I’ll get the nurse,” Tantabus’s voice echoed.

~~~

Once Rarity was carried off, the process resumed. Everypony watched in silence as the next student would make the slow walk up to the dome. Those observing recalled reading in their history books about ponies sentenced to banishment. They all felt a surge of empathy with the banished that took one final journey through Equestria before they were forever cast out. The dome was only a few feet away, but the space between the students and it might as well have been the entire world.

Hobbles, tears, and gaunt faces overtook the class as more and more students went in and out of dome. A few displayed clenched jaws while other just stayed silent and went off to their own corner of the field like Applejack had.

When Maud was called, Applejack herself had left her tree and gone to sit with Pinkie and Twilight. She still remained silent, and Twilight decided at this point that words were best saved for a later time.

Pinkie shot up and away from Applejack when Maud emerged after only three minutes. Since Maud walked so slowly anyway, Twilight could not tell if the experience in the dome had affected her. Aside from her sharpened eyes and perked ears, Maud appeared to be the only one that had made it out unscathed.

Then, Twilight saw how Pinkie was crying again and wrapping her hooves around Maud. When the two of them rejoined Applejack and Twilight, Pinkie was just finishing a conversation with Maud. “… not like back home.”

“It’s fine, Pinkie,” Maud said, still retaining her monotone. “Don’t forget, I’m your older sister, and you matter to me most of all.”

“Oh, Maud,” Pinkie sniffled and pulled her close. Maud hugged Pinkie back. It was then that Twilight saw that Maud’s hooves were shaking.

~~~

Tree Hugger stumbled out of the dome and placed a hoof to her head. “Whoa, that was heavy.”

As she staggered off, Tantabus called out, “Rainbow Dash.”

Dash was sitting next to Fluttershy. Both of them had remained near where they and Tree Hugger had done pushups. Throughout the afternoon, Twilight had occasionally glanced in their direction and had spotted Dash with a wing draped over Fluttershy’s back as they had watched Tantabus take down student after student. Dash had alternated between glaring at the dome and offering soft-spoken words to Fluttershy.

“Okay.” Dash stood up and snorted at the dome. She then looked back at Fluttershy. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. He’s gotta be tiring out by now. I’ll wear him down no matter what.”

“Just…” Fluttershy shuddered. “Just be careful, okay?”

Dash nodded and then marched toward the dome. As she marched, she popped her joints, cracked her neck, and gave her wings a few flaps. Right at the entrance to the dome, she peered into the darkness. “All right, let’s do this.”

Fluttershy watched Dash enter with a clenched gut. As much as she hated to admit it, Twilight observed Dash disappear inside with a bit of curiosity. Even if Tantabus could devastate the class, Twilight counted Rainbow Dash apart from the rest of the students.

While Twilight had watched student after student enter and exit the dome and tried her best to keep her emotions in check, the harsh fact had dawned on her that a similar incident could have played out with any one of the teachers. Everyone in the class, despite passing the entrance exam, was still the epitome of a greenhorn facing a professional going all out. No one in their age range should or could have faced a challenge like that before.

Except Dash. The scars on her side and flanks were all the proof Twilight needed. Everyone else may have trained, but Dash had actually put her life on the line in the pursuit of heroics. From what Twilight had glimpsed, the only other pony she regarded as having such talent was Sunset.

Only Sunset, Fluttershy, and Twilight herself remained after Dash. While imagining Fluttershy going into the dome tugged at Twilight’s heart, the other two provided a sort of solace. If Dash or Sunset could leave some lasting damage on Tantabus, that would show everyone else that the situation was not an utter defeat.

If all else failed, Twilight could give Tantabus a small blast. She just needed to regulate the Elements’ flow. First though, she had to see what Dash would do. In the back of her mind, there was even the small hope that Dash would unleash some sort of massive weather phenomenon that rivaled Twilight’s use of the Elements.

When Dash emerged, Twilight stiffened. Like many before her, Dash came out the dome with bleary eyes that she quickly hid with a bowed head. Fluttershy rushed to her side, but Dash snapped something at her and forced her back. Dash shrunk back from her own outlash, muttered something, and then darted off to the where the dummies were. She was already unloading strike upon devastating strike to one of them when Tantabus called out Fluttershy’s name. Dash landed a blow right to the dummy’s head that knocked it onto its side.

Fluttershy stared up at the dome, but did not move from her spot. Just as she managed to raise up a single quivering leg, Tantabus called out to her again, louder this time. His words drove Fluttershy’s leg back to the ground and she inched back.

“We are getting short on time,” Tantabus grumbled. Smoke wisped up around Fluttershy. She yelped when it seized her legs and lifted her up.

“I… um…” Fluttershy’s chest rose and fell, the intervals between inhale and exhale growing exponentially shorter as she neared the entrance. Before she could get another word in, the smoke sprung upward and threw her into the dome. Her scream did not even get a chance to leave her throat.

Tantabus’s rough handling reignited the fire inside Twilight. It had been agonizing watching her newfound friends, Spike, and everyone else face defeat at Tantabus’s hooves, but at least everyone else had managed to make it into the dome by their own power. That everyone at least had the bravery to face Tantabus was a silver lining, but Tantabus had not even allowed that with Fluttershy. To Twilight, the act reeked of an ulterior motive, and with only her and Sunset left, it was not hard for Twilight to guess what it was.

A massive blast of pressure knocked Twilight out of her thoughts on Tantabus’s scheming. Some students were thrown onto the backs. Spike jolted out of his slumber and shivered. Nearby, goosebumps ran up Pinkie and Applejack’s legs, and other students were similarly chilled. Dash stopped wailing on the dummy and grinned.

The grin faded a second later when Tantabus himself emerged out of the dome with Fluttershy dangling limp in his aura. Dash beat Twilight in rushing over to him and yelling, “That’s it! I knew I should ha—”

A tendril lashed out and tapped Dash on the side of the head. Her legs crumpled, and she was unconscious before she even hit the ground. A few students gasped at the swiftness Tantabus has disposed of Dash, but his words silenced them.

“I shall call the nurse again.” His eyes formed and locked onto Twilight, taking in her clenched jaw and rigid form. “Twilight Sparkle. It’s time.”

As Twilight stomped down, she heard Sunset snicker, “Saving the best for last, eh?”

She kept her eyes forward. Even when some of the nursing staff came to get Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, Twilight remained focused on Tantabus. Standing before him, she looked up and declared, “Let’s do this.”

“Shall we?” Tantabus swirled into the dome.

With a snort, Twilight followed after him. When her leg moved out of the sun and into the dome’s confines, she felt a chill run up it, like she was sticking it into a cold stream. Advancing forward, she felt the feeling move over the rest of her body. The feeling was somewhat like stepping through a waterfall, but without as much force bearing down on her.

Inside, Twilight found that the dome, while comprised of a shadowy substance, was bright enough to allow her to make out that the ground too was also murky and swirling. There were no other features beside that until a part of the floor rose up and took on a familiar form. Armored legs and barrel formed out of the darkness, followed by a helmed head, and a ghostly mane and tail.

“Well,” Tantabus said in her true voice, “I commend you for restraining yourself.”

“I’m really not in the mood to talk,” Twilight growled and lit up her horn. “You’re pushing it.”

“That’s what a good teacher does.” Tantabus strafed to the left. Twilight went to the right. “You bring ponies to their limits, tear off the brave faces they put on, and see what they are really made of. Did Celestia not push you in a similar way?”

Twilight flared her nostrils and the glow around her horn grew brighter. “Do not compare yourself to Princess Celestia. She’d never hurt ponies like you have. I should have stopped you as soon as I saw what you did to Pinkie.”

“But you didn’t, because deep down, you know I’m right about this.” Tantabus lunged forward and swung at Twilight. The blow nicked Twilight’s muzzle, but she managed to pull back quick enough to avoid a direct blow. A swath of blood trickled down the side of her face. “And, deep down, you didn’t want to.”

“Yes. I. Did.” The aura around Twilight’s horn flared. She crouched and braced herself as wisps of rainbow swirled off her cutie mark and around her eyes. Streaks of color joined the purple glow coming of her horn. Her heart ached thinking off how devastated Pinkie, Applejack, Spike, and everyone else had looked. Her mind burned with the thought of putting Tantabus in her place once more. With all her might, she willed her magic upwards into her horn and concentrated on sending it out.

Instead, the magic continued to percolate around her horn. The vision of her friends faded and was replaced by a racing heartbeat and hastened breaths. In her mind, she saw rainbow strings seize her own violet magic and pull it into a void. A wave a pain shot through her legs, forcing her to look down.

Cracks ran up them, as if she were made of porcelain. Streams of prismatic light flowed out of the cracks as they raced further up her legs. Twilight was gasping for breath now. Cold sweat dampened her fur. In a panic, she tried to cancel out the spell. The cracks on her legs widened and more formed along her barrel.

A blast of heat slammed into her head. The aura around her horn was blinding now, but she could glimpse her horn turning black in the center of it. The tip of it crumbled away and other pieces of the alicorn faded into the dust.

“No!” Twilight cried. “Stop! Stop!”

“You can’t,” Tantabus sighed.

“Help,” Twilight pleaded. Her whole body was perforated with cracks now. The light spilling out of them was nearly as bright as the aura around what remained of her horn. “Ple—”

What was left of her horn shattered in a swell of colors that bled into each other. Twilight tried to scream, but the roar of the Elements tearing out of her head drowned her out. The uncontrollable magic exploded outwards, consuming Twilight’s upper body while at the same time rending the rest of her apart. Pieces of her flew off like shattered glass and then disintegrated into ash.

In a blink Twilight was gone, but the Elements still flowed outwards as a blinding wave of light. It devoured the dome, the field, and everyone nearby. It all happened so fast, there was not even time for confusion at the spectacle to turn into horror.

All the was left of the School, Twilight, and her friends was a gaping crater.

Then, Twilight fell to her knees. The dome’s shadowy substance cushioned the fall. Her sweat and tears cascaded on the floor, followed by her lunch. The dome quickly swallowed it up, leaving Twilight to dry heave and wail. Eventually, her heart rate slowed to a level where she could take in more than her own demise. One of her eyes peeled up to see that her horn was undamaged. The nick on her muzzle was gone as well.

Something slithered along her left foreleg. She looked down and was met with a tendril of aura latched to her skin. It ran across the floor and connected with one of Tantabus’s legs. She stood not in the form of a stallion or the monstrous shape of her master. Instead, while still appearing to be comprised of the swirling cosmos, her appearance was the outline of a mare. With a flick of her hoof, the tendril detached from Twilight and retracted back into her leg.

“So, the first taste of the Elements affected you that deeply?” Tantabus said with her true voice. “Well, I prefer that to somepony unaware and disrespectful of the power they wield.”

“What…” Twilight gasped, “what did you do?”

“I made you face something you had no chance of defeating,” Tantabus answered and raised up her leg. The tendril sprouted out of its frog and flowed back and forth. “My talent is fear. Indirectly, I can summon the instinctual terror that all life harbors, but, if I can physically link with a creature, I can summon their greatest fears: failing loved ones, losing family, and being despised are just some of the things locked away in our hearts— the things that we dare not even face, let alone fight.”

The tendril vanished, and Tantabus pointed at Twilight. “You, Twilight Sparkle, are quite remarkable. I recall when I first inflicted my talent on you, and your greatest fear was being unable to wield any power whatsoever. In such a short time you managed to overcome that fear by sheer perseverance. No one is perfect though, so now you are at the opposite extreme: afraid that your own power with destroy you and everything you hold dear.”

Twilight shuddered and hiccupped. Then, a cool sensation flowed over her back. Tantabus sat at her side, a misty wing extending out of her. Twilight shot up a hoof to push her away, but before she could land a blow, Tantabus recoiled on her own.

“Forgive me, Twilight Sparkle,” Tantabus sighed. “I have not the right to console you after what I have done, but I have the duty to do so as your teacher. You may not trust me when I say it, but I believe you shall conquer this fear as well. Power is new to you, and power can be one of the most terrifying things in the world, but you do not back down in the face of defeat. So, do not give up. Tread carefully, but know that someday, like your predecessor, the Elements will be yours to command.”

A sheath of light poured into the dome. Twilight blinked and let her eyes adjust. She could see outside where Pinkie, Spike, and Applejack were alert and waiting. She looked away from the exit and up at Tantabus. “So, this is it?”

“Yes. A simple yet harsh exercise,” said Tantabus. “I apologize as well for keeping you until towards the end, but I thought that a good additional lesson for you as well. I know you’ve formed a bond with many other students already, so you must be careful that a villain does not take advantage of that. Anger, like fear, can blind you at a critical moment.”

“I’ll... I’ll keep that in mind.” Twilight wobbled to her hooves. Tantabus remained at her side to keep her steady and helped her over to the exit. Just before Twilight stepped outside, she stopped. “You know, if you’d given talks like this before, we might have made a lot more progress over the summer.”

“Yes,” Tantabus sighed. “I think you should be aware now of how fear can shatter reason though. Rest, Twilight. You have more than earned it.”

Tantabus gave Twilight a small push out the exit. The sense of walking through a veil washed over Twilight as she went back into the sunlight. She raised a hoof to wipe her face and then hobbled over to her friends. The sight of them unharmed after watching them get disintegrated brought fresh tears to her eyes.

Spike rushed to her side and hugged her while Pinkie and Applejack drew close, but kept a hoof apart. Spike’s words were soft and shaky. “Twilight, I… I should have told you, but it was just so…”

“I know, Spike,” Twilight sniffled while stroking his spines. “That wasn’t easy, but I’ve got you, and you’ve got me.” She looked up and managed to summon a tiny jittery grin. “We’ve got each other.”

Pinkie spread out her forelegs and offered a slightly bigger smile. “'Seeing the worst thing ever, but also learning a lot about ourselves' hug?”

“That’s one way to put it.” Applejack reached out a leg, wrapped it around Pinkie, and wrapped the other around Twilight. Somehow, Maud had also appeared beside them and had gotten a hold on Pinkie.

All five pulled close. Their eyes were puffy, their throats were raw, and they barely had enough energy to stand. Yet, they had made it through the ordeal.

Sunset snorted at the display. “Pathetic.”

“Sunset Shimmer,” Tantabus called out.

Sunset smirked. A spark flew off her horn. “Time to show them what’s what.”

Without breaking stride, Sunset marched into the dome. When she passed through the entrance and into the interior, a glow formed around her body. A tendril slithered across the ground and lashed out at Sunset’s left foreleg. It pushed against the forcefield, but it could not reach her skin.

The dome roiled. Sunset shut her eyes, but continued to grin. Piercing eyes filled the dome, and bore down on Sunset, but she stood firm.

“Impressive,” Tantabus mused. Sunset twitched her ears and tried to locate where Tantabus’s voice was coming from, but could not pinpoint it. She dropped into a defensive stance, and the glow around her hooves brightened. “There have only been a few students that have managed to figure out my technique and guard against it.”

“I knew you were up to something when I saw remnants of your magic on the others, and only in one spot. If you were wiping the floor with them, there would have been more signs of healing magic.” Sunset stomped the ground, sending up a swirl of embers. “You’ll have to do a bit more than that to beat me!”

“I suppose I could. Do not get ahead of yourself though, Sunset Shimmer. Powerful as you may be, you are still a novice.” Even with her eyes closed, Sunset sensed Tantabus exude pressure. “And there will always be somepony better than you.”

“Somepony like me.”

Sunset’s eyes flared open at the familiar voice just as a purple hoof decked her across the face. The blow launched her off the ground and sent her tumbling across the dome. Rolling with the blow, she flipped upright and snarled, “You!”

Twilight grinned as she lowered her hoof. “Ah, that felt good. I don’t think I can thank Professor Tantabus enough for the chance to pay you back.”

“Heh.” Sunset spat to the side and looked up. “So, you roped in Twilight to beat me? Ha! This will b—”

Twilight was upon her before she could finish and socked her in the left shoulder. The strike shoved Sunset off her left hooves, but she leaned away from the attack and spun around. A flaming hoof exploded against Twilight’s head. Through the smoke, Sunset saw a violet glint and jumped back. Twilight canceled out the shield around her head and smirked.

“What were you saying, Sunset?” Twilight twisted her head to the side. “Think this will just be another time to pick on the poor little blank flank?”

“You lying sack of crap,” Sunset growled. Her hoof and horn were burning red, with a few flecks of white here and there. A blast sent her roaring off the ground and straight at Twilight. Her right hoof flailed at Twilight’s head. Fire and smoke roared out of where hoof met shield. Sunset snarled and struck with her left leg. “How long, Twilight? How long have you been making a fool out of me?!”

Twilight parried the blows with shields. Despite the flurry of strikes, she maintained a grin. “Oh, I didn’t need to do that, you’ve always been a fool, Sunset. Showing off, making fun of me and Moondancer, saying you’ll be Princess Celestia’s next student, but that can’t fool me.”

An uppercut skimmed Sunset’s chin. A thick stream of fire blasted out of her horn and struck Twilight’s leg, but a beam of magic smashed into Sunset’s face. The spell sent her flying across the room and left her seeing spots. She saw purple through the corner of blurred vision, gritted her teeth and summoned a fiery shield. Another spell crashed against it, but Sunset managed to hold her ground. With a snort, she faced Twilight.

“I know you, Sunset.” Twilight fired off a spell. Sunset dodged and surged forward. More spells arced out of Twilight’s horn. Unlike the first one, which was just a beam of pure magic, these ones crackled with electricity, turned the air icy, and sprouted flames. The last type made the fires swirling around Sunset swell. Yet, Twilight checked her advance by weaving away with each step Sunset took towards her. “What you want is more than just showing off. No, you were a greedy monster that wanted something I already gave you, but you threw it away.”

“Shut up.” Tendrils, black and brimming with heat, sprouted out of Sunset’s horn and snaked through the air like living seams of coal. Twilight smirked and met the attack with tendrils of magic. They clamped onto the seams and sent the now-icy coal clattering to the ground.

“You wanted somepony that could give you power and acknowledgement.”

“Shut up!” Rearing back a leg, Sunset summoned a ball of blinding magic around it. Snarling, she threw the spell with all her might. It left her hoof and transformed into a horizontal column of magic and fire that washed over Twilight.

Tantabus stepped aside to avoid some of the flames. A tendril ran from her leg to Sunset’s. It had taken a little more effort to breach her barrier, but nothing a little force could not accomplish. After that, she had just sat back and let fear take its course.

Sunset Shimmer she mused while Sunset snarled and fought against a Twilight only she could see. Her spells were perfectly rivaled, her attacks were easily blocked, and her breathing was growing ragged. You’re quite the surprise. Talented, observant, and ambitious. Your ability to fight with such ferocity against your worst fear is a testament to your convictions.

The air around Sunset popped, crackled, and filled with tiny blue wisps. The small flames then converged on one spot into a great immolating pillar. Sweat coursed down Sunset’s face and slicked back parts of her mane. Smoke rose off her horn even though she wasn’t casting a spell at the moment .

Her right cheek distorted and she spiraled backwards. This time, she was unable to roll with what she had felt as a dizzying hook from Twilight. Instead, the attack sent her tumbling across the dome. Her legs shook and cried out for her to stay down, but she forced herself back up. With a battle cry, she summoned massive spheres of flame that fell upon Twilight until the dome was filled with smoke.

However, Tantabus thought, you need to learn to accept and respect the strength of others, especially if Twilight empowered is your fear made manifest. I had best draw this to a close now. So, let’s go all in.

“Hey, Sunset. You were right though.” Twilight’s voice was calm despite the smoke and flames that now obscured her. Sunset was coughing and struggling to breathe amidst the remnants of her own attacks, but Twilight spoke without showing a sign of exertion. A translucent dome of aura shone through the smoke, shrinking Sunset’s pupils. Twilight marched through the flames, her barrier instantly quenching them. “I did have a little help getting to this level. Sorry to say, but you’re done. It’s over. I am Princess Celestia’s new stu—”

“Shut up!” Sunset roared. Her scream was like that of a wounded beast. Her horn flared brighter than ever. Magic rocketed out of it and coalesced into a thick molten orb. Sunset continued to bellow, eyes white with rage.

The remaining flames around the dome and the smoke were ripped towards the orb, making it bigger. A part of it bled outwards in a blinding arc. Tantabus’s breath caught. The arc was neither magic nor flame. She could feel heat that was far greater than anything fire could summon coming off it. At the same time, she could still feel the pull the orb generated—the great swell of gravity.

As the orb expanded outwards, its form shifted from something akin to lava or molten lead to a blinding swirl of gold, orange, and red plasma. Below, Sunset still snarled, bloodshot and maddened eyes still locked onto the imaginary Twilight. She did not notice nor care that her horn was turning black in spots.

“Oh, sweet Equestria,” Tantabus cursed, watching the spell wax ever larger. The tug of gravity, the summoning of plasma, and the heat that would have incarnated a lesser foe. Tantabus knew this magic all too well. “Now of all times?!”

With a snap, she tore her tendril away from Sunset. The illusionary Twilight vanished into smoke, but Sunset continued to growl and funnel magic into the miniature sun.

“Damn!” Wings flared out of Tantabus’s back. She went into a crouch as a glow formed around her horn. “I’ll give you my comments when yo—Hng!”

Tantabus’s legs gave out under her and dissipated into smoke. The glow vanished from her horn. Something ached from deep in her core while her body wobbled, with pieces here and there evaporating off. Tantabus gasped for air and concentrated with all her might to summon back her limbs, but her aura refused to stabilize.

A vision of aquamarine eyes came back to Tantabus. They had rivaled her own in sharpness and power, even if they had been filled to the brim with tears. Above her, the dome quaked. Parts of it trailed off into the air while other parts were sucked into Sunset’s out-of-control spell.

With a grunt, Tantabus forced legs to shoot out of her torso. Her head spun and her whole body felt aflame. The dome was rupturing all around her.

Outside, everyone first felt the heat race out of the breaks in the dome. Then, they saw the light pouring off the spell. Students broke out of their dazes and their moping. At first, they could only stare in awe at the sight of second sun cutting through Tantabus’s darkness.

The sight equally stunned Twilight. After her own defeat, she could not have imagined anyone being able to stand against Tantabus’s talent. Then, she caught sight of Sunset amidst the dissipating shadows and her heart plunged into a pit. Worse, she caught sight of Tantabus wobbling, form unstable and wispy.

“That ain’t looking right!” Applejack yelped and took a step back as the spell swelled outwards. Loose clumps of dirt and grass trailed off the ground around her and the others and zoomed up into the spell, fueling it even more.

Pinkie’s neck snapped back, force her eyes to go wide. With a crack, she put her head back in alignment and screamed, “Hit the deck!”

Panicked screams reached Tantabus. With all her might, she summoned her wings and spread them wide. “To think I’d face solar magic again!” In a voice that made the ground shake, she called out. “Take cover, everypony! I’ll bear the brunt of it!”

The warning sent the class into a stampede. Students fled as fast as their legs could carry them, but the encounter with Tantabus had left many hobbled and unsteady. Amidst the chaos, Maud loaded Pinkie onto her back and turned to run, but stopped when Pinkie cried out, “Wait!”

Applejack reached out and grabbed Twilight, tugging her with enough force to knock her off balance. “Come on, Twi! We gotta move! I’ll get you and Spike out of here fast!”

Twilight looked at Applejack and then at Sunset. More of Sunset’s horn was black now. Her face was contorted with anger. Seeing Sunset lost in the swell of her own magic struck at Twilight’s core. She turned back to Applejack, raised the leg Applejack had grabbed and put it on her shoulder. “I know you can, Applejack, but Sunset needs me.”

“What are yo—” Applejack stopped herself when she saw the swirl of rainbow around Twilight’s eyes. The display stole her words and the world appeared to slow when Twilight turned away from her.

Twilight stared up at the spell, now looming over a great swath of the field. Then, she focused and felt the magic within herself. Focus! The Elements are a guide, but I control the flow! I just need to…

Aura flowed up around her horn. Wisps of rainbow flecked off her flanks and swirled near her horn. A few students stopped running. Twilight clenched her teeth. In her mind, she saw the rainbow pulling at her magic, drawing it in. She pulled back, only allowing a little bit herself to flow into the Elements. Just a little! I just need a little to… to enhance!

Just then Sunset screamed with a ferocity that dwarfed Tantabus’s own booming voice. The spell surged forward, its speed unhindered by its massive size. Tantabus braced herself but a thin purple beam whizzed over her head. Rainbow spiraled around it as it slammed into Sunset’s spell.

A flash consumed the field. Inside the school, the other classes had felt the windows rumble minutes earlier and a few onlookers had alerted the other classes to the ongoing situation. Now, almost everypony in the school had their heads pressed to the windows. They were momentarily blinded a split-second later than everyone on the field, so they caught sight of violet racing over the miniature sun.

Only Twilight and Tantabus fully saw what happened. Twilight’s spell covered Sunset’s, but the beam still connected to Twilight’s horn. She cried out when she felt her horn’s tip blacken and crack, but she kept her mind centered on casting the spell. Sunset’s magic roiled within Twilight’s sphere, convulsed and then, with a bang that was deafening even within the barrier, collapsed in on itself in a swell not of plasma and heat, but of tsunamis and seafoam.

Twilight collapsed, and her spell burst, unleashing a deluge of transfigured water down onto the field. Tantabus surged forward and wrapped herself around Sunset just as the water cascaded down on them. It raced outwards in swells, turning the field into a muddy bog. A few students were swept up in the flood, but the water could only go so far before turning to mud.

Before the rushing water could reach Twilight, Applejack sprang into action and chucked her and Spike on her back. With unrivaled speed, she sped off until the swells subsided and sank into the ground. When she turned to look back, she spotted Maud close by with Pinkie pitched on top of her.

Students were strewn all around. A few coughed up water while others wobbled to their hooves. In the center of it all was a smaller version of the dome. With a hack, Tantabus swirled away, drops of water dripping off her misty form. Sunset rested beneath her, unconscious but shaking. Tantabus hovered over her, limbs and tail gone and the rest of her body wavering.

She glanced around and caught sight of Twilight standing beside Applejack, only able to do so with Applejack and Spike’s support at her sides. The tip of her horn was pure black and smoke rose off it, but the rest of it was still purple.

In spite of just seconds ago facing one of the few things in Equestria that could truly harm her, Tantabus chuckled, “I really should be careful with what I promise.”

Author's Note

Well, since it's the year of the dog, time to show that Sunset has got some bite to her.

Reality and Dream

Rainbow Dash flipped her front legs up and tugged at her face. A groan escaped from her mouth as her hooves slowly slid down her cheeks. “I can’t believe I missed you in action again!”

Twilight glanced up at her once more bandaged horn. “I’m glad you and Fluttershy weren’t there. If I hadn’t been able to stop Sunset…”

Applejack gave her a slap on the back. “No ‘ifs,’ Twi. You saved all our flanks back there, and hopefully our Professor learned it ain’t right to push ponies’ buttons like he did.”

Dash snorted. “With you on that. Sunset may have hay for brains, but I’m glad at least somepony managed to get back at him.”

“I just hope she and everypony else are okay,” Fluttershy muttered.

“Eh we’ll pull through. We’re in the most awesome class after all: mine!” Dash smirked. She then stretched out her wings and yawned. “Guh, I was hoping getting knocked out would make me a little less tired, but this future hero needs herself a nap.”

“I could use a little shut-eye myself.” Applejack glanced at Fluttershy, Dash, Pinkie, and Maud. “See y’all at dinner?”

“Sure!” Dash exclaimed.

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay.”

“Oki-doki-loki!”

Maud blinked. “Yes.”

“Well, it’s been one hay of a first day,” Twilight sighed. A dull ache strummed at her horn.

~~~

Redheart examined Twilight with a frown that bordered on becoming a grimace. The bed felt a little unstable under Twilight and it had taken her full focus to keep from passing out on the way to the nurse’s office, even with Applejack carrying her there. Every beat of her heart sent a painful wave down her horn and forced sweat to coat her fur.

“Celestia has really done a number with you, Ms. Sparkle.” Redheart shook her head. “This is the damage I expect on a battlefield, not at school. Channeling as much magic as you did into an actual spell would be enough to force most horns to instinctively release the incomplete spell to prevent this kind of damage. Still, it’s better than the near total burnout you experienced the other day.”

Redheart bent forward and kissed the tip of Twilight’s horn. The contact made Twilight wince and then shiver as a cooling sensation rushed down her horn and over the rest of her body. Purple spiraled back up her horn while the ashen pieces and the cracks retreated until her horn was fully restored.

When the spell was complete, Redheart pulled away and Twilight fell back. She had been tired and her legs had felt like jelly before, but now she felt utterly exhausted. At least without her horn awash in pain, she was able to focus and keep her attention on Redheart.

“I trust Celestia and Tantabus,” Redheart sighed, “but as their student, I consider you my charge as well. So, I had best not see you pulling stunts like this on a regular basis until you can learn to regulate and get accustomed to the Elements’ power.” A white hoof flew up and tapped Twilight on her horn. “Continued overuse like that can lead to permanent damage. Do you understand?”

With images of Tantabus’s training still fresh in her mind, Twilight slowly nodded.

~~~

The rest of Twilight’s body was worn out from the training and the healing as well, and her eyelids weighed heavy. Unlike the majority of her friends, she also had to make the trek back home. Plus, there was the reading, which Tantabus was just as merciless on assigning.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow?”

“Yep!” everypony replied with a grin, sans Maud, despite everything they had gone through.

“Need any help getting back home?” Spike asked.

Summoning a smile, Twilight replied, “Sure, thanks, Spike.”

She then turned to make her way to her locker. Everyone else broke off in different directions. Unbeknownst to any of them, someone peered out from behind a corner and locked onto Twilight.

~~~

“Well, that certainly is a surprise.” Celestia took a sip of her tea. Seated as she was in a chair built for a fully-grown pony, she appeared like a filly let loose in a parent’s study. Luna sat across the table in the secluded office, shadows swirling off her.

“A surprise?” Luna huffed. “Sister, we are dealing with your progeny her—”

“Ah-ah-ah.” Celestia shook a hoof. “We are dealing with an incredibly skilled student that may just so happen to have inherited an incredibly powerful talent through a very long line of genetics. It’s not unheard of.”

“Solar magic is, though! Sister, the Elements may reside with Twilight Sparkle, but Sunset Shimmer will need guidance as well.”

Celestia leaned forward. “And what makes you certain I am best suited for that?”

Luna slammed a foggy hoof onto the table, shaking the teacups and saucers. “Because only you have wielded such magic! If we do not do something, that magic, combined with her feelings on Twilight could twist her i—”

When Luna stopped herself, Celestia took another drink. She set down her cup. Its ching rang through the office. “I’ll ask again. Am I best suited to instruct Sunset Shimmer? I can certainly lend a hoof, but it seems she already has an excellent mentor.”

Luna’s body swirled out of the seat and reformed so that she was standing. “I see, sister. I must go think for some time and then I shall tend to my student.”

~~~

As soon as Sunset opened her eyes, she jumped up. Something akin to fog swirled around her. A glance up revealed that the stars shined through the mist. Before she finished making the calculations to guess what time it was or where she had awoken, a shimmer from below alerted her that the “floor” was just glimmering stardust beyond which laid the vast cosmos.

“Your mental recovery is quite impressive,” a female voice called out. “Tantabus was correct in alerting me to you, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset turned. When she caught sight of a mane that flowed even in the depths of space and shimmered like the stars around it, she bowed her head. A million thoughts rushed to her head, and words she had practiced over and over again raced to her lips, just not for this occasion. The one phrase she had absolute certainty in flew from her mouth, “Princess, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“And an honor to formally speak with you as well, Sunset Shimmer.” Hooves clopped. Sunset spied silver horseshoes attached to slender deep blue legs marching around her. Still, she kept her head bowed. “Ah yes, you’ve always dreamed about meeting my sister, but a personal encounter with me must come as quite a surprise.”

“It… it is,” Sunset said with a twinge of red on her cheeks. “I mean, I knew I’d show that professor that I knew my magic but I—”

“You do not know your magic,” Luna said. The tone of her voice sent a chill down Sunset’s spine. There was silence for a moment before Sunset felt the world shift around her. “You let your fear and anger get the best of you and your magic. There was serious risk of injury to yourself and others.”

With a gust of cosmic wind, Sunset now found herself in a world of beige, like the pages of old parchment. Before her was a drawing of two Alicorns: one pure white with a golden crown and the other a deep blue like the sky on a full moon night with a silver tiara.

“Once, long ago, my sister and I ruled Equestria as we still do,” Luna’s voice echoed. A black spiral swirled below the illustrations of Luna and Celestia and coalesced into a sooty pony. “One day, we came upon a pony with immense talent.”

The black pony galloped around the illustrations of Luna and Celestia. Fireworks that turned into various creatures shot off of her horn. Other ponies appeared around the pony, but after some time watching her, turned away. First, the black pony frowned, but then she snarled, revealing fangs.

“She could never be satisfied though. Her rage and jealousy twisted her gift...” The black pony’s body grew bigger, its fangs lengthened, and its eyes turned to slits. Those hellish pupils turned on Luna and Celestia. “… and made her a monster.”

Twin beams erupted out of Luna and Celestia’s horns and struck the black pony. In a flash, it vanished, along with the rest of the parchment world. Sunset found herself back in the realm of stars. She scanned around for Luna, but found herself alone on the glistening path.

Up above, the stars swirled into a constellation that formed Sunset’s cutie mark. “You too possess great power, Sunset Shimmer, but Tantabus has also told me of your fears.”

Sunset’s mark gave way to a six-pointed star. Sunset grimaced.

“Twilight just gets on my nerves a little,” Sunset stammered.

“Today, an illusion of her did much more than that,” Luna retorted. The star shifted to show several different colors at its points. “What would you do if she caught my sister’s eye today when she stopped your out-of-control magic?”

“Twilight did…” Sunset took a step back. “No, it was Professor Tantabus. I… she…”

A wing draped over Sunset’s back. With it pressing against her, she realized she had grown tense.

“You, Sunset Shimmer, must learn that you define your own worth. Others’ success may be a point of inspiration, but it must never be a point of hatred,” Luna cautioned. “Those are the words Tantabus wished to impart to you.”

“He could have done it with a little more tact,” Sunset grumbled. Luna bent a little lower to cover Sunset, but Sunset then turned to face her directly. There was fire back in her eyes. “Thank you, Princess, but I still have my goal: to be the best student Celestia’s ever seen!”

“I see.” Luna shifted her muzzle downward. “May I offer a proposal then?”

“What kind of proposal?”

~~~

Twilight mentally kicked herself for thinking the days when getting home was a struggle in itself were over now that she was in the school. Yet, while the exhaustion was familiar, the comfort of having Spike at her side was too. Plus, having a pair of claws to help carry some of her books was greatly appreciated, given the shakiness in her legs.

“Hey, Twilight?” Spike asked while they weaved through the rest of the students finishing up classes.

“What is it, Spike?”

“Do… do you think we’ll have to do something like that again?”

Twilight slowed. She stepped a little closer to Spike to avoid an oncoming mare. The sharp scent of product gave away just how much work she had put into her styled violet mane. “I’m not sure. Just know I’ll always be there afterwards.”

“Heh.” The chuckle was half-hearted as was the nudge he gave Twilight with an elbow. “Same to you.”

As they passed through the main entrance, Twilight turned to him. “It got you bad, didn’t it?”

“It got everyone bad.” Spike looked away from Twilight. He grip tightened on her books. “It’s just… I felt it.”

“Felt what?”

“I… I can’t explain it, but…” Spike glanced at the faded scratches on his arms. “Tantabus made it feel like back then, right before I lost control, only I was conscious about it.”

Twilight’s gut dropped. “Oh, Spike.”

“To be honest, it’s been bothering me for a while now. That’s probably why Tantabus made me experience it.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense now that I’ve read up on it, even with what little information ponies have on it: greed is supposed to take over a day to fully corrupt a dragon, but with me, it was just seconds, and then…”

When Spike shuddered, Twilight reached out a leg to him, wrapping it tight over his shoulders. “Spike, like you said, ponies know little about it, and what Tantabus did was just show you the worst possible thing you could imagine. What she didn’t show you was what a strong and brave partner you are, one that would never let greed do that to him ever again, right?”

Spike sniffled. “Right. It was just so easy to forget when Tantabus made it look like I had ki—hurt you and other ponies.”

Twilight tensed and stopped leading Spike down the steps. She bent her head and then turned to him. Her lips trembled, but she managed to push them upwards. A flare of rainbow raced through her irises. “I guess we’re both afraid of that then.”

Spike jumped back an inch, his foot skimming the edge of a step. “What? Did Tantabus just show everyone turning into a monster then?”

“You’re not a monster, Spike.” Twilight glanced up. From atop the school’s lofty towers waved Equestria’s flag: Luna and Celestia swirling above their respective celestial bodies. “You just have a great power inside you… and so do I.” Her smile solidified as she clenched her jaw. “That’s why we’re here though, to master our talents and learn how to use them to help ponies in need.”

A slow clap of hooves filled the air. “Spoken like a model student. Bet it got you major points on the entrance exam.”

A blast of wind and heat struck Spike and Twilight. Despite being ahead of them on the ground, Sunset still gave off the appearance of looming over Spike and Twilight. The bandages around her horn did nothing to decrease the tension she had summoned into the air. Her glare forced Spike and Twilight to stare straight at her, but it also granted them sight of the bags under her eyes, similar to the ones Twilight sported.

“Sunset, I…”

Sunset swept up a leg in an arc of flame, silencing Twilight. “I know what you’re going to say. You’re so easy to read. The first chance the Professor gives me to take you on, I’ll see your moves coming from a mile away, no matter how strong they are.”
Sunset stomped her hoof and flicked back her mane. “So don’t start getting a big head from today. You got lucky I wasn’t aiming that spell at you, got it?”

“Sunset, you were really in da—”

The gap between Twilight and Sunset vanished in an instant. Hot air flared out of Sunset’s nostrils. “Got. It?”

Twilight gulped and nodded.

“Good.” Sunset spun around. “Just remember who’s going to be the top student here and maybe you’ll actually get by without ticking me off.”

Sunset stomped away, but Twilight called out before she could make it far. “Sunset! I’m sorry but…” Sunset turned to look back. Twilight’s lips quivered while forced into a grin, but the fire in her eyes was steady. “… I’m aiming for the top too, just like back then, and so is Spike… so is everyone! So… so just do your best, but I won’t let you hold me back!”

“Tch,” Sunset spat. “Are you trying to wish me luck or tick me off? Make up you damn mind, you stupid egghead!”

“S-sorry!” Twilight quibbled.

“Guh, whatever.” Sunset turned, but did not move. Instead, she looked up to the sky. The blue of day was just starting to give way to the yellows and oranges of dusk. “Don’t think you saw what I could really do today. Even then, I’m still the only one that managed to put our madstallion of a Professor on edge.”

With a snort, she marched off. She trotted out of the gate with a furrowed brow and tight jaw, her eyes looking forward. She only caught a glimpse of a frail pink filly with a deeper pink mane through her peripheral vision.

Celestia watched Sunset storm off and then made her way over to Twilight. “Well, not the ideal interaction I expected, but she took today’s events better than expected. Tantabus seems to have given her good advice while she was recovering.” Celestia then peered at Twilight. “And you, my student, have taken Tantabus’s advice well, too. That was a most spectacular use of the Elements.”

“I still messed up my horn a little though,” Twilight muttered.

“And Starswirl nearly blew himself up quite a few times during his research,” Celestia countered. “What matters today is you found your own unique way of channeling the Elements without completely disabling yourself. With some refinement and practice, you are sure to master them.”

“But will it be enough?” Twilight asked. “You’ve used the Elements to protect Equestria from things like that mare. What if the way I use them is—”

A pale-pink hoof raced up to Twilight’s mouth. Celestia’s glare chilled Twilight even more than Sunset’s. “It doesn’t matter whether it will or won’t be enough. What matters is that you want to help others, and others will be there to help you. Like I said when we first met, I fear ponies have come to rely too much on me. Do not think that way, Twilight. Just as you use the Elements in a unique way, you will be a unique hero.”

Celestia smiled at Twilight, who genuinely smiled back. “Thank you, Princess.”

“All in a mentor’s work, my student.” She then gave Twilight a smack on the back. “Now, best you be off. Tantabus does not go lightly on homework.” She then looked at Spike. “I’ll see you back at the castle?”

Spike nodded.

“Excellent. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a bit more paperwork to do, something regarding the water damage the field sustained today.” With a raspy chuckle, Celestia made her way up the steps and vanished into the sea of ponies heading home for the day.

~~~

“So, you think that’s what Pinkie’s talent is?” Spike asked. Ahead, Twilight’s house came into view.

“Just a hypothesis right now,” said Twilight. “Hopefully, the different races will get to interact more in future physical training.”

“Or we could just ask.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Do you expect a straight answer from Pinkie?”

“Point taken,” Spike chuckled. He opened his mouth to say something else, but he paused and sniffed at the air.

“You okay, Spike?”

With a shake of his head, Spike focused back on Twilight. “Yeah, yeah. Just thought… nah, probably just tired.” A look up to the sky revealed the sun was now partially obscured by buildings and the far-off mountains. “Well, I’d better get going back to the castle. Say hi to your folks for me.”

“If I can get it in between the grilling my mom’s probably going to give me.” Both Twilight and Spike had a good laugh at that. When they settled down, they waved each other off and went their separate ways.

With Spike departing, the day’s events really started sinking in for Twilight, but she steeled herself for homework and facing her parents with the knowledge that dinner and a well-earned rest awaited her. Still, even the short walk through her neighborhood to her house felt elongated in her current state.

Yet, just as she reached her front porch, she felt a hoof clamp onto her left shoulder. A jolt of adrenaline lifted her off the ground and spun her around. A summer in the Everfree had gifted her with an instinctive ability to turn on a dime and face an incoming danger.

In the middle of her neighborhood, however, she found herself facing a pin-eyed and blushing Rarity.

“Oh, darling, I’m so terribly sorry,” she stammered. “Didn’t… didn’t mean to frighten you like that.”

“My fault,” Twilight replied with some red on her face, “My training has made me a little jumpy to stuff like that.” Her eyes honed in on the shiver running through Rarity’s body. “Is, um, everything okay?”

“I…” Rarity bent her head low, allowing the shimmering curls of her mane to fall forward and obscure part of her face. Her shaking intensified. “I tried asking others, but nopony else has listened. I was nervous because you were so close, but you’re the only pony left that I can think of that can help.”

Listening to Rarity’s words and recalling that she had had lunch with Sunset, Twilight pieced together what might be wrong. “It’s okay, Rarity. I know we may have just met… actually, I don’t think we’ve evenly been properly introduced, and I’m rambling, and should really just ask what’s wrong, right?”

Rarity blinked at the hastened words that had flown out of Twilight’s mouth faster and faster. She shook her head and lowered it further. “Please, if you can help, I’ll do anything for you.”

“This sounds pretty serious. Are you sure you can’t ask an adult about it?”

Rarity stiffened. “Not if they’re going to act like Professor Tantabus did. I… I can’t deal with this if that’s what it means to be a hero.”

Twilight recalled Tantabus’s words and steeled herself. She reached out and placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “Okay, Rarity, whatever this is, I’ll help however I can.”

Rarity’s hug came swiftly, ten times stronger than even one Pinkie could deliver. “Oh, thank you! Thank you! I didn’t know what to do, but I should have known all along you were the only one that could make sure that dragon stays as far away from me as possible!”

Twilight went white. “What?!”

Behind a nearby house, Spike clutched his arms tight across his chest. As Rarity’s plea repeated in his head, he slumped against the wall and sank to the ground.

~~~

Sunset took a deep breath, taking in air that should not have existed in the depths of space. In front of her, a part of the stars and the void in between them thickened into the outline of a unicorn. Its celestial horn turned into a blazing comet aimed straight at Sunset.

“Well,” Luna’s voice echoed throughout the realm, “shall we begin, my faithful student?”

Author's Note

I'd like to imagine that if this were illustrated, we still wouldn't have a full view of Luna yet. Ah, the drawbacks of crossovers.

The Mark of a Hero

“Hnnn,” Rainbow Dash mumbled. Her muzzle twitched, but she did not raise her head from her desk.

Pinkie chortled, straining to keep a full case of giggles for escaping her mouth. She bent close to Dash and brought a feather close to Dash’s muzzle once more. Applejack could not help but chuckle at the display. Sunset rolled her eyes at the whole affair and went back to looking over her notes.

“Um, maybe you shouldn’t bother Dash?” Fluttershy murmured while Pinkie tickled Dash’s nose. “She really likes her na—”

Dash nickered loud enough for the whole room to hear. Pinkie and Applejack burst out laughing. The sudden noise awoke Dash. Her head shot up and she raised her hooves. “Whazzat? Who wants some!?”

Pinkie and Applejack laughed even harder. Fluttershy let out the tiniest of titters.

“What?” Dash said, brow furrowed and face red. “What’s so funny?”

Before she could force an answer out Applejack or Pinkie, the door opened and Twilight and Spike walked into the classroom. Spike’s head hung low while Twilight managed to keep hers up, but she still looked tense. Both made their way to their seats. When Twilight sat down, Applejack, having moved away from Dash along with Pinkie, gave her a tap on the shoulder.

“You doing okay, sugarcube?” she asked. “Don’t blame you if you’re still a little roughed up from yesterday.”

“It’s not that.” Twilight chewed her lip. “It’s… well, there are these two students I know that haven’t talked yet, but I’m sure they’d be great friends if they just interacted a little.”

“I get it,” Pinkie smirked and rubbed her chin. She slid up beside Twilight and crossed her hooves. “You’re nervous about playing friend matchmaker. Totally understandable. Luckily, you’ve got your friendship master friend Pinkie to help you out. So, what are we dealing in?”

“I’m not really sure I can say,” Twilight sighed. “One of them came to me with the problem, and I tried to assure them there was nothing wrong. I thought maybe the other student could help resolve the issue, but they might have heard something and aren’t willing to talk now. I tried everything with them this morning, but I’m at a loss.”

“Wow-wee, that does sound like a major friendship problem.” Pinkie moved back to her seat and leaned back. A fake white goatee and glasses now sat atop her face. With a heavy accent, she asked, “So, tell me, do zese schtudents have anysing in common?”

“From the sound of it, yes.” Twilight lowered her head. “It’s just one of them has this personal problem that I really didn’t feel comfortable asking about, so I’m sort of stuck.”

“Hmmm, eenteresting.” Pinkie scribbled something down in her notebook and looked up, glasses and goatee now gone. “Seems like you’ve got a serious case of can’t say won’t say going on, with a heavy bit of super duper secret keeping and not wanting to hurt anypony’s feelings.”

“Yes, definitely. It’s just…” Twilight took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “I didn’t have a lot of friends before this, so how can I hope to fix somepony else’s problem and get those two to be on better terms?”

“You can’t,” Pinkie chirped. Her hoof shot up and silenced Twilight before she could gasp at her bluntness. “Now hear me out Twilight, it is really super awesome that you want to help, but you can’t do everything. Like…” Pinkie sharply inhaled through clenched teeth. Her smile diminished. “Like yesterday. So, just do what you can, but don’t try to force something.”

“I’m with Pinkie on this,” said Applejack. “You’re a kind soul, Twi, but I’m getting the feeling you ain’t the social type. Hay, I’d probably be in a similar boat if I didn’t help out with business back home. What I learned from that is you can give things a nudge, but push too hard, and something will break.”

Twilight glanced away from Applejack towards the front of the room. She spied Rarity’s back, but even from this distance, she could see she was trembling in her seat. “I just hope it hasn’t already.”

Just then, the door flew open. With everyone in the class accounted for, the sudden motion caught the students’ attention. They braced themselves for Tantabus, but were instead greeted by a glow flowing into the room. Spike perked up a little. Twilight recognized the warmth washing over the room immediately.

“My little ponies,” a warm yet booming voice called out. Golden shoes clinked onto the classroom’s floor. Jaws loosened. Eyes glazed over from the sight of dazzling white fur and a multihued mane that flowed of its own accord. Students leaned forward to take in the royal regalia, its golden chest plate and tiara shimmering in the early morning light. Celestia maintained a serene smile as she strode to the front of the classroom. “Good morning! I hope you are ready, because today I will be overseeing you training!”

The classroom erupted in cheers. Twilight could not determine whether to smile at the sight of her teacher or to brace herself for what she expected was going to be a harsh workout. That left her with a shaky grin and glued to her seat while everypony around her hollered in excitement.

Both Sunset and Rainbow Dash looked over Celestia with sharpened eyes. Dash wore a giddy grin while Sunset furrowed her brow and studied Celestia closer. Still, the edges of her lips curved upwards.
Fluttershy sank into her seat and gulped.

As if sensing her trepidation, shadowy vapors wisped out of the floor. Tantabus coalesced out of the substance. The class immediately went silent.

“Your first class always gets them so intimidated,” Celestia mused.

“A small price for a valuable lesson.” Tantabus scanned over the class. “That said, I am more than pleased to see all of you here today. I know just coming to class today was a harsh ordeal for some of you. So, allow me to award your bravery.”

Tantabus’s body pulsated. Out of it sprouted multiple boxes. They resembled sleek steel briefcases. Each was emblazoned with the School’s insignia. Above the insignia was a name. More and more boxes flew out of Tantabus, far more than even his large body should have been able to hold, until there was a box for every student.

“For passing the first day, you have earned these. Yesterday, you faced your worst fears. Today, you receive an embodiment of your wildest dreams. Take them! Don your marks of heroism!”

Tantabus sent the boxes flying out to the class. While everyone accepted them with widened eyes and giddy grins, Celestia leaned close to him. “You always love doing that bit, don’t you?”

“I reward my students as they deserve,” Tantabus replied. “Plus, if I don’t play it up a little, they’ll never learn to be open around me.”

While Celestia and Tantabus chatted, everyone else opened up their boxes. Capes, masks, boots, and tools of every shape, size, and use were arranged inside. Alongside them were drawings and notes each student had submitted plus additional notes on various items. A sense of awe filled the air. These were something only a hero could have, and were second or perhaps even equal to a license in terms of importance. These were costumes.

With bated breath, Twilight unlatched the locks on her box.

~~~

A sizeable stack of paperwork had arrived alongside Twilight’s acceptance letter. Most of it was standard forms for financing, background, and general information. Although, there was a disproportionate number of disclaimers.

Twilight, Night Light, and Velvet pored over each sheet of paper. Twilight, even with the prior knowledge of her acceptance, basked in the forms, the physical proof of her acceptance. Night Light scanned the forms before taking a quill to the bottom of them. Velvet was the last to look at each piece of paper, and she took in each word, analyzed every sentence, and muttered the form to herself before daring to lift a quill.

They all worked like a processing line throughout the afternoon. The sun was sinking to the west by the time Twilight came across a form that lit up her eyes. She reread it before pushing away from the table.

“I’ll be right back,” she called from the stairs.

Intrigued, Velvet and Night Light peered at the form. They shared and look and whispered to each other. Velvet glanced to the side and gave Night Light a response that made him smile.

When Twilight returned with a stack of papers that dwarfed what had come with her acceptance letter, she found Night Light absent. Velvet was still staring to the side, eyes a bit glassed over and her mind some place Twilight could not determine. Her enthusiasm from coming upon the form diminished.

“Mom, is everything okay?” asked. “And where did Dad go?”

Velvet snapped out of her trance. Her eyes were still a little misty. “Oh, Twilight, your father and I just recalled something.” Getting up from the table, she drew close to Twilight and nuzzled her. “My little Twilight, you really worked hard for this. I just wish I could have supported you more this whole time.”

“Mom…” Twilight returned Velvet’s nuzzle with her own. “… you tried.”

“Trying is never enough for our family. I should have known that was true for you too.” The air crackled near the table. With a pop, Night Light reappeared with a few papers at his side, their edges crinkled and yellow from some age. “Luckily, your father did know that.”

Velvet and Twilight returned to the table. Night Light greeted them with a smile and spread the papers out.

“Well, Twilight, your tastes may have changed a little, but you were always getting so excited about what kind of costumes you’d wear, I thought you might want to look over some of your old drawings.”

For a moment, Twilight scanned over the drawings. Some were in crayon. Some were in pencil. Masks of all shapes, and capes of varying lengths dotted the pages. Design after design was drawn in, with some being shown fitted onto a small purple unicorn. A few of the older looking pieces made Twilight blush from their simplicity. That and the blatant copying of the royal regalia. Twilight had even drawn wings onto herself in a few of them.

Still, Twilight reached out her legs and gave Night Light a big hug. “Thanks, Dad.”

Then, she set her own set of papers down. The table jittered from the weight. Twilight grinned. “Now, I recalled most of those designs being impractical, but there were a few that are still viable. I’ve been working on the technical aspects a lot, and also a way to incorporate my cutie mark into it somehow, but I still need a little help collecting everything together into one costume.”

“Sounds like something our family was made for.” Velvet’s horn lit up and Twilight’s old drawings and her new research floated up. “We may not be designers, but we’ll help you any way we can!”

~~~

Spike inhaled deeply and clicked his cape onto his chest plate. Initially, his costume had lacked the latter part, but the manticore attack had taught him that despite being covered in scales, his underbelly was still relatively weak. Donning it for the first time prickled his skin. Something about armor instinctively felt off with a body that could withstand heat that melted rocks.

The chill had been with him before putting on the costume. It slowed his movements and drew out each of his breaths. Even his desire to see Twilight and the others in their costumes was muted.

He looked down at the black mask in his claw. From afar, it would look no different than a party mask, but Spike felt its density and knew it could take a hit. Sighing, he raised it up to affix it to his face, but a tap on his shoulder stopped him.

He turned and was met with the hulking white pegasus that always seemed ready to break out of his desk. Right now, he appeared ready to break out of his leotard that strained to contain his bulging muscles. Even his mask looked tight around his head, with veins visible through the light blue star studded material.

His enthusiastic shouts of “Yeah!” had intimidated Spike along with a good portion of the class. Watching him buzz around with his tiny wings the other day took away a little of the tension, but that mattered little to Spike when he was looming over him, bright red eyes staring straight at him.

“You okay, scaly dude?” he asked, voice far softer than Spike was anticipating. “I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous, too. I mean, Princess Celestia, the Princess Celestia is gonna be instructing us. I bet she’s just as tough as our Professor is, maybe even tougher.” The pegasus extended out a hoof. It looked so tiny compared to the rest of him. “Oh, I’m Bulk, by the way. I don’t think I said hi yet.”

“Spike, and I can handle the Princess,” Spike sighed, limply shook Bulk’s hoof, and let his claw flop back to his side. “It’s just… what would you do if somepony didn’t like you, even if you’ve done nothing wrong… or at least, you think you’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Huh, that’s a tough question.” Bulk tapped a hoof to his chin. “Usually, when I have a problem, I just go to the gym and lift stuff till I forget what the problem was.”

Spike frowned. “Right.”

Bulk offered a sheepish grin. “Maybe talk to them?”

“I want to, but she’d never even get close to me at this point.” Spike turned and put on his mask. “Forget it. Just gotta focus on whatever the Princess is gonna throw at us.”

“That’s the spirit!” Bulk exclaimed, causing a few of his veins to throb.

“At least she didn’t quit,” Spike muttered as he shuffled away from Bulk.

~~~

“Uh.” Applejack raised an eyebrow, though the combination of her black cloth mask and hat made it difficult for anypony to see it. She blinked and took in Pinkie Pie skipping into the practice area. “Not quite what I was expecting.”

“What do you mean?” Pinkie giggled. Even behind a skin-tight suit that obscured her mouth, her smile was still visible. On anypony else, the combination of the inky suit and the bright orange goggles would have left them unreadable. “But you’re looking great, Applejack!”

Applejack tipped her hat as a sign of thanks. In addition to the mask, a bandana emblazoned with her cutie mark was wrapped around her neck. A holster rested at her waist, carrying her lasso and various compartments.

“Just thought you’d be a little more colorful is all,” said Applejack.

“Oh, I am!” Pinkie replied. “I’ve got a totally awesome mask on under this, plus a neat little vest thingy for storing my snacks!”

“Tch.” Metal rang against the ground. An armored figure stepped out into the light. Her blazing eyes peered out through her helmet, and her downturned lips, for the time, were unguarded. That and the sun cutie mark emblazoned on the chest piece were enough features for the others to still recognize Sunset. “I don’t know what your game is, but I’m watching you.”

“Relax.” Maud leaned closed to Sunset. With a snort, Sunset jumped back, as nimble as ever despite her armor. She glared at Maud. From under a deep purple cloak, Maud blinked back. When the wind fluttered, it blew the cloak aside, revealing a belt strapped to Maud’s hip.

“I’ll relax when you and your sister quit popping out of nowhere,” Sunset muttered. She marched off in the opposite direction. As she did, she caught sight of Dash making her way outside with Fluttershy trailing behind her.

Dash had donned a simple deep blue flight suit that clung tight to her torso and limbs, and stopped at her neckline. Were it not for the streaks of sky-blue, yellow, and red zigzagging down her sides, the suit would have passed for the standard attire a weather worker in Cloudsdale might wear. The only other piece of her costume was a pair of goggles. Again, nothing that would have stood out in Cloudsdale.

Fluttershy wore something that was a combination of a vest and a cloak, and comprised of splotches of greens and browns. The hood rested under her pony-tailed mane for the moment. Combined with her matching face-paint and angling the rest of her costume the right way, Fluttershy could disappear in a forest or other heavily wooded area. It did little to conceal her behind Rainbow Dash though.

“C’mon, Fluttershy, you look fine,” Dash whispered. Fluttershy squeaked in reply.

With a shake of her head, Dash scanned over her classmates, taking in their costumes and noting what some of them might imply about her classmates’ talents. Then, her attention turned outwards. Beyond the class lay a mock city like the one the entrance exam had been conducted it. Towering skyscrapers and crisscrossing streets spanned off into the distance. Dash made sure to note where the tallest buildings were.

When Spike stepped out of the boy’s locker room, he could not help but take in the colorful display everypony was showing off. Even Sunset’s armor, with its glint, held an allure to him. Then, his heartbeat slowed, and his pupils narrowed.

Rarity stood a few feet away. Her costume resembled a vibrant violet coat that matched her mane. Its neckline and cuffs were made up of a fluffy white fabric of some sort that could have passed for clouds or freshly fallen snow. What truly caught Spike’s eyes though were the gems lining the waist of the costume: brilliant amethysts and shining diamonds that enhanced Rarity’s natural glow. Her mask was the same color as the coat and also studded with gems.

Behind the mask, her eyes moved left and spied Spike. She shivered and then skittered away. A great weight fell upon Spike’s shoulders, making him slacken his back and sigh.

“Spike?” came Twilight’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

Spike turned, and light returned to his sullen eyes. Twilight’s concerned expression clashed with her shimmering purple chest plate. A six-pointed jewel shaped like her cutie mark rested in its center. Matching horseshoes adorned her hooves. Her mane and horn slipped through holes in a helm that reached down to encircle Twilight’s eyes. Overall, she looked like a specialized member of the Royal Guard.

“Twilight,” Spike stuttered, “I was… uh… your costume looks good!”

The helm could not hide the red on Twilight’s cheeks. “Um, thanks.” Her face’s color then returned to normal. “Are you sure you’re okay though?”

“I told you before, it’s fine.” Spike stomped his foot and turned. His next words were hushed. “You’ve done enough already.”

“Attention, everyone!” Celestia’s voice called out. A blinding orb appeared before the loosely assembled group. In a dazzling flash of gold and orange light, Celestia appeared before them. “I hope you’re all ready for the exercise Professor Tantabus and I have cooked up!”

“Yeah!” Bulk shouted. Applejack, Pinkie and a few other students gave a similar cheer.

Dash smirked. “Heh, let’s do this.”

I won’t be tricked again, Sunset ruminated.

It can’t be worse than yesterday, Rarity assured herself.

Please don’t be worse than yesterday, Fluttershy repeated on a loop in her head.

Twilight neither thought nor said anything. Instead, she looked straight at Celestia and gave her a determined smile.

“Well, it certainly is good to hear and see such enthusiasm, especially after Tantabus put you through the wringer yesterday. In light of that, I have something a bit more fun in mind.” With a flash from her horn, a box appeared beside Celestia. “Tantabus got you at your weakest, I want to see what you can accomplish together, and what better way to do that than with a game of capture the flag?”

“Woohoo!” Pinkie jumped up into the air. “I love that game! With a group this size and in a training area like this, it’ll be the biggest bestest game ever!”

Celestia chuckled. “This will be a little different than regular capture the flag. Only four students on teams of two will participate at a time, and there will only be one flag.”

“Huh?” went some of the class. Everyone looked at Celestia in confusion, causing her to chuckle again.

“I’ll explain more once the teams are in order. Now…” She scanned over the class. At the same time, she lowered the box down, revealing a hole in the top. For show, she gave it a shake, causing its content to ping and pop against each other. “Do I have a volunteer to go first?”

“You do, your highness.” Sunset marched forward. After taking a few steps, she stood before Celestia and bowed. “It is an honor, Princess.”

“Ah, Sunset Shimmer, it is good to see you under more favorable circumstances.” Celestia held the box out to Sunset. “Please, go ahead.”

Raising her head, Sunset stuck a hoof into the box. When she pulled back, a white ball with the number four written on it rested in her frog.

“Now, best not to dally,” said Celestia before she called out, “Next!”

Twilight advanced. Her friends watched, all feeling a bit of amazement at the ease and confidence Twilight had when she walked toward Celestia. Like Sunset, she bowed.

“It’s an honor to see you, Princess Celestia.”

“And an honor to see you too, Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia replied. There was just the slightest hint of playfulness in her otherwise regal tone.

Like Sunset before her, Twilight raised her head and reached into the box. Unlike Sunset, her ball was black and inscribed with the number two. Keeping hold of the ball, she made her way back to Spike.

From there, Pinkie skipped forward, curtsied to Celestia, and plunged her leg into the box. With a grin, she pulled out a black ball with a one on it. Jittering with excitement, she stuck her face right up to Celestia. “Wee! I’m number one! Do I win something?”

A few students gasped at Pinkie’s audacity. Celestia grinned. “You’ll find out soon.”

“Neato!” Pinkie hopped back into the group.

Following her, both Applejack and Dash stepped up to grab a ball. They shared a glance at each other, then at Celestia. In a blink, they made a mad dash for the box. Dash was just a split second faster in the air and shoved her leg into the box. She managed to pull out a white two.

With an adjustment of her hat, Applejack stepped forward. She froze up for a moment when she realized Celestia was staring at both her and Dash with a grin on her face. Applejack blushed and reached into the box. Her ball was the same as Twilight’s.

“Well, what do you know,” she said upon coming back and facing Twilight. “Guess this means we’re on a team.”

“Maybe,” Twilight murmured. At the same time, she watched Derpy trot up to the box and pull out a white ball with a one on it.

From there, everyone else went up. Tree Hugger matched with Pinkie. Lyra matched with Rainbow Dash. Bulk and Aloe drew black number threes while Bonbon and Lotus Blossom drew white number threes. Maud drew a black number four. Then, only three students remained: Spike, Fluttershy, and Rarity.

Spike was the first to go. When he drew near Celestia, she bent low. “Something on your mind?”

“It’s nothing to worry about, Princess,” Spike whispered. He seized a ball and pulled it out: a black number four.

When he turned around, he did not look to the side to see Rarity step forward. She, however, took an obtuse path to avoid Spike. Celestia blinked at the display.

“It seems you are a bit troubled as well, my dear,” she mused.

“P-please do not concern yourself, Princess,” Rarity stuttered. “It’s… it’s a personal issue.”

“Well, I am your teacher today, so I want to make sure all my students are okay,” Celestia replied. “Hopefully, this exercise will help you a little with whatever is bothering you.”

“One can only dream.” With a sigh, Rarity reached into the box and pulled out a white number four.

Sunset’s jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed. “Oh, buck.”

Finally, Fluttershy inched forward. She was shaking like a leaf by the time she was in front of Celestia.

“It is okay, my little pony,” Celestia assured her. “This is just a simple game. Nothing more.”

“Oh… okay,” Fluttershy murmured. The final ball she pulled out was white with a one on it.

Once Fluttershy had backed away, Celestia looked over the class and broadened her smile. “Excellent! As some of you may have guessed by now, those of you with the same number and colored balls are on a team. You’ll be facing off against the team with the same number and opposite color.”

Dash and Applejack once more exchanged looks and grinned at each other. Twilight gulped. Spike felt a lump form in his stomach. Rarity’s blood ran cold.

“Those that picked the black balls will be in charge of guarding the flag. Consider yourselves villains and the flag your stolen loot! It’s up to the other team, the heroes, to get the flag and deliver it to the proper authorities! Each team will compete for ten minutes. For the first minute though, the villains won’t be able to move from their starting location. They can do whatever they want there though. However, the heroes will be coming straight for you thanks to a one-time tracking spell on the flag.

“The villain team wins if the flag still isn’t brought to the proper authorities within the time limit. Also, if the flag is destroyed, the match is a draw. Consider this a test of your teamwork skills, your battle prowess, and your control of your talents. Are you ready?”

“Yeah!” most of the class screamed.

“No,” Rarity squeaked.

Author's Note

Oh, this was fun coming up with costumes. A little background on our stars' outfits' inspirations:

Sunset: Cecil (Dark Knight), Ida's costume, MLP Royal Guard

Twilight: Shining Armor's armor, Dovahkiin

Fluttershy: 80s action movie camou, the "P.E." uniforms from Assassination Classroom

Spike: Imagined Spike from Dog and Pony Show, Classical movie era Greek armor (think Jason and the Argonauts)

Pinkie: Season 3 opening spy suit, ???

Applejack and Maud: Guess

Rarity: Original

Bulk Biceps: Borat, Mask De Masculine (Oh, final chapters of Bleach, you truly are a bizarre treasure)

Pink and Meek

“Yippee! This is gonna be super fun!” Pinkie bounced around Tree Hugger, whose eyes trailed after Pinkie. She kept a serene smile on her face in spite Pinkie’s abundance of energy.

Tree Hugger was adorned with a loose-fitting cap the held her dreadlocks. She wore a similarly baggy vest that was studded with various symbols. Twilight recognized a few from one of the shops her mother told her to never go into, even though the books they were selling had caught Twilight’s eye. The costume looked more like something a trendy pony might wear “ironically” than what a hero would don when combating evil.

Pinkie then gasped and rushed over to Fluttershy. “Are you ready, Fluttershy? We’re gonna try super hard to be super evil! You’ll never get our loot!”

Fluttershy flinched back. “Oh… okay.”

Pinkie visibly deflated. “Aw, no, Fluttershy. You’re supposed to say something like…” Pinkie’s voice dropped a few octaves. “’Evildoer, you’ll never get away while I am here! Ahaha! Prepare to face justice!’”

Derpy stared at Pinkie with one eye while the other glanced in Celestia’s direction. Like Dash, she was outfitted with a pair of goggles, but rather than a standard pair, the lenses resembled large bubbles while the strap looked like a string of suds. In a similar vein, a cape that appeared comprised of soapy spheres fluttered behind Derpy. She raised a leg and waggled it in the air. “Can we switch roles? She’s got the speech down flat.”

“I get the feeling Ms. Pie will do just as well as a villain for our exercise,” Celestia replied. She stomped the ground. “Now, why don’t you get into your starting positions?”

“Alright!” Pinkie cheered. She then craned her neck back while sharpening her smile. Fluttershy winced when Pinkie jabbed a hoof in her direction. “We’ll be waiting for you, heroes! Muhahaha!”

“Oh, oh dear,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy.” Derpy patted her on the back, her hoof touching her in a different spot with each pat. “We’ll get the loot back!”

“O-okay.”

With that, Pinkie and Tree Hugger trotted off in one direction while Fluttershy and Derpy went another way. When all of them had disappeared from view, a voice rang through the air. “Now ze fun beginz!”

Everyone spun around and were greeted by a mare adorned in tinted goggles that hid her eyes. The white stripes of her dress matched with her platinum mane while the black and violet parts of her outfit mirrored her goggles. Even with her cutie mark and face obscured, Photo Finish was unmistakable to the class.

“Ah, ze costumes! Ze talent! Ze first dayz are always zo much excitement!” As Photo sashayed forward, everyone felt her scan over them. Rarity ducked behind Bulk. Photo came to a stop before Celestia and displayed a glistening smile. “Vell, Princess? Ve can’t just have zese greenhornz sitting around while ze teams are at work, can ve?”

“We certainly cannot.” Celestia lifted her muzzle toward the class. “Everyone, Ms. Finish will be helping us in our lesson today. While the teams are engaging each other, it’s up to you to watch and learn from your classmates.”

“Finally,” Twilight whispered to Spike, “a chance to test our theories.”

Spike gave a sigh, but Applejack nudged her in the side.

“You’re in for a show,” she said. “Pinkie Pie ain’t gonna make this easy for Fluttershy and Derpy.”

“Now!” Photo declared. Her goggles brightened. Twin beams shot out of them and coalesced on a nearby building into squares. “Let us begin with ze magicz!”

The square on the right sharpened to show Fluttershy and Derpy standing in the middle of a bright green square: the “proper authorities” mark. Fluttershy rapidly tapped her hooves against the ground and her wings twitched underneath the cloak part of her costume. Derpy bopped her head back and forth while humming to herself.

The other screen was darker, but Pinkie and Tree Hugger were still visible. They appeared to be in the basement of a building. Both were chatting away while Pinkie twirled the flag around with her tail. The way she could grab, toss, flip, and do several other tricks with it was quite impressive.

However, while she played with the flag, tiny balls were also tumbling out of her mane and scattering across the floor. Tree Hugger slipped around them. Pinkie continued to the produce the balls until the floor was covered with them. She also reached into her costume and pulled out some boxes of varying sizes. With a flick of her hoof, she spread them across the room. All of them managed to land without touching any of the balls on the ground.

Pinkie raised her hooves to the sky and let out a villainous laugh. At least, that’s what it looked like to everyone watching as there was no sound to accompany the images.

“Oooh,” Photo commented. “I like zat one.” Her attention then shifted to the other screen. “Ah, but ze timid one has such a natural feel to her. A little more confidence and ze image of a hero is her!”

“That is what we’re here for.” Celestia lit up her horn. Her voice then boomed up from above. “Alright, my little ponies! Begin!”

There was a flash around Derpy and Fluttershy’s heads. Both of them blinked and then spread their wings. Taking to the air, they flew off. Meanwhile, Pinkie and Tree Hugger stayed in place, making sure not to disturb any of the balls and boxes Pinkie had produced.

“Keep an eye out,” Twilight said to Applejack. “We might pick up some good tactics for dealing with a pegasus from this.”

“Right.” Applejack grinned. “I’m getting the feeling Dash is hankering for a race with me though.”

“It’s over if she gets airborne. That’s why Pinkie and Tree Hugger’s strategy might be one we should follow…” Twilight’s jaw tightened. “On the other hoof…”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“First, confining yourself to a basement like that means fewer escape routes if things go south, but Pinkie’s mitigated that with whatever she’s set up.” A glance to the left revealed Dash’s full attention was on Fluttershy’s screen. “Second, Dash may choose fight over flight. Fighting in a confined space could be incredibly dangerous given her speed and weather manipulation abilities.

“Then, there’s Lyra. She’s got speed too, likely from a magical enhancement of some kind. If she’s got the capability to… to…”

Twilight stopped when she noticed the Applejack’s attention was back on the screens, leaving Twilight muttering to herself. Taking a breath, Twilight joined Applejack and the rest of the class in watching the match, even while plans still formulated at the back of her mind.

Fluttershy and Derpy had arrived in front of one of the numerous skyscrapers that made up the false city. They turned to each other, murmured something, and then stepped forward. Fluttershy gulped.

Everyone watched the screen as Derpy opened the door. Photo blinked her eye just as Fluttershy stepped inside. The view shifted to the inside of the building. Everyone could clearly make out Derpy still holding the door open outside, but Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.

“Oh-ho,” Photo chuckled.

“Interesting,” Celestia mused.

Applejack corked her head to the side. “Where’d she go?”

“She might still be there.” Cupping her chin with a hoof, Twilight furrowed her brow. “She can vanish in a crowd, but that doesn’t explain those paws she had during the test.”

“Uh, you’re gonna need to fill me in, Twi.”

Shaking her head, Twilight sighed, “I have some theories, but the best we can do is probably watch.”

Lining up with Twilight’s words, both Pinkie and Tree Hugger perked up. Pinkie’s mane twitched and a piece of it curled into a spiral. She grinned before letting out a cackle.

“So, you’ve come, hero!” she bellowed. “Well go ahead, try and take our loot!”

“Hey, Pinks.” Tree Hugger slipped around the balls and boxes on the ground. “I got this.”

Tree Hugger then went into a crouch and smacked the nearby wall. The cement shuddered with cracks spiderwebbing out from the point of impact. Dust flew out and settled around her. It also settled on a lump on the wall that had not been there before.

“Ah-ha!” Pinkie ripped a cannon out of her mane and fired on the lump. Cake batter and confetti splattered over it.

“Eeep!” came Fluttershy’s voice from the lump.

Tree Hugger sprung up and landed a blow on Fluttershy. Any part of her not covered in batter, confetti, or dust gave way to camouflage. The attack decoupled Fluttershy from the wall and she plummeted to the ground. As she did, Twilight noticed that her mane and body were also colored green and brown, but were returning to their original colors, starting at a red throbbing hoof print.

Aside from the different coloration, her eyes had bugged out and were facing different directions. Her hooves had also split in two while her tail had curled up, much like Pinkie’s had. Any other changes though were lost when she hit the ground and was lost in a burst of smoke and light.

The entire screen went white for a moment.

“Ah, yes, zees iz truly a wonderful start to zings,” said Photo.

Back in the basement, Fluttershy coughed and wobbled to her legs. One of her eyes flexed backward and spied the shadow of a hoof racing through the smoke. She jumped back, but landed on a box. Pink goo exploded out of it and encased her right hind leg. She tried to pull out of it, but the goo firmly cemented her leg to the ground.

Taking a breath, the tip of her muzzle vanished. The wave of invisibility raced down the rest of her face.

Tree Hugger then called out, “That’s a pretty chill move, Fluttershy, but there’s like way too much green around you when you use it.”

“And I may not be as good as Huggy here, but unless you’re Maud, you’ll never get the drop on me!” Pinkie let out another cackle. “It’s over, hero!”

“For…” Fluttershy coughed, “for you.”

“Oh.” Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Did you hit your head, Fluttershy? Huggy and I didn’t mean it, we were ju—”

Pinkie jolted upright as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. In mid-air, she whirled around and was greeted to the sight of a flood of bubbles spilling into the room. Some of them crackled with electricity while others swirled like a shaken snowglobe. More appeared empty, but they pulsated with instability.

Everyone’s attention shifted to the screen that displayed Derpy. She was still in the lobby of the building, but her hooves and wings whizzed around. More and more bubbles flew off her and floated downstairs.

“Whoa,” Tree Hugger mused.

“Hit the deck!” Pinkie cried out.

“Bubble Wave!” Derpy yelled.

The bubbles rushed forward and washed over Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Tree Hugger. One sphere burst in a show of sparks that zapped the rest of them, setting off a chain reaction of blasts, bolts of electricity, and miniature tornados. The final type of attack had the added effect of sending Pinkie’s balls and boxes into the air, adding smoke, flashes, confetti, and a tuba into the maelstrom.

Everyone was left staring at the obscured screen, waiting to catch a glimpse of somepony within the mess. Dash’s eyes sharpened.

Out of the smoke, silhouettes appeared. Two were of ponies on their backs, but one shape was rounded and bulky. When more of the smoke cleared away, everyone saw that Pinkie and Tree Hugger were on their backs, their fur fizzling with static, and their costumes torn and pulled away in places.

In the center of the room was a yellow shell. Fluttershy’s costume clung to it and three smaller pink shells rested near one end of it. The shell shrank down as Fluttershy poked her head out of it, revealing the flag between her teeth.

“Yes!” Rainbow Dash pumped her leg. “Way to go, Fluttershy, now get the buck out of there!”

“Language!” Celestia cautioned.

Back in the basement, Fluttershy darted for the stairs. A rope lashed out at her, her wings twitched, and she managed to jump over it at the last second.

“Curse you, hero!” Pinkie coughed up a little smoke. Her next words were punctuated by hacks. “You… you won’t get away!”

Fluttershy was already rushing up the steps while Pinkie tried to finish her threat. At the same time, Tree Hugger lumbered to her hooves. Shaking off some dust, she looked down and took stock of herself, and then glanced over at Pinkie. With a deep breath, she raised up a hoof and jabbed herself on the back, behind her left front leg, and her right hind leg. She strolled over to Pinkie and hit her in the same places.

Pinkie stopped coughing and perked up. A sharp grin spread across her face. “Thanks, Huggy. Those heroes will regret that!”

Pinkie and Tree Hugger took off. Upstairs, Fluttershy had burst out of the basement. She and Derpy galloped outside and took to the air.

“Haha! We did it!” Derpy cheered.

“Y-yeah. With us airborne, they won’t be able t—”

“Fluttershy!” Pinkie bellowed. Her spysuit had somehow changed into a thick brown jacket in the rush outside. A white scarf and a leather helmet with moveable goggles framed her face. She struck a match and lit the fuse on a cannon.

Within its barrel, Tree Hugger blinked and smiled. “This is gonna be wild. Hope it works.”

“Of course it will.” The fuse fizzled away. “I’ll be there to get you. Happy flight!”

The fuse ran out. The blast launched Tree Hugger into the air and straight toward Fluttershy and Derpy. She slammed into Derpy, making sure to angle her leg so it struck Derpy right in the small of her back. Her wings went stiff and she went into a nosedive.

Wasting no momentum, Tree Hugger sprung off Derpy and struck at Fluttershy. Fluttershy yelped, but instead of soft fur, Tree Hugger’s hoof met hard shell.

“Ah, bummer.” A thick hoof slapped Tree Hugger, knocking her away from Fluttershy and sending her toward the ground.

Below, Derpy spiraled downwards. The further she fell though, the more sensation returned to her wings. With the ground fast approaching, she sucked in the air around her and blew with all her might. A massive bubble ballooned out of her mouth and cushioned her fall. With a pop, it sent her across the street where she landed against a lamppost. Her eyes straightened for a brief moment and then she passed out.

“Derpy!” Fluttershy cried out. She felt the flag between her teeth and bit down hard. “No, gotta focus. Gotta get to the goal.”

“You think I’ll let you?” Pinkie howled into her ear.

Fluttershy yelped and flew back, but there was no sign of Pinkie.

“Fluttershy!” came Pinkie’s voice from below. With goggles donned and scarf flapping behind her, she was vaulting upwards with Tree Hugger not far behind. Down on the ground, a trampoline shook back and forth.

“Here we come,” said Tree Hugger.

“Eeep!” Fluttershy darted off.

Pinkie and Tree Hugger gave chase. They bounced after her with a spring board, a trampoline, or a giant coil to catch them and launch them skyward once more. With each bounce though, more sweat piled onto Pinkie’s face.

“Huggy,” she huffed. “I can’t keep this up much longer, you’re gonna need to finish her off!”

“Can do.”

With one more bounce, Pinkie flew upwards alongside Tree Hugger. In midair, she clasped Tree Hugger and somehow managed to corkscrew her body around itself. “Pinkie…”

Pinkie and Tree Hugger turned into a whirlwind of green and pink. In a gust of wind, Pinkie stopped herself just at the right moment to throw Tree Hugger with all her might. “Strike Out!”

“Go get her!” Pinkie called out as she fell.

“Right on.” Tree Hugger rocketed towards Fluttershy. Careening at her, she pulled back a hoof. “Sorry about this, Fluttershy, this might sting a bit.”

Tree Hugger’s hoof smashed into Fluttershy. It struck shell, but the shell shuddered and cracked. Fluttershy yelped, but her cry was stifled by the rest of Tree Hugger colliding with her. They went into a tumble, and spiraled down. Everyone watching held their breath.

“G-get off!” Fluttershy wheezed. “We’re gonna crash!”

“Eh, the nurse’ll patch us up,” Tree Hugger replied in the same lackadaisical tone as always.

“N-no.”

Tree Hugger blinked. “Huh?”

“You’re not hurting yourself just to win.” Fluttershy twisted her head to look down. The ground was only a few yards away now. “I won’t let you!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Tree Hugger called out when Fluttershy lifted her head to face her. They locked eyes for just a brief moment. “That is some crazy crazy stu…”

Tree Hugger went limp. Without her struggling and locking Fluttershy up, she managed to spread out her wings and swoop above the street in a blast of wind. She continued flying low until she zoomed into the green square and landed. With a vast exhale, she set Tree Hugger down and then collapsed to the ground.

“Winner!” Celestia declared. “The heroes, Fluttershy and Derpy Hooves!”

“Magnificent,” Photo purred.

Twilight studied the image of Fluttershy gasping for breath. “What was that?”

“Heh.” Dash strode up to Twilight and Applejack with a wide grin on her face. “That was Fluttershy’s secret weapon. Maybe you lucked out having to not face that, but I promise you…” Dash smacked her hooves together. “Unlike her, I’ll be coming at you full blast the whole time. I hope you’re ready.”

Twilight gulped. “Me too.”

Author's Note

Things on my to do list: get on TvTrope, get at least the costumes illustrated

Speed and Strategy

“Well, that air-head will have this wrapped up quick,” Sunset snickered, making sure she was just loud enough for Twilight to hear.

“Ignore her, Twi,” Applejack snorted.

Twilight kept her eyes forward, even though a part of her wanted to twist back and see exactly what Rainbow Dash was doing. “She has a point though. I can only guess by Dash’s running speed, but no matter where we set up the flag, Dash can get there within the first minute, leaving us trapped, and even if we could move, she’d likely be able to pin us down.”

Applejack wrinkled her nose at Twilight. “You saying she can outpace me?”

“Speed isn’t the only thing we have to worry about.” Dash’s scar flashed in Twilight’s mind. “We’re dealing with an opponent that may be able to strike faster than anypony can move. That’s not getting into whatever Lyra might throw at us.”

“Come on, Twi. It sounds like you’ve already thrown in the towel. You’re telling me with all that magic, you aren’t the least bit confident we can take on Dash and Lyra?”

“It… it’s not that.” Furrowing her brow and taking a breath, Twilight looked at Applejack. “I’m just trying to think of the best way to handle this situation. We need a strategy. Some way to keep the flag away from them without getting fried by Dash. Argh, I wish I’d studied Lyra’s moves a little more too.”

Applejack came to a halt. “Twilight, say that again.”

Twilight stopped and blinked at Applejack. “I wish I’d studied Lyra’s moves a little more?”

“No, not that, earlier. About a strategy. You said we just have to keep the flag away from Dash and Lyra, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure how we can, given Dash’s skillset and Lyra as a wild card.”

“Well.” Lifting the brim of her hat, Applejack displayed a sly grin. “We’re villains right now, and if I were a villain, I’d be thinking of the most cowardly, sneakiest, double-crossing move I could.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up, a similar grin spread across her face. “I think I catch your drift, partner. Let’s get headed to where Pinkie and Tree Hugger set up their base.”

“You think there might still be some traps laying around?” Applejack asked while she and Twilight changed direction.

“That’d be a bonus, but even if there aren’t any left, the building is still perfectly set up. I just hope we have enough time to get things ready.”

~~~

“Pathetic,” Sunset jeered, watching Twilight and Applejack make their way towards the same building Pinkie and Tree Hugger had started in. “Do they really think an experienced flyer like that air-head will fail where the crybaby succeeded?”

“I don’t know,” Pinkie replied. Sunset did not jump back this time, but she did glare fiercely at Pinkie. Pinkie kept up her chipper look despite Sunset’s open animosity. Her upbeat attitude also clashed with the bumps and bandages lining her body, which were visible since she had discarded her flying gear in lieu of a multi-hued vest of compartments and a carnival-style mask.

“I’d think it’d be pretty silly too, but Twilight’s a smart cookie and Applejack’s a fast cookie. So, together they’re a super-fast smart cookie.” Pinkie reached into one of her vest’s compartments and pulled out a cookie bigger than her hoof. With a chomp, she devoured half of it, revealing its gooey chocolate center. “Mmm, cookies.”

“I’m surrounded by idiots.”

~~~

“This is gonna be a breeze.” Dash punctuated her sentence with a few cracks of her neck and wing joints.

“We might wanna take it slow,” said Lyra. Aside from Pinkie and Bulk, her costume was the only one to include a piece that covered up her legs and waist. The piece in question were some snippets of denim fashioned into baggy pants.

Like Pinkie, she wore a vest, though hers was brown and more traditional, with just a few pockets. Under that, she had donned an orange polo shirt with the sleeves rolled up. A pink bow holding her mane in place completed the costume.
Without a mask and her mane pulled back, her furrowed brow was fully visible. “Applejack might try and take you on head-to-head, but I get the feeling Twilight is gonna cook something up.”

“Heh, like I’d give her the time.” Dash assumed a race start position right at the edge of the green square. “Whatever she or Applejack can throw at me, I can take it.”

“Dash!” Lyra stomped a hoof. “That’s not how this exercise is supposed to work. We need to work to—”

“My little ponies!” Celestia’s voice rang. “Begin!”

A spell zapped Lyra and Dash in the head. Ahead of them, a building lit up like a flame. Images of Twilight and Applejack standing amidst rubble in a darkened basement filtered into their minds.

“Ha!” Dash crouched. “Is this a joke? They’re in the same spot? Bring it on!”

“Dash!” Lyra cried. “Wa—”

Lyra’s plea was swallowed up in a blast of dust and wind. The air rippled and windows rattled in Dash’s wake. She was a splotch of blue that left a streak of rainbow. All Lyra could do in the face of such speed was go into a full gallop.

Even a pane of glass did nothing to slow Dash down. She crashed through it and skidded into the building. Applejack was just coming up the stairs when Dash burst into the lobby. Bolting onto the ground floor, a purple barrier formed behind Applejack, sealing off the basement.

“Come on, Applejack.” Dash grinned with fire in her eyes. “I wanted to have some fun with this, but you and Twilight are just making the same mistake Pinkie and Tree Hugger made.”

“And what’s that?” Applejack shot back.

“You underestimated how nimble pegasi can be, even in tight spaces.” Dash burst forward and lashed out at Applejack. In return, Applejack shot up a leg and blocked. “Did you think if Fluttershy could handle seizing the flag in the basement, I couldn’t?”

Dash struck with her hook, but Applejack jumped back. Whipping out her lasso, she flung it at Dash, but Dash zipped out of the way. She buzzed around the room, weaving around Applejack’s rope. In a burst of speed, she slammed into Applejack. They crashed through another window and tumbled outside. Their legs turned into blurs of blue and orange as they traded blow after blinding blow.

One of Dash’s goggles cracked. Part of Applejack’s mask was torn off. A hoof nicked Dash’s left cheek. A blow split Applejack’s lip. The attack made Applejack’s eyes flare up. She twisted, scrunched up, and slammed her hind legs into Dash. At the last second, Dash flapped her wings, flying backwards, but Applejack’s twin kicks still connected, rocketing her into the air.

Applejack flipped back onto her hooves and rushed inside while Dash recovered. “Hurry it up, Twi!”

Twilight’s reply came out muffled through the barrier on the basement. “I’m going!”

“No!” Dash cried out as she raced back down. “I am! Your flag is mine!”

She rushed at Applejack, but just before either of them could exchange blows, Dash swerved right, drew back her right front leg, and struck at Twilight’s barrier with all her might. Instead of striking concentrated magic though, Dash’s hoof cleaved through empty air. Momentum catapulted her down and she slammed into the stairs.

Hooves then smacked against her back. Twilight pushed all her weight down against Dash and sprung up into the lobby with the flag floating at her side. She raced over to Applejack and handed the flag off to her. Applejack took it with her mouth and hastily holstered it to her waist.

“You’re good,” said Twilight. “Now go!”

“Don’t need to tell me twi—”

“You’re not going anywhere!” Dash roared. She rose back into the air, hawkish eyes homed in on Applejack. “It hasn’t been a minute yet, so the only way that flag is leaving is with me!”

“About that…” Applejack took off in a burst of dust and glass shards.

Dash growled and gave chase. A gleaming barrier intercepted her immediately. A purple glow filled up around her, sealing all the exits. Twilight snorted, horn aglow. “You’re the one that’s not going anywhere.”

The animosity vanished from Dash’s face and was replaced with a chilling grin. Her chuckle made Twilight’s fur bristle. “Alright, this is fine too. Show me what you’ve got, Twilight!”

“Gladly.”

Both raked their hooves against the ground, snorted, and then charged.

~~~

Applejack kept running, never daring to look back. This proved positive when she caught sight of the street ahead of her glistening. She swerved right, but found a similar glow encasing the ground. Digging her hooves into the street and sending up a spray of dust and bits of asphalt, she stopped just short of touching the enchantments.

“Aw, darn, Applejack,” came a voice from above. With a spin, Applejack glanced up and was met with Lyra perched atop a lamp post. “Catching you in that would have made this a whole lot easier.”

She grabbed the lamp post and swung around it. With two swirls, she launched herself towards Applejack with a leg extended. The attack came far faster than Applejack anticipated, but she managed to jolt back just before Lyra smashed into the ground. The asphalt shuddered, cracked, and caved in under the force of the blow.

When Lyra got up, she gave her leg a shake. Instead of a hoof at the end of her leg, there was some sort of appendage that resembled claws, but its five digits were blocky instead of sharp. Applejack did not stare too long at the limb, knowing Lyra’s next move was imminent. She grabbed her rope and faced Lyra head on. It was only for a moment, but she could have sworn she saw Lyra’s eyes shift around before they squared off.

Lyra lit up her horn. A green glow washed over the nearby streets, sealing her and Applejack into a ring. She jabbed out her transformed limb, using the second to left-most digit to point at Applejack while she contorted her spine to strike an angular pose. “Your reign of terror ends here, villain!”

“See you got the speech down.” Applejack adjusted her hat. “Now, let’s see if you’ve got the buck to back it up, hero!”

~~~

Pinkie scarfed down a hoof full of popcorn drizzled with chocolate and hot sauce. With a grin, she offered the bag over to Fluttershy. Fluttershy shook her head, offered a squeamish smile, and gently pushed the bag away. Pinkie shrugged.
“Your loss, this is getting good!”

“Yez,” Photo purred. “Ze passion! Ze talent! It iz magnificent!”

On one screen, Applejack dodged strike after strike. Both of Lyra’s front legs were now morphed to have five digits instead of hooves. The appendages were capable of punching like a hoof, but they could also grab with far greater dexterity, as Applejack learned when one of them clasped her mane and pulled her in for Lyra to headbutt her.

The blow made her stagger back, eyes momentarily squeezed shut from the pain. Lyra sprung forward, flattened her left forelimb, and landed a chop onto Applejack’s left shoulder. The blow made her holler, but she gritted her teeth and pivoted into the blow. Using Lyra’s force against her while feeling bone grind against bone in her shoulder, she lifted her hind legs off the ground and smacked Lyra in the head.

Applejack collapsed to the ground with her shoulder aflame while Lyra was sent tumbling across the street. Neither moved for a moment before grunting and getting back onto their hooves.

The other screen showed Twilight surrounded by a blur of blue and rainbow. Every couple of seconds, a new dent would appear in her armor, or another one of her barriers would shatter. Bruises were visible on her exposed skin, and a bit of blood dibbled from her nose.

“Twilight,” Fluttershy sniffled.

Sunset glared at the screen, watching Twilight take blow after blow. “Tch, it’s over no matter what she does.”

Author's Note

Things left on the cutting room floor: having Fluffle Puff be in class 1-A

Rainbow at Dusk

How? Twilight glimpsed a hoof appearing out of the maelstrom of blue around her. The aura around her horn flared brighter while the air around the hoof gained a shade of purple. The hoof flew forward unabated and struck Twilight in the chest. Her armor shuddered and bent under the force of the blow. How is she countering my displacement?

Suddenly, the maelstrom ceased. Dash hovered above Twilight with a frown on her face. “Come on Twilight, is this the best you got? Was everypony else just fibbing to me?”

“They… they weren’t,” Twilight huffed. “I can… send out a strong spell, but I need time to concentrate.”

“Oh, you’re a slowpoke,” Dash chuckled. With a gleam in her eye, she landed in front of Twilight. “I get it. So, here’s the deal, I let you hit me, I take it head on, and if I’m still standing, you let me go, deal?”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. Dash’s giddy grin and tingling wings told her Dash was genuine. Catching her breath, she answered, “Would a villain really let a hero go that easily?”

“Fair point. Okay, I’ll take your best shot, deck you in the schnoz, and then be on my way.” Dash rooted herself to the ground. “Sound fair?”

Once more, Twilight took a moment to think over Dash’s words. Dash was squirming in place, making Twilight wonder how she had managed to sit through the entrance exam. Focusing back on the present, she closed her eyes, breathed, and then looked directly at Dash with rainbow rimming her irises. “Okay, Rainbow Dash. You asked for it.”

The outer world faded away. Twilight dove deep into her own stream of magic and searched out the rainbow seam of the Elements. Flecks of color swirled off her horn and flanks. She could feel the Elements reaching out and connecting with her own magic, drawing it into itself, but Twilight pulled back.

Just a little she thought. Just enough to…

Images of the Elements cleaving through Tantabus rushed back to Twilight. They combined with memories of yesterday—the way she had transfigured such a massive spell while barely using a smidgen of the Elements power. A chill struck her when she envisioned a beam, even if it was a fraction of the size of the one she had used on Tantabus, striking Rainbow Dash. She imagined only ash left behind.

The rainbow aura dissipated, making Dash sharpen her eyes. Twilight fell to her knees and gasped for air. Cold sweat dripped down her muzzle.

“Hey,” Dash snorted. “What gives? You were looking pretty cool for a second there.”

“I… I’m sorry,” Twilight hacked. “I can’t do it… not yet at least.”

Dash conked her head to the side. “What do you mean, ‘not yet?’ You trying to pull a fast one on me?”

“No, no.” Twilight shook her head while keeping it bowed. “It’s… it’s a new spell I learned, and… and I don’t have a lot of control over it yet.”

“So what?” Dash stomped a hoof. “Think I can’t take it? Come on, Twilight. You think I’d hold back on you?”

“No. To be honest, you’re even more skilled than I thought,” Twilight sighed and gave a dry laugh. “Even shifting the air around isn’t stopping you. You’re something else, Rainbow Dash.”

“Yeah, I know.” Dash grinned for moment but then furrowed her brow. “What’s this about the air though?”

“Your speed,” Twilight answered. “A pegasus with the right timing can manipulate currents and composition in the atmosphere to negate friction, giving them a massive boost in agility. Heh, you’re a bit too fast even in that for me to catch though, Dash.”

“I’m not doing that,” Dash replied in a cold flat tone.

“Huh?” Twilight blinked. Dash’s lips were now pulled tight. “You’re saying you’ve been flying and attacking at that speed with just pure muscle? No magic?”

“Damn straight,” Dash snorted. “I don’t need to manipulate the weather to kick flank.”

Twilight shuddered. Her right hind leg inched backwards. “But I thought… with your talent…"

“You thought what?” Dash snapped, stomping hard enough to send up dust. A slash of her wings cut through it. “I don’t like you making assumptions about me, Twilight. I don’t need weather and I don’t need you keeping me here any longer, especially if you’re just going to horse around!”

“I could say the same t—” A hoof clobbered Twilight in the head. The blow came with enough force to blast her helmet off, sending up sparks as it scraped against her horn.

“This is your warning, Twilight!” Dash roared.

Twilight’s daze cleared just in time for her to recognize a hoof flying straight for her face. The barriers around the building’s exits dropped and a thick plane of aura went up in front of Twilight’s head. Even that cracked under the power of Dash’s attack.

The block did nothing to stop Dash. She twisted around with her hind legs tucked. With a yelp, Twilight dispelled one barrier and summoned another. The kicks exploded into it, instantly cracking the violet shield. It held out for a second longer before shattering. When the hooves slammed into her, the wind flew out of Twilight.

The blow lifted her off her hooves and sent her flying until a wall stopped her. Cement and plaster crumbled around her. Dash did not allow her time to slip down and instead rushed forward and held her up by the neck. Twilight’s head was spinning and her brain was desperate for air, which Dash barely allowed with her grip. Even in the haze though, Twilight registered the snarl on Dash’s face.

“I’m only telling you this once,” Dash growled. She bashed Twilight across the face. Pressure exploded against her left eye and her vision went dark out of it. “Don’t ever think I need weather manipulation to be awesome, you got that?”

Twilight could only hack and gasp for breath.

“Good.” Dash buried her hoof in Twilight’s abdomen, knocking the wind out of her again. Two sharp cracks echoed through the air. She let Twilight drop and crumple to the floor.

With her vision fading, Twilight managed to raise her trembling head. The glare Dash gave her etched itself in her mind right beside Sunset’s and Tantabus’s.

“All I need are my wings,” Dash declared. A gust went up when she spread her wings. “My partner will handle the rest.”

With that, she left Twilight on the floor and sped off into the air. Everyone watching was rendered silent by Dash’s onslaught. Sunset clenched her jaw. Pinkie inched away, shook, and muttered something to herself. Maud stared at Pinkie, blinked, and then looked back at the screen. Fluttershy was crying and slowly shuffling towards Celestia.

Spike raced past her. “Princess, it’s over. Twilight needs help now!”

Celestia inhaled deeply. “Spike, I cannot do that. We must wait until the flag is captured or the time limit runs out.”

“Horseshit!” Spike cursed, causing gasps to go up. Tears rimmed his eyes. “You know this match is over! So just help her! Please!”

“Do you not have faith in Twilight?” Celestia asked, tone still measured in the face of Spike’s outburst.

“That’s not… I just…” The tension fled from Spike. His back slackened and he went to his knees. “Just promise she’ll be okay.”

“I would never let a student of mine suffer needlessly,” Celestia declared. Her eyes then went back to the screen. Twilight lay prone on the ground, shallow gasps the only sign of life from her. Twilight, just hold on.

Everyone else’s attention went back to the screens as well. Everyone except for Rarity. She lingered on Spike wiping away tears and collecting himself. A tremor ran up her leg and she bit her lip.

~~~

“You’re looking a little slower now, Applejack.” Lyra kept pace with Applejack, while the world blurred around them. Applejack sent out her right hoof to strike at Lyra’s face, but Lyra’s eyes caught the incoming attack and she blocked it with a leg.

Something about the way Lyra’s eyes had shifted forward and her muzzle had shrunk down was disquieting to Applejack. Her own eyes remained where a pony’s should, but they were also able to track Lyra’s high-speed movements and caught sight of a knee racing straight up to her face.

Pushing off the ground, she flipped back, ignoring the pain radiating out of her left shoulder. Both she and Lyra squared up to charge at each other again: Applejack on four hooves, and Lyra on two things that were not quite hooves but not quite the appendages she had transformed her front legs into either. Now, her front legs where normal again, but her hind legs had their knees facing forwards. The transfiguration allowed her to stay bipedal longer than a pony normally could.

Applejack was thankful Lyra’s costume concealed any other changes Lyra’s body had undergone. Watching her front legs shift back to normal a few minutes ago had unsettled her stomach. Even now, she tried to avoid looking at Lyra’s hind legs too long.

“And I don’t know how you’re looking, Lyra,” Applejack replied. “But it ain’t looking right.”

“Hey!” Lyra recoiled. “I know I’m still getting the hang of it, but I at least expected a little respect for my work so far. It took a lot of research to get the limbs right, especially the arms!”

Applejack kept her guard up, but allowed her head to tilt a few degrees to the side. “What are you going on about?”

“My imitation of the legendary warrior!” Lyra whined. “I worked super hard just to make it to this point!”

“Legendary warrior?” Applejack asked.

“Gah!” Lyra groaned. “I should have known. The information on her is lacking enough in Canterlot, so I guess it can’t be helped if a small town like Ponyville hasn’t heard of her.”

“Her, who?”

“The legendary warrior!” Lyra stomped her hind leg. Her head hung low and she held out a hoof, shaking it at Applejack. “Forget it, I’ll tell you about it once I’ve taken that flag!”

She burst forward. Applejack leapt aside and let her hind legs fly. Lyra blocked with her foreleg, but the blow still forced her back and left imprints on her leg. With a shake of her leg, she rushed forward again, this time jumping off the ground. Her transfigured left hind leg curled up and then exploded outwards, straight at Applejack’s head.

With no time to dodge, Applejack shot up her front legs and blocked. Sparks shot off from her hind hooves as they scraped against the ground. Applejack’s body quivered, but she held strong.

Then, Lyra lunged forward. Applejack spied that her right hind leg was back to normal, while her right foreleg had changed back into the rough approximation of an arm. It stretched out, racing for the flag holstered on Applejack’s hip.

Applejack stopped resisting and let the blow pick her up off the ground. It sent her tumbling, but from her perspective, the world was just slowly turning around her. Spying Lyra rushing at her, she clasped her lasso while still spinning through the air and whipped it at one of Lyra’s legs. The loop caught and she pulled with all her speed and might.

Lyra’s leg flew forward while the rest of her crashed backwards. She flailed out her limbs to catch herself, but she wound up landing on her right arm. Whatever had replaced her ankle let out a sharp crack.

At the same time, Applejack landed on her left shoulder, sending an electrifying jolt up her leg and into her torso. Both she and Lyra cried out as they hit the street. Lyra’s horn flashed and her arm and left leg glowed. A series of pops and cracks filled the air. Lyra sucked in air through clenched teeth as the digits of her arms shrank down and molded back into hard keratin. Even though her leg was a leg once more, its joint remained swollen and discolored.

Applejack’s vision wavered. Her shoulder was on fire and her stomach was churning. Through the pain, she watched Lyra’s limbs revert to normal and noticed her horn was no longer aglow. A glance to the side revealed that the ring of enchantments that had surrounded them was no longer making the streets glisten green.

Clenching her jaw, she rolled to the right and pushed up with three of her legs. She fell, but managed to catch herself by bracing with her knees, avoiding a full crash. Again, she pushed against the ground with all her might. Lyra was also struggling to get back to her hooves, both of them keeping weight off of their injured legs.

Some of their classmates could not stand to watch the sight. After the brutality Dash had unleashed on Twilight, seeing Applejack and Lyra duke it out to this level of injury was too much. None of them had realized up to this point how long ten minutes could be.

“Ze are really throwing it all on ze line, eh?” said Photo.

“And for that, they have my respect. A hero must be willing to push past their limits to achieve their goals. These students are just starting their journey, but they know they have to give it their all in this line of work.” Celestia turned to face the class, eyes lingering on those that had shied away from the screens. “Recall my assignment to you. Watch and learn, my little ponies. Like Tantabus before me, I tell you now that being a hero is more than just fun costumes and helping out those in need. It takes a strong will and a bold spirit to carry on the fight. Through night, through day, and ever onwards!”

Reaffirmed by Celestia’s words, the students turned their attention back to the screen. Applejack was back up. Her legs shook, but she could move. Slowly, she was limping away. Behind her, Lyra tried to light up her horn, but every time it got to more than a glimmer, her ankle throbbed, robbing her of her concentration.

Applejack’s ears perked up. Something rippled through the air. Her head craned back and she caught sight of blue and rainbow hurtling towards her. “Oh sh—”

Dash rammed her off the ground. Applejack, robbed of air, went careening into a lamppost. It bent from the impact and toppled over, pinning her under it. With a flap, Dash landed and snorted. She marched up to Applejack.

“It’s over,” she growled.

“N-not yet,” Applejack wheezed. Her uninjured hooves pushed, but the lamppost refused to budge.

Dash did not reply. Instead, she snorted again, bent low, easily avoiding Applejack flailing about to keep her away, and clasped the flag. Just when her hooves made contact with it, a blast of violet aura shot out of the flag and into Dash’s wings. She cried out and fell to her hooves, aura crackling around her. The flag fell out of her grasp and clattered to the ground. With a sharp crack, it shattered apart into bits of rubble.

Dash could only stare at what had been the flag. With eyes aflame, she glared at Applejack. “You’d rather have us draw than win!?”

Applejack let out a cracked and strained laugh. “You… you think Twilight or I would… would be satisfied with that? That…” Applejack flexed a trembling hoof at the rubble. “Was just a decoy Twilight whipped up.”

“Dammit!” Dash sprung off the ground, but then crashed back down. She grunted and tried to unfurl her wings, but they remained glued to her sides. “What the hay is this?”

“Our insurance,” Applejack coughed. “Twilight noticed you’re faster in the air than me, but grounded, I could pull ahead. She… she cooked up one nasty spell so that if a pegasus touched the flag, she’d be grounded for the next five minutes. Heh, looks like time isn’t on your side.”

“You…” Dash snarled and raised up a hoof. Aura surrounded it before she could strike Applejack.

“Forget her!” Lyra shouted. “Dash, you’re still fast with just your legs! Find the real flag!”

“Rah!” Dash stomped and snorted, shook her head, then took off back towards the building.

She ran as fast as she could, ignoring the growing ache in her back and legs. By the time she made it back to the building, her breathing had quickened. There was a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

“Where is it?” Dash snarled when she stormed into the building. Silence answered her. Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Dash clenched her jaw and rushed downstairs. Her gut dropped.

There were flags everywhere. They littered the ground, they plastered the walls, and they dangled from the ceiling. One of Dash’s eyes twitched. A vein on her forehead throbbed.

Her booming shout of “Noooooo!” echoed through the city.

Twilight heard Dash scream from close by. Curled up in a nearby building, horn still smoking from her teleportation spell, she reached into her dented armor and pulled out the real flag. Her lips curled into a smile.

“Sorry, Rainbow Dash,” she hacked. “The villains… win.”

Her head went slack and the world went black.

Awesome As I Must Be

“Dammit!” Dash scooped up as many flags as she could carry and rushed back towards her starting point. The city blurred around her. Her legs burned, but she kept running until she reached the green square.

The flags spilled off her and cluttered onto the colored pavement. She glared up at the sky. “Come on! One of these has to be real!”

Silence.

“Dammit!” She spun around and rushed back towards the building again. Sweat slicked her mane and dripped down her muzzle. Her breaths came out faster.

She rocketed down the stairs and grabbed more flags. Again, she raced back. This time, the world around her had more definition to it; the rough shapes of buildings and lampposts could be made out in the rush to the starting point.

Dash deposited the flags, but once more nothing happened. She gulped down air now. Sweat poured down her face and coated her body. Her legs stung, but the fire racing through them was dwarfed by the blaze overtaking Dash’s eyes.
“Dammit!”

This time, she did not run straight back to the building, but instead veered left, right, and back to Applejack and Lyra. Lyra had hobbled over to Applejack and had her horn pressed close to Applejack’s head.

Applejack’s eyes were glazed over, but her limbs squirmed around. Something about the sight quelled a small bit of the fire in Dash’s eyes, but did not stop her from charging over to them.

“Dash!” Lyra yelped, pulling back from Applejack. “This is bad! They’ve transmu—”

“I know!” Dash growled. Ignoring the daze Applejack was in, she clasped her and raised her up. “Tell me where the damn flag is!”

“Muga-blah… fritters,” Applejack groaned.

Dash let her fall and turned her glare on Lyra. “The buck did you do to her?”

“I was trying to get information from her!” Lyra protested. She slumped to her haunches. “It’s useless though. She let Twilight take care of everything.”

“Dammit!” Dash stomped a hoof hard enough to crack the pavement. She spun and took off.

“Dash, wait! I can still…” Lyra started to call out but Dash was already long gone. She smacked the ground with her uninjured hoof.

“Dammit! Dammit!” Dash repeated, curses coming out as huffs. Each inhale bit at her throat now. Every yard she covered brought more ache and flame to her body, but especially her legs. They burned so deep while she felt parts of her outer muscles going numb.

Rainbow Dash, came a voice at the back of her head. Even in her mind, it was still as clear as the last time she had truly heard it. What should have come off as oily and smooth dripped with sleaze. C’mon, Dash. That twerp’s little spell is nothing. It’s meant to bind regular pegasi… but not you.

Dash came to a halt just a she reached the basement. “Shut up.”

Oh, you know I’m right, the voice snickered. Show her, Rainbow Dash. Show her how awesome you are.

“No!” Dash screamed. She did not pick up any flags this time. Her hooves rained down on them. Bucks flew out and smashed the ones on the walls, leaving the concrete cracked and chipping. She snarled and gnashed at the flags on the ceiling, snapping them apart with her teeth. Her head bashed against the walls, the floor, and the ceiling until crimson stained her mane.

She screamed and whinnied in a blind rage until every flag was reduced back to rubble. Red frothed up from her bloodied gums. Her limbs were numb and her hooves were cracked. Her breath came out in rasps.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied one flag remaining amidst the rubble. It even hurt for Dash to grin, but she managed to and shuffled over to the flag. “Ha… ha… it’s ov—”

The world tilted to the right. Sparks popped in front of her vision as everything spun. The ground smashed into her left side and then her head. Even with her consciousness fading, Dash flailed her leg out, trying to at least break the flag. Her hoof brushed against it, but then it all went dark and Dash went limp.

~~~

“Vell…” Photo paused. “It’s not going to be a draw, but still…”

“A win is a win,” said Celestia. Her eyes scanned over the screens, taking in Dash and Applejack both knocked out. She lingered on Twilight for a moment before noting how Lyra, while still conscious, was hobbled and limping.

Her attention then shifted to the rest of the class. “Keep this in mind. Victory comes in many forms as does loss. I’ll have more to say at the end of this exercise, but this has been a most illustrative match. I advise the remaining teams to consider what the ‘villains’ did right and what the ‘heroes’ did wrong to get to this point.”

“Yeah!” Bulk proclaimed.

Bulk’s shout sounded like it was yards away to Fluttershy. Her eyes had and still remained locked on the screen showing Dash. Tears spilled down her face. “Rainbow Dash, I’m sorry.”

~~~

Twilight opened her eyes and groaned. Her gut and ribs was still sore and her horn ached a bit.

Redheart sighed. “Well, it seems every time we meet, you’re in a little better shape.”

Twilight offered a meek smile. “Silver lining?”

Redheart shook her head. “I have to tend to the others. I’m getting worried your recklessness is contagious. Feel free to get up when you want, just take it easy for the rest of the day. You can probably catch the end of the third match.”

“I…I’ll help her.” Fluttershy peeked her head into the quartered off bed Twilight had awoken on. Under Redheart’s stare, she inched back, leaving half the cotton partition resting over her face. She sniffled and bowed her head. “P-please.”

“It’s Twilight’s choice, not mine.” Redheart turned and opened the partition, causing Fluttershy to give a tiny yelp. Redheart shook her head and moved on.

Fluttershy inched forward, shaking with each step. By the time she was by Twilight’s side, her facial fur was matted with tears. She reached out and clasped Twilight’s leg. “I’m s-so sorry.”

Twilight gave a grunt as she pushed off the bed and wrapped a leg around Fluttershy. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. I was ready to get a little beat up.”

“No, no it’s not.” With a shake of her head, Fluttershy spilled tears onto the ground. “You… you mentioned the weather, didn’t you?”

Twilight shuddered recalling the way Dash had snapped at her. “How did you know?”

“I’ve known Rainbow Dash a long time,” Fluttershy whimpered. “Even before she got her scars. Please, just… just promise me you won’t bring it up to her ever again.”

“Well, I do—”

“Promise me!” Fluttershy shouted. She pulled out of Twilight’s grasp and hiccupped. “I’m sorry Twilight, but please, you can’t bring it up to her anymore.”

“I…” Twilight paused and thought out her next words. “I understand, Fluttershy. It’s still a little concerning though. Pegasi, and ponies in general, aren’t meant to get by purely on physical strength. We need magic to take off some of the strain and recover.”

“I know that too,” Fluttershy sniffled, keeping her head bowed and avoiding Twilight’s stare. “Please, just leave it alone, Twilight. I’ll never ask anything else of you.”

“Okay, Fluttershy, okay.” Once again, Twilight reached out, this time bringing Fluttershy into a full hug. “Come on, I want to make it there before the next match starts.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy wiped her face. “That’s right, Spike was looking a little sad this morning.”

“Yeah, it’s…” Twilight disengaged from Fluttershy and scratched the back of her head. “Well, I guess it’s a bit like whatever the deal is with Dash. I’ve tried to make things better, but I think Pinkie’s advice might be good for now and I should just back off.”

Inhaling deeply, Twilight raised up a hoof. “Spike is still my partner though, so I want to be there to help him in any way I can.”

Fluttershy nodded and helped Twilight off the bed. They made their way out of the infirmary and into the hall. For a bit, they walked in silence, Twilight taking gentle steps to avoid upsetting her ribs and Fluttershy doing the same out of habit.

“You know,” Fluttershy said, glancing out a nearby window, “I came here to help out Rainbow Dash like that too. She’s a good pony, but ever since her accident, there’s been this side to her—a side the really scares me. I’d… I’d hoped being in school would help, but recently, things have just been getting to her.”

Seeing Fluttershy on the verge of tears again, Twilight spoke up. “It’s only the second day, Fluttershy, and whatever Dash is dealing with, I’m sure she’s glad to have a friend like you by her side.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy sniffled.

“Besides...” Twilight smiled. “I think you’d make a great hero. You did win your match after all. Oh!” Twilight eyes widened and she pressed up close to Fluttershy. “My match! Did we win?”

Fluttershy nodded.

In a move that reminded Fluttershy of Dash, Twilight pumped a leg. “Yes! The plan worked!”

The excitement sent a shock through her chest. With a cough, she bent over and clutched her side. Fluttershy rushed to her, but Twilight unclenched her leg from her ribs and coughed, “I’m good. Just got a little overexcited. Guess our win came with a few bumps along the way.”

“I’m just glad you’ll all be okay,” said Fluttershy. Ahead of her were a pair of doors that led back to the practice area. “Thank goodness for Nurse Redheart.”

“Yeah, she can be scary, but she does a good job getting us back in fighting shape.”

They both giggled a little at that and then opened the doors. Stepping back outside, they were instantly greeted by Pinkie rushing up to them.

“Ohmigosh! Welcome back!” she exclaimed while jumping up and down. “That was a super-duper amazing match. Oh! But, this match was also extra dee duper spectacular.” Pinkie raised up onto her hind legs and puffed out her chest. “Bulk was all like, ‘Yeah!’”

She swerved left and smoothed back her mane. “Then Lotus Blossom was like, ‘Villain! Prepare to taste defeat!’”

“Oh!” Pinkie continued while getting back on all four hooves. “I totally get why Lotus Blossom and Aloe make great partners now! They’re crazy as a team, but fighting each other was even more crazy!”

“And…” Pinkie said with a deep inhale. She crouched and slunk around Twilight and Fluttershy. “You should have seen Bonbon! I’ve never seen a pony climb like that before! It was super cool!”

“So, who won?” Twilight asked.

“It wa—”

“Hey!” Sunset barked. With her trademark glare, she marched over to Pinkie and snorted at her. “Don’t bother explaining to her things she missed. It’s her own fault for failing against that airhead.”

“Twilight didn’t fail!” Pinkie pouted. “She actually tricked Dashy super good.” She smiled, but her lips shook. “It, uh, was actually a little scary seeing Dash like that.”

“Tch.” Sunset turned her glare on Twilight. “You’re both idiots in my view for holding back. If you have the power, use it, and spare us from having to watch the two of you horse around like foals.”

“Sunset, it’s no—”

“Shut up,” Sunset spat. “You may have won the match, but in real life you’d be screwed. You’d better hope your ‘partner’ actually takes this seriously. Unlike you and airhead, I don’t hold back.”
Sunset turned to march off but came face-to-face with Maud. She blinked in the face of Sunset’s glare. “Just so you know, I won’t hold back either.”

“Heh,” Sunset snickered, “that makes at least one pony in your family then.”

Maud’s eyes sharpened. “Do not insult Pinkie.”

“Oooh, finally got your expression to shift a little.” Sunset trotted closer and gave Maud a pat on the shoulder. Maud batted it away with enough force to scratch Sunset’s armor. Sunset’s horn glowed and a facial cover extended out from the sides of the helm. “I’d like to see what else you’ve got in our match.”

Sunset left them with her snickering blowing into the wind. Pinkie, instead of hopping or skipping, walked over to Maud.
“It’s okay, Maud. Sunset is just a bit of a hardflank is all.”

“I’ve dealt with harder things,” Maud replied. “I should get ready.”

Just as she walked off, Spike approached, having waited for Sunset to move away. Maud passed by him on the way, and bent down. “Looks like things will work out for you.”

“Huh?” Spike asked, but Maud was already walking away. “Hey, what are you… ah, forget it.” Spike waved a claw through the air and then scampered over to Twilight. Before Twilight could say anything, Spike pulled her into a hug. “Don’t do something like that again.”

Twilight reached out and stroked Spike’s spines. “Hopefully next time I’ll have my partner. Although, Applejack did a great job keeping up her end of the plan.”

Spike chuckled. “Yeah, I knew you were good as soon as I saw you transmuting all that rubble.” His downcast look then returned. “I even asked Celestia to call the match after Dash messed you up.”

“Well, a match is a match, Spike,” Twilight sighed. “Lyra still might have been able to discern where the real flag was if she and Dash had worked together a little more.”

“I’ll say.” Lyra limped out into the field. Her leg was no longer broken, but she still walked gingerly on it. “Then again, I had my hands full dealing with Applejack.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “‘Hands?’”

“Eh, I’ll tell you about them later.” Lyra turned to face Spike. “You’d better hurry, Spike. Princess Celestia’s looking this way.”
Everyone looked up to confirm that Celestia was indeed staring at them with the same smile she had worn the entire exercise. Twilight felt a slight tickle in the back of her mind.

Excellent job, Twilight, Celestia commended. I’ll say more later, but that was a fine display of wit in the face of Rainbow Dash’s brawn.

Thank you, Princess. Twilight blushed and bowed her head.

“Hey, where’d all that bravado from earlier go?” Pinkie giggled.

“Alright.” Spike took a deep breath and straightened his back. “Time to get this over with.”

“You’ll do great, Spike,” said Twilight. “I’m rooting for you and Maud one hundred and ten percent.”

“I know, Twilight. I know.” Spike gave her one last squeeze and then walked off to join Maud.

“You know,” said Pinkie, “isn’t it kinda weird for a hero to root for the villains to win?”

“No matter what Spike is, he’s my partner, and he will be great hero,” Twilight declared without any hesitation. Yet, in her head, she voiced a desire to herself. I just hope Rarity can see that.

Author's Note

I guess you could say combining Todoroki's issues with Dash's pride and temperament led to some explosive results

:trollestia:

Scales and Gems I

Spike stared out the tinted window toward the streets below. He scanned around for the “heroes’” starting point, but it was lost amidst the building and streets.

Maud drew near. “Good thinking, Spike.”

“Thanks,” Spike moped. “I’m pretty sure Sunset can’t teleport, and even if she could, it would take too much magic to get up here and take the flag.”

“Okay, so they’ll have to come up then.” Maud turned around. “I’ll head them off.”

“Right,” Spike sighed while still looking outward.

~~~

“I’m only going to say this once.” Sunset drew closer to Rarity, forcing her to look straight into her fiery eyes. “You made the choice to come in today, so own it. Stop wetting your fur and start acting like you actually belong here.”

“I-I’m trying,” Rarity quibbled.

“Guh, you’re worse than the literal yellow-belly. And what are you afraid of? A scaly dweeb that treats an even bigger dweeb like she’s a Princess. Get over it!” Sunset snapped. A stomp sent up a swirl of flames. Rarity yelped and jumped back. Sunset scowled under her helm. “I fought a real dragon and you don’t see my hooves quaking. No, I’ll show that little dweeb he’s backing the wrong horse.”

Her glared sharpened. Rarity shuddered. “And you’re going to help even if I have to drag you into wherever those losers have holed up. I bet from hanging around Twilight he’ll try to think up some ‘cunning move,’ but he’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’ll fall for party tricks like that airhead. So, buck up and get it in gear because nothing, especially a sniveling unicorn that can’t even take care of her own problems, is going to hold me back.”

“My little ponies! Celestia’s voice rang. Begin!

Rarity gulped as the magic beamed images of the flag and its location into her head. Spike was standing right by it, eyes cast down and shoulders slumped.

“Let’s go,” Sunset ordered before going into a gallop.

Taking a deep breath, Rarity raced after her.

~~~

Twilight sat and watched the screen, eyes focused and jaw tight. Fluttershy sat beside her, though her attention occasionally shifted to the doors they had passed through.

She tensed when they opened, but relaxed a little when Applejack made way out and over to them. Like Lyra, she walked gingerly, but on her left leg rather than her right. Making her way over to Twilight and Fluttershy, she commented, “Well, this ought to be interesting. Didn’t imagine I’d ever get to see a dragon whelp fight.”

“I hope he does okay,” Fluttershy murmured, forcing Applejack to perk up her ears.

“He’ll be fine. If half of what Pinkie has told me about Maud is true, he probably won’t have to fight too much.”

“I don’t know.” Pinkie rose up beside Applejack and rubbed her chin. “I mean, there’s no way Maud could lose, especially since Sunset got her mad, but she’s got something cooking in that kooky head of hers.”

Applejack blinked at Pinkie and then chuckled, “Well, whatever Maud has planned, I guess we’re rooting for the villains this round.”

“Yep-yep!” Pinkie chirped. With a grin, she pulled out a box of malted milk balls and pitched it over to Applejack. In the time it took Applejack to grab the snack, Pinkie produced another bucket of popcorn for herself, this time coated with caramel and sour plum sauce. “Oooh, time for the fun to really start! Hey, Twilight, you want some?”

Pinkie’s question sounded distant to Twilight as she continued to put all her attention onto the screen.

~~~

“Well, at least you kept up,” Sunset snorted. Behind her, Rarity caught her breath and looked up at the building before them. Aura flowed out around Sunset’s horn. “Okay, let’s see what cheap tricks they’ve set up.”

“Wait!” Rarity called out.

The glow around her horn vanished and Sunset snapped her head back at Rarity. “What?”

“I… I can check,” Rarity stuttered.

Sunset narrowed her eyes. She let Rarity sweat a second more under her glare, then turned back around. “Then hurry it up.”

Rarity sighed with relief and then inhaled deeply. Marching up to the building, she lifted her right leg. As she did, the tip of her hoof shimmered, the gloss spread upwards until her entire hoof was glistening and translucent. Taking another big breath, she lit up her horn and pressed her crystalline hoof against a wall. She shut her eyes and continued to take measured breaths.

“I’m not sensing any spells,” Rarity said after a moment. “There’s… something on the fifth floor blocking the stairs, but after that, nothing until…” She gulped. “The flag.”

“So, they’re both up with flag then?” Sunset glared upwards with her eyes and horn aglow. “Wait, that’s Ms. Stoneface on the fifth floor. Damn, what the hay is she doing?”

“G-guess we’ll have to find out?” Rarity suggested.

“Hmm.” Sunset let out a snort. “Guess we will. Come on.”

Both of them advanced into the lobby and then up the stairs. They moved in silence until they reached the fifth floor. Sunset held up a hoof and Rarity halted behind her. Creeping up to the door that led out to the main area, Sunset pressed up against the adjoining wall.

Her horn lit up and the air around her grew hot. Rarity drew back while her face turned crystalline and angular. Sunset reared back and then blasted the door. It went flying off its hinges but then stopped in the middle of the room. Something floated it to the ground.

Maud blinked at Sunset and Rarity. “That was fast.”

“Damn straight!” Sunset charged forward, horn ablaze. Fire lashed out from it and homed in on Maud. Instead of striking Maud, they crashed against a thin black substance. Sunset was undeterred and barreled headlong at Maud. Her hoof raced up to uppercut Maud, but the substance shifted around to block the blow. Sunset felt whatever the stuff was move under her hoof and leapt back. “Heh, what’s an earth pony doing with a talent like that?”

Maud sent the substance down into the floor, where it molded back into her shadow. “I won’t let you pass… you’ll meet your doom here, heroes.”

“Oooh, I’m real intimidated,” Sunset sneered. “That talent’s got me interested though. Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Sunset and Maud raced at each other. Armored hoof collided against solid shadow, fire singed cloth, and Sunset’s glare was met with a blink by Maud. While the two duked it out, Rarity sidled along the side of the room, edging closer to the second set of stairs that led to the higher levels. Maud spotted her while keeping Sunset at bay, but kept her attacks focused on Sunset.

With the door feet ahead of her, Rarity made a mad dash for it. A shadowy tentacle whipped at her, but it struck only her costume, tearing it. Unmarred crystal glistened through the rip. Rarity did not let the attack impede her, flung the door open, and raced upwards.

When the door slammed shut, Sunset jumped back. “Heh, smart move.”

Maud blinked. “What do you mean?”

“You and I both know that foal is terrified of dragons. She’ll never be able to get the flag away from him, no matter how much of a dweeb he really is. You’re hoping to drag out our fight until time runs out.” Sunset raked a hoof against the ground in a shower of sparks. Her horn grew bright and the air wavered and turned blistering. “Like that will happen.”

Maud blinked, but her shadow rose up until it loomed over her. However, it did not fully match her due to its mane puffing outwards while hers remained concealed under her cloak. Somehow, it had eyes that glowed bright.

“You’ve run your mouth long enough!” it screeched, taking Sunset aback. It had Maud’s voice, but to hear it laced with emotion stunned Sunset for a second. “Like I’ll let you get past me!”

While initially shocked, Sunset grinned. “Heh, that’s a new one. You’ve got me real interested now, Maud. You’ll be a perfect test run!”

“I could say the same,” said Maud. Her shadow’s hooves lifted off the ground, split, and lengthened. “Lyra’s moves intrigued me.”

“More ways to kick your flank!” her shadow shrieked.

Maud’s shadow then stretched out and slammed its left hand down on Sunset. Sidestepping the blow, Sunset sent out a volley of fireballs that crashed against the shadow. Sunset continued the assault, angling her horn in different directions, but the shadow always managed to rise up before a spell could land on Maud.

At the same time, the shadow’s arms curved towards Sunset and struck at her with smaller tendrils that extended out of the forearms and larger smacks with the hands. Sunset deftly danced around them, even while the floor cracked and the windows rattled from the force of the blows. Maud moved in step with Sunset, keeping the distance between them even, never giving Sunset a chance to launch attacks from a closer range.

Sunset then came to a halt and allowed an inky hand to crash down on her. A fiery shield flared up against it. Maud’s eyes sharpened and she sent her shadow’s other hand against Sunset, but it too hit flame instead of its target. Both pushed against Sunset’s spell, trying to reach through the fire to get at her, but she held firm. With a grunt, she pushed them away in a fiery blast.

The shadow fell back to the ground, but then Maud popped out of it and uppercutted Sunset, sending her sprawling backwards. She managed to roll back onto her hooves. Now, though, her helm was dented and a bit of blood dripped out of it.

“You’re just full of tricks, aren’t you?” Sunset snickered. Her horn lit up again. “Well, so am I!”

The air around Maud brightened. Shadow raced up to encase Maud, but the air exploded first in a shower of embers. Sunset stayed on guard, which served her well, when Maud popped up out of the nearby ground and tried to strike at her again. This time, Sunset pulled her head back to avoid the blow, but then a shadow burst out of Maud’s leg and hit Sunset right in the horn.

The blow knocked her back. Even with her helm, her head still spun. Gritting her teeth, she slammed a hoof to the ground and managed to stay upright.

“Good move,” Sunset spat.

“A unicorn’s horn is their greatest weak point,” Maud stated. “Hit that hard enough and they can’t properly cast a spell. You’re good, Sunset…”

“But without magic, we’ve got you dead to rights!” Maud’s shadow declared.

“Well, thank you for stating the obvious. Too bad I know basic biology too and, unlike everypony else that just accepts that weakness, I’ll show you how a hero handles a vulnerability!” Sunset flung out her hoof and sparked her horn, in spite of the blow. However, while her horn had sparked, it did not glow. Instead, aura rose out of the seams between the armor of her leg. The air around it grew even hotter than before and the armor went from golden to bright red. Where it covered her hooves became a blinding white.

Maud shielded her eyes when a flash went off, making sure to keep her shadow close and ready to either attack or defend. When her vision returned, she was greeted to Sunset holding her hoof up in front of her face. Her hoof still burned bright white while the rest of her leg up to the knee shimmered with a crimson aura.

“Making the prototypes was difficult,” said Sunset. “So many of the materials I needed were restricted, but here, they give them out like candy.”

Maud blinked. “Your leg’s on fire.”

“Oh, it’s a bit more than that.” Sunset flexed her leg back and it struck the wall behind her. The entire building shuddered when her hoof exploded against the concrete, taking out majority of the wall. Standing in front of the smoldering hole, Sunset sparked her horn and turned her other hoof crimson and white. “This is…”

~~~

“Thaumic reconfiguration,” Twilight gasped. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Sunset.

Applejack scratched her head. “Thauma whatsit?”

“Normally, unicorns can only access their magic through their horns,” Lyra explained. “The same way magic flows through a pegasus’s wings or earth pony’s hooves and tail. Even my spells still rely on my horn to do the spellcasting. Sunset’s done something on a whole other level! Her horn is still the catalyst, but she’s spellcasting through her legs!”

“She managed to figure out how to adjust her internal mana flow without blowing herself up,” Twilight murmured. “I thought such an idea was only theoretical.”

“It was,” said Celestia, while keeping her eyes on Sunset through the screen. “What a prodigy to have both succeeded in reconfiguration and in mitigating the blowback.”

~~~

“… Hooves of Immolation!” Sunset roared as she pulled back one leg while springing at Maud. With sharpened eyes, Maud summoned her shadow as a thick block in front of her body.

The explosion ripped out of Sunset’s hoof, shattering the windows and shaking the entire building once again.

“Fascinating!” Photo smiled with glee. “Ah, but vat of ze otherz?”

Twilight snapped out of her awe to turn her attention to Spike. The screen showed the room he was in from the outside, so she was able to watch Rarity tiptoe up the steps and brace herself against the wall. Her chest rose and fell, and even through a screen, Twilight could tell her heart was racing.

On the other side of the wall, Spike took a whiff of the air and stood up. His brow furrowed. His fangs came out when he clenched his jaw and then his claws.

“Rarity,” he muttered. His next words came out as a hiss. “So, you’ve come, hero.”

Author's Note

It’s spring break so two chapters this week!

Scales and Gems II

Rarity’s hooves shot up to her mouth and she pressed herself as hard as she could against the wall. Twilight, please tell me you were right.

On the other side of the wall, Spike’s scales bristled. Smoke rose out of his nostrils, and his fists shook. Twilight, I know you’re right, but…

~~~

“What?” Twilight shrieked, loud enough to send some nearby birds flying away.

Rarity pulled back, face pale and eyes wavering. “I… I thought… I just…”

Twilight took a deep breath and then glared at Rarity. The fire in her eyes made Rarity inch back. “Okay, Rarity, I need an explanation.”

“I…” Rarity gulped. It took her a few rapid inhales to regain her voice. “I’m t-terrified of dragons, I have been ever since I was a filly. And, with that attack over the summer, I’ve…”

Rarity could not hold it together anymore and started to whimper. She pulled out a cloth from her saddlebag and used it to wipe off the tears, but more spilled down her face. She gasped when she felt Twilight wrap her hooves around her.

Nearby, Spike tensed up.

“That was pretty scary over the summer,” said Twilight. “But you should know something.”

“What?” Rarity sniffled.

Twilight grabbed hold or Rarity and held her firmly at leg’s length away. The fire was back in her eyes though it did not chill Rarity as it had before. “Spike is not like that. He’s my friend. So, whatever you may think about dragons, Spike would never ever hurt you or anypony else.” Twilight ventured to grin. “He’s a hero, and so are you, Rarity. I just hope you can see that.”

“I…” Rarity pushed Twilight away and turned around. Twilight’s grin sank and her eyes widened. There was silence between them for one long tense moment. Then, Rarity spoke again, but could not bring herself to face Twilight. “I’ll try, Twilight, but I can’t promise anything… please understand.”

Twilight got to her hooves and reached out. “Well, maybe if you tell me a li—”

Before Twilight could finish, Rarity raced off. Spike ducked back into the alley right as she passed, but her mane was in such a tussle that he could not make out her face. She galloped off, leaving both Twilight and Spike without words and feeling numb.

~~~

This is my problem to fix! Spike thought. He then yelled, “Rarity! You know I can smell you and your costume’s gemstones! Stop hiding and face me like a mare!”

Rarity no longer breathed. She would not have moved were it not for the tremors running down her spine and spreading out to the rest of her body. Then, she heard the clack clack clack of claws tapping against the floor. They were getting closer. With a gasp, she crystallized her hooves and sank back onto all fours. She continued to hug the wall, but brought her full attention to the entryway. Sweat curled down her face and splattered onto the ground.

The clacking stopped. Then, the entire building wobbled from below. Rarity blinked.

The wall just inches behind her shuddered. She yelped and jumped a foot into the air, but it was not fast enough to avoid a claw that breached through the wall and grabbed her tail. On instinct, her horn lit up and her entire body gained angular edges and a glossy transparency.

Spike felt Rarity’s tail stiffen under his grip. It was like plucking an emerald out of a hole in some dark cavern. He flared his nostrils, latched down harder, and pulled. In a series of pops and cracks, Spike dragged Rarity’s tail through the hole he had made and chucked it over his shoulder.

On the other side, Rarity swung through the air and slammed into the wall over the hole. Her hardened head and back mushed into the wall like it was made of sponge cake. A groan escaped from the wall as it snapped and fractured in numerous spots before exploding in a burst of debris.

Spike slung Rarity forward and tossed her across the room. Sparks shot up where she scraped against the floor. Spike cleared away the dust with a burst of flame leaving him to behold Rarity.

The animosity vanished from his eyes for a moment in favor of wideness and glistening. When Rarity saw that look, her pupils contracted and she scurried away into a corner. Spike’s eyes flared up again.

“Now I get it,” he growled. He stomped over to Rarity with his claws leaving punctures in the floor. “You think just because you look like a gem I was going to eat you?”

“It… it’s not like that!” Rarity stammered.

“Then what is it, Rarity?” Spike roared, sending out a small burst of flame. “If you won’t tell Twilight then I at least deserve to know!”

“You… you heard that?” Rarity gasped.

“I could smell you,” Spike grumbled. He advanced closer. “If you’re so scared, then fight me! You passed the test just like me, so prove you’re a hero! Because if you don’t…” Spike spit a ball of fire above Rarity. The sparks cascaded down on her and singed her costume while leaving her crystalline body unmarked. Spike’s claws and teeth glistened under the firelight. “… then I will beat you as a villain.”

Rarity curled up into a ball. Seeing her shuddering, Spike snarled and closed his eyes. His chest inflated. “Fine. You’re no hero, Rarity. You’re just a jerk!”

“Stop!” Rarity cried out just before Spike exhaled. She then crawled forward and bent her head towards Spike. A few shimmering pearls spilled down her muzzle and tumbled across the floor. “Y-you’re right. You’re absolutely right. I… I have no right to call myself a hero after how I’ve treated you, Spike. For that, I can’t apologize enough.”

Spike allowed his chest to deflate, but kept his claws balled up. “I still don’t understand why.”

“Like I said yesterday.” Rarity shuddered, sending a few more crystallized tears to the floor. “Ever since I was a filly, I’ve been afraid of dragons more than any other creature, but anything that had an eye for gems always had me on guard.”

***

A ray of sunlight struck Rarity in the face. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. She tried to turn around, but something kept pulling her to the side. Catching sight of the rising sun, she looked down and saw she was floating a few inches above the ground. Glancing up, she saw her horn aglow, whatever aura had possessed it glowing bright and carrying Rarity.

“Still?” she muttered, noting the stiffness in her neck and the pinpricks going through her hooves. “Horn, just where are you taking u—”

Rarity slammed into massive rock that stood perched on the edge of a cliff. She stared up at it for a moment and then grimaced. “A rock? That’s my destiny?”

She glared up at her horn. “What is your problem, horn? I followed you all the way out here for a rock?!”

The impending play, her creator’s block, and the overnight abduction by her own magic swirled together and boiled in Rarity. That it had all led to a mere boulder was the spark that lit a fuse inside her. With a huff, she spun around and tucked in her hind legs. “Dumb rock!”

Her legs flew out and hit the rock with all the force a unicorn filly like Rarity could muster. The air was rent apart by a thunderous rupture. Rather than cracking her hooves or spraining an ankle, Rarity instead was flung backwards by the force of the kick.

“Ow,” she groaned. She moved to pick herself off the ground, but stopped when she saw her leg was shimmering. With widened eyes, she saw that all her legs were now angular and translucent. They shined brighter than any gem she had ever laid her eyes upon. Even the finest diamonds on sale in Canterlot could not compare to the radiance coming off of Rarity’s legs.

“My stars,” she gasped. Then, a twinkle caught her eye. Looking up, her mouth dropped at the sight in front of her: the boulder had shattered into pieces, revealing itself as a geode packed to the brim with gems of every shape, size, and color Rarity could imagine. Her stomach grumbled.

Even with nopony else around to see her, she blushed. She could not recall when it had started, but there was something alluring about putting gems in her mouth. Her mother had scolded her and warned her how dangerous putting gems in her mouth was, but sometimes the urge just crept up on her while she was working on costumes. Sometimes, she had gotten so lost in her work, that she had actually swallowed the gem she had been chomping down on, but no indigestion or other ill effects had ever come of it.

Now though, the gems looked truly appetizing, and she had gone without dinner due to her horn’s abduction. She trotted over, lowered her head, and felt something shift in her mouth. Glancing at the many reflections coming of the gems revealed that her teeth had turned crystalline like her legs and had gained a sharpness to them.

“J-just a little,” Rarity murmured. Her stomach growled louder in protest. “Have to save the rest for the costumes.”
With a wide smile, Rarity lit up her horn and extracted a few gems from the rock. Even in the middle of nowhere, she still remembered her manners and only bit into one jasper first. Flavor exploded in her mouth. It was like eating the juiciest citrus she could imagine, even while she felt the shards crunch under her hardened teeth.

Next, she tried an amethyst. Bursts of lavender and grape flooded her tongue. She felt her eyes roll up a little. Her etiquette gave way and she took a big bite out of hoof full of gems. The combination was electrifying and sent a chill down her spine. There was spice. There was savoriness. There was sweetness. Not even the exquisite restaurants Rarity got to go to on her birthday could rival the flavor the gems provided.

The more she ate, the more the hardness of her limbs and teeth spread across the rest of her body. The morning light caught her torso, refracted, and transformed the landscape from barren to vibrant with color. It was only when the crystalline structure of her body crept over her flanks and a flash went off did she stop her meal.

Before she could turn around to see what the source of the flash was, a voice under the cliff hissed, “Shiny pony.”

A mangy claw reached up from under the cliff and pulled up the rest of a hulking diamond dog. Flies buzzed around him and his stench made Rarity gag. It took a step closer and Rarity inched back. “Shiny pony. You and gems come with me. Other dogs be impressed.”

Rarity shivered and looked down at her legs. She then flared her nostrils and raised her head. “Oh no you don’t! A big smelly brute like you is not ruining my destiny!”

“What destiny?” the dog asked while raking a paw against the ground. “It something else sh—”

A hoof as hard as diamonds bashed him in the face. A few teeth went flying from the blow. The force of the attack launched him off the ground and sent him tumbling down the cliff. It was not much of a drop, but he still yelped when he landed.

Rarity stared down at the wounded dog, heart racing and gasping for breath. She looked at her hooves. She had never struck another pony before, but the feeling had just come naturally to her. She then remembered the flash from earlier and turned around.

Three diamonds shimmered even brighter than the rest of her body on her flank.

***

“After that,” Rarity continued, “I got back and continued to work with costumes, but I knew my talent could be used for a much greater good. So, I decided to become a fashionable hero ponies in Equestria could look up to.”

Rarity sighed. “I was always a little afraid of what greedy villains might do to me though. I dreaded becoming the most expensive hostage in Equestrian history.” She paused and shuddered. “Nothing compared to what I felt about dragons though. There would be no hostage taking with them. Just a few bites of those massive jaws, and that would be it for me. I kept it under control though. Dragons lived far away and I’d be a hero in Canterlot. There was no way I would ever have to encounter one. Then…”

Icy tendrils grasped Spike’s heart. “The attack this summer.”

Rarity nodded. “I was right in the heart of the fashion district when it happened. If it hadn’t been for my talent, a sign might have crushed me and my sister. Still, I convinced myself it was a one-time disaster—something that wouldn’t happen again in a thousand years.

“When I saw you at the entrance exam, it was like I was falling into a nightmare. All my fears took hold of me until Professor Tantabus made them real.” She was shaking like a leaf now. “I couldn’t take it. I thought the only way I could continue would be if you were out of the picture. When Twilight refused to help…”

Rarity stopped trembling. She raised her head and stared directly at Spike. “… her words brought a bit of sense back to me, enough for me to come to school today. I was still afraid though, afraid of you and, even worse, afraid that I had been wrong the entire time. When I saw you crying and standing up to Princess Celestia for Twilight’s sake, I realized that I truly had made a grave mistake and had treated you no better than dangerous animal.”

Rarity took a deep breath and stood tall. “I… I resolved to make amends, even though I expect you to never accept an apology after what I did. Then, when it finally came time, I found myself at a loss for words.”

Bowing her head again, her horn glowed and her mask slipped off and clattered to the floor. “You were right, Spike. I don’t deserve to be called a hero. I—”

A claw grabbed the mask and held it up to Rarity. “Sounds like it took a lot for you to just get this far. I know that feeling. Yeah, I’m still mad at you for the way you acted, Rarity, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be a hero.”

Spike managed to smile. “That’s what the school is for. That’s what Twilight is for too. If anypony knows how to become a hero, it’s her. Seems like she pushed us both in the right direction. So, don’t give up just yet, because…” he gulped. “With the way you glisten, I think you’d be a great hero.”

Rarity brought a hoof to her face. Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Spike.”

Spike let out a dry chuckle. He glanced at the flag a few feet away. “Uh, this is a little awkward though. I mean, we’re supposed to be fighting for the fl—”

A deep rumble cut Spike off. The ground popped and cracked. Just inches away from him and all around the flag, a massive blast of magic and flame exploded upwards. The flag was consumed in the raging inferno while Rarity and Spike were flung back and forth by the tremors.

“Draw!” Celestia declared.

Author's Note

Hmmm, I should also do a steven universe EQG crossover at some point

Draw

Going back a short time…

Sunset’s hoof crashed against Maud’s shield of shadow. Smoke and flames blew back from the explosion but Sunset continued pressing. The shadow wavered and split apart, Sunset forced her hoof through, and struck at Maud. With no shadow left to defend her, Maud raised a hoof to take the blow. The strike knocked her back but she managed to stay upright. Her leg sizzled at the point of impact with a blackening red horseshoe branded into her flesh.

There was a gleam in Sunset’s eyes as she looked over Maud. Her cloak was tattered and her body was covered in burns and bruises. An earlier attack had blown off her cowl and singed part of her mane. Her nostrils were flared and sucked in large intakes of air. Still, she kept her lips in a thin straight line and her eyes remained sharp.

Her shadow rose up. It was smaller now, just a little bigger than Maud herself. It coughed and huffed, but still managed to glare at Sunset. It let out a dry heaving laugh. “No wonder our weirdo of a Professor had trouble with you.”

“Glad you understand that.” Sunset raised up onto her hind legs. She shifted her forelegs over to her right side and brought her hooves together. Their blinding white ends combined together into a pulsating sphere. “I’ll give you this, Maud: you’re tough, and you’ve been a wonderful test subject.”

The sphere brightened and expanded outwards an inch. Sunset’s legs shook keeping it contained in her hooves. “It’s time to end this though.”

“Fine,” Maud huffed.

“Bring it!” her shadow screeched.

“Heh.” Sunset grinned. The sphere grew bigger and she angled it straight at Maud. Something slithered against her hind leg though. Her hind leg flashed and turned crimson. The tendril of shadow flailed backwards with smoke rising up from it. More tendrils shot out of the floor, but Sunset kicked with her augmented leg, launching into the air.

“Did you really think that would work? Tantabus may have got me with that, but I won’t fall for a cheap move like that again!” Sunset shouted. Midair, she once more aimed at Maud. “Flame Magic: Thaumic Infer—”

Just as a massive beam of flame and magic exploded out of Sunset’s hooves, a solid block of shadow shot up and tipped her backwards. The blast raced upwards, cleaving through floor after floor while Sunset was shot the other way into the ground. Maud’s shadow retreated and Maud herself went to her knees.

When the beam died down and the glow faded from Sunset’s armor, she flipped back onto her hooves and glared upwards at the immense hole her attack had left in the building.

“No,” she gasped.

“Draw!” Celestia declared.

~~~

Spike teetered on the edge with a three story fall below him. The concrete under his feet cracked and gave way. Spike leapt forward, but more of the floor caved in as he fell. A bit of rubble smacked him in the face, dazing him. He flailed his arms in a panic, but soon came to a stop when he no longer felt gravity plummeting him down.

When his head cleared, he saw that he was surrounded in a light blue aura and floating a few feet down from where he had fallen. A few beads of sweet rolled off Rarity’s face. She huffed and chucked her head back. Spike arced in the same direction and flopped onto the ground.

Placing a claw on his chest, he felt his heart race while he gasped for air. With wide eyes he stared at Rarity. “Th-thanks.”

“It’s the least I could do.” A handkerchief then flew out of her costume. It floated over to Spike. “Oh dear, looks like you hit your snout pretty badly.”

Spike took the handkerchief and pressed it against his snout. The pressure stung a bit and a splotch of the fabric turned crimson. While holding it in place, he glanced at the open air where the flag and the building around it had been. “Um…”

A terrifying shout made both Spike and Rarity bristle.

Down below, Sunset clenched her jaw and glared at Maud with bloodlust in her eyes. She raced over to her and lifted her up by the clasp of her cloak. “You bitch! You’d rather draw than win!?”

“I knew I couldn’t block that attack,” Maud replied. Even in Sunset’s grasp and facing the full brunt of her glare, she still kept her monotone. “I’d rather live to fight another day.”

“You… you…” Sunset flung a leg back and channeled her magic out of it. The glow was more intense than before and sucked in a few bits of rubble. They were instantly annihilated by the immense heat coming off it.

Maud blinked as Sunset slung her leg forward.

Sunset, stop! Luna’s voice rang.

The attack froze inches from Maud’s face and blew back the nearby debris. A shadowy tendril, this one shimmering like the night sky, rose up and pulled Sunset and Maud apart. Tantabus materialized before them and glared down at Sunset.

“That’s enough, Ms. Shimmer,” he ordered. “The match is over.”

Sunset canceled out the magic around her leg and bashed the ground hard enough to crack it.

~~~

“Ah, vat a show, vat a show,” Photo mused. She scanned over the class and grinned. “Vell, I can certainly say I am impressed vith you greenhornz. Ze magikz, ze talentz, ze passion! I zee great potential in all of you…” She glanced at Celestia and Tantabus. “Zhat being said, your teacher and her highness have a bit more in depth critiquez to give.”

“Indeed,” said Celestia. Everyone held their breaths and waited on her next words. “Today, each of you demonstrated that you do indeed have the capability to become heroes, but you have a long road ahead of you. Allow me to offer some guidance.”

Her gaze fell upon Fluttershy and Derpy. Fluttershy inched back and Derpy bit her lip. “A most excellent first round, Ms. Fluttershy and Ms. Hooves. Your use of strategy served you well in getting the upper hoof on your opponent.” Her vision narrowed down to Fluttershy. Fluttershy shivered. “Even with proper information, it takes valor to enter into enemy territory. Remember that, Ms. Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy blushed. “O-okay.”

Celestia’s eyes next turned towards Pinkie and Tree Hugger. “Ms. Hugger and Ms. Pie, you did well preparing for the heroes and thinking on your hooves to try and get flag back when it was taken.” Her lips creased downwards. Pinkie and Tree Hugger both felt a chill. “That being said, your methods were a little… delicate. Tantabus would have intervened if you had used lethal force, but a bit more strength behind your talents may have turned the tides in your favor, especially you, Ms. Pie.”

Pinkie’s pupils shrank. A bit of sweat percolated on her brow. Her eyes shot right for a split second at Maud. Celestia’s attention was still on her, so she bowed her head, hiding her face behind her mane. “S-sorry, Princess.”

“Quite alright, just something to consider.” Celestia next turned to Lyra and Dash. The latter had returned in the midst of the fourth match, but had stayed back, not making a sound. A scowl still registered on her face and her crossed hooves revealed tension running through her body. “Ms. Heartstrings, I commend you for your efforts to try and rein in your partner and work together. However, your reliance on your unique spells proved fatal when its tradeoff left your body unstable.”

Lyra let her head droop and sighed.

Dash clenched up when Celestia leveled her sights on her alone. “As for you, Ms. Dash, you too were over-reliant on your speed and strength while ignoring the clever strategy your opponents engaged in. Had you worked together with Ms. Heartstrings, Ms. Sparkle’s deception could have been revealed earlier and you would not have been sent on a wild goose chase.”

Dash was shaking now. Celestia strode forward, and everyone else moved aside. She stood right before Dash with a frown on her face.

“Ms. Dash,” she cautioned, “something in you stole your reason today. I’m not sure what it is, but know that your friends and staff at the school, myself included, are there to help you through whatever challenges you may face. That was a point of this exercise after all.”

Rainbow Dash said nothing. Instead she bowed her head low and raked the ground with a hoof, leaving a deep groove in the dirt. Celestia extended a wing out to her, but Dash shook her head and lightly pushed it away.

Fluttershy galloped over and stood beside Dash. “Princess, Dash understands so… could you please move on?”

Twilight and Spike’s jaws slackened. Sharp intakes a breath could be heard. Even Sunset’s eyes widened.

“Well…” A smile returned to Celestia’s face. “There’s a bravery I can admire, and a friend that I know will help Ms. Dash through her troubles.”

Celestia trotted away and over to Spike, Twilight, and Applejack. “You were aware that Ms. Dash could easily snatch the flag and took proper countermeasures against her. That was quite the intricate layering of a remote binding spell and doppelganger spell. And you, Ms. Applejack, did nicely to follow along with the plan and use your speed to confuse and distract your opponents.”

Her lips then pressed into a thin line. “You could both stand to gain a bit more power-wise, though. Speed is good, Ms. Applejack, but as you saw against opponents like Ms. Heartstrings, that may not be enough. On the other hoof, there was you, Ms. Sparkle, you had the opportunity to strike Ms. Dash, but you faltered at the last moment. Would you care to explain?”

Sensing the true intention behind the words, Twilight answered, “I was scared to use that spell. I’ve only used it on Professor Tantabus and Sunset’s spell so far… I haven’t used it on a regular pony and I was afraid what the results might be.”

“An understandable fear,” Celestia replied. “However, like I said earlier and as you saw with Tantabus and Ms. Shimmer, a lethal attack would have been prevented. You must be willing to take that risk and learn to control your magic better, especially when true villains will not give you an opportunity like Ms. Dash did.”

Twilight breathed in Celestia’s words. “I understand. Thank you, Princess.”

Celestia smiled once more and marched over to Bulk, Lotus, Aloe, and Bon Bon. “Quite a display you all showed, though perhaps a bad matchup given your talents. I suggest considering other ways you can use your talents should you face opponents who you may be ill suited to fight.” Her attention focused on Bon Bon. “Which is why you, Ms. Bon Bon, probably did best of all, knowing your opponents’ and even your own ally’s talents could incapacitate you. You and Ms. Sparkle both provided wonderful lessons in how strength is not everything in a fight.”

“Continuing along that line of insight, we have the final group.” Celestia turned with her eyes on Spike, Maud, Sunset and Rarity. Like Dash, Sunset scraped a hoof against the ground and remained tense. “At first, it seemed we had a battle of pure brawn on our hooves, and I was most impressed with both Ms. Pie’s control of her unique talent and Ms. Shimmer’s mastery of advanced magic at such a young age.

“However, what caught my eye in this fight were words, not hooves.” Under Celestia’s gaze, Rarity blushed. “There was great trepidation in you, Ms. Belle, when we began our class today, but I feel as though this fight brought whatever was paralyzing you to the surface and dispelled it. Am I correct to say that?”

“S-somewhat, Princess,” Rarity stuttered and gulped. “I… I made a lot of mistakes leading up to today, but I hope I’ve remedied some of them and will continue to try and improve myself and the situation.”

Celestia looked over at Spike. He was blushing a bit too. “Interesting. Very interesting. Well, we may not have been able to hear what transpired between you and Mr. Spike, but communication, even with villains, is a crucial skill to have. I know a major appeal of heroism is seeing ponies unleash their talents to combat evil, but to end a tense situation through words is most admirable.”

Tantabus stepped forward. “This concludes our morning exercise, change and enjoy your lunch. I will see you back in the classroom to discuss last night’s reading. Dismissed.”

Twilight walked alongside everyone else, tired, but overall pleased with the morning’s exercise. Until she caught sight of Rainbow Dash. Her glare and her clenched jaw reminded her of the viciousness Dash had displayed in their fight. They only locked eyes for a moment, but it was enough to send a chill down Twilight’s spine.

Author's Note

Less than a month until Season 3

I Will Beat You!

“Long ago, in a distant land, Grogar, the necromancer master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a young girl, wielding a locket containing the Rainbow of Light, stepped forth to oppose him.”

Lyra shot a beam of magic into her left hoof, transforming it into a hand. She jabbed it through the air while weaving back and forth. Twilight and Spike scooted out of the way to avoid getting hit.

“As Grogar lay defeated, he tore open a portal to Megan’s home world, and flung her back to where all the other humans live.” Lyra leaned forward, clenching her fist and grinning. “Now I seek to find humans again and combat evil like Grogar!”

Pinkie rose up and clapped her hooves. “Encore! Encore! That’s like one of the best origin stories I’ve heard!”

Lyra blushed and scratched her mane before turning her hoof back to normal. “Th-thanks, Pinkie. I’m… well, I’m more used to ponies thinking the whole thing is silly. Even Bon Bon laughed a little the first time I told her.”

It was Bon Bon’s turn to blush from across the table. “Just a bit!”

Twilight rested a hoof on her chin. “Interesting. I’ve heard tales of Grogar before, but none involving creatures called humans, or a filly named Megan.”

“Girl,” Lyra corrected. “Humans don’t call themselves fillies and colts, just boys and girls.”

“That weapon she used though, the Rainbow of Light, have you found it mentioned anywhere else?” Twilight asked.

“No,” Lyra sighed. “It probably got lost when Grogar sent her back, but…” She grinned. “There’s tons of other proof of humans scattered around Equestria: cranks, doorknobs, diapers… those sorts of things don’t make sense to use hooves or mouths on, and the unicorn population has always been a minority, so using magic on those things doesn’t account for their ubiquity in Equestrian society.”

“I still think it looks off,” Applejack commented.

“I’m working on it!” Lyra slammed a hoof against the table. “There’s so few resources, especially on the actual biology of humans, but it certainly gave you a run for your bits.”

“Well, you got me there.” Applejack grinned. “Wouldn’t mind facing off against you in a race sometime though. Those human legs can really move.”

“Just wait till I get the hips right,” Lyra giggled. “Then you’ll be in for a real treat.”

Bon Bon said nothing, but gave Lyra a sly grin.

The talk of races made Twilight reflect on the seats Lyra and Bonbon occupied. Dash and Fluttershy were nowhere to be seen in the lunch hall. A glance around the room revealed that Sunset had vanished too, leaving Maud and Rarity to converse with each other at a nearby table. It was difficult to gauge how the conversation was going from Maud’s perspective, but Rarity’s smile seemed to indicate it was on a subject they could connect over.

~~~

“Dammit!” Sunset cracked a blinding white and crimson leg against a celestial unicorn. It shattered to pieces and melded back into the cosmos around her. Sweat dripped down her face and her breath rushed in and out of her mouth.

“Keep this up and you won’t have any mental strength left for class,” Luna cautioned. “Would you care to explain why this draw upsets you so much?”

“Because it’s a draw!” Sunset snarled. “It should have been an easy win, even with Rarity dragging me down! I had Maud on the ropes until she pulled the cheap-flank move!”

“And villains are likely to do the same,” Luna replied. Her glare stifled Sunset. Striding around her, she extended a wing and forced Sunset to sit. “Sunset Shimmer, you did a marvelous job today, and your opponents did too, but remember that ultimately, they are your classmates, so you must not hold such animosity towards them. Recall Tantabus’s advice: you will be your own mare, but no mare is alone in this world.”

“But I could have done it on my own,” Sunset grumbled.

“That’s not what this exercise was about. Even your own actions betray you.” Luna leaned closer. “Despite your reservations about Ms. Belle, you allowed her to use her talent to scan the building. That was most commendable of you and helped prepare you for your confrontation with Ms. Pie. Had you gone in alone like Ms. Dash did, you may have been overtaken by Ms. Pie before you had a chance to counterattack.”

Sunset glared ahead of her at a swirling galaxy.

Luna sighed. “I know a loss and even a draw can hurt so much, especially for pony as talented as yourself. Do not dwell on that bitterness. Squash it with the determination to improve, to learn alongside others, and become a better mare. That is the path heroes before and heroes after you have and shall continue to walk.”

Sunset remained quiet, but her muscles unclenched and she allowed her expression to soften. Luna stayed by her side for some time, and the two of them stared out into the cosmos.

~~~

Twilight kept her eye on the two empty seats near Sunset. The seconds ticking away on the clock rang in her ears. Just before the clock struck one, Fluttershy stumbled into the room. Twilight tensed up. Fluttershy’s mane was a mess, but through the split ends, she glimpsed red, puffy eyes.

Despite a shaking in the knees, Fluttershy made her way up to Tantabus and murmured something to him. Between Fluttershy’s mane obscuring her face and Tantabus’s lack of a mouth, it was impossible to make out the conversation. When Tantabus backed away and gave Fluttershy a curt nod, Fluttershy wiped her face and shuffled to her seat.

With Fluttershy shaking so much, Twilight wanted to get up and comfort her, but with the ringing of the bell, Tantabus ensured everyone remained in their seats with their eyes on him.

When class ended, Twilight tried to make her way over to Fluttershy, but she vanished in a burst of speed.

~~~

Spike turned his head upward and groaned. “I miss summer.”

“What makes you say that?” Rarity asked as she made her way down the hall alongside Spike and Twilight.

“Spike and I met through a special training program over the summer,” Twilight answered. “And I think he’s exaggerating a bit. Our instructor really put us through the ropes.”

“But she never assigned this much reading,” Spike whined.

“Well, you have to do it no matter what, so complaining is a waste of energy.”

“My word,” said Rarity. “To have specialized training with a dragon, you really are quite the talented one, Twilight.”

Twilight’s face turned several shades of red, matching a bit of the late afternoon sky as the group exited the main building. “Actually, I was just playing catch up. To tell you the truth, before this summer, I really was doubting if I had enough in me to get into the school.”

“Yeah, so am I.”

The group turned around and was greeted with Dash glaring straight at Twilight. Despite having been healed earlier by Redheart, Dash’s hooves were scratched up again and her mane and fur were matted with dried sweat. Each step she took resonated against the ground. Twilight could feel the stomps even from feet away.

“Tell me…” Dash glanced at Spike and then focused on Twilight again. “Did you hold back because of him?”

“Dash… I was ju—”

“Was. It. For. Him?” Dash growled.

“No.” A flare of rainbow rimmed Twilight’s eyes. “It was for you. You’re my friend, Rainbow Dash, or rival or whatever you want to call it. The thought of unleashing a spell I don’t have mastery over on you or anypony else is something I don’t even want to think about. I promise you though, I’m working as hard as I can to get better with it.”

Dash’s face twitched. Her jaw shook from clenching it so tight. With a sharp intake a breath, she rocketed her head down, hiding her face behind her mane. “Fine. That’s how you want to do it, then fine! No matter what though, I will always beat you, you got that?”

“Rainbow Dash…” Twilight reached out a hoof, wisps of aura flecking off it. Dash shot up a leg, swatting it away, but kept her head lowered. Rubbing her hoof, Twilight sighed, “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. You should know, that spell—that power—it’s a—”

“A super dangerous but awesome spell!” Celestia, in weakened form and wings hidden, exclaimed. She latched onto Twilight’s neck and pulled her back from Dash. “How’s it going, Twilight? I saw you and your friend arguing and got worried.”

“We weren’t arguing Pr—Sunny,” Twilight stuttered. Her eyes now flicked back and forth between Celestia and Dash. “What, uh, what are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” Celestia answered. And make sure you don’t give away information that could turn Equestria on its head.

Celestia then released her hold on Twilight. “I heard the first few days are tough. I even heard Princess Celestia leads some classes. Did she?”

“Y-yes,” Twilight answered while rubbing her neck.

“How was she?” Celestia asked with a sly grin. Before Twilight could answer though, Celestia turned toward Rainbow Dash. “She wasn’t too hard on your friend, was she?”

“No,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “She was just what I expected from a Princess: strong, smart, and awesome. I…”
Dash’s head shot up. She and Twilight traded glares for a moment even though Dash’s eyes were rimmed with tears. It was only for a split second though and she quickly spun around just as Fluttershy came rushing into view. “Mark my words, Twilight. I won’t lose again. I can’t. My partner is counting on me, and I won’t let her down.”

“You keep mentioning a partner.” Twilight felt the world narrow down to just her and Dash. The click-clack of Fluttershy’s hooves was distant now. “Is she…”

A gale cut Twilight off. Dash spread her wings wide and took off.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy cried as she raced towards the group. She bent down and readied herself to chase after Dash, but Dash was already a blue dot in the sky. She fell to her knees and cried, “Oh no…”

“Oh dear.” Celestia drew close to Fluttershy and gave her a pat on the back. “Your friend seems to have a lot on her plate. Will she be okay?”

“After… after few hours, maybe,” Fluttershy sniffled. Wiping her face, she turned to Twilight. “She didn’t do anything reckless, did she?”

“I’m not sure,” Twilight sighed. “I really wish I could help out more, but this seems like something that goes way back, and I barely know Dash.”

“You barely knew me too.” Rarity trotted a little closer to Twilight. She glanced at Spike. “If it hadn’t been for you and Spike, I might still be a nervous wreck, going around hurting others’ feelings, and being a bother.”

“Oh?” Celestia tilted her head to the side. “Were you not friends with Twilight before?”

Rarity shook her head. “Unfortunately, no, but I’d like to be now. I just hope Rainbow Dash can be too.”

Twilight looked off into the distant sky. “Me too.”

~~~

The pitter patter of dripping water echoed in the darkness. The damp and musty air shuddered and a flash of light lit up the cavern. The light refracted off a multitude of crystals for a split second and then reduced down to a dim glow around a black horn.

The glow was just enough to reveal that the horn’s owner was bound in a pure white material that stretched over her face, hiding most of her features, but the curve of her muzzle betrayed her gender. The material appeared to cover her whole body, though only her head and the upper part of her torso were visible with the light from her horn. Her mane jolted out of her head in angular streaks of jet. Two large horizontal slashes of black contrasted with the rest of the white on her face.

She let out a snort and waited. A few moments later, a spire of green fire swelled up before her, revealing both a second pony at her side and a cloaked figure amidst the flames. The second pony was garbed in a similar attire: a body suit that covered him fully, but his was grey and instead of an equal sign, a question mark was scrawled across his face and on his flanks.

The third figure’s baggy cloak obscured their form, but they stood upon four legs. The way their hood bent upwards revealed they were horned as well. Everything else was either hidden by the cloak or the darkness.

“So,” the pony with the equals sign emblazoned on her face spoke, “what do you have to report?”

“It…” The cloaked figure could feel goosebumps going up its legs. “It looked just like you described it.”

“Then we can’t waste any more time. It’s time we show these ‘heroes’ how the world really works.”

Author's Note

On a totally unrelated note, happy Starlight Glimmer Day- 3/23/18

Extra Chapter: Beware The Fluff! Tale of the Number Six Hero

Las Pegasus sparkled with neon and magic. Dirigibles carrying all manner of guests from the high rollers to the shaky addicts coasted above casinos filled with a similar clientele. They floated by spiraling towers of glass and steel where the gamblers and the broods they wooed or bought for the night came to enjoy prizes the roulette wheels and card tables below could not provide.

A pair of stallions stumbled out of one of the countless casinos that lined the streets. It melded in with the rest of the strip in a cavalcade of lights and spells. Its only distinguishing factor was that sphinx theme that colored the walls like sandstone and got the waitresses dressed up like ancient Saddle Arabians. Nopony that came to the casino really cared about the historical discrepancy, unless it was to admire where the white cloth curved along a waitresses’ flanks.

The stallions had had enough of that, especially with the mares at their sides. They each had a leg around a mare while their other legs wobbled in an attempt to balance out. With all the cider the stallions had drunk, that was no easy feat. Without the mares who, despite their heels and dresses, stood much firmer, both of the stallions would have been on the pavement. They may have not even made it out of the casino without security’s “help.”

“C’nn baaab,” one of the stallions slurred. “We gosh za best prace on za shtr—Urp!”

The mare could smell the cider and whatever the stallion had stuffed down his throat from the buffet. She did not pull back and instead batted her eyes in a manner that only came with practice. Her smile was also polished and even gave the other stallion a giddy red-faced grin. The mare in his grasp did not mind and displayed a similar smile.

“You sure you can make it back, honey?” the mare asked, pouting out her lips and allowing a curl of her platinum mane to tumble across her face.

The other mare leaned in close, nuzzling the stallion. Her cream-colored fur and feathers felt so soft and alluring against the stallion’s neck and barrel. Had he been a bit more sober, he might have girded his loins out of embarrassment. The mare purred, “We can take you someplace closer.”

“Awright!” one stallion belched while rising up to his hind legs. The mare’s grip kept him from crashing into the other pair.

“Lesh do it!” the other stallion hooted.

Both mares grinned. Securing their respective partner’s leg across their back, they led them on. They walked for a bit on the strip, but to the stallions it was just a blur of lights and sounds. Then, they turned down an alley and the jangling of bits and the howls of winners and losers grew distant. The drip from some place’s ventilation formed a small puddle. One of the stallions gave a throaty snort when he splashed through it and shuffled along.

“We closh?” the other stallion asked. Buried beneath the cheap food and the mugs of cider, something in his thick head pinged that he should be alert to something.

“Oh, this is good,” both of the mares giggled at the same time. Their heads twisted all the way around with sickening crunches. Their eyes were now a blazing emerald green that made the red flee from the stallions’ faces. They let out hisses and revealed elongated tongues that whipped through the air.

Like their heads, the mares’ limbs rotated around in a series of snaps and crunches. Despite the stallions towering over them, the mares launched them off the ground and chucked them into a wall. They crumpled on top of each other in a heap.

Licking their lips, the mares sent out a shower of green sparks, one from her horn and the other from where a horn would be despite being a pegasus. The sparks ignited an emerald blaze that consumed the mares and replaced them with two changelings. Their compound eyes and chitin gleamed with the glow of the outer street. One advanced closer to the unconscious stallions.

“Not high quality,” it buzzed, “but easy to harvest.”

“This town is too ea—” A large spherical shadow swooped down from the roofs and crashed into the changeling. It did not even have time to yelp before it was covered in thick, yet soft fur and carried away.

“What that, Culicidae?” When it got no response, the changeling spun around but was just met with the adjacent wall. “Culicidae?”

Just as the changeling lit up its horn in an effort to find its partner, the shadow from earlier swooped down. This time, it extended out a hoof from within the confines of its fur and bashed the changeling in the face. However, rather than a sharp crack, the sound produced was similar to that a rubber duck when squeezed. Regardless, the blow sent the changeling spinning through the air.

Gritting its fangs, it spread its wings and halted itself. Its eyes met with the white lenses of a mask. “You! Meddler, your interference ends he—”

“Shhhhh.” The changeling’s opponent closed the distance in an instant and caught it with an uppercut.

Squeaks and hisses streamed out of the alley. A trio made up of a portly earth pony, a skinny unicorn missing a tooth, and a pegasus scanning the skyline for some imperceptible answer to why he now had a tattoo on his inner thigh of a female minotaur heard the commotion just as it died down. When they peered down the alley, they caught sight of the unconscious stallions and rushed over to assist, but came to a screeching halt at the sight of changelings.

Even bound up in a large ball of pink fur, the changelings sent chills down the trio’s spines. Like the stallions, they were unconscious, with one riddled with welts, cracked chitin, and a few broken fangs.

The trio, having already had a long day, called the police.

A short while later, the alley was cordoned off. An ambulance carried off the stallions while the police rolled the entwined changelings into a paddy wagon.

One pony decked out in a detective’s hat and a beige coat looked over the scene and sucked on a sugar cube. There was pink fur everywhere, and more of it was left on the ground when the police struggled to shove the changelings into the wagon.

“The Fluff strikes again and we’re left with the cleanup,” he muttered. He kicked away some nearby fur, but it caught on his leg. “Sheesh.”

On the roof above, The Fluff stared down at the scene. Her cowl was dented from a lucky strike by the changeling. In the right light, it may have appeared like crumpled cardboard with black marker scribbled all over it. Of course, that would not account for the way it made her eyes appear pure white. Her silver cape fluttered in the wind, hiding how similar to a spray-painted blanket it appeared.

Its clasp was lost in the massive amount of fur that gave The Fluff her name. The fur extended out in all directions—it even obscured her cutie mark. How a pony could move around at all with that much fur, much less as nimbly as The Fluff, could only be attributed to The Fluff’s talent— whatever that was.

From within the confines of her fur, she produced a grappling hook and zipped off into the night.

Just as the police and civilians below had been unaware of her, The Fluff had not noticed something glaring down at her from a nearby skyscraper. Slitted pupils overlaid over faded rounded ones watched The Fluff vanish amidst the lights and magic of the main strip. Fangs gnashed at the air. “Damn you, The Fluff.”

~~~

Far from the strip, in a tiny apartment adorned with pink furniture, pink wallpaper, and pink shag carpet, The Fluff slipped in through a window. With a content sigh, she removed her cowl and reached deep into her fur to unclasp her cape. Clicking a spot on the carpet, she caused a part of the wall to flip around, revealing two coat hooks.

After she stowed away her cowl and cape, she hit the hidden switch again, flipping the wall back to normal. She was no longer The Fluff, but rather Fluffle Puff. Yawning, she shuffled through the combined living area-kitchen and into her bedroom. Before she allowed herself to flop onto the bed, she glanced at the calendar and inhaled sharply.

Tomorrow’s date was encircled by red. With her heart racing, Fluffle Puff jumped onto her bed, which resembled an even larger version of her own fur, and snuggled under the covers. She shook with excitement but forced her eyes shut and wrapped her hooves around a stuffed taco with a face reminiscent of a cat’s and with nubs of tortilla protruding out of it like legs. Soon, her breathing slowed and she fell fast asleep, even with the thoughts of tomorrow summoning a wide smile to her face.

~~~

“Puff!” a co-worker called out. “The chief wants you!”

Fluffle Puff spun with enough force to spin the camera dangling from her neck in a full circle around her head. She let the styrofoam cup she had been nibbling on drop to the floor and flung herself away from the coffee machine.

As she sped off, her co-worker could only ponder how Puff managed to contain her massive amount of fur within her skirt and her green and red checkered vest or how she managed to wrap a bowtie around her neck. She dashed the thoughts as quickly as they had sprouted up and made her way over to get coffee. Somehow, despite her clearly seeing liquid in the pot, when she poured, grounds tumbled into her cup.

Puff threw open the Editor-in-Chief’s door. Upon seeing a light blue stallion with a black mane that was nice and groomed save for a small curl that rested right above his brow, she smiled and gasped. Seeing Quick Wit assured her that the plan was going accordingly.

“Puff?” Quick Wit pressed up his glasses. “Must be a big story if we’re both here.”

“Damn straight.” The mustached stallion sitting in the large chair behind the desk chomped down on his toothpick. A plaque resting directly in front of him displayed Sharp Tongue above the title, Editor-in-Chief.

His voice was deep and gravely from years of barking orders. Those years had also added streaks of grey and white to the sides of his brown mane. His eyes were still fierce though, today even more so. He reached under his desk and produced and unsealed envelope. Puff struggled to contain a giggle.

“Puff, take a seat. Time is money, so I’m making this short and you better listen well.” While Puff took a seat, Sharp continued talking. “This morning we received this letter. Now, I know we get crap like this all the time, but this looks like the real deal. What we have here is an invitation to do an interview with The Fluff.”

“Really?” Quick Wit raised an eyebrow. “But she never does interviews.”

“And I’d be inclined to believe she still doesn’t if it wasn’t for this.” Sharp reached into the envelope and produced a clump of pink fur. “This was completely unsoiled when I opened up the letter, so the police or some punk couldn’t’ve sent it. Damn madmare, better ways to get my attention then spreading more of this gunk around town.”
Puff wrinkled her nose at Sharp.

“Oh, don’t give me that, Puff,” Sharp sighed. “Everypony knows The Fluff is a nuisance at best and a menace at worst. Hero ranking be Celestia-damned. The Fluff is an oldtimer with her secret identity and her bare-bones communication with the police. If I had my way, the Equestria Daily would be calling her a vigilante every day of the week and double that on Sundays!”

Sharp’s toothpick snapped. He reached over to his dispenser and plopped another one between his teeth. “Rules are rules though, and there’s no way in Tartarus I’m passing up this chance. So, Quick Wit, I want you to meet with The Fluff at three o’clock sharp today at Greasy Spoon’s. If she’s a no-show, we’ll run a story…” Sharp raised his hooves and spread them out wide. “‘“Hero” Abuses Fame to Mislead Reporters.’”

Puff blew a raspberry at Sharp.

“Well until you get me that interview, I’ll say whatever I want to say about The Fluff.” Sharp jabbed his toothpick in Puff’s direction. “That’s where you come in, Puff. We’re a respected newspaper, so I want proof! I want pictures!” He slammed a hoof down, shaking the table. “Stay outside, hide in the Greasy Spoon, or whatever! I don’t care as long as you get me pictures of The Fluff! Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Quick Wit replied.

Puff gave a softer raspberry and saluted.

“Good.” Sharp furrowed his brow at the pair. “Well, what are you waiting for? A raise? Get back to work!”

Quick and Puff skedaddled out of the office. When they were a safe distance away, Quick let his breath out and allowed his slight gut to show through his ocean-blue jacket. Yet, a smile spread across his face. “Puff, can you believe it?”
Puff rigorously nodded her head.

“Well, you are the only mare in the city that’s managed to get a decent picture of her,” Quick chuckled. His eyes widened and glistened. “But to actually get to interview the number six hero… this’ll make our careers! And maybe…” Quick lowered her head, pulled Puff close, and whispered in her ear, “…get our jerk of a boss to see that The Fluff is just looking out for us in the best way she can.”

Puff gasped and wrapped her legs around Quick, producing a squeak.

Quick blushed and quickly pushed Puff away. “Puff, you know you can’t do that. It’s not proper.”

Puff blew a raspberry.

“Well, that’s very sweet, but you know romance isn’t really a part of my life right now, especially with co-workers.” Quick abruptly spun around. “Well, I’m gonna head out around two-fifteen. You go a few minutes later just to be safe. The Fluff may have set up an interview, but I bet she’s still camera-shy, so we don’t want to spook her.”

Puff let out another raspberry.

The response got a laugh out of Quick. “Yes, I think it’s a little silly for a mare that fights criminals and worse to be afraid of a camera, but heroes can be an eccentric bunch. Good luck with the rest of your work.”

~~~

Quick walked into Greasy Spoon’s, scanned around, but noticed nothing out of place. At two forty-five in the afternoon, the clientele was sparse enough that he could hear the kween of decades-old fans. Instead of taking his usual seat at the bar like he did when he and Puff went to recover after a long day of work, he scooted into one of the booths near the back of the restaurant. From there, he had a clear view of the kitchen, the fire escape, and the front door.

A waitress approached, coffee pot floating beside her. “Off work early today, hun?”

Quick shook a hoof before a drop could fall into his cup. “Still on duty, Split, and I’m gonna need my nerves. Could actually use a little privacy too.” He slipped a few bits out of his jacket. “I really appreciate your service.”

Lickety Split grinned. “Always happy to serve with a smile.”

She trotted away and left Quick to pull his quill, inkwell, and notepad out of his suitcase. After pushing up his glasses, he wetted the quill and tested it on the pad. Satisfied, he set his materials aside and focused on watching the restaurant.

There were only a few other customers at the time. Too early for the regulars to come in for a cheap meal after a long day of making sure Las Pegasus kept working or to scarf down something before their night shifts began. Too late for the wayward tourist recovering from a night of too much cider and gambling.

That left the addicts taking the sporadic break and the police about to go on or just getting off patrols. A few of the former group were gathered at the bar or quietly stirring around some coffee at a table. There were four cops at different booths across the restaurant. Given that one booth was chugging down coffee while the other was munching on pie, Quick could guess which was about to start and which one had just ended their patrol.

Then, the fire escape opened, but the alarm did not sound. A bulky spherical specimen of a pony struggled to get through the door, but managed to do so with a pop. She silently rolled across the restaurant and came to a stop right in front of Quick’s booth.

She was clothed in a massive trench coat that stretched over her fluffy frame. A combination of a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses, and a sickness mask obscured her face. The vibrant pink fur was unmistakable though.

“Uh…” Quick glanced left and right, and then leaned forward to whisper, “The Fluff?”

The Fluff nodded.

Quick drew back and extended a leg to the opposite side of the booth. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

The Fluff saddled up into the booth and slid in until she was directly opposite of Quick. He gulped and prepared his quill and notes. He also glimpsed a camera peeking through the blinds and thanked the stars for Puff.

“So, Fluff— is just Fluff okay?” Receiving a nod, Quick continued, “You’re one of Equestria’s top heroes, how does that honor make you feel?”

Fluff reached into the inner fold of her coat and produced a piece of notebook paper. The edges had been chewed on and, when Quick took it, he saw that several colors of crayon had been scrawled over it to form a letter.

It’s a grand honor to be given a rank, but things like that have never mattered to me, the note read. Protecting citizens, especially the ones down on their luck, is all I’ve ever wanted to do with my talent.

“That’s very admirable and a good message to send to the next generation of heroes.” Quick smiled. “Your methods though have sometimes been called old fashioned. Is there a reason for that?”

Another note was passed across the table. A little red could be seen poking out from the edges of Fluff’s mask. I’ve always been a shy pony, but I didn’t want that to get in the way of heroics. So, I based myself off the older generations of heroes, before we were more regulated.

While he read, Quick jotted down his own notes. “Interesting. Your efforts to keep Las Pegasus safe are praise-worthy, but they’ve also earned you some detractors. Do you have anything to say to them?”

I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused, read a third note. I try to keep collateral damage to a minimum, and I’d never wanted to be a bother to the police. That said, I am concerned with the recent uptick in changeling activity in the area. As a hero, I’ve alerted the Agency about the problem and requested that proper precautions be taken.

“Yes, we’ve run a few stories on that as well.” Quick pushed up his glasses. Everything was going smoothly, but his heart still raced and a bit of sweat collected on his brow. “Given your secrecy, there have been a lot of rumors about you. Perhaps you can address a few, like the idea that you’re actually a pegasus with incredible cloud sculpting ability?”

Fluff shook her head and raised a hoof to her mouth.

“Sorry.” Quick bowed his head. “I suppose we can’t get everything out of you.”

Another note was passed across the table. Quick blinked since he had not asked another question. Raising a brow, he began to read to note.

My fault too. It’s a security matter, but I’ll try to answer any questions you might have, Mr. Wit. Fluff raised her hooves to her face and shook her head. Then, with a trembling leg, she gave another note to Quick. Actually, I should be honest, I didn’t want to do this interview with just anypony. I wanted to do it with you.

“Me?” Quick glanced up at Fluff, down at the note, and then back at Fluff. His brow furrowed but his lip dangled loose. “Uh, I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

The mask and the glasses did nothing now to hide the blush on Fluff’s face. Instead of reaching into her coat, this time, she reached into her own fur and produced a note. It was nibbled into the shape of a heart. Quick felt a bit of heat rush to his muzzle when he took it. The note was all in pink.

I think you’re really sweet, Mr. Wit, it read. You always write nice articles and you look cool while you’re on the job. I want to see you more if you’re okay with that.

“Oh… oh my.” He loosened up his jacket and fanned his neck. “This is a bit unexpected, Fluff. I’m not against the idea, you certainly are an admirable mare, but it would be a little awkward if we continued to meet like this.”

Fluff dashed another note across the table. I understand. I’m just really embarrassed about revealing my secret identity. Maybe after a few dates? Is that okay?

“Um…” Across the table, Fluff had pressed her hooves up against her sunglasses and was shaking like a school-filly asking her crush out. Quick took a deep breath. “Okay, Fluff, I understand. I’m a little skeptical—part of being a reporter—but you are an admirable hero after all.”

Fluff gasped, slid across the table, and pulled Quick into a hug. Quick blushed at the sudden contact while eyeing his inkwell, which Fluff was bumping up against and pushing close to the edge.

Detangling himself from Fluff, he grabbed the inkwell and placed it in center of the table. Taking a breath to calm himself, he straightened his jacket and looked directly at Fluff. “Well, I think I have enough for my report. This has been quite a surprising interview, Fluff, but I’ll be happy to write about it. Oh, how should I contact you?”

Fluff jabbed in the direction of the camera.

“Got it,” said Quick. “So, you’ll leave a message for Puff then?”

Fluff nodded her head a few times and then hummed. Her entire body vibrated along to the tune as she scooted up the side of the booth, over it, and vroomed out the fire escape. Quick blinked at the exit, shook his head, and made sure his notes were in order. Then, he collapsed back against the booth.

“Split?” he called out. “I’ll have that coffee now.”

Outside, Fluff shuffled away. She gave a trailing piece of her fur a yank, her camera flew over to her, and vanished into her fur. Ripping off her coat, hat, glasses, and mask, she displayed a massive smile and pranced along.

~~~

With his mug of coffee drained and his stomach filled with a piece of pie, Quick leaned back and basked in the day’s events. When the bell over the entrance jingled, he looked over and was greeted by Puff skipping over to his booth.

“Looks like things went well on your end too,” Quick chuckled.

Puff nodded her head.

“Great.” As Puff slid into the booth, Quick slid out of it. “Get whatever you want, Puff. It’s on me. I think we’ve got a great story to celebrate. I’ll be right back, just gotta hit the stallion’s room.”

Quick strode back to the restroom and locked the door. It was a small place with just one urinal and a stall, but he still checked to make sure nopony else was inside. Then, he went to the sink and bowed his head.

“What a day, what a day,” he said with a grin. “To think The Fluff has a crush a me, and a genuine one at that. Now that’d be a Tartarus of a story to sell.”

Quick laughed. It started out small, but soon grew in volume. As it did, his voice rose several octaves while gaining a second tone to it. With a sickle-like sneer, he looked at himself in the mirror. Blazing green eyes with slitted pupils overlaid over dull spherical ones gleamed back at him.

“Too bad your story will end so soon,” Quick cackled. “I may not have gotten everything out of you, Fluff, but now you’ve given me a weak spot. Oh, this is rich! Chihahahaha!”

~~~

“It’s crap.” Sharp Tongue slapped the stack of papers and photos down on the table. Leaning back, he glanced down his muzzle at Quick and Puff. “‘Despite her secretive demeanor, The Fluff’s desire to protect the innocent shines through.’ Bah! Save it for Hearth’s Warming. I wanted an exposé, not a love letter!”

Quick summoned a blush to his face while Puff got out of her chair and glared at Sharp. Pressing her lips together, she blew hard enough to send bits of spittle onto the desk.

“Oh yeah?” Sharp fired back. “I can get another photographer, and she’ll be less demanding than you!”

Puff continued to blow.

“Equestria Employment Opportunity Commission? Those numbskulls?” Sharp snorted. “Who do think checks to make sure they’re not blowing smoke and harming honest business ponies?”

Puff tensed up, inhaled, and let out a small raspberry. While Quick put up a front of losing color, Sharp genuinely paled.

“Now, Puff,” Sharp said with the fire gone from his voice, “no need to bring the Missus into this.”

Blowing another raspberry, Puff sat back down and crossed her forelegs over her chest.

“‘Course the article’s fine grammatically,” Sharp replied. “I’m no hack. It just goes against the paper to be so laudatory of a pseudo-vigilante.”

Puff gave two quick raspberries.

Sharp leaned forward, bracing himself against the table with his legs. He rubbed his temples. “Okay-okay, but don’t think this will be a regular thing. It’s important we get this story right and get an open line to The Fluff, much as I hate to admit it. The other papers will be champing at the bit to get at her, but Sharp Tongue ain’t giving it up easy and neither is this paper!”

Sharp enunciated his last sentence with a slap to his desk that echoed through the air.

“Now, get on with the rest of your work,” he ordered. “Equestria doesn’t stop for just one story and neither does the Equestria Daily!”

Quick and Puff scuttled out of the room. With their backs turned to Sharp, he could not see the grins on their faces. When they were clear of his office, they burst out laughing.

“Celestia’s mane, Fluff,” Quick chortled. “You’d give stallions a run for their money with the balls you showed back there.”
Puff blushed and flexed a hoof at Quick.

“But seriously…” Quick bowed his head. “Thank you. I would’ve hated to completely redo the article into a smear piece. Leave that sucking up to the interns.”

They both had a good laugh at that.

“Anyway, what say we grab a good meal and a drink after work today?” Quick suggested. “The real deal, not just the crud from Spoon’s. Stuff ain’t good for your health.”

Puff stuck out her tongue.

“Okay, so maybe the pies are the best in the city,” Quick admitted. “But I want to celebrate.”

Puff nodded and jumped a few inches off the ground.

“Great.” Quick grinned. “I’ll think of someplace real nice, not just one of those glitzy rip-offs.”

~~~

“Ah.” Quick Wit gave one foreleg a shake, and then the other. Alongside Puff, he walked along the street with the Equestria Daily building growing further and further away. Already, the street lights were on and the revelers were strutting about.
“It’s gonna be a hay of a day tomorrow when the story breaks. Wish I could see the looks on the Pony Express’s staff’s faces.”

Puff giggled, but then turned to Quick with a furrowed brow. She let out a small raspberry.

Quick looked to the dusky sky— there were a few stars out, but his eyes seemed to be looking elsewhere. “I’m not sure when I’ll see Fluff again. Gotta admit, it’s pretty crazy that she asked me out.”

When Puff raspberried in reply, Quick blushed.

“Well, I couldn’t just say no to her. Who says no to a top ten hero?” Quick shook his head. “To be honest, the way she acted was kinda cu—”

Puff’s ears twitched when she heard something buzz. With a gasp, she flung herself at Quick, but a blast of emerald fire caught her into the chest and knocked her through an adjacent window.

“Pu—” Quick’s scream was cut off when an armored hoof bashed him in the face. A changeling bared its fangs at him as he fell into its grasp and went limp. Another changeling raced over and grabbed Quick’s hind legs.

Puff rose out of the inside of a casino and shook off the shards of glass. Her hooves flew up to her mouth when she spotted the changelings darting away with Quick in their hooves. She raced forward, but stopped when she spotted markings burned into the ground. Her heart raced.

Find The Fluff! it ordered. Tell anypony else and your friend is as good as glue! We’ll be waiting for her at the Thaumic Testing Grounds.

Just as Puff finished reading the message, it burst into green flames, leaving only a black smudge behind.

One of the gamblers stepped out through the hole and put a hoof on Puff. “You okay, Miss? Don’t worry, we’ll call the poli—”

Puff galloped away, leaving the gambler to call out to her, but she did not heed him. She bolted forward for a few blocks until she was certain she was clear of the crime scene and then she swerved into an alley. She tore off her skirt and vest, revealing her cape underneath. Untying her bowtie, it morphed from red to black and unfolded into her mask. Donning the mantle of The Fluff, she raced off to rescue Quick Wit.

~~~

The wind howled and kicked up dust just a few miles away from Las Pegasus proper. The roads that led out in this direction were worn and covered in sand. A collection of buildings poked out from the desert, their unlit and rusted frames a stark contrast to the Las Pegasus glow that could be seen from miles away.

The wind rattled the metal roof of one of the buildings— a large hangar that had housed dirigibles and other aircraft in decades long past. Now, the floor was covered in dirt and sand and the windows were smashed in. Besides the moon seeping in, the only source of light were a sea of compound blue eyes and pair of piercing green ones.

“It is taking her some time, my queen,” one of the changelings murmured.

“She will come,” Chrysalis replied in her normal voice while still retaining Quick Wit’s form. She sat in the middle of the hangar, bound to a chair. “I don’t know how, but she was aware of Fluffle Puff taking photos of her, so she must keep an eye out for her. Plus, she’s been able to stop a majority of our feedings lately. We’ve caused too much of a ruckus for her not to notice.”

A reverberating clang echoed through the air. The army of changelings stiffened. Chrysalis furrowed her brow and blinked to turn her eyes for piercing green to deep hazel. Everyone turned their attention to a door up above that led into the hangar.

Something behind the door slammed into it, creating a sizeable dent in the metal before launching it off its rusted hinges. Some changelings buzzed out of the way to avoid the door when it crashed to the ground.

The Fluff stood atop the gangway that led down to the ground floor. Her scowl made a few of the changelings at the vanguard shiver, but with Chrysalis at their backs, they stood firmly in place.

“Fluff!” Chrysalis called out in Quick’s voice. “Why? They’re going to kill you!”

“Oh,” the hive spoke in unison, “we’ll do much worse than that.”

The entire hangar lit up with a flash of green, forcing Fluff to blink. In that brief moment, Chrysalis slipped out of her bonds. When Fluff’s eyes cleared, the hive of changelings had been replaced with a sea of Quick Wits.

“Help us, Fluff!” half of them cried.

“Die, Fluff!” the other half screeched.

Fluff took a deep breath and then plunged into the sea of Quick Wits. They instantly piled on her.

From afar, Chrysalis grinned. It’s over, Fluff. Even with all your powers, you’re still just a pony, and a pony’s greatest weakness is her heart. You’ll never be able to go all out against my changelings while they look like your crush. Meanwhile, I’ll make sure they drain you nice and slow. I’m going to sa—

The heap of Quick Wits Fluff had been buried under was blasted apart. Changelings, stripped of their disguises, were thrown across the hangar. The Fluff stood enclosed by the remaining changelings with her fur whipping about in thick trails of fluff.

The rest of the hive was stunned for a second, before they collectively screeched and flew at her. The first wave was bashed to the left. The second was bashed to the right.

“Damn,” Chrysalis cursed. She glared down at her suit and then at the changelings closest to her. “She must have planted something on me. Find it!”

You cunning bitch, Chrysalis thought. I should have known you’d take precautions for your special somepony. But, the numbers are on my side, we’ll wear you down whether it’s through draining or sheer force!

Ahead, more and more changelings were being chucked in all directions by the pink tendrils. They whipped around The Fluff in a maelstrom that was both destructive and stunning. It reminded Chrysalis of her time in Neighpon when she had drained many a noblepony. The thought was quickly dashed away by the fact that The Fluff’s momentum was not slowing. Chrysalis tensed when she realized her hive was actually getting blown away at a faster rate the closer The Fluff got to her. She ground her teeth.

“Hurry, you fools!” Chrysalis snapped. She could not see The Fluff yet, but her eyes followed the path of destruction The Fluff was blazing straight toward them. So, this is the power of a top ten hero.

“M-my queen,” the changeling to her left choked out, “We cannot find anything.”

“There must be something!” Chrysalis hissed. “I would have known if it was a spell, so there must b—”

The wall of changelings ahead of them was blasted apart by two massive tails of fur. The Fluff locked sights on Chrysalis and gasped. Retracting her fur back to its regular spherical shape, she galloped full force at Chrysalis without hesitation. Changelings swarmed her from all sides, but she outpaced them and tackled Chrysalis into a hug. Before Chrysalis could react, The Fluff bent down, nuzzled her, and licked her cheek.

Something caused the licked spot to glow neon pink. Chrysalis howled in pain while a look of confusion fell upon Fluff’s face. With her cheek sizzling, Chrysalis glared up at Fluff with eyes that flared with emerald flames.

“Fluff!” she growled. She reached out and clamped onto The Fluff. Smoke rose out of where her hooves latched onto Fluff. “How, Fluff? How have you done this!?”

Chrysalis roared and sent out a blast of flame that knocked her changelings back. Fluff was still in her grasp, now covered in soot. She blinked and beheld Chrysalis’s true form. The shock only lasted a moment before Chrysalis spread her wings and launched the both of them into the air. She bolted upward and shot straight through the aged roof.
In the night sky, high above the ground, she angled her gnarled horn at The Fluff and blasted her with a burning emerald beam. She allowed The Fluff to fly out of her hooves but kept blasting her with the beam until The Fluff cratered into the ground.

With a snort, she glided to the ground and glared down at The Fluff. “Never send a drone to do a queen’s job.”

Just as Chrysalis turned, the ground shook and The Fluff shot up out of the crater, flipped through the air, and landed across from Chrysalis. Chrysalis snarled and lit up her horn, but The Fluff closed the distance before Chrysalis could finish the spell and decked her right in the schnoz. Chrysalis went tumbling while The Fluff shook off the soot, revealing the only signs of damage to be a few dents in her cowl and some small tears in her cape.

Chrysalis shot out her wings, stopping her fall. With a crack of her neck, she glared at The Fluff while the rest of her body rotated around match up with her head. She landed back on the ground and raked a hoof across the dust. The chitin on her right cheek was cracked and riddled with bubbles.

“What did you do, Fluff?” she snarled. “No physical trace. No spells. Nothing! How did you track me?”

A gust of wind carried The Fluff’s raspberry across the battlefield.

Chrysalis wrinkled her nose. “‘The real Quick Wit?’ You idiot, there never was a Quick Wit! It was just me! I even had you, the number six hero, eating out of my hoof!”

The Fluff stared at Chrysalis for a moment before letting out a small sniffle.

Chrysalis snickered. “I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m the changeling queen, you fool. You think I give a flying feather about love for anything else but food?”

A fluffy hoof jabbed at Chrysalis’s chest before The Fluff let out a sharp raspberry.

“Yes, all of it,” Chrysalis replied with a grin. “I can’t tell you how many times I just wanted to blast my boss out the window.”
Another raspberry, this time softer.

“Puff?” Chrysalis chuckled. “The biggest fool of them all. I could have probably drained her too if I wasn’t going after yo—”

The Fluff rocketed off the ground while humming her lips and bashed Chrysalis in the face. The blow ran down her head and made her whole body quiver. A few tears spilled out from under The Fluff’s mask and dropped into the dusty ground below.

Once again, Chrysalis stopped herself midair, but this time she hacked. Her chest still shook when the rest of her body stilled. With eyes blazing bright, she pulled back her right hoof and then shot it forward in a spire of flame. It burst out of the flames as a slimy tentacle with a mass of hooked appendages at the end. She raked it at The Fluff, but The Fluff bounced off the ground—far higher than an earth pony normally could—and then zoomed at Chrysalis.

Chrysalis held up her other foreleg and morphed it into a thick scaly arm that radiated heat. Her tentacle whipped back to grab The Fluff while the claw raced down to rend her to pieces.

The Fluff snorted and shot out masses of her fur that prevented the tentacle from latching onto her main body and absorbed the blow from the claws. Taking advantage of her position, she flipped around and kneed Chrysalis in the face. A bit of green-blue ichor went flying from Chrysalis’s mouth.

The Fluff spiraled backwards through the air while Chrysalis staggered. The Fluff landed on one leg with her other hind leg raised and her forelegs pointed upwards giving her a vague resemblance to a crane.

Chrysalis wiped away the ichor streaming from her lip and snorted. She rose up onto her hind legs and consumed her lower body in an emerald inferno. Eight legs that glistened like freshly sharpened blades pierced the ground. An armor-plated tail rose into the sky, the stinger at its tip dripping with poison. The ground it fell on hissed and sizzled.

Another burst of flame turned Chrysalis’s right foreleg into a claw as big as her torso while her left morphed into a mass of writhing tentacles. Her fangs lengthened and her mane shot up like it was made of flame, revealing three additional pairs of eyes.

“This ends here, Fluff!” Chrysalis roared. She then stampeded at The Fluff, her legs moving like a locomotive.

The Fluff jumped back, but Chrysalis’s tentacles shot out and wrapped around her. The Fluff tried to send out her fur, only for Chrysalis to bash both The Fluff and her own tentacles with the claw. The blow dazed The Fluff long enough for Chrysalis to bring her claw around The Fluff and squeeze. She constricted as hard as she could, but all she produced was a squeak from The Fluff.

“Defiant brat!” Chrysalis’s stinger reared back and then shot down. The Fluff swerved at the last second, getting the stinger stuck in her fur instead of her face. The area hit smoked and The Fluff let out a sharp cry. Chrysalis grinned. “Ha! And some of the dumber drones thought you were invincible!”

The Fluff gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. Taking a breath, she unclenched her jaw while the stinger sank deeper into her fur, discoloring it as it burrowed further.

“What’s wrong?” Chrysalis mocked. “Giving up?”

With the poison corroding away The Fluff’s fur, Chrysalis pressed in with her claw, but was still met with resistance. Then, she felt the claw being pushed back. She now realized her tail was buried up to its second joint even though she was not pushing it any deeper. Rather, The Fluff’s fur was growing out in all directions.

With a muffled snap, The Fluff’s cape blew away while the fur growing out of her face contorted her mask and shoved it out of the way. When it too was tossed into the air by the combination of the fur and the wind, Chrysalis reared back.

“Puff!?” she shrieked. She then gnashed her fangs. Her grip on Fluffle Puff was slipping. “Damn you! It doesn’t matter who you really are! You’ve been a thorn in my side too long!” Her horn lit up. “Now die!”

The Fluff’s eyes flared open as she let out a soft raspberry. Her fur exploded in a blast of pink that washed over Chrysalis. Her claw was forced open and the lower half bent back with a sharp crack and then a wet squelch. Her stinger was wrenched out of its joints and went flying along with three of Chrysalis’s legs. The nearby buildings shook and the hangar, along with some of the other buildings, collapsed under the weight of a wave of fur.

Chrysalis tried to dig her remaining legs into the ground, but fur latched onto them and the rest of her body. She tried to roar in defiance, but the sound of countless tons of fur flying out at supersonic speed swallowed up her protests. The attack launched her off her legs. Then, a piece of fur smacked her in the face and everything went dark.

~~~

In a flash reminiscent of the days when the Thaumic Testing Grounds were used for developing spells of unparalleled power, the desert was turned bright pink. The buildings that were left standing leaned backwards under the weight of a vast sea of pink fur that had overcome them. It spread across the ground like the densest of carpets. Not a rock or shrub within the entire facility was left uncovered.

Fluffle Puff’s discarded cape fluttered to the ground and landed in the middle of the fluffy decimation. Something shuffled under it and Puff stuck her head out. Her deep pink mane was now visible and she shivered in the desert night’s air. Popping out of the mass of shed fur, she clenched the cape tight around her now visibly small frame and wobbled across the shaggy surface until she came to a building.

Chrysalis was plastered to it with only her face and the nubs of her hooves showing. Regaining consciousness and catching sight of Puff, she struggled in vain against the fur. When she realized she was trapped, she hissed, “Damn you! Damn you!”

Puff lowered her head and sighed. A tear dripped down her face.

“What?” Chrysalis growled.

Puff raised a shaking hoof, jabbed at a few spots in the air, and then drew a heart shape. Despite her confinement, Chrysalis snarled, “Don’t lie to me! You never knew the real me! You’re just another fool that fell in love with an illusion!”

With tears streaming down her face, Puff advanced toward Chrysalis. The act made Chrysalis pale.

“No,” she called out, her voice now shaky. “Stay away!”

Even while Chrysalis struggled, Puff drew closer. When she was within inches of Chrysalis, she extended out a hoof and caressed Chrysalis’s left cheek while summoning a shaky smile to her face. The point of contact sizzled and Chrysalis howled in pain. Puff leaned closer.

“No! Chrysalis roared. With a sharp crack, she tore her horn free, a jagged spilt now running the length of it. A pillar of flames surrounded her and knocked Puff back.

From nearby, the changelings that had not been flattened by the collapse of the hangar or caught in the fur watched the fight with widened eyes.

“Retreat!” they screeched in unison.

Green flames sprouted up here and there around then testing ground. Puff laid on the ground where she had fallen and stared at the smoldering spot Chrysalis had left. Her lower lip pushed out and fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

~~~

“Puff,” Sharp Tongue sighed. He was sunken into his seat, the chair making him look smaller than normal. The greys and whites in his mane had seemed more pronounced lately. “I know things have been tough with what happened to Quick Wit, so take a break.”

Puff half-heartedly blew a raspberry.

“No, no.” Sharp shook his head, but without the usual vigor he displayed when turning down a deal. “We can cover The Fluff some other time. Number…” He chomped down hard on his toothpick. “… number one rule of this business: when your staff—when your friend—gets involved, you do not make it about what the hero or whoever could or couldn’t have done.”

He turned from Puff and glanced out the window. “I admit it, I don’t like The Fluff, but you can’t look at that scene and say she didn’t give it her all to save Quick. When a hero lays it all on the line like that, any criticism is just petty. There will be other chances to catch that madmare flubbing up, but that’s not today. At this point, the only thing I can say is I’m glad you only lost a bit of your fur when they attacked you and Quick. Go home, Puff, and get some rest.”

Another weak raspberry and then Puff was out the door.

A few minutes later, she was shuffling down the street, eyes to the ground. Las Pegasus’s streets were practically empty in the middle of a weekday, so Puff found herself alone with her thoughts.

That was, until she heard a shriek from a nearby alley. In the shadowy confines, a stallion decked out in a vibrant white suit stood over a whimpering mare. She was covered in bruises and a bit of blood dribbled from her nose.

“Trying to take a little off the top?” the stallion growled. He raised up his gold-shod hoof. “Well, you can take as much gold as you want from thi—”

A raspberry cut him off and a pair of whitened eyes glared at him through the shadows.

~~~

“Rah!” Chrysalis smacked the nearest pillar with enough force to fracture it at the point of impact. Huffing, she looked around her throne room with its cracked and broken pillars, its scorched walls and floor, and its flickering lighting. With a snort, she fell back onto her throne.

In front of her laid the one untouched part of the throne room: a large glassy sphere mounted on a spire that resembled three entwined versions of Chrysalis’s horn. She looked at her warped reflection and snarled at the crack on her right cheek. The pink sheen on her left cheek made her scowl even more. No matter how much magic she summoned to it, it always reverted back to pink unless she took something else’s form. Even her horn was mending faster than the damage to her face.

As she sat on her throne and ruminated, her reflection faded away when the sphere lit up. A large equal sign replaced it.

“What?” Chrysalis hissed.

“I need some drones,” a voice said through the sphere.

Chrysalis bared her fangs at the sphere. “Now is not a good time.”

“I can make it an even worse time,” the voice countered. “Don’t worry, I won’t be blindly taking on a top ranked hero, just enlightening a few ponies of the error of their ways.”

“Bah, if you wanted slaves, a mind control spell would be so mu—” Teal aura clasped Chrysalis’s mane, ripped her out of her throne, and flung her to the floor.

“Send the drones, or licking your wounds will be the least of your problems.” The voice’s owner waited a moment for Chrysalis to get back on her hooves. Her eyes blazed green, but she kept her mouth clenched. “Oh, don’t be like that. I’ve got a job for you too. You’re going to love it.”

Author's Note

Based on Ask Fluffle Puff

Happy April Fools!- April 1, 2018

Yes, this is canon

Hero Rankings
Celestia
Nightmare Knight (Tantabus)
Bread Breaker
Shadowbolt
Wonderbolts (Collectively)
The Fluff
Mystic Rune
Lady Ember
Tail Whip
Maelstrom (Seabreeze)

Leader

“… and that is how rule one point six of the Model Rules of Heroism affects rules three point four, and eight point three.” Tantabus stopped jabbing the piece of chalk against the board and stepped back. There was hardly a bit of black left on the board. His head scanned over the class. “Any further questions?”

Mouths, wings, horns, and claws ached across the classroom. Everyone’s brains throbbed against their skulls. They all silently thanked Equestria for the reprieve. Some, like Pinkie, even slumped into their seats. Dash, along with Bulk and Derpy, had passed that point long ago and had settled with just attempting to listen to Tantabus’s lecture with half-open eyes.

Glances at the clock spread confusion and dread throughout the room. There were a good fifteen minutes left of class even though all the material from last night’s reading had been covered. The shadow of a pop quiz loomed over the class.

“Well,” said Tantabus, noting the tension in the room, “if there are no questions, then we can move on to…” The class collectively inhaled. “… choosing your class representatives.”

Half the class nearly fell out of their seats. The rest sighed in relief. Both Dash and Sunset grinned.

“Woohoo!” Pinkie exclaimed while rising up on her chair. “Oh, this’ll be great! We’ll make posters, have debates, give cool spe—”

“Ms. Pie! Sit down!” Tantabus shouted. Pinkie blushed and sunk back to her seat. Commanding the full attention of the class once more, Tantabus produced a stack of papers and spread them out to the class. Each sheet had a row of blank boxes next to everyone’s name. “This will be a simple matter. Just check whoever you want for President. Second place will get to be Vice-President. If, by chance, there is a tie, then the tied candidates will each give a short speech. I presume there are no questions?”

No one responded to him.

“Good,” he said. “You have five minutes.”

Dash had already scrawled a big check mark next to her own name. Twilight scanned over the list and muttered to herself. With a smug grin, Sunset checked her own name. Maud blinked and put down a check. Spike smiled and easily checked the box next to Twilight’s name.

Fluttershy glanced between Dash, who was lying back with her legs behind her head, and Twilight, who was still staring at her unmarked sheet. With a gulp, Fluttershy filled in a box and flipped over the sheet so no one else could see.

At the same time, Rarity bit her lip and looked around as Fluttershy had. With a deep breath, she checked a box.

Furrowing her brow, Twilight finally managed to check a box.

A minute later, the room was silent. Tantabus scanned over the class before lifting the sheets up from everyone’s desk and floating them in front of his face. After a moment, he separated them into three groups of five, and left one sheet to float separate from the rest. “Hmm, interesting. It appears we have a three-way split. Ms. Shimmer, Ms. Sparkle, and Ms. Pie, I’ll need you to give a speech if you’d like or you may concede. Normally, I’d just move right onto the speeches, but since there are three of you, you may have the lunch period to think it over.”

“Aw, what the hay?” Dash whined. “Are you sure you counted those right, teach?”

“That’s Professor, Ms. Dash,” Tantabus replied. “And yes, it was fairly easy to count the single vote you got.”

Dash turned bright red, crossed her hooves, and pouted.

Sunset turned to face Twilight. Her glare had Concede! written clear as day on it. Twilight inhaled through her nose and shook her head. With a scowl, Sunset swung back around.

Twilight then glanced at Pinkie. The way she was shaking did not alarm Twilight, but the tense expression on her face did.

~~~

“I can’t think of better ponies to lead the class,” Applejack said between taking bites of her vegetable pot pie. “You and Pinkie are sure to kick Sunset’s flank…” Her eyes grew a little dull. “Wouldn’t have minded getting at least a vote though.”

“I don’t know.” Twilight stirred some peas around with a spork. A glance around the room revealed Sunset busy eating her meal and looking with disgust at Rainbow Dash shoveling cake down her throat. Maud observed both of them and blinked. “Sunset always had a way of getting ponies behind her.”

“Yeah, but that was before coming here.” Spike chomped down on a sapphire. He opened his mouth to say something else, but then spied Rarity sprinkling jaspers on her salad across the table. “You don’t mind how those taste?”

“Oh no,” Rarity replied. “They’re some of my favorites.”

“Too pungent.” Spike bit through another sapphire. “Ever try topaz? It’s like jasper, but way less strong.”

“Perhaps it’s just an acquired taste,” Rarity chuckled. She then glanced left. “Pinkie, dear, are you alright? You’ve barely touched your… well, I guess it’s both dessert and main course.”

Pinkie stopped tracing a hoof through her cupcake’s frosting and looked up. “Oh, uh, yeah, I’m just… just thinking about my speech. Um, hey, Twilight, could I talk to you?”

“Oh.” Twilight blinked at the sudden request. “Sure, what is it?”

“In the hall?”

“Ah-ha.” Applejack grinned. “Gonna think up some impressive strategy to double-team Sunset?”

Pinkie offered a small grin. “Something like that.”

Twilight noticed Pinkie’s lips were trembling when she got up. Twilight followed after her and into the hall. They kept walking for a bit until they were a good distance away from where anypony could hear them. “Alright, Pinkie, I thought we might be able to team up and then let the class decide from there who should be president, so le—”

“I want to concede, Twilight.”

Twilight flicked her ears. “What?”

Pinkie rubbed one leg against the other and kept her eyes toward the floor. “You have to be super serious and cool to be a leader. I just like having fun. Sunset may not be the nicest pony, but like you said, she has a way of getting ponies behind her.”

“But so do you, Pinkie.” Twilight took a step closer, but Pinkie drew back. “It’s only been a few days but you’ve tried to make every day of class enjoyable, even when Tantabus is breaking our backs. Plus, you’re great at organizing, like how you set up that party. The votes prove that the class believes you can be a good leader. I mean, that’s why I vo—”

A shrill alarm rent through the air. Twilight and Pinkie’s ears popped a second before something outside crashed into the ground, shaking the floor and rattling the windows. Twilight seized up.

Did something break through the school’s security? That can’t be! We have one of the strongest barriers in Equestria! Twilight rushed over to the window to get a view of what had landed outside.

Just as she caught a glimpse of a crater in the school’s courtyard, the floor rumbled again. She twisted her head to the left. A stampede of students exploded from around a corner, headed straight for Pinkie and Twilight.

Twilight yelped and latched onto Pinkie just as the stampede washed over them. They were lucky to be caught up in the wave of students rather than trampled under their hooves. Twilight felt herself being squeezed from all directions, but she managed to flare up her horn and focused on the classroom. Remember the safety instructions! Gotta get to th—

A tuft of Pinkie’s tail tickled Twilight’s nose and broke her concentration. “Pinkie! What are you doing!? We need to move before we get crushed or attacked by whatever i—”

“It’s nothing bad!” Pinkie shouted. She jabbed her tail, which poked out a few feet away in the crowd and had taken on a zigzag shape. With a grunt, she managed to pull her leg out of the stampede and jabbed it at the window. “Look!”

Craning her neck to look outside again, Twilight spotted a figure in the middle of the crater. It was hard to make out all the details amidst the swirling dust, but she could see the figure was trying to get back onto its hooves. Through the debris, Twilight glimpsed wings, a blue uniform, and bolts of yellow.

She looked back at Pinkie. “We need to tell everypony it’s okay before somepony gets crushed in this stampede…” A glance revealed a spot of pink hair and the tips of yellow wings alongside a Stetson hat. A gem-like glimmer was also spotted amidst the surging crowd. “.. or worse.”

“Tw-twilight…” The crowd pressed in around Pinkie. Her eyes sharpened and locked onto the PA system still blaring the alarm. A grappling hook blasted out of the crowd and pulled Pinkie upwards. She swung and grabbed Twilight. Dangling on Pinkie’s leg, Twilight stared at Pinkie from below and marveled at her stern expression. “Twilight, can you patch me into the PA system?”

With a nod, Twilight lit up her horn. “This might sting a bit.”

A string of purple aura zipped out of Twilight’s horn and jabbed Pinkie in the neck. Pinkie winced, but kept a firm grip on Twilight and her grappling rope. The aura sprung from Pinkie’s neck and darted into the nearest PA speaker.

There was a harsh crackle and a loud whine that made everyone flinch. One by one, the PA speakers lit up with a purple glow. Then, Pinkie smiled. Her voice reverberated throughout the school. “Attention, everypony! Have no fear! If you’ll just take a quick peek at the courtyard, you’ll see we’ve got a special guest! He’s brave! He’s dashing! And, my personal favorite, he’s got a big love for pie! It’s Soarin of the Wonderbolts!”

The takeover of the PA system had turned the stampede into a static crowd, but now they all switched direction and pressed up against the windows. In the middle of the crater was a battered yet still-on-his-hooves Soarin. Faculty members flew and galloped toward him, their harsh expressions dissolving into a mixture of relief and annoyance.

“Looks like he was practicing a little too hard,” Pinkie giggled. “So, nothing to worry about and no need to panic. Have a nice afternoon, everypony!”

~~~

“Well,” said Tantabus, looking over the class, “I imagine our little disruption may have made formulating speeches somewhat difficult, but perhaps it was an advantage as well. Although it seems we have some absentees despite a lack of injuries.” Everyone shuddered when Tantabus’s gaze fell upon Fluttershy and Dash’s empty seats. They relaxed only slightly when his attention went to Sunset, Twilight, and Pinkie. “Are you prepared to speak?’

Sunset grinned. “Of course.”

Twilight bowed her head. “Yes.”

Pinkie smiled. “Yepperoni!”

“Ms. Sunset, why don’t you speak first?” Tantabus offered.

“Gladly.” Sunset got out of her seat and marched to the front of the class. “First off, I just want to say that if this had been an actual attack today, I would have taken it on. Nopony is laying a hoof on this school while I’m here.”

Sunset’s glare shifted to Twilight and Pinkie. “As for my opponents, you’ve seen for yourselves they’re not built for leadership: they hesitate and they hold back. We may not face life-threatening issues on the student council, but we’re still in charge of the class. Ask yourselves, do you really want ponies like that running the class? That’s all I have to say. Thank you.”

With a smirk, Sunset strode back to her seat.

“Ms. Sparkle, you’re next,” said Tantabus.

Taking a breath, Twilight stepped forward and faced the class. “Hello, everypony.” She waited just long enough in silence for some sweat to curl down the side of her face. “Um… I’ve never really given one of these before, so please bear with me. First, I’d like to respond to my opponent by saying that even if I hesitate or hold back, I do it because I think of the consequences of my actions. In battle, hesitation may be bad, but on a student council, we need to think our thoughts through and come up with plans that will improve our classroom experience.

“Furthermore…” Twilight leveled her gaze at Sunset. She also silently thanked Celestia that Dash was apparently playing hooky. “My match yesterday shows that I have good strategic planning skills.”

Some heads in the class nodded in agreement.

“However,” Twilight inhaled and continued, “I don’t believe I’m the best candidate running today. If I’m voting for anyone, I’m voting for Pinkie Pie.”

Sunset’s expression soured, Pinkie’s eyes widened, and the class filled with murmurs. Tantabus slammed a hoof down to quiet everyone. He turned his focus on Twilight, signaling for her to continue.

“I suppose I should explain myself,” said Twilight. “Today, when faced with a calamity, Pinkie was able to keep a cool head and came up with a solution that calmed everyone down. I was just worried about her and my friends, but she was able to both save me and alleviate the situation. That’s what a true leader does: rise to the occasion and work to benefit everyone, not just their friends.”

Pinkie let out a slow clap which was joined by Maud, and then Applejack and Spike. One by one, the rest of the class joined in until Tantabus gave another stomp.

“That being said…” Twilight, blushing from the applause, averted her eyes to the ground. “I wouldn’t mind being your vice president! Thank you!”

Twilight rushed back to her seat, face steaming and heart thumping in her chest.

“Ms. Pie.”

Tantabus’s words echoed in Pinkie’s ears. She did not jump out of her seat. Rather, she slowly placed one leg on the floor, followed by her other three. Her head was at an angle so that her mane dangled in front of her eyes. When she reached the front of the class, she took a small intake of air, almost like a sniffle.

“I’m…” Her voice faltered. “I’m not the best at speeches either. I like setting up things so other ponies can have fun… and I like having fun myself. That’s why…” She gulped. “That’s why I thought I wouldn’t be a good leader. I thought being a good leader means being serious and organized like Sunset or Twilight, but…”

The class held its breath at Pinkie’s pause. Her odd demeanor had caught them all by surprise and now held their attention. When she raised her head to reveal her usual wide smile, the tension in the classroom melted away.

“Twilight showed me that today I can be a leader too. I’m quick on my hooves and I’d do anything to keep everypony safe. I also have like five gazillion ideas for stuff we could do for like weekend trips or volunteer work. Oh! We can’t forget the Fall Festival or the Spring Fling! Plus, there’s Nightmare Night, Hearth’s Warming Eve an—” Pinkie slapped a hoof against her mouth, lowered it down to her chest, and took a breath. “My point is, I’m really happy for those that voted for me already, and I’d love to be your class president and have even more fun with all of you!”

The class let out a roar of applause. Pinkie’s mane was blasted back and looked even frizzier than before. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, even while a few tears dotted her eyes.

~~~

“A good showing from all of you.” Tantabus glanced at the fourteen sheets of paper floating in front of him. Seven were gathered in one group, four in a second, and three in a third. “Now, to the results. Congratulations, Ms. Sparkle, you are our vice-president.”

Twilight blinked in surprise but then smiled and bowed her head. Sunset wrinkled her nose.

“And your class president is…” Tantabus let his shadows creep along the floor and form a thin sheen over the windows, dimming the room. The students waited on the edges of their seats. Tantabus lit the room back up with a flourish of his shadows. “Ms. Pie!”

The room erupted in cheers. Pinkie was left stunned in her seat, even while Twilight, Spike, Applejack, and some of the other students rushed over to congratulate her.

Sunset remained in her seat and crossed her hooves. She scowled and stared down at her desk.

“Sunset,” Rarity said, breaking Sunset out of her sulking. “I’m sorry things didn’t go your way this time, but I know you have good leadership skills.”

“Tch, damn straight,” Sunset snorted.

“Twilight and Pinkie, well, there’s just something about them.” Rarity glanced over at the two while they celebrated with the others. Sensing Sunset glaring at her, she jolted back. “Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to show everypony your skills.”

And maybe take a little bit of your edge off, Rarity thought while some sweat collected on her face.

“Oh!” Pinkie cried out and marched ahead of the crowd that had gathered around her and Twilight. Raising a leg high, she beat at her chest. “I have my first proclamation as president!”

“Ms. Pie, I am fine with this small celebration, but we must now get back to class. We’ve had enough distractions as it is today,” said Tantabus.

“But it’s about Fluttershy and Dashy!” Pinkie jabbed at the two empty seats. “I wanna make sure they get back to class and I bet Twilight would be perfect to find them.”

“You want Ms. Sparkle, one of the more promising students, to look for Ms. Dash and Ms. Fluttershy, two students that I have noticed have some discipline issues?”

“I’ll make sure to take super extra detailed notes for all three of them until they get back!” Pinkie then traced a cross over her heart and plopped her hoof right on her eye while swearing, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Very well,” Tantabus sighed. “I would have requested faculty to find them, but I trust Ms. Sparkle not to dally.”
When Twilight felt Tantabus’s attention on her, she jumped out of her seat and bolted for the door. “I’m on it!”

“Check near the infirmary!” Pinkie called out.

What are you planning, Ms. Pie? Tantabus thought.

~~~

Twilight stood at the corner of the hallway. In the middle of the hall to the left were the doors that led to the infirmary. Twilight gave a snort and the noise echoed through the empty air. She had checked all the adjacent halls, the courtyard, and the nearby rooms with the help of a clairvoyance spell, but she had seen neither hide nor hair of Fluttershy and Dash. Resolving herself, she made her way closer to the infirmary.

If they had been hurt, Tantabus wouldn’t have been so mad about their absence. Twilight drew close to the doors and lit up her horn. A peek might help.

To Twilight’s eyes, a part of door turned translucent and she gazed inside. The cots were all empty save for one. Nurse Redheart stood at its foot, but its patient was obscured by a curtain, so Twilight could only make out Soarin’s outline. Still, being this close to a member of the Wonderbolts gave her the jitters.

Then, Redheart glared straight in her direction. Before Twilight could even yelp, Redheart was at the doors. She thrust them open, throwing Twilight back. The clairvoyance spell was in effect for a brief second, stripping away Redheart’s skin. The sight rocketed Twilight’s heart up into her throat.

Redheart shook her head. “One thing or another with you, isn’t it, Ms. Sparkle? Given your situation, I expected you to understand more than your peers the importance of patient privacy. And, shouldn’t you be in class?”

“S-sorry.” Twilight wobbled to her hooves and gave her head a shake. “I’ve been assigned to look for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash since they haven’t come back to class. I thought they might be here, but looks like it’s ju—”

Through the window on the other side of the infirmary, Twilight caught sight of the tip of a blue wing.

“Ms. Sparkle.” Redheart moved her head so she was looking straight at Twilight. “Did that sudden cancellation give you
backlash?”

“Oh, um, no.” Twilight lowered her eyes to avoid looking at the window. “I’ll, uh, go look elsewhere if they’re not here.”

“And please try not to get hurt in the process.”

~~~

“Rainbow Dash, she’s going to spot you,” Fluttershy pleaded. She hovered below Dash and out of view from the window. Above her, Dash continued to peek inside, trying to get a better look at Soarin.

“Darn it,” she muttered. “That stupid curtain is getting in the way.”

“Well, can’t say I’m surprised. Under different circumstances, I’d be willing to go pretty far to see a Wonderbolt too.”

Both Fluttershy and Dash’s heads darted down. Twilight smiled back up at them with a jittery grin. “I mean, don’t get to see one of the number five ranked heroes every day.”

“Tw-Twilight!” Fluttershy yelped. She bolted down to the ground. Her legs shook and her hair stood on end. “We… we were just…”

“Save it, Fluttershy, we’re caught.” Dash glided down but stayed airborne. There was a small spark in her eyes when she looked at Twilight. “Unless you’re here to catch of glimpse of one of the most awesome heroes in Equestria too.”

“I wish,” Twilight dared to chuckle, unsure what to make of Dash’s mood. “Actually, I’ve been looking for you two since you didn’t come back to class. Tantabus probably isn’t going to be too happy, but I’ll try to cover for you.”

Dash narrowed her eyes. “In exchange for what? Our votes? Pretty sneaky of you, Twi.”

“What?” Twilight yelped. “I’d never blackmail you like that! Besides, we already voted.”

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy whimpered. “Please tell me you didn’t lose because we were absent.”

“It’s no problem, Fluttershy. Pinkie managed to win and I’m gonna be vice president.” Twilight scratched her mane. “I just hope I can keep up with her.”

“Can you keep up with anyone?” Dash muttered. A glare from Fluttershy made Dash stiffen. “I, uh, mean… you, um, like the Wonderbolts too?”

“Of course!” Twilight flashed a solid grin this time. “I don’t keep up with the Derby much, but I love hearing about their shows and their acts of heroism.”

“Why don’t we talk about this on the way back to class?” Fluttershy suggested.

“Sounds good,” said Twilight. “The longer we wait, the more Tantabus is going to scold you anyway.”

The three of them made their way back inside with Twilight and Fluttershy on the ground while Dash remained in the air.

“So, if you’re really a fan, who’s your favorite?” Dash asked.

“Fleetfoot,” Twilight answered.

“Fleetfoot?” Dash repeated with a wrinkled nose. “But she’s slow.”

“But much more technical,” Twilight countered. “Her handling of the Winter Wrap Up Caper was an incredible use of weather manipulation that ensured the thieves were caught with minimal damage. That could have been a disaster with less skilled weather manipulation.”

Twilight mentally kicked herself for saying anything related to weather. Her inner fangirl had clouded her thoughts.

Dash remained relaxed while continuing to fly by Twilight’s side. “Ah, that was pretty cool, but nothing compared to Spitfire when she took down the entire Klugetown Kat Gang on her own.”

“So, I’m guessing she’s your favorite?” Twilight asked.

“Hay yeah!” Dash pumped a leg. “She’s got the speed, the moves, and the awesomeness. Not even the other Wonderbolts come close to her. I bet she’d be number four or three on her own.”

“You think she’s even better than Sha—” The look of pure dread in Fluttershy’s eyes and the slicing motion she was rapidly making across her throat cut Twilight off. “Er, better than Soarin?”

“Well, is he the leader?” Dash snorted.

“Fair point.”

The two of them continued the discuss and argue over the Wonderbolts all the way back to the classroom. Fluttershy stayed quiet, but smiled. A few feet away from the door though, Dash came to a stop.

“Something up, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked. Please tell me she’s sensitive about the post-Flair d’Mare uniform designs.

“Twilight, about yesterday…” Dash’s lips trembled a little. She floated to the ground and lowered her head. “Don’t think I’m forgiving you for holding back there. I… I got a little out of hoof though, so…”

There was a pause and Dash brought her head lower, but Twilight could still see the red on her face. “I understand, Dash. You’re all the more reason I need to try harder and master that spell.”

“Well, duh.” Dash flipped her mane back and displayed a grin once more. She gave Twilight a jab in the shoulder. “And next time, I’m not gonna fall for tricks like that, okay? You better be ready to face me head on.”

Twilight nodded and grinned. “Right.”

A shadow slithered across the ground. Tantabus’s head rose up with his eyes materialized and glared at all three of them. “What did I say about dallying?”

~~~

“So,” Redheart asked. “Care to explain what you were doing that got you going fast enough to crash through our barrier?”

“Wish I could,” Soarin groaned. “Everything right before the crash is a blur. Last time I try whatever that was without a partner to back me up.”

Up in the rafters, Redheart and Soarin reflected off eight eyes. The spider peered down, its fangs twitching and glistening with a few drops of venom that glowed teal. It turned to scurry into the shadows, revealing two horizontal slashes on its abdomen. Then, it vanished into the darkness.

Author's Note

Season 3 is here!

The Weather Training Facility

Twilight held the newspaper ahead of her face, but the wind kept curling the corners back. If she did not keep it a leg’s length away, the corners would have brushed against her face. When one of the pages flew loose and spiraled off the chariot and into the wind, Twilight groaned and slapped the paper down between herself and Derpy.

“Bad news?” Derpy asked.

“I got nothing but the headlines,” Twilight grumbled. “I really wanted more details about that fight in Las Pegasus or the weird attacks in Dodge City.”

“Oh!” Derpy lunged for the paper and jabbed a hoof at a section of it. “Look! There’s us! You can totally see m—”

Derpy’s hoof slipped and scattered the paper into the air. Sunset, from a nearby chariot, snickered and then leaned back.

Derpy frowned. “Oops. Sorry, Twilight.”

“Well, not like you were able to read it while we were up here anyway,” Spike quipped.

Instead of glaring at Spike, Twilight sighed and glanced over the edge of the chariot. Equestria zoomed by far below. A glance back revealed a tiny sliver of Canterlot was still visible on the horizon, but it was shrinking fast.

“Where do you think we’re going?” Spike asked.

“You don’t know?” Derpy gasped. “But it’s the most super fun place in Equestria! Ooh! I’m gonna keep it a surprise! You too, Twilight!”

“But knowing about where we’re going could b—” A pout from Derpy clamped Twilight’s mouth. “Okay, I guess we can humor Spike a little. It is pretty amazing to see for the first time.”

“See what?” Spike thumped a claw against his seat.

“Don’t worry,” said Twilight, “It’ll be fun… assuming Tantabus doesn’t make the exercises too hard.”

“You’ll be able to do it!” Derpy exclaimed. One of her eyes tilted in Twilight’s direction. “I mean, with that super awesome spell of yours, you’re like Princess Celestia!”

Both Spike and Twilight paled while thanking the stars no one else was in the chariot to see their reaction.

“I… uh,” Twilight sputtered.

“But Celestia doesn’t get hurt like Twilight does!” Spike blurted out. “Totally different!”

He then slumped in his seat and wiped some sweat from his forehead.

Derpy gazed at Spike with one eye and looked at Twilight with the other. After swirling a hoof around her chin, she blinked and leaned back. “Guess you’re right.”

Bulk rose up from the front row of the chariot that he alone occupied and turned around. “It still looks cool though! You gotta try it again today!”

“Yeah!” Derpy cheered.

“Yeah!” Bulk exclaimed.

Twilight melted into her seat with sweat blotting her forehead.

Rarity glanced at Twilight’s chariot, watching Bulk and Derpy cheer while Spike and Twilight sank further and further into their seats. “Oh my.”

Sunset leaned back. While her posture was relaxed, she still wore a slight scowl. “So annoying.”

“Eh.” Dash looped around the chariot. “Can’t fault us pegasi for being a little excited. Whatever Teach has got planned for us I’m sure we ca—”

A shadowy tendril shot out the chariot, latched onto Dash, and secured her back into the chariot beside Lyra. Some of the substance remained wrapped around Dash’s barrel, binding her wings to her sides. Tantabus’s voice echoed, “How would you fare in this condition, Ms. Dash? Do not underestimate the tasks I have planned for you. I assure you, they will push you to your limits regardless of race.”

The wind howled around Dash’s chariot, carrying Tantabus’s words with it and giving everypony onboard a chill. When she finished shivering, Lyra leaned close to Dash and poked Tantabus’s remnant.

“Weird,” she remarked.

“Knock it off.” Dash batted Lyra’s leg away. She then crossed her forelegs and slumped in her seat. “Guh, is there anything he doesn’t notice?”

“It is nice that Professor Tantabus keeps a close eye on us though,” said Rarity. Dash puffed a piece of her mane upwards in response.

Sunset straightened up. “We’re not gonna have him always watching over us though. So, don’t get comfortable.”

“Fair advice as well,” Rarity replied. “Celestia knows he’ll probably wait until the last moment to help us if anypony gets in trouble today. I’ll have to make sure to warn Sweetie about him if she ever decides to go to the School.”

Lyra peered over her seat. “You got a little sister?”

“Yes. The cutest thing you could imagine,” Rarity beamed. Then her glow faded away. “I just wish she were a little more sensible in trying to get her cutie mark. It’s a bit disturbing how many times she’s come home covered in tree sap or worse with no mark to show for it.”

She glanced at Sunset and Lyra. Dash remained out of her view, but the question was directed at all three of them, “Do any of you have siblings?”

“Nope,” Sunset bluntly replied.

Lyra gave a shake of her head.

“Oh well, siblings can be such fun, even if they sometimes make you want to tear your mane out.” Rarity grinned.

In front of her, Dash turned to the side, hiding her face from everypony else. She glared off into the distance with her muscles tense. She took deep intakes of the high-altitude air and reminded herself that Tantabus already had his eye on her. The time for screw-ups was over.

Today, Dash was determined to make her mark on the class. Their destination practically begged for it. So, she resolved to quench the thoughts reeling through her head and focus on one thing: being awesome.

On a third chariot, Applejack stayed close to the center of the second row and kept her eyes forward. Bon Bon tilted her head at her.

“You okay?” she asked. “You’re looking a little pale.”

Pinkie poked her head up from the first row and teased, “Somepony afraid of heights?”

“Ain’t that,” Applejack grumbled. “Just don’t feel right for an earth pony to be up in the air with so little holding them up.”
Pinkie glanced at Bon Bon and Tree Hugger. Both of them shrugged. “Maybe it’s just a family thing?”

“No worries,” Tree Hugger hummed. “It’s like Teach said, everypony’s got something that gives them bad vibes.”

“Pretty sure he didn’t say that,” said Bon Bon.

“It’s a paraphrase,” Tree Hugger continued to hum. She then leaned to the side and let the wind flow through her dreadlocks.

On the final chariot, Aloe and Lotus loomed over Fluttershy.

“So, have you been here before?” one asked.

“What’s the toughest area?” the other asked.

“Is it true even Wonderbolts have trouble in some places?

“What’s your favorite part?”

“Any secrets we should know about?”

A wall of shadow zoomed up between Aloe and Lotus and Fluttershy. Maud’s face pressed through the shadows and blinked at Aloe and Lotus. Behind her, Fluttershy was slowly curling into a ball.

“Hey,” Maud spoke up. “Maybe slow it down?”

“Sorry!” Aloe and Lotus both exclaimed. They then retreated back to their seats in the face of Maud’s gaze.
With it quiet, save for the gusting of the wind, Maud slipped back into her seat.

“Th-thanks,” Fluttershy murmured after a moment.

“You’re welcome.” Maud blinked and stared off into the distance. On the horizon, the tip of a cloud that spread for miles appeared. “I wonder if any unique rock formations exist there.”

“I… I’m not sure.” Fluttershy’s eyes then glistened and she uncurled. Her wings extended out a little. “Oh, but once I got my cutie mark, I found out there were a lot of creatures that like to make their homes there. I’m sure they’ve found unique ways to use rocks.”

“Hmm.” Maud smiled.

~~~

Pinkie’s forelegs bent backwards while the tip of her mane twirled upwards. “We’re here!”

“Here?” Spike peered forward, but all he saw was the massive cloud above and the hills down below. The sun hid itself behind the cloud, casting a shadow over the chariots and a vast swath of the land below.

Then, the chariots crested over the hills. Spike’s eyes widened alongside many of his classmates’, including Twilight’s. Dash, Derpy, and Bulk grinned. Fluttershy gulped. Sunset snorted.

“Whoa,” Spike exclaimed.

Beyond the hills lay a flat plane that stretched on for a little before it hit a thick sheet of water. To call it a downpour would be an understatement: the amount of rain pouring down from the massive cloud overhead was comparable to a raging waterfall. It obscured whatever lied behind it.

Rain was not all the cloud deluged. To the left of the immense rainfall, tornados spiraled but somehow remained contained under the cloud and tore through the landscape. Going further clockwise, flurries of snow whipped at steep mountains. Then, there was an area where lighting crashed down like rain, blackening the earth and setting the grass and trees ablaze. Completing the circle was sliver of overcast space between the extreme weather.

The break in the phenomena allowed a glimpse into the area’s inner workings. Dense fog coated part of the shaded area. A slight drizzle settled on a small plain. Heat and humidity distorted the nearby air. Flames licked the sky and sent spires of smoke into the massive cloud overhead.

In the eye of it all this mass of weather was a ray of sunshine. The chariots angled towards the safe haven. As they drew closer, the cloud overhead gained definition and, while still in shadow, betrayed their true form of countless houses, apartments, and factories that unleashed their contents down below or stowed away their products to ship off to other parts of Equestria.

“The first time you see it for real always gets ya,” Derpy giggled.
Spike continued to stare in awe at the sight.

Twilight grinned. “Welcome to Cloudsdale and the Weather Testing Facility, Spike.”

~~~

“… and we expect the report to contain a full list of remedies that we will review and approve for implementation to prevent embarrassments like this from happening again,” Neighsay commanded from atop the head of the EEA council.

He glared down his nose at Seabreeze, who rested atop a podium, weathering Neighsay’s criticism and trying to maintain focus. An hour and a half of being lambasted and having every detail of Soarin’s crash picked apart would wear on anyone. This was despite the School’s own board examining the incident and filing an in-depth report with the EEA, a copy of which sat right on Neighsay’s desk. By this point, Seabreeze was wondering if a regular pony would have endured this much scrutiny.

Celestia, standing at Seabreeze’s side, pondered the same. Yet, before the EEA, even she had to kowtow to their demands, at least for the sake of keeping an orderly educational system in place. That said, she could not help but feel anticipation for the day Neighsay left his seat and a more tolerant pony took his place. His organization and bureaucratic skills still had their use though and the EEA helped alleviate some of Celestia’s workload, especially in recent centuries.

She hoped what she largely considered a formality would end soon. Dealing with the EEA always left her in need of some tea and cakes. She assumed Seabreeze would want some too. After a little rest, she would fly off to the Weather Training Facility just in time to see Class 1-A finishing up. It always delighted her to swoop in and provide one last challenge the first time the classes went to the WTF and then congratulate them on getting through that gauntlet.

“Your highness,” Neighsay called out, his tone pointed and brimming with annoyance.

Celestia snapped to attention. From the way Neighsay was glaring at her, she could tell she had taken a misstep off the precarious path of decorum the EEA demanded of all who stood before them. She internally groaned.

“Do I have your attention now?” Neighsay snorted.

“Yes,” Celestia answered with a bowed head. “Forgive me, I was reviewing solutions to help prevent a repeat of last week’s events.”

“Admirable, but solutions can come later.” Neighsay leaned back in his seat. Neighsay was not one for smiling, but Celestia imagined he must have felt quite content looking down at the most powerful hero in Equestria and dictating to her. “As Regent of the School, we expect your equal participation in handling this incident as well.”
Celestia bowed her head again. “Of course, Chancellor.”

“Very well,” said Neighsay. “Then by the power vested in me, I declare this session adjourned.”

The other EEA members began to mutter amongst themselves while Neighsay summoned a portal and vanished into it, no doubt off to find some other infraction committed somewhere else in Equestria.

Celestia turned to Seabreeze, and, after keeping her expression stoic for the entire EEA hearing, summoned back her trademark serene smile and lit up her horn. “Shall we?”

“Yes, please,” Seabreeze sighed.

With a flash, Celestia and Seabreeze left the stuffy EEA chamber and reappeared in Celestia’s School Office. It mirrored her bedroom with plush carpets and chairs, but in terms of size matched Seabreeze’s office. The walls were lined with bookshelves, a portion which were taken up with yearbooks that ranged in condition from aged tomes filled with paintings rather than pictures to a still crisp copy of last year’s volume. Celestia’s desk was scattered with paintings and pictures of her standing beside various ponies, many of them just beginning to show the physical attributes that would later grace books, articles, and statutes.

Celestia pulled out the two chairs from one side of the desk and summoned a table plus additional pillows for Seabreeze to rest on. The table was decorated with two cups— one regular sized while the other about the size of a thimble— a tray of macaroons, a kettle, and a bag of tea.

With a content sigh, Celestia took her seat. When Seabreeze had glided to his, she lit up her horn and steam whistled out of the kettle. Lifting off the top, Celestia pulled a generous scoop out of the tea bag and dropped it into the kettle. While the two of them waited for the tea to brew, they leaned back in their seats and enjoyed the sunlight streaming in through the office’s large window.

“Forgive me for being so bold, Princess, but is there a chance of getting the EEA’s Chambers to get a more open remodel?” Seabreeze asked.

“I’ve considered it,” Celestia replied, “it always seems to weasel out of the budget though.”

“Ah.” Seabreeze slumped his shoulders. Celestia picked up the kettle and poured a cup for him and then for herself. A rose aroma wafted up with the steam from the tea. “Well, I suppose we can’t get everything.”

Celestia nodded, blew on her tea, and took a sip.

Seabreeze held back. “While we have some privacy, I would also like to express my concerns about your health, your highness.”

Celestia’s tea sloshed forward and crashed against her nose. She reacted within a split second to prevent the tea from spilling further and into Seabreeze’s view. Shoving the tea back into her cup, she set it down, revealing her face unblemished by the still steaming tea. “Seabreeze, whatever do you mean?”

Seabreeze bowed his head. “Forgive me, Princess, but ever since you established your treaties with us, we have been aware that there was an air of something unhealthy around you—it even made us hesitant at first to take you up on your offers, but through the centuries you and your kingdom have been fast friends to the Breezies. That is why I must bring this to your attention now, for perhaps even you are not aware of it.

“We Breezies thrive on the air, even more so than pegasi. We have tastes to it even. What has cloaked you for so many years we could not place, but in the face of your vast accomplishments and might, we did not think it mattered until now. The air has intensified, Princess, and I now know what it is: Decay.”

Celestia stared down at her cup and then at the door. Her horn glistened and a thin sheen of gold surround the door, window, and walls. She took a deep breath. “So, it has progressed to that point already.”

Seabreeze tensed up. “You are aware of your ailment?”

“Ailment is perhaps not the best word to describe it.” Celestia took a sip of her tea. “Regardless, the time is fast approaching where it will be harder and harder to conceal it. Since I am technically in your employment, Seabreeze, perhaps it is time I informed you of my condition as well. I’m sure you understand the sensitive nature of this.”
Seabreeze bowed his head. “Of course, Princess.”

“Well, I think I shall get truly comfortable then.” Celestia’s body began to glow. Sorry, Twilight, this may take some time to explain.

~~~

The chariots carrying the class crested down in the center of the WTF. Spike’s eyes glistened, taking in the multitude or weather phenomena that cascaded, gusted, and raged all around him. He was so busy taking in the chaotic yet breathtaking sight that he bumped right into Derpy, getting a facefull of suds from her cape. He stumbled backwards, but Twilight caught him with a spell before he tripped. She could not resist letting out a small giggle. Spike blushed and turned his head down.

“Don’t worry, Spike,” she said with a smile. “Everyone gets stunned the first time they see it.”

“You bet!” Dash hooted. She zoomed over, Tantabus’s remnant having evaporated when Dash stepped off the chariot. Grabbing Twilight and Spike around their backs, she pulled them close and took a deep inhale. “Ah, the rain and the lightning smell good today. Heh, sorry, Twi, but you’re in the pegasus zone now.”

“Technically, but this is a facility everyone can use.”

There was a gleam in Dash’s eyes as she pulled Twilight closer. “Not backing down? I like it!”

“And I would prefer if you would unhoof your classmates.” Tantabus rose up from the ground to instantly loom over Dash, Twilight, and Spike. “Keep in mind you are not here just as students, but as representatives of the future generation of heroes.”

“And I’m here to make sure you’re up to snuff!” came a voice from up high.

A piece of the sky brightened and turned into a roaring fireball. Despite the sun being up, it was like seeing a comet shooting downwards. When the fireball neared the class, the air grew hot and rippled from the force coming off of it.
Now it was Dash’s turn for her eyes to widen. Then, she blanched and inserted herself into the thick of the class just as the fireball touched down.

Out of the flames emerged a mare with fur, mane, and a cutie mark that matched her fiery entrance. Her eyes were ablaze with energy and tongues of flame still whipped off her wings. Spitfire took in the stunned looks of the class with a grin. “Oh, it’s always fun to see the greenhorns for the first time.”

With one last heated flap of her wings, Spitfire landed on the ground. She marched forward, eyes remaining on the class. She marched in front of them with the rote step that came from military training. Those in the front straightened up and made their faces as still as stone. Everyone’s eyes followed after Spitfire.

“Welcome to the Weather Testing Facility!” Spitfire bellowed. Her gaze latched onto the pegasi in the class. “And to those with wings, I hope you enjoyed your last time here, cause the training wheels are off now! We’ve got some ‘rescue games’ set up in the level four areas with some level five hazards hoofpicked just for you! I hope you’re ready, cause us ‘bolts are taking bets how fast one of you is going to go from rescuer to rescued.”

Spike dared to lean over to Twilight and whisper, “What’s this about levels?”

“It’s how the weather is divided up,” Twilight replied while keeping her eyes forward. “Level one is very calm, level two is mild storms, and level three is medium-strength storms. After that, you need special permission t—”

“What’s all this?” Spitfire darted over and brought her face down right in front of Twilight’s. Twilight could feel the heat still radiating off her. “Is there something more important than me giving you instructions on how to save ponies’ lives?”

“N-n-no, Ma’am!” Twilight yelped. Nearby, Sunset snickered. “I… I was just explaining to my friend how the WTF works. It’s his first time here!”

“Oh-ho!” To Twilight’s relief, Spitfire turned her sights on Spike and peered closely at him. “The dragon student I’ve been hearing about. Well, you’ve only got Lady Ember to compare to and she’s been able to handle our level six areas.”

“Yeah…” Spike tried to look away, but Spitfire’s gaze held him in her grasp. “Uh, what are the levels over three?”

“What you’ll be handling,” Spitfire answered. “Level four is where the rookies like you get to cut their teeth. Level five is where the regulars get their kicks, and level six is only for the best.”

“And what about level seven?” Sunset asked with a sly grin.

Spitfire inhaled deeply and turned. Sunset felt a chill go down her spine when Spitfire locked onto her and advanced. “Well, looks like you’ve done your reading, but you want to be a little upstart even though you know level seven weather can’t be artificially produced. Don’t get ahead of yourself, greenhorn. Level four with some level five hazards will be enough for yo—”
Spitfire’s ears stiffened and her wings bristled. Some of the students shuddered. Twilight felt something throb at the base of her horn. Tantabus flew in front of the class and summoned his eyes.

Before them, the air was rent apart. It was not a portal or a teleport, but rather a tear in the very air itself. From within the void stepped a multitude of ponies, diamond dogs, and yaks. There were faces amongst the group that the class recognized from police reports and newspaper stories.

Everyone’s blood ran cold when a buzzing filled the air and a swarm of changelings flew out of the void to join the sinister crowd.

“Do not move!” Tantabus ordered. When the crowd parted, Tantabus stiffened.

From amidst the rogue’s gallery emerged two ponies encircled by a serpentine figure that slithered through the air. Its body was a mishmash of monochrome appendages: a tentacle for a left arm, an amphibious claw for the right, a cheetah-like left hind-leg that continuously spouted fire from its fur, and a shriveled vestigial limb for a right hind leg. A bull’s horn sprouted out of its left temple and a moth-like antenna dangled from its right. The only source of color on it aside from shades of gray were its glowing yellow eyes.

One of the ponies that it circled was also grey from the tip of his horn to his tightly bound tail, though that was owed to his body suit. Only black question marks splayed on his flanks and scrawled on his face added color to him.

The other pony strode forward, her angular black mane as stiff as her onyx horn. The white of her body suit was somewhat painful to look at in the sunlight while the black equals signs slashed on her flanks and face drank up the light.

When she came to the vanguard of the gallery, she stopped and looked over the class. Then, she stopped and her eyes, hidden behind the body suit, sharpened and bulged. A vein poked up through the black and white. Her glare had fallen straight on Twilight.

Twilight had grown accustomed to the rage Sunset had beamed at her with her icy glare. She had known instinctual fear when she had gazed into Tantabus’s eyes. Now, even with the mask obscuring the mare’s face, Twilight could feel only one thing: insatiable bloodlust, beyond anything Tantabus had summoned. It was like staring into a roaring inferno while the rest of the world froze around her.

Through gritted teeth, the mare growled, “Twilight Sparkle.”

Author's Note

Ah, good to be back

Also, to any Steven Universe Fans out there, Holy Buck!

Division

“Twilight Sparkle,” the mare growled again. She lurched forward, scraping her hooves against the dirt.

The stallion with the question mark scrawled on his mask raced forward and clamped onto the mare’s right shoulder. He drew close and hastily whispered, “Equality, what are you doing? I thought the plan was to free these foals before they’re further tainted.”

Equality stopped. Her taut features still pressed against her mask, but after a moment that allowed the stallion to gulp, her muscles slackened and the animosity erupting from her face faded behind her equal sign. She let out a deep sigh that sent chills down everyone’s spines. “Thank you, Enigma. Must remember the plan.”

With that, she brushed Enigma off her shoulder and strode out from behind the asymmetrical creature’s encircling body. Twilight remained tense, but sensed that Equality’s gaze had widened over the entire class. “Ah, young ones, it is such a relief that I’ve come upon you before you were fully spoiled. We are here to liberate you fr—”

A shadowy hoof sparkling with starlight came crashing down on Equality from the right. The air beside her face popped before the hoof struck her. A shield went up at the last second around her face, but the blow still launched her off her hooves and sent her sprawling across the field.

Tantabus slammed his hoof back on the ground and it spread out in an inky wave towards the group of villains. The asymmetrical creature’s eyes glowed bright and Tantabus’s attack veered around it and Enigma. The other villains were caught in it and began to scream at the top of their lungs. A few managed to jump back or take to the air, but many were engulfed in Tantabus’s attack and were swallowed up into the darkness.

“Get back to the chariots!” Tantabus ordered. “Spitfire! Cover the—”

A blast of magic washed over Tantabus, but it parted around him. When the attacked faded, the earth besides Tantabus was scorched and smoking, as was Equality’s horn. An inky wing had sprouted out of Tantabus’s side and still sizzled from the attack. With a snort, Tantabus flung his tendrils at Equality, but they crashed against a shield of turquoise aura.

While the tendrils could not penetrate Equality’s shield, they could force her back. Her hooves dug into the dirt, but she dared to look away from Tantabus and over at Enigma. “Do not let them leave! Use the Paradox if you have to!”

Enigma gave a curt nod and then galloped after the class, which was already fleeing for the chariots. A blast of fire rocketed towards Enigma and the asymmetrical creature they called the Paradox. The blaze spiraled around the Paradox and Enigma and locked them into a flaming tornado.

Spitfire beat her wings, sending out more sizzling air and trails of flame to feed her attack. Behind her, the class had stopped to marvel at her display of power. Keeping her eye on the tornado, she ordered, “Keep going!”

The class spun back around. The chariots were only a few yards away, but the sounds of roaring flames, blasts of magic, and battle cries stretched the distance out into miles. Applejack and Dash were at the head of the group, but they came to a stop when they reached the chariots.

The guards that had been hitched to them had vanished.

“What the hay?” Applejack exclaimed.

“No time to worry about that!” Twilight huffed. “We need to get our flyers hitched instead an—”

“Sorry, but I can’t allow that to happen.” Enigma slid out from behind one of the chariots. Most of the class stepped back, but Applejack, Twilight, and Sunset stood their ground. Dash snorted and spread out her wings. Pinkie stood still, her eyes transfixed on Enigma. “You’ll all b—”

“You!” Pinkie squealed. A smile exploded across her face. She took off like a rocket at Enigma.

“Pinkie!” Applejack, Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy screamed after a moment of being caught off guard by Pinkie’s bizarre reactions. They galloped forward to pull her back.

“Idiot!” Both Sunset and Dash cursed before rushing forward to attack Enigma.

“Oh, damn.” Enigma’s horn crackled with aura. Just as Pinkie came within striking distance and held out her hooves wide, a bolt of magic zigzagged through the air and stuck Pinkie. A current ran through her and spiked up her mane. She tried to cry out, but the magic forced her teeth together. Enigma sighed, “Have to think on my hooves.”

The current exploded from around Pinkie and latched onto Applejack, locking her into a similar pained stasis. It then leapt into the class and caught Derpy too. There was a flash and then the three of them were gone.

A blue hoof hooked Enigma from the left while a blazing crimson hoof struck him straight in the barrel. Sunset glared up at him while Dash dared to grin. Shock crept onto both their faces when their legs continued to slide forward, into and then through Enigma’s body until they were locked into him.

“Equality really blew it on this one.” He shook his head and then glanced down at Sunset. She snorted and threw back her other hoof. At the same time, Dash raised up her free foreleg and brought it down towards Enigma’s head.

“Watch where you’re looking, freak!” she roared.

Aura spread out from Enigma’s head and barrel instead of his horn and caught Dash and Sunset in the same electrifying current that had trapped Pinkie. Through gritted teeth, both Sunset and Dash tried to launch another attack, but the spell holding them kept them from even moving a muscle. With the two of them subdued, Enigma turned his attention on Twilight. “I’ll have to make sure there’s some distraction for Equality before she gets to that one.”

Time slowed around Twilight, even while her mind continued to race. This was a worst-case scenario. Villains were attacking. A bolt of magic had burst off of Sunset and was coming for her. Tantabus and Spitfire were locked into battle with enemies Twilight could not gauge. The bolt was getting closer. All the guards were gone. Cloudsdale was the closest area with other heroes, but it was miles away in the sky. The bolt was almost upon her now.

“Twilight!” Spike leapt up to catch the attack in Twilight’s place, but the bolt arced over him.

“Spi—” Twilight tried to call out before the spell struck her and then leapt over to Fluttershy. They were then gone just like the others.

“You!” Spike roared as he turned towards Enigma. “What did you do to Twilight?!”

Instead of immediately acknowledging Spike barreling towards him, Enigma sent Rainbow Dash away and then zapped Spike in the same manner. That left Bulk, Aloe, Lotus Blossom, Bon Bon, Rarity, and Lyra, and Maud. Bulk inched back, as did Aloe and Lotus. Bon Bon and Lyra stood their ground. Maud summoned her shadow and Rarity crystalized her legs. Tree Hugger raised up a hoof and jabbed at the air. Enigma scratched at his chin.

“Ah, still too many,” he muttered.

Two more bolts arced out of his horn. Even though the remaining students knew it was coming, it still caught Bon Bon, Lyra, and Rarity in one and Bulk and Aloe in the other. With just Lotus, Maud and Tree Hugger remaining, Enigma took up a stance.

“Well, I need to make sure Equality has enough time to vent, so I won’t go too hard on you.”

“You’re going to tell us where you sent Pinkie,” said Maud.

“Yeah, you weirdo!” her shadow screeched. “Nopony lays a hoof on Pinkie!”

“You’re, like, totally off balance,” Tree Hugger commented. “We’ll straighten you out.”

Enigma shook his head. “Why does she have to make things difficult?”

~~~

Tantabus sensed powerful magic going off. In front of him, his hooves bore down on Equality’s shield while his tendrils whipped it from other angles, trying to pierce it. His glare intensified on Equality while Equality grinned. “Vile interloper! What has your kin done?”

Equality let out a chilling laugh. “Just making sure the youth are no longer within your foul grasp.”

“Save your self-justification!” Tantabus plowed forward and brought a blazing horn down on the shield. Fissures spread out from the point of impact. Equality’s horn glowed and she vanished. Tantabus jumped back as Equality reappeared from his right and swung her horn down. It grazed his wing and dissipated a part of it. The two of them squared off.

Nearby, the flaming tornado Spitfire had summoned burst apart into a cacophony of molten metal, foul-smelling gases in sickly shades of blue, purple, and green, and droplets of fire that rolled along the ground, but left streaks of mucus rather than ash. The Paradox coiled through the air and serpentined at Spitfire.

“The taint of chaos is upon you!” Tantabus snarled. “And your bloodlust against Twilight Sparkle is undisguisable! By the end of this day, you will tell me what miserable hole he has hidden you in all these centuries!”

“Heh, cute,” Equality replied. Tantabus could sense her eyes were on his wing. The part that had been cleaved off by her horn refused to reform. “You’re not looking so good there… Luna.”

With a snort, Tantabus flared out his wings. Out of his body came silver armor that enclosed around his legs, barrel and head. His form slimmed and gave way to the outline of an alicorn mare. “If you know who I truly am, then you are all the greater a fool to challenge me! Prepare to face your worst nightmare!”

Luna charged at Equality, but she remained in place with a grin pressing against her mask. “You have no idea what my nightmares are like.”

~~~

The air fizzled with electricity. Above, dark-grey clouds rumbled and sent down a light spray of rain. Sparks popped, but they were not of electricity, they were colored teal with magic. An arc of aura rent through the air and Applejack, Pinkie, and Derpy reappeared feet above the ground and flopped onto it. A few currents of magic still ran through their fur and manes, but they managed to shake it off and get onto their hooves.

Pinkie shook out the last of the magic still curling through her mane. “Okay, let’s not do that again.”

“Or rush at a villain we know nothing about.” Applejack looked forward and spotted the center of the WTF from afar. “Darn, we gotta hightail it back!”

“We’re on the edge of the monsoon area,” said Derpy. “We should get out of here before the storm rolls in.”

A pair of laughs filled the air. Applejack’s fur bristled and her jaw clenched.

“Oh, be we’ve got something fun in store for you,” came a chuckle.

“Indeed, we do, brother,” came another chuckle.

There was a flash of light and then all around Applejack, Pinkie, and Derpy were thugs and changelings. Two vested unicorn stallions stood directly in front of the students. From their straw hats to their red and white striped manes and tails, they looked identical save for one brother bearing a mustache while the other wore a slicked back mane.

“The Flim Flam Brothers,” Applejack spat. “I thought we had you locked up for good.”

“That what your lummox of a brother told you?” Flim sneered.

“Well, that wouldn’t exactly be a lie, brother of mine,” said Flam. He rolled his hat onto his hoof and twirled it around. “Oh, we certainly did suffer in sing-sing for a time, but we got let out early on good behavior.”

“Good behavior?” Applejack stomped a hoof. “You two are the lowest varmints to ever cross through Ponyville!”

Pinkie waved a leg through the air. “Wait a minute! How come I never heard of them then?”

“Before your time, Pinkie.” Applejack raked the ground. “Happened when I was just a filly. Those two varmints came in and tried to run all the hardworking ponies in town out of business. Luckily, my brother and the other heroes managed to find out their business was rottener than a five-week old apple.”

“Oh, labor laws and…” Flim flexed his leg, “… what’s considered illegal are all rubbish. We did business better than you yokels, and that’s just a fact.”

“What’s also fact is we’ve got a prime chance to let out how it felt being locked up all those years.” Flam tossed his hat back on his head and smacked his hooves together. “Not as good as getting our hooves on your brother, but you’ll have to do.”

“Looks like prison didn’t set you right,” Applejack snorted. “I’ll kick some sense into you!”

~~~

A frustrated cry echoed through a collection of mountains, loosened snow, and sent it tumbling down the peaks, and into abysmal crevasses. The wind howled around Dash as she stomped the snow below her. Flurries blew in from every direction, leaving the world around Dash black speckled with streaks and dots of white.

“I’ll clobber that freak when I get my hooves onto him!” She beat her wings to shake off the snow buffeting her. “Dammit, the wind’s too strong to get a good take-off.”

Is it really, Dash? the slimy voice asked. C’mon, this is the chance of a lifetime. Just fly back, kick that freak’s flank and you’ll be a hero tha—

“Shut up! Shut up!” Dash stomped the ground again. Taking a breath, she watched the air around her fog up and swirl off into the blizzard. The majority of her breath went east. Spreading out her wings, she confirmed the wind’s direction and began trudging off that way.

“Ah, very impressive,” came a voice through the storm. It was deep and had a thick accent to it. A pair of goggles appeared out of the blizzard, followed by the rest of a pony cloaked in snow gear. Other geared-up ponies appeared and surrounded Rainbow Dash. A few changelings buzzed in, their shiny exoskeletons unfazed by the cold.

The first pony that had appeared lifted up his goggles and pulled down the mask shielding his face, revealing a five-o-clock shadow, a salt and pepper mane, and eyes brimming with malice. “You must know this place well to already be heading to the next safest area. However, you will not be going anywh—”

“Stop.” Dash held out a hoof. “Look, the weirdos facing teach and Spitfire had a pretty good act going on, but this is just sad. I mean, what, you couldn’t think of an original idea for ‘bad guy’ so you just went with Dr. Caballeron? Save it, buddy. What, you gonna sick an Ahuizotl cosplayer on me next?”

“No,” Caballeron snorted. “I was thinking of beating you within an inch of your life, but for that insult, I’m going to take my time now.”

“Oooh, the fake accent really intimidates me.”

“It is not fake!” Caballeron stomped a hoof. “I am Dr. Caballeron and you are quickly becoming just as annoying as Ms. Do!”

“What?” Dash shrugged. “You’re saying A.K. Yearling actually bases her stories on real ponies?”

“To my infuriation, yes,” Caballeron growled.

“Oh.” Dash let her head droop, her mane fell across her face. “So, in other words, nopony believes you actually exist.”

“They will after today!” Caballeron cackled. “After today, the name Caballeron will be one of the most feared in Equestria! And there’s no Daring Do to ruin my plans this time!”

Caballeron bellowed again, but a bolt of lightning whizzing by his face cut him off.

“Nopony will know. Nopony will know.” It was Dash’s turn to laugh. Some tiny part of Caballeron felt an inkling of wanting to run. Dash lifted up her head, ruby eyes ablaze and crackling with lightning. “Nopony will ever know, so it’s okay.”

The mighty crash of thunder rang through the air, but the blizzard insured that it did not carry far enough for anypony outside of the area to hear it.

~~~

Spike landed on something hard. He groaned and raised up his head, but all he saw was darkness. He crawled along the ground until he came up against a wall. Pressing his hand against it, he could feel a spire of rock narrowing upwards. As he got to his feet, he heard the drip of water echoing around him.

Taking in a little inhale, he let out a tiny burst of flame, just enough to illuminate the cavern around him long enough to get an understanding of where he was. It was a small chamber with a low ceiling and a few stalagmites and stalactites filling it. Spike was glad he had only used a little fire, but the formations around him and the drip of water assured him that he was not fully sealed in. So, air, while limited, was not going to run out anytime soon.

“Okay, Spike, nothing new,” he said to himself while feeling along the wall, tapping every couple of paces. Something about one the taps made him stop and he faced the wall. “Time to bust out of here and get back to everyone else!”

~~~

“N-n-no.” Rarity inched back, trying to hide between Bon Bon and Lyra.

“C’mon, Rarity,” Lyra pleaded while rising onto her hind legs and raising up her forelegs in front of her face. “We can take these guys.”

A cackle sent goosebumps up Rarity’s legs. It rang out from the snout of a red-scaled dragon. He sneered at the students through the mists that surrounded them. Outlines of scaly tails and leathery wings could be seen through the fog. “This really is a joke. Can’t believe that loser pony roped us into dealing with these wusses.”

He pounded one claw into the palm of the other. “Oh well, she did say we could do whatever we wanted, so let’s play a little game. It’s called dragon rampage.”

Bon Bon crouched. “I think we’ll pass.”

~~~

Twilight felt the wind whipping around her. Her eyes cleared just as she crashed into water. She oriented herself and swam upwards, but a bit of the brackish water went up her nose and into her mouth. It was stagnant and thick with silt and Celestia-knew-what-else, but she managed to keep her head above it, even while she felt like gagging.

Something burst out of the surface beside Twilight and grabbed onto her leg. It was webby and sticky and she reared back her head to aim her horn at her would-be attacker, but stopped short of charging up a spell when she saw that a webbed yellow hoof was holding her up.

Fluttershy looked down on her, but continued to hold her above the water. Her pupils had widened into horizontal bars and her entire body now had a sheen to it. A bit of her tongue stuck out of mouth. She croaked, “S-sorry.”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy. Just give me a second.” Twilight closed her eyes and lit up her horn. A glow surrounded her hooves and encased them in a veil of aura. “Okay, you can put me down now.”

“Are… are you sure?”

Twilight nodded and Fluttershy complied. Twilight’s hooves touched down against the muddy water, sank an inch, but the rest of her remained above it. Glad Princess Celestia drilled the water and cloud walker spells into me.

“Well, at least I won’t have to worry about you swimming through this crap.” Sunset strode over, steam rising up from where she stepped. Her hooves glowed crimson and she stood fully above the water, but she sent out small waves with each step she took. “Enough doting around. We’ve got some ass to kick.”

“W-we should find the others,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“And get out of here.” Twilight shuddered thinking of Equality. “I don’t know why, but that mare is targeting me. If we leave and alert the authorities, she’ll probably retreat.”

“Spoken like a true pansy!” Sunset stomped a hoof, splashing Twilight and Fluttershy. “That mare’s got a lot of nerve to come in here and think she can take on Equestria’s best. If Tantabus hasn’t beaten her silly I’m gonna get some good kicks in on her and anypony else that tries to take me on!” She turned and glared into the fog. “You hear that, you yellow-bellied cowards?!”

Her voice echoed until it faded away, but it left Fluttershy shaking. “D-do you think there are other villains out here?”

Twilight tensed up. “It’s not out of the question.”

“Classic move.” Sunset strutted past Twilight and Fluttershy. “Split up a large group and pick them off. Staying in one place will just make it easier. I’ll kick anypony’s flank that gets in my way, but I won’t let them get the drop on me.”

“She’s right, we need to move.” Twilight followed Sunset, who gave a snort and marched onwards.

Fluttershy gulped and trailed behind Twilight.

Deep below the water’s surface, a trio of figures watched the trio above making their way through the swamp. All three of them looked like a bestial mix of pony and fish. They had massive dorsal fins erupting out of their backs and spiny fins sticking out from behind their jaws and legs. At the center of all three of their chests was a pulsating red crystal.

“Oooh,” the blue siren purred. “I like the yellow one, she’s literally boiling!”

“Isn’t the other unicorn the one the boss told us not to touch?” asked the purple one in a droning tone.

“That’s right.” The yellow siren grinned, displaying her fangs. “We can’t ‘touch’ her, but luckily for us, we don’t need to touch them to put them under our spell. Seems there’s a bit of animosity up there already. Let’s give them an Adagio of Anger!”

“A Sonata of Rage!” Sonata cheered.

“An Aria of Fury,” Aria snickered.

All three sirens opened their mouths and began to sing. Even underwater, their voices carried and invaded Twilight, Sunset and Fluttershy’s ears. The sirens chanted in unison, “We will feast on your hate, there’s no running now, it is your fate. Listen to our violent symphony, and let us eat your anger in tranquility. Your doom has come, there’s no turning back! Now, turn on each other! Stab, betray and attack!”

Author's Note

Ah, thank you Green Lantern for giving inspiration.

Subtraction

A claw burst through the cave’s wall. A few more well-placed strikes and Spike tore his way through the stone. He shut his eyes and breathed in the air, glad to have more of it to breathe, but it quickly escaped him when he opened his eyes and was once more greeted with relative darkness. After the time he had spent plowing through the rock, his eyes had adjusted to lack of light, but that only allowed him to see that he was still in the cave, albeit in a bigger cavern now.

“Crud!” he cursed.

As if responding to his voice, the ceiling above him rumbled, loosening some dust and a few bits of rock. Spike raised his arms to shield his head. His eyes then widened and he scanned around the cavern until his spotted a narrow pillar. He raced over, sank his claws into it, and began to climb.

~~~

Applejack found herself surrounded by boulders the size of her head encased in a sickly green glow. Flim smirked and the boulders careened toward Applejack. She leapt just before they smashed together, but the same aura that had surrounded the boulders now took hold of her. She rocketed towards Flim, still wearing a smirk on his face. He kept it even when Applejack reared back a hindleg and angled herself to strike at Flim’s head. Just before she came into striking range, Flim arced her over himself and then struck her with a buck straight in the gut.

The blow sent her flying. The changelings that circled around Flim, Flam, and the students hissed, caught Applejack and flung her back into the melee.

Flim
Talent- Demand: He has superb mastery over telekinetic spells. It allows him to manipulate multiple inanimate objects at a whim, which is quite handy for sleight-of-hoof tricks. Living targets are a bit harder to manipulate, but he can still spin you six ways from Sunday.

“Well, you’re a little easier to handle than your brother at least,” Flim snickered.

Applejack responded with a snort and rushed him. Flim did not even crouch. He just lit up his horn and chucked Applejack into the changelings again. When they caught her this time, a few opened their mouths and brought their fangs down on Applejack. A flurry of hooves batted the majority of them away, but two managed to chomp down on Applejack’s right shoulder and the left side of her barrel. She crunched her teeth together to prevent a holler from escaping her lips. Her eyes closed for a brief second and then blared open again with her focus concentrated on Flim. She forced the holler back down her throat—she was not going to allow Flim’s slimy grin to broaden any further.

A hum rose off of her and her entire body turned into a stationary blur. One changeling reared back with his fangs rattling, but the other remained latched onto Applejack for a second longer. The vibrations spread from his muzzle to his hole-filled hooves. A series of cracks split the air and then the changeling dropped off Applejack, its carapace resembling shattered glass and its fangs chipped and broken. The other changelings hissed, but inched back.

“Now that was something your brother never had the wits or skill to try,” said Flim.

“He didn’t need to get fancy to deal with the likes of you!” Applejack shouted back and charged once more.

Nearby, Derpy rolled across the field with a hoof mark indented into her side. Flam gave his mustache a twirl while he looked over Derpy attempting to get up. She was able to raise her right legs with ease, but her left legs struggled to heft up the rest of her body.

“So much for being light as a feather,” Flam snickered.

Flam
Talent- Supply: Anything Flam strikes doubles in weight. Its range is limited though, so only small to medium sized objects fully double in weight. He can only affect parts of livings things as well. Another great talent for sleight-of-hoof.

Derpy managed to get up and spread her wings. The air around her coalesced into bubbles and, with a snort, she sent them flying at Flam.

“You need a bit more pizzazz, dear,” Flam yawned. He cast a spell, lifting up some pebbles. With a wave of his leg, he brushed his hoof over them and the glow around the pebbles intensified. They went flying like scattershot, bursting Derpy’s bubbles before they even came close to Flam. Some of the pebbles zoomed forward and struck Derpy in the legs and the chest, leaving gashes and deep welts, but she managed to stay on her hooves.

“Well, you certainly are a sturdy one.” Flam crouched down. “Let’s see how much weight it takes to break the pony’s back!”

“Derpy!” Pinkie cried out from nearby. She swung a large cartoonish harmer to clear away the changelings surrounding her, but their ranks were too thick. She could only watch as Flam rushed Derpy and the two traded blows with Derpy forced to dodge while Flam pushed her closer and closer towards the wall of changelings.

With her eyes on Derpy, Pinkie did not have time to react when a changeling lunged at her from behind and sank its fangs into her. She cried out and whipped her hammer around, but the changeling held firm. A chill spread out from where it bit into her. She flung her hammer aside, reached into her mane and pulled out a round device. She shoved into the changeling’s face and shut her eyes.

The blast of light and confetti forced the changeling off of her and it staggered back. While it and the other changelings around her struggled to get their eyesight back, Pinkie picked up her hammer again and smashed it into the changeling, sending it flying. Choking down some air, she reached into her vest and wolfed down a cinnamon roll. The sweet pastry restored some warmth to her, but she had no time to relish in the moment as more changelings came rushing at her.

Hefting her hammer back, she rose up onto her hind legs, reached into her mane and flung more confetti flash bangs at the changelings. This time though, they did not stop, their compound eyes were now silver and shimmering. Pinkie jumped skyward and threw more balls at the pursuing changelings. These ones exploded in a spray of what looked like silly string, but once it made contact with a changeling, it clung to their wings and chitin and sent a few spiraling back to the ground.

Numbers prevailed and more changelings buzzed up at Pinkie, mouths gaping open and fangs catching the nearing flashes of lightning. Pinkie swung her hammer and threw more and more surprise balls at the changelings, but they kept coming and she was falling back down, where the rest of the changelings awaited her.

Pinkie was sweating and huffing now. She reached into her vest, but her hooves only touched fabric. Her muscles tensed and she shoved her hooves in and out of her pockets, but none yielded any food. “No, no, no!”

Pinkie spun in midair and reached into her mane to pull out something else, but changelings below pounced on her, while the ones above struck at her back. The two swarms converged into one around Pinkie and swallowed her up.

“Pinkie!” Applejack and Derpy screamed.

Before Applejack and Derpy could rush to Pinkie’s aid, Flim lifted Applejack off her hooves in her moment of distraction and clobbered her in the face. Flam took similar advantage of Derpy and sucker punched her twice in the gut. The wind was flung out of her lungs and she tumbled away. Only Applejack remained standing, but her vision swam and the ground roiled underneath her. Derpy tried to get up, but her own weight pinned her to the ground. Flim and Flam advanced on Applejack.

“What shall we do, brother of mine?” asked Flim.

“A black eye for you and a black eye for me to start,” Flam answered. “Ah, my head still aches just thinking about how her brother walloped us.”

Applejack’s eyes darted back and forth between the brothers. Flim summoned up an array of rocks while Flam rolled his right foreleg’s shoulder.

“Then I think we’ll go rib-by-rib down her side,” said Flim.

Flam kept a slick smile but his eyes bored holes into Applejack. “Your brother made breathing quite difficult those first few months in the slammer.”

“And finally, I think I’ll twist her right hind leg around until it stops cracking,” Flim said with a chilling gleam in his eyes.

“While I crush the left until the ground craters beneath it!” Flam cackled.

“What a wonderful idea!” they said in unison.

“One problem,” Applejack grunted. “I’m gonna kick your flanks so hard you’ll wish my brother was here!”

“Oh, Applejack, you silly little filly,” said Flam. “Your brother may have been the one to ultimately beat us down, but it took him and a whole bunch of other heroes just to get to us.”

“Look around you,” Flim chimed in. “Even if you could beat us, there’s a swarm of changelings just waiting to gobble you up. Even if you were as strong as your brother, yo—”

A howl of pain cut Flim off. Flam had crumpled to the ground, clutching his head. Acrid smoke boiled off the right side of his face. Whatever had struck him had already consumed half his mustache and was continuing to sizzle his skin.

“Brother!” Flim cried. He raced over to Flam, but something sliced through the air to his side. His horn lit up and his magic caught a knife, its tip hovering beside his neck. Flim turned his head in the direction the knife had come from. His blood ran as cold as the rain that pelted down from the sky.

Changelings lay strewn across the field. Ichor dripped from precise slices to their necks and stabs through their chest and mixed with the rain. The remaining swarm had collectively inched back. A few of them shuddered.

Pinkie stood atop on changeling with a knife still buried in its side. She was covered in puncture wounds from changeling bites, but she stood firmly in place. In the rain, her mane had fallen flat and obscured one of her eyes. The other one displayed an icy blue pupil that chilled Applejack and Derpy as much as it froze Flim's blood.

“Get away from them,” Pinkie muttered. Before Flim could respond, Pinkie burst off the changeling and was upon Flim in an instant. His horn flared up and a shield parried a blow from Pinkie’s knife, but blades came at him from the side, forcing him to jump back.

“You!” Flim yelled. “The bugs should have sucked you dry!”

“Pies do not go down easy.” Pinkie leveled her knife at Flim, but glanced at Applejack. Seeing Pinkie’s icy eyes, Applejack seized up on instinct. A look of hurt registered on Pinkie’s face for a second, before she turned away from Applejack, but her next words were still directed at her. They were like a whisper. “Applejack… I’m sorry. I need you to run.”

“Pinkie, what are you talking about?” Applejack replied. “I don’t know what’s got into you bu—”

“I don’t… I can’t fight like this for long,” Pinkie said in a stern tone. “We need pros here and you’re the only one that can reach them. I know you can make it back to school, you’ve run further in worse circumstances.”

“She’s right,” Derpy coughed. She was back on her hooves, her body no longer weighed down, but still aching from the attacks. “You get going, Applejack. We’ll hold them off.”

“But…” Applejack protested.

“Go!” Pinkie ordered and then chucked something into the swarm of changelings. It was like her earlier surprise balls, only this one was green and covered in rigid squares. The changelings transformed their eyes to shield them from the flash, but fire and pressure exploded out of the ball instead, shattering chitin, sending changelings flying, and leaving trails of ichor in their wake.

The explosion tore a hole in their ranks. The world slowed around Applejack for a brief moment, but one look from Pinkie got her legs moving. Pinkie’s eyes were still icy, but deep in them was a look of desperation. Applejack acceded to her and sped off.

“Dammit!” Flim cursed. “You’ll pay for that!”

“Not before I’ve gotten my hooves on her!” Flam rasped. Half his face was now black and smoking with one eye forced shut, but his other blazed with anger. “You’re dead!”

“Okay then.” Pinkie inhaled deeply, but in a slow manner. Rearing up onto her hind legs, she clutched her knife in her left foreleg and reached back with her right foreleg. From behind her back, she slid out a cleaver half the length of her body. “Playtime is over.”

~~~

Lyra threw her fist at a pudgy dragon and slammed into his gut. His stomach quivered, but he did not budge from his spot. Nearby, Bon Bon grappled with a smaller dragon and chucked it over her shoulder, where it crashed into a pile of dragons and changelings that were pulling against each other, but could not untangle themselves. Yet, in the fog, there were hisses and tails whipping through the air.

The dragon looming over Lyra displayed his fangs. “That all you got, small-fry?”

Lyra’s arm transformed back into a leg and her hind legs shifted in a split second. At the same time, the dragon swiped at her, but she sprung back at the last moment. Lyra and Bon Bon met back to back. Around them, more dragons and changelings appeared out of the fog, taking the place of their fallen cohorts.

“Guh, they just keep coming.” Lyra gave her left foreleg a shake. It stung from impacting the dragon.

“Well, I wanted to save this, but…” Bon Bon turned to Lyra. “Here goes!”

“Heh.” Garble bared his fangs at Rarity. “Wonder how long your friends can keep this up.”

He then flared his wings and dove at Rarity. She yelped and sidestepped, but Garble slashed at her from the side, forcing to raise up her legs. Sparks flew where claw met crystal, but even though Garble’s claw could not break through Rarity’s defense, his power was enough to throw her off her hooves and sent her tumbling.

“Sheesh, this is boring,” Garble teased. “At least the other two know how to put up a fight, but those gems of yours look pretty tasty. And Pa never said to play with your food, heh.”

Rarity shuddered and her hooves flew out. She tried to stumble away, but Garble advanced on her. He was just about to overtake her when a blast of pink aura shot up from where Bon Bon and Lyra were.

“What the heck?” he shouted.

In the midst of battle, Bon Bon had pulled Lyra close and locked her into a deep kiss. Pink aura flared off the two of them. A second later, they separated and burst off in opposite directions. Lyra raced at the imposing dragon from before.

He bellowed and slapped his stomach with his claws. “Wanna go again? Bring i—”

Lyra buried her hoof in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Her eyes glistened with pink aura, which also swirled around her body.

The same aura flared even brighter around Bon Bon. She pulled back her right foreleg and slammed into a changeling. The blow knocked it off its hooves and barreling into the rest of the swarm. The one directly hit and those closest to it let out a piercing screech as smoke rose off their bodies and their carapaces squealed and cracked.

Bon Bon
Talent- Bon-Bond: She can bond to anything she wants. She can also make other things sticky as well, but only for a limited time. If she shares a close relationship with somepony she can form a special bond with her and give her special somepony and herself a huge temporary power boost.

Lyra grinned, having felled the large dragon. Yet, there were still more dragons and changelings in the fog. She kept up her grin. “Bring it.”

Addition

Changelings and thugs went flying. Their ranks were cleaved apart. Those that managed to avoid the implacable charge were blasted with a sharp scent that stung their eyes and brought them to their knees in fits of hacking.

Bulk reared up, clearing away the villains closest to himself and Aloe. Slamming his hooves back on the ground, the thick sphere around his head dissipated into the air. With a big breath, he yelled, “Yeah!”

Bulk Biceps
Talent- Air Head: Muscles aren’t all this pegasus has got! His talent allows him to bend the air around his head into an impenetrable bubble. Nothing gets in or out of it… including fresh air, so he can’t use it for long periods of time. When active though, he’s basically a pony-sized wrecking ball!

“Good job, Bulk!” Aloe slid off his back. The sand swirled near her. Flicking a hoof, the wind bent ahead of her and flew into some nearby villains. A few lunged and buzzed out of the way, but many joined their comrades on the ground, in tears and gasping for air.

Aloe Vera
Talent- Aromatherapy: This mare can certainly prickle your nose if you get on her bad side! She can create all kinds of scents based on what she’s eaten. From a soothing fragrance to melt away the day’s labors to a noxious combination that makes pepper spray look tame, this mare is an olfactory dream or nightmare!

“These brats are annoying!” a bearded stallion cursed before charging at Aloe. He extended out a wing, transforming it into a massive sickle.

Bulk sucked in his breath and met the stallion’s blow with his head. The sharpened edge cracked and the stallion howled in pain. Behind Bulk, Aloe summoned up more invisible aromas and threw them all around herself and Bulk.

Aloe dared to grin. “Professor Tantabus would be happy now.”

Bulk gave a muffled “Yeah!” He then scooped Aloe onto his back and plowed into the villains again.

While they barreled into the crowds, a villain watched them with a glint in his eyes. Despite his comrades gasping for air around him, he stood unfazed. Brushing a hoof against his well-oiled and maintained mane, he grinned. The tips of his deep purple hooves began to bubble. Noxious fumes rose off them.

~~~

A fist of shadow smashed into Enigma’s head from the right while a volley of tiny needles flew at his side from the left. Tree Hugger strafed around him, but she could always sense his gaze on her, so she dared not draw any closer. Maud’s shadow’s fist slipped through Enigma’s face and remained caught there for a moment before Maud dispelled and reformed it by her side. The needles Lotus Blossom had thrown passed through him just as easily.

“What’s with this guy?” Lotus asked.

Lotus Blossom
Talent- Soft Spot: Lotus knows just the spot to relax your muscles if you’re seeing her for a massage. If you’re fighting her though, she’ll knock you out with a simple touch or strike with an array of augmented spa tools that complement her talent. Together with Aloe, they make an amazing spa treatment and crime fighting duo!

Tree Hugger’s eyes narrowed. “Huh, so not warping.”

Tree Hugger
Talent- In Touch: This mare can really feel you out. Despite being an earth pony, she can see magical energy and target opponents to throw off their groove. She still needs to understand what she’s looking at, though.

“Darn, he’s, like, scrambling everything.” Tree Hugger jumped back to avoid a swipe from Enigma. “Must’ve encountered similar talents before. It’d be far out if he wasn’t a villain.”

“Maybe he’s intangible,” Maud commented.

“Let’s find out!” her shadow screeched. It then melted into the ground and pooled under Enigma. Shoots of shadow then sprung up from under him, skewering him. Maud sucked down some air.

Maud Pie
Talent- Shadow-play: Her shadow seems like it has a mind of its own, but it’s actually connected to Maud’s emotions and stamina. The more of either she has, the stronger her attacks. If she lets her emotions get out of hoof though, her shadow becomes more and more uncontrollable.

Enigma remained suspended for a moment, allowing the students to take in the grisly sight before he sighed and swam through the spikes going through and around him. He could have just as easily been taking a stroll. “My word, is Celestia really teaching you to be so violent? No wonder Equality wanted to rescue you.”

“Oh, she’s one of those villains,” Maud droned while retracting her shadow.

“What does that mean?” Lotus asked.

“There are, like, some ponies that think Princess Celestia is a major bummer,” said Tree Hugger. “I hung with a few fillies and colts like that, but they just had, like, a super negative aura around them. If it wasn’t the Princess, they’d be mad about something else. Really not a good way to deal with bad vibes.”

“Speaking of which…” Maud’s eyes homed in on Enigma. “When I attacked him, something felt strange when he moved through my shadow.”

“Yeah, I noticed it too.” Tree Hugger gazed at Enigma. Through her eyes, she saw a maelstrom of colors in his shape advancing towards them. Through all the shifting hues of magic, she glimpsed a speck of gold that was quickly cloaked by the maelstrom. “Part of him is definitely giving off different waves than the rest, but it’s like mad crazy to pinpoint inside all his scrambling.”

“Leave that up to me!” Lotus declared.

Maud summoned her shadow to her side and split it into multiple spears. “I’ll help draw it out.”

Enigma shook his head. “Celestia really is such a bother.”

~~~

Sunset annihilated a mosquito as big as her eye when it buzzed just a bit too close for her tolerance to stand. Its brethren’s buzzing hummed in her, Fluttershy’s, and Twilight’s ears. The noise was a constant reminder of their location, but it managed to avoid rising to the level of an annoyance. What it portended made Fluttershy shudder.

She hovered closer to Twilight. “Those… those were changelings back there, right?”

“They matched the pictures,” Twilight answered. “We’ll need to be cautious of anypony we encounter.”

♪You can’t trust anyone♪

Twilight’s ears prickled, but Sunset’s words brought her eyes forward.

“I say we just knock ‘em out and sort it out after we clobber those freaks.”

“What?” Fluttershy gasped.

“There are better ways to find a changeling than that,” Twilight retorted. “We can’t just leave our classmates out cold while there are villains all around.”

♪Tell her how you really feel♪

“Even for you, that’s reckless,” Twilight added with a bit more bite to her words.

“Hmmm?” Sunset snorted. She stopped and glared back at Twilight. Perhaps it was the fog and a trick of light, but it looked like there were licks of red around her eyes for a second. “If you don’t like it, who cares? What are you going to do?

♪Tell her♪

“I won’t let you hurt somepony based on paranoia.” A stomp sending up some water emphasized Twilight’s point. “This isn’t like before, Sunset. You can’t just bully ponies around.”

♪Yes, you can. Yes, you can.♪

Sunset turned and splashed down, hitting Twilight and Fluttershy with a few drops of the fetid water. “I can do whatever I want! What? You think you could stop me with that dinky horn and your worthless magic?”

“G-girls,” Fluttershy squeaked, “this really isn’t that time for this.”

“My magic is not useless.” The same aura that had flickered around Sunset’s eyes danced around Twilight’s. “In fact, it saved your stupid flank from blowing up yourself and half of the school.”

“Oooooh.” Sunset crouched. “When did you learn to mouth off?”

Twilight mimicked Sunset. “I have been around you since kindergarten.”

“P-please stop,” Fluttershy prayed.

♪No, go on.

Yes, go on.

Here’s a chance to find your flame. Are you a loser or a fighter?♪

“Get out of that stance, Twilight,” Sunset growled. “You really don’t want to do this.”

“I know when you’re lying, Sunset,” Twilight spat back. “You’ve wanted this for a while.”

♪Me and you, you and me, why don’t we see who is better?♪

Sunset’s faceplate was still open, so she displayed her sickle of a smile to Twilight and Fluttershy. The latter shuddered and glided an inch back, muttering “Stop, stop, stop” over and over. Twilight lit up her horn. “You’re right, I have. You don’t belong here, Twilight. I just haven’t had the chance until now to prove it. Even though you gained that mangy patch of fur on your flank, nopony gains that much skill in just a summer. You’re a damn cheater!”

“Some of us have to actually work for what we want!” Twilight snapped. Her horn was growing brighter.

♪You’re a star and you should know it. You rise above the rest. It doesn’t matter who you hurt if you’re just proving you’re the best!♪

“Shut it!” Sunset’s horn flared, the water below her boiled. “You need t—”

Twilight vanished in a flash and then came from Sunset’s left and smacked her hard across the face. Her helm crumpled in on her right cheek.

Below, the sirens reached the chorus of the song. The water around them reverberated with the shock of Twilight striking Sunset and Sunset skidding across the surface. ♪Battle! You wanna win it! Let’s have battle, battle before the feast! Let’s have a battle, we’ll go all in it! Let’s have a battle, battle, battle!♪

Steaming waves rose up around Sunset, but her body remained above the water with her hooves firmly planted in it. It roiled beneath her. A bit of blood dribbled down her lip. She raised a leg, wiped it, and looked down at the smear it had left in her fur. She then glared at Twilight. “Okay, now I can actually fight you like a mare.”

Her legs shimmered and turned crimson. In an explosion of water, she burst forward at Twilight and pulled back her right foreleg. Twilight gritted her teeth and sent up a shield. Fluttershy lost her amphibious features and leapt out of range. Sunset hooked Twilight’s head from the left.

The blast tore Twilight’s shield away and singed her ear and cheek. Her helm managed to protect the rest of her face, but the left side of it was ripped apart by Sunset’s blast. The rest of her helm precariously balanced on the right side of her face for a second, held only in place by Twilight’s right ear. Then, Sunset drove her hoof into Twilight’s face. The blow had lost its explosive force, but Sunset had more than enough strength left to send Twilight tumbling across the swamp.

She had been hit so hard, she actually skipped across the water, but even Sunset’s attack could only carry her so far before she started to sink into the waters. Fluttershy raced over to pull her up, but a flare of purple aura drew her back. A second later, Twilight reappeared behind Sunset and leveled her horn at her.

The magical blast crashed down on a shield rather than Sunset, but the defensive spell had been as hastily put together as Twilight’s. Cracks formed and spiderwebbed outwards from the initial point of contact. Just before it looked about to burst, Sunset let down the shield and she swerved left. Twilight’s attack burst into the water below.

The Sirens momentarily stopped their chanting to dodge the blast.

“Ooooh,” Sonata cheered, “this is fun!”

“Shame the boss said we can’t eat the purple one,” Aria sighed.

“Oh, I don’t think she’ll mind a little bite.” Adagio’s fangs glistened. “Now, let’s keep on seasoning and maybe get the pegasus in on this too. More for us to have that way!”

With that, they resumed their song. Above, Sunset struck at Twilight, but Twilight allowed gravity to take over with nothing keeping her on the surface and she disappeared into the murky water. Sunset ground her teeth and tore open the swamp below her, sending out geysers of steam and scalding water. It was all Fluttershy could do to avoid them.

Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Then, the water behind Sunset gained a purple aura and rose up around her. The sudden shift took away her footing and she crashed to the left while the water came cascading down on her. Just as it encircled her torso and head, Twilight popped out of the water and caught her breath. “Now to just wait.”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy cried out. She rushed over and grabbed Twilight’s shoulder. Ahead of her, Sunset was punching and kicking at her watery prison, sending volumes of water gushing outwards. Twilight summoned up more to replace it and keep Sunset contained. A trickle of bubbles was coming out of Sunset’s mouth and grew smaller with each kick she sent out. “Stop it! She’s going to drown!”

“I’ll let her out when she loses consciousness!” Twilight snapped at Fluttershy. “She’s unhinged, Fluttershy! It’s too dangerous to let her do as she pleases!”

“Twilight, you’re going to hurt her, stop it!” Fluttershy pleaded. Gathering her resolve, she shoved Twilight.

The water around Sunset fell and she collapsed onto the surface of the swamp. She was left sputtering and gasping for air until Fluttershy rushed over and pulled her up. Fluttershy looked over to Twilight and gulped. She expected brashness from Sunset, but the malice in Twilight’s voice was unnatural and had scared her. When Twilight raised her head though, there was clarity in her eyes.

Fluttershy was about to say something when fire blasted her in the gut. Fluttershy tumbled into the air with her stomach smoking. Sunset dropped down to the ground and landed on the water.

“Idiot,” she growled.

The red aura rekindled in Twilight’s eyes. “You’ll pay for that!”

Both she and Sunset charged at each other. At the same time, Fluttershy crashed nearby but neither paid heed to her. They continued at a full gallop.

“Stop it,” Fluttershy muttered as they neared each other. Sharpened teeth could be glimpsed through her dripping mane. It obscured her eyes for the moment.

Twilight leveled her horn at Sunset. Sunset pulled back a shimmering crimson leg and made it glow even brighter.

“I said…” Fluttershy burst out of the water, causing the whole swamp around them to ripple. Below, the sirens were rocked off balance by the current. Fluttershy was upon Twilight and Sunset in an instant. It was speed they had only seen Dash exhibit before. With that same agility, she clasped Twilight’s horn and Sunset’s leg above the knee, where her magic did not reach up to.

Both their spells fizzled out and a chill took hold of them. They could only relate the dread to what Tantabus could inflict on them. A single blood-red eye peered out from behind Fluttershy’s mane, the rest of her face was left in shadow, enhancing the pull the eye had on them. Both felt their blood freeze and the hair stand on end. “Stop.”

Pressure exploded off Fluttershy. Twilight’s knees gave out and Sunset’s went limp. It was only Fluttershy’s grasp keeping them above water now. Below, the pressure slammed into the sirens and sent them spiraling through the water. Their song faded into the depths with them.

Fluttershy blinked and her eyes returned to turquoise. She took in the state she and the others were in and gasped, “Oh my goodness!”

She let go. Twilight and Sunset both fell into the water, but the splash returned some sense to Fluttershy. Amphibious features once more returned to her body and she swam down and kept their heads above water.

“I am so sorry!” she cried. “I… I don’t know what came over me!”

“Me either,” Twilight coughed. “For a bit there, all I could feel was…”

“Anger,” said Sunset. She pushed off from Fluttershy and pulled herself back onto the surface of the water. “I may hate your guts, but not enough to beat you silly in these conditions.”

Twilight kept her hold on Fluttershy, but also stepped up onto the surface of the water. Her eyes darted left and right. “A mental attack?”

“T-that means there’s a vi—”

Before Fluttershy could finish, something rose up through the depth and grabbed her by the throat. It rammed her into a nearby tree and snarled at her. Its hot breath stank of the swamp and something even more foul. Adagio bared her fangs down at Fluttershy. “You! You spoiled our me—”

Twin blasts of magic nailed Adagio in the head and torso. The strike to her head left a smoking impact while the one to her torso sent a bolt of lightning through her body. The combined forces of the spells knocked her away from Fluttershy. She snarled at Twilight and Sunset before unleashing a deafening wail the made the air around her vibrate. It forced Sunset, Twilight, and Fluttershy to close their eyes for a second. When they opened them, Adagio was gone, but the water around them was now roiling. Yellow, purple, and blue fins poked up periodically while a shrill trio of laughs filled the air.

“We could have let you destroy yourselves, but now you will know true terror!” Adagio’s voice boomed from what seemed like every direction.

“This just keeps getting more fun!” Sonata snickered.

“Let’s just eat them and get it over with,” Aria chuckled.

Twilight rushed to Fluttershy’s side and helped keep her head above the water while she regained her breath.

“Great.” Sunset slid her faceplate on. Her horn burned bright and the water around her steamed, but it did not boil. “Sirens.”

~~~

Labored breaths escaped from both Lyra and Bon Bon. The great pink aura that had cloaked them minutes ago was now just embers flitting around them. Changelings and dragons lay stuck together and crumpled near them, but a hoard of the villains still encircled them. Rarity’s heart thumped faster.

Lyra gritted her teeth and charged at a nearby dragon. She dodged a strike from its left claw and nailed it in the stomach. A bit of spittle went flying from its mouth before it snatched Lyra’s extended arm. It sucked in its breath through a fanged grin. In one swift move, it slung Lyra over its shoulder and slammed her into the ground. The blow knocked the wind out of her and her arm snapped back so that it was at an obtuse angle. She tried to hold back a pained cry, but a yelp escaped.

“Lyra!” Bon Bon yelled. She turned in Lyra’s direction just long enough for some changelings to latch onto her. The last embers of her Bon Bond Enhancement faded. Cold flooded her veins in its place. Her knees shook. “N-no.”

When Bon Bon collapsed, Rarity stiffened. The duo had kept attention off her, but now compound and slitted eyes turned on her. Garble grinned. “Well, this is disappointing.”

Lyra sprang up from the ground and latched onto Garble’s leg. “Rarity! Run!”

“Run where?” Garble kicked Lyra in the barrel. The snapping of ribs rang through the air. Lyra flew for a second and then tumbled onto the rocks. She wheezed for air, but could barely suck any in. Garble advanced on her. “Stupid pony, you think you can run away from a dragon? We’re bigger than you. Stronger than you. You’re just a waste of space!”

Garble reared back a leg and aimed it at Lyra’s head. He kicked, but the blow caught against two raised crystalline hooves. Rarity shook, but she planted her rear hooves.

“Y-you’re right, but we ponies… we heroes will never abandon each other!” Rarity pulled back her right foreleg. “If you want a fight, take this!”

Rarity threw all her weight into the punch and aimed for Garble’s head. The blow knocked his head to the side and sent up a flurry of dust. Rarity pulled back, but her leg stuck. As the dust cleared, her pupils shrank. A few of Garble’s fangs were cracked, but the rest were clenched down on Rarity’s leg. He took a moment to savor the terror in her eyes and then chomped down. Rarity’s crystalline leg cracked.

A blast of fire exploded out from below Garble and nailed him right in his underbelly. He hacked and let go of Rarity’s leg. Both jumped back and held their wounded areas.

Where the flame vanished, a small fissure appeared in its place. A voice called out from it, “Nice call, Rarity.”

Another blast of flame tore the ground apart and sent blazing hot lumps of rock into the villainous horde. A purple claw latched onto the edge of the fissure and Spike pulled himself up. Garble glared at Spike and Spike met him with a determined stare. “What say we finish these guys together?”

Author's Note

Ah, loving the new cover art.

Multiplication

“What is this?” Garble growled. Rarity shrank back, but Spike stood firm. A bit of smoke rose where Spike’s fire had hit Garble in the chest and mixed with the embers hissing out from between Garble’s fangs. “Runt, we’re here to beat these ponies black and blue!”

“And I’m here to take down villains!” Spike shot back. He glanced at Lyra and Bon Bon lying unconscious on the ground, covered in wounds and bite marks. He snorted out some smoke. “Especially ones that hurt my classmates!”

“You’re annoying.” Garble gnashed his fangs and rushed at Spike. He raised up his right claw and swung it down. The blow was telegraphed— nothing compared to a raging manticore—and Spike raised his arms to defend. Garble’s claw batted him off his feet and scored the scales of his left arm with gashes.

“Spike!” Rarity cried. Her cry turned into a yelp when Garble flailed his tail at her. Her whole body crystalized and absorbed the blow, but the strike left her eyes swimming and her body off balance. Propelled by his momentum, Garble spun around and brought a claw down on Rarity while she was still stunned.

A blast of fire drove him back. Spike was back on his feet, but his left arm remained limp at his side with blood dripping from the gashes in it. Beneath the slashes, he could feel bones that were out of place. It sent pinpricks of pain up his arm even while it just dangled.

Garble bared his fangs and charged.

“Rarity! Look away!” Spike remained in place and sucked in his breath. Just as Garble was upon him, he unleashed a blast of fire straight in Garble’s face. It was not a large stream of flame, but rather a concentrated burst of emerald. It was far brighter than his regular flame and Garble got the full brunt of it. He barreled past Spike and roared due to his temporary blindness. His claws rent through the air and he snapped at anything nearby, but Spike had quickly retreated over to Rarity, who had heeded his warning and had retained her vision.

“Spike, let’s get out of here,” she said, voice shaky.

Changelings buzzed nearby. He kept his eyes on Garble. “That won’t work. He’ll only be blind for a few more seconds— not enough time to get through those changelings. We’re gonna have to take him down.”

“But your arm.”

“I’ve dealt with wor—” Spike stopped when he heard something rip. Rarity tore some of the fabric from her costume and bound it around his arm. “Thanks, what I need now is some back up. If his scales are as tough as mine, fire alone isn’t going to cut it.”

“I…” Rarity gulped. “I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Great, then listen close…”

Nearby, Garble’s vision began to clear. Smoke constantly bellowed out of his mouth now and his underbelly grumbled, just waiting to unleash a gout of flame on his opponents. He glared out at the still-blurry shapes of white and purple. “You damn hatchling! I’ll fry you to a crisp!”

Flames exploded out of Garble’s mouth. The sand in front of him turned red, white, and then melted, leaving a sheet of smoking glass. When Garble cut off his attack, both Spike and Rarity were gone. He grinned, but when a streak of green fire grazed his snout, the grin became a snarl.

Spike continued to blow flames even though they were just passing Garble now. With a snort, Garble charged, but within inches of Spike, heat slammed into his back. Spike’s flame had curled around and split into five blazing tongues. It looked like a fiery hydra. The “heads” latched onto Garble’s limbs and neck and slammed him into the ground.

Garble glared up at Spike. “You runt! This wimpy fire can’t hurt me!”

Spike cut off his flames. “It’s not meant to.”

A sandstorm kicked up around Garble and Spike, sealing them in its eye. The sand had a light blue glow to it that kept it swirling despite a lack of wind. Outside the localized storm, Rarity kept her horn lit.

The changelings buzzed at the display and pounced at her. Rarity silently thanked Lyra and Bon Bon for having taken out the other dragons and crystalized her body. Fangs chipped and cracked against her impenetrable skin. The changelings kept coming and piled on her, but she kept her spell going. She felt her magic pulling the sand around while she also felt the vibrations of two sets of claws, one pair smaller than the other, strafing in the middle of the storm. Her horn brightened.

Garble slashed a claw and Spike jumped back. He sucked in the air and sent out a blast of fire. A seam of sand burst out of the storm and came between Spike and Garble. The flame instantly turned it into a sheet of glass. Garble snarled and tore through it, only for another seam of sand to flow over his arm. It was Spike’s turn to blast it with fire, locking Garble’s right arm into a sheet of glass.

“Runt!” Garble struggled to free his arm. Cracks instantly appeared in the glass, but the confinement was just long enough for Spike to let out another blinding blast. Thrown into darkness, Garble still smelled Spike was near and lashed out with his free arm and tore his other one out of its glass prison.

Just as he did though, he felt sand flow over his other arm. He tried to jump back, but heat washed over his left arm and he found it immobilized. He brought a claw down at where he guessed the glass was, but at the same time, sand crept up his legs, followed by heat. His vision was clearing now, yet it only showed that his legs were bound to the ground and Spike was rushing straight for him.

He broke his left claw free and raised both arms to strike Spike down, but Spike zipped forward. Garble’s attack whipped over Spike, and, with his legs bound, Garble tipped forward and was unable to get back up before Spike fired off a blast right into Garble’s stomach at point-blank range. The fire was not enough get through Garble’s scales, even those of his underbelly, but the concussive force of the blast lifted him off the ground and knocked the wind out of him.

Spike used that same force to propel himself through Garble’s legs and spun onto his feet. Through the storm, he yelled, “Now, Rarity!”

Rarity managed to hear Spike’s command, albeit a bit muffled through the mass of changelings around her, and made her horn glow bright. The sandstorm suddenly stopped and crashed down on Garble while he tried to catch his breath. Spike gulped down air and then unleashed a massive wave of flame that washed over the sand covering Garble.

Garble’s pupils shrank, and he blasted at his own legs with his flame, but the sand was already solidifying around him. His flame started to shrink while Spike’s swelled around him. Panic coursed through Garble when his vision darkened because sand was rising up to seal him in. He cut off his flames, but the sand had already surrounded him. He lashed out, but his claws could not manage to strike through the glass—it was far thicker than last time. He let out a roar, but all that did was consume more of the air that was already dwindling down.

Outside the freshly created glass dome, Spike cut off his flame, but he did not have time to recover his breath. He spun and rushed toward Rarity. Some of the changelings detached themselves from her to meet him. His right claw slashed the changeling in the lead in the face, rending its chitin and its right eye. It hissed and tried to bite him, but Spike jumped and crashed down on it with his feet.

Using the changeling’s head as a springboard, Spike launched himself at the next one, but another was coming from his left. The brief moment of airtime gave him just enough time to regain his breath and let out a blinding flare. The two changelings crashed into each other while Spike tucked and rolled under them.

More and more changelings were flying off Rarity now and racing toward Spike. Seeing a flash of emerald through the mound of chitin, Rarity lit up her horn. Light exploded out of the changeling mass that surrounded her, and more changelings dropped off her, just enough for her to regain movement.

Crystal hooves flew. Chitin cracked. When Rarity had bashed enough changelings off of her, she reared up to shake off the remaining stragglers and raced to Spike’s side. He was breathing heavily now, and the changelings kept coming at him. One raised up behind him, fangs poised to sink into his neck when a hoof buried into its snout instead.

Spike managed to grin between breaths. “Thanks.”

“I owe you.” Rarity got back to back with Spike. She took a glance down at her tattered costume. “Let’s finish this, I’d rather not have the others see my costume in such a state.”

“Right!”

The changelings hissed at Spike and Rarity’s banter. While their compound eyes could take in both Rarity and Spike, their instincts drove them to focus on the latter. To them, he practically glowed, but not in the same way Lyra and Bon Bon had nearly blinded them. His attacks also lacked the searing pain their attacks had carried, but his flames and claws were more than enough to crack their exoskeletons and burn their innards.

Rarity’s hooves bashed through their ranks in a similar manner. Between her impenetrable crystal and Spike’s scales, the changelings could not get a bite in. Sensing their shrinking numbers, the changelings all rushed forward in an attempt to split up Spike and Rarity. At the same time, sickly green flames engulfed their bodies and replaced them with copies of Spike and Rarity. Now there were several of each staring each other down.

“Spike!” a Rarity called out. Several more joined in. “What should we do?”

“Hmmm.” Spike looked left and right. Then he unleashed a wave of flames on the Spikes and Raritys to his left. When the flames died down, only sizzling changelings were left. Spike pointed to his nose and grinned at Rarity. “Looks like changelings can’t copy everything.”

Just as Spike turned to fire on the remaining changelings, the ground rumbled, and a voice rang, “Is that so?”

The ground split and Garble surged out of it. He barreled through the surrounding changelings and wrapped an arm around Rarity. She crystalized, which prevented him from crushing her ribs, but his grasp still constricted her breathing and held her tight. The remaining changelings grinned and reverted to their original forms.

Garble glared at Spike and sneered, “Payback time, runt.”

~~~

Sunset hooked at Aria with her right leg, her crimson hoof angled at the blood-red gem poking out of Aria’s chest. Aria sank and weaved backwards— Sunset may have had some footing thanks to her magic, but the water was the Aria’s turf.

While Sunset’s body lurched to the left, she craned her head forward and aimed her horn at Aria. Instead of fire, a bolt of pure magic shot out of her horn. Aria dove, the spell zipping just above her dorsal fins. At the same time, she flicked her tail with enough force to turn the droplets flying off it into small bullets. They burst into steam when they crashed against Sunset’s blazing barrier.

Underwater, Aria swam a few meters away from Sunset. The swamp was murky, but to Aria, the view was clear, at least from a thaumic point of view. Above her was Sunset, who appeared as a bight pony-shaped mass of red with white hooves and horn. A bolt of magically created lightning plunged into the water near her, a burning white at first, but it quickly flashed from red to purple to green to blue and then vanished into the depths. The large amount of water between Aria and Sunset dealt with the electrical component.

Glancing to the right, she saw Sonata and Adagio in the form of ruby red silhouettes with pulsating white where their jewels were. Save for her horn, the purple pony was still purple in thaumic vision while the pegasus was green save for her hooves, which now had talons on the ends. Her wings also glowed purple and appeared slicker than when Adagio had nailed her to a tree.

Talons and spells struck at Sonata and Adagio, but they nimbly dodged the attacks just as Aria had with Sunset. Aria wanted to smirk, but the way the attacks were targeting them gave her pause: all three of their adversaries were aiming for the Sirens’ chests. They know.

Above the water, Adagio had a similar thought when another bolt zipped by her chest and crashed behind her, sending up a spray of water. She flailed a leg at Twilight, but it crashed against a shield. Unlike Sunset’s barrier, Twilight’s cracked under the force of Adagio’s blow. Adagio sneered and opened her fanged mouth.

♪Just give up, just give in. You have no chance, you cannot win♪

The song reverberated around the two of them, but Adagio’s slitted eyes narrowed when she spotted a glow encasing Twilight’s ears. Her mouth closed into a snarl. “Clever brat.”

Adagio snapped open her mouth again, but instead of a sweet serenade, she unleashed a deafening wail. The air rippled and the noise took on physical form in the form of pulsating red rings that slammed into Twilight’s shield. They shattered the spell in an instant and knocked Twilight off her hooves.

Sonata grinned at Adagio’s display and did the same to Fluttershy, blasting her out of the air. Both bared their fangs and rushed to take down Twilight and Fluttershy, but a pulsation of magic from Twilight gave them pause. It was only for a second, but something had flared up in her just long enough for Twilight and Fluttershy to get back onto their hooves and into the air.

They’ve got too much of an advantage in the water, Twilight mentally communicated to Fluttershy. As soon as the Sirens had disappeared under the water after revealing themselves, she had cast a deafening charm on herself and Fluttershy. She had turned to Sunset, but she had already cast the charm herself, not that Twilight expected anything less.

Taking the initiative though, she had established a telepathic link with Fluttershy and Sunset. Sunset had just brushed it off and had charged at the first fin she spotted, while Fluttershy and Twilight had remained grouped together.

Sunset appeared to be holding her own against one of the Sirens, but none of them were getting in any major hits it. Between the water and the Siren’s scales, the Sirens had a massive defensive advantage. Even if the students could manage to disable their gems, taking out their most powerful weapons, Twilight could tell from how the fight had gone so far that the Sirens were vicious with or without their song magic.

Twilight had to win though. With the swamp’s water and fog, escape was not an option. Sirens fed and hunted based on emotions, so clear sight was not an issue for them, while Twilight and Sunset would have to continue shambling through the swamp. Fluttershy might have been able to get away, but with the Siren’s speed and the particular animosity at least the yellow one had shown to her, they were not letting Fluttershy go anywhere soon.

Then, her attention flashed away from Sunset up to the steam rising off her legs. She looked down at her own hooves and then turned to Fluttershy. Clouds!

W-what? Fluttershy asked.

Fluttershy, I need you to whip up some clouds! Twilight saw the water ahead of her ripple. Sound waves burst out, but she managed to dodge. I’ll cover you!

O-okay! Fluttershy flashed a shaky grin that Twilight reciprocated. Her talons receded, her eyes softened, and her wings lost their sharp angles. With a flap, she went to work collecting the moisture with her hooves and wings.

Sensing what Fluttershy was up to, Sonata surged out of the water with her fanged mouth wide open. Before her jaws could pierce Fluttershy, a thick wall of aura slapped her away. Contact with it sent a mild shock through her, not like electricity, but rather something she felt directly working toward her gem.

Twilight clenched her teeth. Her horn throbbed even from such a relatively small spell. She could not see it, but there were rainbow flecks in her irises now and her cutie mark had a faint glow to it. Internally, she could feel the Elements’ pull her own magic, but she pulled back.

More sound waves erupted out of the water, but when they met Twilight’s shield, they crashed against it and could not shatter or even crack it. Adagio growled while Sonata joined her underwater.

There were some scorch marks on Sonata’s left side. She rolled her shoulder, producing a few cracks. “Ow, ow, ow! I can see why the boss wanted that one now! We could actually be trouble if she lands a strong spell on us!”

“She won’t.” She then jerked to the left. “Aria! Forget the hot-head! These two are trying to gain a foothold!”

“On it.” Aria threw a wall of water at Sunset, cooling her blazing barrier long enough to whip her tail at it. Her tail smashed through and bashed Sunset off her hooves. Her armor absorbed most of the impact, but she realized too late that the attack was not meant to hurt her as much as to throw her as far away as possible. She flailed out her legs to clasp onto Aria, but she went flying away into the fog.

With Sunset out of the picture for a little, Aria dove over to the other Sirens. They angled their maws up at Twilight and Fluttershy and unleashed booming waves of sound. Twilight saw the water roil before the sound waves exploded out of the surface and gritted her teeth. Two spells flew out of her horn in quick succession: one was directly into the air while the other summoned a barrier as thick as a full-grow stallion’s leg in front of her and Fluttershy.

The air in front of the barrier still glowed a pale purple hue. When the sound waves passed through the enchanted air, they shriveled up, but their magic kept them racing forward. Twilight was glad she had prepared the localized vacuum in addition to a physical barrier. The spell may not have worked with Rainbow Dash, but at least it had some effect on the Sirens’ sound magic.

She still braced herself against the impact from what remained of the sound waves. They slammed into her barrier and she pushed back. Her horn glowed brighter while a bit of smoke curled off it. Fluttershy was still collecting moisture into a cloud, but she kept one eye on Twilight while she worked.

“Twilight!” she gasped even though Twilight could not hear her. A second later, amphibious features returned to her body and a lengthy tongue whipped out of her mouth. She snatched Twilight up an instant before Adagio’s jaws snapped down on where Twilight had been.

Fluttershy let out the smallest of sighs and dangled Twilight over the cloud. It was small, but more than enough to a filly like Twilight and maybe one more pony. She quickly changed the spell encasing her hooves from water-walker to cloud-walker and touched down on the cloud.

“Right in the nick of time,” Twilight huffed. Her heart thudded in her chest. The Sirens circled below her, their spiny fins poking out of the water, giving her chills greater than seeing any shark.

“Now what?” Fluttershy croaked.

“We attack… and hopefully send out a signal.” Twilight looked out, but only saw fog. “It’d be easier if Sunset was still close, but we should still be able to do it.” It’ll probably take my horn out of commission though.

Fluttershy was about to ask what Twilight was planning, when she felt the air shift. Her eyes shrank, and she reverted to her base form. Spreading her wings wide, she called out with all her metal fortitude Twilight! Get close to me!

“What?” Twilight then felt her hair rise up. Even a unicorn could feel the change in the atmosphere now. She rushed forward into Fluttershy’s embrace. Fluttershy covered her with her wings and balled up.

Below the water, the Sirens continued to circle, their eyes fixed on the cloud.

“They can’t stay up there forever,” Aria grumbled.

“We’ll knock them down!” Sonata cheered.

“Well, let’s get t—” Adagio stopped. Her slitted pupils narrowed. She pointed down at Aria’s tail. “Aria, what is that?”

“What is what?” Aria looked down at where Adagio was pointing. At first, she just saw her tail, but when she squinted, she spotted an almost imperceptible string. Were it not for her thaumic vision it would have been imperceptible. “When did she…”

“Cut it, you fool!” Adagio yelled.

Aria flicked her tail to bring it closer to her mouth, but something tugged at it, making it go taut. Adagio and Sonata surged at the string to sever it. The former got to it first and slashed it with a finned leg.

“Heh.” Adagio watched the sting fade away. “Pretty clever for a pony.”

All three Sirens snickered at having foiled Sunset’s plan, but Aria stopped when something felt like it was poking inside her head. Her brows knitted, and she brought a hoof to her left temple.

Sunset’s voice pierced her mind, Too late!

Sunset soared above the surface, careening back towards the battle. When Aria had batted her away, she had not just flailed around with her hooves, but had rather moved her enchanted legs around to disguise her laying down a thread spell, one that, amid battle, would take even a creature that naturally saw magic some time to spot.

At the same time that she had been flying back, Sunset had enchanted her own vision to see everyone’s magic. When she had spotted Twilight get on the cloud, she pulled the string connecting her to Aria and slingshotted herself back. Anticipating that the Sirens would catch onto her trick, she had ignited the air around her hind legs into explosive kicks, propelling her forward.

When the battlefield had come back into her regular view, she had canceled out the thaumic reconfiguration coursing through her legs and greaves except in her left foreleg. At around the same time Adagio cut the magical tether, Sunset’s leg stopped emitting heat and turned from crimson to a blinding white with a neon blue outline. Sunset felt jolts rushing up her leg, but she kept her eyes locked on her targets.

Rearing her leg back, she concentrated the magic around her left foreleg while simultaneously reinforcing the water-walker spell that was still active in the rest of her hooves. She slammed into the water right beside the Sirens. Her crash sent up waves and it also blasted away some of the water between her and the Sirens. She admired the twinge of fear she saw in all their monstrous faces before she swung her left leg at them with all her might.

“Die!”

The world flashed white for a second. Bolts of lightning exploded out of the water. A few skimmed by Fluttershy and Twilight, but Fluttershy managed to ward off the worst with some flaps of her wings. All the Sirens spasmed in pain as massive amounts of electricity coursed through them and the surrounding water. With a strike on this level, there was not enough water to dissipate the charge.

Sunset did not remain still to admire her work and blasted up onto the cloud alongside Twilight and Fluttershy.

Sunset Shimmer
Talent- Promethean Spark: As a young filly, Sunset awakened a Talent with an incredible affinity for incendiary magic, or could it be something more? Her talent is reflected in her attitude and quest for knowledge. Like an inferno, she has blazed through various magical studies, obtaining skills even some adult ponies have difficulty mastering. She’s even figured out thaumic reconfiguration, a move that allows her to channel magic through her limbs. Her magical wisdom could be a talent unto itself!

Sunset gave her leg a shake. Invisible pinpricks stabbed every inch of it. The greave sizzled against her skin and smoke rose up from a few spots. Her mouth was hidden behind her faceplate, but her eyes betrayed no sign of her leg paining her. Below, she saw the Sirens were still twitching. A glimpse through thaumic vision made her scowl. She glanced at Twilight and Fluttershy. If you two are done wetting your nethers, got an idea for finishing these loudmouths off?

Twilight stood up and assessed the situation. She looked down at Sunset’s leg and then met her face-to-face. How big of a fire spell can you launch?

Enough to fry them up if they showed their heads above the water.

Twilight trusted Sunset’s words and turned to Fluttershy. Below, the Sirens were righting themselves and shaking off the lingering effects of the shock. Fluttershy, I’m going to need your help again. I’ve got a plan to take them out and get us out of here.

Fluttershy bowed her head. I’ll do what I can, Twilight.

Well, let’s hear it, Sunset grumbled.

Twilight dared to grin. We’re gonna improvise sending some water to Cloudsdale.

Underwater, Adagio gnashed her fangs. “Damn them! I thought we were dealing with snacks!”

“Ugh,” Aria snorted, “they remind me of Starswirl.”

“At least they’re not singing,” Sonata pouted. A predatory gleam flashed across her eyes. “This is making me hungry now.”

“Then let’s eat!” Adagio declared. “They’re not that far up, we can still sna—”

Adagio stopped and blinked. The aura that comprised Twilight’s horn was now flashing multiple hues. The only thing she could compare it to was the scrambling Enigma did, but something about this felt more uniform. Sonata got a chill looking at it.

“What is that?” Aria asked.

“Nothing good,” said Sonata. “It’s, like, something that directly targets our gems. It really hurt!”

“Dive!” Adagio ordered when the aura concentrated into a blinding point and then exploded out of Twilight’s horn as a spell the size of a bowling ball.

The sirens bolted away from the sphere, but as it passed, it pulled them and the water around them with it. The water churned around the sphere. Soon, a spiraling current formed. All around them, the water glowed a faint purple. When the forces pulled the surface apart, the Sirens found themselves swirling around a maelstrom.

Twilight Sparkle
Talent- Elements of Harmony: The only known Talent that is “inherited.” It is an ancient power originally wielded by Princess Celestia herself that grants the user incredibly enhanced magic. Twilight is still new to accessing this power, but her encyclopedic knowledge of magic allows her to use it in ways even Princess Celestia had not thought of! Who knows how it will develop in the hooves of its new user?

The Sirens swam against the vortex and managed to stay abreast. Up above, they spotted Twilight and Sunset still on the cloud. Adagio grinned. “Ha! Bit surprising seeing a filly pull a stunt like this, but it can’t hold us for long!”

“Yeah!” Sonata cackled. Even though she knew the students had deafened themselves, she still sneered at them, “Just you wait! We’ll gobble you up!”

“Um, where’s the pegasus?” asked Aria.

All three of them looked away from Sunset and Twilight. They locked onto Fluttershy circling above them. A wind followed her. She beat her wings and the wind slowly picked up strength. Drops of water started zipping upward.

Sonata’s jaw loosened. “No way.”

“It’s a bluff,” said Aria. “There’s no way a single pegasus can summon a cyclone.”

Adagio remained silent and took in the situation. Her pupils contracted when she sensed more magic accumulating around Sunset and Twilight. She swerved and tried to angle her head at the cloud, but the maelstrom’s pull kept her from getting an accurate bead on it. Sensing what was coming, she yelled, “Fire on the unicorns! Don’t let them cast anymore!”

Aria and Sonata immediately complied and let loose attacks. A shield went up to protect the cloud. The sound waves either crashed against it or missed the cloud completely. Above, Twilight winced. Her horn smoked, and the tip had blackened, but she made sure her spells held strong.

Can’t believe I had to rely on you for cover, Sunset mentally muttered. A stream of fire spouted out of her horn and launched downwards into the center of the maelstrom. It spiraled upwards, matching the flow of the water and the wind around it. The cloud she and Twilight were on was pushed back by the sudden updraft but then was pulled in by the flaming cyclone.

Sunset set out another spell and latched herself and Twilight to a tree poking out of the swamp with a magical tether. The wind swelled to a gale. More water was getting picked up and fed into the fire tornado.

Twilight grunted and lurched her horn upwards. The gravity sphere she had initially summoned pulled out of the swamp’s bottom and rose through the eye of the tornado. Water flowed along with it. The wind howled. The Sirens felt the pull and tried to swim out of the maelstrom, but the combination of the current, the wind, and the fire’s updraft pulled them back and downwards.

Fluttershy spun at a dizzying pace but did not let up. She morphed her body to become more aerodynamic and pushed harder. She could feel that she just needed a few more units of wing power thanks to Twilight and Sunset’s help. So, even though her wings were burning, and her muscles ached, she reached deep in herself and flew with all her might.

Something clicked, and the water shot upwards, overtaking the fire. Sunset canceled out her spell just as the cloud was pulled apart under her. Only her tether kept herself and Twilight from getting sucked into the waterspout.

The Sirens were not as lucky. With a yelp, all three of them were thrown upwards. Their vision spun. They tried to swim, but they could not long tell which direction was which. They had lived long lives and had seen many phenomena before, including the delivery of water to Cloudsdale— they had even feasted on the hatred and misery failed deliveries had brought. They also knew what happened when the delivery cyclone was strong enough to form but too weak to become self-sustaining. The image of pegasi battered and beaten around lakes flashed through all their heads, but there was nothing they could do.

“Damn you!” Adagio cursed. She roared, but her attacks could have gone anywhere. “We’ll remember you!”

With her task accomplished, Fluttershy used the momentum she had built up to launch at Twilight and Sunset. Her talons grasped their legs and held on tight. Sunset’s tether snapped before she could undo it. The three of them careened away while the waterspout started lurching right and left. It ballooned out in spots and shrank in others.

Fluttershy
Talent- Inner Beast: This animal lover has got a wild side to her. Once she’s formed a close connection with an animal, she can borrow its traits. She can only currently borrow traits from two animals and only one at a time. What’s up with that stare though? Could there be more to this talent?
Current loads: Frog, Eagle

In the midst of the chaos, Sonata felt something warm against her chest. It was a struggle just to move her head while she was caught in the flow, but she managed to look down and spotted a piece of metal affixed to her jewel. “What th—”

A trio of explosions went off though the water spout. The blasts finished the disruption that had already begun and sent water in all directions at blinding velocities. The Sirens, with smoke rising from their chests and charred scales flicking off them, went barreling in different directions.

Far away now, Sunset grinned. “That’ll show ‘em.”

Twilight looked to her. “Hmmm?”

Twilight could not see it, but a few chunks of metal were now missing from the greave on Sunset’s right hind leg. “Just left a little parting gift.”

“If… if it keeps them away from us, I’m fine with that,” said Fluttershy.

Ahead of them, the fog was finally thinning. From this height, they could see they were headed back towards the center. Twilight had hoped the plan would send them off toward the edge of the WTF, but she was already forming a backup plan. She could not suppress that tiny chill in the back of her mind that she was going to be closer to the villains’ leader and her bloodlust though.

~~~

Spike silenced a pained yelp by crunching his teeth together. Searing flames washed over his legs. His cape ignited and burned to ash. A few scales flew off from the force of the heat and pressure behind the flames. He could endure it only so long before his legs gave out and he crashed to the ground. Garble cut off his flames when Spike fell, so the young dragon only got a few sears on his face.

Garble’s cackle rent through the air. Rarity struggled against his grasp, but he only clamped down harder, constricting her breath. “That’s a good look for you, runt! Maybe when this is all over, I’ll take you back, so the boys and I can have a new toy to play with!”

“Spike!” Rarity cried.

The flames had touched one of Spike’s eyes, forcing it shut, but his other remained open. He focused on Garble. Despite his opponent being immobilized on the ground, there was a power within Spike’s eye that kept Garble from advancing closer. As he settled with frying Spike just enough that it did not kill him and then beating Rarity to a pulp, Spike called out.

“Rarity! I need you to trust me on this! This might hurt a bit, and I’m sorry, but I’ll need you to hit him with everything you’ve got!”

“Ha! You’ve lost it!” Garble sneered. Spike’s words were just a jumble of ramblings now. Garble breathed in deep, readying for his final blow against Spike. “Time t—”

Spike let out a blast of fire first. It raced toward Garble and Rarity and smacked Garble in the arm. His initial surprise gave way to bellows— the flames were too far away and too weak to get past even his underbelly scales, but they were more than enough to consume Rarity.

“That’s it?” he roared. “All you did was kill your own stupid friend of a pony! Heh, at least you did one thing like a real dra—”

Garble’s arm suddenly banged against his chest. The remaining embers cleared away, revealing just his underbelly. A look of confusion registered on his face a second before something incredibly sharp and sturdy crashed into his head.

Rarity, wreathed in flames, had reappeared from above in a flash of emerald and had brought all her weight down on Garble through her horn. Her whole body was crystalized, but her horn was absolutely gleaming thanks to a few last second enhancement spells. Having the full weight of a crystalized filly come down on him from directly above sent a shock through Grable’s spine and produced a few sickening cracks. He could not even let out a yelp since the force of the crash had slammed his upper jaw into his lower.

He fell to the ground. Rarity rolled off him. A thick lump was already rising, and a bit of blood dribbled out of the spot where Rarity’s horn had connected with Garble’s skull. He lay limp on the ground, the only sign of life from him was shallow breaths.

Rarity sprung to her feet even though her head ached a little and a bit of smoke rose here and there on her and rushed over to Spike. She scooped him onto her back and faced off against the remaining changelings. Seeing a dragon of Garble’s strength defeated, a few inched back.

“Knew I could count on you,” Spike huffed.

Spike
Dragon: One of the most powerful races in Equestria. Even their hatchlings have the strength to cleave through rock with their claws and crush gems with their teeth. While their fire may look like regular flames, it actually has a magical attribute. Spike, thanks to his training with Twilight and Princess Celestia, has honed this ability for multiple uses, instead of just burning things. Who knows how far this young hero will develop?

“We need to get you some medical attention.” Rarity glanced at Lyra and Bon Bon. “And get them out of here too.”

Rarity
Talent- Diamond is Rough: Don’t let her admiration for fashion and beauty fool you, Rarity can pack a punch! Based on the gems she eats, she can strengthen her skin until it’s nigh-impenetrable. This talent has also helped her hone her detection abilities, initially to find gems buried in the earth, but she can use it in various ways now!

Spike looked out at the changelings that still remained and grinned. “I think we can take ‘em.”

~~~

Adagio coughed and spit up some water. Her whole body ached and her chest especially stung. A glance down revealed that while her gem was still intact, it was chipped and had lost some of its luster. A side glance revealed she was at the water’s edge somewhere in the swamp. She imagined Aria and Sonata were in similar states.

With a resigned sigh, she let her body loosen. In her heart, hatred for those three students still burned, but in her current state, there was nothing she could do about them. So, she took solace in the one thing she knew for certain: Equality would not let them escape.

“Heh,” she rasped. “Those foals have no idea who they’re dealing with.”

Author's Note

Happy Labor Day Weekend, Everyone!

Eleventh Hour

“Darn it.” Aloe bit her lip.

Bulk lay limp before her. When a purple mist had floated over him and Aloe, Aloe had managed to keep it at bay from herself. Bulk had initially been able to ward off the mist with his Talent, but then a figure had rushed out of the mist and shoved Aloe off of Bulk and wrapped its leg around his neck. Bulk had tensed up like he had been shocked and then his bubble had burst, leaving him in his current state.

The villain that had taken out Bulk and summoned the mist stood over him. He glistened radiantly in a white sequin vest, cape, and mask. The mask was also studded with shimmering jewels, as was the clasp of his cape. He even wore matching pants to conceal his cutie mark. Yet he was portly, and his mane had so much product in it, even if it did sparkle like silver. Aloe had to wonder how much of it was actually hair. It was a garish overall appearance that called to mind the seedier parts of Las Pegasus.

Aloe’s eyes locked onto his leg. It was bubbling like the surface was made of a thick purple goop rather than fur and flesh. The fumes it gave off swirled around Bulk and the villain.

“Now, I think would be a good time to settle down,” said the villain. “I admit, I’m the not the biggest fan of these bugs either, so it was fun watching you knock them down for a bit, but I’d rather not risk the unlikely chance somepony actually interferes with our little plan.”

Aloe said nothing, but she ran what the villain had said through her mind. She assumed he was from Las Pegasus given the recent changeling activity there, and his attire had already given her an inkling he might hale from there. His mention of interference made her muscles clench: if help was unlikely to come, that meant they had somepony with a Talent to keep others away.

Focusing back on the present, Aloe decided to appear to heed the villain’s demand and laid down with her legs spread across the ground. At the same time though, she sent an aroma across the ground, too low and too direct for the villain to notice. She had to work slow— the slightest wrong move and Bulk was done for.

~~~

Rarity stood amidst downed changelings and dragons. There were some more tears and stains on her costume, but the only damage her body showed were a few bits of singed fur and the puncture wounds on her leg where Garble had bit her. Small gashes spiderwebbed out of the wounds, but the blood from them had long since dried. Spike rested on her back, angled so that he could shoot out flames to Rarity’s right. Both breathed heavily, but taking in the silence around them, they managed to grin.

“I think…” Rarity huffed, “that’s it.”

“Okay,” Spike wheezed. His right eye was still shut from getting seared by Garble’s flames and his legs felt like they were getting pricked from every angle, which was an improvement from the burning pain of earlier. He left arm lay limp across Rarity’s back and it still throbbed every now and then. His working eye stung from sweat, but he had not been able to raise his right arm to get to it while he had been fighting. He had needed it to hold onto Rarity. After he rubbed his eye and restored vision out of it, he asked, “Rarity, can you put me down?”

“We should probably keep moving,” said Rarity. She lit up her horn floated Lyra and Bon Bon to her sides. With them secure in her magic, she used her horn to coalesce some water out of the fog. Forming it into a sphere, she took a drink from it and then offered it to Spike.

Spike obliged, gulping it down and feeling relieved at that cooling sensation it provided to his raw throat. Wiping his mouth and giving thanks, Spike then said, “We should, but there’s something I need to do first. It shouldn’t take long.”

“Okay.” Rarity gently deposited Spike on the ground.

Reaching into his chest plate, he rummaged around. A look of relief flashed across his face when his claw clasped onto a crumpled sheet of paper. He felt around a little bit more, but only felt the shattered remains of quills and ink bottles. He placed the paper on the ground and pricked his palm, drawing a bit of blood that he used to write out: Emergency WTF Help.

Spike let out a small jet of flame. The paper vanished in a puff of green smoke. Spike then turned to Rarity. “Alright, let’s get mo—”

The air near him crackled and popped. Rarity dove in front of him and crystalized a second before an explosion crashed against her back. The blast blew away the rest of her costume save for the tattered remains of her sleeves, which slipped off her legs and burnt at her hooves.

Spike’s eyes shrank. Little bits of paper flitted through the heated air and vanished into tongues of regular fire.

~~~

Sunset spotted a clearing down below. “Okay, enough with the pigasus-back ride.”

Fluttershy looked to Twilight, who nodded at her. The three of them circled down, searching for any signs of either villains or their classmates, but found none. Touching down, Fluttershy released Twilight and Sunset from her talons and reverted to her base form.

Twilight’s horn stung, but it was not enough to prevent her from casting a spell that scanned the area. Sunset stood by and harrumphed, but a close inspection of her eyes showed that she had activated thaumic vision. Fluttershy remained between the two of them, eyes closed and taking deep breaths. With her wings spread wide, she felt out the air, but could not sense any disturbances in it.

After a moment of making sure the coast was clear, they regrouped. Twilight looked to Fluttershy. “Time to get some help.”

“Who made you the decision maker?” Sunset snorted.

“This villain attack was no coincidence. I don’t know how, but they knew we were coming,” Twilight said while skirting around Sunset’s annoyance and focusing on the bigger picture. She rested a hoof on her chin. “The way they separated us doesn’t make sense though.”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m clearly the target, so why not isolate me?” Twilight posited. “Why teleport the others? I’m willing to bet it didn’t stop after that villain teleported us either.”

“We’re largely unknown factors,” Sunset answered after thinking on Twilight’s words. Her jaw tightened. “Bastards must have gotten our schedule but not our personal information.”

“That still doesn’t explain Fluttershy. It’d make sense to isolate the both of us since we’ve both been in the news, but Fluttershy seems like a complete unknown, especially with the way she took out the Sirens’ Song.”

“So, both sides are working with incomplete info is what you’re getting at.”

Twilight nodded. “Which means getting help is our wisest move. Besides, you saw what the villains’ leader had with her.”

Fluttershy shuddered recalling the patchwork monster. “D-draconequus.”

“Intimidation tactic. Scare the greenhorns with something that looks like the boogeyman we all learned about in kindergarten.” Sunset shot Fluttershy a look. She flinched. “Seems pretty effective.”

“Their leader didn’t show any hesitation going hoof to hoof with Tantabus,” Twilight countered.

Sunset paused. The air grew thick between her and Twilight for a tense moment before she spun around in a swirl of embers. She made sure avoid landing on her left foreleg. Underneath Sunset’s greave, Twilight could see that it was singed and throbbing. “Do whatever makes you feel safe. I’ll still take down anypony dumb enough to think they can take me!”

Twilight let out a relieved sigh and then turned to Fluttershy. She beckoned her over and lit up her horn. “Fluttershy, I’m going to cast invisibility and anti-detection spells on you, then I want you to fly up to Cloudsdale as fast as you can. If anything looks suspicious, run for it, don’t worry about us.”

“But Twi—”

“We can handle ourselves,” Twilight reassured her. She could also feel the air heating up near Sunset. A jittery grin came to her face. “You get what I’m saying?”

Sunset’s rising annoyance was not lost to Fluttershy. “Okay, Twilight.” She gulped. “I’ll do it!”

“Just stay still.” Twilight brought the tip of her horn to Fluttershy’s chest. Aura flowed out of it and began encasing Fluttershy. Both of them remained in place while Sunset took a seat but kept peering out into the forest with enchantments on her eyes.

After a few minutes, Fluttershy vanished from both Twilight’s regular vision and Sunset’s enhanced view. Since Twilight had cast the spells, she could still vaguely sense that Fluttershy was in front of her. “The spells are timed, but everypony should still be able to hear you. Good luck, Fluttershy.”

“You too.”

There was a whoosh of air. Twilight sensed that she and Sunset were the only ones in the clearing now, but she kept her head up to the sky for a moment.

Sunset pulled her back to the ground. “Now what?”

“I’ll stay here.” Twilight took up refuge under a nearby tree. “I’m the one they’re after, so if I hide and they divert more energy and time to finding me, it’ll give the others a better chance to escape.”

“Broodmare,” Sunset cursed.

“What?” Twilight gasped at having such a harsh insult thrown at her for seemingly no reason. When she saw Sunset grinding her teeth, whatever objection she had caught in her throat.

“That stupid broodmare.” Sunset slammed her right foreleg against the ground, sending up flames. “What could you have done to get on the bad side of somepony like that?”

Something involving the Elements, Twilight thought, but answered, “I really wish I knew.”

“Tch, would at least make sense if she went after both of us, but sounded like she wanted to kill just you and sell the rest of us enough bull to make the hick’s farm profitable.”

“No need to insult Applejack.” Twilight blinked. “Wait, how do you know Applejack’s family runs a farm?”

“Because I do my research.” Sunset flashed Twilight a smug grin. “Not that it takes a genius to figure out she’s an Apple. She’s even in a few articles talking about Bonkin’ Big Mac. Shame such Talents can barely keep them afloat.”

“That’s not very nice to go peering into other po—” A gust of air cut off Twilight.

“Sorry, Twilight,” Fluttershy’s voice called out from a little above the clearing. “There’s something wrong with the air up there.”

Sunset glanced up. “I don’t see anything.”

“I… I could just feel it.” A branch snapped off a nearby tree and floated above Twilight and Sunset. “Let me just test it to be sure.”

There was another gust of air. Sunset and Twilight both kept their eyes locked straight above, watching the branch climb higher and higher until it was nearly out of sight. Then, the sky cracked. White veins, like frozen bolts of lightning, lingered in the sky for a few moments before fading away into the air. Twilight and Sunset's pupils shrank.

Something landed near Twilight. The scent of burning wood filled the air. “Fluttershy!”

“I-I’m o-okay,” she chattered. “If… if I hadn’t sensed that though…”

“Let’s move,” said Twilight. “Concealment or not, somepony must have seen that.”

All three of them fled into the shadows of the forest. They stuck close and treaded lightly, slipping among the trees until they came to one with an exposed overarching root. They took cover under it and waited. While it remained quiet, Fluttershy focused back into visibility. She was still shaking.

“That couldn’t have targeted just you,” Twilight thought aloud.

“You trying to say there’s a barrier up there as big as Cloudsdale?” There was a twinge of hesitation in Sunset’s voice despite the sharp tone she used to ask the question.

“I…” Twilight gulped. “I have to assume so.”

“W-who are these villains?” Fluttershy stuttered.

~~~

Enigma stood still for a second. Maud’s shadow pierced his chest and Lotus’s needles phased through his right side and shot out of his left.

Tree Hugger strafed around him. “Close! Near his right flank!”

Maud and Lotus redoubled their efforts: Maud striking from below with her shadow and Lotus striking from above and the sides.

“Hmmm.” Enigma swerved his head and leveled his horn at Tree Hugger. He loosed a bolt of magic that zigzagged through the air. Shadow enveloped Tree Hugger before the bolt could strike her. The bolt faded away, but Enigma poured more magic into his horn.

A pained wheeze hissed through his teeth and mask. A needle stuck out of the small of his back.

“Now!” Lotus screamed.

Shadow swallowed Enigma up from the right while Tree Hugger burst forward and jabbed Enigma at precise points on his neck, back, shoulders, and flanks. She danced around him, picking up Lotus’s needles as she did, and driving them into Enigma at pivotal areas of thaumic flow in a pony’s body. Lotus joined in, and the three kept up the offensive until Enigma was on the ground, bound by Maud’s shadow, and covered in needles.

Lotus gasped for air, Tree Hugger coughed, and Maud let out a snort. Enigma remained silent and still.

“Tough one,” Tree Hugger huffed.

“What now?” Lotus gasped.

“Throw him as far away as possible and get out here,” Maud stated.

Enigma squirmed. “I’m afraid I can’t allow that. Equality would be quite upset.”

Enigma’s legs burst out of Maud’s bindings. His costume had been torn, revealing well-muscled legs that his skin-tight costume could not have possibly concealed. Tree Hugger, Maud, and Lotus jumped back as he slammed his legs into the ground, sending tremors through it.

“No way,” Tree Hugger gasped. She blinked and shook her head, but her Talent still showed that there was a mass of magic now around Enigma’s legs. The rest of his body was still a scramble of colors, but the aura around his legs was clear to her. “How are you using earth pony magic?”

“He’s what?” Lotus yelped.

Maud’s eyes widened. The students’ combined attacks had torn Enigma’s costume apart, revealing light cyan fur. His eyes were a dull cobalt and his mane, despite having been pressed under his costume, was neatly styled with his horn parting it into two well-maintained bangs. Contrasting with his groomed appearance, he had a cutie mark of a balloon animal surrounded by confetti. He wore an unnerving grin.

What truly chilled Maud and the other students though was what was on his barrel, neck, and left foreleg. While he had the balloon animal on his flanks, the way his fur was tinged with color at those spots to display the dotted outline of a pony, a glistening shield, and a canyon could not have been anything other than cutie marks.

“What the hay are you?” Maud asked.

Enigma’s grin widened as he re-summoned his costume over it and the rest of his body. “An enigma.”

~~~

Twilight saw her breath in front of her. The forest was growing sparser around her group, and the trees that remained were evergreens and the like. Sunset marched ahead of Twilight, but her increased pace could not hide the aura that cushioned each step she took with her left foreleg or the angles she bent it to avoid putting additional stress on it. Fluttershy was the point of the group, floating a few feet above the ground.

They stuck close to the trees, but ahead they could see that the forest was giving way to a frost laden plain. Beyond that, snow floated down and even further, where the terrain sloped upward, flurries obscured the path, save for the distant peaks of mountains that could be glimpsed in the midst of raging blizzards.

Once they had been certain they were not being pursued, they had gotten out from under the tree and had made the decision to head for the edge of the WTF. It meant traversing through the worst that the facility had to throw at them, and they could only hope that whatever barrier kept them from escaping to Cloudsdale did not extend to the ground too, but it was better than risking tangling with the leader of the villains and her main lackeys. Even Sunset recognized the situation they were in. It did not stop her from wearing a scowl though.

They had been quiet for some time now, and the silence, while reassuring, was getting to Twilight. Left to its own devices, her mind was swimming with so many thoughts and theories on the invasion that it was beginning to hurt. The dull ache from her horn was not helping matters.

“Fluttershy?” she asked. “What exactly did you do back there with the Sirens?”

Fluttershy tensed. “Um, what do you mean?”

“Gah,” Sunset moaned. “Enough with the daintiness! We both know you’ve got an ace that’s equal to a high-level anti-magic spell. Not just anypony can break a Sirens’ Song.”

“I would have put it a little more delicately.” Twilight blushed and flashed Fluttershy a demure grin. She then cast her eyes down. “It is pretty impressive though, like nothing I’ve ever seen… or really want to see again.”

“That… that’s what I was afraid of. My Talent involves bonding with animals, but sometimes they get so unruly that I…” She shuddered and hid her face behind her mane. “I just have to make them listen and that Stare is my last resort.”

“Hmm, ponies do have an innate ability, no matter which race, to subjugate most other species,” Twilight postured. “Maybe your Talent allows you to bring out an enhanced version of that.”

More theories boiled up Twilight’s throat, but she held her tongue when she saw Fluttershy shaking. “I don’t know that much about it myself. I really don’t like using it though. Th-this is only the second time I’ve ever used it on a pony.”

“Waste of a Talent,” Sunset snorted. Twilight shot her a glare, but Fluttershy just drifted forward.

They were just passing some pine trees when Fluttershy stopped. She landed, but kept her wings spread.

“What’s wrong?” asked Twilight.

“It’s warmer.” Fluttershy shook her head. “That can’t be right.”

She reached out and touched a few blades of frost-covered grass. Her pupils shrunk when her hoof went through the grass and squished down on soft mud. Both Twilight and Sunset crouched and readied themselves for battle. The evergreens, cold earth, and frost gave way to a variety of trees, damp dirt, and mud. The temperature went from chilly to moderate. Ahead of them now was the center of the WTF.

Twilight’s heart thudded in her chest. She dared to glance at Sunset. “Did you notice anything?”

“Nothing should have gotten past me!” Sunset furrowed her brow. She kicked a nearby tree. “Damn it!”

“Q-quiet,” Fluttershy pleaded.

Sunset ground her teeth and pressed up against a nearby tree. Twilight and Fluttershy did the same. Once more, it was quiet.

“High level illusion?” Twilight muttered.

“Or teleportation,” Sunset spat. “Damn those freaks.”

“It doesn’t feel like there’s anypony else approaching,” said Fluttershy.

“That means jack,” Sunset snarled. “They’re toying with us.”

“Or they could have taken preparations,” Twilight suggested. She took some breaths and let her brain work through what had just happened, quelling the panic growing up from her gut. “With enough time, you can disguise a spell like it’s not there. They made a big entrance but that may have just been a distraction. They could have been here for hours.”

“Well, that settles it.” Sunset got out from behind her tree. She walked toward the center of the facility.

Fluttershy rushed up to block her path. “Wh-what are you doing?”

“Outta my way, yellowbelly.” Sunset shoved Fluttershy aside. Twilight raced up to stop her, but Sunset’s next words made her stop. “You gonna try and stop me too, wuss? Stay here and hide if you want, but those bastards are coming for us and they’re making sure help doesn’t get here before they do. They think they’ve got us under their hooves, but we’ve taken out their flunkies! I’m not just gonna cower around while they have their way! Damn villains, I’ll show them not to mess with heroes!”

Sunset galloped off. Twilight and Fluttershy stared at her for a second and reflected on her words. They had touched something deep within them even though both understood Sunset’s words had partially come from the fear they also felt at the situation. Yet, they knew her words rang true.

“Fluttershy.” Twilight strode over to her and helped her up. With all her might, she summoned a shaky smile to her face. “We’re heroes. Let’s show them what’s what.”

Fluttershy shook, but she managed to smile too. “A-and give Sunset some b-backup.”

The two turned to face the center of the facility, gulped, and stepped forward. Every move they took sent a chill up their legs. Both readied themselves for stepping into a magical minefield. Yet, the field was quiet, with a slight breeze rustling the grass. Sunset had vanished over a slight ridge. Twilight and Fluttershy crept forward, staying low and hidden in the tall grass.

An explosion shook the ground and forced them onto their stomachs. They looked up and saw smoke rising up from beyond the ridge. Then, silence once more. Twilight was shaking now just as Fluttershy was, but she got back into a crouch and slowly, very slowly, climbed up the ridge. When she could look over it, she stopped.

Her blood froze. Past the ridge, parts of the field now resembled checkered tiles and other parts of it bubbled with a pink liquid. A large amount of it was charred black and ashen. Glass spires poked out here and there. The field looked less like a field and more like a bizarre art piece.

Spitfire lay on the ground. Her eyes were still open, and her jaw was clenched, but her own limbs pinned her down. Her left foreleg was small and flabby like a foal’s while her right was shriveled and weathered like an old mare’s. Her right hind leg was twisted into a corkscrew shape and her left was three times the size of the rest of her body. One of her wings pressed against her back, its feathers a solid mass of granite. The other wing was just bones, yet it still moved like it had skin and muscle.

Tantabus was also pinned to the ground. The draconequus swirled over her with its tentacle somehow constricting her ethereal form. Twilight could not spy any of her limbs, just her body and her head. It looked like more and more of her was dispersing into the air.

There were gnarled masses of earth nearby. To Twilight’s growing horror, she saw Maud, Lotus Blossom, and Tree Hugger ensnared in the earth. Maud’s shadow flailed at Maud's confinement, but it could not even dislodge a pebble. Enigma stood below and gazed up at the captured students.

Sunset floated in the center of the chaos. Her helm was gone, and her greaves were torn apart. Aura constricted around her neck. Equality glared at her. “Ah, so brave, yet so foolhardy.”

Sunset snarled at her despite a growing lack of air and fired off a blast of fire at the aura choking her. It singed her neck but did nothing to the aura. Equality slammed her into the ground hard enough to crack the checkerboard tiles.

She bent low and summoned more aura to press down on Sunset. “Now, you took a while coming here, so you wouldn’t have happened to pass by Twilight Sparkle?”

“S-stop going on about that wuss!” Sunset hacked. She shot a blast out at Equality, but it fizzled against her costume. “You damn freak! I’ll kill yo—”

Equality bashed Sunset’s head into the ground. Sunset went limp and Equality sighed. “We’ll deal with that attitude later. You really could have saved yourself the injuries if you’d just told me they followed you.”

Before Twilight and Fluttershy could react, aura clasped onto them and dragged them out from behind the ridge. Equality drew them close enough that Twilight could feel her hot breath on her face. She could tell that behind the mask Equality was grinning ear to ear. She felt like vomiting. Fluttershy eyes were bugged out and she appeared on the verge of passing out.

“Finally.” Equality drew out the word, savoring each syllable. “It’s finally o—”

Fluttershy glared straight at Equality, unleashing the full brunt of her Stare. The two looked at each other for a moment before Equality shook her head. “Well, I guess when you can’t fly, you have to fight. Just for insurance though, I can’t have you mucking things up.”

Equality leveled her horn at Fluttershy. The aura around it made Twilight feel like someone had ripped open her gut. The steeliness in Fluttershy’s eyes faded and gave way to fear again. Equality tucked her head and then rammed it up at Fluttershy’s chest.

“No!” Twilight screamed. Her horn flared and the aura holding her in place burst apart. Her irises swirled with rainbows and her cutie mark glowed bright. Her horn turned blinding as she aimed it at Equality.

Equality snarled and chucked Fluttershy away. “Paradox!”

Twilight let loose a torrent magic that washed over Equality. After just a second, the torrent stopped, and Twilight fell to her knees. Over half of her horn was black and smoking now. It throbbed and blurred her vision, but Twilight managed to focus enough to look over to her right. “Fluttershy, are you ok—”

A series of clomps silenced Twilight. The dust in front of her cleared, revealing the draconequus had wrapped itself around Equality to shield her. Its patchwork hide had taken on the texture of white marble. Equality peered out from it. “Well, that actually gave me a scare.”

Cracks appeared across the draconequus. Pieces of stone popped off, revealing that it was squirming beneath its marble confinement like a sack filled with snakes. It burst out of its imprisonment and swirled above Equality.

“Paradox was made just in case this happened.” Equality’s grin showed behind her mask. “That was a half-hearted attack anyway. If you want to kill somepony, you need to commit!”

Equality summoned the sickening aura to her horn again and drove it straight at Twilight.

“Stop!” Tantabus rose up between Equality and Twilight and took the full brunt of Equality’s horn into her stomach.

“Professor!” Fluttershy shrieked.

“Tantabus!” Twilight cried out.

Light was spreading out from Equality’s horn across Tantabus’s shadowy body. She let out a guttural hack. Yet, she still glared at Equality. “Monster, you will not plunge Equestria into chaos for your own selfish gain! You will not destroy our future!”

“Your future is hopelessness.” Equality drove her horn in deeper. “I will correct the failures you have made.”

The light had spread all across Tantabus. She summoned a leg and reared it back, but she froze for one brief horrible moment and then burst apart into smoke. Twilight and Fluttershy could only watch the last wisps of her disappear. The sight struck them with absolute terror.

Somehow, that terror managed to grow even more in Twilight when Equality turned to her. “Now to finish th—”

A hoof burning far brighter and hotter than anything Sunset could summon smashed into the right side of Equality’s face. The blow sent her flying and blew away the earth underneath her with the immense pressure and heat it generated. When she finally came to a stop, there was a smoldering trail left in her wake and a massive pile of dirt behind her.

The snow and rain that spilled down around parts of the WTF stopped. The roaring tornadoes and the whipping winds ceased. Fog melted away. Everyone left standing felt the temperature, no matter where they were, rise a few degrees.

Celestia lowered her leg. Gone was the serene smile Twilight always saw her display in this form. In its place were sealed lips, but Twilight could tell that the teeth behind them were clenched tightly together.

“Villain,” Celestia called out with icy precision to Equality, “you have made a grave mistake.”

Midnight

Applejack ran. Fields, mountains, and lakes flashed by her. Every couple of minutes, she whipped a leg into the pack that sat opposite of her whip’s holster on her hip and devoured an apple. After she finished the apple, she zipped back her leg again and pulled out some oats. Pinkie had been correct: she had run further than this before and on nothing to restore her stamina. It still burned to run this distance at the highest speed could maintain for the long term.

Onward she went until the open grasslands gave way to cultivated fields and finally the outskirts of Canterlot. Her eyes focused. She darted left and right, avoiding ponies directly but sending their belongings flying.

It was both a testament to her Talent and good luck that a guard did not stop her in her tracks for such flagrant and haphazard use of her speed. She reached the school, burst through its doors, and plowed up to the staff rooms.

At the same time, Celestia was just finishing explaining her condition to Seabreeze. Seabreeze, for his part, had managed to keep himself in in seat with a neutral expression, save for his eyes occasionally widening.

“So, how long can you maintain your form?” Seabreeze asked.

“It depends on how much magic I use,” Celestia answered. Her hooves were clasped in front of her. “It’s about three to four hours if I don’t use any major spells.”

“And you just had to waste a half of it listening to Neighsay,” Seabreeze sighed.

Celestia gave a raspy chuckle. “I’ve had to budget my time for the past millennium.”

“Well, I’ll make sure to covertly adjust any future plans we have with you to make things a little easier.”

“Oh, Seabreeze, there’s no need for that.” Celestia shook a hoof. “As I said, I’ve gotten very good at maximizing my time. Speaking of which, I should probably be on my way if I wish to catch the last of Class 1-A’s time at the Wea—”

Seabreeze jolted into the air. Something outside his office was tearing through the hallways and approaching at a blinding pace. He flapped his wings and forced a gale to press up against the door, preventing whoever was outside from bursting in while Celestia was still in her weakened state.

That did not stop Applejack from hitting the door full force. The blow shattered the door to pieces and Seabreeze’s gale sent the pieces and Applejack flying backwards. In the confusion, Celestia stood and summoned the power of the Elements to regain her elegant appearance. The glow around her died down just as Applejack sprung up and shook off the daze from the getting launched backwards.

“Principal! Princess!” she yelped. “We’re under attack! There’s villains at the Weather Tra—”

Wind, far stronger than what Seabreeze had summoned, blew both him and Applejack back. When they righted themselves, Celestia was gone as was most of the wall facing outside. What remained was melted, both brick and glass, and smoking.

Seabreeze stared at the damage for a moment and then turned to Applejack, who, having accomplished her goal, fell to her knees and gasped for breath. Her stomach clenched up and roared with hunger.

“Well,” Seabreeze mused, “as much as I trust the Princess to handle this, attacking our institution is a slight I cannot let stand.”

He glided over to Applejack and hefted her up with a miniature tornado. “As thanks for defending you classmates and warning us, how about you come along too?”

~~~

Before the dust could settle from Celestia’s attack, Twilight was scooped up and found herself back on the ridge alongside Fluttershy and a still-unconscious Sunset. Celestia stood with her back to Twilight.

“Twilight,” she ordered. “Take your friends out of here. I’ll handle the rest.”

Twilight gazed away from Celestia toward Paradox. It just swirled the air. “That thing was able to resist the Ele—my attack!”

“Well, it does resemble a draconequus.” Celestia turned and smiled. Despite all the horror that had been inflicted on Twilight, she felt like she saw the light at the end of a tunnel. “I am Equestria’s protector, there is no foe I cannot vanquish! Now, go!”

“You’re not going anywhere!” Equality roared. The dust blew away from her, revealing that molten chains raced across her body and anchored her to the ground. Their glow radiated against the tattered remains of the right side of her mask.

Underneath her mask, she had purple fur and a disheveled mane of violet and stripes of teal— the black angular mane of her costume had just been for show. A bit of blood dribbled from her lips, but they were still curved up into a twisted grin. Her right eye was bloodshot and radiated with malice. “Enigma! Seal us in!”

“Of course.” Enigma lit up his horn and shot a bolt of magic into the air. The air above gained a sheen, like a massive screen of glass had been placed in the sky. It contorted and constricted until in enclosed just the field.

“You should have used that attack to kill me or…” Equality cackled at Celestia. Her grin broadened. “Could it be that was everything you had?”

Celestia gave a snort. The air around her grew hotter. “My little ponies, take cover.”

“Paradox,” Equality ordered, “kill them.”

Paradox’s eyes glowed bright and it rushed at Celestia. Celestia flew to meet it. The force was enough to knock Twilight and Fluttershy off balance. They dove behind the ridge just before Celestia’s hoof clashed against Paradox’s amphibious claw. The air exploded around them, but they both remained locked in place. Celestia saw a bit of Paradox’s claw petrifying, but as quickly as it did, the rocky portions popped off.

“I see,” Celestia commented. Her horn turned into a blazing beacon. A beam shot out its tip and sheared off Paradox’s right tentacle. It writhed on the ground for a second before it stiffened, turned to stone, and then crumbled. Paradox’s expression remained blank, but its shoulder where its tentacle had been severed squirmed. A muscular arm with black finger-like digits burst out of the wound and slammed into Celestia’s side, knocking her away.

“It’s pointless!” Equality howled. “Paradox was made to counter the strongest magic in Equestria!

“Then what if it’s not in Equestria anymore?” Celestia brushed herself off and faced Paradox once more. A flaming lasso surged out of Celestia’s horn and wrapped around it. Rearing back, Celestia pulled Paradox with her and began to spin it around. With each revolution it went faster and faster until it was a blur.

“You won’t break through the barrier!” Despite her proclamation, Equality lit up her horn and brought it down on the chains binding her. A link crackled and popped, but her horn only managed to bore into the link a few millimeters. She cursed, “Damn.”

Celestia continued to whip Paradox around. A gale formed around her. Even from behind the ridge, Twilight had to shield her eyes with a hoof and Fluttershy shielded hers with a wing. When the fiery tempest swelled to a cyclone that vastly dwarfed the one Twilight’s group had summoned, Celestia threw Paradox with all her might.

Its body was marred with burns and smoke sizzled off it. It careened diagonally away from Celestia, tearing through the sound barrier as it did. It rushed toward the barrier, but as it did, Enigma lit up his horn.

Instead of crashing through the barrier, Paradox vanished through a tear in the air. At the same time, a tear opened up right next to Celestia. Paradox flew through it and rammed into her. In the tumble, its left claw latched onto Celestia’s left hind leg. Its eyes glowed bright as did its claw.

Equality paused in removing the chains to sneer, “Yes! Cripple her!”

Celestia glanced down at her leg and snorted. “Discord would be disappointed.”

She readied a spell and fired it at Paradox’s claw, but the spell vanished and instead struck Celestia in the back. She clenched her teeth in pain.

“Haha!” Equality cheered. “Good work, Enigma!”

“Of course,” came a voice right beside Twilight. Enigma turned to stare down at her, Fluttershy, and Sunset. “Now as for you thr—”

Sunset exploded off the ground and nicked Enigma’s horn with a blazing white hoof. A trail of blood ran down from her left temple, but the cut itself had healed up. Little tongues of fire flicked across her body, sealing up her wounds and restoring her muscles.

“Sunset!” Twilight and Fluttershy both cried.

“Save it!” she shot back at them. She glared at Enigma as he staggered backwards, the tip of his horn cracked and smoking. “It was you! You’re the one that’s been playing us like fools!”

“Very astute, but it wo—” Sunset hooked at him. He barely dodged, and the burning air left in Sunset’s wake forced him to cough. He reared up a muscled leg to swat Sunset into the ground, but a talon seized it before he could. His gaze fell upon Fluttershy.

“I won’t let you hurt anypony else!” she declared.

Twilight rose to join in the fight, but the ground roiled beneath her. She went onto her knees. Celestia’s fight and Enigma’s sudden appearance had pushed the pain in her horn away, but now it flooded back to her. The world spun around her, even while she sat on the ground. Her stomach churned. Darn it! I can’t do anything like this!

While Twilight was mentally kicking herself, Celestia had readied another spell. Without Enigma to interfere, it atomized the claw around her leg, but her leg had been reduced to its true state. Undeterred by the loss of another limb, Paradox threw out its right arm out to ensnare Celestia, but a buck to its torso sent it spiraling upwards. If it had not crashed into Enigma’s barrier, it might have kept going all the way into Cloudsdale.

The crash left it unfazed like its other injuries and it bolted straight for Celestia. Water swirled around it and morphed into a blazing fire, then a hazy air, then a mass of shimmering rocks, and then back to water. Raising its stump of a left arm, it threw the chaotic elemental forces at Celestia.

Despite the state of her left hind leg, Celestia stood tall. She furrowed her brow and summoned a small ball of light at the end of her horn. It floated to the side. Twilight felt the ground roil under her again, but then realized it was not her vision swimming, but that she herself was getting lightly tugged. Closer to the sphere, Equality lurched towards it with only the chains keeping her from going any further.

Sunset, Fluttershy, and Enigma felt it too. Sunset aimed for Enigma’s legs in that moment and he briefly went airborne long enough for Sunset to blast him in the stomach. The blow met against a shield of aura that cracked from the force of the attack. Fluttershy spun at that exact moment and threw all her weight into her hoof. It crashed against the shield, plowed through, and delivered a blow straight to Enigma’s gut. He heaved and sent spittle flying onto his mask.

When he fell to the ground. Fluttershy swapped avian attributes for amphibian and wrapped up his legs up with an extended tongue. Sunset bent low and pressed the tip of her horn right next to the base of Enigma’s.

She grinned. “I suggest you take down that barrier before I take off your horn!”

“Better idea.” Enigma vanished just as Sunset blasted him. A seared half of a horn lay on the ground. The sight made Fluttershy cheeks turn green. Around them, the barrier dissipated into the wind.

Sunset sneered at the burnt remains. “Hope he enjoys being trapped between teleportation spells.”

At the same time all this had been going on, Paradox’s attack had veered away from its path toward Celestia and over to the sphere of light instead. The sphere gobbled it up and then vanished in a blast of heat. Celestia leveled her eyes up at Paradox but turned her attention to the barrier fading away.

“Looks like one bit of interference is gone.”

Equality’s jaw clenched. “Conscripting the youth to do your dirty work and silencing anything stronger with sheer might. What a model ruler.”

“Ah, the old tyrannical spiel.” Celestia kept her eyes on Paradox while she spoke. It lingered in the air. Celestia furrowed her brow. “The bloodlust was enough to shoot that argument down, but your eye can’t hide what you’re really feeling: it glows bright with hatred. I don’t know why such animosity is directed at an innocent filly, but I will not let you have your way.”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Equality tore at her bindings. One of the chains snapped while the others strained against her. “You have no idea what I’ve endured! Paradox! Kill Twilight and then Celestia! Kill them all!”

Paradox zoomed downward straight at Twilight. Celestia intercepted it and locked limbs with it. The snapping of chains filled the air. Equality’s horn was smoking and darkening in spots, but more chains were falling off her.

Celestia coughed, sending up a bit of blood. Twilight could see that her back was scorched from her own attack, yet she still stood strong against Paradox. “Princess…”

“My faithful students, I am Equestria’s protector and its symbol of peace!” Celestia pushed back against Paradox. Her cutie mark brightened, and her eyes flared with rainbow flecks. Twilight felt her own cutie mark light up as well. “Through night, through day, and ever onwards, I will not fall!”

A column of prismatic magic exploded out of Celestia’s horn and washed over Paradox. The initial force sent it flying. It tried to push through the massive stream of magic, but as it did, its tail turned to stone. The petrification rushed up the rest of its body. This time, it stuck. Yet, it still tried to strike at Celestia and Twilight with an outstretched claw that came inches within striking Celestia. Then, the petrification took hold of its arm and finally its head. It crashed to the ground and shattered to pieces.

Everyone was silent at the sight. Celestia spread her wings and flew into the center of the field. She directly stared down Equality. Equality, while stunned for a second, glared back at her. There was even more ferocity in her eye now.

“You… damn…” she growled.

“It’s over,” Celestia stated. “Surrender.”

“No! No!” Equality writhed, snapping more chains. There were only a few left but Twilight could not help but feel like this nightmare was at its end.

She… she needs to retreat, a voice hacked.

“Tantabus?” Twilight yelped.

Twilight, she rasped. Celestia must get out of there. That thing will kill her!

“What? How?”

“Uh, Twilight?” Fluttershy glided over. “Are you okay?”

Celestia is at her limit and that thing has the ability to destroy magic, not just dissipate it! If Celestia takes an attack from her, what remains of the Elements in her will be destroyed. That cannot be allowed!

“Fluttershy!” Twilight called out. “I need you t—”

No! Tantabus pleaded. Twilight, please forgive me, but the only thing that will work on that monster will be a direct Element attack and Celestia cannot launch anything else.

Twilight looked up at her horn with beady pupils. Her face grew taught. Another chain snapped. I’m not in much better shape.

I will handle that, but you must trust me. I’m going to temporarily bind myself to your thaumic system, that way I’ll be able to take the brunt of the Elements.

I don’t know if I ca—

Yes, you can! Tantabus insisted. I know our relationship has been shaky, but I do trust you and I will do everything to preserve your, Celestia, and Equestria’s future. All you need to do is trust me.

“I…” Twilight recalled the way Tantabus had taken a blow that would have been fatal for Twilight. “Okay, do it!”

“Do wh—” Fluttershy was cut off by Twilight seizing up. Smoke-like shadow rose up across her body. “Twilight!”

“It’s fine!” Twilight snorted. Heat radiated up her horn, restoring its purple sheen. Her whole body felt aflame yet cold at the same time, as if she were staring straight at Tantabus.

Noticing the change Twilight was undergoing, Sunset moved closer but kept her distance.

Feeling strength returning to her, Twilight got onto her hooves. She yelped when she felt something stab beside her shoulder blades. An inky substance oozed out of the spots and coalesced into shadowy wings. At the same time, Twilight’s fur grew a few shades darker. Her mane flared upwards as a wave of pressure knocked Sunset and Fluttershy back, the former managed to stay upright while Fluttershy was sent rolling.

“What in Tartarus?” Sunset gasped.

Twilight’s bangs turned black, while the streaks of purple and raspberry brightened to a brilliant violet and rose. Her costume screeched, stretched, and gained sharper edges and a more angular pattern while the star at its center gained a pale glow. The restorative magic flowing up her horn did not stop at its tip and expanded outwards to encase her horn in a sheath of light. The same light reached down to blaze out around her eyes.

Just as the transformation reached its final stages, Equality freed herself of her last restraints. She encased herself in a sickly teal glow that lifted her off the ground and flew at Celestia. Celestia readied a barrier while coughing up a bit more blood.

Darn, she thought, feeling the strain throughout her body, but particularly in her chest and her horn. This might be trou—

A burst of aura cut of her thoughts. She recognized the spine-tingling feeling as the kind Tantabus put out when going full-force, but she could feel the pulsation of the Elements as well. The sensation was something she had not felt in over a thousand years. It forced her to gasp, “Luna?!”

Equality did not let the new sensation distract her and angled her horn straight for Celestia’s heart. Before she could reach her target, something smashed into her from the side and launched her skyward. That same force had destroyed the ridge Twilight had been on, leaving Fluttershy and Sunset to stagger to their hooves. Piercing violet eyes with slitted pupils glared at Equality.

“Get away from Celestia!” Twilight roared with Tantabus’s voice layered over her own and making it deafening. With her wings of darkness, she pushed them higher into the sky until they were up near Cloudsdale.

“Twiiiiillliggggggghhhhhttt!” Equality screamed. She angled her horn to blast Twilight, but one of Twilight’s wings morphed and smashed her in the face. Twilight took the second Equality was stunned to charge up her own horn.

The attack came out as a pillar of prismatic light wreathed in spiraling shadows that caught Equality in the chest. Somehow, she managed to clutch onto the blast and glared at Twilight. She screamed at the top of her lungs, “This isn’t over! You’re still weak and the Princesses can’t protect you forever! Next time, Twilight, I will kill yo—"

The attack drove further into her. The aura around her faded. Her ranting was reduced to bestial roars before the attack consumed her and went flying off, past Cloudsdale and into the horizon.

Twilight slackened, but the shadowy wings at her sides remained outstretched. They guided her down until she touched the ground by Celestia. A dark haze parted off of her, revealing her normal coat and costume. As it peeled off, her legs crumpled and bent at odd angles. The pain in her horn returned and when the magic faded from it, it was pure black.

S-sorry, Tantabus hacked. I contained it the best I could… now, I must rest.

“Tantabus?” Twilight coughed, but there was no reply.

“She’ll be fine,” Celestia called out. Twilight turned to her and saw a few tears collecting around her eyes. In a whisper, she said, “You idiot.”

Twilight perked up her ears. Her vision was fading due to the pain, and she assumed her hearing was going too. “Huh?”

“That’s twice now I owe you a great debt.” With the last of her strength, Celestia gave her wings a flap and sent up a cloud of dust around herself and Twilight. While she shrunk down, she smiled. “Good job.”

Clean Up

Pinkie stood atop a mound of changelings. Some were pierced with various stabbing weapons, some had limbs blown off, and some were partially melted from a deadly concoction of poisons and acids. Her coat and mane were slick with ichor. Pinkie gazed around with sunken bloodshot eyes. A few of her ribs poked against taut skin. Her breath came in rasps.

Pinkie Pie AKA Pinkamena Diane Pie
Talent- Okonomi: Whatever she wants, she can get it from… somewhere. Her Talent is linked to her caloric intake, so she needs to eat in order to keep getting things. What she gets depends on her mood, but the closer she gets to expending all her energy, the more likely her mood will turn sour and her items will turn from fun to deadly.

She seems to display precognitive abilities as well, but not enough research has been done to determine if this is a secondary Talent or not.

Amidst the carnage, she laid eyes on Derpy. She had a few cuts and puncture wounds, but otherwise seemed unharmed. Still, when Pinkie turned her attention to her, she shuddered.

Pinkie’s pupils shrank. She turned her head so that her limp mane obscured her face. She shook. “S-sorry.”

With that, Pinkie collapsed on top of the changeling heap. Derpy gasped and rushed to pick her up, but the heap burst apart. Flam stood amidst the floating changelings with Flim slumped on his back. Both of Flim’s hind legs bent at odd angles while Flam was covered in an array of cuts and burns aside from the major chemical scarring to his face. They glared upwards, pulled Pinkie down, and summoned a knife up to her neck.

“Stop!” Derpy screamed.

“Oh no,” Flam huffed, crazed eyes on the knife inching closer to Pinkie’s neck. “This one gets it!”

“Indeed,” Flim hacked, “broth—”

A piercing tune flooded the air. Derpy covered her ears and went to her knees. Flim and Flam dropped the knife and tried to cover their ears as well, but the noise pushed past their hooves and pounded in their heads. Blood ran down from their ears. Just as it looked like they were about to succumb to the auditory assault, Flam pulled out a small stone of some kind and smashed it. A tear in space opened up and they vanished into it.

The sound stopped. Derpy’s ears rang, but she could hear somepony calling out to her. “Hey! You alright?”

Derpy looked up and was greeted with Vinyl Scratch rushing towards her. She wore glowing plastic bracelets around her ankles and had multiple records strapped around her waist. Some sort of tube-shaped device with multiple spin tables and blinking dots and lines of light rested across her back. Vinyl flashed her a smile while lifting Pinkie onto her back with a spell, snuggling her atop the device. “Can you stand?”

Vinyl Scratch
Hero Name: DJ Pon-3
Talent- All Your Bass: Vinyl’s talent makes her the life of the party and the woe of villains. She’s a master of auditory spells that she uses to amplify normal sounds to head-splitting levels. Her Talent works better when she “plays” something closer to actual music, so when she’s not busting crime, she’s busting tunes!

“Y-yeah.” Derpy wobbled to her hooves.

“Great!” Vinyl scanned around the area and whistled. “Dang, I think even pros would have trouble with this.”

“It… it was all Pinkie.” Derpy glanced at Pinkie. Her breaths were a little shallow, but she otherwise seemed okay. “I could only take out a few but she…”

“Wow, seriously?” Vinyl craned her head back to look at Pinkie. “Natural born fighter here.”

Derpy shuddered while Vinyl’s attention was not on her. “Right.”

~~~

“Hold it!” the poisonous villain facing Aloe shouted. He spread out the sludge on his leg across Bulk’s shoulder. “Think you’re being clever, eh?”

Aloe froze. She had feared her plan would get thrown off when the rising temperature shifted the air, but now her fears had come true.

“Sneaky girl, ain’t ya?” the villain sneered. “Well, I’m sure the boss won’t mind if I just take the lighter of yo—”

A rapid-fire cello solo rang through the air. Specters comprised of musical notes rose up and plucked the villain off of Bulk. He flailed at them, spattering them with globs of poison, but the attacks just passed through them and sizzled on top of the sand. They moved in to seize his legs, but her reached into his vest, pulled out a stone, and smashed it. A void opened up beside him and he vanished into it.

The cello ceased, and the musical specters vanished. Octavia, decked out in a fancy suit with flowing coattails, clef-note shaped lapels, and a mask that resembled a page of sheet music, stowed her cello away on her back and advanced over to Bulk and Aloe. “Darn, seems they had an escape strategy too. Regardless, let’s get you two to the others.”

Octavia Melody
Hero Name: Melodious Mare
Talent- Sharp Symphony: Octavia’s melodies will bring tears to your eyes, especially if you’re a villain and she has just sicced a physical manifestation of her music on you. The more complex a piece she plays, the stronger her summons will be. She has to keep playing in order to keep the summons moving, though.

~~~

Spike was familiar with the rise in temperature and had directed Rarity to head towards the center of the WTF. The explosion had worried him, but it seemed like his letter had managed to reach Celestia after all. Rarity trotted as fast as she could while floating Lyra and Bon Bon at her sides and keeping Spike on her back.

“Hey!” a voice called out.

Spike and Rarity spun and readied themselves for battle but relaxed at the sight of a somewhat familiar pony racing towards them. She was clad in a pale skintight suit interlaced with leather straps with chain links dangling off her ankles, neck, and waist. The straps also lined her shoulders, merged at the center of her chest, and plunged down her torso until they met with the strap-belt there. A cat o’ nine tails dangled from her hip. A leather domino mask with iron studs completed her costume.

Yet, her pale rose mane and cerise coat betrayed her identity. Cheerilee flashed Spike and Rarity a smile. “Are you the ones that took out those dragons and changelings back there?”

Both Spike and Rarity raised an eyebrow at Cheerilee’s appearance. Something was familiar about it to Spike, but he was too exhausted to recall it. He and Rarity slowly nodded.

“Ah.” Cheerilee shivered. “It must have been such a fight. I wish I had been there to join the fun!”

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Spike coughed.

Cheerilee straightened up. She pointed at Lyra and Bon Bon. “Right, right. Well, why don’t you give me those two and I’ll escort you back to where we’re gathering everypony. You can tell me all about the fight on the way there!”

Both Spike and Rarity thought, This mare has a screw loose.

~~~

“Vat in Equestria?” Photo Finish adjusted her goggles. The wind howled around her, whipping the snow into flurries. Seabreeze had deposited her, like the other staff, near where he had sensed large collections of creatures—Celestia’s pacifying effect on the weather had helped— but all Photo saw were the charred bodies of villains. They were twitching and let out shallow breaths, but the cold would soon finish off whatever had taken them out.

Photo’s eyes lit up behind her goggles and projected beams onto the downed villains. A strip of film burst out of her right goggle and swallowed up the villains. The film quickly recoiled into Photo’s left goggle.

Photo Finish
Hero Name: N/A (“My name iz fabulous enough az it iz!”)
Talent- Picture Perfect: Watch out if this mare has her eye on you! Not only can she project images of nearby locations, but she can also capture enemies with her Talent if they’ve been immobilized. She can only store a certain amount of enemies or other items at a time, but doing so allows her to perform a basic analysis on them.

Employing her Talent, Photo noticed that under their burnt coats and singed skin, all the villains bore scars that branched out from a point of impact. One villain in particular was practically covered in them. Thanks to her work both as a pro-hero and documenting the stories of other pros, she recognized the damage as the kind only a direct strike from lightning could deliver. That whoever had done this had enough control to hold back just enough not to kill any of the villains stunned Photo for a second.

“My, my.” She shook her head to clear the thoughts away. There were still students that needed to be found and escorted. Still, as she trudged through the snow, she could not help but wonder just who could have managed such a feat.

~~~

Rainbow Dash blitzed through the air. Both her legs and wings ached, but she pushed onwards as the center of the WTF came into view. There was some cloud of dust in the middle, but she homed in on Fluttershy standing beside Sunset. She dove down and pulled Fluttershy tight.

“D-dash,” Fluttershy hacked. “Ch-choking.”

“Oh, sorry.” Dash let her go and she fell to the ground. Blushing, Dash helped her back up. “Thank Equestria you’re okay. Thought that villain zapped you to who-knows-where.”

“He… he did,” Fluttershy answered. “But we made it back and then…”

Dash looked around. “Where’s Twilight? She was with you two, right?”

“Well, she was but…”

“Crud!” Dash slammed a hoof. “Did those villains get her?”

“No, actually she...”

“I’ll show them! I’m the only one that get to be—”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy yelled. She then flinched back at her own voice. “Twilight is fine… I think. It’s… it’s a long story, but she’s over there with Princess Celestia.”

Fluttershy pointed at the swirling dust cloud. Dash’s eyes widened. “Whoa, was that what made the temperature go up? Aw, I can’t believe I missed seeing the Princess in action. Guess that explains where those weird leader types went.”

“We should probably go get Twilight,” Fluttershy suggested. “She and the Princess looked like they gave it their all.”

“Wait.” Dash tilted her head to the side. “Twilight was fighting the leaders too?”

“Yes,” said Maud, who had appeared right beside Dash. Dash jolted backwards, and Maud blinked. “It was the most amazing display of magic I’ve ever seen.”

Dash recovered her composure and furrowed her brow. “You’re really selling it.”

“Naw, she’s for real.” Tree Hugger trotted up to the group along with Lotus. She gave her head a shake, freeing some debris from her dreadlocks. Raising up a leg, she arced it over her head, drew out shapes with it only she could understand, and jabbed at what she imagined were key points while saying, “Twilight went all dark but like super bright. She wasn’t looking so hot before, but then like I think Professor Tantabus went into her or something and made her go all ‘whoa!’ I mean, it’s been a real crazy day, but that was even crazier than seeing the Princess in action or that weird scramble guy with the multiple cutie marks.”

“Can somepony explain what happened in Equestrian?” Dash huffed.

“Alicorn,” Sunset spoke. She had remained fixed on the dust cloud until now and her eyes were still locked on it. “It wasn’t even for a minute, but she became an Alicorn.”

Dash groaned and shook her head. “Okay. It’s been a long day and you’ve all clearly got some head injuries to work off, so I’m just gonna go over to Twilight and ask her myself what the hay is going on.”

Dash had not even fully spread her wings when a tornado touched down around Celestia and Twilight. Despite the massive display of wind, nopony nearby was affected.

“Hey!” Applejack hollered from up above the group. Everypony looked up to see Applejack and Seabreeze gliding down towards them. Applejack hopped off her miniature-tornado when she was near the ground, while Seabreeze remained airborne. Applejack placed her hat on her chest and bowed her head. “Thank Equestria you’re all okay.”

“Indeed,” said Seabreeze. “Though I’d expect nothing less of our students. Now, Ms. Applejack, if you would, could you please escort your classmates to the meetup point I mentioned?”

“Sure thing!”

“Wait!” Fluttershy called out. “What about Twilight and Princess Celestia?”

“No worries. I’ve got them taken care of.” Seabreeze then glanced to the right. “Oh, Ms. Spitfire, would you mind escorting this group too?”

“Sure thing.” Spitfire trotted over to the group, her limbs and wings restored to normal. She gave her neck a crack and rolled her wings around in their sockets. “Sheesh, I must have just set a new academy record for ways to get my flank handed to me. Anyway, let’s get you kids someplace away from this mess. I’d like to hear how you all managed this crisis.”

“Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh,” Dash squealed under her breath. Her wings zinged with barely contained excitement.

Applejack and Spitfire led them off. Tree Hugger had already started her own version of the fight, with Lotus chiming in to act as translator. Maud shuffled along, eyes forward and face stony. Dash hovered a calculated distance behind Spitfire, just close enough that it was not creepy. Fluttershy glanced back to watch Seabreeze vanish into the tornado and saw Sunset doing the same. She flinched when Sunset faced forward, something about the look in her eyes made her shudder and she jolted ahead to be next to Maud and Tree Hugger.

With all the sudden developments and the exhaustion of the day washing over them, nopony noticed that Enigma’s severed horn had turned into a cheap piece of plastic.

~~~

Twilight opened her eyes. The sensation of a pillow that was a bit stiff and thin sheets were familiar enough to her now that recognized she was in the infirmary. Nurse Redheart appeared over her.

“Hello again,” she sighed. “Given that even the Princess got a little banged up, I’m glad it was just you and Mr. Spike that needed some more high-level spells.”

“Spike?” Twilight asked while pushing herself up. Her body ached and she saw that her legs were bandaged up, but they did not sting as much as after the entrance exam.

“Twilight!” Spike rushed over gave Twilight a hug with his right arm. His left was in a cast. “Glad you’re up, we were getting worried.”

“Indeed.” A curtain parted, revealing Celestia on the other side of it. Bandages wrapped around her torso.

Twilight let out a relieved sigh, but the relief only lasted a moment before she turned her attention to Spike’s injuries. “What happened?”

“Eh, some dragons were part of the mess at the WTF and I helped Rarity sort them out.” Spike lifted his cast up and down. “Turns out Nurse Redheart’s spells aren’t as effective on dragons.”

“Oh, Spike.” Twilight pulled him in close.

“Hey.” Spike patted her back. “You got it a lot worse than me. Just proves I’ve still got more training to do.”

“Yeah.” Twilight let out a small chuckle even though her eyes were a little wet. She then turned to Celestia and Redheart. “What about the others?”

“Ms. Pie was a slightly malnourished, but nothing an IV drip and a few cookies couldn’t fix,” Redheart answered. “The fight seemed a bit rough on her, but she put on a brave face. Ms. Shimmer had a minor concussion and Mr. Bulk, Ms. Heartstrings, and Ms. Bon Bon were unconscious for a little while, but everypony else made it out with just a few minor cuts and bumps.”

“And Tantabus?” Twilight asked.

Celestia and Redheart’s faces tightened. Celestia spoke, “Her physical body was destroyed, so it will take some time to reform it. She also took the damage from the Elements to her actual body, so she will need rest. But, Tantabus is resilient, she has endured for over a thousand years, so she will recover.”

“If it hadn’t been for her…” Twilight recalled the sensation of kicking off the ground with enough force to level the ridge. She recalled blasting Equality with more power than she had ever imagined. She recalled flying.

“Do not forget your own contribution,” said Celestia. “It took a great deal of trust to fuse your magic with Tantabus.”

“And a great risk.” An azure unicorn stepped into Twilight’s view. His slicked-back grey mane rested above baggy eyes that were partially obscured by thick half-moon glasses. A black cloak with a silver trim flowed over his back, obscuring his cutie mark. Anypony, Twilight included, recognized his appearance regardless of seeing his cutie mark.

“Mystic Rune,” Twilight and Spike both said in hushed tones.

“My faithful student,” Celestia coughed.

Mystic bowed at the foot of Celestia’s bed. “Princess, you’ve overdone it.”

“For the sake of future heroes, it was worth it,” Celestia countered.

Mystic kept his head bowed to hide his clenched jaw. “How much time do you think you shaved off?”

“Enough to defeat a faux-draconequus, so I’d say about an hour.”

A stomp echoed through the infirmary. There was a pained look on Mystic’s face when he rose up. “You could have just delayed. We need to allow as much time as possible for the Elements to…”

He stopped and gazed at Twilight. With a snort, he shook his head. “The staff could have handled this.”

“If they had just come for me, I might be inclined to agree with you.” Celestia sharpened her eyes. Even in her withered state, she still seemed to exude a fiery aura. “They were directly targeting students, and I could not allow serious harm or worse to come to them.”

Before Mystic could respond, Celestia leaned back and allowed her intensity to drop and give way to a grin. “That said, these students performed marvelously. In the face of true battle, they put their lives on the line as mere first-years. Rarely has such a class emerged in the School’s history.”

Celestia raised up a leg. “Those villains picked the wrong fight because the members of Class 1-A are going to be mighty heroes indeed!”

Mystic was cowed by the speech. He gave a sigh and then spun around. “We’ll have more to discuss when you and Tantabus have recovered.”

With that, he trotted out of sight. There was a flash of magic and then silence. Celestia sighed and sunk into her pillow. She glanced at Twilight and Spike. “I’m sorry you had to see that. Mystic is a good pony, but I fear he is a bit too high-strung for his own good. Ever since you gained the Elements, it has gotten particularly bad.”

Twilight bowed her head. “He was up to get them too, right?”

“Oh no, no, no.” Celestia waved a hoof. “We resolved that long ago, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing alternatives. Understand, Twilight, to those few that know of my situation, the sudden transfer of the Elements was a great upset, as you have already seen with Tantabus.”

“He’s not gonna be invading our dreams too, is he?” Spike asked.

“Spike, that’s in the past.” Twilight kept her head lowered. “Tantabus put a lot on the line for the Princess and me in the fight. I just hope her recovery isn’t too difficult.”

“She’s dealt with worse.” Celestia’s eyes glazed over. Twilight saw that she was in another time and place for a moment before she returned to the present and smiled. “If it is for the sake of future heroes and the innocent, we pros will always lay down our lives.”

~~~

There was a scar in a far-off forest. Trees were uprooted, and earth was upturned. Rocks were cracked and smoked. Equality lay in the center of the destruction. Her costume was in tatters, one of her hooves twisted, and a gash marred her head, staining what was left of her mask. Her muscles felt aflame, and even breathing pained her. She tried to summon up a healing spell, but the effort drove a spike through her skull. With a snort, she resigned herself to waiting.

“Damn,” she cursed. She closed her eyes but there was Twilight Sparkle. A mere filly, but she still had wings and the power to defeat her. Equality gnashed her teeth. “Damn, damn, damn!”

“Ah, here you are.” Enigma poked his head into the crater Equality had formed. “Shall we be on our way then?”

“Just get me out of here, Party,” Equality snarled.

“Okay, okay.” Enigma lit up his fully intact horn and delicately lifted Equality out of the crater. “Those foals are good. I had to pull out some of my best tricks to get out of that bind. Also, I thought we were only using our code names.”

“Shut up.”

~~~

The stomp of Equality’s hooves echoed through the cave. Her restored costume hid the bandages covering her head and leg injuries. Even Enigma had his limits on magic and adding another cutie mark to him was pushing it.

In the cave’s dim lighting, multiple eyes glared at her. Bruised eyes. Burned eyes. Enraged eyes.

“We want our payment,” Flim hissed.

“Indeed,” Flam rasped. “And a bit more to cover what that freak did to me! Your little plan was a complete fa—”

Equality’s horn blazed to life, flooding the cave with light. Flim and Flam found themselves enshrouded in aura that cut off their air. They clawed for something, tried to pull or push Equality away, but she remained firmly in place. She flung the brothers up into the ceiling with two sharp cracks. Their bodies vanished into the darkness.

“Enigma, deal with them,” Equality snorted. “They may make good material.”

Enigma bowed his head. “Of course.”

“W-well,” the villain that had subdued Bulk gulped, “I, uh, have no complaints, but I am a mite curious what our next move is?”

“As am I,” Chrysalis growled. “That was a good portion of my hive you used, and we have nothing to show for it.”

“At least you didn’t risk your flank like the rest of us,” Sonata muttered.

“What was that, fish food?” Chrysalis snapped.

“Both of you, be quiet!” Adagio demanded. She then turned her attention to Equality. “I do admit, it seems we could have done something better than risking Celestia’s wrath just to pick off a few morsels.”

“You don’t get it!” Equality stomped a hoof. “Twilight Sparkle is a risk to each and every one of us! If we don’t act now, we wi—”

“Enough,” a new voice rasped. It did not come from anyone in attendance but from a crystal ball the lay in the center of the villains’ gathering. Everyone stiffened. Equality felt someone gazing at her from the ball. “I allowed you to entertain your little ruse, but you are lucky none of our major allies were captured, just drones, thugs, and pea-brained dragons. I am calling in my side of the bargain now, and you will fulfill it.”

Equality grit her teeth but bowed her head. “Yes, Master.”

“Do not fret over the youth,” Equality’s master said, his voice frail and cracking. “You have made plans after all. It will just take a little time. Now that Equestria knows of us, our invasion will undoubtedly become a symbol for others to join us. Soon, Equestria will know true terror once more!”

Recovery

“They really allow for quite a bit of customization.” Rarity scanned over the room, taking in the numerous family photos that hung over rustic wallpaper. The shelves, while largely bare save for school materials, also held a few weathered photo albums and cookbooks. Ropes and a hat hung from coat hooks. A bed stuck out from the western wall of the room, allowing the early rays of the sun to hit it through the eastern windows. The covers were hoofmade and adorned with various apple imagery.

Rarity found herself sitting on the floor in a half circle with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Spike. Applejack had offered to rush up some chairs from the common area, but Fluttershy had pointed out that was a violation of dorm rules.

“Mighty convenient.” Applejack opened the door to her miniature oven-stove combo that sat beneath the window. Drawers containing cooking utensils and spare bandanas and masks were nearby. Everyone’s mouth watered at the sight of fresh, steaming apple strudels. Applejack set them on top of the stove and sat down with the rest of the group. “Okay, those should be cool in just a couple of minutes.”

“I can have mine now,” Spike chuckled.

“Spike.” Twilight blushed. “Manners.”

“Just glad to have a chance to cook a little, helps take away a bit of the stress,” Applejack sighed.

“Quite.” Rarity took a sip of some iced tea Applejack had brewed. The flavor was a bit bolder and the sweetness slightly cloying compared to the teas Rarity normally enjoyed, but she drank it regardless— it was only proper as a guest. “I’m glad to have the day off to process things.”

“Or sleep it off,” Dash grumbled. Fluttershy gave her a jab in the side with an elbow. “What? We let Pinkie keep sleeping.”

“Like I said before…” Applejack shot Dash a look. “Pinkie and I have similar Talents when it comes to weaknesses. She gave it her all yesterday, so let her be.”

“Okay.” Dash leaned back against the bed and cast her eyes on Twilight. They were both sharp and glistening. “So, let’s get to main event. You. Wings. What?”

“It… well…” Twilight paused for a moment and considered her next words carefully. “It was like the opposite of what Tantabus did when he bound your wings.”

Dash leaned closer. “What’s this about you leveling a ridge just kicking off it and then blasting the villains’ leaders to who-knows-where?”

“Strength and magic augmentation,” Twilight partially lied. “My Talent lets me access spells on a much higher caliber than I normally can, but it takes a greater toll on me.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened at Twilight description. “You should be careful, Twilight.”

“I try to be, but at that moment Professor Tantabus told me Princess Celestia was in grave danger. I couldn’t hold back.”

“Wow, that leader really spooked you. Kinda weird to think there’s something that even scares Teach,” Dash chuckled. “Like she could actually put a scratch on the Princess.”

Fluttershy shuddered. “Th-that draconequus did though. I… I don’t even want to think what that mare could have done. You weren’t there, Dash, she… she was a thousand times worse than Professor Tantabus.”

“I’m also concerned why she was so intent on harming Twilight,” Rarity added. Everyone except for Spike turned to Twilight. Spike and Twilight had discussed the matter on the way home from the infirmary, but the question had plagued Twilight throughout the night and in the morning when Applejack had come to her house and invited her over. It still bothered her now as she withered under her friends’ stares.

“The best explanation I can think of is because she thinks I’m tied to Princess Celestia and the defeat of the dragon over the summer.” Another partial truth. Twilight felt her gut clenching over hiding all the details from her friends.

“Why didn’t she go after Sunset too?” Dash asked. “No offense, Twilight, but I read the articles and it sure sounded like Sunset was the one going all out against that dragon over the summer. Good on you for freeing her from it, but ultimately, she had the firepower and you didn’t. At least, you didn’t use it then…” She grumbled the next part, “… or whenever I’m around.”

“It’s the best I have,” Twilight sighed. “Hopefully, an investigation will help bring more facts to light.”

~~~

Neighsay’s scowl was particularly prominent today. He glared around the table. Mystic Rune, dual head of the Magical Research Administration and the Equestrian Internal Investigations Administration, glared back at him. The Captain of the Guard, Gleaming Shield, did not stare at him, but her eyes were sharp and focused. Lady Ember sat with her arms crossed over her breastplate and a snarl on her face. Spitfire, adorned in her official military uniform rather than her Wonderbolts’ costume, was sandwiched between representatives from Cloudsdale and the WTF.

Seabreeze could feel Neighsay’s acrimony bearing down on him and occasionally on Ember, but he sensed the brunt of it was on Celestia. Celestia, for her part, did not show any sign of discomfort in the face of Neighsay’s blatant displeasure. She was even at ease enough to take a sip from her tea. The illusion charm hidden underneath her breastplate hid the bandages still on her back and allowed her to present her regular royal demeanor.

“Unacceptable,” Neighsay spat. “Absolutely unacceptable. Students attacked. Teachers harmed. Villains gaining access to school materials. The EEA needs to consider closing the school until we can properly assess this situation.”

“Such a disruption cannot be permitted,” said Seabreeze.

“‘Disruption?’” Neighsay’s face gained a shade of red. “You have allowed villains to tarnish the EEA’s name, how dare yo—”

“Neighsay.” A direct blast of heat struck him. Everyone felt the temperature in the room go up. Celestia had traded in her smile for a piercing gaze that made everyone save for Ember sweat— she tensed up. “Calm yourself. Taking rash action like closing the school would just sow panic in the populace and deny innocent students of their education.”

“It’s unfair to lay blame solely on the school anyway,” Spitfire chimed in. She traded glances with the Cloudsdale and WTF officials at her sides. They bowed their heads. “Both Cloudsdale and the WTF will be doing individual investigations to assist in getting to the bottom of this and making sure it never happens again.”

“And you are free to do what you want with those whelps.” A bit of smoke trailed through Ember’s fangs. “My father is also searching for any cohorts that might remain in our lands.”

“I’m sure they are,” Neighsay muttered.

Ember’s slitted pupils contracted. She began to rise out of her seat. “Want to say that again?”

“Enough.” Gleaming Shield summoned up a wall of aura in front of Ember. With a snort, Ember returned to her seat. Shield turned her attention to Celestia. “I’d like to hear what we do know so far so that the Guard can be properly ready.”

“Mystic,” said Celestia, “if you would.”

“Of course, your highness.” Mystic lit up his horn and summoned several thick binders into the air. He spread them out so that everyone got one. “This is a work in progress, but we have a general idea of the villains’ forces. A large portion of them consisted of run-of-the-mill criminals but of note there were the Flim Flam Brothers and the Toxic Show-Stealer. There may be more, but we haven’t identified the villains that were struck by lightning.

“More concerning were the dragons, changelings, and sirens. None of them are likely to interact with each other on a regular basis, so we are led to believe the villains have a strong underground network. Whatever they are after must present a threat to all of them.”

“Doubt that with the whelps,” Ember muttered. “They probably just got promised some baubles and went with it. Better to lump them in with the run-of-the-mill criminals.”

“I’ll consider it.” Mystic pushed up his glasses. “Finally, that leaves the leaders. While we managed to get a physical description of the one called Enigma, his apparent ability to have multiple cutie marks makes pinning him down through the Talent Registry difficult at best. Equality is an even larger mystery as we cannot determine what her Talent is, and nopony got a view of her cutie mark, just a partial facial. What is most concerning is this…”

Mystic hefted half of Paradox’s cracked head onto the table. Its horn was broken off as well. Mystic took a breath. “This is the remains of a creature meant to imitate a draconequus.”

Neighsay furrowed his brow. “You honestly expect us to believe such fairy tales?”

“It’s not a tale.” Spitfire clenched her teeth. “That thing treated the world and me like a plaything. The way it twisted reality and my body was just like the stories of Discord.”

“It will take more time to analyze.” Mystic put a hoof on Paradox’s remains. “But what I’ve been able to garner so far is that this thing, like the draconequui of legend, was a mass of various physical and magical components. It’s a chaotic hodgepodge that somehow was kept together and made into a devastating weapon.”

Shield gazed at the remains and crossed her legs. “That’s concerning.”

“It is.” Everyone turned their heads toward Celestia. “But from the way Equality made it sound, this was their trump card. Even then, it needed assistance in order to face off against me. It was a powerful foe, but I imagine the process of creating one is incredibly difficult and time-consuming. With their group exposed and recovering from defeat, it will be a long time, if possible at all, before we have to worry about another one of these.

“There is also the matter of Equality herself.” Celestia clasped her hooves. “While this invasion showed meticulous crafting and daring, it appears whatever cunning she had vanished at the sight of Twilight Sparkle.”

“A mere filly provoking all of this is ridiculous,” Neighsay harrumphed. “Perhaps if her brother were in a higher position or her family was nobility, I could understand, but they are just regular Canterlot citizens and Twilight Sparkle herself is a mere novice with a Talent that seems to do her more damage to her than is worth using.”

Celestia took a breath, appearing to be contemplative, but was attempting to hide her annoyance at Neighsay blatantly insulting Twilight. “She made no attempt to hide her killing intent aside from a flimsy excuse that I was a tyrant or somesuch. Her attempts to justify her invasion and her explosive anger hint that Equality is unstable. Given her magical capabilities, it may be that she didn’t receive proper training in her Talent, leading to Cutie Mark Failure Insanity Syndrome.”

“We’ve never seen a case this bad since the Talent Registry was set up,” said Mystic.

“Our eyes and ears don’t reach everywhere, nor should they,” Celestia replied. “Regardless, we should consider Equality as a mare with connections and the power to get other villains behind her despite her instability. Our next move should be continuing our investigations and sharing what we find. These villains have shown their hoof, time to grab it and drag them out of the shadows.”

Celestia took a breath and then stared straight at Neighsay. “Now, as for the other matter…”

~~~

“… and luckily there weren’t many changelings left after that.” Spike paused in his story to eat the last bit of his strudel. With his mouth half-full, he continued, “So, after we kicked their butts, I tried to send a letter, but it looked like it exploded back on us. Again, nice save, Rarity.”

“Anything for a friend.” Rarity smiled but then brought a hoof to her mouth. “Who were you sending a letter to anyway?”

Spike swallowed the strudel. “Oh, uh, well… you all can keep a secret right?”

Everypony except Twilight nodded.

“I can send letters to those I’m close with and as a, um, ambassador to dragons, I can send those to Princess Celestia.” Spike winced as the words left his mouth.

A gaggle of gasps went through Applejack’s room.

“Oh my, a direct line to Princess Celestia,” Rarity mused.

“Well, I mean, everypony has seen Princess Luna in their dreams at least once, right?” said Dash.

“Amazing.” Fluttershy gazed at Spike. “So, you were the reason she came. We owe you a lot, Spike.”

“Uh, don’t mean to burst y’all’s bubble, but I don’t think the Princess ever got that letter,” said Applejack. “I’m sure she would have left before I got to the school in that case.”

“Oh.” Spike slumped and glanced down. “Well, guess that explosion really did take out the letter.”

“It must have been that masked stallion villain,” Twilight stated. “His magic was like nothing I’d ever seen before.”

“And apparently he had multiple cutie marks.” Fluttershy shuddered. “How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know.” Twilight tensed up and looked over her friends. She summoned her shaky grin. “What matters is we managed to beat them back.”

“Hay yeah!” Dash cheered. “Look a little more confident though, Twilight.”

Just as Twilight was about to respond, there was a knock at the door. Applejack got up. “I’ll get it.”

In a blink, she was over at the door. She opened it to reveal Maud and Derpy on the other side. Maud appeared as stoic as ever, but Derpy lacked her usual grin. She fidgeted in place, jostling the box on her back.

“Um, hi?” said Applejack. “Something I can help y’all with?”

“At first, I thought it would be fine for Derpy to handle this on her own.” Maud blinked. “Then I thought it over. It’s better to nip this in the bud now, so, if you wouldn’t mind, would you please come to Pinkie’s room?”

Twilight stood up. “Is something wrong?”

Maud blinked again. “Pinkie is feeling upset from yesterday.”

“It might be my fault,” Derpy sighed. “It was a little scary seeing her fight, but I owe her a lot.”

Applejack thought back on Pinkie’s chilling demeanor but pushed it back. “We all do, she’s the reason I was able to get back to the school.”

“For real? Didn’t know Pinkie had it in her.” Dash felt the rest of the room glare at her. “Not that I’m surprised or anything, we are the most awesome class after all.”

“Why don’t we go to see her then?” Rarity got up. “I certainly wouldn’t mind giving my legs a little stretch and making sure Pinkie is okay.”

Fluttershy hopped into the air. “I hope she is.”

The group cleaned up what was left of their food and then made their way to Pinkie’s room. The dorms were a collection of three six-story buildings, one for each grade level. The first floor of each served as a general lobby and lounge with s small café open on the weekdays. Depending on the building, colts occupied the second and third or the fifth and sixth with fillies on the opposite floors. That left the fourth floor open for a gym, baths, and study areas.

For the first years’ dorm, the fillies occupied the second and third floors, with Applejack on the third floor. She’d requested it so she would be closer to gym and the baths. Meanwhile, Pinkie was on the second. Her door was adorned with her name in bright pink blocks that sparkled with glitter. Streamers also lined the doorframe.

Applejack, having taken the lead, and knowing Pinkie the longest, was the one to knock on the door. “Pinkie, you awake in there?”

There was silence in response. Everyone strained their ears and picked up some soft snores.

“Sure sounds asleep to me,” said Dash.

“That’s not how Pinkie snores.” Maud walked up to the door and gave it a forceful knock. “Pinkie, your friends are here to see you. Also, it’s not good to stay cooped up like this.”

It was silent again for a few more seconds before the door slowly opened. Pinkie was no longer gaunt like when she had been carried out of the WTF, but there were still bags under her bloodshot eyes. Her mane, while poofy, lacked its usual luster and did not have its full degree of fizziness. She took in all her friends standing in front of her door and zeroed in on Derpy. She inched back.

“M-maybe this isn’t the best time,” she said with a frown and a bowed head.

“I, um…” Derpy reached back and thrust the box at Pinkie. “I just really want to thank you for everything yesterday!”

Pinkie stared at the box with widened eyes for a second, but then lowered her head again and shook it. “I can’t accept that, Derpy. How I acted yesterday was no way a class president… no way a hero should act.”

“That’s not true! You let Applejack reach the school and you protected me…” Tears flecked Derpy’s eyes and she bit her lip. “… and I could barely keep from getting in your way.”

“But all those ponies and changelings I hurt…” Pinkie sniffled.

Twilight stepped forward. “It’s what we have to do. Hurting others for no reason is wrong but protecting ourselves and others is what heroes do. Pinkie, if it hadn’t been for you, Princess Celestia and the staff may not have been able to reach us, from what I’ve heard.”

Pinkie gave a great sigh. “So, it wasn’t wrong what I did?”

“No,” everyone replied.

Pinkie looked over her friends and teared up. When she started to sob, Maud came over and embraced her. The others let them stay like that for a bit before Pinkie broke off the hug and moved closer to Derpy to take the box.

“Thanks,” she sniffled.

Derpy smiled. “Just what a hero deserves.”

Pinkie teared up again and opened the box to find a muffin with a smiley face with eyes that matched Derpy’s baked into it. Sucking back her tears, Pinkie managed to hiccup, “I… I promise I’ll do my best as a hero from now on and keep our class safe as its president.”

All of Pinkie’s friends went in to give her a hug, save for Dash, who just gave her a pat on the shoulder. Maud also stayed to the side to allow Pinkie’s friends to embrace her. She took in the scene and blinked.

~~~

Sunset gasped for breath. She did not have time to recover and rolled to avoid a blast of magic. It left a sizzling crater in its wake.

“What’s wrong?” a trio of voices called out in unison. Sunset glared up at Twilight floating above Sunset with shadowy wings keeping her airborne. Her coat was darker, and magic blazed out around her eyes and horn as it had during the climax of the fight at the WTF. Her face kept shifting with parts of it giving way to Tantabus’s ethereal form and other parts of it getting covered up by Equality’s mask. The rest of her body morphed too, giving her the appearance of a full-grown mare. “Is that all you have?”

Sunset kicked off the ground. Jets of flame blasted out of her hind legs, propelling her up to the Twilight amalgamation. She summoned as much magic as she could into her right foreleg, even while the heat and unnatural concentration of magic in her leg burnt her skin, tore her muscles apart, and cracked her bones. Pushing past the pain, she threw all her magic and weight into the attack.

The Twilight amalgamation blocked it with a leg and yawned. Her leg’s fur was not even singed. Sunset tried to reel back, but aura clamped onto her limbs and neck, cutting off her air. The Twilight amalgamation flashed a predatory grin.

“Weakling,” it sneered. Its horn glowed bright.

Just before it could launch a spell, a misty horn burst through its chest. The horn cleaved upward, splitting the Twilight amalgamation in two. The halves dissipated into black mist that swirled toward the horn that had bisected them. The aura holding Sunset up also dissipated and she fell for a second, before a cooling misty substance caught her. It lowered her back to the ground, which was now awash in the light of the stars and a crescent moon.

“My apologies,” came Luna’s voice, though only mist swirled around Sunset. “I imagine the other students are not sleeping that well either, but I am currently tending to Tantabus. It is vital that he return to instruct you. More importantly, are you okay, Sunset Shimmer?”

“In a sec,” Sunset hacked. Taking a few breaths, she managed to calm her heart. Without a physical body to focus on, Sunset bowed toward where she had imagined Luna’s voice was the strongest. “Thank you, Princess.”

“It seems there was more than just the villains that upset you about yesterday.” The mist concentrated across Sunset’s back in the rough shape of a wing.

“If you’re healing Tantabus, he probably told you what he did.” Sunset grimaced. “He made Twilight an alicorn. I didn’t even realize such a thing was possible.”

“I wouldn’t strictly call it alicornification, more like Tantabus, a creature who can take on various forms, granted Twilight Sparkle the most powerful form he could think of.”

“But why her?” A stomp echoed through the dreamscape. “What is so special about Twilight?”

“That is a dangerous line of thought, Sunset Shimmer,” Luna cautioned. “As for why Tantabus chose to lend his power to Twilight and not you, I believe the physical injuries you suffered are the reason. At that point in the battle, you were concussed, and your left leg was heavily injured. Tantabus lending you his power may have proved too much of a strain. Twilight, on the other hoof, had mainly magical injuries, which Tantabus could temporarily heal while fused with her. It was a calculated choice and nothing that diminishes your own worth as a fighter. In fact, your defeat of the villain Enigma ensured that Celestia could fight to her full potential. In a way, both you and Twilight Sparkle ensured victory yesterday. Take heart of that.”

“I understand, Princess.” Sunset sighed. “It just feels like she’s getting all these sudden boosts, trying to catch up with me.”

“All the more reason to keep up your good work.” Luna’s mist patted Sunset’s back. “Twilight Sparkle is not your enemy. I know your relationship with her has been tumultuous, but consider turning that anger and jealousy towards a positive goal if you cannot discard them. Do not let them consume you.”

“I understand.” Sunset stared off at the stars. “I understand.”

Luna made a sound as if she were taking a deep breath. “If you truly do, and I want you to think on this, then it may be time to instruct you in some new forms of magic.”

Sunset spun her head so fast that her mane whipped around. Her eyes were wide and glistened with anticipation. “Really?”

“I had wanted to keep our training more to controlling emotions for the first year, but this attack has made me reconsider.” Sunset felt the air around her grow colder. “I caution you once more though, you must learn this power for the sake of protecting ponies and becoming a hero Equestria can be proud of. It must never be used for such a petty reason as one-upping Twilight Sparkle. Can you promise me this?”

Sunset gritted her teeth. “I…”

~~~

“I’m just saying it would make a really cool idea for a restaurant,” Spike said. He walked alongside Twilight on the way to school.

“It would also make the restaurant incredibly dry.” Twilight tapped her chin. “Or you’d have to keep the humidity really high. Either way, not a good idea for keeping customers happy. Plus, while the summoned balls of drinks would be cool to look at, you’d have to put them down after a bit or you’d just be wasting magic.”

“Darn, there goes my idea for Spike’s Magic Soda Service,” he half-sighed half-chuckled. “It was so cool when Rarity did it though.”

“The Health Department would have shut it down fast anyway,” Twilight chuckled. “Unless the caster split the summoned liquid apart for each guest, you’d all essentially be sharing the same drink.”

“Yeah, I…” Spike stopped in the middle of the street. His eyes grew hazy and his cheeks burned bright red.

“Spike?” Twilight spun, rushed to Spike, and gave him a shake. “Spike! What’s wrong?”

“Oh my, is everything alright?” Rarity emerged out of the morning traffic. At the sight of her, Spike snapped back to reality.

“Y-yeah!” he yelped, still beet-red. “Everything is fine!”

“Right…” Rarity took a breath. “Though I wouldn’t blame you if they weren’t. I had the most awful dream last night that those villains were attacking again.”

“We’re all probably giving Princess Luna a bit of extra work,” Twilight sighed. Knowing more of Luna’s condition than most ponies would, Twilight truly hoped her nightmares and the others’ were not causing additional harm to her health.

Rarity and Twilight chatted along the way to school. Spike trailed behind them and remained quiet, but his mind was alight with the thought that he and Rarity had essentially shared a drink.

When they opened the door to Class 1-A, a wave of relief washed over Twilight. All her classmates were there talking amongst themselves, no doubt about the villain attack. Twilight was glad to see that the only students still showing any signs of injury were herself and Spike, with bandages on her legs and a cast around Spike’s arm. Even Sunset had her smug grin back on her face.

Twilight took her seat, but as soon as she did, Pinkie spun around with a wide grin on her face. “Better get ready, Twilight, something is telling me we’re gonna have a big surprise today!”

“Reckon it’s a substitute teacher,” said Applejack.

As if responding to her words, a point between the desk at the front and the chalkboard darkened. The darkness coalesced into a small sphere that shimmered with tiny dots of light. Tantabus’s voice, reduced to a rasp, exuded from it. “Good morning, class. It is good to see you are all here.”

“Morning, Professor!” Pinkie chirped. “Glad to see you up and moving!”

“Does that count as moving?” Dash asked Fluttershy.

A chill from the front of the class answered Dash. She straightened up and faced forward. Even without his eyes, she could feel Tantabus glaring at her. “I will recover in due time. What is more important though is that we prepare for our next battle.”

A wave of tension crested down on the class.

Fluttershy shuddered. “N-next battle?”

“My arm,” Spike quibbled.

“More chances to show how awesome I am,” Dash boasted.

Applejack adjusted her hat. “Looks like things never slow down here.”

“Bring it,” Sunset muttered.

“Um, yay?” Pinkie asked.

We must have gotten some intel on the villains, Twilight thought. It must be serious if they’re getting students involved.

“The CSGP Sports Festival is coming up,” said Tantabus.

Half the class fell out of their seats.

Author's Note

Class 1-B is coming...

Declaration of War

“Aw yeah!” Dash proclaimed. She did a loop through the air out of the classroom and into the hall. “So glad the Sports Festival didn’t get canceled!”

“It does make sense,” Twilight murmured, “it’s a bold display of force and will help assuage public fears after the attack. Furthermore, it…”

“Oh, I can’t wait either,” Rarity beamed while Twilight prattled on to herself. “I’m a bit sad we don’t get to wear our costumes, but it will be a great chance to show off all our Talents!”

“Plus, we may get to play some fun games!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Oooh, or go through some crazy obstacle courses.”

“I just hope it’s nothing too rough,” said Fluttershy.

Applejack let out a snort. Everyone turned to her, noting the intensity washing off of her. Her eyes were steely when she looked over her friends. “Let’s give it our best.”

“You’re really fired up about this, eh?” Spike asked with a nervous grin.

“Darn straight.” Applejack gave a stomp. “This’ll be a great chance to drum up some business for the farm before applebuck season.”

Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike screeched to a halt. Twilight broke out of her muttering. Pinkie stopped skipping but hummed instead of looking surprised. Dash tumbled out of the air, but managed to right herself before landing.

“That’s what you’re excited for?” She got straight up in Applejack’s face. She threw her head back and groaned, “Come on, Applejack, this could be another chance for us to see who’s faster. It’s a chance for the pros to scout us out. It’s a chance to show we’re the most awesome class!”

Applejack took a breath and pushed Dash back. “I get all that. Matter o’ fact, I’m hoping some big shots have their eyes on me. That said, my main goal at the Festival, and my goal as a hero, is spreading my family’s name. I know it’s a bit selfish, but us Apples are farmers first, heroes second. We’re proud of the land we make flourish, and I’ll do whatever I can to keep Sweet Apple Acres going strong for a long time…” Her face softened. “… and make things a little easier for my sister and my granny.”

“What about your pa—”

Pinkie rising up behind Applejack and flailing her legs cut Twilight off. Applejack turned to see what was going on, but Pinkie was already back to humming.

“I understand. As much as being a hero is about having your heart in the right place, it is still a job.” Rarity grinned. “Plus, we need to set good examples for our younger siblings.”

“You got a sis too?” Applejack asked.

The group resumed walking while they chatted and listened. Since the subject switched to siblings, Twilight chimed in and Pinkie gleefully talked about Maud. Fluttershy muttered something about a brother but did not add much more than that. They were just about to turn a corner when Celestia burst from the other side of it. Everyone was once again brought to a halt and bumped into each other.

“Ah, Twilight Sparkle,” she proclaimed. Her horn lit up and she floated a wicker picnic basket out from behind the corner. “Would you care to join me for lunch?”

“Uh… sure,” Twilight answered.

Celestia’s smile widened. “Wonderful!”

The two of them trotted off, leaving the majority of the group to gape at them. Spike managed to keep his composure even though Celestia being so direct had jolted him at first. Dash managed to keep her jaw from slacking. Now, her eyes narrowed.

“Holy guacamole!” Pinkie exclaimed, breaking the awe that had struck the group. “What do you think that’s about?”

“Maybe about the attack?” Fluttershy suggested.

“Or about her Talent,” said Applejack. “If it was enough to drive off that villain like Fluttershy said, maybe the Princess is scouting her out.”

Dash remained silent. A little way back from the group, Sunset had observed the exchange. Both she and Dash wore the same expression: a tightened jaw and steely eyes.

~~~

“Ah.” Celestia relaxed back in her chair across the mahogany table from Twilight. In her usual appearance, the chair might have appeared a bit snug, but in her true form, it was quite large. A spread of quartered daffodil sandwiches, a triangle of cheese surrounded by various crackers, and a three-tiered tray of miniature cakes sat in the center of the table. “Please, help yourself, Twilight.”

“Thank you, Princess.” Twilight took just a quarter of a sandwich to start with. She felt the awkward tension in her bones. She had had lunch with Celestia multiple times over the summer, but that had been on the edge of the Everfree when she was exhausted from training. Now, she was in the middle of the School and had been called out by the most powerful hero in Equestria in front of all her friends. She needed to speak before she could eat, or she feared she would choke. “Um, is there something really pressing?”

“There is the matter of my time limit.” Celestia poured some tea for Twilight and then a cup for herself. “It’s at two hours at best; one if I actually fight.”

Twilight thanked the stars she had not eaten or drank anything yet. “That little?!”

“It was bound to happen sooner or later, regardless of whether or not I found a successor for the Elements.” Celestia blew on her tea and took a sip. When she lowered the cup onto the saucer, it produced a clang that rang through the room. Even in her current form, her eyes were now fiery with the determination of Equestria’s top hero. “It makes this year’s Sports Festival all the more important, especially in light of villains who may have already realized my time as a hero is limited.”

“You don’t think that mare knew, do you?” Twilight gasped.

“Equality was aware of much,” Celestia answered. There was more on the tip of her tongue, but she held back certain words and continued with others. “She likely doesn’t know about the specifics of my time limits, but the only conclusion I can reach as to why she targeted you is that she knows you have access to the Elements.”

“But how?” Twilight’s stomach churned. “I thought it was one of Equestria’s most guarded secrets.”

Celestia inhaled deeply and then sighed. “I did not wish to tell you this so soon, Twilight, but there are others that know of the Elements, and they do not have Equestria’s best interests in mind. About a thousand years ago, Equestria was in disarray and there were multiple evils that Princess Luna and I sealed or defeated with the Elements. You know some of their names well: Discord, Master of Chaos and…” Celestia took another breath. “Tirek, the Destroyer.”

“Th-those… those were just stories.” Twilight sounded like she was trying to convince herself, and a pit formed in her stomach. “And what do you mean by ‘sealed?’”

“Well, for one, there is a statue in the castle gardens that is not a statue.” Celestia paused a moment to let the words sink in. Twilight’s lips pressed together, she gulped, and broke out into a cold sweat. “It is nothing to concern yourself with now. The seals on them are still strong, but they were devious. It is possible Equality is a long-term puppet by one of these forces.”

Twilight remained silent. She was still reeling from the thought that she had had tea near one of the most famed monsters in Equestrian history. Yet, when Celestia directed her gaze at her, her breathing stabilized.

“Regardless of where Equality comes from, she has sent out a message to Equestria’s underbelly.” Celestia raised a leg and pointed at Twilight. “The main reason I wanted to have a talk with you is because the Sports Festival is an event all of Equestria and beyond will be watching. For you and your friends, I have confidence you will be able to tell the villains and the world, ‘we are here!’”

~~~

“Sheesh,” Dash sighed. She glided ahead of the rest of her friends and over to the stack of lunch trays.

The others slowly followed after her. Pinkie had stopped skipping, Fluttershy shivered and hid behind her mane, and Applejack adjusted her hat to avoid almost the entire lunch hall staring at them. Rarity took a breath, flipped back her mane, and marched forward. Spike inhaled and strutted over to the lunch trays.

“Don’t hold up the line,” Sunset muttered to Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack. She trotted past them and inserted herself between Applejack and Spike. “Tch, if this is how you’re going act after one villain attack, how are you going to manage being pros?”

“Awesomely,” Dash answered while Sugar Belle deposited a large serving of vegetarian lasagna onto her tray. “Let them scope us out. I don’t mind showing off and neither should any of you.”

“Oh… oh dear,” Fluttershy mumbled. She took a tray, but it jittered between her teeth.

“Guess you’ve got a point.” Applejack slid down the line, taking three servings of everything except the pear cobbler. “Just a little shocking is all.”

“Reminds me of the first time I was on a runway.” Rarity’s eyes glazed over for a second before refocusing. “A little different now I suppose.”

“A lot different is my guess.” Spike got a few servings, but his main course and seasoning of jewels jostled in his book bag. “What’s this about runways?”

“Oh, just a few shows I did here and there,” Rarity answered. “If I hadn’t made it into the School as a hero, I had a backup application sent to the Costuming and Equipment Branch.”

“I applied there, too!” Pinkie exclaimed while layering her tray with cakes, cobblers, and fruits. “It would have been fun coming up with new costume ideas for others, but then I wouldn’t be super hero friends with all of you!”

Spike moved away from the serving area and followed along with the rest of the group. “Huh, haven’t really looked into much about the School branches. Maybe I sh—”

A turquoise wing flared out from a nearby table in front of Dash, but she soared over it. At the same time, Fluttershy tripped over something, sending her tray flying. Pinkie zoomed forward and managed to catch all of Fluttershy’s food back on the tray.

The turquoise pegasus grinned up at Dash. “Impressive.”

A pair of azure hooves clopped together. “And entertaining.”

“What’s the big idea?” Dash snorted. She flew down to help Fluttershy up.

“Okay, I admit, the wing was me, but everypony else here is just enjoying their lunch,” said the turquoise pegasus. “I wanted to get your attention after the WTF attack anyway, Rainbow Dash. Name’s Lightning Dust, and I hear you’ve been going on about being a fast pegasus.”

“Damn straight, and I don’t need some goons to back me up.” Dash glared at Dust but made sure to briefly direct her ire at all those seated at the table. The light green and pale purple unicorns at the opposite end and the amber-gray earth pony in the middle continued to eat their meals. A light orchid earth pony sitting opposite from the other earth pony stopped eating to admire the confrontation.

The azure unicorn slammed a hoof down on the table. “Trixie is no goon! Trixie will be happy to show you just what a foal you and the rest of your class are!”

“Now, now,” said the light orchid earth pony, “no need to get upset. They are our schoolmates after all.”

“Oh!” Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Suri? Is that you?”

“What a pleasure you recognized me.” Suri grinned. “Please forgive my classmates, they’re just a little revved up about the Sports Festival.”

“Quite understandable, I—”

“Can it,” Sunset snorted. She shot daggers at Suri. “If you want a fight, then say it. You’re all just cannon fodder for me.”

Suri’s smile remained in place, but her eyes turned icy. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I do hope the rest of your class isn’t this rude.”

“Now look, Sunset may be a little jumpy, but I think our class is…” Applejack jolted. Her pupils dilated, and her ears went stiff. Her next words came out in a Maud-like drone. “… gonna be up against a wall at the Sports Festival.”

The table, save for the green unicorn and the amber-gray earth pony burst into chuckles. Dust put a hoof on her chest. “Well, I have heard Apples are known for their honesty.”

Applejack shook her head and stared around for a second before snarling at the table. “Consarnit! I don’t know what your game is, but if you wanna play it that way, we’re gonna show you our class is the best!”

“Yeah!” All the girls and Spike added, although Fluttershy whispered her “Yeah.”

Dash jabbed a hoof at the table. “Consider this a declaration of war!”

Dash swirled upward into the air and flew off. Sunset made sure her glare pierced everypony at the table before she trotted away. The others marched after Dash with Spike at the end. He stalled for a second, blinked, and then looked down at his tray. “Uh, weren’t we just talking about runways?”

Another fit of chuckles from the table made Spike blush, and he rushed off to catch up with the group.

Other tables had observed the incident. One was occupied by a trio of unicorns adorned with the latest fashions and glistening jewelry. The gray stallion of the trio remarked, “How droll. It does our class little good to show our hoof to Class 1-A.”

“Oh yes,” the light olive filly at his side mused.

“Still, I cannot wait to trounce them,” remarked the white stallion that loomed over both of them. “And perhaps gain the admiration of some of the fillies. I particularly like that Sunset one.”

“Oh, Blueblood, you should just go over and say so,” Upper Crust purred. “She’d easily be head over hooves for you.”

All three of them chuckled.

At another nearby table, a yellow earth pony bit down hard on a carrot.

“You okay, Golden?” asked a light beige earth pony sitting across from Golden Harvest.

“I’m fine, Roseluck,” Golden sighed. “Applejack is my rival though. What gives them the right to mess with her like that?”

“That’s what you worried about?” asked a third filly with a coat somewhere between Roseluck’s and Golden’s.

“I just want to have a nice time,” the lone pegasus colt at the table sighed. Unlike the rest of the, his coat was not a shade of yellow, but of a dark grey. “You agree with me, right, Junebug?”

“I want to win, Thunderlane,” Junebug huffed. She looked over the room. “We’re gonna have some tough competition.”

Maud blinked. She had observed the whole altercation between Pinkie’s friends and the 1-B students, but it had not amounted to anything concerning, so she had let it slide. With another blink, she moved forward to join Sunset, who was currently digging into her meal, having split from Pinkie’s group.

A yellowish-grey pony brushed up against her shoulder. Maud stopped, turned her head, and stared at the pony. The colt wore a stony expression that matched Maud’s. She looked down at her shoulder, blinked, and then stared straight at the colt. “That was on purpose.”

“It was intentional, yes,” the colt droned. “My peers are in the process of sizing up our competition, and I wanted to do the same, though without the pizzazz my classmates enjoy. It’s not my style. Also, technically, your classmate made the declaration, I’m just returning fire.”

His tone and long-winded explanation would have put a normal pony to sleep, but Maud remained vigilant. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you.”

“And I will do the same.” The colt then held out a leg. “It’d be bad manners to not introduce myself. I am Mudbriar.”

Maud clenched Mubriar’s leg. There was no shaking or movement whatsoever from either of their legs, but below, Maud’s shadow bubbled slightly. “Maud Pie. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Mudbriar replied. He withdrew the leg and turned away. “I look forward to seeing you at the Festival.”

Back at Dust’s table, Trixie smirked. “Good one, Wallflower.”

“W-well, I did want to see if my spells worked on dragons,” Wallflower Blush mumbled.

“C’mon!” said Dust. “Show a little confidence! We’re gonna have Class 1-A on the ropes!”

“That seems toast-worthy to me.” The pale purple unicorn with a violet mane and stripes of teal pulled into pigtails lifted her glass. The others raised their glasses, though Coco only did so after a glare from Suri. “To Class 1-B and victory at the Sports Festival!”

“Cheers!” they all proclaimed.

Dust raised her glass a little higher. “And cheers to you too for pulling that move on Applejack, President Glimmer.”

Starlight Glimmer smiled. “Ah, this is going to be fun.”

Author's Note

Say hello to my mean six.

Wind Up Wound Up

Celestia strode through the mists of slumber. She stood tall in the dreamscape, but lacked her regalia, so her scar was plain across her breast. Ahead of her was a great canopied bed. Its inhabitant lay propped up on pillows behind the veil.

“How did the meeting with Twilight Sparkle go?” Luna coughed.

“As well as I could hope,” Celestia sighed. “It is never easy giving my students the talk about Discord and Tirek.”

“… and Sombra?” Luna added.

Celestia tensed and lowered her head so she did not have to face Luna. “I could not force that on her, not yet.”

“Sister.” Luna’s tone stung Celestia’s scar. “I know the dangers of rushing, but if Equality is as well connected as I fear she is, it is only a matter of time before Sombra seeks her out.”

“We don’t know that.” Celestia’s feeble reply clashed with her majestic body. For a second, her form warped, as if her larger form was overlaid over her true emaciated body. “What we gleaned of his immediate behavior upon freedom was not consistent with the tyrant we faced a millennium ago. I’ve already posted extra guards to the north just in case.”

Seeing Celestia in such a state, Luna sighed, “I suppose if Sombra had joined with Equality, she would have unleashed him on us, regardless of the consequences. I wouldn’t be surprised given her chaotic corruption.”

“I highly doubt she’s an agent of Discord. It’s not in his nature to play such a detailed long game, and especially not to directly kill,” Celestia countered.

“Something was wrong with her,” Luna insisted. “You only fought her briefly, but I had her magic plunged directly into me, and what I felt was akin to Discord’s miasma.”

“Hmm.” Celestia clenched her jaw. Both she and Luna were quiet for a moment. Celestia took a breath and stared up at Luna, irises flickering with aura. “All the more reason we must support Twilight and the others. The Sports Festival will be their first chance to show what lies in Equestria’s future. Until then, let’s help our students out however we can.”

The smile Celestia bore allowed Luna to sink a little into her pillows. “You always have a way with words, sister. Very well, I shall make sure our students are ready.”

~~~

“It’s amazing!” Twilight beamed.

Across the table, Shining blushed and tried to cover it up by eating another spoonful of his oatmeal. “It’s a little surprising, but it’s not unheard of. After all, look at how much you improved after getting your cutie mark.”

“I’m just happy for both of you,” said Night Light. “Though it is a little weird seeing you both mentioned in the paper so much lately.”

“It’s just a little corner piece,” said Shining. He leaned back in his chair and grinned. “It is nice to be able to stay in Canterlot though.” His smile diminished. “It kind of feels like I’m missing out on a bit. A lot of other sergeants got sent up to the north recently.”

“I’m fine with you being here, especially after that attack.” Velvet took a sip of her tea and then set her sights on Twilight. “You’re sure you’re fine?”

“For the thousandth time, mom, yes.” Twilight raised an unbandaged leg to emphasize her point. At the same time, she thanked Celestia, the School staff, and the Guard for having kept the fact that Equality targeted her from reaching the press. Still, they could not have kept her name from reaching the papers, so every now and then a pony passing by the café she and her family were enjoying Saturday brunch at would stop and stare. A glare from Velvet shooed them away. Twilight turned back to Shining. “Do you think you’ll be able to make it to the Sports Festival?”

“Not sure.” Shining paused and glanced right and left. He leaned over the table so that his voice did not carry far. “The Guard will be spread out all around the city with some pro heroes concentrated around the stadium. I’m already a little nervous about my new rank, so I don’t want to step on any hooves, even if it is to see you kick flank at the Festival.”

Twilight grinned. “Thanks, Shiny.”

“And we’ll be there,” Night Light chuckled. He leaned over and nudged Shining with is elbow. “Maybe your special somepony will be there too.”

“Dad!” Shining yelped. Sensing eyes on him, he settled into his seat. “You know what our agreement is. I’ve still got a long way to go to catch up with Cadance.”

“You’ll get there!” Twilight cheered. She then flexed her leg. “And I’m right behind you!”

~~~

A crystalline leg crashed down on Spike. He tossed up her arms and caught it inches from his head. Rarity and Spike dug their hooves and claws into the ground. Rarity pushed harder to strike at Spike, and Spike clenched down more. A sharp crack rang through the air. Rarity yelped, and Spike let go. They disengaged, and Spike moved to Rarity’s side to analyze the injury.

“Just a little crack,” Rarity assured him. Crystal gave way to flesh, revealing a small gash with crimson streaks spiderwebbing out of it. “Need to rethink my diet a bit.”

“Here you go.” A filly with a coat that matched Rarity’s but with a mane of two different shades of violet deposited a bandage and some antiseptic spray at Rarity’s hooves. She stood a few inches shorter than Spike and bore a blank flank.

“Thank you, Sweetie.” Rarity lifted up the antiseptic, clenched her jaw when she sprayed it over her injury, and pressed the bandage on it after giving it a second to dry.

“Anything for my big sister!” Sweetie Belle displayed a wide grin. She then swung her head around to glance at her flank, which was still white like the rest of her coat. Her grin faded. “Maybe medicine isn’t my Talent though.”

“Give it time.” A nuzzle accompanied Rarity’s words.

Spike slipped away and grabbed one of the bottles the group had brought out to Rarity’s family’s large backyard. When he brought it to his lips, a bitter sludge washed over his tongue. He hacked and spat the foul black slush with flecks of grey onto the grass.

Sweetie hid behind Rarity’s frame and groaned, “Guess smoothie making isn’t my Talent either.”

Spike knew Sweetie’s lament was sincere after having seen and tasted the “power breakfast” she had made for Rarity and him. At first, he had thought the black, viscous liquid and ashen scraps had perhaps been related to her Talent, like Rarity’s eating of gems, but her blank flank had eliminated that theory. Then, Spike had thought it might be some sisterly jealousy or fear of him like Rarity had, but Sweetie, while initially surprised at seeing Spike, had already heard about him from Rarity.

So, that only left Spike with two conclusions: Sweetie should never be allowed anywhere near a kitchen and she was obsessively seeking her cutie mark. This was a deadly combination.

~~~

Fluttershy swerved her elongated neck to the right before Applejack’s hoof could crash into her face. Her slitted pupils narrowed when the attack passed by her head but then veered and crashed down on her neck. Fluttershy gasped and went to her knees in a fit of coughing. Her neck and limbs shrank back to their regular proportions, scales gave way to fur across her back and around her hooves, and pronounced fangs receded.

Applejack helped her back up. “Sorry, sugarcube, even if you can dodge faster now, your longer neck and legs are too open. There a way you can get rid of that, but keep the other stuff?”

“M-maybe,” Fluttershy hacked as Applejack led them over to where they had set down their water bottles and gear against one of the training room’s walls. She took a drink and sighed, “I might need to consider other thermal sensing animals that can strike fast… or maybe some discharge sensing ones. Oh, but those are mostly fish, so I can’t…”

A slap on the back made Fluttershy yelp and break out of her muttering. Applejack took another swig of her water before grinning. “We can worry about that later. Let’s focus on what you’ve got now.”

Before they could get back into training, there was a knock at the door.

“Come on in,” Applejack hollered.

Twilight stepped into the room and floated her gear next to Applejack and Fluttershy’s. “Hope I didn’t miss out on too much.”

~~~

“Olé!” Pinkie reared onto her hind legs. Bulk raced through the red cape she clutched in her forelegs. Temporarily blinded, he flailed out a hoof to strike at Pinkie, but she bounced away.

Her tail stood on end and she swerved right. Aloe snorted and raced to close the distance between the two of them. At the same time, Lotus sprung at her, but Pinkie produced a large balloon that squealed when it unleashed its air, pushing her out of the way of the attack. It also forced everypony else to cover up their ears, giving Pinkie time to dash quick-drying cement onto their legs.

Nearby, Maud lay under the shade of a tree, taking in the training session. Her long stares were punctuated every now and then with a blink.

~~~

“You’re something else, Rainbow Dash,” Derpy huffed. She shuffled through the halls, sweat dripping on the floor. “Thanks again for training with me.”

Dash strutted ahead of Derpy with a grin on her face. “No problem. Pegasi gotta help each other out. Plus, Fluttershy’s a great friend, but our training styles are too different to make a good match.”

“She does have a pretty unique talent for a pegasus. Can’t believe how fast this week has gone by… Oh!”

Derpy swerved to left down an intersecting hallway. By now, Dash was used to Derpy’s scatterbrained antics, which made her good at being an unpredictable training partner, but she realized that Derpy’s sharp turn was toward the mail room. To her chagrin, Dash realized she had not checked her mail the whole week since she was too pumped up about the Sports Festival. With a shudder, she followed after Derpy and prayed her parents had not flooded her with letters.

To her relief, she had only received three letters, albeit long ones, from her parents that would have turned her scarlet if anypony else read them. In the safety of her room though, she was their only recipient. Other than that, there was the standard junk mail: offers for extracurricular classes to “boost her to the top,” subscription solicitation for magazines she did not need, and supposedly stellar deals on energy drinks and other training equipment.

Then, she came to a letter she had not noticed at first when it was mixed into the junk. The envelope was made of sturdier paper than the rest of the mail, giving it an official feel. Her hooves skimmed over a seal on the back. She did not recognize the return address and both it and her address had been typed. When she flipped it over, her pupils shrank. The seal was unmistakable: a pony’s skull with a wing sprouting out the back of it.

The shock of seeing the seal gave way to anger. Dash snarled and tore open the letter, nearly ripping the contents in half. The paper crinkled in her hooves. She bore her teeth. Just as she finished reading, a bolt of electricity burst out of her hooves and incinerated the letter. She let it crumble to ash and cursed, “He’s coming.”

~~~

“Have a safe trip,” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“Seconding that,” said Twilight.

“Be sure to say hi to the Cakes for me!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Don’t feel, like, turquoise?” Tree Hugger peered at Applejack. “Yeah, it’s turquoise.”

Applejack stood a few feet ahead of the group, right by the train out of Canterlot. She took off her hat and held it to her chest. “Thanks, ya’ll. I’ll be sure to bring back some of Granny’s cooking to share. It’ll be just that extra kick we need to get through this week and win big time at the Festival!”

With that, she stepped onto the train. As it departed the station, her friends waved her off until the train was out of sight. Twilight then turned to Fluttershy and Tree Hugger. “So, you’re off to the woods then?”

“Yeah, it’s like super good to bask in all the chakras there,” Tree Hugger mused.

“And I’ll be able to interact with a lot of animals,” said Fluttershy. “What about you, Twilight?”

“I’ve got some spells I’m going to test out.” With just a little help from Princess Celestia.

“Well.” Fluttershy grinned. “Good luck.”

“Have a super fun time!” Pinkie cheered. “I can’t wait to see what spells you can pull off!”

~~~

“Oh, hey, Rainbow Dash!” Derpy waved at Dash and then galloped over to her. Dash continued to march forward, but it was still early in the morning so Derpy assumed Dash was still half-awake. “You wanna g—”

“No.” Upon closer inspection, Derpy saw that Dash’s muscles were tight and her glare was chilling. It was like some invisible villain was right in front of her and she was about to show no mercy on him. Derpy flinched and Dash left her behind. “I’m training on my own now.”

“But I thought pegasi had t—”

When Dash turned, Derpy bore the full brunt of her glare. She shivered and stepped back. Dash snorted and marched off, leaving Derpy alone in the hall.

~~~

Applejack patted her stomach and leaned back in her chair. “Ah, I’ve missed having fresh food from you, Granny.”

Granny Smith grinned as much as her aged features could allow. “Gotta make sure you’re all up and ready to win.”

“And make sure you don’t get hurt,” Apple Bloom added.

Applejack reached across the table and ruffled her little sister’s mane. “I ain’t gonna get hurt, Apple Bloom. You just wait ‘till I come back with that first-place prize.”

“I am mighty sorry we can’t make it,” Granny sighed.

Applejack waved a hoof. “No worries, Granny. I know things are getting busy now. Looks like we’re gonna have a good crop this year, so all the more reason to do well at the Festival.”

“You’re sure about your plans afterwards?” Granny asked. “Some of the heroes nearby will gladly take you for an internship.”

“Granny, we already discussed this,” Applejack huffed. “Winning at the Festival will make the pros want to come to us. Big Mac can show me a few more ropes when we’re not busy harvesting. Coming home will get two birds with one stone that way.”

Granny took a breath and sipped her tea. “If you say so, dearie. I just want to make sure you’re getting everything you can out the School.”

“I’m fine with you coming back,” Apple Bloom chimed in. She offered a meek grin at Applejack. “Do you think you can also show me a few apple bucking moves while you’re home?”

“Sure thing,” Applejack chuckled. “Sure thing.”

~~~

“Say…” Pinkie rested a hoof on her chin while spooning pudding into her mouth with another hoof. “Where has Dashie been going during lunch and after class this week?”

Twilight glanced at the empty space at the lunch table. She noticed the Fluttershy had stopped eating her salad and was staring straight down. Taking the cue, she said, “She’s probably just being strict about her diet and training this week.”

“Makes sense.” Applejack stared out at the lunch hall and felt eyes gazing back at her, but she could not pinpoint them through the crowd. She did manage to spot the ponies not looking at her: Rarity and Sunset talking with each other at a table across the room with Maud slowly munching on a sandwich next to them. Absentmindedly, she muttered, “Wonder what their training is like…”

Spike gulped down some gem shards and looked over at her. “Hmm?”

“Nothing.” Applejack shook her head. “Just wondering aloud.”

“Well, speaking of training…” Twilight hefted an impressive stack of paper out of her saddle bags. “I’ve got some regiments I thought would be useful to try out after class today.”

“Neato!” Pinkie cheered.

~~~

“Phew.” Spike stretched his arms above his head. Heat rose off his scales and his muscles ached, but he wore a grin. “Those are some really good exercises, Twilight.”

“Thanks,” Twilight beamed. “It was hard factoring in Pinkie’s abilities into the training plan, but by accepting a certain level of flexibility, it allowed me to broaden what training was possible, enhance my on-the-hooves thinking, and come up even more hypotheticals I’ll run by the Princess if I have time.”

Twilight was huffing by the end of her babbling, so she took a drink. Spike stared at her for a second, shrugged, and then opened the door out of the dorms for her. “I’ll just take it that means good things.”

“Yeah, it…” Twilight stopped a few feet outside the dorm. She veered away from the path and over to a line of trees. Spike followed after her until the two came upon Fluttershy landing nearby. Twilight slowed her walk. Fluttershy had her eyes forward and was taking a step one leg at a time. Her face was pale. “Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy jumped off the ground for a second. She placed a hoof to her chest to calm her heart and stared down. “Oh, Twilight…”

“Everything okay, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “I’ve been a little worried about you since lunch, especially when you went off on your own to train today.”

“I… well…” Fluttershy gulped. “Please don’t tell Rainbow Dash, but I went to check on her this afternoon.”

“Trying to get a leg up on the competition?” Spike joked. A glare from Twilight shut his mouth.

“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked.

“I’m not sure. She’s pushing herself too hard, but it’s always been that way, even before…” Fluttershy stopped herself and turned away. “I’m sorry.”

Fluttershy rushed to bypass Twilight, but Twilight threw out a leg and nearly clothlined her. Taking a breath, she said, “Fluttershy, I know whatever happened to Dash is hard to talk about, but she’s my friend too. I don’t want to see her get hurt because of that.”

Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. “You may be right, Twilight... but it’s still not my place to talk about it.”

Without another word, Fluttershy launched off the ground. Her takeoff sent dust into Twilight and Spike’s eyes. By the time they cleared them, Fluttershy was long gone. Twilight wanted to gallop off and find her, but Pinkie’s advice on friends rang in her ears. With a heavy heart, she realized pushing the issue was not the answer.

“Come on, Spike,” she sighed with a newfound weight in her voice. “We should get going.”

While Twilight and Spike walked off into the early evening, Rainbow Dash stared down at them from the dorm’s roof. With a snort, she took to the air.

Author's Note

Happy Halloween '18 (BTW go see Halloween '18, it's good)

The CSGP Sports Festival

Ponies tightly packed together flowed through Canterlot’s street. Their current was directed by guards set up to block alleyways, keep the crowd from disturbing stores, and look out for any suspicious individuals or activity.

Shining Armor stood on a roof that overlooked one of several major checkpoints, watching the crowd below move along. At the same time, he was constantly getting new reports relayed to him and he was replying in kind. In the brief intermissions between watching the streets below and checking in with the guards under his command, he glanced at where all the citizens were headed.

Even from this distance, he could make of the tiers of the grand arches that composed the outer face of the Canterlot Colosseum. With seating five times that of the nearby Wonderbolts Racecourse, it was the largest sports and entertainment venue in Equestria. For centuries up to the present, it served only three purposes though: the Provisional Hero Licensing Exam, the Professional Hero Licensing exam, and the CSGP Sports Festival. The attendance from just these three events was enough to finance the colosseum.

Velvet and Night Light shuffled along with the rest of the crowd. Both were glad for the shade the scheduled clouds for the day provided since, despite having gotten up early to see Twilight off, they still had to go through regular security like everypony else. Glancing up for a second, Velvet noticed a pair of Wonderbolts zip over them and around the colosseum.

At the same time Velvet watched the Wonderbolts zoom off, Night Light spotted faces that were familiar from the papers. Nearby, the heroine Gaia corralled ponies into orderly lines with the help of a few tree groves she summoned up. Further away, he saw strange glowing tribal signs direct ponies into lanes. Amidst all the different colored ponies, the stark black and white stripes of Zecora, the Hornless Mage, stood out amongst the sigils she cast. Night Light had no doubt other pro heroes were scattered through the crowd and helping control it.

Elsewhere, Donut Joe munched on his namesake. “Sheesh, the rush is usually when the third years are up… guess the WTF incident has got ponies interested in the first years.”

Making their way forward, Velvet and Night Light came to the final regular security checkpoint and the only one that was clearly marked to be noticed by the public at large. When Velvet lifted her saddle bags off her back, she pulled two tickets out of them. All around her, ponies were flashing similar pieces of paper, but while theirs were green, Velvet and Night Light’s were gold.

After checking their bags and temporarily sealing their magic, the guard told the pair to move ahead and then turn right at the first chance. He also told them to keep their tickets out. Following his instructions, the pair moved with the crowd until they made the turn and found themselves in a slightly less crowded hallway. Ahead of them was another checkpoint with two guards standing before a velvet rope.

“Pretty nice treatment, eh?” asked a stallion in a straw hat and a flower print shirt. A mare with a visor sticking out of her beehive mane stood at his side.

Night Light thought they looked familiar, but he couldn’t place from where. Then, he saw the three footballs on the stallion’s flanks. He gasped, “You’re Hondo Flanks!”

“Woah, woah.” Hondo flexed a leg down. “No need to yell. Plus, my days in the spotlight are over. It’s my daughter’s time to shine.”

“Literally,” his wife, that Night Light now recognized as Cookie Crumbles, chuckled. She smiled at Night Light and Velvet and extended a hoof out to them. “Cookie Crumbles, pleasure to meet you.”

The four were halfway through introductions when they reached the rope. After a momentary pause to show their tickets, the group continued with pleasantries.

“Ah, so your daughter’s the one that helped take down that dragon,” said Hondo. “We owe her a bit since our Rarity frequents the shopping district and was unfortunately there that day.”

“Not that she couldn’t handle protecting herself and Sweetie,” Cookie beamed.

Night Light found himself tripping on his tongue. Here was Hondo Flanks, the Implacable Stallion, making small talk with him. To his relief, Velvet was able to stay a bit more composed and was even sharing a laugh with Cookie.

Past the rope was another turn and then a set of steps that led up into open air. Night Light took a breath, glad not be pressed up against walls and other ponies. Just a few yards ahead of him was the center of the colosseum. Glancing back and up, he took note of the rest of the parents’ section and then further above where the private boxes were. One box in particular was graced with golden pillars and regal purple curtains that hid its occupants from view save for when the Princesses wanted to make their appearance known.

Velvet gave him a poke in the side. “Move along, dear. You can look around when we have seats.”

“Right.” Night Light shook his head. “Really incredible to be here.”

“Yep.” Hondo took a whiff of the air. “Brings back good times.”

The group moved along until they came to a set of four open seats by a pegasi couple. Both pegasi were adorned with faded hats and foam pointers emblazoned with a cloud shooting out a bolt of tri-colored lightning. Despite the shabby props, they both wore wide grins.

Night Light decided to extend out a hoof to the stallion of the pair. “Morning. Night Light, nice to meet you.”

“Morning!” the rainbow maned stallion exclaimed. He grasped Night Light’s leg and gave it a vigorous shake. He did the same to Velvet. “Name’s Bow. Bow Hothoof. You ready to see my little girl crush the competition?”

“Depends,” Night Light answered. “Is your daughter in Class 1-A or 1-B?”

“1-A,” replied the mare. She then extended a hoof out and mimicked her husband’s salutation. “Windy Whistles, pleasure to meet you.”

“Twilight Velvet,” said Velvet.

“Twilight…” Windy rolled the name on her tongue for a second before jabbing a hoof at Velvet. “Oh! Is your daughter Twilight Sparkle? Our little Dashie has got quite the rivalry going against her!”

“She’s got a what?” Velvet gasped.

Windy blushed and lowered her head. “Sorry, sorry. Got a little overexcited there and Rainbow probably wouldn’t want us saying too much, but she’s made it sound like she really admires your daughter’s skill.”

“She usually just has her eyes on other flyers, so we were pretty surprised too,” Bow added.

Velvet furrowed her brow. “Twilight has mentioned a very powerful pegasus… hopefully, she’ll bring all these friends she talks about over sometime.”

“Or to our place,” said Cookie. “We’ve got more than enough room.”

Night Light could only imagine what Hondo’s house was like. He was certain he had seen it reported in a few magazines. Focusing back on Twilight, he mentioned, “She does have those study parties set up for finals already, after all.”

“Ah, completely forgot!” Hondo chuckled. “Rarity mentioned those too.”

Bow opened his mouth to say something but then raised a hoof and waved it over his head. “Oi! Swirly! Blossom! Grab a seat next to us! We’ll make this the 1-A winners’ row!”

Night Light glanced back to see who Bow was gesturing at and spotted a pair of timid-looking pegasi: one a light green stallion with a swirl of a pink mane and the other a creamy yellow mare with flower earrings.

“Good to see you,” Swirly murmured as he and Blossom shuffled over the empty seats next to Cookie. “Oh, um, hello, pleasure to meet you all, I’m Swirly Shy and this is my wife, Blossom.”

“N-nice to meet you,” Blossom stuttered. “Sorry, a little jittery.”

“I can relate,” Velvet sighed. When she introduced herself, their eyes widened.

“Oh,” said Blossom. “Your daughter must be the one that ours has been raving about. We’re so glad Fluttershy has made such a good friend.”

“Sounds like our daughters know how to pick ‘em,” Bow chuckled. He then turned his head down and sighed, “Wish Dashie was that talkative about school.”

“I’m sure she’ll come around…” Swirly had mimicked Bow with a lowered head, but he raised it and displayed a small smile. “Let’s root hard for them today.”

“Right!” all the other parents cheered.

A few rows back, a purple stallion in a stately cloak took a seat. His neighbor’s sequin vest and silver trimmed cape stood in contrast with the stallion’s more reserved attire. Both were unicorns and they greeted each other with a smile despite their clashing styles.

“Surprised to see you here, Jack. I thought you and Big were on tour.”

“Oh, we are, Firelight, but I’m pulling a personal disappearing act to see my daughter in action,” replied the showily dressed stallion. His grin pressed into a thin line. “I’m really curious to see how she fares against your ‘Glimmy-wimmy’ if they divvy up the classes.”

Firelight let out a hearty laugh. “Want to bet on that?”

“I am familiar with the odds from working in Las Pegasus so much.”

“I’m willing to take that bet.” Jack Pot and Firelight looked to their left to see a mare with a fiery short-cut mane that clashed with her ocean blue coat. “My Sunset is no slouch, and she’s not losing to any other class.”

“My, my,” Firelight mused, “I presume you’re Ms. Shimmer?”

Twinkle Shimmer snorted and planted herself next to Firelight. “I’m just here to see my girl knock this out of the park.” In an undertone she muttered, “Better not lose her head this time.”

~~~

“Ohmigosh!” Pinkie exclaimed. She zipped around the prep room below the stands asking, “Are you excited? Are you ready? I’m super ready!”

Maud held up a leg and managed to stop Pinkie.

“Oh, right.” Pinkie took a breath. “Gotta save up my energy for the real deal.”

Nearby, Fluttershy and Spike did some stretches. Twilight stood by them but instead of stretching, she brought a hoof close to her chest when she inhaled and circled it out when she exhaled.

“Hey.” Dash’s sharp tone seized Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy. Her eyes were focused but not to the level of piercing and her lips were pressed into a neutral line that rivalled Maud’s. Pinkie kept an eye on the group and lifted a leg to get between Dash and Twilight, but Maud held her back and shook her head. Sunset continued with her own stretches, but kept an ear turned toward the discussion.

Dash huffed, pushing up a tuft of her mane. She raised a leg and pointed it straight at Twilight. “This time, I won’t fall for any tricks. I’m stronger than you, Twilight. I’m faster. Don’t think just because Princess Celestia has her eye on you that changes anything. I will beat you.”

“Rainbow…” Fluttershy started to plead but Twilight stepped forward.

“Rainbow Dash.” Twilight faced her head on. “I’m not sure what’s driving you, but it’s not healthy. You’re strong, and so is everypony else. Objectively, I probably get outpaced by a lot of the class…”

Spike put a claw on Twilight’s side. “Hey, no need to be that hard on yourself.”

Twilight brushed Spike’s claw off and refocused her gaze on Dash. “Everypony here is aiming to succeed here, so I’m going for it too, with everything I’ve got!”

Twilight enunciated her declaration with a stomp. Flecks of rainbow tinted her irises. Dash took a breath and remained composed. “Right…”

~~~

“Heeeeyyyyyy!” Vinyl’s voice rang through the colosseum. The crowd went quiet and turned their heads up to a box that was dwarfed only by the royal suite. Vinyl sat in one of the seats while a shadowy substance in the rough shape of a unicorn’s head floated above the seat next to her. “I hope you folks are reaaaaaddddy! It’s time for CSGP’s Sports Festival to start!”

Vinyl allowed the roar of the crowd to swell and then die down before she turned to her co-host. “And with me is the Nightmare Knight himself, Tantabus! He took a beating for his students, but he’s here today to offer his commentary! What an outstanding pro!”

While the crowd cheered, Tantabus grumbled to Vinyl, “I’m not that big on public appearances, you know.”

Before Vinyl could reply, Tantabus addressed the colosseum with his own booming voice. Chills went through some members of the audience. “I’m pleased to be here today. This year’s festival is a chance to show what the next generation of heroes is made of. I have high hopes for all the participants.”

“And I’m sure you’re rooting for your class to do well too!” Vinyl teased.

“As a teacher, yes, I do want to see my students succeed,” Tantabus answered in a blunt tone. “I want all the School’s students to do well though. That matters more than playing favorites just based on class.”

“Wow, not mincing words,” Vinyl chuckled. “Better be ready for some biting commentary, folks! Anyway, here they come!”

Doors at the bottom of the colosseum opened. Twilight strode out alongside her friends and classmates. Rarity’s eyes glistened, taking in the sights and sounds. Spike wore a similar expression, but his wonder dimmed when he spotted some ponies glaring at him and whispering to their neighbors. Applejack had to force her jaw from slacking.

“There’s Class 1-A!” Vinyl cheered. The crowd roared in approval.

Pinkie hopped at the head of the group, repeating, “So excited! So excited!”

Sunset marched forward, eyes on the massive marble ring that took up the majority of the arena. Dash matched her intensity, but her eyes scanned the crowds until the group came to a stop by a smaller stage on the opposite side from where they had entered. There were three raised platforms on the stage. Applejack’s gaze focused on the highest platform. Many of her classmates shared the fixation.

“And here comes Class 1-B!” Cheers once more went up.

Class 1-B came up next to Class 1-A with Starlight in the lead. Unlike Pinkie, she marched in a rote step that was matched by Trixie, Lightning, and Suri. Wallflower and Coco followed after them but kept their attention on the ground. Blueblood’s group tried to push ahead to be at the front of the class, but every time they neared Wallflower, their pace slowed enough to keep them in the middle. Their jostling did succeed in pushing back Junebug, Roseluck, Golden Harvest, and Thunderlane. Mudbriar was at the very end. Coincidentally, Maud was also at the tail of Class 1-A.

“Let’s also give a round of applause to our Management and Costuming Branches!” For a third time, applause rang through the crowd. Twilight spotted two sections that were not caught up in the cheers. Everypony in those sections appeared around her age and almost all of them had a notepad and pencil in hoof or floating beside them.

“Now…” A new voice drew attention to the stage in front of the classes. When Cheerilee stepped forward in her full hero attire, Twilight’s jaw nearly dropped. Many other students responded in a similar manner. Spike and Rarity shook their heads. She whipped her cat-o-nine-tails against the stage. “Let’s get started!”

“She’s fine with wearing that in public?” Applejack wondered aloud.

“So…” One of Rarity’s eyes twitched. “So garish.”

“She’s Heat Stroke?” Twilight gasped.

“Is that really okay to wear at an event like this?” Junebug asked Roseluck.

“I’m not getting into another clothing argument,” Roseluck sighed. “Do you really want Suri and her lapdog breathing down our necks again?”

“At least I don’t think Coco would come up with something like that,” said Thunderlane. He glanced up. “Suri… not so sure.”

Cheerilee smacked the stage again. “Eyes forward! Your teachers taught you that, right?”

Everyone got a chill when she grinned at them.

“No need to get stressed,” Cheerilee chuckled. “Before we get onto the first round, let’s have our student representative give the athlete’s oath! Ms. Sunset Shimmer, if you would please step forward!”

Twilight felt her stomach drop watching Sunset ascend the steps, but sighed, “Well, I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise.”

“W-what do you mean, Twilight?” Fluttershy quibbled.

“The athlete’s oath for the first years is traditionally given by whoever places first in the entrance exams,” Twilight explained. She bit her lip. “I just hope she doesn’t go all out.”

Sunset marched to the center of the platform. She sensed the air directly in front of her was distorted, a testing exhale that echoed across the colosseum revealed that there was an enchantment on it. Sunset scanned over the attendants and then down at her fellow students. She opened her mouth but paused for a second and then glared daggers straight at Class 1-B. “Make no mistake, I am taking first place.”

Everyone in Class 1-A save for Dash and Maud paled. Many in Class 1-B scowled.

“How brazen,” Blueblood mused with an upturned muzzle. “I suppose I’ll need to knock her down a few pegs before courting her.”

“It’s unbecoming,” Jet Set muttered.

“Quite,” Upper Crust added.

“Don’t get cocky!” Golden Harvest shouted. “Especially Applejack!”

“Huh?” Applejack exclaimed. “What’d I do?”

“Heh.” Starlight’s posse turned to her. “Quite the confident one. I’m looking forward to crushing her.”

“Wait…” Suri’s eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t you putting words in her mouth?”

“She repelled me,” Starlight answered while watching Sunset leave the stage. “That was all her.”

When Sunset strode back over to her class, they parted to distance themselves from her. She responded with a snort. Twilight was far enough away that she did not need to move, and she kept her eyes on Sunset.

She’s changed, Twilight thought. Still had to get the other class’s ire, but before this summer, she would have been way more boisterous.

“Now, now,” Cheerilee chuckled. “This is a chance to have fun. Speaking of which, let’s get to showing you what’s in store for your first round!”

A blinding flash went off a few yards to the left of the stage. When everyone’s eyes cleared, an array of polished single-rider, single-hitch chariots stood nearby. They glistened in the early morning sun. All of them bore CSGP’s mark and the royal emblem.

“Get on your marks!” Cheerilee exclaimed. “Our first round is a three-lap race around the center of the arena. Pair up with whoever you want, though I’m betting you’ll want to stick with your classmates. The first eight pairs to cross the finish line move onto the next round! Now, get set up, get ready, and go!”

Author's Note

Weird fact I learned writing this chapter: Fluttershy's parents still aren't named and the fandom apparently hasn't decided on definitive names either.

I still get a giggle with how I wrote Fluttershy and Dash's parents.

Starting Line

Starlight smirked and turned to her posse. “Alright, ladies, let’s get set up.”

Suri dragged Coco off to the chariots, while Starlight and Lightning Dust shared a look and grinned at each other. Trixie frowned for a second before Thunderlane and Junebug shuffled over. Their eyes were wide and cloudy.

“They should work for you,” said Starlight.

Wallflower drew near to Junebug when her and Thunderlane’s eyes cleared. Trixie sidled up to Thunderlane. “Thunderlane, consider this a great honor. You’ll be part of my opening act!”

“Huh?” Thunderlane shook his head. “But… well… hmmm…”

“I… I wouldn’t mind your help, Junebug,” Wallflower muttered.

Junebug looked back at Roseluck and Golden and shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

Nearby, Blueblood scanned over Jet Set and Upper Crust. Both stood stiff as boards. Blueblood rested a hoof on his chin for a second and then pointed at Jet Set. Upper Crust’s head drooped. “Jet, you’ll be with me. Oh, don’t worry, Upper, I’m sure the rest of the class will be clamoring to partner with you.”

“Y-yes,” Upper sighed.

She could only watch as Blueblood and Jet walked over to the chariots without looking back. To her dismay, she already saw Starlight’s posse teaming up and roping in other members of the class. She also saw Roseluck and Golden on their way to the chariots. Just as the realization of who was left dawned on her, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“By process of elimination, we’re the last pair remaining,” Mudbriar droned.

Upper Crust groaned and sunk to her knees.

Meanwhile, Dash marched over to Fluttershy. “Come on, Fluttershy. We’re going.”

“O-okay,” Fluttershy murmured.

Aloe and Lotus had already paired up but were arguing over who would be at the reins. Lyra had gotten hitched and BonBon was ready in the chariot. Sunset marched over to Bulk, but he recoiled and fled over to towards Tree Hugger. She snorted and spun around, only to find Rarity at her side.

“Sunset, dear, I can’t help but notice you’re a bit forceful. Not that that’s entirely a bad thing.” Rarity put on a well-practiced fashionista smile. “You just need to find a good way to channel it.”

Sunset turned her chin up at Rarity. “Through you, I’m guessing?”

“If you’re willing.” Rarity kept up her smile in the face of Sunset’s bluntness. “Plus, you’ve trained with me, you know you can go all out if I’m pulling the chariot. I know I may prefer the finer things in life, but I’m not afraid to get my hooves dirty to get them.”

“Hmm.” Sunset allowed Rarity to fidget for a second before sighing, “Fine, just don’t make me regret this.”

“Oh, I promise you won’t!” Rarity beamed. “Ah, just imagining your spells reflecting off of me and dazzling the crowd is making me giddy!”

“What did I just say?!” Sunset barked.

Derpy looked right and left, unsure where to go. She watched Twilight and her friends talking, took a step forward, but wavered on advancing further. With a whoosh of air, Applejack was at her side.

“Up for teaming up?” Applejack asked.

Derpy’s eyes widened. “Really? But, you’re, like, superfast, Applejack! Don’t your friends want you on one of their teams?”

“Well, thought about that for a second, but Twilight and Pinkie already have amazing partners, and I want one too. Besides, you’ve seemed a little down lately, so I think winning first place will put a smile on both our faces.”

Derpy rushed forward and gave Applejack a hug. “Thanks!”

At the same time Derpy embraced Applejack, Twilight turned to Spike. “So, I think we should go wi—”

A tap on her shoulder cut her off. Maud stood beside her. “I’d like to race with you.”

Pinkie gasped so loud that everyone in the arena and a few spectators nearby turned their heads toward her. She rushed to Maud’s side, clinging to her chest. “Maaaaaaauuuuuuud, I thought we were going to show everypony our super sister symmetry!”

Maud blinked at Pinkie’s hysterics. She pushed her away and held her back. “Pinkie, I want you to succeed on your own. I think Twilight and Spike would benefit from that as well.”

Spike furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? Twilight and I want to be partners.”

“Heroes, even those on teams, need to establish themselves in their own right. Heroes that fail to do that are likely to wind up with lopsided team statistics and can’t think for themselves in emergencies.” Maud turned her gaze on Twilight. “Am I wrong to assume this?”

“Well… there are reports of teams collapsing in on themselves due to infighting or worse: getting taken out because they were too reliant on each other.” Twilight shuffled her legs, and then thought of Celestia’s words to her. Taking a breath, she turned to Spike. “This is as much your chance to make an impact as it is mine. Let’s show them what we’re made of!”

“Whoopee!” Pinkie, having recovered, swept Spike off his feet and swung him around. She continued the twirl over to the chariots. “This’ll be super fun, Spikey! I’ve got a bunch of ideas to win for sure!”

Spike belched and covered his mouth. “Please tell me they involve less spinning.”

~~~

“Alright, folks!” Vinyl called out. Below, all the students were lined up in their chariots. Spike, due to his stature, had to stand on the board where ponies usually rested their forelegs. To his left, Derpy smiled at him and waved a hoof. To his right, Upper Crust slumped over her chariot while Mudbriar stared straight ahead.

At the same time Pinkie twitched her legs up and down in excitement, both Fluttershy and Twilight’s limbs tingled with anxiety. It was a harsh contrast to Dash and Maud, who took calm breaths and stood firm. Sunset glared at Coco who shriveled under her intensity while Suri flashed Rarity a cat-like grin.

“I didn’t take you as the audacious type, Rarity,” she snickered.

“I prefer to see partnering up with Sunset as bold,” Rarity replied.

“Can the small talk!” Sunset shouted. Rarity flinched and faced forward while Suri chuckled. Coco shuddered.

“On your marks…” Vinyl signaled. Everyone went silent, even Pinkie stopped prancing in place. Applejack crouched. Dash did not allow her wings to twitch but quietly unfurled them. Twilight and the other riders braced themselves. “Go!”

Everyone rushed forward, but quickly found their hooves and wheels caught in mud. Upper Crust blinked and looked back at everyone else struggling in the mud while she was coasting ahead.

“This should give us a significant lead,” Mudbriar stated. He glanced back and blinked. “Or not…”

Dash took the air and pulled the chariot with her. She yelled, “Fluttershy! Hold on and flap!”

“Son of a…” Applejack cut her curse short when a path of bubbles floated down in front of her. Derpy continued to throw bubbles until they cleared the briar. Applejack reared up and sped along the path, sending up twin waves of mud.

Spike blasted the mud wave with fire while Pinkie threw up an umbrella. At the same time, she laid down planks and pulled the chariot ahead. On the other side of Applejack, a blast of magic from Jet Set kept Blueblood from getting splattered with mud while Jet himself got covered in it. He moved to wipe of his glasses, but a shrill cry from behind made him drop them in the mud.

“Get going, you foal!” Blueblood whined.

“R-right,” Jet sputtered through the mud that had gotten into his mouth. His horn lit up and twin blasts of magic burst out of his horn and vaulted the chariot out of the briar.

A path of flames spread out before Rarity. Her crystalized body kept it from burning her and she rushed ahead. Sunset forced the flames to spread out further, washing over Suri. When they cleared, it revealed her with a shimmering coat in place of fur. She smirked at Sunset and then moved forward along something Sunset could not see and did not have time to linger on.

Suri Polomare
Talent-Cold Steel: Don’t let her admiration for fashion and beauty fool you, Suri can pack a punch! Based on the metals she eats, she can strengthen her skin until it’s nigh-impenetrable. This talent has also helped her hone her detection abilities, initially to find metal buried in the earth, but she can use it in various ways now!

Sunset’s eyes nearly burst out of her head when Twilight sped ahead of her.

Maud, like Derpy and Sunset, had created a path, but hers was made of her shadow. Twilight dared not to look in Sunset’s direction and kept her attention on a larger view of the race.

All the flyers had taken Dash’s lead by taking to the air to get free of the briar. Lightning easily plowed forward, closing in on Dash and Applejack. Meanwhile, Mudbriar, despite having launched an effective preemptive strike, was being left in the dust by faster racers.

The roar of a great flame filled Twilight’s ears. Sunset blew past her. To Twilight’s surprise, Sunset was facing backward with her horn sending out a constant jet of flames.

A hearty laugh joined the roar of the flames as Blueblood came up beside Sunset. Jet’s magic was still pushing him forward, but Blueblood was also speeding the chariot along with a burst of flame that appeared identical to Sunset’s. “Quite a flame you have going, my dear Sunset. Though, I think it looks much more fashionable when I’m using it!”

He started to laugh again but stopped when Sunset turned so that her blaze washed over Blueblood. When Blueblood’s laugh rang above the flames, she cut them off. Blueblood now stood on the chariot, glistening the same as Rarity. He grinned and admired his reflection coming off his leg. “Mmmm, wouldn’t mind keeping this Talent either.”

Blueblood
Talent: Imitation- Blueblood thinks his Talent is the greatest flattery he can bestow on a pony. After all, who wouldn’t want to have their Talent used by him?

“Toodles,” Blueblood chuckled before firing off his horn again. As he raced away, he called out, “Let’s chat again once first place is mine! Ahahaha!”

“Where does he get off using my Talent?” A vein popped on Sunset’s forehead. Her horn blazed and lifted Rarity off the ground while at the same time, she unleashed a massive blast of flame. “I’ll kill him!”

“S-Sunset?” Rarity stammered while they veered right and left, past Mudbriar, Bulk, and Wallflower’s teams. “I… I don’t think I can gallop at this pace.”

“Who said anything about galloping?” Sunset growled. “We’re going to ram that foal off the course!”

“Oh…” The color momentarily drained from Rarity’s face. She steeled herself, cast a levitation spell on her body, and angled herself into a more aerodynamic position. “Well, a lady must keep her word.”

“Whoop!” Pinkie sprung upwards. Spike clasped the chariot, so he was not thrown by the jump. Another bump from something jostling the wheels made him regret having an extra sapphire for breakfast.

“Easy, Pinkie!” Spike called out.

“Sorry!” Pinkie chirped. She wore a smile but raised an eyebrow in Coco’s direction. She and Suri were a few yards ahead of them now due to Pinkie’s jump. “Wonder what was up with that? Definitely don’t want to get caught by it though.”

“Huh?” Spike asked.

“Don’t worry!” Pinkie assured Spike while she bent to the right to put more distance between her chariot and Coco’s. “So many neat Talents!”

At the head of the race, Dash and Applejack were neck and neck. Unencumbered, Dash could have taken the lead, but being harnessed was unfamiliar to her. Applejack had regularly hefted a plow, carried a cart to market, and balanced countless bushels of apples at her farm, so being hitched was nothing new to her. In fact, the familiar sensation of the harness on her torso reminded her of home, spurring her even faster.

When Applejack pulled forward, Dash snorted and flew harder. Fluttershy watched her from the chariot and observed her wings move in a blue blur, saw sweat lather her coat, and noticed the way her back muscles zinged with exertion.

“Really giving it your all?” Lightning Dust snickered, drawing right up beside Dash. Dash continued beating her wings, taking note of Lighting and Starlight for only a brief second before turning her attention elsewhere. Lightning recognized the rapid eye movement as the honed instincts of a flyer used to going at high speeds. At the rate Dash was going, the smallest misstep would send her into a catastrophic tumble. Lightning smirked in spite of the silent treatment Dash gave her. “It’s admirable, but there’s more to watch out for than just physical obstacles!”

“Indeed.” Starlight’s horn lit up for a second, but then the glow around it dispersed in a burst that knocked her back. Sheesh, Shimmer I could understand, but what is a pegasus doing with mental fortitude like that?

Steadying herself, Starlight turned her head towards Fluttershy. She grinned. “Well, let’s see how you fare?”

Starlight’s horn lit up again. This time, a glow formed around Fluttershy’s head. She slackened and leaned over the chariot.

Dash glanced back and cursed, “Damn!”

She tried to veer away from Starlight, but Lightning kept pace, and Starlight kept her horn aglow. Starlight’s grin broadened. “Oh, we’ve got a lot of options here. Let’s just dig a little deeper to—”

A pale red eye glared at Starlight through Fluttershy’s mane. She shuddered and yelped, “Lightning, pull away!”

Lighting hesitated for a moment but then obeyed. When they were a few yards away from Fluttershy, she observed Fluttershy wobbling up back onto her hind legs while balancing on the chariot. “What’s up? It looked like you had her.”

“Something was off,” Starlight muttered. She watched Fluttershy recover and shook her head. Then, her sights turned on Applejack and Derpy. Her grin returned. “Well, looks like it will come down to speed with Rainbow Dash, but as for the others…”

Just as her horn sparked again, something slashed at her head. It nicked her left cheek. She scowled and turned to face her attacker. Rage momentarily gave way to surprise. Dash had driven her chariot back over towards Lightning. Fluttershy now gripped the chariot with claws poking out of her hooves. Her mane had flared out in several directions, imitating a lion’s mane, her muscles had expanded, and her wings had gained a sharpened edge to them. Her tail had undergone a massive transformation with its dock having extended out while the hair on it had receded, save for its tip, which had twisted into a hardened spear of keratin. Fluttershy wove the faux-stinger through the air and aimed at Starlight again.

Spike saw Fluttershy’s change from afar and felt a shiver run up his spine. “No way… she tamed a manticore?!”

“That’s a new one,” Swirly remarked with a small smile under his mustache.

“Crazy kid you got there!” Bow bellowed.

“What sort of friends is Twilight making?” Velvet muttered.

Twilight glimpsed Fluttershy’s transformation as well, but thorn-studded vines whipping her from the right took precedence. Roseluck reared her head back and flung more of the spiky tendrils her mane had become at Twilight. She managed to deflect them with a barrier, but the force of the blows reverberated down her horn.

Shadow rose up to block a massive hoof from slamming into Maud. The attack still managed to force Maud to turn to the left. Golden Harvest continued to bound forward with one gigantic foreleg while striking at Maud with the other.

Golden Harvest
Talent- Big Haul: Golden loves to bring home a bountiful harvest. Luckily, her Talent allows her to do just that! She can enlarge certain parts of her body and use them to gain a major power advantage!

Roseluck
Talent- By Any Other Name: Watch out if you catch this pony at a metal concert! She can transfigure the hair of her mane and tail into rose-like vines. Beware of whiplash if you’re in her vicinity!

Sorry, Sunset, Twilight thought. Her horn brightened as another assault of vines crashed down on her. I’m going to have to borrow from your book!

Violet flames engulfed Twilight’s shield. The vines crashed into the fire, and Roseluck yelped. She pulled back her mane, watching the charred thorns crumble off her vines. Wasting no time, Twilight angled her horn and the shield at Golden and turned her defense into a pulse of flames. Golden pushed away with her enlarged hoof at the last second. The evasive maneuver saved her from facing the full brunt of the fire, but her leg was too large to avoid the attack. A chunk of it was caught in the blaze as she fell back.

Free from attackers, Maud surged forward while Twilight remained vigilant. Her ears perked up at the sound from a nearby chariot.

“Behold!” Trixie declared with a magically amplified voice. She stood on her hind legs and waved her forelegs with a well-practiced flourish. “Watch as the Great and Powerful Trixie leaves her competition in the dust!”

“Oh-ho,” Jack Pot chuckled. “Here it comes!”

“Still got a way to get up to my little Shim-Shim,” Firelight chimed in.

“Hush you.”

Twilight saw the tip of Trixie’s horn grow bright and shielded her eyes a second before a flash went off. Maud managed to avoid temporary blindness by covering her eyes with shadow and pressed ahead. Twilight’s ears then rang from something slamming against a wall of shadow that had sprung up next to her head.

“Careful,” Maud stated.

The thing that had tried to clobber Twilight flew back. It was a disembodied blue leg. It arced through the air and reattached to Trixie’s’ torso. “Well, well, seems we have a heckler.”

Spreading her forelegs wide again, Trixie sent both of them rocketing off her body, straight at Twilight and Maud. Shadow and aura rose up to block them. Trixie pouted and summoned back one of her legs but kept the other on the offensive against Twilight and Maud. A glance ahead split her attention on Lotus and Aloe’s chariot. With a grin, she sent off her leg to menace them.

“Whoa,” Tree Hugger remarked. She leaned forward and told Bulk, “Like, something is wiggling through the air. You should definitely hold your breath for a sec.”

“Yeah!” Bulk shouted before sucking in the air around him.

Wallflower stared at Bulk. With his head covered, he surged forward. Wallflower blinked. “H-how did they manage to dodge and block?”

“I’ll get them, just give me a second,” said Junebug. She then appeared to start muttering to herself.

While Junebug was at it, Bulk took a breath and Tree Hugger steered him further from Wallflower. Tree Hugger also took the opportunity to engage in some yoga contortions. The act made Wallflower frown, but she grinned when Junebug stopped her muttering.

Tree Hugger’s ears perked up. “Bulk, hold your breath again.”

Bulk complied just as a swarm of junebugs descended on them. At the speed Bulk was going, it stung when the bugs hit Tree Hugger. She also felt bummed about harming a creature, even if it was inadvertent. Bulk was spared from the bug maelstrom by his Talent, but the bugs’ spattered remains quickly filled his vision. Blinded, he veered the right, straight into Wallflower and Junebug. Wallflower yelped. Junebug tried to get out of the way but was too close to the wall.

“Super bummer,” Tree Hugger mused before the two chariots collided.

“Ooooh, that’s gotta hurt,” Vinyl declared.

“When the first event is a race, it’s not uncommon for students to get knocked out,” said Tantabus. “Hopefully this reveals some of the risks in Talent use.”

“Yeesh, no mercy from our Nightmare Knight.” Vinyl peered down at the race and smiled. Dash blitzed pass the starting line with Lighting and Applejack at her hooves. Blueblood roared after them with Sunset in hot pursuit. Suri plowed forward with Pinkie trailing behind her. Thunderlane flew on while Trixie kept Maud and Aloe’s chariots occupied with her detached legs. That left Golden with her injured leg and Mudbriar to take up the rear. “And there goes lap one! Hope the students are ready, cause we’re about to shake things up!”

True to her word, the ground ahead of Dash and Lighting split apart, lifting portions of the track and sinking other parts. While the course shifted into a twisting maze of narrow paths, a wind whipped up and blew down trails of clouds.

While the Wonderbolts responsible for summoning the weather were visible from far above the course, the geomancer remained in the shadows of a door leading out of the area. His thick beard and full mane resembled his ancestor’s, though his emerald-green coat drew a distinction. The shovel he wielded completed the image.

“Let’s give a hoof to the pros helping out with sculpting the course!” said Vinyl. “Here’s to the Wonderbolts and Rockhoof XII!”

Rockhoof blushed at the chorus of cheers, coughed, and focused his attention back on the race. He still had a job to do for the final round.

“Hmm, that’s very impressive earth manipulation,” Mudbriar droned. “I hope I can attain such mastery someday.”

“Worry about someday later!” Upper Crust whined.

Lightning swooped up while Dash curved down. Lighting called out, “Scared to go up top?”

Dash ignored her and disappeared into a chasm. Lightning shrugged and flew higher. She relished the freedom of her chariot being the only one in the air for a moment though she was certain at least Trixie’s team would join her up there. Then, the gales whipped at her and the lightning came crashing down.

“Glimmy!” Firelight cried out before Starlight and Lightning were lost behind a screen of rain.

Twinkle could not help but smirk at the outburst.

Fluttershy heard the rumble from overhead. “O-oh my.”

“Eyes forward, Fluttershy!” Dash yelled.

Nearby, but separated by a wall, Applejack sped through the slim corridor of earth. Her pupils shrunk when the walls and the ground ahead of her started moving. Stone columns sprouted below her and at her sides. Applejack weaved through the columns while on the other side, Dash did the same. At the same time Fluttershy shattered the columns into bits with her enhanced limbs, Derpy sent out bubbles to cushion the blows or break off the pillars before they struck Applejack, the chariot, or herself.

Up above, Rarity smashed through an earthen wall, sending debris and dust flying in all directions. Sunset smirked watching those behind her have to scramble around the collateral damage. Yet, she could not smile in earnest because Blueblood loomed above her to her left and slightly ahead of her. However, his path and Sunset’s were set to converge in a few yards.

“Maud!” Twilight called out with horn blazing. Due the shift in terrain, Trixie had stuck to a ground-level path and had taken her limbs with her, leaving Twilight free of their nuisance. She glanced ahead at the split trails. Her eyes locked on one of the cloud paths. From afar, she had watched Starlight climb it and had not noticed any glow around her chariot’s wheels. “We’re going up!”

Maud felt something encase her hooves, looked down to see a glow around them, and nodded. They went into the sky, producing a few sharp intakes from the audience.

“She’s going up there?” Velvet gasped.

“I’m sure she has a plan,” Night Light assured her.

“It’s a good one,” said Windy. “It’s the same reason our little Dashy chose to stay on the ground.”

I hope my guess is right, Twilight thought. She and Maud crested the clouds and found themselves in the middle of a maelstrom. Lightning crashed down from clouds further up and wind whipped in all directions. Taking a breath, Twilight summoned a shield around herself and Maud. Lightning jolted off it and the gales could not pierce it. With her hooves steady thanks to the spell, Maud pulled forward. Twilight dared to smile. So, they did design it mainly to throw off pegasi.

Down below, Pinkie, Thunderlane, and Suri were right beside each other on parallel paths. Suri’s path was littered with rocky spikes and slippery bumps, but she smashed them with her metallic hooves. Thunderlane and Pinkie’s paths were less harrowing, but Trixie made up for it by sending her legs after Pinkie.

However, when Spike inhaled to strike an incoming leg with his flame, Trixie pulled her leg back and reattached it to her torso.

“Huh,” Pinkie mused and flashed Trixie a smile. “That’s a pretty neat trick. I wish I could do it!”

Trixie let out a hearty laugh. “It would take years of practice before you cou—”

“Paint-bomb!” Pinkie sang. A liquid-laden balloon crashed down on Trixie. Wiping away the pink paint, she scowled and sent a blast straight at Pinkie’s hooves. The ground collapsed underneath her, but she managed to bounce off of a giant spring that righted her course. The effort left her huffing, “Geez, guess it was kinda rude for me to call out a stagemare’s trick. Spiiiiikkkkeeee?”

“What is it?” Spike asked, eyes flicking back and forth between the narrow trail and the other racers.

“T-that took a lot out of me,” Pinkie coughed. “I’m not sure if I can run this fast for much longer, so I’m gonna need your help for this last part.”

Ahead, Sunset slammed her chariot into Blueblood’s. Embers spilled off from both of them as they traded magic blasts and blocked with barriers. Jet Set could not keep up his magic while also blocking, so the two chariots were now locked in battle.

“How uncouth,” Blueblood mused while taking the brunt of Sunset’s spells thanks to mimicking Rarity’s Talent.

Sunset snarled at Blueblood, but then ceased her attack and threw back her right foreleg. She smirked. “Okay, bigshot, I’ve got something special for you!”

Aura flowed down from her hoof and into her leg. Its color shifted from orange to crimson and heat. Tantabus remarked in an undertone, “She’s progressed that much…”

“Huh?” Vinyl turned toward him. “What was that?”

“Sunset Shimmer is using a move that previously required specifically made armor to properly channel.” Tantabus materialized eyes and glared down. “And there’s a reason for that…”

“My, my,” said Blueblood in the face of Sunset charging up her attack. Mirroring her movements, he thrust out his left foreleg. Aura began flowing from his horn down to his hoof, just as it had with Sunset. “This looks quite showy, I’ll enj—”

A conflagration of magic and fire consumed Blueblood and set Jet Set rocketing off the path. Sunset grinned as the charred remains of Blueblood’s chariot plummeted into the chasm. The magic around her leg faded and she turned her attention back to boosting her chariot forward with a blast from her horn.

“Whoa, um, Tantabus, care to explain what just happened?” asked Vinyl.

“Simple,” Tantabus answered. “Blueblood’s Talent may allow him to imitate others’ Talents, but he probably doesn’t retain them long enough to master them. Skill and experience are something Sunset Shimmer has built up over a long time. It just goes to show that merely having a Talent isn’t everything.”

“Speaking of which…” Vinyl watched Dash emerge from the chasm she had plunged into a few minutes ago to rush up and meet with Rarity. At the same time, Applejack raced up to sandwich Rarity between herself and Dash. Sunset snorted at Fluttershy and Derpy just as the three teams crossed the starting line. “Looks like we’ve got some other incredibly skilled students catching up with Sunset as we enter the final lap!”

“What the hay was with that chariot?” Applejack huffed. “Thanks for the save back there Derpy. That thing would’ve crushed us!”

“Gotta keep us going strong!” Derpy cheered.

Lightning soared down from the clouds and deliberately rammed into Dash’s chariot. The blow rocked Fluttershy, but she managed to rebound and lash out her tail at Starlight. When she did, she noticed that Starlight and Lightning were covered in small burn marks and Starlight’s horn was smoking.

“Damn weather,” Lighting cursed. She launched herself at Dash again, but Dash vaulted upwards, taking Fluttershy with her. Lighting crashed into Rarity. Sunset cast a spell and managed to keep them from tipping over and Rarity withstood the blow well. On the other hoof, Lightning began to crumple, but then straightened up and charged forward despite sporting vacant eyes and a steady flow of blood down the side of her head.

“Have to do everything by myself,” Starlight muttered.

Dash swung down to the get the chariot back on the ground, but a blast of flame derailed her long enough for Sunset to take the lead over her. She sneered at Dash, “You had your eyes on the wrong pony! Not that you could beat me in a million years!”

The next burst of flame from Sunset scattered Applejack, Dash, and Lightning, though Lightning stayed closest and kept flapping her wings even when embers seared her legs and torso. Starlight summoned a barrier to protect herself. Her horn glowed brighter and Lighting flew faster, but a warning from the announcer’s box slowed her chariot’s pace.

“Better watch out!” Vinyl teased. “It’s the last lap, so we want it to go out with a bang!”

Dash peered ahead. The track had largely returned to its original arrangement, but there were now mounds scattered across the earth. Above the ground, bits of the air appeared warped.

“So that’s it, huh?” Sunset canceled out her flame and summoned aura around her eyes. The space ahead was now littered with red blotches, some under the mounds, but some just under regular dirt. The air teamed with the blotches as well. With the chariot slowing down to a galloping pace, Sunset barked to Rarity, “We’ve got mines! Listen close or we’ll be blown sky high!”

“Darn!” Applejack cursed. Seeing what Sunset was doing, she conceded to staying behind her. From the looks of things, the mine field covered about half of the track. They had already cleared a quarter of it, and Applejack prayed that the last quarter was just a mad sprint to the finish.

Starlight scowled. Lightning had been reckless in the clouds, causing Starlight to waste precious magic on defense. Now, she found her reserves dwindling to keep Lightning flying. With a snort, she diverted some of the magic that was pumping Lighting’s wings into her eyes to detect the mines.

Just as she finished enchanting her eyes, she heard the roar of something. The sound was a bit like a steam engine, but rougher on her ears. She dared to look back and paled when she saw Suri and Thunderlane get surpassed not by Pinkie, but by Spike in the harness now. It hitched him above the ground, but instead of his legs propelling him forward, he sent a continuous spire of flames into a contraption that encircled his mouth.

Pipes directed the flame back into something the resembled a steam engine, but it had several pistons poking out of it that fired off an explosive salvo. That salvo, in turn, spun numerous pieces that churned the wheels at a blinding speed.

“Hee-hee,” Pinkie coughed while resting her head on the chariot’s rim. “Now just gotta keep an eye out ahead… and above!”

She turned her head up and saw Maud descending from above. Pinkie passed by where the clouds trailed back to the ground and gasped when she saw Maud’s chariot. It was enveloped in shadow, which spun the wheels in a similar manner to Pinkie’s contraption, though at a slightly slower speed.

“Ha-ha!” Pinkie grinned even though she felt like dozing off. “Great sister minds think alike!”

Maud scanned her surroundings and forced her shadow to move the wheels faster. Seeing the wide gap between herself and those in the lead, she plainly remarked, “Twilight, I don’t think we’re going to win this.”

“We have to!” Twilight yelled, but then she bit her lip. Even with Maud’s shadow, they were still trailing behind Pinkie, not to mention the others. A glance back revealed that Trixie would soon be in range to attack with her hooves again. Turning forward, her anxiety deepened at the sight of the mines. Then, an idea came to her and she dared to grin at the insanity of it. Catching her breath, she focused and enchanted her eyes. “Maud, I have a plan, but it’s going to be a little rough…”

Applejack was once again neck and neck with Dash. Derpy, like Dash and Fluttershy, could tell where the airborne mines were and could direct Applejack out of the way. In addition, when Applejack got too close to a mine or failed to dodge one of the hidden ones, the combination of Applejack’s speed and a cushion from bubbles Derpy had stockpiled in the chariot warded off the worst the mines could do. Dash could only stabilize after a blast rocked her chariot, nearly throwing Fluttershy off, but her speed helped pull her ahead of the explosion.

Suddenly, the ground tremored and the air was rent by an explosion. Dash and Applejack both assumed somepony had rushed straight onto a mine and then had the misfortune of getting launched into an airborne one. Then, another explosion went off, then another, and another. There were too many to just be coincidence. They both glanced back and saw what looked like two rounded bowls, one pure black and the other a shimmering violet pinballing through the minefield at a blinding speed. One bowl would slam into a mine and turn the explosion into propulsive force and loop the structure around so that the other bowl would catch the next mine.

“Holy Horesapples!” Applejack exclaimed as the structure vaulted over her, Dash, Lightning, and Rarity.

“My word!” Rarity cried out.

“Are they crazy?!” Starlight shouted.

Velvet was on the verge of passing out, but Night Light kept her steady.

Bow roared with laughter. “No wonder Dashy has her eyes on her!”

“That sure is something, eh?” Cookie remarked to Hondo.

“Rarity!” Hondo called out. “Pull ahead!

“You too, Dashie!” Windy yelled.

Dash snorted and flapped harder. Ahead of her, the structure disintegrated to reveal Twilight and Maud. Both were a little banged up, but Maud did not miss a beat and reformed her shadow into its engine mode and poured on the speed.

“Twilight!” Sunset roared, catching up with Dash. “Get back here!”

“Well, no time left! Derpy! Hold on tight!” Applejack slammed her hooves down with all her might. Thanks to heeding Applejack’s warning, Derpy managed to stay in the chariot, but it took all her strength to hold on. Her bubbles spilled out from the chariot and into the way of the remaining racers. Applejack went faster and faster, the friction turning her hooves red. “Barnstorm Burst!”

No, no! Dash could feel her muscles cramping. Sunset was on her tail, Applejack was pushing past her, and Twilight, through tricks once again, was ahead of her. In that moment of desperation and in the heat of the race, she gave her wings one flap, not out of years of training her muscles, but out of pegasus instinct. Gales exploded off her and blasted Sunset and her flames back. In the stands, a pony smirked.

She had already passed Applejack before the realization struck her, it almost made her stop in her tracks. Fluttershy shouted, “Dash, keep going!”

Heeding to Fluttershy’s words, Dash raced forward, once again relying purely on muscle. Her mind swam as she tried to focus on the race at hoof, but the thoughts were unavoidable. Thoughts of the pony she knew was somewhere in the stands. Thoughts of her scar. Thoughts of a lonely filly that had tried her best. With a battle cry, she vanquished them and closed in on Twilight.

Applejack did the same. Then, they both saw the violet bundle in Twilight’s chariot. They veered away just as Twilight unleashed her magic and shadow covered up her chariot. The mines she had snatched up went off and rocketed her ahead.

The dust and debris momentarily obscured the scene at the finish line. The audience held their breath until a flap of Dash’s frenzied wings and the force of Applejack meeting the air cleared it away. Both screeched to a halt yards past the finish line.

“Wow!” Vinyl exclaimed. “What an explosive finish!”

Behind Dash and Applejack, Twilight laid on the ground, having been launched out of the chariot. Maud, somehow, had managed to stay on her hooves. She detached herself from the flipped over chariot and helped Twilight up.

“The winners of the first round are Class 1-A’s Maud Pie and Twilight Sparkle!”

Author's Note

I wanna watch Ben-Hur now. Hope I gave everyone enough attention.

Scootaloo

“Well, now that you’re all healed up, it’s time to draw lots for the next round!” Cheerilee scanned over the sixteen students in front of her. Dash and Lightning were heedless to Cheerilee’s call, the former because she was staring straight down and the latter because she was glaring at Starlight. Cheerilee saw that at least one of Derpy’s eyes was focused on her and Sunset’s intensity gave her a bit of a thrill. Straightening up, Cheerilee pushed a box with a hole in the top in front of her and called out, “We’ll be going in order of who crossed the finish line, so Maud Pie and Twilight Sparkle are up first!”

Maud methodically stepped up to the box and pulled out a ball with a six on it. With a blink, she deposited the ball to the side and withdrew. Twilight followed after her. Unlike Maud, she felt all the eyes of the colosseum on her. There were probably some scryers from all across Equestria too. With a gulp, she plunged a hoof into the box and pulled out a ball with a number one on it.

When she turned, a line had queued up behind her with Derpy and Applejack ready to come up. She walked back, not daring to look Dash or Sunset in the eyes, but she could feel them and others glaring at her.

After a few minutes, all the lots were drawn. Pinkie had squealed with delight when she had pulled out a six. Fluttershy had turned white when Sunset had pulled a number three, matching the ball she had pulled out. That dread intensified when a large covered board poofed up behind Cheerilee.

“Oooh,” said Pinkie, “I can’t wait to see what we’re doing!”

“Time to grant your wish then!” said Cheerilee. She pulled the cover away, revealing a roster:

“After a small break with our first musical guest of the day, you’ll be competing head-to-head, hoof-to-hoof in a series of one-on-one battles!”

Sunset grinned. Fluttershy grew even more pale. Lightning perked up. Pinkie gasped and grabbed Maud. “Ohmigosh! We’re gonna have a fight! Neato!”

While Pinkie shook her back and forth, Maud stated, “Yes.”

Suri strode around Rarity. “Well, I’ll guess we’ll be facing off once again.”

Rarity grinned. “Quite a bit different this time around.”

“Yes.” Suri turned away to hide a grimace on her face.

Trixie jabbed a hoof at Twilight. “Prepare yourself, Twilight Sparkle! The Great and Powerful Trixie is going to make you regret passing her in the first round!”

Twilight did not know how to respond to Trixie’s eccentrics and did not have time to before Dash clamped down on her shoulder. “Ignore the riff-raff. We need to talk.”

~~~

A bead of sweat rolled down Twilight’s face. Goosebumps ran up her legs while she faced the brunt of Dash’s glare. There was no longer the hot-headed animosity behind it she had felt during the class exercise. This was something far more focused that kept her on edge.

“Uh, so what did you want to talk about?” she dared to ask.

“You made me break a promise,” Dash muttered. When Twilight flinched, she sighed, “It’s nothing personal, but combined with everything else, I think it’s time you get the full picture. You seem to keep stumbling across it anyway. I just wanna know something first…”

“W-what is it?”

With a straight face, Dash asked, “Are you secretly Princess Celestia’s foal or something?”

Twilight’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates at the insinuation, but it took her brain a few seconds to fully process Dash’s question. Beet-red, she stammered, “N-no! It’s not like that… Princess Celestia would never… I mean, that’s not…”

“Hmm.” Dash took a breath and then refocused her glare on Twilight, snapping her to attention. “So, it’s not quite that, but there’s some connection, isn’t there? Well, I can’t be upset with you being tight-lipped with how I’ve been acting, but maybe you’ll understand after I explain things.”

Twilight felt the air grow thick. She stared straight at Dash, not daring to blink. When Dash opened her mouth, Twilight listened intently. “You’re not the only one with ties to a top hero. As much as I hate to admit it, there was a time when Shadowbolt took me under his wing.”

“Sh-shadowbolt?!” Twilight gasped.

“The number four hero,” Dash spat. “So, if you’re really connected with the number one hero, it’s all the more reason for me to crush you without using pegasus magic.”

“I… I don’t understand,” Twilight gulped. “How is this all related?”

Dash turned so that the scar running down her left side was on full display. “I’ll tell you. About Shadowbolt. About this scar. And, about my future partner. It all started back at summer flight camp six years ago. Some jerks had been messing with Fluttershy and I decided to show them what was what by challenging them to a race…”

♦♦♦

Dash flew faster and faster. She churned the air around her tighter and tighter. Her wings and back were aflame but the colts that had dared to bully Fluttershy were still a few feet ahead of her. Their attempts to block her with clouds and slam into her had only made her desire to show them up grow, and now she was pushing herself to her limit. Her eyes watered, and her own velocity constricted her breathing, but she continued to exert herself.

Crack

Dash spiraled to her right with the wing on that side flopping back and forth. She could feel the joints grinding against each other at odd angles and cursed her lack of practice. At the speed she had been going, the slightest degree change could have wound up like this. With focus, on top of the adrenaline already surging through her veins, she was able to hone back in on the colts as they sped away. Her sharp ears picked up their laughter.

In spite of the pain, Dash forced her wing out and, with another sharp crack, roughly set her bones back in place. With a battle cry, she surged forward. The colts, seeing such a brutal demonstration of Dash’s determination, were momentarily stunned, long enough for Dash to close in on them.

Both yelped and flew ahead. Yet, Dash’s battle cry had shaken them. Combined with the speed they were going, they fell prey to the same backlash that had nearly knocked Dash out of the race. Dash did not laugh at their expense, all the mattered to her was the finish line. With all her might, she blitzed through it, and then crashed into the clouds hard enough for them to pile up.

~~~

Dash awoke to the feeling of soft linen and the scent of antiseptic. Even before she opened her eyes, she sighed and leaned back on the pillow she knew was behind her. At the age of eight, she was already familiar with a hospital room. Her vision was blurry at first, so she blinked.

“Rainbow?” came a voice. Just as Dash’s vision cleared, yellow and pink overtook it. Hooves wrapped around her. She felt something wet spill onto her shoulder. “Oh, thank goodness! When I heard about what happened, I flew back as soon as possible!”

“Whoa, whoa, easy, ‘Shy,” Dash coughed. Fluttershy immediately retreated to her seat. A little bunny popped out of her mane and scurried onto her shoulder. Dash blinked, but the bunny was still there. With a shake of her head, she focused back on Fluttershy. “Heh, guess I went a little too hard, but worth it to put those jerks in their place.”

“R-right.” Fluttershy looked down and teared up again. “I… I’m sorry. You didn’t have to get hurt because of me.”

“Eh, worth it.” Dash leaned back, but as she did, she caught sight of the three butterflies on Fluttershy’s flank. She shot back up. “Whoa! Totally worth it! This race was so awesome that you got a cutie mark from it?!”

“Well, um, actually, I sort of… fell.” Fluttershy hid behind her mane. “I… I wanted to come back up as soon as possible, but there were so many animals down on the ground. I never imagined I could see so many in one place. Then, when I felt connected with them, the most amazing thing happened…”

Fluttershy gave the bunny on her shoulder a nuzzle. Dash’s eyes widened when Fluttershy’s ears lengthened, her hind legs grew thick with muscle, and her tail shortened and poofed into a puffy ball.

Dash grinned from ear to ear. “Awwwwessssommmeeee! I’ve never heard of a pegasus with a Talent like that!”

“Well…” The changes receded and Fluttershy glanced down. “…I’m not the only one.”

“No way,” Dash gasped. She reached for the blanket. Her heart pounded. “No way, no way, no way!”

When Dash pulled the blanket off, she saw her flanks were now graced with a cloud shooting out a tri-colored bolt of lightning. She raised her hooves into the air and yelled, “Yes! Yes! I got my cutie mark!”

“C-congratulations,” Fluttershy stuttered in the face of Dash’s outburst. “Um, also, there’s somepony that wanted to talk to you.”

“Right.” Dash deflated a little. She glanced back to her see her wing bandaged up. She also noted a few other dressed cuts and scrapes across her body. “Doc is probably gonna yell my ear off, but worth it to win against those jerks.”

A deep rumble of laughter came from beyond the partition that separated Dash’s bed from the others in the room. A hulking stallion marched out from behind it. His muscles bulged against his skin-tight purple and black flight suit. His wings, like the rest of him, were massive, and their teal feathers glistened like a dazzling array of swords. His eyes were obscured by sinister-looking yellow goggles, but Dash felt the intensity flowing from behind them. The skull and wing emblazoned on the flanks of his suit sealed his identity. “Ah, that reminds me of what it was like as a colt. Not enough pegasi with that tenacity anymore.”

Dash stared dumbstruck at the stallion. “Sh-Shadowbolt.”

“Pleasure to meet you, kid,” Shadowbolt chuckled. He strode past Fluttershy and took a seat next to Dash at the head of the bed. Due to his size, he loomed over Dash even without sitting in a chair. His sharp smile both chilled Dash and made her shake with excitement. He peered over at her wing. “Takes a lot to force a broken joint back into place and overcome your competition.”

“You… you were watching?” Dash stammered. Her mind was in a haze. Here she had just woken up, found out Fluttershy got her cutie mark, found at she had gotten her cutie mark, and now the number three hero was talking to her. It was almost overwhelming until Dash leaned to the right— the ache from her wing refocused her on Shadowbolt.

Shadowbolt’s smile broadened at the display. “Yes, I happened to be on patrol in the area and sensed weather manipulation like nothing I had ever felt before. You may not have realized it, but I think you were on the cusp of something legendary. It’s unfortunate that such a tiny miscalculation kept you from it, but your ability to bounce back is admirable.”

Dash was stunned into silence by Shadowbolt’s words.

“You just need a little more refinement and I think you’ll gain flying abilities that may one day even surpass my own.” Shadowbolt extended a leg and clasped Dash’s. “Rainbow Dash, I think you would make an excellent trainee.”

“Ohmigosh! Ohmigosh! Ohmigosh!” Dash squealed. “When can I start!?”

“As soon as you’re discharged,” Shadowbolt chuckled.

“Um, excuse me?” Dash and Shadowbolt turned their heads toward Fluttershy. She gulped. “I… I’ve been friends with Dash for a while, so I know recovery doesn’t end with discharge. Aren’t… aren’t you moving a bit fast?”

Shadowbolt snorted. “I know what I am doing. She won’t be flying immediately. We’ll start by working on her weather manipulation.”

“Yeah, Fluttershy,” Dash joined in. “Like the best flyer in Equestria wouldn’t know how wing recovery works.”

“B-but don’t you think you sh-should also talk with your parents about this?”

“Duh! ‘Course I’m gonna tell them as soon as they get here. Hay, they’re probably gonna be here any second now. Not that it matters, there’s no way they’ll turn this down.” Dash paled and sunk a little into her bed. Glancing at Shadowbolt, she muttered, “My parents are kinda embarrassing, so the—”

“I don’t want to hear it!” Shadowbolt growled. The air in the room grew thick with the scent of ozone. He bared his scowl at Dash for a brief moment before backing off. With a sigh, he put a smile back on his face. “I highly value honoring parents. It’s the kind of respect I demand from those I take under my wing as well. So, while you are under my guidance, I never want to hear insubordination like that, am I clear?”

Dash quickly nodded her head back and forth.

“Good.” Shadowbolt got up. “I’ll be back to discuss things further with both you and your parents. Rest well, Rainbow Dash, because once you’re out, you’re going to enter a whole new world of training.”

~~~

A small bolt of lightning zoomed at Dash, she raised a hoof to block it, but was a few millimeters off. The bolt slammed into her shoulder and knocked her off her hooves. She twitched in agony for a second as the electricity worked its way through her body.

While she was gasping for air, Shadowbolt loomed over her. “Too slow. Get up and we’ll try again.”

Dash gritted her teeth and pushed back onto her hooves.

♦♦♦

“Shadowbolt was merciless, but I stuck through it,” Dash continued. “When my wing healed, he immediately threw everything he had at me, saying, ‘villains would be far less kind.’ He drilled me on flight tactics too, stuff even Tantabus probably wouldn’t force us to read. I didn’t care though, because he was the number three hero and I was a star-struck fan.”

Dash took a breath. “After about a year, I got through what was basically Shadowbolt’s Initiation. I’m sure he’s done the same to countless other pegasi. The training only got harder, but he started taking me get food and even showed me around his agency. He said it was good networking, but it was really just a chance to show me off like a trophy now that I was genuinely worth his time and effort. Then, one time, I got to stay over at his house for the weekend for some training…”

♦♦♦

Dash marveled at the vast array of gold, silver and jewels in front of her. The precious metals and stones came in the shape of medals, trophies, plaques, and several other types of awards. The walls around her also contained pictures of Shadowbolt meeting with everypony from other top-ranking heroes to mayors of various towns to the Princesses. Framed newspaper clippings hung from the walls too. Dash zipped up to them one-by-one with glistening eyes.

“Here’s the Cloudsdale Caper!” she exclaimed before moving on. “The Roc’s Retreat! Ohmigosh! The Canterlot Derby where you beat Wind Rider!”

“Ah yes,” Shadowbolt remarked while striding through the den toward the dining room. Even without his costume, his frame gave him an imposing appearance and his eyes always seemed to be piercing something off in the distance. The numerous scars across his body only added to the awe Dash felt towards him. Plus, it made her feel a little better about the nicks and scrapes she had sustained over the past year. “These are nice mementos, but I’m always seeking to add more. I can’t imagine what Princess Celestia and Nightmare Knight’s merits must look like.”

“I guess,” Dash pouted, “but Nightmare Knight is no fun and the Princess is, well, the Princess. She’s on a different level.”

“I wouldn’t be so certain.” Shadowbolt came to a stop and turned to face Dash. Sensing the change in the mood, she drifted to the floor. “Do you remember what I told you when we first met?”

“I’ll never forget!” Dash exclaimed with a grin.

“That wasn’t mere flattery,” Shadowbolt said in a straight tone that made Dash stiffen. “I’ve waited a bit to tell you, but I think you almost did a Sonic Rainboom that day.”

“No way,” Dash gasped. “Everypony says that’s just a myth.”

“Heh, ponies are likely to believe something’s a story when they can’t see it for themselves, but I’m different. The weather manipulation, the speed, and the aerodynamic all line up to say it’s possible. With the right combination, a pegasus could do it. I think you’re that pegasus, Rainbow Dash.”

Dash opened her mouth to squeal in delight, but Shadowbolt unfurled a wing to keep her silent.

“There’s still more training to be done though, so don’t get ahead of yourself. You’ve seen where that got you before.” Shadowbolt let the tension of his warning hang in the air for a second before breaking out a smile. “For now, let’s have some dinner.”

He stomped a hoof a few times and a stallion in a black suit and a tie emblazoned with Shadowbolt’s cutie mark appeared from the kitchen. “Tidy Hooves, prepare the first course.”

~~~

“… so then, the idiot tries to go up higher!” Shadowbolt howled with laughter.

Dash joined him, basking in his tales of capturing villains that had eluded other heroes. Combined with the superb soup and salad, the fine china, and being with Shadowbolt without him putting her through a gauntlet, made Dash grin from ear to ear.

When Shadowbolt settled down, he stomped his hooves to summon Tidy to bring out the main course. However, it sounded like his hooves echoed. His and Dash’s ears perked up and they realized the sound was coming from the front of the house. Tidy came into the dining room, received a signal from Shadowbolt, and made his way to the door.

He quickly returned, glanced at Dash, straightened up, and stated, “Sir, Ms. Trick is at the door and it appears urgent.”

Shadowbolt stood with enough force to shake the cloudy floor. He stormed over to the door, leaving crackling imprints in the ground. There was a reverberating slam and then silence. Dash waited while Tidy stood at attention until Dash heard something crawling around in the house’s foyer. Jumping into the air, she moved toward the foyer. Tidy shouted for her to come back, but her curiosity propelled her on.

In the foyer, she spotted something pressed against a wall near the stairs. When she drew near, she spotted an orange lump of fur with a cerise mane and tail. It was a young filly. “Uh, hey?”

The filly removed the leg that was covering her right eye and stared at Dash. After a second, she whispered, “Hello?”

Reminds me a lot of Fluttershy. Well, might as well introduce myself the same way. Dash thrust a hoof to her chest and declared, “I’m Rainbow Dash!”

“Rainbow… Dash?” The filly’s eyes widened, and she jumped up. She raced across the floor, her little wings buzzing at her sides. Darting around Dash, she exclaimed, “Ohmigosh! You’re the filly Daddy is always talking about! I wanted to meet you so bad because it meant Da—”

Shadowbolt threw open the door. Behind him, a chariot wheeled off into the night. His scowl froze Dash and the filly. With a snort, he slammed the door shut, marched over to them, and then jerked his head at Tidy. “Tidy, get an extra place ready.”

“Of course.” Tidy bowed out of the foyer and into the dining hall.

A glare from Shadowbolt at the filly made her scuttle to his side and stand stiff as a board. “My apologies, Rainbow Dash. I thought this would be better to bring up later, but this is my daughter, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo bowed her head. “N-nice to meet you.”

There were no more tales at the table. Dash and Scootaloo tensed each time Shadowbolt sliced into his mushroom steak and the metal clanged against his plate. Dash managed to get down the rest of the meal since it was part of her training, but Scootaloo only nibbled at hers. Given how strict Shadowbolt was about her diet, Dash was surprised to see him not demanding Scootaloo eat what was given to her. With how her legs were shaking, she may not have been able to get anything up to her mouth though.

“Scootaloo,” Shadowbolt said at the meal’s conclusion, “could you go up to your room? Rainbow Dash and I have training to discuss.”

“Y-yes, sir.” Scootaloo slipped out of her seat, rushed out of the dining room, and disappeared upstairs.

After she disappeared, Shadowbolt slumped in his seat and let out a great sigh. “Again, my apologies, Rainbow Dash, this was a side of heroics I didn’t want you to see until you were a bit older. Don’t let it distract you from your training.”

“I…” Dash gulped. “I didn’t even know you had a daughter.”

“And I’d like for it to be kept that way.” Shadowbolt’s glare raised the hairs on Dash’s neck. “There was a time where I thought I could keep a family and be a hero, but I came to realize that wasn’t meant to be. It was a terrible choice, but the needs of Equestria outweighed the needs of a single family. It’s made me distant from Scootaloo and her mother. Sometimes, I wonder if Scootaloo still sees me as her father. I hope you understand.”

Dash let Shadowbolt’s words sink in. Then, she bowed her head. “I do. Protecting Equestria is a full-time job. Just training for it takes everything I’ve got.”

“Ah,” Shadowbolt sighed. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. This hopefully won’t derail our training schedule too much, but I think it will be nice for Scootaloo to have somepony closer to her age to be around. Unfortunately, when she’s with me, I usually have to stay at home with paperwork or training, so she doesn’t get much opportunity to interact with other fillies and colts.”

Dash’s eyes widened. “Getting to hang out with your daughter? That sounds great!”

Shadowbolt flared out a wing to keep Dash in her seat. “Easy there, Rainbow Dash. Like I said, my relationship with Scootaloo is a little stressed because of my job, so let me talk to her first to explain things.”

Dash nodded in agreement. Shadowbolt got up and made his way upstairs. Dash patiently waited while Tidy cleaned up the table. When Shadowbolt returned, Scootaloo was by his side. “Scootaloo will show you to the room. You may have some free time together, but I expect you to be asleep by nine thirty. Understood?”

Dash nodded again and got out of her seat. Shadowbolt moved aside while Scootaloo remained in place until Dash came up to her. Under Shadowbolt’s gaze, Scootaloo slowly turned, remaining tense. “C-come this way, please, Ms. Dash.”

Scootaloo led Dash out of the dining hall, through the foyer, and up the stairs. On the second floor, more awards and pictures lined the hall. Scootaloo continued down it until she reached a door identical to all the others. With a huff, she unfurled her tiny wings and flapped them as hard as she could to reach the handle. Seeing Scootaloo straining, Dash took the air and opened it. “Don’t worry, I got it.”

“T-thank you, Ms. Dash.”

“Just Rainbow Dash is fine,” Dash chuckled. “Know your dad is big on the whole respect thing, but I’m the one who should be calling you Ms. Scootaloo.”

“I… I don’t understand.”

“Well, you’re Shadowbolt’s kid. That’s like way more respect points than just being his trainee.”

Scootaloo shuffled in place. “I don’t know.”

“Okay, forget about the ‘miss’ stuff. We’re just fillies after all,” Dash chuckled. Walking into the room, she saw there was only one bed, but it was a king, more than big enough to fit two young fillies. There were bookshelves with various tomes, but nothing that looked appropriate for a filly Scootaloo’s age. In one corner she spotted a small cabinet with some coloring books, elementary flight manuals, and a few toys. Other than that, the room was bare. “So, is this the room you usually stay in?”

“Y-yes.” Scootaloo then shut the door behind herself.

“Hey, no need to act so nervous.” Dash hopped onto the bed and leaned back. “Ah, room may be a little dull, but this bed earns my stamp of approval.”

Instead of flying onto the bed, Scootaloo clambered up a side. She looked right and left, pricked up her ears and then sat by Dash. With a bit more confidence in her voice, but still in a low whisper, she asked, “So, you managed to get through the first year with Daddy?”

“Hay yeah I did.” Dash grinned. “He put me through the wringer, but nothing is gonna stand in the way of me and being awesome!”

“Wow.” Scootaloo dared to smile. “You’re the first pony I’ve met that’s managed to do that.”

Wanting to give Scootaloo a little confidence boost in the same way she did with Fluttershy, Dash said, “Well, I’m sure I’ll have some competition soon from you.”

“Me?” Scootaloo gasped. “But I’m…” She paled and bowed her head. “Sorry, I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

Dash turned her head to the side. “Talk about what?”

“I…” Scootaloo gulped. “I’m not the best flyer.”

♦♦♦

“Tell me, Twilight, have you heard of Marked Weddings?” Dash asked.

Twilight bit her lip. Something was crawling up the back of her mind that got closer to the front of it when she spoke, “It’s not an illegal practice, but it is frowned upon. It’s where ponies marry based on their cutie marks and the belief that their foal will earn a mark and a Talent with features from both parents. The science on it is sketchy though.”

“That didn’t matter to Shadowbolt.” Dash’s feathers bristled. “You get what I’m saying? That bastard used his fame and money to snag another hero, a unicorn with a high proficiency in magic, and used her in the hopes of creating a pony that could surpass him. When Scootaloo failed in his eyes, he cast her and her mother aside like garbage. It makes me sick just thinking what he must have done to them before he gave up and started looking for ponies like me.”

“How could he?” Twilight gasped. “How come this never made the news?”

“Like I said, Twilight, fame and money,” Dash spat. “At the time though, I still saw him as a hero just dealing with a bad divorce. I should have known something was up when he started asking me to ‘play’ with Scootaloo while he went off on patrols or business meetings. I didn’t care, I was living the life: the student of a top ranked hero, friends with his daughter, and on the fast-track to become a star in my own right.

Dash took a breath. Her wing pressed against her scar. “Then, the storm came…”

Author's Note

Shadowbolt ispired by Darth Link 22's Speedy Delivery.

Man, tournament brackets are a pain to make.

Rainbow in the Dark

♦♦♦

Scootaloo rubbed her hooves together. When she pulled them apart, electricity arced back and forth between them. Dash grinned. “Nice job!”

“R-really?” The electricity vanished with a small crack. Scootaloo frowned at the dissipation, but Dash gave her a pat on the back.

“Yeah, it took me until a few months ago with your dad to generate lightning.”

While Dash did not always get to spend the weekends with Scootaloo, Dash was seeing her more and more as the intensity of her training racked up. She had quickly caught onto Scootaloo’s physical limitations due to her small wings and underdeveloped back muscles but had also noticed that Scootaloo excelled in weather manipulation. She could craft clouds with just her hooves, something that usually took a pegasus circling around a decently large and moist area to do. Even when they had first met, Scootaloo could already produce sparks too.

Dash had wondered why Shadowbolt had not taken some time to instruct Scootaloo further, but when she had broached the subject to Scootaloo, Scootaloo had begged Dash not to mention it to him. So, Dash had decided to take it upon herself to instruct Scootaloo. She was already used to coaching through helping Fluttershy, and the idea of helping Scootaloo, regardless of whose daughter she was, elated Dash. It helped that Scootaloo was a quick study too. After just half a year, she was already performing weather manipulation near Dash’s level. Dash even entertained the idea of Scootaloo getting her cutie mark through it.

“Just keep this up,” Dash assured her. “We’ll make a great tag team.”

“Yeah!”

Dash had just mentioned it on a whim one day, but the idea of teaming up had excited Scootaloo more than Dash had ever seen her. When she was younger, Dash had made a similar proposal to Fluttershy, but it had quickly become clear that while they were good friends, Dash and Fluttershy’s flying styles alone made it too hard for them to team up. Scootaloo, on the other hoof, with her weather manipulation, could be a great partner to Dash. Her skill would be especially useful in tight spaces where Dash’s speed, her greatest strength, was impaired.

Plus, there were similar team-ups on the Wonderbolts. Both Scootaloo and Dash admired the collective team that ranked number four on the hero charts, but they dared not mention it in front of Shadowbolt. As he described it, he had “broken free” of the team and had clawed his way up alone to become the number three hero. It was the one aspect of Shadowbolt that Dash did not agree with as, while she was indeed awesome, she felt working with others was just more natural. Perhaps that is what had drawn her to a potential team-up with Scootaloo once they were pros.

They practiced a little more and traded stories. Dash regaled Scootaloo with how Fluttershy had taken up camping and other skills that allowed her to be closer with animals. Scootaloo, in turn, told Dash about life in Manehattan with her mother. She still had trouble making friends with other ponies in her class but had started drawing attention due to combining her weather manipulation with her scooter use.

Eventually, the curfew drew near. Dash and Scootaloo washed up, turned off the lights, and got into bed. Dash braced herself for the early-morning alarm and closed her eyes.

~~~

Dash gasped for air. Her breath came out in quick bursts of steam. Below her, the horizon curved to the east and the west. At this height, even the sun appeared in a different position and the moon was still visible to the west despite it being close to noon.

Dash pushed her body to fly though the thinner atmosphere and she whipped her wings to bring what oxygen there was in the air towards her face. She performed loop after loop, dive after dive, roll after roll while Shadowbolt watched. With his goggles on and his face partially obscured by his mask, he appeared like a statue, making only slight movements to keep an eye on Dash. When she had finished her circuit, she flew over to him, sweat spilling down into the stratosphere and back into the troposphere.

“Adequate,” said Shadowbolt. “You’re overcorrecting on your loops and you need to tighten up your rolls.”

“And the dives?” Dash huffed.

“Good.” Dash beamed at the praise. Another snort made her straighten up. “Which means you’ll be doing steeper ones after lunch. Let’s get you refu—”

The ascent of another pegasus cut Shadowbolt off. He was gasping even harder than Dash, but he managed to reach the pair. “S-shadowbolt, thank goodness we found you in time. A m-massive storm has formed over the Everfree and it’s headed right for us!”

“What!?” Shadowbolt barked. He got right in the pegasus’s face and pulled him close. “How did the weather service not notice it forming?”

“I-it came out of nowhere!” The pegasus managed to choke out. “An emergency deployment of all pegasus heroes and an evacuation order have been given!”

“Damn.” Shadowbolt spun towards Dash. “Rainbow Dash! Change of plans, we’re helping with the evacuation today! This’ll be good practice. Level seven weather isn’t something you get every day.”

“I-isn’t she a little young to b—” Shadowbolt’s glare cut the pegasus off. He gulped and stammered, “I… I need to get back now.”

He bolted away. Shadowbolt took a deep breath and grinned. “Alright. Time to actually put some work in. Rainbow Dash, you go ahead of me. Observe the situation and inform me about it when I get back. If it hasn’t been overtaken by the storm yet, we’ll meet over Cherrywood Lake. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Just as Shadowbolt turned away, Dash called out, “What about you?”

Shadowbolt kept his back to Dash. “I’m off to get Scootaloo.”

Without another word, Shadowbolt blasted off. Dash watched him get smaller and smaller. She wore a proud smile and could not wait until the day she could utter a line like that and look so awesome. Taking a breath to refocus herself, she sped off in a different direction. As part of her training, she had long ago memorized the closest evacuation centers, so her path was clear.

~~~

Dash could feel the foulness of the wind in her wings. This was something more than the Weather Training Facility, something even more than the homemade level six weather Shadowbolt subjected Dash too. This sent her hair on edge and made her stomach squirm.

All around her, she saw other pegasi reacting in a similar manner. Wings twitched, eyes darted left and right, and a general air of unease emanated from the steady stream of pegasi flowing down to the ground. Some packed their hooves to the brim with precious household items while others bore nothing at all save for the foals on their backs. In the opposite direction, Dash glimpsed pure black clouds veined with thorny protrusions.

The only pegasi headed that direction wore costumes. Dash even spotted a few Wonderbolts zooming toward the storm.

“Hey!” came a voice from behind Dash. She got up from the roof and turned to see that a hero had appeared behind her. She wore bright white suit that complemented the pink fur that poked out between the lightning bolt pattern on her legs. “What are you doing just sitting here, kid?! You need to get down to shelter!”

Dash bolted away from the hero before hershe could chastise her more. This was the fifth time she had been warned by a hero, so she decided she had observed enough. She had not noticed anything really noteworthy, and the evacuation seemed to be under control. Zipping under and around the clouds, she made her way to the lake.

The winds blew harder over the choppy water. The storm was closer now and Dash could hear the thunder rumbling. A hero would fly by every now and then, so she kept herself tucked in a cloud. When Shadowbolt finally appeared, she popped into the air and flew close to him.

“What were you doing in that cloud?” he asked.

Dash kept her eyes down. “Sorry. The other heroes were getting mad at me for not evacuating.”

“Bah, this is why age limits on heroes are ridiculous,” Shadowbolt scoffed. He swooped toward the storm. “Come on, we’ve got a storm to deal with.”

Words of protest rose up in Dash’s throat, but a glare from Shadowbolt kept them locked behind her lips. When he flew, she followed. She dared not open her mouth until Shadowbolt asked, “So, how was the situation?”

“Appeared standard, sir,” Dash answered. “The heroes had everything under control last I checked.”

“Figured,” Shadowbolt chuckled. His tone then shifted back to serious. “That’s why the job will focus on containment. These aren’t going to be like any clouds you’ve ever handled before. Be ready for anything.”

Dash nodded and tailed Shadowbolt. They drew closer and closer to the storm. The winds grew so strong that Dash had to start manipulating the air to keep her path straight. The scent of ozone assaulted her nose and Dash felt her hair rising from the static. Bolts were visible a little further ahead. The area below the storm was just a blurry splotch due to the heavy downpour.

She saw tiny dots buzzing around the storm and knew they were ponies despite how small they looked compared to the storm. They plunged into the storm and sliced off slivers of it, slowing its advance. It looked less like heroes dealing with a weather phenomenon and more like a fight against a behemoth villain.

Shadowbolt steered Dash to the right, away from the forefront of the storm, and over to its side. At this proximity, the storm was turning the pegasus-created weather for the worse. Rain splashed against Dash, but it and the howling wind were still manageable if Dash concentrated. She could see that inside the storm, the gales whipped the rain in all directions. There were also chunks of dirt and pieces of trees that had gotten pulled all the way up to this height. The storm threw it all around with the ease a foal chucking her toys across the floor.

“You’re probably wondering why we’re not going to the front, I’m betting,” Shadowbolt said over the wind. His voice was so deep and commanding, and Dash had learned how to pinpoint it no matter the weather conditions that he did not need to yell. “See, this is the difference experience and being at the top make. Those at the front are only dealing with the symptoms. We’re gonna handle the real trouble.”

Shadowbolt reached into his suit and chucked a pair of goggles at Dash. Dash caught them and hastily strapped them on, not even taking time to admire the new tool she had been given. Her heart was racing, but she recalled her training, centered her breathing, and kept the air around her manageable for optimum flight.

“This is the real deal,” Shadowbolt cautioned. They no longer flew around the storm and instead turned towards it. “I’ll focus on disrupting part of it. Your job will be keeping an eye out for debris and lightning. Got it?”

Dash gulped but kept her face stern. “Yes, sir.”

“Showtime then.” Shadowbolt surged forward. His superb flight capability and the ease he could glide through any air current made his charge into the storm look like a glide on a sunny day.

Shadowbolt
Talent- Peregrine Shift: He has the ability to subtlety shift his feather structure, musculature, and bone density to suit his needs. While initially very energy consuming, Shadowbolt has trained for years to stay in a near constant peak flight form that maximizes his speed and power.

Dash took a deep breath and followed him into the storm. Almost immediately, the gales whipped her in one direction and then another. If it were not for the goggles, the deluge of rain would have blinded her. Gritting her teeth, Dash spread her wings and summoned forth all the weather manipulation she could muster. It took all her strength just to stay aloft and the gales still shoved her around.

Then, she saw the flash in her peripheral vision. She spun back and slashed her wing through the air. Had her reaction been a fraction of a second off, the lightning bolt would have blasted her right in the head. Even with the skills Shadowbolt had taught her, that would have been fatal.

“Good work! Keep it up!” came Shadowbolt’s voice from somewhere in the maelstrom.

Dash took his words as encouragement and spurned herself onward. Her breathing quickly grew labored, but adrenaline and her training kicked in. The world slowed around her. Shadowbolt was a few meters above her two-o-clock. He was already at work delivering a barrage of kicks with his hooves and slashes with his wings. His efforts earned a torrent of lightning washing over him. Dash stared in awe as the bolts bent around him and crashed down into the rain below.

Another flash came at Dash from the left. This time, she caught the bolt with a leg. For a split-second, the electricity coursed through her, spiking her mane and tail, but she forced the lightning to wind through her leg, down across her abdomen, and into her right hind leg. It burst out of her leg and went flying off.

“Excellent!” Shadowbolt exclaimed.

Dash did not have time to soak up his praise. A tree was hurtling towards them. With the same leg she had shot the bolt out of, Dash lashed out at the tree while directing the air current around her to send the tree spiraling back into the rain.

Taking breaths stung now, but the rush of being pushed to her limits kept Dash at a level of awareness even most pros lacked. It hurt like Tartarus, but Dash had never felt so alive. She kicked more debris out of the way and she redirected more lightning. She was on top of her game. At some point, she stopped hearing Shadowbolt’s compliments, even they were lost in the heat of the moment.

When she spotted the dot of orange and cerise, her elation stopped dead in its tracks. The gales whipped her to the right. She spun out of the tumble immediately. Her heart caught in her throat. The orange and cerise dot was still there, getting thrown in all directions.

“Shadowbolt!” she called out. There was no reply. She scanned the area for him, but everything just came up as a blur of wind and rain.

With Shadowbolt unresponsive and her eyes constantly focusing on the dot, Dash no longer saw herself as the future star pegasus hero. All the other heroes’ warnings came back to her. She was just a filly caught in a storm even pros were struggling just to slow down. Fight finally gave way to flight and Dash took off with no clue which way the edge of the storm was but knowing she had to confirm what the dot was. She prayed she was not right.

With her heart beating faster again, the gales blasted her, but she managed to keep flying and got closer to the dot. Behind the goggles, her eyes widened. Legs came into view. She could not hear her through the storm’s roar, but she saw a filly crying for help. She saw useless wings flapping to no avail.

Dash once more attained a heightened awareness. Her world narrowed down on one thing and one thing only: Scootaloo. It did not matter how she was here. All that mattered was that Dash had to get her out. Her wings tore apart the air around her. Her legs almost moved on reflex to bat away debris and lightning. Every fiber of her muscles worked in unison to dive closer to Scootaloo.

The air bent around Dash. When it pressed against her into a conical shape, she pushed back. Nothing would stop her.

Then came a great boom. Suddenly, Dash was flying even faster. Wind and rain no longer touched her. Scootaloo was just a few feet away now. The new speed was unfamiliar to her, but all the mattered was that it got her closer to Scootaloo, even while the rest of the world vanished around her. That included the flash to her left.

The bolt rammed into her side, but whatever newfound speed she had attained instantly channeled the electricity away from Dash’s heart and out of her limbs. It fully faded as did her speed just as she caught Scootaloo.

The momentum still propelled her forward, and a wave of pain over her side brought her out of her heightened state and back into the normal world. Somehow, with that legendary burst of speed, she had already carried Scootaloo out of the storm. The small bit of relief she felt was what the rest of her body needed to allow self-preservation to kick in again.

A horrid burning smell assaulted Dash’s nose. She saw smoke from somewhere around her only to realize it was coming from her hooves. The pain flooding from her side nearly made her black out, but she held Scootaloo tight and retained consciousness. When she tried to straighten out, her left wing refused to flap and her right could barely move. All this combined to send Dash into a nosedive.

The ground got closer and closer. Dash’s concentration and iron will to save Scootaloo returned for just one moment. It was enough time to rake her right wing through the air and summon up a gust strong enough to slow Dash’s decent. She glided on in and crashed into the dirt. With the last of her strength, she rolled onto her back. She could not even move her legs any more to unleash Scootaloo. Instead, they just flopped to her sides.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo cried, her voice growing distant. “Get up! Please get up! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! He threw me! I co…”

♦♦♦

“I woke up three days later in the hospital,” Dash explained. By this point, Twilight was shaking. “Five broken ribs, a nearly clipped and burnt wing, a cracked eye socket, a broken leg, and multiple muscles tears and burns across my body. It was miracle the guts on my left side were untouched. Between having encouraged me throughout the training, having their hooves bound by contracts and nondisclosure agreements, and seeing the state I was in, my parents were a wreck. Fluttershy was even worse. All I wanted was to know where Scootaloo was.

“That question was the one thing that kept me sane while I was confined to that bed for a month. The books Fluttershy brought help, and my parents assured me they would never let this happen again. They wouldn’t say more than that, only that Shadowbolt was being dealt with. When I could stand again, I decided to find the answer for myself…”

♦♦♦

Dash barged into the office. The bandages around her legs and cast were stained with dirt while the rest of her wrappings were damp with sweat. The ones along her left side had red splotches on them. A receptionist tried to pull Dash back, but a well-placed kick to the chest sent her flying. Dash glared at Shadowbolt with her uncovered eye.

He was at his desk with another pony with a slicked-back mane and wearing a fine suit. Dash had only met Top Rate a couple of times, but every encounter left her feeling like she needed a shower afterwards. The look of surprise and discomfort on his face was the first time she had seen him wear anything other than a well-polished smile.

Shadowbolt grinned. “Like I said, Rainbow Dash is no quitter, so we can move along with the merchandi—”

“Where is she?” Dash growled.

“In the hospital,” Shadowbolt calmly replied. “Didn’t the doctors tell you?”

“Yeah, they told me what you paid them to tell me,” Dash spat. “I made sure to check before I came here. Where is she?”

“Rainbow Dash,” Shadowbolt sighed, “You’re still recovering, so your head isn’t clear. What I can tell you is that Scootaloo made a foolish mistake and tried to fo—”

“Stop lying to me!” Dash slammed the ground, dissipating a bit of the cloud structure and sending bolts racing across the floor. The outburst forced her to cough, but she never took her blistering glare off of Shadowbolt. “We both know she could never get up there on her own! Where is she?”

Shadowbolt got up. “Brat. You’re not seeing the full picture. You don’t even realize what you did. I apologize for the injuries and have already agreed to pay in full for your medical expenses, but that is just part of the job. Now stop asking questions about a useless foal and get back to the hospital.”

“Not until you tell me where she is!” Dash shouted. She charged forward, but Shadowbolt raced in front of her and pinned her to the ground. She still glared up at him. “I’m not leaving until you tell me!”

“Who cares? She’ll be with her mother from now on anyway. Good riddance.” Shadowbolt pressed down hard on one of Dash’s legs. “Rainbow Dash, you and your parents are testing my limits, but I am understanding. So, when you are in a better state of mind and I’m finished telling your parents this was all just a tragic accident, we’ll be right back on track. That’s what you want, right? The gate to heroism and fame is at the tips of your hooves. You’re not going to give that up over a foalish recovery-induced tantrum, are you?”

Due to Dash’s stomp and her tussle with Shadowbolt, a few materials from his desk had fallen onto the floor. She saw there were shirts, buttons, and pens with her cutie mark emblazoned on it, of far higher quality than the hoof-made stuff her parents had fashioned. Dash stopped glaring at Shadowbolt and unclenched her muscles. Shadowbolt removed his hoof.

“Good.” Shadowbolt walked away and back behind his desk. “Now, Mr. Rate and I have some business to discuss about your future and I—”

A bolt of lightning struck the top of the desk and ignited the merchandise on it. Shadowbolt slashed a wing to dissipate the flames, but another bolt crashed into his wing. His eyes bulged as he clutched his crackling wing and his face darkened. “You foal! What in Tartarus are you doing!?”

Dash responded by taking a hoof to her flank and zapping it until the electricity burnt through the bandages and seared the skin underneath, forever obscuring Dash’s cutie mark on that side. The act stunned even Shadowbolt long enough for Dash to do the same to her other cutie mark. Through clenched teeth, Dash snarled, “I’m leaving, that’s what I’m doing. I’m done. You’re no hero, you’re a monster.”

“Fine!” Shadowbolt exploded. “You go! You stupid foal! After everything I’ve done, you get into one accident and call it quits!? Get out! And don’t ever expect to see Scootaloo again either!”

“I will find her!” Dash shouted back. “And we will team up and surpass you!”

With just one wing, Dash launched into the air and tore through the wall to escape.

♦♦♦

“That was the last I saw of Shadowbolt,” said Dash. “I’ve been looking for Scootaloo ever since, but Manehattan is a big city and because of her ties to Shadowbolt, Scootaloo’s mom isn’t in any public listings. She’s retired from her work too, so I can’t find her in directories either. I’ll find Scootaloo one day though.”

Dash turned and walked toward an intersection in the hall. She gazed up at the ceiling with her back to Twilight. “Until that day comes, and even after, I’ll rely solely on my physical abilities to show Scootaloo, wherever she is, that I need her as my partner. It’s also to show that bastard that I’m forging ahead on my own. If I don’t use his style, nopony will ever know I trained under him. I will deny him everything.”

Dash glanced back at Twilight. “Keep your connection to Princess Celestia to yourself if you want, I get that, but I will rise above you with without relying on weather manipulation.”

Twilight remained silent until Dash started to walk away. She gulped and took a step forward. “I… I’ve always had help. My teachers and my friends, including you, Rainbow Dash, are the only reason I’ve come so far. For all of them, for you, I’ll become a hero like Princess Celestia that always smiles when she saves ponies in order to repay the help you’ve given me.

“It’s a weak motivation compared to yours…” Twilight bowed her head. Taking a breath, she raised a leg and jabbed it at Dash, “…but I’m not going to lose. So, let me say it to you the same way you said it to me. I’m going to beat you!”

Twilight’s echo rang down the hall and reached Sunset’s ears. She pressed up closer against the corner and let the declaration sink in.

Author's Note

Despite the title, I imagined Ride Like The Wind playing during the storm scene.

Yes, that was Firefly, what of it?

Intermission

Applejack took a seat in the participant section next to Pinkie and Maud. Fluttershy sat on the other side of the row, trying to take deep breaths, but each inhale and exhale was shaky.

“Don’t let Sunny intimidate you, Fluttershy!” Pinkie cheered. “I know you can give her a heck of a fight!”

“Th-that’s not all I’m w-worried about,” said Fluttershy.

“I’m sure Twilight and Rainbow Dash will be fine too,” said Applejack. “Dash just seems to get in a competitive spirit and I can’t fault her for that.”

“Plus, Twilight can handle herself,” Spike added.

Fluttershy bowed her head and whimpered.

“Trixie understands her concern.” Trixie grinned down at them from a few rows back. “When you face our class head on, it will be quite the show.”

“I’d hold your tongue if I were y—” Applejack’s eyes glazed over, and her lower jaw went limp.

Starlight marched up to join Trixie. “What was that about holding tongues?”

“Hey-hey!” Pinkie called out. She flailed her legs drawing Starlight’s attention. “No need to get grouchy-wouchy.”

Starlight snorted and took a seat while Applejack’s eyes cleared. “I suppose I’ll agree with a fellow class president. Besides, I wouldn’t want to ruin the entertainment.”

Everyone felt their skin crawl from Starlight’s words.

“Oooh!” Rarity called out. Her shout drew everyone’s attention to the center ring where a massive circus-like tent had appeared. “I can’t wait to see what costumes they have!”

“It was quite a start to the day’s activities,” said Vinyl, “but let’s take a chance to catch our breaths with some sweet jams!”

The tent fell away, revealing a large stage had appeared on top of the ring. The audience cheered at the sight of a light gold mare bedecked in a shimmering white dress and a matching top hat. The outfit blurred the line between haute fashion and practicality.

Rarity’s eyes went wide, and a smile spread across her face. “Oh my! The frills! The trim! The gems! And, an impeccable posture to keep it looking perfect! Amazing!”

“It’s the Pony of Pop!” Vinyl declared. “Let’s hear it for Sapphire Shores!”

~~~

The roar of the crowd reverberated down the halls underneath the stand. It muffled the blow Lightning delivered to the wall. Bits of plaster flicked off her hoof. She growled, “I’ll show them. I could have handled that without Starlight mucking things up.”

“Now, no reason to get so upset.” Lightning turned and froze. A sharp grin that was matched by its owner’s blade-like feathers greeted her. “You’re about the get the chance of a lifetime, kid.”

~~~

Ponies sashayed across the stage. Their movements and the lighting accentuated the contours of their costumes and made the gems on them glisten. Sapphire Shores waltzed around in the center of the dazzling display, filling the colosseum with her enchanting voice. All the dancers matched her pace, creating a show for both the eyes and the ears.

Spike drank it all in. His memory from before being rescued by Twilight was foggy at best, but he was certain he had experienced nothing like this.

“Huh, so ponies catch your interest, eh?”

Spike nearly jumped out of his seat. He was so caught up in watching Sapphire perform that he had not noticed Thunderlane bend his head right next to his. Spike furrowed his brow at him.

“Sorry,” Thunderlane chuckled. “Didn’t mean to spook you.”

“If you’re thinking of pulling any tricks before the match…” Spike grumbled.

“Well, that wouldn’t be very heroic.” Thunderlane turned his attention to the stage. “Seeing how interested you are in the dancers got me thinking though…”

“About what?”

Thunderlane grinned. “Well, I needed another guy to back me up on this, but…”

~~~

“Ah, Shadowbolt, it’s quite a surprise to see you here,” Celestia called out. Shadowbolt had just rounded a flight of stairs when she came into view above him. She couldn’t see his eyes behind his goggles but noticed his muscles twitch for a split-second. Even if it had been brief, Shadowbolt went into a bow to hide his surprise.

“Princess Celestia. I didn’t expect you to leave your box.”

“Oh, I usually don’t, but when I noticed you and your eyes on the students I couldn’t resist checking up on you.” Celestia smiled while Shadowbolt rose up but kept his lips in a straight line. His somber disposition remaindered her of Luna. “Plus, I so rarely get the opportunity to talk with other heroes in a less formal setting. I’m quite pleased that you’ve taken an interest in the first years.”

Shadowbolt stiffened. The stairs led straight down to the green rooms. His credibility could get him anywhere in the Colosseum, but he feared even it had its limits with Celestia. Still, he kept his breathing normal and his face straight. “I assume it isn’t a problem giving them a little pep talk?”

“Of course not,” Celestia chuckled. “I’ve actually been hoping you’d start taking on students again. It’s been what five? Six years?”

“Well, you can’t be the only one with prodigies,” Shadowbolt grinned. “It is a little discouraging knowing the number one spot will always be occupied though.”

“That has been a bit troubling.” Celestia’s smile did not waver. “I’ve actually been considering stepping back from hero work for a little to focus on governing.”

“Is that so?” Shadowbolt’s grin sharpened. “Then I’m guessing your next student will be your last for a bit. Anypony catch your eye?”

“Quite a few, but I don’t want to discourage anypony by choosing this early.”

“Well…” Shadbolt stepped upwards. He swiftly passed by Celestia, so she only caught a hint of his grin giving way to a sneer. “… I have high hopes for the pony I’ve got eyes on. Thank you for the information, Princess. You’ve made this festival even more interesting than I was hoping.”

And I’ll finally have a student that surpasses what you’ve produced. The top rank will be ours. Now to just get Rainbow Dash out of her little tantrum.

~~~

Twilight walked up the stairs to the participants’ seats with her brow furrowed. Her lips still tingled from her declaration. When she got out of the stairway and into the stands, she was greeted with a large number of empty seats.

“Looks like you’ll be missing out on the fun,” Starlight snickered.

Twilight was about to ask Starlight what she was talking about when she saw the doors that led to her class’s green room fly open. Pinkie flipped out and landed with her hind legs in a split, showing off the skirt she had donned. In addition, she wore a scintillating uniform emblazoned with CSGP and clasped pompoms.

Rarity strutted out behind Pinkie, wearing the same cheerleading outfit. Derpy flew near her while Aloe and Lotus stepped in line with each other. Tree Hugger spun to her own tune, twirling her pompoms with no rhythm to her movements. Applejack marched with a slight blush on her cheeks. Fluttershy shambled along— her wings covered her scarlet face. Maud coaxed her from the back of the group and mechanically pumped a pompom in several directions.

“H-how did I get into this?” Fluttershy stuttered.

“Eh, good head clearing,” said Applejack. She glanced back at her flank and then at Rarity. “This ain’t too revealing, is it?”

“Oh, Applejack, Pinkie and I made sure these designs have just the right proportions for fillies our age,” Rarity chuckled.

“What a surprise!” Vinyl declared. “It looks like Class 1-A has decided to join in the festivities with a performance of their own!”

“It’s not how I would prepare for the next round, but there’s nothing wrong with it,” said Tantabus.

“Huh?” Pinkie looked up at the announcers’ box. She then twisted her head around toward the green room. Spike and Thunderlane lost the blushes on their faces. “Spike! You said Mr. Tantabus told you this was part of the break!”

“Jig’s up,” Thunderlane sighed. “Kinda amazed we got this far.”

A few of his classmates glared at Spike. His heart seized up when Rarity stared at him, but then chuckled, “Well, we’re already dressed up. May as well show them what we’ve got!”

“Good point, Rarity!” A smile returned to Pinkie’s face. She chucked a pompom into the air, did a cartwheel, and then caught it. “Come on, everypony! Let’s show them our Class 1-A spirit!”

BonBon intensified her glare at Spike and Thunderlane, but a nudge in her side from Lyra got her to relent. Aloe and Lotus grumbled, but soon joined Pinkie in twirling pompoms around.

Back in the seats, Twilight could not hear the conversation, but smiled at seeing her friends in what appeared to be a relaxed mood.

“Hey, why didn’t we think of something like that?” asked a purple pegasus with a spiky mane in a nearby seat.

The pegasus with a slightly lighter coat next to her said, “Looked like Thunderlane was the one that kickstarted things.”

“Huh.” Cloud Chaser leaned back in her seat. “Well, gives us something to watch for a bit.”

“Trixie would prefer to get on with it.” Trixie’s gaze fell on Twilight. “This is all just the opening act.”

~~~

A bit of sweat trickled down Rarity’s face. She had made sure the routine she and Pinkie had come up with was not too strenuous, but she still found herself in need of a drink after the performance. Her heart beat from a combination of the dancing and hearing the crowds cheer her.

It came to a halt when she neared a corner and heard Suri hiss from the other side, “Congrats Coco, failing me in the race is only the second biggest joke of the day now.”

“I… I don’t know, Suri. I thought it was pretty neat of Class 1-A,” Coco whimpered in reply.

“Bah, it’s just that mudbrain Rarity trying to get attention. Heh, she’ll never see what’s coming with me. Now, you just get through your matches, show off some designs, and try not to embarrass me anymore.”

“Y-yes, Suri.”

Behind the corner, Rarity clenched her teeth. Okay, Suri, if that’s your game then I’m dispensing with the pleasantries!

Author's Note

Happy 2019, everyone!

Next chapter, Magic Duel!

Magic Duel

Twilight took a breath. Just beyond the hallway leading out of the green room stood the ring. She could not see Trixie from the other side, just the darkened path that led to Class 1-B’s green room. She took a few steps and was almost into the light of the arena when she heard hoofbeats behind her.

“Hey!” Celestia called all. She paused to cough into one of her shriveled legs and then walked closer to Twilight. “Just wanted to see my student off.”

“Princess!” Twilight gasped. She glanced out at the colosseum and up towards the royal box. “Shouldn’t you be up there?”

“An advantage of having attendants’ magic sealed is that it makes pulling off illusions much easier,” Celestia chuckled. “I wanted to also congratulate you on gaining better control of the Elements.”

Twilight blushed. “It’s still nothing compared to you though…”

“Now, no need to be modest. This is your chance to shine! Plus, your handling of the Elements is completely different from my experience, so any advancement is a positive!”

“R-right.”

“So be positive.” Celestia chopped Twilight on head with a hoof. Staggering back, Twilight shook of the light tap just as Celestia took on her empowered form. “If you’re worried or nervous, that’s the time to smile! You’ve come so far and now’s your first real chance to show that progress to Equestria.”

Twilight managed to summon a shaky grin and nodded. “Okay. I’m off.”

~~~

“Think your daughter is up for this?” Firelight mused.

“Oh, this is just a warm-up for her.” Jack Pot tossed some popcorn into his mouth. “It’s her own classmates I’m more worried about. They don’t know how to handle her Talent.”

“Still, that Twilight has power and ingenuity on her side.”

“Hmph! When it comes to magic and Talents, power is only part of it.”

A few rows down, Night Light leaned forward to peer into the hall that led to Class 1-A’s green room, but shadows and the angle kept him from getting a view of Twilight. Velvet pulled him back.

“She’ll be out soon, dear.”

“Oh, but I’m just so excited for her.” Night Light swerved toward Velvet, his face suddenly pale. “You don’t think she’ll get stage fright, do you?”

“She just dove into a thunderstorm and exploded herself across the arena. I think we’re dealing with the opposite situation here.” Velvet put a hoof to a chin. “I just hope it doesn’t go too far beyond that.”

~~~

Twilight stepped up to the ring. Rockhoof XII stood in the center, but Trixie had yet to emerge. Fireworks then burst out of the hallway connected to the 1-B green room. A serpentine dragon formed out of the purple fireworks and slithered above the crowd, spewing out multicolored bursts of flame. A spiral of pink flares expanded out into an elephant that twirled over the audience. Flocks of fiery birds zoomed around the colosseum while fish of every shape and hue swam over the other half. Flares of magic shot up from the ground in front of the hallway, creating a shower of sparks.

Trixie strode through the display, basking in the audience’s oohs and ahhs. When she stepped up to the ring, the menagerie of animal fireworks gathered behind her. All their flaming eyes glared down at Twilight. Trixie jabbed at Twilight from across the ring and declared in an amplified voice, “Prepare yourself, Twilight Sparkle! You’re about to be quite the helpful assistant to the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“Now that’s an entrance!” Jack Pot cheered.

“Okay okay,” said Rockhoof. “I don’t mind a bit of boasting, but kindly cancel out any spells before the match starts.”

Trixie bowed her head. With a poof of smoke, the fireworks vanished. Trixie answered with a regular voice, “Of course.”

“Alright folks, it’s time to get the first match started!” said Vinyl. “On one side, we’ve got one of our first-place winners, Twilight Sparkle! Let’s see what other crazy moves she might pull out! On the other side, we’ve got Trixie Lulamoon! She showed off quite a unique Talent in the first round, let’s see what other tricks she’s got!

“Rules are pretty straightforward,” Vinyl continued. Rockhoof backed out of the ring and summoned up an earthen chair to sit and preside over the match from. “Ring your opponent out, get them to say, ‘I give up,’ or immobilize them. We’ll start a ten-count if immobility is questionable. Don’t worry about injuries, we’ve got CSGP’s own Nurse Redheart on standby! If something looks too dangerous though, Rockhoof will step in, so feel free to cut loose!”

Trixie glared at Twilight. “Your participation is appreciated.”

“I won’t let you boast this whole time.” Twilight focused her attention on Trixie’s horn and thought back to the race. Allowing Trixie to employ whatever spell or part of her Talent that lets her separate her limbs will create too many openings. Still, magic is magic. Even if her Talent does allow her to disassemble and remotely control her limbs, it must take some time to charge a spell like that.

Rockhoof hefted his shovel and clanged it against the side of his chair. “Begin!”

Which means I have to keep her on her hooves! Twilight charged at Trixie.

“Bold.” Trixie jumped aside to dodge Twilight. “Short range spells are easier to cast, after all.”

Twilight charged up a shot with her horn, but Trixie was faster, and a flash stunned Twilight. She jumped back and summoned up a shield. Her eyes quickly cleared, but when they did, a giant bear with a body shimmering like the night sky loomed over her.

“For Trixie’s first act…” Trixie declared, “… let’s see how long our participant can last against an ursa!”

The ursa raised a massive claw and brought it down on Twilight. Twilight took up a stance and kept her shield strong. Yet, her eyes were not on the ursa, but on Trixie. Too many issues with summoning and controlling something like a ursa. It must be a tri—

The claw slammed into Twilight’s shield with enough force to crack it. It continued to press down, and the cracks grew. While Twilight kept the ursa at bay, Trixie rushed towards her with her horn ablaze.

“Darn!” Twilight cursed and brightened her horn. Her shield continued to degenerate under the ursa. In a flash, Twilight vanished and appeared behind Trixie. Trixie spun just in time for a hoof to connect with her face and sent her tumbling across the ring. The ursa faded into the air.

Twilight caught her breath. Her horn stung a bit from performing a last-second teleport while maintaining her shield long enough to keep the ursa’s claw from crushing her. She got to work casting a spell to fling Trixie out of the ring, but something decked Twilight across the face. She rolled across the ring, came to a stop, and got back onto her hooves. Her heart sank when she saw a leg floating by Trixie.

“Well, couldn’t have you go down in just the first act. Time for the second act and Trixie’s personal favorite. Our lucky participant gets to face off against Trixie while she’s down a leg!” Trixie smirked and raised her left foreleg. It rocketed off her shoulder and both legs hurtled towards Twilight. “Or how about two?”

Twilight bent back to avoid one leg jabbing from the left and then sidestepped to avoid an uppercut from the other leg. Trixie watched the battle unfold with a grin like she was a spectator. Twilight snorted and made a break for her. Trixie yawned even though she no longer had forelegs to cover her mouth. Twilight blocked and dodged the onslaught of blows from Trixie’s legs and closed the distance between them.

Twilight raised a hoof high and slammed it down on Trixie. Her legs caught the blow first. Trixie grinned. “Trixie was expecting a lot less physicality from you, Twilight Sparkle. Trixie has heard you’re such a talented magic user. You’re not holding back on Trixie, are you?”

Twilight’s horn flared and she poofed from existence. She reappeared behind Trixie again and slammed into her back.

However, she continued to crash down when Trixie’s back split apart leaving her hind end on the ground while her torso floated up and spun around so she could sneer down at Twilight while she flew higher and higher.

“The same trick won’t work twice,” Trixie snickered. “Time for the third act! Trixie doesn’t like to admit it, but she’s falling to pieces! Although, you’ll be the one broken up by the end of this, Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight managed to stick her landing but was caught off balance when she was forced to dodge a leg. She tried to spin around so she at least fell on her hooves, but another one of Trixie’s legs slammed into her side.

“Guh!” The blow sent her tumbling. Yet, when she struggled to get up, no attacks came at her. Her head spun a little from the close-range teleports, but she managed to focus her sight on Trixie. Her torso hovered above Twilight. Her hind end had separated, so now her four limbs floated beside her.

“This must be quite impressive,” Trixie jeered. “Trixie hopes you’re not thinking about giving up. We’ve only just begun!”

All four limbs rocketed towards Twilight. She ran forward to dodge the forelegs in the lead. They swerved and came back around to tail her. Meanwhile, Trixie’s hind legs moved in a pincer formation. Aura flowed over Twilight’s right hind leg and she managed to kick away one hind leg while protecting her own. She summoned aura to her left foreleg too and blocked the other hind leg.

Trixie’s legs assaulted Twilight from all angles, but carefully timed blocks, shields, and dodges kept them from dealing any major damage. Like earlier, Trixie’s head yawned while watching the proceedings.

Darn! Twilight spotted Trixie up above and grimaced. Looks like we had the same idea, but how did she manage pull her spell off so fast? Does it allow dismemberment for her whole body once she’s cast it? Think! Thi—

A misstep sent Twilight falling. A leg smacked her head from the right and she rolled onto the ground. The blow and the fall momentarily staggered her, but she managed to recover and got back on all four hooves. Legs were coming from straight ahead and from the side. Twilight began to charge up a shield spell strong enough to block both, but she felt something latch onto her horn and block her magic.

She saw no glow around her horn to indicate foreign magic, but something jerked it left and right, keeping a spell from properly forming. Twilight reared back and the pressure on her horn vanished. Before she could move away, her leg slipped, and she went crashing to the ground just as Trixie’s legs converged on her.

A leg slammed into her gut, knocking the wind out of her. Another uppercutted her chin, forcing her eyes to roll back and launching her into the air. The other two legs landed blows to her left shoulder and right thigh. All of them flew above Twilight and then crashed into her back, pounding her into the ring.

“And Trixie delivers a brutal beatdown!” said Vinyl. “I’ve seen a lot of fights with ponies, but Trixie has taken four-legged fury to a new level!”

“You could say that,” Tantabus mused.

“Hmm?” Vinyl sidled a little closer to Tantabus. “Something you’re seeing that I’m not?”

“Just a unique display of magic and a Talent.”

Back in the ring, Twilight laid flat on the ground. Her head swam, and it felt like Trixie had dislocated her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she tried to get up, something held her down. She glanced left and right and saw that Trixie’s limbs had pinned her.

“Time to start the count!” Trixie cackled.

“Right,” said Rockhoof. “One, two…”

No! Twilight screamed at herself. After everything Dash said, after all the training, after everything…

Twilight focused, and rainbow light flickered around her eyes. Her horn lit up and aura swelled around it. A sheen of magic exploded off her body and knocked Trixie’s limbs off. Trixie stopped laughing and Rockhoof ceased his count. With rainbow aura pouring off her, Twilight glared up at Trixie. “Sorry, you came at me full force from the start, I should have put everything else aside and done the same.”

“Well, aren’t you being a rude participant?” Trixie snarled and sent her legs at Twilight again. Instead of dodging, Twilight planted her hooves and took a blow straight to the face.

The audience gasped. Velvet clenched her seat rests. Trixie’s hoof dug into Twilight’s left cheek. A bit of blood spilled down Twilight’s lips. Trixie grinned, but then paled upon seeing the blaze in Twilight’s eyes. For a brief second, teal aura appeared around the leg and was then overtaken by purple aura. The leg went limp and deflated like a balloon.

Twilight glared up at Trixie and then down at part of the ring. Her eyes shimmered with aura. “So that’s it.”

“S-so that’s what?” Trixie yelped. The leg that Twilight had seized fell out of her magic’s grasp and back up to Trixie. It regained its musculature and shot back at Twilight with the other three. Trixie’s horn grew bright and an array of ursas surrounded the ring. “How do you like this?”

“Pathetic,” Sunset snorted.

“Well, I thought it was quite the good strategy while it lasted.” Rarity grinned. “I knew Twilight would figure it out.”

“A kindergartner would figure it out,” Sunset grumbled.

“Uh, are we missing something?” Spike scratched his head. The rest of Twilight’s friends stared at Rarity and Sunset with similar expressions.

Twilight did not flinch and charged at the spot she had glared at. The ursas brought their claws down on Twilight, but she dodged some and ran through others. Trixie’s torso shot down to join the fray. She cloaked her head in aura and rammed Twilight, but Twilight swatted her away with a barrier. While she charged, smoke rose from the tip of her horn. A bit of its alicorn darkened.

“That wasn’t just dispel magic,” Twilight huffed. “I did analysis and trace spells too. I see you, Trixie!”

“Y-you triple-casted?!” Trixie gasped. However, her voice did not come from her mouth, but from the spot Twilight was rushing toward.

“I don’t know why an accommodation was made for you, but it’s over!” Twilight lit up her horn. Trixie’s body zoomed in front of the spot Twilight was aiming at. Twilight unleashed a massive blast of magic, but centimeters in front of Trixie, it fractured into bolts that struck all of her at once.

Sparks exploded off Trixie’s limbs and torso. After a second, her jaw slackened but she managed to shriek. A few of the audience members turned away when Trixie’s eyes shriveled up and her limbs deflated. Yet, others were wondering why some of the bolts had converged on the spot behind Trixie. More curious, the bolts directed on that spot caused smoke to rise out of thin air.

After a second, a bit of dust rose off the spot Twilight had attacked. She ceased her attack and went to her knees with sweat spilling down her face. The tip of her horn was now black.

Rockhoof peered over his seat at what remained of Trixie and looked up at the announcers’ box. “Uh, is this legal?”

“It is,” Tantabus declared. “Though I would watch your step. The real Ms. Lulamoon is just a few feet to your left.”

“Huh?” Pinkie and a large amount of the audience exclaimed. “Has teach gone loco in the coco? Trixie is right there… looks like her act fell a little flat though.”

“Allow me to explain,” said Tantabus. “Unfortunately, the unicorns and earth ponies won’t be able to tell, but the pegasi in the audience may be able to detect Ms. Lulamoon’s actual body. Ms. Lulamoon has suffered from a certain impediment since the time she obtained her cutie mark, which gave her the Talent of illusions and glamours. When she first achieved it though, there was an accident, rendering her permanently invisible.”

“What?!” Vinyl gasped.

“Did you not read up on the students?” Tantabus sighed.

“Er, uh…”

“Regardless, Twilight Sparkle managed to see through Ms. Lulamoon’s duplicitous tactics and secured her victory. Winner of the first round: Twilight Sparkle!”

“D-darn,” Trixie coughed. She blinked and saw a purple hoof extended out to her.

“Can you stand?” Twilight asked.

Trixie batted the hoof away, though to the audience it looked like Twilight had flung it back. “Trixie does not need your pity, Twilight Sparkle! Trixie has lost, and her time on the stage is over.”

“Sorry, just thought it was the right thing to do,” said Twilight. “You put up a really good fight, Trixie.”

“But it’s over now,” Trixie sighed. “Who will want to take on somepony that can’t even win the first match?”

“Well, I would.” Twilight dared to smile. “That took a skillful use of telekinesis, misdirection, and throwing your voice to pull off that dismemberment trick. Plus, using your suit for more than just appearing visible and hiding part of it in that first ursa illusion really threw me off.”

“It was quite a show!” Vinyl exclaimed. “Both participants showed off magic in unique ways that highlights its versatility! Let’s hear it for them!”

The audience roared with applause.

Nopony but Twilight could see it, but Trixie looked the other way when she reached out and took Twilight’s leg. “N-next time, I’ll win, Twilight Sparkle. Now, you had better put on a grand performance in my place.”

“I’ll have to stay sharp then.”

With the audience cheering them on, Twilight and Trixie walked off the stage.

“Well, we’ve seen what skilled unicorns can do,” said Vinyl. “Now, let’s see what some pegasi have got!”

Trixie Lulamoon
Talent- Glim Glam: Trixie mainly specializes in illusions that can confuse an opponent’s eyes. However, her ultimate strength comes from the effect gaining her Talent had on her: invisibility. For others to see her, she either must constantly cast dispel on herself or wear a specialized suit. When her magic is applied to it, the suit mimics what she would look like if she were visible. It uses her residual magic when worn normally. If she detaches and channels a spell into it, it can become a useful blunt weapon. Thanks to her training as a showmare, Trixie can turn the suit into a powerful puppet fighter.

Author's Note

Thanks to Horikoshi-sensei for throwing off Trixie's scent with Tokage. Yep, Trixie is actually this fic's Hagakure.

Cry Thunder

Trixie slunk back to the participants’ seats. Her lips quivered when she got out of the corridors beneath the seats and looked up. Suri placed her attention elsewhere and Coco and Wallflower turned in the other direction. Starlight stared at the ring.

With trembling hooves, Trixie made her way up to Starlight’s row. She dared to get close to Starlight since she was near the end of the row and there was an empty seat by her. Trixie gulped. “I… I’m sorry.”

Starlight still stared forward. “It was a bad matchup. I saw what Twilight could do in the entrance exams and heard about that incident during the first day of class, so she gave off the impression of a powerhouse. I should have focused more on her written scores than a fluke like during the practical. Still, now the rest of us won’t be caught off guard.”

“D-does that mean…”

Starlight unfolded the chair for Trixie. “A loss is still a loss, but we’ll get back at 1-A.”

Trixie wanted to smile for a brief moment before she saw Starlight’s furrowed brow.

“Lightning is going to have to cool off if she wants to win this next match.”

~~~

Dash could feel the air pressure shift before she turned the corner. She took a breath and braced herself. Shadowbolt waited on the other side, his body rigid like hers. They glared at each other.

“Out of my way,” Dash muttered.

“You disgrace me, Rainbow Dash,” Shadowbolt spat.

“That’s the point.” Dash broke eye contact and marched forward.

“You would’ve won that race if you had used magic the entire time.” Dash could feel Shadowbolt’s gaze on her. She could feel him focusing on her back. She could feel him probing her wings and muscles. “Grow up. You’ll let one filly dictate the rest of your life? You’ll ruin all the work you’ve done for a petty grudge?”

Dash clenched her jaw. Her heart thudded in her chest. Yet, she kept her eyes straight and continued walking.

“I know you understand what a waste it is,” Shadowbolt growled. “That’s why I’m going to push until you realize how foolish this tantrum is. You’re already showing cracks. You’re a flyer and your body knows that!”

Dash picked up her pace. Her wings twitched and the muscles in her legs zinged with tension.

“Scootaloo would be embarrassed to see you in this state.”

Dash stopped but did not turn around. “Is that all you have to say? You can’t use Scootaloo like a tool, not anymore. When the papers come out tomorrow, she’s going to see that I did this for her, without what you taught me. So, throw whatever you have at me, I’ll defeat it with strength and strength alone.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” With a flick of his wings, Shadowbolt shifted the air pressure back to normal. As he did, he could feel the way it clustered around Dash. “In the real world, you don’t have the luxury of restricting yourself. You’ll reach your limit soon enough.”

Dash resumed her march, teeth gritted and blood vessels framing her eyes.

~~~

“Twilight!” All her friends cheered when Twilight returned to the participants’ seats. Spike rushed up and gave her a hug.

Pinkie held out a frosting-coated cupcake for her. “Victory treat?”

“Better to save that for after the final match.” Despite her droopy eyelids, Twilight managed to crack a grin. She then slumped into an empty seat. “For now, gotta rest up. Fighting and recovering took a bit out of me.”

“Hmm, guess we’ll have to be careful not to get too banged up,” said Applejack.

“Oooh!” Pinkie turned to Maud. “We’ll definitely have to watch out for that!”

Maud blinked. “Yes.”

“Well, while Twilight rests up, let’s hope we get another victory for our class in this match,” said Rarity.

Everyone, save for Fluttershy, Spike, and Twilight, cheered.

~~~

Lightning Dust swooped out of her entrance to the arena and landed in the ring. Dash stomped out of hers and met Lightning in the center. Seeing Dash’s tight lips and her eyes hidden behind her mane, Lightning remarked, “Well, guess you had a little talk, too. Forget about the race, this is what will really matter.”

Dash did not reply.

“Time for the second match!” Vinyl declared. “It’s ace versus ace this time. Both Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust got near matching scores on the practical entrance exam. Since this is a pegasus match, we’d also like to note that flying into the crowds or going too high will count as a ring out! We’ll have refs up high to mark the boundaries, so I’m hoping to see some wicked aerial maneuvers!”

“Rainbow Dash is a much more physical fighter from what I’ve seen, but she hasn’t had a chance to have her flying skills tested in my class yet,” said Tantabus. “I’m curious to see how she’ll fare against a pegasus with a similar disposition.”

Just as Rockhoof raised his shovel, Lightning chuckled, “To be honest, I’ve wanted to see which of us was better since the practical.”

Rockhoof clanged his shovel.

Lightning smirked. “I already know it’s me since I don’t hold b—”

Dash nailed her in the head with a hoof. The punch was strong enough to make Lightning bounce off the ring. Tumbling through the air, she flared out her wings and came to a stop. Dash charged her, revealing her clenched teeth and bloodshot eyes.

“What were you going to say?!” Dash snarled.

Lightning yelped and bolted skyward. The wind her accent kicked up delayed Dash from tackling her. Dash shot her head up and gave chase. Lighting flew at top speed, only daring to look back to get an idea of where Dash was. Every time she did, Dash was closer.

“What looked to be a brawl has quickly turned into a chase!” said Vinyl. Lightning blasted by the announcer’s booth just then. Dash followed. The force of their flight knocked Vinyl back while Tantabus remained firmly in place. Scrambling back up, Vinyl continued, “High wind warning, folks! We’ve got safety measures to make sure nothing too dangerous gets to you, but these pegasi are going all out!”

Above the crowd, Lightning arced over to the clouds drifting over the colosseum. She skimmed over them and pulled them up just as Dash crashed into her, shielding her from the brunt of the attack. Dash drove a hoof towards Lightning’s head, but Lightning shifted the clouds around to block the blow. Dash reared back her other hoof and punched straight through, but Lightning was gone.

Popping up behind Dash, Lighting yelled, “You got me at first, but now I—”

Dash whipped around and delivered a roundhouse kick to Lightning’s side. She went tumbling across the clouds, dissipating tufts of them. Instead of flying, Dash stomped over to her. “Amateur. Foals could pull that off.”

Lightning paled and plunged a wing into the clouds. She swung it back up and sent a wave hurtling toward Dash. It crackled, and a few small bolts of electricity arced across the wave. Dash dug in her hooves and spread out her wings. When the wave got close, she spun and vertically slashed the wave. Electricity zipped across her body, but she charged until she bisected the wave. The top half dissipated into the air and the lower half collapsed back into the rest of the cloud.

Dash turned to face Lightning but felt the air shift as she did. Lightning was gone by the time Dash’s sights fell on where she had been. She let out a snort.

Lightning tunneled deep into the clouds, swerving right and left before she dared to stop and catch her breath. “Damn! ‘Refuses to use weather magic,’ my flank! Even without that, she’s still a monster!”

A blue hoof tore through the cloud in front of Lightning. She flew back while Dash punched through the cloud with her other hoof and ripped it open so she could get through. Before Lightning could retreat, Dash bore through the cloud, clasped Lightning’s left foreleg, and pulled. “You make too much of a mess to hide.”

Lightning yelped when Dash drove her leg further in the wrong direction. The pain gave way to panic when Lightning realized Dash had tugged her out of the cloud and was driving her down towards the ground. The two turned into a spiraling blur of yellow and blue.

“Stop! Stop!” Lightning cried. “We’re going too fast!”

“Not if I have a cushion.”

Lightning’s face went white. The pair approached the ground at a blinding speed. Remembering all that Shadowbolt had promised her and how Dash had managed to score just a few points more than her in the practical, Lightning gritted her teeth and condensed the bit of cloud she had managed to grab before Dash had pulled her out of it.

The cloud darkened in her hoof. The hairs on her legs stood up. With all her might, she tore her leg through the air pressure pushing down on her and Dash and slammed the cloud into Dash’s side. Bolts erupted out of it and surrounded Dash. She spasmed and released Lightning just a few feet above the ring. Both smacked onto the ground.

Lightning managed to get up first with a smirk on her face despite being out of breath. A thin trail of black clouds ran from her leg over to Dash. Sparks danced around Dash’s body. She twitched, with bolts shooting off her every couple of seconds. “Pretty… scary there, but nopony can get out of my shock net! It’s like being constantly hit by a lightning bolt! It’s ov—”

Dash slammed a hoof into the ground. Another followed immediately after. Lightning inched back when Dash got onto all four hooves despite the electricity still coursing through and around her.

“This isn’t lightning.”

“Stay down!” Lightning raised her leg and pumped more electricity into her shock net. More bolts spilled off Dash. Parts of her coat smoked. The attack caused her mane to flow upwards, revealing a glare that chilled Lightning to her core.

Dash took a step forward. “This isn’t lightning.”

“Stop!” Lightning yelled.

Dash advanced.

Lighting poured more power into the net. Her own leg started to smoke. Dash did not stop. Lighting stepped back but felt the edge of the ring. She glanced away just long enough for Dash to crouch down and unfurl her wings.

“This…” Dash growled. She tore off the ground with enough force that those in the front rows felt the wind push them back. Dash raised her right leg and channeled all the electricity coursing through her into it. “Is yours, so it doesn’t count!”

“Damn!” Rockhoof raised his shovel, but Dash was already upon Lighting.

She threw out her hoof. A massive discharge went off and blasted straight towards the crowd. It crashed into a barrier that lit up around the discharge in a hexagonal pattern that spread out and then contracted as the attack died down.

A silence fell over the colosseum. Dash’s blackened hoof, with smoke rising off it, stuck out right next to Lightning’s head. Lightning’s shaking eyes managed to tear away from Dash’s penetrating glare to look at the leg that could have sent a bolt of lightning straight through her head. Then, her eyes rolled up and she fell out of the ring.

“Lightning?” Dash looked down at her opponent. “You don’t even know the meaning of the word.”

Dash glided out of the ring, making sure to avoid landing on her injured leg.

Those sitting next to Shadowbolt smelled ozone and inched away from him. He scowled down at the ring.

~~~

“Darn,” somepony snorted. She blended in among the crowd. Like the rest of the ponies gathered at the Appleloosa saloon, her attention was on a large crystal screen that displayed Dash making her way out of the ring. She had her own scrying crystal back at her hideout but that could be traced. This would be so much easier if I had snared Rainbow Dash.

Turning away from the screen, she got up and stepped outside. Slipping into an alley, she lit up her horn. At this distance, she did not need any tools to spy on a large red earth pony.

This had better not take away too much time, a deep voice rang in her head.

It will not, master. Equality grinned. By the end of the day, the seal will be broken, and my plan will be in motion.

~~~

“Wow, um, talk about a speedy match,” said Vinyl. “Winner: Rainbow Dash.”

“Geez,” Hondo muttered. He glanced at Windy and Bow. Their pointers faced the ground. “Your kid, uh, sure is something.”

“Yeah…” Bow watched Dash, homing in on her wings and back.

Windy leaned close to him and whispered, “Should we say something?”

“It would only make Dash angrier,” Bow whispered back. “We’ll just have to hope somepony can keep her from going too far.”

Velvet shook. “Twilight is facing that?”

A bit of sweat gathered on Night Light’s brow. “She’ll be fine.”

When Velvet turned toward Night, her eyes sharpened. “Did you see Twilight’s horn?”

“Honey,” Night sighed, “We promised we’d support her. Being a hero means getting a few scratches here and there.”

“But…”

Night laid a leg across her back and pulled her close. He could feel her trembling. “Trust Twilight. She’ll figure something out.”

Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie, like much of the audience, were stunned into silence. Fluttershy turned away but the others could hear her sniffling. Twilight watched Dash limp away to get healed.

Dash did not wear a victorious grin. Her eyes did not flare with determination. Her wings slumped at her sides. Some staff rushed past her to get Lightning on a stretcher, but she just kept lurching forward. Twilight frowned and thought what a victory against Dash would mean or if she could even secure one.

Fluttershy: Origin

Twinkle Shimmer grinned. “It’s been fun, but time for everypony to get a taste of what a real hero can do.”

Jack Pot turned his nose up at her. “My daughter still put on a good show.”

“And you’re lucky my Glimmy-wimmy isn’t facing your daughter,” said Firelight. He grinned at Twinkle. “Unless, of course, you think your kid can make it all the way to the finals.”

“Of course I do,” Twinkle snorted. “Just you watch, my Sunset is going to tear through the competition!”

A few rows below, Swirly Shy and Blossom shuddered upon hearing Twinkle’s declaration. Fluttershy’s letters had mentioned how intimidating Sunset was, and hearing Twinkle’s confidence in Sunset deepened their concern.

~~~

Sunset got up just as Dash disappeared into the hallway leading to the green room. She strode by Fluttershy and glared at her. “Just so you know, I won’t hold back, yellowbelly.”

She stomped off before Fluttershy could respond and disappeared into the corridors under the seats. Applejack snorted at the exit and put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Don’t let her get to you, sugarcube. You can take her!”

“You managed it back at the WTF.” Twilight lit up her horn. The air popped, and a notebook appeared at her side. She floated it over to Fluttershy. “I like to keep track of Talents, so I take notes on almost everypony I meet. I’ve known Sunset since we were foals, so I have potential strategies on how to b—”

Fluttershy pushed the notebook to the side. There were trails down her cheeks from tears, but her eyes were now clear and focused. “Thank you, Twilight, but this is something I have to do on my own. If… if Rainbow Dash wants to prove she can get by without using her Talent, then I’ll need to prove to her just how important a Talent and pegasus magic is.”

“Fluttershy…” said Twilight.

Fluttershy managed to summon a small grin. “Besides, I have my animals’ help and my friends cheering me on.”

Applejack gave her a slap on the back. “Darn straight!”

“Give her what for!” said Rarity.

“Take her down a peg!” said Spike.

“Go, go, go Fluttershy!” Pinkie chucked a pompom into the air. “Go, go, go Fluttershy!”

Twilight smiled and sent the notebook away. “Alright, Fluttershy, you’ve got this.”

“Thank you.” Fluttershy spread her wings and flew off into the corridors.

~~~

Fluttershy stared at Sunset. Sunset glared back. Only Rockhoof separated them. Vinyl’s voice rang out, “It’s a bit of bad luck for Class 1-A, this is the first but not the last time they’ll facing their classmates! Both fighters have unique Talents, so this should be quite the rumble with Fluttershy versus Sunset Shimmer!”

“This is your last chance, yellowbelly,” Sunset snorted. “Back out now or I’ll deck you into next week.”

Fluttershy managed to keep her head raised and her eyes locked on Sunset. “I’m sorry, but I can’t run from this. Somepony needs me to bring some sense back to her.”

“That an insult?”

~~~

“Hey, Twi?” asked Applejack. “What would you have told Fluttershy anyway?”

“Pinkie, dear? Could you summon some earplugs? I’d rather follow Fluttershy’s example.” Rarity grabbed the earplugs, but before putting them in, she turned to Applejack. “I think it’s fine if you listen though, since Sunset is facing Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, or myself. I’m sure even with her abilities, one of us can beat her.”

After Rarity affixed the earplugs, Twilight said, “Sunset has worked to counter common unicorn weaknesses. She has the physical strength to fight in close combat. She relies on spells that are easy to cast but pours enough magic into them to overwhelm her opponents. If she’s given enough time though, there’s no telling what spells she might launch. Finally, she’s got thaumic reconfiguration, which turns her whole body into a channel for her spells, not just her horn, but it takes time to charge. I’m also not sure how well she can handle it without her armor. With Fluttershy’s skillset, her best bet would probably be to blitz Sunset, weather any attacks she manages to fire off, and try to ring her out.”

“Hmm.” Applejack put a hoof to her chin. “Sounds like Fluttershy is in for a rough fight no matter how you look at it.”

~~~

Rockhoof jumped back and raised his shovel. Its clang sounded in Sunset and Fluttershy’s ears. “Begin!”

Sunset immediately fired a blast at Fluttershy. Fluttershy rolled to the side, but Sunset was already upon her with a foreleg reared back. She brought it down with flames trailing around it, but Fluttershy blocked with a wing. The feathers around Sunset’s hoof smoked and caught fire.

At the same time, Fluttershy’s legs thickened and her tail coiled into a ball. Her ears grew out to complete the transformation. Sunset’s attack and gravity drove her towards Fluttershy with her torso exposed. Fluttershy bucked and Sunset went flying.

Fluttershy sprung after her. The force of her jump cracked the ring’s tiles and squelched the flames on her wing. She kept her body tightly compacted and aerodynamic. Instead of flapping her wings, she kicked the air, rocketing past Sunset. She kicked again, ricocheted back at Sunset, and caught her midair with a foreleg to the side.

Sunset snarled and fired off a blast, but Fluttershy kicked, vanished, and reappeared to Sunset’s left. She thrusted her legs again and again while forcing the air to solidify enough for her to spring off of. Sunset lashed out with a whip of flames, but Fluttershy turned into a yellow streak that Sunset could not keep up with. Swift blows hammered her from all angles and kept her up in the air.

“She’s using that?” Blossom gasped.

“If she’s already pulling out Angel, then she’s really serious,” said Swirly.

“‘Angel?’” Night Light asked.

“Her closest pet,” Swirly explained. “Our daughter’s Talent works better the closer she is with an animal. Plus, she’s had the longest time to understand how to use Angel’s traits.”

“And with the way she’s manipulating the air, it looks like she’s got Sunset on the ropes,” said Bow.

“Get her, Shy!” Pinkie raised a pompom. “Also, go Sunset, you can take her!” Noticing the stares from her friends, she grinned and shrugged. “What? I’m Class President, I gotta root for all my constituents.”

“Glad I’m used to moving fast like that, otherwise I’d have trouble seeing what’s going on.” Applejack glanced at Rarity, Twilight, and Spike. “Y’all watching this okay?”

“There are some spells Rarity and I could use,” said Twilight, “but I’d rather save my strength.”

Rarity nodded.

“Even if I can’t see Fluttershy, this is pretty crazy to watch,” said Spike.

Nearby, Dash stood in the shadows of the exit leading out to the participants’ section. She followed Fluttershy’s movement and pressed her lips tight.

While Fluttershy continued pinballing around Sunset, Vinyl commented, “And I thought we saw speed in the last match! Keep your eyes sharp, folks, Fluttershy is going too fast for me to track! How about you, Tantabus?”

“It’s an impressive technique. I’ve had my reservations about Fluttershy, but when push comes to shove, she’s proven to be a formidable opponent. However…” Tantabus gazed down at the fight. His eyes jolted around to match Fluttershy’s blinding pace, but then settled on Sunset in the center of the assault. “Sunset will not go quietly.”

“Err.” Sunset clenched her jaw. Her horn lit up and a glow surrounded her body. Fluttershy struck her side, but flames burst off Sunset and raced up Fluttershy’s leg. She kicked back and allowed the air pressure to douse the flames. She reared up her left hind leg, but something tugged at her smoking right hoof.

A glistening orange string ran taught from Fluttershy’s hoof to Sunset’s horn. The glow around Sunset’s horn brightened. “Enough hopping around.”

Fluttershy tried to kick back, but the string yanked her up before she could. It swung her left and right, making her eyes swim in their sockets. After a few seconds of ragdolling Fluttershy, Sunset jerked her head down, adding greater force to the pull, and slammed Fluttershy into the ring.

Wasting no time, she channeled a burst of magic out of her horn. It traveled along her thaumic string in a large bulge that zipped toward Fluttershy. The spell hit Fluttershy before she could pull away. A blast consumed her and sent up a cloud of smoke.

“No mercy from her,” said Suri. “I’ll need to be careful.”

“Fluttershy merits that kind of ceaseless attack.” Starlight rested a hoof on her chin. “Give either of those two an inch and you’re in trouble.”

Sunset pulled on the string and launched herself at the same time. She coiled a foreleg and readied it to strike Fluttershy. Flames danced off it just as Fluttershy appeared out of the smoke. She appeared limp, but Sunset continued to reel her closer. A second before she made contact, Sunset spotted leathery wings and a shimmering tail. She tugged Fluttershy to the left and struck her tail before its pseudo-stinger pierced her. The modified tail hair burst into flames.

A clawed hoof slammed Sunset in the gut while she was concentrated on Fluttershy’s tail. The blow knocked her back and snapped the string connecting her to Fluttershy. Fluttershy pounced on Sunset like a manticore on its prey and raised a hoof to maul her. Her claws crashed into Sunset but did not break the skin of her right shoulder. Instead, they pressed against a thin veil of aura that shimmered around Sunset.

Smoke coiled off Fluttershy’s claws and her hoof turned red. She jumped back while Sunset got to her hooves. The air around her distorted. Sweat collected on her forehead and then burst into steam. A few beads also appeared on Fluttershy’s brow.

Sunset charged at Fluttershy. Fluttershy twisted what remained of her tail hair back into a shorter pseudo stinger. She lashed it out at Sunset and the tip managed to pierce through Sunset’s shield and into her left shoulder. Blood welled up and instantly boiled while Fluttershy’s tail went up in flames.

“That is a pretty useful spell Sunset has going,” said Vinyl.

Tantabus glanced at Vinyl. “You don’t use shield spells much in combat, do you?”

“Why do you bring that up?”

“Because Sunset has put herself on a time limit.”

Fluttershy pulled back and swished her tail’s dock to put out the flames. With her stinger gone, she glared at Sunset and bounded at her. Sunset scowled and raced to meet Fluttershy. Claws rained down on Sunset while parts of Fluttershy’s legs and body got scorched. The patches of burnt fur stacked up fast on Fluttershy while Sunset collected cuts, but her barrier kept them from getting deep. Smoke rose out of her wounds as they cauterized.

“Come on, Fluttershy.” Twilight bit her lip. “You just need a little more time.”

“What are you and Mr. Tantabus talking about?” Applejack asked.

Twilight kept her eyes on the fight. She noted some smoke rising up across Sunset’s body, even where she was not injured. “Fluttershy pushed her into a corner. She didn’t have enough time to cast a proper shield spell. It was the same when I fought Trixie. A shield around your body can’t absorb attacks as well. On top of that, she’s mixed in a fire attribute. Sunset may be skilled with those types of spells, but even she can’t properly regulate it next to her skin in the heat of battle. That shield may give her some offense on top of defense, but it’s the only thing she could use.”

“Whoa!” Pinkie exclaimed. “So Fluttershy just has to keep attacking and she’ll win?”

“I wish it were that easy.” Twilight furrowed her brow. More smoke rose off Sunset, yet she did not let up in trading blows with Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s claws also smoked and her hooves glowed red. Both were gasping for air. “I’ve never seen Sunset fight like this.”

“Just shows Fluttershy is giving it her all.” Spike raised a claw. “Keep it up, Fluttershy!”

Dash remained hidden, but she had tensed up.

A surge of pain went up Fluttershy’s leg. She jumped back and saw that her claws had chipped off and her hoof had cracked from the heat. Taking up a stance, she took a breath. Feathers started appearing on her wings again and her forelegs lost musculature, but her hind legs gained more. Before she could complete the transformation, Sunset was upon her.

“I told you, no more hopping.” The aura around Sunset suddenly flowed into her right foreleg. Fluttershy’s eyes shrunk when it turned crimson.

“She was double-casting!” Twilight yelped. All that smoke from using the fire shield masked the strain on her horn!

“Die!” Sunset declared and then struck Fluttershy. The blast consumed her. The shockwave knocked a few ponies in the front row out of their seats.

“Fluttershy!” her parents and friends cried out.

Dash managed to keep her own cry from escaping but she rushed out into the stands and pressed up against the railing.

“Bit of brutal language there,” said Vinyl. She glanced away from the cloud Sunset’s attack had cloaked the ring in and over to Rockhoof. He remained in his seat. “Nothing actually fatal it seems.”

Sunset stood in the middle of the smoke and kept her leg bright. Within the haze, she could not see how far she had knocked Fluttershy. She was not willing to expose herself for the brief moment of blindness casting a spell on her eyes would cause. Then, something moved to the right. She pounced and struck out with her leg.

Another blast went off and scattered the smoke. Sunset felt something pushing against her hoof. Claws pierced through the aura cloaking her leg. Flames ate at the claws, but they no longer smoked. They were thinner now and glistened. Fluttershy’s hoof did change color from the intense heat coming off Sunset’s leg.

With the smoke clearing, the audience gasped.

“No way,” said Spike.

Twilight’s eyes widened. She glanced at Spike and then back at the ring. “That’s…”

“No,” Dash whispered so quickly, it did not even register to her own ears.

Slitted eyes glared at Sunset. A few rays broke through clouds and shimmered off the scales that ran across Fluttershy’s back and down her legs. They also lined her thickened tail. She snorted, and trails of smoke came out of her nose.

“She tamed a dragon?!” Swirly gasped.

“No, remember her letters.” Blossom scanned around the colosseum and spotted Spike. “She made friends with a dragon!”

“I know I get scared easy, and I like to run away.” Fluttershy gripped down on Sunset’s leg, drawing blood. “That’s why I can never thank my friends enough.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Sunset snarled. The glow vanished from her right leg and transferred to her left. She pivoted and flung her hoof at Fluttershy’s head. Another blast went off, but Fluttershy stood strong even with Sunset’s hoof digging into her face. It smashed up against the scales on the bridge of her nose, but she did not budge.

“I’m sorry, Sunset, but my friend needs me right now!” Fluttershy pulled Sunset close and slammed her head against Sunset’s. She then let go of Sunset’s leg. While Sunset fell, Fluttershy spread her claws wide and uppercutted straight into Sunset’s chest. “Dragon strike!”

Author's Note

Have a nice MLK weekened, everyone!

Burnout

“Fluttershy pulls out a perfect counter to Sunset’s fire magic!” Vinyl shouted. “Trixie may have thrown me off in the first match, but I’m pretty certain Fluttershy could only use the traits of two animals! What a shock!”

“Indeed,” Tantabus commented. “She did not display this much mastery of her talent even during the WTF incident. As her teacher, this improvement is welcome…”

With the way Tantabus had left his sentence trailing, Vinyl leaned a little closer, trying to scrutinize his featureless head. “Something else you’d like to say?”

“A Talent is a Talent,” Tantabus answered. “Both fighters are about to demonstrate that.”

Sunset soared into the air. Even while she gasped for air, she realized Fluttershy’s attack was enough to knock her out of the ring. With a grunt, she shot a thread of magic out of her horn and latched it onto the ground. With a tug, she rocketed back down, but Fluttershy was flying up to meet her with leathery wings pushing her forward. Sunset gave a snort and yanked the string a second before Fluttershy collided with her. Zipping around Fluttershy, she used her leg to blast back at Fluttershy and slammed an elbow into her back. “Don’t think being a pegasus gives you sole control of the air!”

Sunset leaned into her attack and thrusted her crimson leg at the nape of Fluttershy’s neck. With a flap, Fluttershy swerved to the left, dodging the blow. Sunset canceled out the spell keeping her tethered to the ring and unleashed a torrent of flames at Fluttershy. The fire no longer burned her, but the force of the spell knocked her to the ground. Landing on her hooves, she glared up and blocked a downward strike from Sunset.

“My word,” said Rarity. “This fight is throwing all sorts of surprises at us. How is Sunset double-casting so easily now?”

Applejack was too absorbed in the match to raise an eyebrow at Rarity. “You fought with her, you tell us.”

“To be honest…” Rarity blushed. “Spells aren’t really my forte, so what Sunset’s doing is a bit beyond me.”

“This was all theory until Sunset proved it, but what she’s doing is essentially turning other parts of her body into a conduit for unicorn magic,” Twilight explained. “So, she can keep a spell going in a limb while her horn is free to cast other spells without the additional stress.”

“Why wouldn’t all unicorns be using this then?” asked Spike.

“Because horns are built for casting spells. They’re a dense and complex cluster of alicorn, nerves, and blood vessels.” Twilight watched Sunset swing around and turn her right hind leg crimson a second before it caught Fluttershy in the gut. The blow knocked the wind out of her and sent her flying across the ring. She used her wings to prevent a ring out but was forced onto the ground to catch her breath. Sunset pounced and struck with her hind leg again.

Twilight cast an enhancement spell on her vision and focused on Sunset’s forelegs. Both had black splotches on them. From afar, the audience could not see it, but Twilight noticed that Sunset’s muscles twitched. “Redirecting spells to flow through a limb that isn’t built with the proper biology must require incredible amounts of skill and precision. Her armor probably makes the process easier and decreases the backlash. Without it…”

Sunset stared Fluttershy down. Her last attack had launched Fluttershy across the ring again, but her scales severely cut into the strength of Sunset’s blows. Sunset snorted but kept her eyes on Fluttershy. She noticed her left pupil was dilated while the right was surrounded by engorged blood vessels. Her wings pressed tight against her sides and a feather sprouted out here and there on them before shifting back into a thin membrane. Her breathing was still labored even though Sunset had struck her shoulder in an attempt to hit her head. Sweat poured down her face. Taking all this into account, Sunset grinned.

“So, that’s why you didn’t use this from the start.” Sunset surged toward Fluttershy. “Or rather, you couldn’t!”

Dash hung on the railing.

~~~

Two Years Ago…

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy exclaimed when Dash opened the front door.

Dash rubbed her eyes. “Fluttershy? Something up? You know I like sleeping in on Saturdays.”

“I know.” Fluttershy bowed her head for a second and then raised it up again with a wide smile. “But I’m just so excited. You won’t believe what happened!”

“Well, out with it,” Dash yawned.

“Okay, watch this.” Fluttershy took a breath. Her ears elongated, her tail curled into a ball, and her hind legs thickened. “I know you’ve seen this before, but yesterday I saved the cutest little snake that had gotten tangled up in some thorns. Then, this morning, something felt different and well…”

Taking another breath, Fluttershy returned to her regular form. Dash’s eyes widened when her neck lengthened, fangs poked out of her mouth, and her tail’s dock extended and gained scales. With a grin, she flicked out a long tongue at Dash. “I can usssse the traithhhhsss of two animathhh now! Hee-hee thorrry, ithhh sthiilll a lithle hard to talk like thithhh.”

“Awesome!” Dash exclaimed. She raced out and gave Fluttershy a hug. Fluttershy felt Dash’s scar pressing up against her, but hugged Dash back. “We’re set to get into CSGP now!”

“Great.” Fluttershy disengaged from Dash and stepped back. When the snake traits receded, she wobbled a little. “Ooops, little tired from practicing before I came he—”

Fluttershy crashed to the ground. Dash caught her before she hit the clouds and screamed, “Fluttershy! Fluttershy!”

She rocketed into the air with Fluttershy in her grasp and flew as fast as she could to the hospital.

~~~

Swirly bit his lip. “She didn’t mention gaining a third load.”

“Look at her go, though!” Bow cheered. “You’re kid’s really something!”

Blossom pressed her wings tight against her sides. “Fluttershy…”

Sunset dodged a full hoof to the face but Fluttershy’s claws slashed her cheek. She dove towards Fluttershy and uppercut her in the chest with a crimson leg. She flinched during the follow-through, so Fluttershy was not knocked back far. Sunset slammed down her leg to keep it from spasming and turned her left hind leg crimson. When the aura peeled back from her foreleg, smoke curled off it and multiple spots on it were black. Her hoof was cracked.

“Pretty good, Fluttershy,” Sunset huffed. “Not so much of a yellowbelly after all, but I will win.”

Fluttershy was also short on breath. More sweat spilled down her face and lathered her coat. Muscles contracted in her legs and veins poked out on her neck. With a snarl, she rushed at Sunset. The aura vanished around Sunset’s leg and flared up around her horn.

Fluttershy swiped at Sunset, but she ducked and elbowed Fluttershy in the side. Fluttershy spun to strike her, but Sunset jumped back. The glow around horn brightened. “You’re getting slower.”

Fluttershy lashed out. Her hot breath fell on Sunset, but her blows could not find their mark. Sunset slid away and put some distance between her and Fluttershy. Her horn was near blinding now. “You’ve shown guts though, so I’ll show you something special, too.”

Everyone felt the temperature rise a few degrees. Twilight and Spike stiffened. Up in her box, Celestia leaned forward. She immediately contacted Luna. Sister, what did you do?

What was necessary for the next generation of heroes. Across the colosseum, Tantabus kept his eyes on Sunset’s horn. Sunset knows how dangerous that magic is. I showed her in great detail all the ways it could go wrong. She will not use it lightly.

Fluttershy drilled through the air. She hooked right, but Sunset moved back. She hooked left, but Sunset bobbed out of the way. Fluttershy kept going. The ring’s edge was just a few feet behind Sunset now.

With a battle cry, Fluttershy jabbed at Sunset’s chest but at the last second changed her trajectory to target her horn. Sunset blocked with her blackened leg. Fluttershy dug her claws in and pushed Sunset within inches of the ring’s edge. With a grunt, she lifted her other foreleg to strike at Sunset, but Sunset swung her head down and aimed her horn at Fluttershy’s stomach. A tiny blinding orb burst out of her horn.

“Flare!” Sunset yelled.

The orb exploded against Fluttershy. Scales ripped off and fur caught aflame. The wind flew out of Fluttershy as the spell lifted her off the ground. Those in the front rows felt like they had stepped into the oven. Most turned their heads away due to the light spilling out of the spell. Twinkle grinned, Shadowbolt smirked, and Celestia bit her lip.

It only lasted a few seconds, but when the orb dissipated, Fluttershy crumpled to the ground. Smoke rose off her and scales flaked off her body. Holes were seared through her wings. Sunset admired the results of her spell for a moment and then went to her knees. Over half her horn was black and her vision swam. “Could… have used a little more real-world practice.”

She looked over at Fluttershy and managed to grin. “Heh, been wanting something that could take out a dragon. So, thanks for the test ru—”

Sunset froze. The crowd all felt a chill. Vinyl shivered. “Geez, the temperature is going all over the place in this fight.”

“That’s not the temperature.” Tantabus watched Fluttershy struggle to her hooves on quivering legs. “That’s Fluttershy’s trump card.”

Despite her injuries, Fluttershy glared straight at Sunset. Sunset seized up and tried to look away, but Fluttershy’s stare penetrated her and locked her in place. Fluttershy lumbered closer.

“Dash,” she rasped. “Have to… help Rainbow… Dash.”

“D-damn!” Sunset cursed.

“Her stare is apparently an offshoot of her ability to tame and bond with animals,” Tantabus explained. “It paralyzes those caught in her gaze and its effects on magic are devastating. With the state she’s in, she may not be able to maintain it for long.”

“Get her!” Pinkie cheered.

“Knock her out!” Applejack yelled.

“Go!” Twilight and Spike screamed at the same time.

Fluttershy could see the participants’ section right behind Sunset. Dash stood pressed against the railing, her lips twitching and her body rigid. Fluttershy limped ahead and got within striking distance of Sunset. She raised up a hoof.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy hacked, sending a bit of blood onto the ring. “I’m go—”

She fell. With a thud, the colosseum went silent. Sunset blinked, clenched her jaw, and flung Fluttershy’s limp body out of the ring with a spell.

“Winner, Sunset Shimmer,” said Tantabus.

“What a close one!” said Vinyl while staff rushed out to get Fluttershy on a stretcher. Staff also galloped over to Sunset, but she brushed them off and limped away to the infirmary. “It’s only the first round, but we’ve seen some incredible moves so far!”

“I’m pleased the participants have recognized the importance of these fights.”

“Still, intensity isn’t everything. Too much and you might even turn off some potential opportunities.”

“Be that as it may, I think those interested in the participants will appreciate their seriousness more than ‘intensity.’”

Down in the seats, Fluttershy’s friends got up. All of them rushed to the corridors, but Twilight looked back at Dash. Dash remained in place, but Twilight saw that the railing under her hooves was dented. Twilight opened her mouth, but then shut it and galloped off to join the others.

Dash stared out at the ring. “You idiot.”

Twilight caught up with the rest of her friends and they arrived at the infirmary. A sign above the door glowed Do Not Disturb. Just as Twilight looked up at it, Fluttershy’s parents arrived and bowed their heads to them.

“Oh, you must be Fluttershy’s friends,” Blossom huffed.

“Thank you for coming over,” Swirly coughed. Both he and Blossom paused to catch their breaths.

Blossom then turned to Swirly. “What should we say when we get in?”

“I… I’m sure they’re used to seeing Talent overuse.”

For the next few minutes, everyone remained silent and waited. While the sign remained lit, Vinyl’s voice echoed down the hall, “Alright! We’ve cleaned up the worst of the debris, so it’s just about time for the next match!”

“I…” Rarity glanced at the door and bit her lip. “I should get going.”

“Good luck,” said Applejack.

“We’ll be up there in a jiffy to cheer you on!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Please tell Fluttershy she was wonderful for me.” Rarity rushed off while the others continued to wait.

When the door opened, everyone held their breath and kept it in when Sunset stepped out. Her legs and horn were bandaged, but she still wore a defiant glare, especially when she focused on Twilight. Her expression softened a bit when her attention shifted to Fluttershy’s parents. “You her folks?”

“Y-yes,” Blossom gulped.

“She put up a good fight.” Sunset turned and marched past Fluttershy’s friends without another word.

The sign remained on for a little while longer. When it finally faded, everyone rushed in. Fluttershy lay on a bed with Nurse Redheart standing by her. Bandages covered her abdomen, tail, and legs. An ice bag rested on her head. Scales still dotted her body, and her wings were still leathery. Her eyes were shut, and tiny breaths escaped her mouth. With each breath some scales receded while others flared up across her body.

Blossom rushed to her side and whimpered, “My little girl.”

Swirly drew close to Redheart and dared to ask, “How… how is she?”

“I took care of the worst of the burns and the blunt damage,” Redheart answered. She glanced at Fluttershy’s wings and scales. “She has a fever though and some of her Talent is acting on its own and causing minor convulsions. Has this happened before?”

“When she first obtained a second load.” Swirly reached out and placed a hoof on top of Fluttershy’s. It was warm to his touch. “She ran a fever for a few days and couldn’t get out of bed because her body was constantly shifting, but she wasn’t injured like this last time.”

“I see.” Redheart put a hoof on Swirly’s shoulder. “I’ll keep watch over her, but you are free to stay here.” Turning her attention to Fluttershy’s friends, she said, “You’re welcome to stay as well, though I imagine it would be more prudent to watch the matches.”

“Well, as long as Fluttershy will be okay,” said Spike.

“She’ll pull through.” Pinkie grinned. “You saw what a tough cookie she is!”

“Hope this isn’t too rough on her.” Applejack took off her hat and bowed her head toward Fluttershy’s parents. “You got a mighty fine daughter.”

“Thank you,” Blossom sniffled.

Twilight inhaled and stepped closer to the bed. “Fluttershy, you gave it your all out there. Don’t worry, I will too.”

With that, the group left Fluttershy to be with her parents and Redheart. Applejack led the group back to the seats with Twilight in the rear. When they passed an intersection, a leg reached out and jerked Twilight aside. She found herself facing the full brunt of Sunset’s glare.

“Did you give her any ideas?” she growled.

Twilight did not look away and tightened her jaw. “No. Fluttershy refused. That was all her.”

“That right?” Sunset shoved Twilight away. “Good, ‘cause I’d have made both of you regret it. Get by on your own damn skills.”

Sunset turned to walk away, but Twilight spoke up. “You know, the reason Fluttershy was able to fight so hard was because she was fighting for somepony else’s sake.”

“Tch, whatever,” Sunset snorted.

“Sunset, wait!” When Sunset glared at her, Twilight gulped but held her ground. “That spell, where did you learn it?”

“Oh?” A sharp grin spread across Sunset’s face. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Sorry, but that information is for winners only.”

With a snicker, Sunset trotted away. When she was a good distance from Twilight, she heard Luna’s voice. Well done, Sunset Shimmer. I am quite proud of your handling of flare magic, though I would be careful with the boasting.

Sorry, you know how Twilight can get to me. Bet she’s trying to figure out my spell and countermeasures right now. Sunset’s grin vanished, and she furrowed her brow.

You do not appear as pleased as I imagined.

Sunset grimaced. I hit Fluttershy with my strongest spell and she still got up.

Regardless, you won.

I was inches from losing though. Sunset stomped. I have to be a hero that doesn’t lose. Like you and Princess Celestia.

Remember what Tantabus taught you, Luna cautioned. Loss is inevitable. Close calls are a part of life, especially for heroes. What matters today is for you to do your best and show Equestria what lies ahead for the next generation of heroes.

Sunset took a breath and closed her eyes. When she exhaled, she flared them open. “Right.”

Author's Note

Maybe it's cause I've been playing Ultimate, but I imagine Sunset's spell looks like a smart bomb going off

Fashionable Fighters

“Hmmm.” Starlight pressed a hoof to her chin and leaned forward. In the ring, Rarity and Suri stepped forward.

“Suri should be able to secure a win,” said Trixie.

“Well, she’s got a good head on her shoulders, but her Talent is on even terms with Rarity’s. Plus, Rarity has spells to fall back on.”

Nearby, Coco sighed.

“Which one would you like to see win?” Wallflower asked.

She glanced at Starlight, and then whispered, “I’m not sure.”

“I guess that’s fair.” Wallflower swiveled her head around. “Also, where’s Lightning? Shouldn’t she be healed up by now if Rainbow Dash is back?”

“Probably pouting somewhere,” Starlight sighed.

A few rows down, Twilight had her eyes on the ring, but her mind was focused higher up. Princess Celestia, please let this reach you.

Twilight? came Celestia’s voice a moment later. I imagined you’d try contacting me after the last match. I’ll add Spike in too since he’s probably concerned as well

Spike blinked and looked up at the royal box. Princess?

Yes, Celestia answered. I thought it best to inform you about Sunset’s spell too.

Spike glanced at the ring. Especially if she uses that on Rarity.

Twilight gulped. That was solar magic, wasn’t it? I thought only you could use it. Have you… been teaching Sunset too?

No, you’re my primary focus, Celestia answered. However, you should know that her skill hasn’t gone unnoticed by those close to me, and one such individual has sought out Sunset to mentor her.

Oh. Twilight turned her head down. I guess there’s a few ponies still worried about me bearing the Elements.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that. Sunset was chosen because she, like you, possess great potential and a drive to be a hero. Like your mastering the Elements, her mastering solar magic is a key step in her development. Although, she’s been advised that her magic is distinct from mine to prevent the power from going to her head.

Who is teaching her? Spike asked.

Sister, Luna called out so only Celestia could hear her. If you could, keep the matter private for now. I fear I have already done enough to disgrace myself before Twilight Sparkle.

“Hmmm.” Celestia focused back on Twilight and Spike. They would like to remain unknown for now. I hope you two do not mind.

No, it’s fine. Thank you, Princess. Twilight cut off the link between her and Celestia before glancing at Sunset.

Spike did the same and muttered, “I just hope whoever they are knows what they’re doing.”

In the parents’ section, Cookie cheered, “Get her, Rarity!”

“She’s got this, just like those competitions they used to be in,” said Hondo.

A stuffy laugh came from behind them. They turned and were met with a stallion wearing a fine suit with gold cufflinks and a shiny silk tie. His silver lapel pin displayed his clothing firm’s name Polomare’s Finest. “As I recall, my daughter won quite a few of those competitions as well.”

Hondo shrugged at Silky Polomare. “Eh, competition brings out the best in both of them.”

Silky wrinkled his nose at Hondo and pulled back, grumbling, “We’ll see how that works out.”

~~~

“You know, Rarity, since this is only the first round, I wouldn’t want either of us getting too roughed up,” Suri purred. “What say we agree not to go for each other’s face?”

Rarity smiled. “I don’t see why not.”

“Do what you will.” Rockhoof took his seat and banged his shovel. “Begin!”

Suri lunged at Rarity, transformed her hoof into metal and smashed her in the face. The blow kicked up dust that remained from the last match. She sneered for a second, before she felt her hoof pressed against something rough. Jagged crystal poked against her hoof’s frog.

“I suppose I’ll have to thank Sunset and Fluttershy for the debris.” Gemstone fangs flashed when Rarity spoke. Suri shivered. “I’d rather not show off what I look like when somepony truly riles me.”

“Um,” Suri gulped, “listen, that was jus—”

A leg with spires of crystal poking out of it slammed into Suri’s face. At the last second, she managed to metalize, but her cheek still cracked under Rarity’s blow. She smacked into the ring with enough force to crater it thanks to the weight her Talent added to her. The blowback cleared the air. The crowd caught a glimpse of something in the vague shape of a pony, but it was bulky and marked with rough crystalline structures that glistened too brightly to properly make out. When their eyes adjusted, Rarity, crystalized but otherwise appearing normal, stood over an unconscious Suri.

“That was for Coco,” Rarity snorted. “I’m not sure what you have on her, but I’ll be having a good talk with her after this.”

“And I thought the second match was a lightning round,” Vinyl chuckled.

“Winner, Rarity Belle,” Tantabus sighed.

Starlight clicked her tongue. “Seems I miscalculated.”

~~~

“What a knockout!” Pinkie cheered when Rarity returned to the seats.

Spike grinned from ear to ear. “Great job, Rarity!”

“Wish we could’ve seen it though,” said Applejack. She grinned. “Then again, you won’t be able to see much of me in this next match either.”

“About that.” Rarity looked up at Starlight’s group. Coco flinched. Taking a breath, Rarity stepped up and asked, “Coco, dear, may I borrow you for a second?”

“I, um…”

“Go,” said Starlight. “I doubt she could say anything worse to you than Suri.”

Rarity blinked. “How did y—”

“Let’s just go.” Coco sprung up and pulled Rarity down and into the corridors.

Starlight grinned. “Well, this might be interesting.”

“What do you mean?” asked Trixie.

“I’m amazed Suri stronglegged Coco this far. She’s an ill fit for the hero course,” Starlight explained. “That said, if she’s not under Suri’s hoof for this next match, Coco might actually get to show off a little, even if Applejack outclasses her.”

In the corridor, Coco shuffled in place. She stopped when Rarity bowed her head. “You’ll have to forgive me, Coco, but I happened to overhear Suri being quite uncouth to you earlier.”

“Y-you heard that?” Coco squeaked.

“I did, and I would hate for you to be forced into something just because Suri has dirt on you.”

“Oh.” Coco’s flopped her ears. “I guess there’s no point avoiding it: I don’t really want to be a hero myself, but Suri promised to give me the funding and the connections I’d need to be a successful costumer if I worked exclusively for her during school and for a few years after that.”

“I see.” Rarity grasped Coco’s shoulder. Coco looked up and was greeted with Rarity smiling. “That’s quite a simple fix. I’ve had a bit of a rivalry with Suri, so I’ve made connections of my own and, while I don’t like to flaunt it, my family is quite well-off.”

Coco’s eyes widened. “Oh no, I couldn’t…”

“Of course you can, darling!” Rarity declared. “What is heroism without the passion that lets us throw our lives down for others? If your passion lies elsewhere, then that is what you should pursue!”

“Rarity…” A few tears welled up in Coco’s eyes. She gave Rarity a quick hug and then disengaged from her. There was a fire in her eyes now. “I need to go hurry and ask the judges something!”

Coco galloped off, leaving Rarity to smile.

~~~

“Uh…” Applejack had just stepped up into the ring and stared at Coco. A case laid next to her. Metal rods ran from flashing circlets around her ankles up her legs to connect to a belt with various nubs, buttons, and blinking lights. A pair of adjustable goggles rested atop her head that also had what looked like headphones attached to them. Wires ran down them to blocky shoulder pads. Pinkie stood opposite of Rockhoof, springing up and down. “Somepony wanna explain what’s going on?”

“Your opponent has made a special request,” said Rockhoof. “She would like for both of you to use equipment during this match.”

Applejack furrowed her brow. “You think I’m gonna put on something my opponent made?”

“I made her Pinkie Promise nothing is booby trapped!” Pinkie giggled. Applejack snorted at her, but Pinkie grinned back. “Come on, Applejack, this’ll be fun!”

Coco blushed. “It’s… it’s okay if you don’t want to.”

Applejack took a deep breath. “Oh, what the hay? You don’t seem like a bad apple. Word of warning though, I ain’t gonna hold back.”

“Oh no, please don’t.” Coco tapped the case to open it. Applejack peered inside. There were two pairs of boots that ended in steel horseshoes. “I think you’ll find these quite useful for the match.”

“We’ve had some good smackdowns in the first half of this round, but it looks like we’re changing things up a bit!” said Vinyl. “Ever see anything like this, Tantabus?”

“We used to have the Management Branch and the Costuming Branch compete too. They often used matches to show off their specialties, but most of the students from the branches were eliminated in the first event. The branches now participate by watching the Festival and submitting strategies and costume ideas that may have helped the actual competitors. In addition, we have the Strategic Planning Summit for the Management Branch and the Winter and Spring Utility Shows for the Costuming Branch. As I recall, Ms. Pommel had gotten into the Costuming Branch too, but chose the Hero Course.”

“Seems like she’s still been hard at work coming up with devices.” Vinyl watched Applejack affix the boots to her legs. “Since I like to put a personal touch on my rigs, I’m looking forward to seeing how these gadgets shake up the match!”

“So…” Coco’s eyes glistened before she covered them with her thick goggles. “I’m going to try and dodge your attacks, please come at me as fast as you can.”

“That’s the plan.” Applejack tapped her hooves, testing her balance. “You sure you ought to be telling me what you’re planning?”

Coco nodded. “This will be a wonderful chance to test out my babies.”

“‘Babies?’”

Coco blushed. “I get attached to my creations.”

“Are you ready?” Rockhoof asked.

Coco flashed Applejack a small smile and put on her headphones. “Whenever you are.”

Applejack raked a hoof against the ring. “Let’s do this.”

Rockhoof drew back to his seat and clanged his shovel. “Begin!”

Instead of making a charge straight for Coco, Applejack zipped off to the side. Her boots lit up and she managed to twist a complete ninety degrees. Parts of the boots whirled, and steam blasted out of them. Now, she galloped at Coco.

Coco turned her head toward Applejack and grinned. With a tap to her headphones, a microphone popped out. Her amplified voice rang out from her shoulder pads, “How’s the braking, Ms. Applejack? Those boots stabilize and correct any sharp turns you might make!”

“They’re pretty nice, but you should focus more on the fight!” Applejack raised a hoof and struck at Coco. At the last second, the metal rods on Coco’s legs extended out and launched her off the ground. She arced through the air, aimed a hoof at the ground, and shot a rod into the ring. Metal claws popped out of the rod and secured it to the ground before it retracted and pulled Coco back into the ring.

Applejack rushed at her. “You’re wide open!”

“I would be.” Coco flexed a foreleg. “If it weren’t for this!”

A foamy substance sprayed out of the circlet on Coco’s ankle and into the air. Applejack jolted away from it and hooked at Coco from the left, but Coco swung the substance around and threw it between herself and Applejack’s hoof.

A second before Applejack struck it, Coco ran her hoof along the rim of the foam and it shifted into a rectangular shape an inch thick. Applejack slammed her hoof into it, but the foam clumped around it and hardened. With a rapid shake, Applejack freed herself. The material crumbled away back into a foam that floated beside Coco.

“I used my Talent to keep it afloat, but my Impact Sealant Foam can make instant barriers and reinforce support structures!” Coco declared. She gestured with her leg and the foam expanded and contracted. “As you can see, it only hardens once a certain amount of force is applied to it, making it useful in a number of situations!”

Coco Pommel
Talent- Seamstress: She can “sew” anything her hooves touch. Whether it’s solidifying otherwise unpassable swamps or performing precise operations on costumes or her “babies,” Coco uses her Talent to tie up any loose ends she may have to deal with. With Suri, that’s often a lot. Her “sewing” can be undone by enough stress and works better on inanimate objects.

“Hmph.” Applejack struck out at Coco with a flurry of blows. They were strong enough to solidify the foam, but light enough that Applejack’s hooves did not get caught in it. When all the foam was solid, Coco winced, and something snapped. The foam crashed to the ground and shattered. A sweep from Applejack sent the pieces out the ring where they dispersed.

Coco used her rods and dodged a swing from Applejack. “Interesting, so multiple hits can damage the structural integrity. Thank you for the new information, Ms. Applej—”

Applejack zoomed around her, used her boots to pivot without sliding, and bucked Coco across the ring. Her rods shot out and stopped her before she was knocked out. Applejack adjusted her hat. “Should really save the sales pitch for when you’ve won.”

Coco struggled to her hooves. The rod on her right hind leg had to extend out to keep her upright. “That’s fair. You can really kick.”

“Family pride.” Applejack zoomed towards Coco.

Coco raised her left foreleg and a square shield unfolded out of the circlet on that leg. The rods on the rest of her leg latched onto the ring. Applejack bashed a hoof against the shield, denting it, but Coco managed to stand her ground thanks to her tools. She raised the shield and swung it at Applejack, but Applejack jumped back.

Coco put her leg down and the shield detached. She kicked it to the side and grinned. “Excellent. I’d either be out cold or out of the ring without my babies! This is wonderful!”

“You’re about the happiest pony I’ve seen to be getting their flank whupped.” Applejack raked the ground. “Let’s give these boots of yours a stress test.”

“Eh?”

Applejack stomped against the ground. Her legs pumped up and down, faster and faster until they turned into a blur. Steam hissed out of her boot and parts of them bent and warped. The metal grew hot and turned red.

Twilight cast a spell to zoom in Applejack’s legs. “Hmm, that’s the move she used in the race.”

“Yep-yep!” Pinkie cheered. “That’s Applejack’s super-duper special move! It makes her so fast even I can’t catch her! Makes playing tag really fun!”

Applejack continued beating her hooves against the ground. A little sweat trickled down Coco’s face. “Got a tool to handle this?”

“Um,” Coco gulped. “Let me se—”

The tiles below Applejack burst apart. She took off with such speed that to Coco, and most of the audience, she vanished and reappeared right in front of Coco. There was no time to put up a shield or sink her rods into the ring. Applejack raised up her hind legs in a flash and then slammed them into Coco’s barrel. The force shattered the boots and sent Coco flying.

“Barnstorm Burst!” Applejack yelled.

Coco zoomed out of the ring. The barrier caught her before she crashed into the crowd. Unlike with Dash’s attack earlier, it bent like a net to dampen Coco’s impact. Coco rolled down it and flopped onto the ground.

“Ow,” she coughed. Glancing down at the indented hoof marks in her barrel and her tools, she managed to smile. “It was a good demonstration. So much to learn though…”

Coco then passed out.

“Speed seems to be the name of the game this year!” said Vinyl. “Winner, Applejack!”

~~~

“Hey cuz!” A stallion in a vest and Stetson hat jumped down from the rooftop to join the red stallion that stood a head taller than him. “I just passed by the saloon. Looks like Applejack killed it out there!”

Big Macintosh adjusted his costume’s yoke and blinked from behind the bandana that covered the top half of his head. “Good.”

“Think she’ll make it to the finals?”

“Eyup.”

“Got any plans for when she wins?”

“Eyup.”

“Party?” Braeburn chuckled.

“We can talk about it after I’m done patrolling,” Big Mac replied.

Braeburn grinned and admired the fact he had gotten a full sentence out of Big Mac. “Well, with you here, I’m sure we’ll be fine. Griffon or whatever has been causing a ruckus around us lately, it’s nothing against us Apples.”

A bell rang. It was not the uniform toll to announce the hour, but a rapid series of clangs. Big Mac and Braeburn rushed to the clock tower near the center of town. The saloon was nearby, and a few ponies dared to poke their heads out of it. Nearly everypony in town was at the saloon, so it made the surrounding streets dustier looking and more deserted than usual.

Upon seeing Big Mac and Braeburn, the pony atop the tower climbed down. He shook with each rung he descended. Big Mac helped him off once he was close enough to the ground.

“What’s wrong?” Braeburn asked.

“It… it was huge!” The watchpony’s teeth chattered. “Like no griffin I’ve ever seen! It was just like the reports: jet black feathers and fur and those horrible golden eyes!”

“So, it’s here,” Braeburn snorted and adjusted his hat. He looked over to Big Mac. “Looks like you were right about it following a set path. Well, we’ll stop that monster here before it sets another claw closer to Ponyville.”

“Eyup,” Big Mac declared.

Author's Note

Coco didn't have much to work with, but I wanted to retain her meekness while adding Mei's eccentric and enthusiastic nature.

Pie Fight

“Great job, Applejack!” Pinkie cheered when Applejack returned to the seats.

“Well, couldn’t go down in just the first round, now could I?” Applejack wiped some sweat from her brow and then munched down on an apple she had brought with her. While she chewed on a chunk of it, she looked over Pinkie and Maud. “It’ll be a little hard to cheer in this next round. You’d both be great opponents.”

“I know, right?” Pinkie giggled. She turned around. “What do you think, Mau—”

Maud had vanished. Pinkie stared at Maud’s empty seat for a second before she shrugged. “Guess somepony is excited for our match. Better get going!”

“Good luck!” said Rarity.

Spike kept quiet and rested a claw on his chin.

Twilight bent over to him. “Something up?”

“I’m not sure.” Spike furrowed his brow. “I’ve just got an odd feeling about this match.”

Derpy poked in from the row above. Her expression matched Spike’s. “You too?”

“Hmmm.” Starlight watched the 1-A students conversing and narrowed her eyes. “Let’s see how this plays out.”

“With you winning?” Trixie suggested.

“Well, of course,” Starlight chuckled. She then tightened her jaw and sharpened her gaze. Trixie stiffened. “But the Pie sisters are hard to predict. I couldn’t get a read on Pinkamena during the entrance exam and Maud is both physically and mentally inscrutable. The absolute control she has over her Talent is proof of that. In more volatile hooves, it’d be hassle rather than a viable asset.”

With a slight of hoof, Trixie produced a bit onto her hoof and spun it around. “Care to wager who will win?”

“Perhaps in the next round.” Starlight clasped her hooves in front of her mouth and leaned forward. “For now, I’ll need to devote my energies to observing this match.”

~~~

Pinkie bounced up and down opposite of Maud. “Ooooh, this’ll be just like back home! How many years has it been since we had a fight like this?”

Maud blinked and then stared at Pinkie. Sensing something, Pinkie stopped bouncing. “Before we start, I want you to promise me something.”

“Sure,” Pinkie chirped. “No need to get so serious, Maud, I’ll promise you anything!”

“This is a Maud Promise,” said Maud. Pinkie gasped, but Maud continued, “Promise that you won’t yield.”

“There’s no way I’ll yield, even if yo—”

“Promise, Pinkamena.”

Pinkie’s ears flopped, and she shuddered. “O-okay. In my deepest of hearts and furthest corner of my mind, I put my life on the line and swear that I shall not yield.” She paused to gulp and glanced out at the colosseum. “Wh-what’s with calling me my full name? You know I’m not the biggest fan of it.”

“I know,” said Maud. “But this is serious, so I will address you properly.”

“Another interesting match,” said Vinyl. “We’re here until there’s a ring out or a knockout!”

“That may prove difficult for Pinkamena,” said Tantabus. “She certainly has a variety of tactics at her disposal, but Maud may be familiar with them. In addition, Maud’s sturdiness will make it hard for Pinkamena to land an incapacitating blow.”

“Well, let’s see what they’ve got!”

“Begin!” Rockhoof declared.

Pinkie jumped back and reached into her mane. “Alright, Maud, you want me serious? Then I—”

A seam of shadow shot up from the ground and latched onto Pinkie’s leg before she could pull something out of her mane. The seam widened into a black band that wrapped around Pinkie and flung her into the air. Maud followed her with her eyes and smashed Pinkie into the ring with her shadow. Pinkie got the air knocked out of her, but Maud picked her up again, arced her through the air, and slammed her back into ring.

“Oh my stars!” Rarity held her hooves up to her face. Maud bashed Pinkie into the ring for a third time. “How can she do that to her own sister?!”

Maud lifted Pinkie up for a fourth time and brought her back down, but a massive jello mold appeared and cushioned the blow. The mold splattered across the ring, and Maud relinquished her hold on Pinkie.

“Right out of the gate, Maud delivers a brutal beatdown to Pinkie!” Vinyl shouted. “Talk about a family feud!”

“Ow, ow,” Pinkie whimpered. Her legs shook, but she managed to stand upright. “That really hurt, Maud! What’s the big idea?”

“‘Big idea?’” Maud rushed at Pinkie. Pinkie yelped and threw up a steel shield. The shield blocked Maud’s hoof from slamming into Pinkie’s face, but a shadow tendril rose up to smack Pinkie’s side. Pinkie contorted her right foreleg to flex back and fired off a blast of confetti that knocked the tendril back. Maud pressed close to Pinkie. “The big idea is that if I had been a villain, you wouldn’t be standing right now.”

“But you’re not a villain, you’re my si—”

A shadow uppercut Pinkie and then grasped her head. It flung her towards the edge of the ring, but a wall of shadow shot up and bounced her back toward Maud. Maud reared back and launched her hoof straight at Pinkie’s head. At the last second, a pillow appeared before Maud’s hoof, but her blow still drove Pinkie to the ground.

Pinkie tried to squirm out from under Maud, but Maud slammed her other foreleg into Pinkie’s barrel. Maud bent down while Pinkie tried to breath. “Again. If I were a villain. It’d be over. Pinkamena, I want you to get serious.”

Something rolled beside Maud. She jumped back a second before a blinding flash went off. Pinkie got to her hooves, but Maud decked her across the face. Shadow covered her eyes. When everyone else’s vision cleared, Maud loomed over Pinkie while Pinkie was on her knees and struggling to catch her breath. A bit of blood dripped from her lips onto the ring.

“I’ve been worried about you since the first day of classes.” Maud stepped back and allowed Pinkie to get up. She shot tendrils at Pinkie, but Pinkie summoned a party cannon to blast them back. While continuing to lash out at Pinkie, Maud droned, “The incident with the villains confirmed my fears. Instead of getting serious from the start, you waited until you were nearly out of energy and then went berserk. It was only luck that saved you.”

“Th-that’s not true!” Pinkie shouted. A tendril broke through her defenses and raked her across the ring. Maud waited for her to get back up before attacking again. Instead of blocking, Pinkie darted to the left. Maud’s shadow tailed her. It periodically jabbed at Pinkie, who managed to dodge at the last second. The attacks impacted hard enough to break the ring’s tiles. “Stop it, Maud!”

“You’ll have to make me stop.” Maud retracted some of the tendrils pursuing Pinkie while at the same time others raced down at her. A black trail snaked out from Maud toward Pinkie. Pinkie managed to dodge the tendrils, but the trail shot up and grabbed Pinkie’s legs. She tried to pull free, but Maud rushed over and sunk a hoof into Pinkie’s gut.

Pinkie heaved but at the same time swung her head at Maud. An oversized mallet flew out of her mane and struck Maud, launching her away from Pinkie. However, shadow surrounded where Pinkie had struck her, leaving her unscratched. “And you can’t stop me unless you get serious.”

“No!” Pinkie screamed. Sweat collected on her brow and she took her eyes off Maud. All the stares from the audience seemed to converge on her. Her breathing quickened. “I can’t! That’s not the hero I want to be!”

“Pinkamena.” Maud brought Pinkie’s focus back to her. Hearing her own name chilled her to the bone. “Do you want to be a good hero or a dead hero?”

“I…” Pinkie stepped back. “I can be a good hero! I can be a hero that makes ponies smile! I ca—”

Pinkie failed to notice the shadow that had collected at her side. Maud vanished from in front of her and popped up beside Pinkie. She nailed her with a kick and sent her crashing to the other side of the ring. “You can’t be anything unless you get serious.”

“N-no!” Pinkie hacked while she struggled to get up. “You saw how Derpy was! You know how ponies would react!”

“That’s if you don’t control yourself,” Maud bluntly replied. “I’m not saying to do what you did at the WTF, but I am saying that if you don’t start taking up the proper attitude for this line of work…”

A black blotch appeared under Pinkie. Spears shot up. Parts of the audience gasped. Rarity turned away. Derpy and Spike turned white. Twilight, along with the others who had managed to keep watching, saw Pinkie’s legs and sides get sliced. The spears branched out and hoisted Pinkie up. Maud gazed up at Pinkie. “… you’ll end up much worse than this.”

“O-okay,” Pinkie managed to whimper. Tears and drops of blood dripped onto the ring. “I… I get it, Maud. I promise I’ll work hard. S-so, please, I yi—”

Pinkie coughed. “I yi—”

She hacked. Her breath came in huffs. Maud lowered her, but kept her bound in the shadows.

“Pinkamena, this is why I made you promise.” Maud’s shadow shifted around and forced Pinkie to look straight at her. “A villain could just as easily exploit you into a situation like this. What then?”

“I-I don’t…”

“You need to grow up, Pinkamena. You can still be a hero that ma—” Maud coughed and went onto a knee. The shadows unbound Pinkie and then coiled up Maud’s legs. Behind her, her shadow bubbled up like sludge. It roughly resembled Maud, but it bulked up and its surface roiled.

Its mouth tore open, leaving black strings here and there that dripped onto Maud. Maud’s pupils shrank a fraction. “Pinkie, run.”

An ear-splitting whinny exploded out of Maud’s shadow. A few members of the audience passed out. It summoned a massive inky leg and swiped it across the ring. Pinkie summoned a trampoline and jumped over the attack at the last second. With animalistic white eyes, Maud’s shadow glared at her while its base covered up Maud and immobilized her.

“Do you know how worried I’ve been!?” Maud’s shadow screeched. It lashed out at Pinkie with another massive leg. Pinkie shot a grappling hook to the ground and zoomed out of the way. “What will I tell mother and father? How do you think your sisters will react!? Answer me!”

Maud’s shadow raised up its leg and expanded it into a towering monolith. It blotted out light under Pinkie and half of the ring.

“Pinkamena!” Maud’s shadow roared. It brought its hoof down with enough force to shake the ring and send up a cloud of dust.

“Pinkie!” her friends screamed.

Something pink burst out of the dust cloud and swung around Maud’s shadow with the help of a pair of cables. She had Pinkie’s body, but her mane and tail trailed behind her. Two razor-thin blades protruded out of her forelegs and glinted in the light. With tears spilling from her eyes, Pinkie drove her blades into Maud’s shadow and craved off a chunk from its neck. The shadow let out a pained whinny.

Pinkie shot out new cables and zoomed back to the ground. Her landing cleared away the dust. She threw her blades and Maud’s shadow, cleaving away a little more of it, and then rubbed her eyes. With her tears dried, her piercing blue eyes shone through. “I’m sorry, Maud, I should’ve realized how much this was bothering you.”

She drew a wide-bladed zweihander from out of her mane and clenched it in her teeth. She burst off the ground and raced at the base of Maud’s shadow where Maud’s limbs stuck out, but her head was covered in shadow. Maud’s shadow bellowed and shot tendrils out at Pinkie, but Pinkie slashed them away and splattered the remains onto the ring where they dissipated.

A few tendrils managed to get past Pinkie’s blade, but instead of piercing flesh, they struck steel plates. The plates sprung off Pinkie, beeped, and exploded, tearing off pieces of Maud’s shadow. When Pinkie got within range, she flung up her leg. In the moment her leg blurred, a miniature cannon appeared on it. Angling the muzzle at Maud’s shadow’s head, she fired. Instead of confetti, a small aerodynamic metal structure, similar to the weapons she had used at the WTF, rocketed into the shadow’s head.

A second later, an explosion consumed the head and the shadow’s body wavered and lost its shape. Spikes shot out of it, but Pinkie dodged, blocked, and slashed her way to its base. Hefting her blade high, she threw all her weight at the shadow’s base and cleaved it apart. The shadow roiled and let out a final whinny and then burst into smoke. What remained of it on the ground collapsed, freeing Maud.

Pinkie stood opposite of Maud and dropped her blade to catch her breath. Maud struggled to her hooves. Yet, with her usual monotone, she said, “Sorry, Pinkie, I got a little out of hoof there.”

“Just glad you’re safe,” Pinkie huffed. Her eyes softened when she glanced out at the crowds. A shudder ran through her body and she sniffled, “Everypony is gonna think I’m too scary now.”

“That’s not true,” Maud stated. “Just because you have to be serious in this job doesn’t mean you can’t make others smile. It’s just about finding the right balance. I think you’ve got a good group of friends to help with that.”

Pinkie noticed Maud glance to her left and looked in that direction. All of Pinkie’s friends pressed up against the railing of the participants’ sector.

“Go, Pinkie!” Spike and Twilight cheered.

“That was great, sugarcube!” Applejack yelled. “Just give her a little more!”

“Show us that 1-A spirit!” Derpy jumped into the air and waved her hooves around.

“Oh.” Pinkie smiled. A bit of fizziness returned to her mane while her eyelids drooped. With a huff, she picked up her sword. “Alright, Maud, I get it now. There’s a lot I have to think about but for now I—”

Pinkie collapsed onto the ring. Maud blinked and showed a small smile. “Good job, Pinkie. I’m sorry I pushed you so hard.”

“Winner, Maud Pie!”

Author's Note

For those wondering, yes, Pinkie does sound just like Goku when being ragdolled by Broly/Maud respectively. Think this might be the most brutal chapter I've written. Sorry, Pinkie.

Rainbow Dash: Origin

“And with that, the first round is over!” Vinyl’s voice echoed through the corridors. “Let’s hope our participants are ready for the second round!”

Rainbow Dash heard the announcement but remained seated across from the infirmary. Hoofbeats made her get up and hide behind a corner. Peeking out, she saw staff carrying Derpy on a stretcher into the infirmary. With her keen eyes, Dash noticed that the injuries Derpy had sustained matched damage Derpy’s own bubbles could cause but on a much larger scale than what Dash had seen before. She made a note to watch herself if it came down to her and Starlight Glimmer.

When the commotion had calmed down, Dash stepped out into the hall and approached the infirmary. She did not enter. Facing Fluttershy’s parents right now would just be a distraction. She placed a hoof on the door and stared at the ground. “Fluttershy, I know what you were trying to do, but this is what I must do… for Scootaloo.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Scootlaoo’s voice echoed in the back of Dash’s head, “You can…”

Dash pushed the memory back into her subconscious. She had told Twilight what Dash wanted her to hear, and now was the time for action. Taking a breath, she backed away. Her wings stiffened, her muscles tensed, and she braced herself. “Let’s do this.”

~~~

Twilight stood up. “I should get going.”

“I believe in you, Twilight,” said Spike.

“Good luck!” Pinkie cheered.

“Watch yourself out there, Twi,” said Applejack.

Twilight summoned a shaky grin thanks to her friends’ encouragement. “Alright, I’m off!”

After Twilight left, Spike pulled up his bag and looked at Rarity. “Okay, I’m sure Twilight can win, and I want you to win, too. So, here’s this.”

Rarity’s eyes widened and sparkled. Spike had pulled a massive ruby out of his bag. The cut was perfect. The smell to her was varied and intricate, like the wines her parents talked of. She salivated but managed to contain her reaction to a gasp. “Spike, how did you ever find such a gem?”

Spike blushed and scratched his head before telling a half-truth. “I found it over the summer while training with Twilight. You’re gonna need everything you can use against Sunset though.”

“I can see that, you know,” Sunset growled.

Spike mustered up his courage and quipped, “Worried about this then?”

A vein throbbed on Sunset’s head and she turned away. “Do whatever you want, I’ll beat you all into the dirt.”

Spike offered up the ruby to Rarity. Yet, she pushed it back. “Oh, Spike. I can’t. I can tell this is quite the exquisite gem. I’m sure you’ve been saving it for yourself.”

“Well, I was, but I don’t want to see Sunset beat any more of my friends.” Spike’s blush deepened. “Especially you.”

Rarity touched a hoof to her lips. Then, she lit up her horn. A crack shot down from the top of the gem. With a tug, Rarity split it in two. “There, now we can both enjoy it. It’s only fair.”

“Awwww!” Pinkie cooed.

~~~

In the corridors, Twilight’s smile faded now that she was alone. Thinking about the merciless beatdown Dash had delivered against Lightning made her gaze down at the floor. To push the doubt away, she began thinking on her strategy.

Just as she managed to look up with her mind engaged on playing out the fight, Shadowbolt emerged from around a corner. Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, caught in the sinister glare of Shadowbolt’s goggles. With a grin that reminded Twilight of a manticore’s maw, he said, “Ah, I’ve been looking for you.”

“M-me?” Twilight gulped.

“Yes, that was quite the spellcasting you used out there.” Shadowbolt jabbed a hoof at Twilight, causing her to flinch. “A Talent that allows triple-casting at your age is very impressive. I dare say it makes you a candidate to be Princess Celestia’s next student.”

Sweat gathered on Twilight’s brow. Not caring about the speed Shadowbolt was known for, she sidestepped him and moved to rush to the green room. In her attempt to escape, she blurted out, “Th-thanks. Th-that’s really encouraging, but I have to get going!”

“My student, Rainbow Dash…” Shadowbolt said in a cold tone. Twilight felt his penetrating gaze on her. She could not tell if the temperature had actually dropped or if it was just her nerves. Shadowbolt continued, unconcerned with Twilight’s visible anxiety, “She has a duty to surpass all pegasi and become even greater than an alicorn. She needs to hone her own skills and overcome unicorn magic too. This match will prove a valuable test.”

Twilight did not move. Shadowbolt’s hooves rang against the ground. He bent down and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Give it your all out there and I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you. The number four hero’s word can open a lot of doors.”

Shadowbolt backed away. “Just something to keep in mind.”

The air felt thick when Twilight spoke, “There’s something that comes before being Princess Celestia’s student.”

“Well of course.” Shadowbolt turned to grin at Twilight. He paused when he noticed she stood firm on her hooves. His grin faded.

The pause gave Twilight time to face Shadowbolt and declare, “And there’s something that comes before you call Rainbow Dash your student. It’s our friendship.”

Shadowbolt scowled and his glare bored holes in Twilight, but she faced him a second longer with hues flaring through her irises. Before he could snap at her or worse, Twilight turned and made her way to the ring.

~~~

“So,” Rainbow Dash snorted, “Shadowbolt give you a little ‘pep talk’ too?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Twilight answered. Colors still swirled around her pupils. “This is our fight, plain and simple.”

“Right answer.” Dash raked a hoof and crouched. “For that, I’ll make this quick.”

“Looks like we’ve got a little trash talk going on!” Vinyl declared.

“I have noticed that Rainbow Dash appears to see Twilight Sparkle as a rival,” Tantabus noted.

“Well, I’m looking forward to a fight between flight and mystical might to start off round two!”

“Begin!” Rockhoof shouted.

Dash burst off the ground, moving too fast for Twilight to track. Instead of flying straight at Twilight, Dash zoomed around her, reared back her right foreleg, and leveled it at the nape of Twilight’s neck. She rocketed her hoof down.

Instead of hitting flesh, Dash’s attack ground against a shimmering barrier. It was mainly purple, but waves of rainbow periodically washed over it, covering it like a thin film that faded back into purple. Dash flew back when Twilight turned and stared up at her. Something about the way the colors swirled in Twilight’s irises bristled a few of Dash’s feathers.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted. “I want to finish this fast too, but there’s something I need to do first!”

Aura flared up around Twilight’s horn. Fluttershy’s words hardened her resolve. “If Rainbow Dash wants to prove she can get by without using her Talent, then I’ll need to prove to her just how important a Talent and pegasus magic is.”

Twilight cocooned herself in a thick barrier. The aura was so dense that it obscured Twilight. Dash recovered from the shock of having her initial strike blocked and zoomed toward the barrier. Putting her momentum and weight into her right hind leg, she bucked at it, but the barrier did not budge. With a snort, she flipped around and smacked at it with her forelegs, but no damage was visible. “You can’t stay in there forever!”

“I don’t intend to!” Twilight’s voice boomed. The barrier brightened. Dash flew back, unsure of what was coming. Pinkie chucked out sunglasses to her friends, Vinyl adjusted her goggles, and Tantabus’s eyes shifted ever so slightly so he could continue observing. Dash was forced to shield her eyes when the barrier’s light became blinding.

When the light faded, the barrier was gone. The crowd gasped. The sunglasses slipped from Pinkie’s face. “Holy guacamole!”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “That’s her game?”

“Ha-ha!” Spike exclaimed. “Now that’s only something Twilight could think up!”

“How did she have time?” Starlight muttered. “Her Talent is more potent than I expected.”

Celestia leaned forward with a smile on her face. “Oh-ho, now that will make things interesting.”

Dash stared at Twilight for a second, bewildered like most of the audience at what she was looking at. Then, she clenched her jaw and scowled. The rage she had shown in the capture the flag training flared up in full force. She rocketed back to the ground and glared at Twilight. “Get. Rid. Of. Those.”

Twilight glared back. In defiance of Rainbow Dash’s demand, she unfurled the sleek gossamer wings at her sides with enough force to kick up a small gust. A few rays of sunlight that streamed through the clouds caught them and refracted multiple colors across the ring and onto the crowd.

“Magnificent!” Rarity swooned before taking a bit of her half of the ruby.

“Twilight,” Fluttershy gasped. With the help of her parents, she had managed to get up and into the participants’ section.

“Fluttershy, you should still be in bed,” Blossom urged.

“After…” Fluttershy paused to cough. Blossom and Swirly felt her body rattle. Yet her eyes were vibrant and focused on the ring. “After this match.”

“Fluttershy!” Applejack yelped. “What in tarnation are you doing up in a state like that?”

“Please,” Fluttershy huffed while her friends rushed over to her. “I just want to be here… for Twilight and Rainbow Dash.”

“We’re with you on that!” said Spike.

Everyone turned their attention back to the ring.

“Are my eyes deceiving me?” Vinyl yelped. “Or did Twilight just grow wings?!”

Tantabus calmly answered, “Crafted would be a better word. You’re familiar with Icarian wings, correct?”

Vinyl squinched up her face, scratched her head, and finally slammed a hoof onto the table holding the mics. “Oh yeah!” She furrowed her brow. “I thought that was a pretty unwieldy spell though, and doesn’t it take way longer to cast?”

“Under normal circumstances, but Twilight Sparkle’s Talent allows her to cast at an uncanny speed. With her proficiency, I am curious why she would choose that spell.”

“Those look like pegasus wings,” Night Light remarked to Velvet upon hearing the announcer’s observations while keeping an eye on Twilight. “Aren’t they supposed to be more like a butterfly’s?”

Velvet’s attention was not on Twilight’s wings, but on her horn. The tip of it was now black and smoking. “Twilight, what are you thinking?”

“Get rid of them!” Dash roared.

“You’ll have to make me.”

Dash snarled and charged at Twilight. Even with Dash’s speed, her anger telegraphed her movements. Twilight exploded upward with a flap of her wings. Dash zoomed past where Twilight had been, twisted her head up at Twilight flying higher, and bolted after her. “You can’t beat me with fake wings!”

“They may be fake…” Twilight flapped her wings and swung to the left, dodging Dash’s charge while continuing to climb higher. “But with the way you are, they’ll be enough.”

Dash swooped back around, brayed, and rushed back at Twilight.

“Where did she learn to fly?” Flitter asked Cloud Chaser.

“Better question…” Cloud Chaser kept her eyes on Twilight while she managed to avoid getting clobbered by Dash. “How is she flying? I’ve heard about that spell and it’s supposed to just let you glide around. Maybe get straight up a few meters, but nothing more complex than that.”

“She supplemented the base spell with a modification to change the wings’ shape to match a pegasus’s, then she cast another spell to hook up the wings to her muscles and nerves,” Starlight explained while clasping her hooves tightly together. “At least, that’s what I can guess. I’d put her on par with a pegasus stripped of their natural magic, but with the advantage of spells. Seems I’m not the only pony who wanted to show off.”

“Well, I did tell her to put on a grand performance in my place.” Trixie grinned and pointed her muzzle up. While keeping her haughty pose, she glanced at Starlight. “Plus, it’s a good chance to see what Twilight Sparkle is capable of.”

Starlight kept her hooves clasped tight. “Indeed.”

With a final flap of her wings, Twilight managed to fly up through the clouds and popped up on the other side. Dodging Dash and flying for the first time had winded her. With a huff, she cast a cloudwalking spell and put her hooves on the clouds. Her back ached and sweat dripped into the clouds.

“We’ve gone fully airborne!” said Vinyl. “With the start of the match throwing us a curveball, I have no idea where this might go!”

“Down!” Dash yelled. She exploded out of the clouds and tackled Twilight before she could summon a barrier. Instead of striking Twilight while she was open, Dash pinned her legs. “You think you can fight like a pegasus?!”

“Do you?” A burst of magic exploded out of Twilight and raced over Dash. Dash reared back, allowing Twilight to angle her horn and blast Dash away. Over half her horn was black now. Dash tumbled across the cloud, spread her wings, and recovered in the air. Then, she sunk towards the clouds. With a grunt, she managed to stay airborne. Twilight planted her hooves on the cloud and took up a fighting stance. “I’d be careful laying hooves on me. Doubling your weight is just one hex I planted on my body. Who knows what else I’ve rigged myself with?”

“How many spells is that?” Tantabus muttered.

Vinyl turned to him. “You say something?”

“I’m just noting how many high-level spells Twilight Sparkle is casting and keeping active. Cloudwalker to stay up there, mental warfare to calculate flight purely on strength without having ever done it before and to predict Rainbow Dash’s movements, and several booby-trap hexes in case Rainbow Dash is able to breach her defenses.”

“That’s way more than just the triple casting we saw in the first round!”

“And I think she’s just getting started.”

“Twilight!” Dash scowled. “Just what the buck are you planning!?”

“I’m fighting with everything I’ve got,” Twilight answered. “After listening to your story and seeing how hard Fluttershy fought… no, how hard everyone has fought, this is the conclusion I’ve reached. Somepony very important to me told me this was my chance to show Equestria what I could do. The same applies to you!”

“Then fight like a unicorn!” Dash shot back. She made a rush to blitz Twilight, but a compacted mass of clouds slammed into her and knocked her away. The attack did not faze her, and she immediately regained her bearings. “Stop trying to play pegasus!”

“Start acting like one!” Twilight yelled at her.

Veins rose up across Dash’s face. “Don’t you talk to me like that!”

She raced at Twilight. Condensed clouds rose up to smack her, but she weaved through them and was in Twilight’s face at a blinding speed. She cracked a blow against her face and sent her rolling across the clouds. At the same time, a chain sprung out of Twilight and latched Dash to a nearby cloud. Undeterred, she roared, “Get rid of those wings!”

“N-not yet.” Twilight angled her horn at Dash. Aura exploded off it and then transformed from purple to white and crackling. Dash’s pupils shrank, and she dove into the clouds with enough force to pull the chained bit of cloud with her. A massive bolt of lightning tore out of Twilight’s horn, through the air, and crashed into the barrier.

“Holy smokes!” Bow exclaimed. “Forget the wings, that’s some real weather manipulation there!”

The lightning had cleared away a large chunk of the clouds, exposing Dash. It had also blown away that hex that had chained Dash. The attack had left her slack jawed for a second. Then, she regained her focus and directed a glare at Twilight. Her attention slipped again at the sight of Twilight’s left foreleg. It was limp, discolored, and cocked at an unnatural angle.

“I knew it!” Sunset cursed, but then smirked. “Looks like even with an egghead like her, anypony but me trying that is just using half-baked magic!”

Applejack turned around to look up at Sunset. “What are you going on about?”

“Twilight, dweeb that she is, half-assed trying to do thaumic reconfiguration,” Sunset snickered. “She still cast with her horn, but she let the backlash go into her leg.”

“But that means it isn’t hurting her horn as much!” Pinkie chimed in.

Sunset scrunched up her nose at Pinkie. “That would be the dumbest strategy I’ve ever heard of. Then again, her opponent isn’t the smartest either.”

“Hey!” Pinkie jabbed a hoof at Sunset. “That’s no way to talk about your classmates!”

“Just stating the obvious,” Sunset snorted. “Overuse or underuse your Talent or your magic and you’re in for a world of hurt.”

Fluttershy winced when Sunset glanced at her, but Sunset’s attention only lasted a second and lacked the animosity she had shown earlier. “Twilight, I know you can do it…”

Up above, Twilight gasped for breath. A glance up at her horn revealed that it was smoking and a bit more of it had blackened, but just a bit more. Her leg throbbed, and her vision swam for a second, but she managed to focus and stay balanced on three legs. She directed her attention back on Dash, who was dumbstruck by what Twilight’s own spell had done to her. She huffed, “Well, come at me, Rainbow Dash!”

“Are you crazy?” Dash rasped. “Look at your leg!”

“Look at your back.” Twilight’s eyes glowed for a second. Her vision shifted, and she saw through Dash’s fur and skin to see the muscles underneath. Many on her back were stressed to the limit and a few were fraying and tearing apart. “You were already taxed from your fight with Lightning, and that hex I put on you is making you work twice as hard. How long can you keep flying with just pure strength?”

The concern vanished from Dash’s face and anger flared up again. “Long enough to knock you out!”

She tore towards Twilight, but Twilight charged up her horn faster than Dash could reach her. She loosed another strike at Dash, forcing her to swoop up and away. A few errant bolts struck her. The barrier took the brunt of the spell. It was now fully visible across the colosseum. The guards spread across the colosseum all had horns glowing bright and huffed keeping up the barrier.

Feels like these kids get stronger every year, one of them thought.

Dash gasped for air. Sweat collected on her face and dripped from her chin. Her coat was getting lathered. A few yards away, Twilight hovered above the clouds. Her right hind leg was discolored and at an odd angle like her left foreleg. Over three quarters of her horn was black now. Despite the pain radiating from her legs and her horn, she managed to keep her sights on Dash.

“So, this is how far you’re willing to sell yourself out!?” Dash yelled. Smoke drifted off her back and a few ashen feathers scattered into the air. “This is only something that bastard could come up with!”

“You’re wrong!” Twilight shouted back. Dash snarled and flew at her again. Twilight charged up a third attack. “I told you, this is our fight!”

The bolt crashed down on Dash. She threw out her hooves and flew straight at it. Her muscles bulged, a bit of blood dribbled down her nose, and she clenched her teeth near to the point of cracking them. With a war cry that reverberated across the colosseum, she managed to shift the bolt upwards where it crashed into the barrier. The golden aura shuddered and the bits on the ground lifted up.

Near the top of the barrier, Fleetfoot of the Wonderbolts backed up. She had a job to make sure anypony that touched the barrier was ringed out, but she was also familiar with the amount of power Twilight was sending out. She had heard of legendary Wonderbolts that wielded the weather like this but had never heard of a unicorn controlling lightning at this level, not even Starswirl the Bearded.

Dash’s hooves sizzled. Up to the knee, parts of her forelegs were blackened and blistered. The pain racing up her back blurred her vision, but she kept her eyes on Twilight. Down to only one leg now, Twilight managed to keep her eyes open too, but her teeth were clenched tight. Dash rasped, “Why?”

“You’re not looking too good, Rainbow Dash. Talents, magic, physical abilities, they all have their limits,” Twilight huffed. Once more her enchantments allowed her to peer at Dash’s muscles. More sinew was torn and a majority of it was fraying now. “Then again, you could always use your magic. At this point, you could probably dispel that hex too.”

“Shut. Up,” Dash growled.

“You’ve seen it, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight stomped her last good leg against the clouds. “Everyone’s giving it their all to win! To achieve their dreams! To make it to the top!” She jabbed her hoof at Dash. “And you’re gonna win while not giving one-hundred percent?! What would Scootaloo think?!”

“Don’t you dare bring her up!” With every fiber in her back, Dash pulled forward. The world blurred around her, but her focus was entirely on Twilight.

“Give me everything you’ve got!” Twilight charged up her horn. “Come at me!”

The bolt ripped through the air. At the last second, Dash rolled out of the way, but the bolt still caught the tip of her left wing. She went into a spiral, but with a grunt, she managed to pull up and get back on level with Twilight.

“This is a light show I could only dream of, folks!” said Vinyl. “Twilight is throwing everything she has at Rainbow Dash, but Rainbow Dash is pushing herself to the limit too defending and dodging!”

Tantabus remained silent. Your control of the Elements has improved by leaps and bounds, Twilight Sparkle. You’re not just blindly throwing out your power like during the entrance exams, this is a calculated effort by you, isn’t it? Still… with the way things are going, it may be time to properly introduce myself, but that decision will come after the match.

“Twilight,” Celestia murmured. I’ve seen your drive to be a hero, but this is something much more. This fire in you…

“Why are you going so far?” Dash screamed at Twilight between gasps for air.

“Part of it is trying to meet expectations,” Twilight huffed. Even with no legs left to redirect the backlash to, she lit up her horn. Electricity crackled around her. “I want to be a hero that can protect others with a smile! I want to be a hero that protects my friends! Isn’t that what you want too!?”

The bolt was biggest yet. Rainbow streams whipped off of it. It rushed at Dash too fast for her to dodge. Knowing she had no choice, Dash dove towards it and braced her blackened legs against it. Immediately, the bolt pushed her back while sending electricity coursing through her body. “S-scootaloo…”

Dash and Scootaloo laid back on the clouds and stared up at the sky. Both were out of breath from an afternoon of sneaking out of the house and playing around in the nearby clouds. Dash had had to carry Scootaloo around, but Dash did not mind. It was worth it just to have some time out of the house with Scootaloo and a chance for Scootaloo to practice her cloud sculpting even though Dash half-disguised it as just goofing around.

“Ah, that was great!” Dash stretched out and sunk further into the cloud, manipulating for the perfect amount of pliability. “Nothing beats a good rest on a cloud after a few hours of play.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo giggled. She leaned back too, glanced at Dash, and then stared up. “Hey, Rainbow Dash?”

“What’s up?”

Scootaloo paused. Dash heard her gulp. “What would you do if my dad and I weren’t around?”

“Be bored,” Dash chuckled.

“C’mon,” Scootaloo pouted. “I’m serious. My dad always tells me how motivated you are, but you must have been like that before. What got you up in the morning to train before all that?”

“Huh, you’ve got a point there.” Dash paused for a moment and thought. There was her drive to win. Of course, there was the thrill she had first experienced seeing a Wonderbolt Show. The way they had moved through the air, pulled off feats she could barely comprehend when she had just been learning flight basics, and captured her heart and mind to one day wear a uniform like them. To Dash, being a hero like that would be a pretty awesome life.

Yet, she stopped herself for just saying being a Wonderbolt or a successor to Shadowbolt was all she wanted out of being a hero. The times she felt most invigorated was when she was standing up for Fluttershy or helping out Scootaloo with her weather manipulation. An interview she had read about Princess Celestia sprung to mind. The interview had asked what was most important about being a hero.

“Stopping a villain or foiling a plan to plunge Equestria into chaos may get you in the spotlight, but it really is the ponies you save that make the fight worth it,” Celestia had answered. “And I don’t just mean from a burning building or what have you. Saving can be as simple as a smile, a wave, a warm hug. In that sense, Talents and power are secondary to having your heart in the right place. That is the most important thing about being a hero.”

Dash thought about where her heart was and answered, “Loyalty. I want to be a hero that never abandons her fellow pony, especially her friends.”

Scootaloo smiled. “I think that’s a really good answer. That’s probably why you’ve gotten so far. A lot of other ponies that trained with dad didn’t have that sort of thing. But you, Rainbow Dash? You can be a hero no matter what happens.”

When did I forget that? Dash asked herself. The blast pushed her back further. She was rapidly approaching the barrier. Rainbow’s irises lit up in the same manner as Twilight’s. With newfound strength, she gripped the bolt. The air around her swirled. Suddenly, she came to a halt just as her flanks lit up.

Oh my stars, Tantabus thought. That’s what this was about! In the midst of battle, Twilight Sparkle, you were intent on freeing Rainbow Dash from her fears and inhibitions!

Thunder rent the air. The bolt, once a colossal beam of electricity, fractured into quarters. The lightning burst out of Rainbow Dash’s legs in dazzling strikes that transformed into every color of the rainbow. When the bolts died down, Rainbow Dash floated in the air for a second before taking a flap.

The burst of pressure from her wings cleared away the nearby clouds. The sun shone down on the colosseum. Twilight had to anchor herself to a cloud and then reinforce it to keep from getting blasted away.

Shadowbolt grinned with glee.

“She did it,” Fluttershy gasped. With all her strength, she pumped a fist in the air. “She did it!”

Well done, my faithful student, you freed Rainbow Dash from the shadow that had entrapped her, thought Celestia. She then took a moment to take in Twilight’s mangled legs, her blackened horn, and her short breath. “That might cost you a little… but we’ll have cake to celebrate regardless.”

“Darn it, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash sighed while the winds died down. They had been so fierce up in the air that Twilight had been forced to shield her eyes. “I thought you wanted to win, so why are you trying to inspire me?”

Twilight beheld Dash. Her hex had been torn off, and her enchanted eyes could tell that a lot of the muscles on Dash’s back and wings had somehow healed. With a blink, she switched from seeing the biological to the thaumic. Dash was a near solid red with flecks of white cropping up across her wings. Only one spot shined brighter: her flanks. Twilight switched back to regular vision.

A scar still ran down Dash’s left side, but in place of the scar on her left flank was a cloud with a tri-color lightning bolt shooting out of it. The scar tissue on her right flank was glowing bright in plain view and appeared to be receding.

Despite the immense display of power, Rainbow Dash did not wear the cocky grin she had displayed in the past. Instead, it was shaky as if she were unsure if grinning were proper. It precisely matched Twilight’s expression. A few tears dotted the corners of her eyes. “I… want to be a hero too, but before that I’m your friend!”

Rainbow Dash
Talent- Over the Rainbow: Nopony beats Dash in the sky. Even without her Talent, she’s an incredible flyer, but with it, her skills approach the stuff of legends. Her weather manipulation already rivals some pros and may someday reach Wonderbolt tier. She could even have the ability to pull off a Sonic Rainboom, the ultimate flying feat, but nopony has been able to confirm this. Either way, messing with her is like taking on a miniature storm!

Author's Note

Ah, how convenient that I now have this

Rainbow At Dawn

Below Princess Luna’s room in her tower of the castle were some barracks. Thick curtains covered the windows. Silver helmets and breastplates rested on one side of the room near the door. Deep blue tunics could be glimpsed inside the shelves under them.

Sugar Glider slumbered in her bed. At this point in the day, everypony else in the room was so deep in their own rest that her snores did not bother them. Her leathery wings occasionally twitched in her sleep. Like the rest of the Night Guard, she belonged to the batpony subspecies.

Sugar Glider.

Upon hearing Luna’s voice in her head, Sugar Glider flared open her eyes. Without making a sound, she flew out of bed and stood up. Princess, I am ready for your command.

There is a matter I must deal with and I need to prepare, said Luna. I will swap you in. You’ll just need to give some commentary every now and then.

Sure. Sugar gulped. In a separate corner of her mind she groaned, Shoot, I thought for sure Moon Shadow would get chosen if this came up.

Brace yourself, said Luna.

There was a flash a moment later. It was just bright enough that Moon Shadow, who slept above Sugar Glider, turned over in his bed. He mumbled, “More pancakes and extra… jalapeños…”

~~~

“Rainbow Dash!” Shadowbolt bellowed. He shot up from his seat and spread his wings, scattering the ponies around him. He rocketed into the sky and hovered behind Rainbow Dash. “So, you’ve finally accepted my training! Excellent! Now use what I’ve taught you to surpass me! To surpass all flyers! To fulfill my ambitions!”

“It’s him!” Bow rose to his hooves. “Where does he get off interfering with Dash’s match?”

“Wait!” Windy called out. “Look!”

Despite Shadowbolt’s voice booming across the colosseum, Dash did not turn her attention away from Twilight. From his angle, Shadowbolt glimpsed a smile on Dash’s face.

“We, uh, welcome the encouraging words from the number four hero. We would like to remind our pegasi attendants that flight is generally prohibited though.” In the corner of her eye, Vinyl thought she saw Tantabus waver for a second. She turned to him, but he was still just a floating mass of cosmos in the shape of a stallion’s head. “Any idea what he’s talking about?”

“Oh, um…” “Tantabus” paused for a second. “I’m not really sure either. He’s, um, not related to…” He glanced down at the roster. “Rainbow Dash?”

“Not to my knowledge.” Vinyl turned her attention back to Dash and Twilight. “Regardless, it looks like Rainbow Dash has pulled out a trump card with a massive display of weather manipulation! Twilight is past even her last legs, but with all the surprises she’s come up with, I’m sure this fight is heading to quite the climax!”

Still wearing a grin, Dash wiped away her tears. Taking a breath, she stared at Twilight with fire in her eyes. “Got something else for me? I don’t mean to brag after everything, but with those wounds and in this situation… it isn’t looking too good for you, Twilight.”

Dash thrusted her forelegs out to her sides. Air swirled around her left leg and lightning crackled around the right. “Especially because this will be my best shot.”

“Bring it!” Twilight grinned and lit up her blackened horn. It ached and blurred her vision, but she could still make out the rough shape of Dash in front of her. Nurse Redheart is going to kill me, but I need to redirect some of the backlash into all my legs!

Aura tore through Twilight’s limbs, producing a few cracks. Bits of fur got singed off. She gritted her teeth while her aura flowed around her horn. It waxed and waned in a few spots with sharp pops accompanying the shifts in aura.

Rockhoof looked up. He took in the damage Twilight was doing to herself and the weather gathering around Dash. The air around Dash’s left leg had swelled into a gale that was on the verge of becoming a miniature cyclone. Just one of the bolts coming off her right leg looked like it could knock Twilight out. “This was quite the fight, but I think it may be time for us to step in.”

“Right!” said Cheerilee. She whistled and a pegasus guard swooped over and carried her up.

A bolt zapped by Fleetfoot, singeing her mane. “Okay, don’t need to feel another one of those to know it ain’t gonna be pretty if that hits Twilight!”

Walls of clouds sprung up between Dash and Twilight just as Dash yelled, “Storm Breaker!”

Twilight, thanks. She threw both her legs at Twilight and combined the lighting and wind coming off them into a maelstrom. Twilight launched her spell at the same time in a burst of magic that exposed the nerves under her horn’s alicorn.

Both attacks were barely slowed down by Fleetfoot’s clouds. They crashed into each other in an enormous blast that cleared away the remaining clouds. Lightning rent the air and thunder forced swaths of the audience to cover their ears. Fleetfoot got shoved backwards and smacked into the barrier. Air hissed between her teeth when she felt one of her wings bend at an odd angle. She managed to stay airborne, steadied herself, and braced against the shockwave.

The guard carrying Cheerilee was thrown into a nosedive. He managed to pull up before hitting the ground but slammed into the barrier which was now rock-hard. The unicorn guards strained to maintain the barrier, which was now thick enough that it partially obscured everything within. Cheerilee got to her hooves and dusted herself off. “I’m fine with being a little rough, but this is a bit much for first years.”

“What is up with your class?” Vinyl exclaimed. She peered up at the attack, but the blast had sent out a violet-tinged haze around Dash and Twilight. “I think this might be it, folks! Let’s see if our air support can confirm anything!”

Fleetfoot rubbed her head. “Sheesh, ought to tell these fillies to dial it back a little.”

Thanks to her goggles, she could make out a figure through the haze. Gliding down while trying to put as much of the strain onto her good wing, she got closer and was able to make out Rainbow Dash.

Dash glanced at Fleetfoot and huffed, “Is it… over?”

“I’m not sure.” Fleetfoot swiveled her head around. “Why can’t I feel Twilight around here?”

Dash gulped. “Don’t tell me I incinerated her.”

“Relax, kid, that was a pretty strong attack, but from what I fe—”

“Fleetfoot!” Vinyl yelled. “Get your flank in gear! We’ve got a crash landing on our hooves!”

“What?!” Dash and Fleetfoot yelped.

Below them, Twilight dropped out the haze and rocketed to the ground. The crowds paled. Rarity and Pinkie gasped. Fluttershy, already at her limit, fainted. Spike sprung over the railing to get into the ring but slammed into the barrier.

“Twilight!” Night Light screamed.

“My baby!” Velvet cried.

“No!” Dash yelled. With a flap that sent Fleetfoot spinning through the air, Dash dove. Even using weather manipulation, she was still worn out from the fight, and the last attack had taken a huge bite out of her stamina, but she pushed her muscles harder. Faster and faster she flew with Twilight plummeting down below her. A cone of air pressure formed around Dash.

Celestia leaned out of her box and coughed, “Oh my stars!”

Dash’s eyes watered. The pressure sealed up her mouth and nostrils. Her lungs burned as did her back, but she pushed with all her might.

The air exploded around her in a spectrum of colors. Dash shot toward Twilight with a rainbow trailing behind her. A noise louder than any clap of thunder roared out from where Dash had broken the sound barrier. The explosion she had created spread out in an iridescent ring that sliced through the barrier and knocked all the guards maintaining it off their hooves.

Feet from the ground, Dash scooped up Twilight, executed a ninety degree turn without any ill effects and arced back into the air. She instantly climbed up the top of the barrier, turned back around, and finally began to decelerate. It was only when she was sure Twilight was safe that she marveled at the brilliant display she had created. “Whoa.”

“No way,” Fleetfoot muttered. “Could that have been…”

“The Sonic Rainboom!” Shadowbolt grinned from ear to ear. “Finally, it’s in my hooves.”

Celestia fell back in her chair. “Thank the stars.”

“Folks, I’ve seen a lot in my career, but nothing like this!” Vinyl exclaimed. “Not only did Rainbow Dash knock Twilight out with that last attack, but she saved Twilight from a fall with a move I’ve never seen before!”

“It’s amazing!” Sugar Glider cheered before remembering she was playing Tantabus. She coughed and muttered, “Um, very well done.”

“Well done enough to get some emotion out of you,” Vinyl teased. “This was one Tartarus of a way to start off round two! Both fighters threw everything into the ring, but in the end, the winner is Rainbow Dash!”

Dash heard the announcement and cracked a smile. She looked down at Twilight as she floated toward the ground. She was so focused on not shifting Twilight around that she did not even notice the scars had vanished from her right flank too. “Maybe I won the match, but Twilight? You’re the real hero of the day.”

~~~

Twilight blinked and lifted her head. She found herself floating in a sea of stars. Recognizing it as the dream plane, she looked around, but stopped when she saw that the lower half of her legs was gone. There was only purple mist swirling where her hooves and shins should have been. Recalling all the damage she had accrued in the fight, she looked up at her horn. It was still there, but it had a fuzzy outline.

Before she could inspect it more, a voice called out, “Wow, you really did a number on yourself, but I’m sure Redheart will handle the worst of it.”

Twilight swung around. “Hello? Tantabus?”

“Well, she’s busy with the Festival,” said the voice. With her head clearing, Twilight noted that while the voice sounded feminine it also sounded much younger than Tantabus’s. Something tapped Twilight on the shoulder. She spun again and came face to face with a grayish blue pony with a light azure mane. Due to her lengthy legs, she stood a bit taller than Twilight, but overall looked to be only a few years older. “So, I thought it was time I finally came to meet you.”

Twilight’s eyes shrank as she took in more of the pony’s body. The small black tiara that rested above her horn, the wings laid at her sides, and her cutie mark— a crescent moon surrounded by black splotches—could only belong to one pony.

Grass sprouted up under the pony and spread until Twilight found herself in the middle of a meadow. A tree with colorful wood and limbs that bent into spirals resembling those of galaxies grew up behind the pony. The sea of stars churned like a river to surround the meadow and also flowed upwards, creating inverted waterfalls.

“You’ll be here for a bit, so I thought I’d make it a little more comfortable.” The pony took a seat under the tree. She signaled with a hoof for Twilight to join her. Twilight stood with a slack jaw, making the pony laugh. “Oh, Twilight Sparkle, I had thought your time with my sister had relieved some of the nervousness ponies tend to get around the two of us.”

Twilight blushed and bowed her head. “S-sorry, Princess Luna.”

“Oh, no need for formalities,” Luna chuckled. “Just Luna is fine.”

~~~

Equality rested atop one of the few clouds that passed over Appleloosa. She hummed to herself while using an enchantment to gaze down at the alley below.

Braeburn slumped against a wall. His vest and the flesh underneath were marred with claw marks. A few shallow breaths escaped from him, but his head drooped to the ground. There was a blotch on the back of his hat. Above him, bits of an adobe wall crumbled.

In front of Braeburn, a great shadow loomed over Big Macintosh. Its fur and feathers were jet black in contrast with its predatory golden eyes and front legs. Blood dripped from its talons.

Above, Equality grinned and intensified the glow around her horn. Below, the black griffon raised Big Mac’s limp body up by his mane. His right hind leg flopped around, producing a sickening squinch. The griffon bent Big Mac’s head to the side, exposing his neck. It opened up its razor-sharp beak.

The air reverberated. Equality was knocked to the edge of her cloud. The glow around her horn vanished when she scrabbled back up onto her perch. Behind her mask, her pupils contracted. A massive rainbow ring was spreading over the horizon. Equality ground her teeth.

“No!” she hissed. “No, no, no!”

She snapped her attention back down to the alley. The black griffon now laid on the ground between Big Mac and Braeburn. The rainbow ring was rapidly approaching. Equality snarled and lit up her horn. “Damn, if I had just gotten Rainbow Dash. Well, this will just have to do.”

In a flash, she and the black griffon vanished. A second later, the rainbow ring washed over the sky above Appleloosa. Those that had been watching the Festival on the monitor glanced out their windows. Meanwhile, Big Mac and Braeburn remained unconscious in the alley.

~~~

“Dashy!” Windy cried.

“Oh, my little girl!” Bow rushed alongside Windy to Dash’s side.

In the past, Dash would have wrinkled her nose and pushed her parents back before marching away from them. This, time, she accepted their embrace and sighed, “Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad.”

“That was incredible out there!” Bow cheered. “Not even Wonderbolts could pull of a stunt like that!”

Dash blushed. “Well, I think that might have been cause Fleetfoot got her wing messed up.”

“We’re just so proud of you.” Windy nuzzled Dash. “Weather manipulation has been such a sensitive issue for you, but seeing you give it your all out there reminded us of how much you liked playing around with weather when you were little.”

“Yeah.” Dash bowed her head. “Sorry about how I’ve been these last few years. You’ve always been so supportive of me… even if you can go a little overboard sometimes, but it means a lot to have great parents like you.”

Before Bow or Windy could respond, Shadowbolt flew into the hall. “And what about a great teacher?”

Windy tightened her grip on Dash. Bow stepped in front of the two of them and raked his hoof against the ground. “Not another step further, Speedy.”

Shadowbolt bristled as being called by his civilian name, but it was only for a second. Maintaining his grin, he spread his wings and focused on Dash. “Now, no need to get hostile. This is a day of great celebration. Rainbow Dash, your tantrum is finally over. That was a wonderful display, but you’re probably out of practice. I’m sure the rest of this Festival won’t be a problem, but learning to handle your weather manipulation, especially against villains, will be a different game.”

He extended out a hoof. “Join me, Rainbow Dash. It’s time to complete your training as my successor.”

It was silent for a moment. Then, Dash detached from Windy. She looked at Shadowbolt with clear eyes and a neutral expression. “I haven’t set anything aside.”

Shadowbolt furrowed his brow but Dash spread out a wing and stared at it. A few feathers were missing, and more were askew or singed. “It’s just that when I was up there, I forgot all about you.” She turned her attention back to Shadowbolt. “I’m still not sure what that means, but for now I need to think.”

Dash left Shadowbolt searching for words. While he searched, Dash moved past him. Her parents followed while shooting glares at Shadowbolt.

~~~

“Dashy!” Pinkie exclaimed when Dash approached the infirmary. She moved as fast as her injuries would allow and gave Dash a hug, being careful to avoid putting too much pressure on her back or wings. “You and Twilight did great out there!”

“Just wish it hadn’t hurt Twilight so much,” Spike muttered.

“Right,” Dash sighed. She spotted Velvet and Night Light. Both wore tense expressions and Velvet’s cheeks had streaks running down them. Dash bowed her head. “You must be Twilight’s folks… sorry for roughing her up.”

“It…” Night took a breath. “It’s not fully your fault. Our little Twily has always been devoted to being a hero, no matter the risk.”

“Oh,” Velvet sniffled and buried her head in Night’s neck. “I should have done something to stop her.”

Night put a hoof around her. “We couldn’t have done anything, dear.”

“I don’t think you should feel sorry,” Dash declared. She raised her head and stared straight at them. “Twilight put everything on the line for me. I’ll never be able to thank her enough for that. You’re lucky to have a kid like her.”

Velvet cried into Night’s neck, but Night managed to murmur, “Thank you.”

Dash took in the scene for a second before turning toward the infirmary and going in.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy coughed from a bed.

“What did I say about resting?” Redheart muttered from the other side of a partition that blocked Fluttershy’s view of her and Twilight.

She stood over Twilight with her horn aglow. Aura coated Twilight’s limbs and parts of her torso. Two of Twilight’s legs were bound in casts and rested on slings. The other two rested on slabs next to her bed. Scalpels, suction tubes, and syringes floated over them. A salve had been applied to her horn, the smell of which burned Dash’s nose. She noticed that bits of alicorn writhed around and spread out over the exposed nerves. Dash gained a shade of green looking over the scene.

“Not the prettiest sight.” Redheart pulled her medical instruments back for a second and glanced at Dash. “This may take a bit, but help is on the way. Feel free to rest on one of the beds until he gets here.”

Dash accepted the invitation to keep her stomach from growing more upset and to rest. She flopped onto an empty bed next to Fluttershy. She felt herself sink into the mattress and the pillows but willed herself to stay awake for a little longer. Glancing to her left, she saw Derpy curled up on a bed and facing a wall.

“Hey,” Dash called out to her. Derpy flinched. Dash hesitated a moment and then, in a softer tone than she was used to using, said, “sorry about not practicing some more with you. I’m not sure how it would have helped with your fight, but it looked like you got pretty roughed up.”

Derpy replied with a sniffle.

Dash sighed and turned over to face Fluttershy. “I’ve got a lot of work to do once I’m rested up.”

“I’m just so happy for you, Rainbow Dash.” A few tears trickled down Fluttershy’s cheek.

“Geez. I swear, when you’re better, I’m gonna give you a piece of my mind for pushing yourself too hard, even if it was for me. For now though…” Dash yawned and covered her mouth with a hoof. “I need to rest.”

“You’ve more than earned it.” Dash glimpsed Fluttershy’s smile as her eyes closed. It reminded her of the grin Scootaloo flashed after Dash performed some stunts for her. “Sleep well, Rainbow Dash.”

Theory and Application

Sunset gave her neck a few cracks. Rarity took a deep inhale. In the stands, Spike stood on the railing. Every couple of seconds, he would glance at the hallway. Pinkie drew up close to him. “Don’t you worry, Spike. Twilight’s a strong pony. If I know her, she’d want you to keep watching to figure out the best way to fight in the future matches.”

“It’s a hard choice,” said Applejack, “but we’ve got to keep fighting for the others’ sake.”

“Right.” Spike focused on Rarity.

“Begin!” said Rockhoof.

Sunset lashed out with a whip of flame. Rarity jumped over it and crystalized midair. Sunset’s whip shot back at Rarity and curled around her right hind leg. With a tug, Sunset flung Rarity overhead and slammed her into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Sunset leads with a fiery starter!” Vinyl commented. “Reminds me a bit of what we saw with the Pie Sisters.”

“Um, yes.” Sugar Glider squinted. “I’m wondering what spells we might see.”

“That’s a good point. Although both contestants have gotten pretty physical, they are still unicorns.”

Shoot, Princess Luna would’ve known that, Sugar chided herself. “Well, we might get a good contrast after the magic slinging we saw in the last match.”

Down below, Sunset’s fiery tether snapped. Rarity burst out of the dust cloud, and the only sign that Sunset’s attack had landed on her was a black smudge on her leg. She rushed at Sunset and raised a foreleg. Sunset saw the attack coming and summoned a barrier. Rarity’s shimmering hoof crashed down on it, creating cracks, but the barrier held. Rarity tried to pull back to land another blow, but her hoof remained stuck to the barrier.

Sunset drew closer with only the barrier dividing them. “Good to see you’re sticking what you know. I was worried Twilight’s idiocy was infectious.”

“Now that is no way to talk about Twilight,” Rarity huffed. She lowered her horn and rammed the barrier. It shook, but Sunset remained unharmed. “She gave it her all t—”

The barrier vanished, putting Rarity off balance. Sunset served to her left and angled her horn straight at Rarity’s face. A flash went off that made the crowd blink but turned Rarity’s world white.

“And I’ve had enough time to figure out what you know,” said Sunset. She jumped back, and Rarity twisted her head in her direction. While Sunset charged up her horn and crimson aura started flowing around her leg, she remarked, “Plus, you’re another stepping stone to dealing with dragons. With that hard coat, I’ll have to get creative about where I attack.”

When her leg was fully crimson, she exploded off the ground and zoomed toward Rarity. She flung her leg back to strike Rarity’s head, but at the last second, Rarity reared toward her and threw up a leg to block the attack. A blast washed over Rarity and Sunset. Spike cheered when Sunset shot out of the smoke from the blast and tumbled across the ring.

A small bit of Rarity’s leg was chipped from Sunset’s strike, but she strode out of the smoke and stood tall with her eyes closed. “Seems you forgot I’m a gem collector too. I’m used to finding my target, even in the dark.”

Sunset hacked and got back onto her legs. Wiping away a bit of blood from her lip, she grinned. “Well, I didn’t want this to be too easy.”

~~~

Luna levitated the steaming kettle off the flames that floated between her and Twilight. Boiling water streamed out of it and onto the fine green powder in Luna’s cup. When the cup was half full, Luna floated the kettle over to Twilight while whisking her tea until it gained a thin layer of froth. “Oh, where are my manners, what tea would you like, Twilight?”

“Um…” Twilight glanced down at the smoke that comprised her legs and the cup lying in front of her. “Do you have any jasmine?”

“Why, of course.” Luna poured. Instead of water, amber liquid with a floral scent came out of the kettle and into Twilight’s cup.

Twilight stared at the tea for a moment and then looked up. Luna had raised her cup up, not with a spell, but with her tail. It reminded Twilight of the prehensile nature of earth ponies’ tails. She blew on the tea and then took a sip. When Luna lowered the cup from her lips, Twilight asked, “Princess…”

“Just Luna is fine.”

Twilight blushed and bowed her head. “Um… Luna… I’m not really sure what to say.” She glanced up at her fuzzy horn. “And I’m not really sure how to lift up my cup right now.”

“Ah, yes, I suppose after that heat of battle, my appearance might be a little shocking.” Luna lowered her gaze at Twilight’s cup and then to the smoke around her. “I’m glad you brought up the tea though. It ties to what I wanted to talk with you about. You see, Twilight, after what I’ve heard from Tia and what Tantabus has observed, you’re limiting yourself with the Elements.”

“Oh, right.” Twilight kept her head lowered. “Princess Celestia mentioned how the Elements aren’t fully compatible if you’re not an alicorn and using them too much ends up with me like this… not quite sure what this has to do with tea though.”

“That’s not the restriction I’m referring to.” Luna took another sip of her tea and then set it down. She bent a leg towards the cup. As she did, her hoof morphed and split into five sections that grew cylindrical with pointed ends. By the time her hoof reached the cup, it had transformed into talons that clasped it. “You, and now I see Tia to an extent as well, have relied primarily on the Elements like a spell enhancer, but they are far more flexible than that.”

Something tickled Twilight’s neck. She looked back and was met with a scaly blue tail waving at her. When she turned to face Luna, she was gone. In her place was a large python with black splotches across its blue scales. It flicked its tongue at Twilight. “Perhapssss it’sss how I’ve been for the past thousand yearssss, but I’ve come to view magic as far more versatile that what ponies traditionally see it asssss.

“You’re constraining yourself in dealing with the Elements.” Luna coiled around Twilight and gave her a light squeeze. “I’d like to help remove those constraints.”

~~~

Sunset slammed a blazing leg into Rarity’s right side. The area struck was already blackened from an earlier strike. When Sunset’s hoof connected and sent off a blast, cracks formed and spiderwebbed out. Sunset marveled at the damage just long enough for Rarity to jab her in the chest, knocking her back. Both of them were left gasping for breath.

Aside from the blow she had just suffered, Sunset was marred with bruises and welts. Only quick deployment of barriers and keeping off the ground as much as possible had kept Rarity from pulverizing her bones. “You’re tough, but everything has a breaking point.”

Rarity glared in Sunset’s direction. Her side throbbed and her vision had only returned to the point that everything appeared as a blur. Still, she raked a hoof and lit up her horn. “Darling, I’m only getting started.”

Rarity smashed her hooves down on the tiles around her, sending up a cloud of dust. Tinged with aura, the dust flew out and cloaked the ring. Sunset snorted as a glow enveloped her eyes. “You think this will slow me down? I’ll find you even easier than yo—”

Through the dust, Sunset could make out Rarity’s rough shape in a mix of greens and yellows. The side Sunset had twice nailed was blue. However, Rarity’s magic was branching out from her horn, sending red veins through her body. As it spread, more of her body turned yellow and bulked up. Sunset loosed a bolt of magic that slammed into the Rarity’s side, but Rarity stood firm, and fresh crystal grew over her injuries. “What in Tartarus?”

“The dust isn’t to blind you,” Rarity said, her voice gaining a growl to it. “It’s to keep the others from seeing this. I’m not very pleased with how I look when I get serious.”

“‘Serious?’” Sunset’s eyes flared. “I’ve been beating the crap out of you and you were holding back?! That’s it, you’re dead!”

Sunset rushed at Rarity. Rarity barreled toward Sunset. The both flung a leg back, Sunset’s emanating crimson aura and Rarity’s sprouting jagged crystals. Hoof clashed against hoof and only Rarity’s spell kept the dust from getting blown away by the force of the attacks and the explosion Sunset’s magic set off.

The blast sent ripples up Rarity’s leg. Crystal shook and then split, blowing bits of her armor off and rending her legs with gashes. She cried out and stumbled back.

Sunset strafed to Rarity’s right and angled around to buck her. Both her hind legs turned crimson. “I told you I was watching when you accepted that dweeb’s gift! I was going to test this out no matter what, but you made it even easier! You convert gemstones into armor, so if I can disrupt the magic that allows for the conversion, I can transmute your armor into junk! Die!”

Rarity summoned a barrier, but Sunset tore through it. Her legs exploded against Rarity. Cracks raced across Rarity’s body and shards went flying off it. The wind flew out of her, preventing her from crying out. The dust blew away a second before Rarity was launched into the air and crashed into the barrier around the arena.

“Rarity!” Spike yelled.

Sunset watched Rarity roll down the barrier and collapse in a heap on the ground. She was marred by multiple cuts and tears across her body and two smoldering hoofprints were left in her side.

“Winner!” Vinyl declared. “Sunset Shimmer!”

“Wish we could have seen a bit more of what went on,” Sugar grumbled.

“Yeah.” Vinyl tapped her goggles. “We may have been able to see a bit better, but this might have been a bit less exciting than the last match.”

“It will take a lot to top that first match.” At the same time Sugar thought, Yeah, Princess Luna as Tantabus would say that.

~~~

“Hrr.” Twilight strained. A bit of the smoke under her curled toward her cup. She managed to will the smoke into a rough cylindrical shape, but when the cup was in her grasp, the smoke faltered and collapsed back into a fog under her. Twilight gasped for air and bobbed downward.

Luna took another sip of her tea. “It’s the digits, isn’t it? I had quite an issue thinking of myself with them too for a bit.”

“I’m sorry, Pri— Luna,” Twilight huffed. “I’m not really sure how this ties into understanding the Elements better.”

“To summarize a lot of magical theory, the Elements are connected to pure magic.” Luna set her cup down and flexed the talons she had used to grasp it. The talons lengthened and their ends softened while their base grew out until Luna had turned it into a minotaur’s hand. She grabbed the cup again. “In the waking world, alicorns may be closest to pure magic since they express traits from all three pony races along with far deeper reserves of magic. In dreams though, everyone is closer to pure magic. Thus, your appearance and my ease at shifting around.”

“Hmmm.” On instinct, Twilight brought some of the fog under her up to her chin. Realizing what she had done, she looked down at the fog, now in the rough shape of a leg, but it fell apart as soon as she observed it.

“See?” Luna got up and strode around Twilight. “Right now, your subconscious, your conscious, and your magic are in conflict. Subconsciously, you recognize you have your legs and you’re trying to project that, yet your magic which is what your body is made of in dreams is damaged, and your consciousness recognizes that damage and prevents you from assuming your regular appearance.”

“That is pretty complex.” Twilight stared down at the cup. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes. Fog snaked out from under her. It once more took on the rough shape of a leg and curled around the cup. When Twilight felt the porcelain, she grinned and lifted the cup up an inch. The cup slid out of her grasp and plummeted to the ground.

A slight glow surrounded Luna’s horn and the cup stopped before it could hit the ground. Tea had also spilled out of it, but it hung in the air and then flowed back into the cup. Luna set it down in front of Twilight. Twilight sighed.

“Do not be disheartened.” Luna grinned. “I’ve had quite a few centuries to practice after all. You’re just taking the beginning steps at learning that magic is more than what horns, wings, or hooves can summon. I just wished I had noticed this earlier, but handling the Elements was never an easy task.”

~~~

“Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie cheered when Dash entered the participants’ section. “Welcome back! I’m glad you could get here in time for this match!”

“Good to be here.” Dash spied Spike in his seat staring at the ground and went over to him. “Hey, don’t worry about Twilight. Nurse was taking good care of her and the Doc they brought in will probably also help her and Rarity.” She flexed a wing. Its feathers were pristine. “Just look at how he fixed me up.”

She glanced up at Sunset. Sunset snorted at her. Focusing back on Spike she said, “I’ve got this, Spike.”

“Thanks.” Spike took a breath and straightened up. “Can’t get bogged down. Besides, someone needs to put Starlight in her place for what she did to Derpy.”

Author's Note

I'm back! Yahaha!

Rocky Road

Applejack tilted her hat back. “You ready to do this?”

Maud gave a silent nod.

“Begin!” said Rockhoof.

Tendrils shot at Applejack, but she throttled into a gallop. Maud’s attacks missed her by inches and then by feet as Applejack picked up speed. Maud remained rooted while her eyes traced Applejack even though she only appeared as a blur to Maud.

“Go, Maud!” Pinkie cheered before pausing to cough.

“Take it easy, Pinkie,” Spike cautioned.

“She’ll need the encouragement,” said Dash. “Applejack is a top contender.”

Pinkie grinned. “Good to hear you saying nice things about somepony else, Dashy!”

“I’m just stating the facts.” Dash kept her focus on the arena. “Applejack has all of us remaining beat in speed.”

“Even you?” Pinkie gasped.

“Probably.” Dash glanced at her wings and then back at the arena.

“Wow! Then this will be a super match!” Pinkie widened her grin, but when she turned her attention towards the fight, the edges of her smile wavered. Right, Maud?

Applejack serpentined toward Maud. Shadow crashed down all around her and splashed back up when it hit the arena’s tiles. It quickly retracted back to Maud and shot out again. When Applejack was within yards of her, Maud started blasting tendrils of shadow out in Applejack’s general direction.

Applejack sidestepped a strike, swung under another, and swerved to avoid a third. This continued until she was in striking distance of Maud. She reared back a foreleg and launched it straight at Maud’s head. A wall of shadow rose up to block, but Applejack drove her hoof into it. The shield rippled like water and then fell apart with the consistency of mud. While it glooped onto the ground, Applejack struck Maud with enough force to send her tumbling across the arena.

~~~

“Get the transfusions going,” said a unicorn with a line of stitches and a red teardrop for a cutie mark. His horn glowed, securing himself and the two stretchers in front of him to the cart as it rocketed across the desert.

Two ponies lay prone on the stretchers, both stallions, one a lean yellow specimen and the other was large and red. Both bore cutie marks related to apples. Both were covered in gauze in various areas and tubes ran from their upper legs to bags filled with various liquids. Two new bags had just been added. Their crimson contents snaked down into the stallions’ veins.

The EMT looked at the two other technicians in the ambulatory cart. “Monitor Braeburn for seizures and Big Macintosh for blood clots. Stability is our priority.”

“Yes, sir,” the other technicians responded. Training kept the voices at an even keel even as they sped along, keeping two professional heroes from the brink of death.

~~~

“Ooh!” Sugar Glider winced. “That was one heck of a blow!”

Vinyl blinked at Sugar and shook her head. “Right, I would have said the same. After Maud’s last fight, she looked to be quite a challenge, but Applejack managed to pull through and land a solid hit!”

Rather than taking advantage of knocking Maud off her hooves, Applejack remained where she was. On the other side of the arena, Maud took a breath and got back up on her hooves. Applejack’s attack had left a clear indent on her right cheek, but she just stared at Applejack and summoned some tendrils to her side.

She was about to launch them when Applejack called out, “What the hay was that?”

The tendrils wavered and sunk back into the black pool under Maud.

“You may be Pinkie’s sister, but I’m her friend, so I know how hard it was for her to get through your Talent.” Applejack jabbed a hoof at Maud. “So how come I can dodge and break through it like it was a rotten barn wall?”

Pinkie’s pupils shrank. “Oh no…”

“Well,” Sunset kept her voice low and smirked, “seems like our class is just filled with idiots that don’t know how to use their Talents right.”

Maud let out a snort and charged. Applejack stood her ground. Maud lashed out with wisps of shadow, but Applejack wove around them. Maud drew close and drove a hoof at Applejack’s head, but she parried it and bent Maud’s leg out of the way. Rearing back in a blur that should have knocked off her hat, she bent forward at the same speed and slammed her forehead against Maud’s.

“Oooh!” Sugar Glider and a fair portion of the audience winced.

Maud staggered back, blood trickled onto her muzzle. Her shadow wavered under her, and, while her eyes remained straight, her blinks had increased from intermittent to sporadic.

Applejack’s head was just slightly reddened. “That knock some sense into you? If you ain’t prepared to throw everything down, then you shouldn’t have bothered to step into the ring in the first place!”

“Maud!” Pinkie cried out with, her eyes a bit sharper now and her blue irises a bit more brilliant. “Just focus on the fight! You can do it!”

“Hmm.” Maud glanced in Pinkie’s direction and then back at Applejack. Without another word, she rushed forward. Applejack jumped back when Maud swung at her, but shadow burst off Maud’s leg and struck Applejack with an uppercut.

Applejack flipped backwards and managed to roll in midair so she landed back on her hooves. A bit of blood dripped from her lip. She wiped it away and glared at Maud. “That’s more like it!”

Applejack rushed at Maud. Maud responded in kind while also shooting shadows up from the ground at Applejack. A few managed to crash into Applejack, but with eyes trained for moving at high speeds, she was able to spot them seconds before they struck and step aside just enough to take out a significant amount of the blow.

Just as she came within striking distance of Maud, blood spurted from Maud’s head. One of Maud’s legs caught on the other and she went into a tumble. Before she could hit the ground, Applejack burst forward, allowing Maud to fall onto Applejack’s side rather than the stone. She was out cold.

“Dang,” Applejack sighed. “Us Apples really can be hard headed sometimes.”

~~~

“Prep the operating room,” said a mare clad in a white coat.

The mare oversaw nurses and other hospital staff trot through the intersecting halls. Those under her listened and made their way down one hallway while others came in the opposite direction.

“Tools are sterilized,” said one of them to her.

“Okay, make sure we keep the blood pressure at stable levels and get those bone fragments out as quick as possible.” She looked over Big Macintosh’s legs. Like the EMTs, her training kept her calm, but she had to wonder how a villain had managed to cause so much damage. The damage resembled something more akin to an attack from a rabid beast.

~~~

“Um… winner, Applejack?” said Sugar.

“I guess so.” Vinyl gazed down at the ring and watched ponies carry Maud off. “Guess these first few matches have been such a rush we forgot that pacing yourself is important too.”

“Oh, right.” Sugar paused for a second and thought. “That last match must’ve really taken it out of Ms. Pie.”

“Both of them,” Vinyl added.

~~~

“Oh Maud!” Pinkie sniffled into Maud’s chest. Maud sat up in bed and stroked Pinkie’s mane. “You were great out there, especially at the end!”

“Thank you.” Maud took a breath and stilled her leg. “I wish I could have gone further for you though.”

“I’m just glad you got everything cleared up in the end,” said Applejack. She had a few bumps from the fight, but nothing a quick examination by Redheart could not fix. “When it comes to a fight, you can’t let other things get to you, especially when you’ve got family to think about… least that’s what my brother always says.”

“Big Mac is pretty good with his words,” Pinkie giggled.

“Yeah,” Applejack chuckled. “Just you wait, once I win this thing, we’re gonna have quite a shindig at Sweet Apple Acres!”

“I can’t wait!” Pinkie cheered.

“Yay,” said Maud.

~~~

Some miles outside of Appleloosa, where the dry desert started to yield to a bit more grass, a deep orange earth pony arced down from the sky, sending up a cloud of dust when she landed. She stood still for a moment, but the ground and shrubs reverberated around her. A second later, she exploded off the ground and crested through the air once more. Sweat flew off her, but she knew she had a long way to go.

Apple Cobbler
Talent- Bound: Through Earth Pony magic, she’s able to gather up energy and unleash it through her legs. This allows her to cover great distances in record times. She’s never been to a big city, but it’s likely she could clear some of Manehattan’s tallest buildings in a single bound.

Landing again, she took a breath. Canterlot was still just a silhouette, but she continued on her way. Applejack, though she did not know it, was awaiting her.

Dragon's Cry

When Pinkie had rushed off to the recovery area, she had left just Spike and Rainbow Dash from the group. Spike got up and cast a glare back at Starlight. She smirked.

Dash gave him a slap on the back. “Go get her!”

His scales stung a bit from the force of Dash’s hoof, but Spike smiled. “Right… little surprised to see you supportive.”

“Well, you’ve known Twilight the longest out of all of us and it sounds like you’ve duked it out with her quite a bit, so I want to see what you’re made of.”

“Then I’ll see you in the final round!” Spike spun around and marched off.

Dash beamed until Spike disappeared into the hallway and then glanced at her wings. She took a breath and slid back into her seat. She muttered, “Yeah, Twilight would want to do that, right?”

While Dash turned pensive, Starlight remained seated and turned her head toward Wallflower. Wallflower bolted upright and jittered out to the stairs.

If anypony noticed the curious timing, their attention shifted to Applejack when she returned to the stands before Wallflower could leave them. The two passed by each other, but Applejack just came back to her seat and sunk into it.

“Phew, that last bit really got me,” she said.

Dash blinked. “Oh, uh, right.”

~~~

Spike made his way through the halls to the ring. While the main hallway was wide to accommodate the large crowds, it had offshoots back up to the stands, bathrooms, janitorial areas, security corridors, and emergency exits. As he passed by one such offshoot, Wallflower bent forward with the tip of her horn angled at Spike’s back.

Wallflower Blush
Talent- Forget Me Not: Memories are a thing of the past if you get on Wallflower’s bad side. Her Talent has gifted her with niche control over memory spells. She can send out tendrils of magic to erase a few seconds to minutes of her target’s memory depending on the intensity of her spells. Direct contact with her horn allows her to rewrite memories to a certain degree. This Talent can even be used on bewitched objects to make them “forget” the spell enchanting them.

Wallflower was centimeters away from Spike with her horn. Then, a veil of magic wrapped around her head and pulled her into the shadows. Her hooves scuffed against the floor, causing Spike to turn, but he was met with an empty hallway. Refocusing on the fight ahead, he strode forward.

~~~

Starlight was somehow already waiting for Spike in the ring. She grinned. “Well, well, my first time fighting a dragon. I can’t wait to see how you fare. It will be quite educational.”

Spike let a bit of smoke trail out of his nose under a furrowed brow. “You need a lesson in respecting your opponents, plus a good kick in the butt.”

“Oh, got you a little riled up, eh?” Starlight’s grin sharpened. Good work, Wallflower, seems you kept enough intact for him to still be mad without knowing what’s in store.

“Begin!” Rockhoof declared.

Spike rushed at Starlight. Like with Derpy, she fired a shot straight at his head. As the magical bolt rocketed at Spike, Starlight mused to herself. Too easy. If something like Wallflower’s Talent can affect a dragon, I should be ju—

“Oh, my stars!” Lotus and Aloe shrieked at the same time.

“What the hay?” Applejack yelped.

Trixie paled and sank into her seat. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

Sunset had emerged out of the hallway, having slipped out when she had noticed Wallflower and Starlight’s interactions. Now, she hoisted Wallflower up with her magic high enough for Starlight to get a clear view of her. She sported a busted nose and a blackened eye. The singed bits of fur on her torso indicated some fiery blows had been unleashed there as well.

“Whoa!” Dash exclaimed. “What did she do to tick you off?”

“Nothing to do with me.” Sunset sneered down at Starlight. “I just want to see everyone go all out.”

At the same time that exchange had occurred, the world slowed around Starlight. Her eyes widened at the sight of Wallflower in Sunset’s grasp. They, they grew even bigger when her spell crashed against Spike’s head and scattered into fragments of light. Spike tore forward while pulling back his right arm.

“This is for Derpy!” Spike’s fist smashed into Starlight’s left cheek, sending her tumbling across the ring.

“We’re off to a blazing start!” Vinyl announced. “It looked like Starlight was gonna try a similar tactic to what she pulled in the first round, but Spike wasn’t having any of it.”

“There are many unknowns about dragons, but their physical and thaumic resistance is well established,” Sugar added.

“We did see that in the last round.” Vinyl slammed a hoof down and leaned forward. “But now we’ll get to see what Starlight can do when push comes to shove!”

“It did seem a bit like she was distracted by something.” Sugar glanced at the participant area, but Sunset had already flung Wallflower into an empty seat by Trixie. It had almost looked like she aimed to hit Trixie, causing her to jump out of her own seat.

“Let that be a lesson,” Sunset remarked before strolling to her own seat. With a snort, she focused on the ring. “In a match, it’s just you and your opponent, nothing else.”

Back in the ring, Starlight wobbled up to her hooves. She coughed and a bit of blood flecked onto the tiles. She glared at Spike with enough intensity to give him pause. “Okay, you want me to experiment a bit? That’s fine too.”

While Starlight’s horn lit up, Spike charged. “You think I’ll let you get off another spell?”

He bounded across the ring and swung at Starlight, but his fist passed right through her. He would have gone into a tumble, but he rolled with the momentum and managed to spin back onto his feet. Starlight had vanished from the ring.

Taking a breath, Spike closed his eyes. The faint scent of iron drifted into his nose. “There!”

He rushed forward and struck at what appeared to be thin air. His fist connected with something solid and he drove it further. He blinked just as a sound akin to glass shattering rang in his ears.

In a blink, Rarity was in front of him with his fist buried in her cracked side. Tears of jewels spilled down her cheeks. “S-spike, wh-why?”

Spike staggered backwards. “Rarity?! What are you doing here? Why are yo—”

Rarity lurched toward him. The damage he had dealt to her side spiderwebbed out. When it reached her eyes, they glazed over like frosted windows. “Why, Spike? How could you do this? You… you monster!”

“Rarity!” Spike cried as she began to crumble. Seconds before she was reduced to dust, a blast of magic rammed into his gut. It shot him off his feet and sprawled him out on the ring.

“Wh-wha—”

Before he could catch the breath knocked out of him, something kicked Spike. He was left gasping for air and holding his side.

“Well,” Starlight’s voice echoed. “You blocked an instant takeover, but if I go for the more obvious connections, you’re no better than a pony.”

Gulping down air, Spike shot out a whip of flame. It lashed out against air in one second and in another it was tearing through multiple crystalized Raritys. Spike immediately cut off the flames. Another spell slammed into him. He moved to get up, but his right claw sunk into the ground. He suddenly found himself on the edge of the ring.

“Oops, better watch yourself,” Starlight snickered.

More Raritys appeared and wailed.

“Spike, why?”

“Why, Spike?”

“Stop it, Spike!”

“Spike, stop!”

“Shut up!” Spike pushed his claws against his ears. “You’re not real!”

“Aren’t they?” asked Starlight.

Spike shook his head, but the wails still invaded his ears. He had felt crystal against his claws. He could smell gemstones. Then, in a flash, something came to him. His claws shot away from his head. His right claw grasped the index digit of his left claw.

Starlight’s eyes widened just before Spike gave the digit a hard jerk. The crick was only loud enough for her to hear, but those in the front rows were able to spot the odd angle Spike’s index digit was now bent at.

The illusions faded away and Spike glared at Starlight while he let out ragged breaths. Starlight wrinkled her nose at him. “So, the pain threshold was lower than I thought. I’ll need to work on that.”

“Whoa,” said Tree Hugger. “So, like, that’s what all those books were talking about.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “I might regret this, but mind explaining a bit more?”

“Um, I’m not, like, totally sure, but…” Tree drew a line with her hoof from Starlight to Spike. “She sent a bunch of bad vibes into our little dragon dude.”

“That why he was swinging at the air and shooting fire at nothing?”

“Uh-huh,” said Tree. “But then, like, he followed all the advice my books say about breaking your body to free your mind… I totally thought that was a metaphor for meditation leading to spiritual enlightenment. My guru seriously owes me for not explaining that better.”

Applejack’s eyes were about to spin in their sockets. “I’d like it explained better!”

Sunset crossed her legs over her chest. “He used the most basic method a non-unicorn can to overcome a mental hex.”

Applejack blinked. “Still not following.”

“Well, you did fall particularly easy to her,” Sunset sighed while Applejack bristled. “Okay, really simple this time: that dweeb was under a spell and the easiest way to break it was inflicting a certain level of pain on himself.”

“Ow, ow, ow!” Pinkie called out from right beside Sunset. Sunset snarled and shot out a jet of flame but Pinkie hopped over Sunset’s head and back into her seat. “Oops, sorry, Shim-Shim.”

“Call me that again and I’ll snap your neck.” A vein pulsed on Sunset’s head.

“Right-right.” Pinkie gave Sunset a salute and then turned her attention to the ring. “That’s a pretty crazy move for Spike to pull off though.”

“Yes,” said Maud, having appeared just as suddenly as Pinkie. She had enough foresight to at least stay away from Sunset and remain by the stairs. “To prepare for school, I read about dealing with mental hexes. It must be beneficial to have digits like that. I read ponies usually resort to breaking a rib.”

Pinkie, Applejack, and Dash shuddered.

Dash squinted at Spike. “So do dragons know about that or what?”

Starlight pondered the same thing. She furrowed her brow at Spike but then grinned. “Ah, this is quite a learning experience. Now, where in Equestria did you learn that little trick?”

Spike answered by sending out a blaze in Starlight’s direction. Yet, he thought, I’d like to know too!

Starlight appeared to Spike’s right. “Trying to cover it up with base thoughts like that?”

“Get out of my head!” Spike yelled. He swung at Starlight, but when he thought he hit her, she appeared just a few inches to the left of the spot he had struck.

“Oh, but there’s so much more I want to know!” Starlight cackled. “You’ve spent so much time with Twilight Sparkle after all and her Talent has caught my attention.”

“Get out!” Spike swung and missed again.

“Or maybe you could tell me what you’re doing with Princess Celestia so much? Is that where you learned all your tricks?”

“Stop!” Spike roared and unleashed a barrage of fireballs.

A hoof slammed into the back of his head. He snarled and got up while Starlight stood over him. “Oh, that’s cute. You think you can be a hero?”

Spike snorted with smoke billowing out of his nose. He tore out a chunk of the ring, crushed it and flung it around the air. A few bits of scattershot managed to nail Starlight, making her stagger back. Yet, she wore a grin.

“When really, you’re just like every other dragon: a slave to greed.”

Spike smelled it before he saw it. He shut his eyes as hard as he could but caught a glimpse of it glisten. He shattered the bones of another digit, but the crick was drowned out by the sound of soft clinks of metal against more metal and stone. He fell to his knees and felt himself sink where the ground had been solid before. Something pressed against him and he recognized the touch, but he shook his head and tried to clear it away. “N-no.”

“Invoke…” Starlight chanted, “Primal Desire.”

~~~

The talons Twilight had managed to construct seized up around the cup. Tea and bits of porcelain spilled down. They evaporated into the air before they hit the ground.

“Well, that’s certainly a big step in one direction,” said Luna. She paused upon seeing Twilight's grimace. “I’m pretty sure I made it so that even if broken, the cup couldn’t cut. What’s wrong?”

Twilight swiveled her head around and then glanced down. A new cup had appeared in front of her. “I… I’m not sure. I just suddenly felt incredibly worried about Spike.”

“Hmm.” Luna placed a hoof to her chin. “Sister is there, as are many skilled pro heroes.”

“You’re right.” Twilight did not lift her eyes. “I’ve just never felt anything like that before.”

“Well, there is not much you can do now, so I would not let it get to you. Rest assured, Spike and the others are in good hooves.” At the same time, Luna thought, It couldn’t be. If that feeling was the same as sister’s, then…

~~~

To Spike, the world around him glistened. The ring, the crowds, and the majority of the colosseum were now engulfed in gold, jewels, and countless other treasures. Something stirred in Spike’s chest and he writhed on the ground, scattering coins and gems that only made the throbbing within him intensify. It drummed in his ears and resonated deep into his bones.

“S-stop,” he cried.

In reality, Starlight stood a few feet away from Spike and grinned. Despite all the tempting noises she made sure Spike heard, her voice rang through the illusion. “Well, I didn’t expect a primal desire to also be a primal fear, but this proved quite interesting. I’ll have to remember this in the future. Now, yield.”

“W-w…” Spike whimpered.

“Give in,” Starlight ordered. “Just give in and this ends.”

Spike stopped shivering. In a flat tone, he said, “No.”

The grin vanished from Starlight’s face. “‘No?’ Fine, you’ve been like an open book for the past few minutes, so I’ll ju—”

“Mine,” Spike growled.

Starlight tilted her head, unsure what to make of the statement. In that moment, Spike shot off the ground and leered at Starlight. His pupils were piercing vertical lines now and a third eyelid blinked from the side of his eyes. Starlight shuddered and the glow around her horn diminished. “D-don’t think you ca—”

“Mine!” Spike roared with enough ferocity to echo across the colosseum.

Smolder blanched. “Shit.”

She flew out of her seat and rushed down to where the guards were. One of them ordered, “Hey, back to your seat while the fight’s going on!”

“You need to call off this match now!” Smolder demanded. “That stupid pony messed with something she shouldn’t have!”

Back in the ring, Spike thrust out a claw at Starlight. She jumped back, but Spike’s arm lengthened and thickened, allowing him to seize her by the neck. He bellowed, “Mine!”

Starlight gasped for air, but none could get past Spike’s grip.

“Give!” He throttled her into the ground and raised her back up. “Mine!”

He slammed into the ground again. At the same time, his legs grew upwards followed by the rest of his body.

“Ouch!” said Vinyl. “It appeared Starlight had Spike at her mercy, but Spike has pulled out what looks like a trump card and is now dealing Starlight some serious damage!”

“I… I think we had better call this soon,” said Sugar. She recalled the stories Luna had told her of her fights with dragons. Some had been clever, but most had been like wild beasts and had not stopped until their target was ash or Luna had neutralized them.

Back in the ring, Starlight’s horn glimmered every couple of seconds, keeping her from passing out each time Spike slammed her into the ground. In the brief intervals where he whipped her through the air, she blasted him with spells, but they ran into a mental wall of pure instinct and greed. Worse, Spike’s attacks grew in ferocity with each swing, as did his mass. He now stood over a meter taller than an average pony and showed no sign of stopping.

Applejack bent over to Pinkie. “Remind me not to ever tick Spike off.”

Pinkie shivered. “I don’t like this.”

“Brutal,” Dash muttered.

Sunset felt goosebumps run up her leg. She shook her head. No, it can’t be…

“Glimmy!” Firelight cried out. “Oh, somepony stop that brute!”

“Are all dragons like that?”

“I can’t believe they’d let something like that into the School.”

“How awful.”

Similar mutters could be heard all around the colosseum.

In her box, Celestia charged up her horn. “I had hoped not to interfere, but at least now I’ve had time to prepare.”

“Hmm…” Cheerilee swished her tail around. “So, it doesn’t work on dragons. Rockhoof, you’d better get on it.”

“Ay, this ain’t much fun anymore.” Rockhoof pulled out his shovel. “That lass has put up a good fight, so it’d be a shame for her to suffer permanent dama—”

“Spike!” a voice called out just as he was about to throw Starlight out the ring. Rarity pressed her bandaged hooves against the railing and yelled, “Spike, stop! That’s not what a hero… that’s not what you would do!”

Spike froze. Starlight dangled in his grasp. The damage had finally taken its toll and she hung limp. His claw loosened and went to his head. It was joined by the other claw and he raked them against his scales. He convulsed and stomped around the ring with enough force to crack the tiles. Falling to his knees, he craned upwards, let out a roar that chilled the audience to the bone, and then slammed his head into the tiles.

A blast of light shot out of his body. Only Vinyl managed to observe Spike shrinking back down to his usual size. When the light cleared, he was back to normal again. He now bore a similar wound to what Maud had suffered in her fight with Applejack. A silence fell over the colosseum and only Spike’s gasps could be heard. Everypony drew in their breath when he wobbled to his feet. He looked over in his friend’s direction and mouthed, “Thank you.”

Smolder stopped struggling against the guards that had moved to restrain her when she had not complied with their orders. Just yards from the ring, she could see that Spike’s eyes were clear and his pupils once again rounded. “No way.”

“Great job, Spike!” Pinkie’s cheer echoed through the colosseum.

“Bit rough, but you did it!” yelled Applejack

Taking a cue from Applejack and Pinkie, Vinyl declared, “Winner: Spike!”

While medical staff rushed to scoop Starlight up, Sugar sank into her chair and sighed, “That was quite harrowing near the end. I’m glad Rarity managed to stop Spike… that’s not against the rules is it?”

“Looked like Starlight was already unconscious, so it’s likely not a violation.”

“Either way, Spike’s future opponents will need to be on guard.”

Back in the ring, medical staff approached Spike, but kept a safe distance. Sucking in his breath, he took a step forward. The pain in his digits focused his eyes. He gave his head a shake and started limping off in the direction of the recovery room. Nopony said anything while he did—the excitement had not been this drained since Pinkie and Maud’s fight.

As he walked, he felt an itch at his side and scratched it. His thoughts were a jumble, so he did not turn to look at the raised and discolored scale that irritated him.

End of Round 2

Author's Note

My only regret is that someone was able to call where this would go

Clouds Gather

“Oh my goodness!” Rarity smothered Spike in a hug when he emerged from the recovery room. “Spike, I only got to see the last bit, but that really scared me. You looked like…”

Spike pushed her away. “I know… sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” said Pinkie. “That meanie Starlight just made you go loco in the coco.”

“I should have fought it more…” Spike looked down while scratching his side. “It was just…”

“Irresistible?” Smolder appeared from around a corner and rolled her right shoulder. “Man, those guards do not mess around. More importantly…” She pointed at Spike. “What in the name of Fafnir are you?”

“Tired,” Spike sighed.

Smolder rushed over and glared at him with the same intensity as earlier. “Don’t mess around with me, whelp. I can count the number of dragons that have overcome greed sickness on one claw. Explain.”

“It…” Spike shuddered. “It was like I was drowning in gold and jewels, but at the same time watching the fight from far away. I fought at hard as I could, but I kept sinking further and further away.” He then looked at Rarity. “Then, I heard you call out and saw everypony else there. I thought of Twilight and how I couldn’t let any of you down… and then I was on the ground.”

When he gave his side another scratch, Smolder peered at closer. Her eyes exploded in size. Her voice echoed throughout the hall, “What? What?!”

Everyone shuddered at her outburst. Before Spike could act, Smolder grabbed hold of him and pulled his side up to her face. She focused on just the discolored scales. She spotted other ones nearby that were beginning to raise up and change to deep violet and magenta. “How? This can’t be right! You’re just a hatchling!”

Spike paled. “Wh-what’s wrong?”

“Everything!” Smolder put Spike down. She then took a breath and stared at him with an icy look. “You need to come with me. Now.”

Rarity trembled. “Is Spike in danger?”

Pinkie looked over her own body. “I’m not getting anything.”

“No!” Smolder slapped her forehead and shook her head. “I mean, maybe? Gah!” She jabbed a talon at Spike. “You! Start making sense or you’re coming with me.”

Spike took a breath. While he had been getting the injury to his head and digits fixed up, he’d caught sight of Twilight resting in bed. “I can’t.”

“But you… I…” Smolder tugged at her horns and groaned. A bit of smoke spilled from her mouth. Sucking in air, she pinched the bridge of her snout. “Okay, okay. You can do this, Smolder. It’s just what looks like a hatchling that keeps doing the impossible.”

With another breath she managed to focus back on Spike. “If, by the slightest of chances, I’m right about what I’m looking at, you shouldn’t keep fighting, or rather, you won’t be able to.” She pointed at his side. “That itch is going to spread, followed by a smell more foul than anything you’ve ever imagined, then changes in the loudness of your voice, and flame incontinence. Nidhogg knows how long this might last with you.”

Spike’s claw froze over his side. “It’s a disease, then?” He glanced around with beady pupils. “Is it contagious?”

“It’s not a disease,” Smolder sighed. “You should just find a cave or something to wait it out in.”

Spike closed his eyes and calmed his nerves. “Okay, I get it…”

Smolder let her shoulders slump. “Right, well, I know there’s a few caves under the ca—”

Spike flared his eyes open. He raised up a clenched fist. “Since it’s not going to hurt anyone else, I’ll keep fighting for as long as I can.”

Smolder bristled. “You idiot! There’s no reason. Forget these ponies and just think for yourself!”

Spike glared at her. “I’m not going to forget my friends. Ever. I’m going to win this for them!”

“Sheesh,” Applejack chuckled. “Looks like I’m in for one hay of a fight.”

“I’ve got so many friends to cheer for!” Pinkie giggled.

“I’m sorry to hear you’ll be a little inconvenienced, but I’m sure you’ll do marvelous out there, Spike.” Rarity glanced at Applejack and Dash. “Oh, you too, dears.”

Dash remained silent but cracked a small smile.

Smolder stared at the group with her mouth agape. With a snort of smoke, she spun around, threw her claws in the air, and stormed off. “Screw it, Lady Ember is gonna chew me out either way, might as well just see how this all ends and have fun watching.”

When she vanished behind a corner, everyone had a good laugh. While they all made their way back to their seats, a bespectacled orange colt with white fur running down his muzzle and around his hooves remained in the shadows. He bit his lip and looked up at the glowing light above the recovery room.

~~~

It stung when Starlight opened her eyes. Her head throbbed, her legs throbbed, and her ribs throbbed. Everything ached. She managed to look down and saw that she was covered in gauze and casts.

“Glimmy!” Firelight cried. He moved forward to cuddle her, but Redheart shoved him back.

“What did I say?” she scowled.

“S-sorry,” Firelight whimpered. He then turned his attention back to Starlight. “Oh, my poor little Glimmy-Whimmy! How could I have let you do this?”

“Because you occasionally use your head,” Starlight coughed. Then, she noticed another pony standing by her bed: the orange colt. “Dad, I need to talk to Sunburst.”

“Oh… okay. I’ll ju—”

“Alone.”

“Right, right.” Firelight scuttled over to the door. He closed it as slowly as he could. Despite her current state, Starlight shot him a glare through the crack in the door and he closed it fully.

Starlight sighed and sank into her pillow. She did not meet Sunburst’s eyes and stared up at the ceiling. “I messed up.”

“Well…” Sunburst took a breath. “You did go a bit far, but what you showed was well-received.”

“I got distracted.”

“You’ve always had a drive to win.”

“I wanted to break him.”

“You’re being too harsh.”

“I messed up.” Her voice had a bit of a tremble to it.

“We’ll work through it.”

“But everything you had figured out… ” Starlight sniffled. “I… I’m sorry.”

Sunburst bent over Starlight so that she had to look straight at him. She averted her gaze, but he moved along with her eyes, forcing her to acknowledge him. “We had contingencies. You did fine, Starlight. Your performance was excellent. Nopony will doubt you did your best and that you have a viable Talent.”

Tears had collected around Starlight’s eyes, but she managed to show Sunburst a shaky grin. “It’s thanks to a manager who knows how to keep me in check.”

Sunburst blushed. “You always make it sound so professional.”

~~~

“Heya!” Derpy waved at Spike and the others when they returned to their seats. While they settled down, she took a lick of the yellow ice cream with a purple swirl and specks of what looked like chocolate she held with her right wing.

Pinkie scratched her chin. “I was wondering where you had gone… and also what flavor that is.”

“The best ever!” Derpy took another lick. “I can’t pronounce the name though. The doctor said it super easy, but I kept biting my tongue trying to say it.”

“You were talking with him for quite a bit,” said Rarity.

“Actually…” Derpy lowered her head and blushed. “He offered me an internship.”

“What?” Everyone yelped.

“I was shocked too,” said Derpy. “But he said he had a knack for these sorts of things and usually picked an intern from one of the first rounders.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “And there was nothing off about that?”

“Oh no.” Derpy shook her head but made sure to keep her ice cream stable. “I mean, I didn’t believe it either at first, but he gave me information on all nine of his earlier interns. They’re not superstars, but I’ve heard of a few. He was even the first hero to give White Rose a job.”

“Hay, even I know her.” Applejack grinned. “Probably the only pony that’s dealt with as many timberwolves as an Apple.”

“Regardless, congratulations, dear!” Rarity beamed.

“Thanks,” Derpy giggled. She then turned her attention to Spike, who was using the back of his seat to scratch his spines. He stopped when he noticed her. “Spike, Aloe and Lotus told me how hard you fought… thanks.”

“Somepony had to put Starlight in her place.” Spike twitched and rubbed his back against the chair again. “Geez, Smolder wasn’t kidding about this.”

Applejack strode behind Spike and ran the edge of her hoof down his back. He let out a relieved sigh. “You made a good speech and all, but if this is really getting to you, I’ll be sure to fight with everything I got in your steed. Twilight’s my friend too, after all.”

Tree Hugger poked her head near Spike. She lazily traced over Spike’s body, stopping to examine the raised and discolored scales popping up across it. “Ah, dude, I love this School. I get to see, like, so many new colors. These ones kinda look like what foals go through and I know that’s not a super fun time.”

She bent backwards and pulled out a bottle from her bag. A thick blue liquid sloshed inside. “This is meant to, like, calm your outer aura, so it totally works to deal with colors like what’s going on with you. Just put it on wherever you’ve got those flare ups.”

“Thanks.” Spike reached out the take the bottle, but aura seized it first.

Sunset held it in her magic’s grasp for a moment and then flung it back at Spike. She snickered at Tree, “So, how much did you pay for something you can get at a drugstore for chump change?”

“Those are, like, totally different. This is a homebrewed elixir that dates back to the Founding Era without any of those nasty additives.”

“Antihistamine is antihistamine,” Sunset shot back. She got up from her seat and stomped down the stairs. “That’s too pathetic.” She grinned and it sent a chill down Spike’s neck. “I’m not sure what you did, but the drawbacks are clear. Say hi to Twilight when you lose.” She glanced at Rainbow and Applejack. “Same to you two.”

With that, Sunset strode off. Applejack snorted in her direction and pawed the ground. “Looks like Starlight isn’t the only one that needs a licking. Rainbow Dash, if you don’t do it, one of us…”

Applejack stopped. There was only empty space where Dash had been a second ago. Both Applejack and Pinkie scratched their heads. Applejack readjusted her hat while Pinkie shrugged.

“I guess somepony couldn’t wait to give Sunset a lesson,” said Applejack.

Rarity said nothing but rubbed her chin before taking her seat.

Author's Note

Aside from Bakugo's grin, I realized when Sunset is in a particularly bloodlusty mood, her expression matches another firestarter (minus the nervousness)

Prismatic Flames

“Don’t think I’ll waste my time like Twilight did.” Sunset raked the ground.

Opposite of her, Dash stood firm, her face betraying no emotion.

“Begin!”

Rainbow Dash burst into the air. At the same time, Sunset unleashed a volley of fireballs. Their blazing trails remained and turned the attacks into fiery whips. Dash zoomed toward Sunset. The whips lashed out, but she dodged them all. The ones that got mere centimeters from her appeared to be blown back before they could find their mark.

Sunset furrowed her brow. Dash was just inches from her now, but Sunset held her ground. Just as Dash pulled back a leg and aimed it at Sunset’s head, she dipped to the left and crashed beside Sunset. Sunset converged the whips into a great mass of flame and sent it crashing down on Dash.

At the last second, Dash pushed off the ring and returned to the air. Her hooves sizzled and a few burns were visible on her lower legs. The blast from the attack scorching the ring sent her hurtling upwards, but she managed to stabilize and swooped into a hover a good distance above Sunset.

“Fast learner when it comes to flying, eh?” Sunset mused.

“A merciless starter from Sunset!” said Vinyl. “It looked like Rainbow Dash was dancing through Sunset’s attacks, but at the last second she faltered!” She turned to Sugar. “Think she’s still recovering from the last match?”

“It’s not that.” Under her Tantabus disguise, Sugar ruffled her wings. “The way Sunset attacks… it’s just speculation because of how advanced it is, but she may be manipulating the air to throw Rainbow Dash’s flight off.”

“Whoa! That does sound pretty advanced, but I can’t argue with what I’m seeing!”

Sunset grinned up at Dash. “You can’t stay up there forever!”

“I don’t intend to.” Dash divebombed. It was not as fast as her initial takeoff, but it would still get her to Sunset in just seconds.

Like before, Sunset cemented herself in place. This time, a net of flame flew out of her horn.

Dash flew straight at it, but before she slammed into it, she came to a sudden stop. The gale she carried with her raced into the net while Dash jerked to the right. Sunset felt the net strain against the gale but shifted it toward Dash.

Dash managed to zoom past the net before it could entrap her. Sunset was almost within striking distance.

With a gleam in her eye, Sunset turned the net towards herself and Dash. It transformed into a blazing dome. Dash noticed aura glistening around Sunset’s mouth while she felt her lips dry out and her lungs filled with burning air. Yet, she plowed forward.

Sunset canceled out the oxygen spell around her mouth and summoned a barrier. Dash pulled back a leg and sent it crashing down on Sunset. Her hoof got scorched but it cracked the barrier and slammed into Sunset’s side. Sunset went tumbling into the fiery dome, but, since she was the one to summon it, it evaporated before she could hit it.

Dash gulped down fresh air even though it stung a bit. On the other side of the ring, Sunset got back up to her hooves.

“So,” Sunset coughed, “you’re not holding back.”

“That’s right,” Dash snorted and took off.

Sunset started charging her horn. “That strategy must be new for you though. How long can you keep that switching up?”

Sunset managed to turn her leg crimson right as Dash launched a kick at her head. An explosion threw Dash back and Sunset’s hooves screeched against the ring. Both took a breath and charged.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “‘Switching?’”

“I see what she’s saying.” Tree squinted at the ring. “Rainbow was, like, a near blank to me before she fought Twilight. Now, she’s like, really lighting up, but she can go blank at times. Really useful when Sunset is filling the air with bad vibes.”

Applejack shook her head. “Why do I bother?”

“Oh!” Bulk Biceps slammed one hoof on top of another. “I get it. It’s like those super tough workouts where trainers mess with the air, so you have to rely on just innate strength! It’s rough but it gets you swole!”

“I wish Twilight were here,” Rarity sighed.

Spike scratched at his cheek. The discoloration had spread up his side, back and now his face. “Me too, she’d probably be able to use thaumic vision to confirm that Dash is switching her magic on and off to deal with Sunset messing with the ai—”

His claws shot to his mouth.

“Spike?” Rarity peered close to him. “Is everything okay? Whatever you’re going through isn’t making you sick, is it?”

Tree rustled through her bag. “I got something for that too—”

A particularly strong blast from the ring rattled the lower seats. Dash had a few more burns across her legs, but she had managed to parry Sunset’s blows. Sunset, on the other hoof, was now marred with welts and bruises across her body. Both were breathing heavily.

Vinyl leaned out of her box. “Here I thought this was gonna be a more technical fight, but it’s turned into a down-to-earth slugfest!”

“Hmm.” Sugar rested a hoof on her chin. “They must have both realized a close-quarters fight is the best strategy for beating the other. Giving a unicorn or a pegasus space allows them more freedom to employ their races’ traits to their advantage, especially pegasi.”

“Yet Rainbow Dash and Sunset are pitching quite the fight!”

“They’ve probably both trained for this.”

Shadowbolt leaned back in his seat with a grin on his face. That’s it, Dash. That Sunset is a contender, but you know what to do…

Dash’s leg ripped towards Sunset’s horn. Sunset shot up a barrier, but Dash stopped. Rolling with the momentum of the feint, Dash spin kicked Sunset in the side. The blow knocked the already ragged breath out of Sunset and sent her careening towards the edge of the ring. Everyone’s heart caught in their throat. She rolled across the ring and flew over it.

“Looks like we’ve got a ri— Huh?!” Vinyl’s eyes widened behind her goggles.

The crowd gasped.

“Oh hay,” Applejack cursed.

Spike stopped scratching for a second. “Crap.”

Rainbow Dash spread her wings. Strategies flew through her head in order to combat what was before her.

Four jets of flame roared out of Sunset’s hooves. She hovered outside the ring. While still huffing, she wore a chilling grin. “A bit more of a kick and I might have been in trouble. Blow it fighting the earlier matches? You’ll regret that. I’m not half-assing it like Twilight. This is how to beat a pegasus. Daedalus Engine, ignite!”

Sunset rocketed toward Dash. Before Dash could take to the air, Sunset was upon her. Sunset pulled a leg and shot it at Dash’s head. Dash saw the blow coming and moved to dodge, but the flame that had covered the hoof moved back to Sunset’s joint and then fired. Her hoof exploded into Dash’s cheek, sending her tumbling.

“Oooh!” Cheerilee winced but also felt a pleasurable shudder run through her. “Such brutality, but what an artful spell! I love it!”

Dash had rolled with the blow and used it to launch into the air. Her head spun and she could taste iron, but she flew upwards. Even with her vision blurred from the attack, she could still feel the heat nearby.

Sunset followed. With the jets at her hind legs propelling her into the sky, she launched blasts of flame at Dash with her forelegs. Dash serpentined up and around the attacks, which filled the sky with pyrotechnics and crashed against the barrier.

“It’s literally heating up, folks!” Vinyl declared. Fire spread out in front of her, with only the barrier keeping her safe. She wiped fresh sweat from her brow. “Who would’ve thought we’d see two unicorns take to the sky today!?”

~~~

Back on the ground, a guard rushed up into the competitor area. “Is Ms. Applejack here?”

“Yeah.” Applejack got out of her seat. “Something up?”

“Can you please come with me? There’s apparently a family member asking for you.”

~~~

“Impressive,” Sunset called out while trying to shoot Dash down. “You’re getting faster at switching between magic and pure muscle. But how long can you keep this up?”

“I could say the same,” Dash shot back. She looped over a blast and then slammed into Sunset’s side. The blow sent her spiraling away for a few feet, but she shot out her legs and stabilized. Smoke rose off her horn.

She turned and snorted at Dash. “That endurance of yours really pisses me off.”

She gave chase again. As they climbed though, static accumulated around Dash’s wings. They ached from the strain of the fight, but Dash pushed herself higher. When she and Sunset reached near the bounds of where they could fly, Dash turned after dodging another volley of fire from Sunset. Lightning burst out of her and raced toward Sunset.

Sunset snarled and threw up her forelegs. The jets of fire around her hooves expanded into a fiery barrier. The lightning crashed into it and spread out around it. While Sunset’s attention was on the bolt, Dash came up from below and barreled into Sunset’s underside.

“Yes!” Bow cheered.

“You’ve got this, Dashie!” Windy shouted.

Twinkle furrowed her brow. Darn it, Sunset. Don’t let a pegasus that was just fooling around until now beat you.

Sunset hurtled upwards from the blow, but Dash zoomed around before she could recover. With hooves crackling with electricity, she bucked Sunset in the back. The attack sent her spiraling to the ground.

Vinyl, along with a good part of the audience clenched up. “This might be it, folks!”

Mere inches from the ground, Sunset put her jets on full blast and came to a stop. Despite all the heat the fight had generated, everyone felt a chill go through them. Enough smoke curled off of Sunset’s horn to conceal it until its tip turned golden and blinding.

Dash recognized the shift in temperature and knew she had to finish the fight. She tore down at Sunset. A cone of air formed around her. At the same time, Sunset fired off all her jets and soared up to meet Dash. Streaks of gold and red plasma swirled off her horn while a myriad of colors started appearing around Dash.

Vinyl scooted back a bit. “Brace yourself folks! Looks like we’re in for another big one!”

“Again?” Fleetfoot gasped. He spiraled around the barrier while shoving stacks of clouds in between where Dash and Sunset would meet.

Sunset now resembled a flaming comet, Dash a multicolored bullet. Dash could feel the pressure all around her. She just needed a little more force to break through.

An image of a newspaper with tomorrow’s date flashed in her head. There was her picture with her holding the first-place trophy. On the side there was another picture of Shadowbolt with a victorious grin on his face.

“Rainbow Dash, I don’t understand.” An imaginary Scootaloo inched back from Dash and into darkness.

“I… I wanted to win… to show you I could…” The words caught in Dash’s throat.

“To show you she can never forget me,” Shadowbolt sneered. “This will be ourvictory, Rainbow Dash!”

“I’m not doing this for you! I’m doing this for Scootaloo, for Twilight, for my frie—"

The air pressure yanked Dash to the left and then the right. Her flight turned erratic. Below, Sunset zoomed upwards. With eyes burning like her horn, she rammed into Dash with all her might. “Enma Impact!”

A massive conflagration consumed Dash and Sunset. The barrier shuddered. Cheerilee was lifted off her hooves. Rockhoof, thanks to his size, was able to stay grounded, but the explosion still forced him to bury his shovel and grit his teeth on it. Smoke filled the arena.

When it cleared, everyone spotted Sunset in the ring. Her horn sizzled and smoke rose off her hooves. Her eyes shot open and she stood straight up despite the strain it put on her legs. She rapidly looked right and left while baring her teeth. Her glare then centered on a spot on the other side of the arena. Damn her! That lack of resistance…

Dash lay slumped against the wall outside of the ring. A charred chunk of her shoulder was torn out in a near complete circle. Sunset lunged at her. With what magic she could summon, she lifted Dash up. “What the hay was that!? Stop messing around! I had you! I had you going all out and yo—”

Sunset’s face turned bright red. Her eyes rolled up and then she crashed to the ground. Cheerilee stopped swishing her tail and trotted closer.

Cheerilee- Hero Name: Heat Stroke

Talent- Burning Heart: This mare will school you in a way that is not appropriate for school at all. She’s able to control pheromones and induce a delirious state. She can adjust the intensity to merely confuse an opponent or even knock them unconscious. Some species have more resistance than others, so she likes to “research” whenever possible.

Both Sunset and Dash were out cold.

“By ring out, Sunset Shimmer wins!” Vinyl declared.

Author's Note

The Long Road to Friendship

Awakening

Shadowbolt crossed his hooves. His eyes followed Dash as medics scooped her up and carried her off. “Hmmm, I would have liked to see her take down a dragon…”

His slick grin made the ponies near him shiver. But you’re still confused, aren’t you, Rainbow Dash? In that case…

~~~

Spike slid out of his seat, making sure the bottom part rubbed against his back. Discolored scales had overtaken his entire torso, face, and right arm. They were creeping over his left arm and down both legs. Pinkie wrinkled her nose and Rarity turned her head up. Both of them and the others nearby could smell what at best could be described as a mass of rotten cheese stuffed in a used gym sock and left to ferment in the sun.

“I should probably get going,” he strained to say, in part from embarrassment but mainly due to his vocal cords constricting, reducing his voice to a rasp.

“Keep an eye out for Applejack,” said Rarity. She chewed her lower lip. “Oh, I do hope there was nothing wrong.”

Right as she said that, Pinkie’s right ear flapped down and left hindleg curled upwards. “Um…”

Up in the announcers’ box, a guard rushed in. Careful since his voice might get picked up, he advanced over to Sugar and hoofed her a message. Thanks to her disguise, neither the guard nor Vinyl saw her eyes widen. She pulled Vinyl over and whispered to her. She had a similar reaction to Sugar before turning her attention to the audience.

“Folks, I’m sorry to say this, but Applejack had a personal matter to attend to, so Spike the Dragon wins his match by forfeit. That, uh, concludes the third round.”

“We’ll be taking a small break to allow Sunset Shimmer time to recover,” said Sugar.

The audience below teemed, some to use the restroom or grab a snack, but many to chatter.

“I don’t like this…” Pinkie murmured.

Maud gave her a pat on the back. “It’ll be fine.”

Rarity frowned. “I wish I’d kept my mouth shut.”

~~~

Starlight sat in her bed and furrowed her brow. “Darn, another opportunity lost to gather intel.”

She felt a jolt of magic nearby. Honing in on it, she noticed it was similar to what it felt like when she used a spell to enter another’s mind. Her eyes narrowed on the pony that had drawn her attention. “Now, what could that be about?”

A burst of flames on the other side of her cut off her thoughts.

~~~

Spike had stopped in the hall upon hearing the announcement. With the smell coming off him, he did not want to return to his friends, but he also did not want to immediately head for the green room. His mind raced. The itch was getting worse by the second, Applejack was gone, and the final match was sealed.

Down the hall, the door to the medical room exploded off its hinges. Sunset stomped out with eyes ablaze and teeth clenched. She only held Spike in her gaze for a second, but it chilled him to his core. In a flurry of sparks, she stormed off, leaving hoofprints seared into the floor.

Nurse Redheart poked her head out and yelled at Sunset, “I’m sending the bill for the bed and the door to your parents!”

Now absolutely certain he did not want to go to the green room, Spike headed to the medical room when Nurse Redheart stepped back inside.

When he entered his eyes widened. Twilight was up. Her limbs were all in casts, but her horn was bare. It appeared covered in soot with purple more clearly visible here and there. It had gained a knob on the right side a little above her forehead.

“I’m not going to heal any more injuries like this,” Redheart lectured. “If you continue using your Talent like this, it may lead to per—”

She stopped when Spike’s smell wafted into the room. Both she and Twilight looked at him. He blushed and scratched at his face. “Uh, good to see you up, Twilight!”

His claws shot to his mouth at the unexpected volume of his voice. He could hear it echoing down the hall.

Twilight smiled. “Good to see you too, Spike. Looks like a lot happened while I was out.”

“I’ll say!” Pinkie cheered from behind Spike with a clothespin pinching her nose.

“It is quite good to see you awake, Twilight,” Rarity said as she entered the room. Her nose twitched but she bore with it. She looked toward Redheart. “Will she be able to watch the match?”

“Well, it does look like she’s got some friends to move her around.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy coughed from her bed. “Good luck out there, Spike. You… you can do it.”

Spike decided that the hesitation in Fluttershy’s voice came from her fever.

“Your match is next, Spike?” Twilight grinned. “What round are we at? Who are you facing?”

“Easy, Ms. Sparkle,” Redheart cautioned while she set up a wheelchair. “I did my best, but you’ll still be on the mend for a few days. If your friends weren’t here, I’d recommend staying in bed, but given it’s the final match, I’ll let it pass this time.”

“The final match?” Twilight gasped. Her grin widened. “Congratulations Spike…” She glanced at Rarity. “You too, Rarity! I can’t wait to watch.”

“Um, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. You see…” Rarity bowed her head. “Spike will be fighting Sunset.”

“Huh?” Twilight turned and made sure that Dash and Starlight were in the other beds. “I know she has a temper, but if Sunset got through the second and third rounds, why was she so mad?”

Pinky displayed a shaky grin. A bit of sweat rolled down the side of her face. “Rainbow Dash might have been dealing with some stuff during their fight that caused her to hold back at the last second.”

Rarity blinked. “You could tell?”

“I could feel,” Pinkie corrected.

“Oh…” Twilight bent her head down. “Oh…”

She then looked at Spike. He was back to scratching his scales. His stench was growing more pungent by the second. He sighed, “I know what you’re gonna say, Twilight. This may sound a little weird, but if it weren’t for you and the others, I might have been in really big trouble. That’s why I have to win this, even like this.” He resisted the urge to scratch long enough to clench his fist and show the determination in his eyes. “Also, I don’t know why but something tells me I need to show Sunset that her power isn’t everything.”

“Spike…” When Spike’s eyes met Twilight, he saw her smile. “I know exactly how you feel. So, no matter what happens, you go out there and do your best.”

Spike grinned from ear to ear and rushed over to give her a hug.

Twilight hugged him back but after a second, her cheeks gained a tinge of green. “And afterwards let’s get you a good bath.”

“Oh, sorry.” Spike disengaged and backed off. “I’m not even really sure if that would help. You remember that dragon, Smolder, I met earlier?”

“The one that works for Lady Ember?”

“Yeah.” Spike noticed a few jagged metal bars sticking out of the burnt remains of a bed and rushed over to scratch his scales against them. As he did, he let out a few small belches that caused smoke to rise out of his mouth. When he could talk again, he voice was strained and quiet. “She says it’s not anything dangerous, but it’s really inconvenient.”

“It’s what?” Twilight asked.

“It’s really inconvenient!” Spike suddenly yelled. He paused when the itch forced him to rub up against the pointed ends of the bars. “Sorry.”

Before anyone could say respond, Spike burped again, but this time a massive wave of flame spewed out of his mouth and consumed what was left of the bed. Redheart rushed over, brandished a fire extinguisher and sprayed it all over Spike and fire.

“Every year,” she muttered. “Every year.”

Spike sat in the middle of the ashes and remaining extinguisher foam and sighed, “Is it weird this feels better than the stuff Tree Hugger gave me?”

“And it does mask the smell a little,” Rarity commented.

~~~

Vinyl leaned back in her chair and stretched. She was about to doze off during the break when she noticed Tantabus waver a bit. “Uh, you okay?”

“Just fine.” Though Vinyl could not see it, Tantabus peered at the roster. “So, quite a final match we’ve got coming up.”

“You’re telling me. Hope the barrier can handle it. Well, Imma rest now so I can keep an eye on everything when we get started again.”

“I’ll be sure to wake you up.” By the time Tantabus finished his sentence, Vinyl was fast asleep. Tantabus had always known her to be an easier dreamer. Extending out a leg, he morphed a bit of it into a tendril and connected it to Vinyl. “Now, let’s just get caught up.”

~~~

Sunset stewed in the green room. She had tried sitting but when the chair turned red with heat, she kicked it away and stomped around the room, muttering, “Damn it! To be made a joke like that! It’s all because Rainbow Dash held back! It’s all because…”

Rarity had held back because of what others would have thought of her.

“That’s why I can never thank my friends enough,” Fluttershy had said.

“I… I want to be a hero too, but before that I’m your friend!” Dash had cried.

“I want to be a hero that protects my friends!” Twilight had yelled at Dash.

Sunset’s hooves slammed into the floor, scotching it. She snarled.

“It’s all because of Twilight. She got in their heads. Made them forget about winning the damn festival! That dragon dweeb is probably the worst of them all.”

The temperature around Sunset went from sweltering back to normal. Her grin was thin and chilling. “Well, I’ll just have to show them where all that friendship crap has gotten them.”

Dragon's Roar

Spike stood alone in the ring. He could not resist scratching himself all over. Walking to the ring and standing there, he had felt his vocal chords contract and expand to varying levels, making it hard to take deep breaths and calm his heart rate. In addition, belches had assaulted him, ranging from minor hiccups of smoke to vomitous flames that scorched the hall leading into the ring.

Twinkle Shimmer furrowed her brow and muttered, “Damn dragon, that thing is unpredictable.”

Jack Pot grinned when Spike burped, sending out a fan of flames. “Afraid of an X factor?”

“I wouldn’t blame you,” Firelight sighed. “That brute even managed to one-up my Glimmy-wimmy.”

“Is this even fair?” another pony whispered.

“Dragons have too many tricks up their sleeves.”

“What about a handicap?”

“He should just forfeit.”

“Hmm, this is tournament for heroes after all.”

“My-my,” Blueblood mused with perked up ears. “Seems the crowd is in favor of Sunset. True, she was quite violent against me, but I’d prefer her win over the dragon’s.”

“Indeed” Jet Set concurred.

“Oh yes,” said Upper Crust.

“I’m probably gonna regret this but…” Roseluck, Golden Harvest, and Junebug turned to Mud Briar. “What are your thoughts?”

“Spike presents several factors I have not accounted for. His abnormal growth, his apparent rash, and his inconsistent conflagration expulsions are most prominent.” Mud took a slow and steady breath. “On the other hoof, Sunset appeared at an emotional apex in her confrontation with Rainbow Dash that went unresolved due to Ms. Cheerilee stopping her. Sunset has demonstrated a vast knowledge of spells and sciences, making her a formidable match for any opponent at our level.”

While most of Mud’s explanation went over Golden and her friends’ heads, she managed to hone in on the last few words. “What do you mean ‘our level?’”

“We are still only first years,” Mud answered. “That likelihood that an opponent with more power and experience radically changes my expectations with the fight.”

“So…” Roseluck and the others leaned closer to him. “Who are you betting on?”

Mud blinked, leaving Roseluck’s group lingering. “Too many unknowns. I will observe and consider different scenarios after the match.”

“Gah!” all three fillies screamed as they fell back into their seats.

“Foals.” Suri grinned. “Clearly Sunset will win. She already beat Fluttershy while she was using dragon powers.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Everyone in her row turned to see Starlight getting lifted back into her seat by Trixie. They held their breath while Trixie eased Starlight into her seat. Trying to get as comfortable as she could with her injuries, she sighed, “You all saw what that dragon did to me. If he could do that while out of control, I can only imagine what awaits.”

Suri wrinkled her nose. “Whatever. Look at him. He clearly blew it with you, Starlight. Now he’s just an itchy stinky mess. Are we sure we can’t ask somepony dealing with the barrier to make it also cover smell?”

“Be more observant,” Starlight ordered. Suri straightened and focused on the ring. Starlight’s eyes had been on it since she had returned to the stands. “If we ever encounter dragons, this match will be critical in our education. Moreover, Spike will be a powerful ally. We would do well to know how to cooperate with him.”

~~~

Pinkie wheeled Twilight back to the seats. “Thanks, Pinkie.”

“You just tell me if there’s anything you need.” There was somehow a hat emblazoned with a red cross atop Pinkie’s head. “I’ll be on nurse duty for this round.”

Rarity had her eyes on the ring. “If only there was something we could do about the itching.”

“I can try hucking a bottle at him,” Tree Hugger suggested.

BonBon sighed, “You forgot about the barrier, didn’t you?”

Tree stopped ruffling around her bag and sank back into her seat. “Ah, barrier, right. Probably would get me in trouble for throwing stuff too.”

“Hmm.” Twilight bent her head down. “I wish I could talk to Smolder. She might know a bit more.”

In another part of the stands, Smolder sneezed. After wiping her snout with a claw, she crossed her arms over her chest. Her pupils were narrow and piercing with enough intensity to make the ponies near her inch away. She did not notice. Her world came down to only Spike and the ring. “Well, whatever happens, this’ll be great to brag about.”

~~~

Sunset emerged opposite of the hall Spike had come from. With her earlier display, Spike had expected her to storm into the ring wreathed in flames. But, she stepped up to meet him in a measured walk. With the ice in her eyes, he found himself wishing his expectations had come true.

“This is it!” Vinyl announced. “The final round: Sunset Shimmer versus Spike the Dragon! Hope you got a chance to cool off during the break ‘cause I’m betting things are gonna heat up fast!”

“Indeed,” Tantabus commented. Given what Vinyl observed, I just hope Sunset can handle how the last match ended.

“Begin!” Rockhoof declared.

Spike opened his mouth to shoot out flames, but only embers fizzled out.

“Even I was expecting more,” Sunset sighed. She strafed around Spike with her horn aglow. “If you had any brains, you would have forfeited in the state you’re in.”

Spike rushed her, but she weaved around his claws. His movements stalled whenever an itch rose up and distracted him for the fraction of a second Sunset needed to dodge. With her horn glowing bright, she launched a spell at Spike.

Spike yelped and fell to his knees with the magic drilling through his scales and hooking into his flesh. With orange smoke rising off him, he huffed, “What did you do?”

“Just made the air a little more breathable,” Sunset answered. Throughout the colosseum, ponies removed their hooves from the noses, took whiffs, and let out sighs. Back in the ring, Sunset snorted, “You’re pissing me off enough without that stench. Now then…”

Sunset was upon Spike in an instant. She pulled back a leg and launched it with the aid of a blast from behind her knee. Her hoof slammed into Spike’s face, launching him to the right, but Sunset clocked him with another blow to the other side to keep him in front of her.

“I’ve observed enough.” Sunset drove a hoof into Spike’s left ribs. Blow after blow rained down on him. Her hooves gritted against his scales, sending out a shower of sparks. “This is enough to cause trauma, but not break anything yet.”

She relented for a second to let Spike catch his breath. He took the chance to jump back. “‘Yet?’”

“That’s right, I’m going to take my time with this.” Sunset exploded off the ground in a burst of flames and plunged her hoof into Spike’s gut. The blow sent him flying across the ring. He sucked in air, trying to regain what Sunset had knocked out of him. She advanced over to him. While she did, she sneered at the participant’s section, particularly Twilight. “I figured this match meant more to you than just winning first place. So, let’s see how much those scales are really worth!”

Spike wobbled to his feet. He gasped for air and scratched his neck but managed to glare at her. With a snort, he charged. “Not if I take you out!”

“Please.” With a burst of flame, Sunset sidestepped Spike and smacked him in the back of his head. He crashed to the ground, cracking the tiles. She stood over him while he struggled to get up. “Look at yourself. Look at your friends. You all failed because you got tied up with what others think about you.”

Spike was halfway to his feet. “What about Fluttershy?”

Sunset kicked Spike, sending out a wave of flames in her wake. The strike sent Spike across the ring, but a fiery net ensured he would not tumble out of it. Sunset strode over to him. “What about Fluttershy? I respect her for giving it her all, but in the end, she still lost. A hero that loses is worthless!”

Spike could only get onto his knees and palms, but he still shot a defiant glare at Sunset. He wheezed, “So what about the first game? Or your fight with me and Maud?”

“You and your friends really don’t know how to shut up, do you?” Sunset’s expression was cold and focused when a burst of magic shot out of her horn. A collar of flame squeezed around Spike’s neck, leaving him with only a minimum amount of air. Sunset lifted him up with her spell and launched her hooves at him. The collar expanded and contracted with each blow, allowing Spike to gasp and get whatever air Sunset allowed before she struck him again and repeated the process.

“Oh my word!” Rarity shrieked. “Why in Equestria doesn’t she just ring him out?”

“She’s venting,” Dash coughed. Everypony turned to see her limp back to her seat. “I ticked her off bad.”

Sunset fired off a bigger blast than before from behind her leg. There was a sharp crack when her hoof bore into Spike’s ribs.

“It’s not your fault,” said Twilight, momentarily sharing a look with Dash before turning back to the fight. She bit her lip. “Sunset has been like this since she got her cutie mark. Winning matters to her over anything. For that sake, she’s trained herself more than anypony I know, and having her efforts challenged is new to her. She’s gotten better since the first day of class, but she’s still having trouble processing defeat.”

“Sounds like if we both chilled out a little, we’d make good friends,” Dash sighed. She and the others winced when Sunset drove a hoof into Spike’s gut.

In the ring, Spike’s cheeks turned green and filled up. Smoke hissed through his teeth. With a snort, Sunset jumped back just as Spike spewed out fire. It had a lumpy consistency to it and spread out in an uneven way. Even though the fire was doing a number on his stomach and throat, Spike angled it around and used the massive discharge to lock him and Sunset in a dome like he had with Thunderlane.

A magic bubble formed a seal around Sunset’s mouth. “Pathetic. You think getting rid of the air will stop me? Now, how about you?”

The fire coming out of Spike’s mouth sputtered and he fell to his knees clutching his gut. What didn’t ache itched, but those concerns faded away in the face of him gasping for air. As his own flames withered, he saw that orange and gold flames were beyond them, sealing him in an even bigger dome of Sunset’s making.

“You’ve blown it.” Sunset walked over to Spike while he struggled to breath. “And for what? If you’d forfeited, you’d at least have the last two matches to show for it. Now, I’m gonna make sure you know just how worthless all the friendship crap i—”

Sunset seized up. Gemstone shards sank into her back. They were hidden in Spike’s discharge but with no flames keeping them aloft, they shot down all over the ring. Spike’s scales kept him safe, but the barrage punctured and slashed Sunset across her body. With a snarl, she closed her fire dome in on herself, destroying any gems left. Flaring her nostrils, she yanked out the shards embedded in her with her magic and sealed the wounds and cuts up with fire. She whipped her head back in Spike’s direction only for a fist to slam into her face.

While she stumbled back, Spike huffed, “Friendship isn’t worthless.”

Sunset’s icy demeanor slipped. She bared her teeth and glared at him with fury blazing in her eyes. Her right cheek smoked. Before her, Spike now glowed not with aura but with some kind of heat, making the air near him red. Sunset only took it in for a second before turning her leg crimson and charging him.

“I’ll show you how worthless it is!” she roared. Her leg crashed down on Spike but thanks to his size, he dodged. Sunset swung it back around, bashing Spike across the face. The blast sent him flying, but once more Sunset made sure he didn’t fall out of the ring with a net. It launched him back at her and she reared back a leg. “You think you’re here because of your friends? You’re here because of luck and natural ability!”

Spike belched and the jet of flames sent him out of Sunset’s range. He tumbled across the ring. Sunset pounced and slammed her crimson leg down, but Spike rolled away. The force of the blow and the subsequent blast sent him spiraling through the air.

Sunset pursued while Spike scampered to his feet. “You won against Thunderlane and Starlight because a dragon can easily outclass a regular pony, but I’m different! I’ll show you what effort yields without all that friendship crap!”

Sunset swung at Spike again. He dodged once more but this time sprung off his feet and headbutted Sunset in the chest, knocking her away. “That’s why I have to beat you! A jerk like you will never be a great hero!”

“You think you can say that after that rampage in the last match?” Fiery tendrils shot out of Sunset’s horn and lashed at Spike with enough force to knock him off his feet. He got back up even while the tendrils whipped him and put up his dukes. “You’re no better than the dragon that destroyed half of Canterlot!”

“You’re wrong!” Spike shouted with enough power in his voice to blast back the tendrils. They coiled around in the air and Sunset waited a moment. “I am better than that and it’s thanks to my friends!”

“Oh, them?” Sunset dispersed the tendrils, and her leg regained its natural color, but her horn glowed bright. “Maybe you should have looked where you landed then.”

“Get her!” Dash yelled from behind Spike.

“You can do it!” Pinkie shouted.

“We believe in you, Spike!” Rarity cheered.

Only Twilight remained quiet with wide eyes. She wouldn’t…

Sunset’s sneer at her told Twilight everything. Spike had realized it too and turned pale. He tried to breath and steady himself but the air was thin. He saw that a column of aura surrounded him and Sunset. The chilling realization even made the itch recede. The glow around Sunset’s horn grew brighter and brighter. “You’ve seen what my attacks can do on the barrier indirectly. How about a direct shot?”

“You’re… you’re bluffing,” Spike huffed.

Sunset leveled her horn, not at Spike, but at his friends. “Let’s find out. I made sure to thin the air out enough so you can’t rush me, but you can dodge. Of course, the barrier takes the full brunt of my spell then and after that…”

Sunset fired. “Flare: Line!”

A beam of plasma with a circumference about that of a pony’s leg exploded out of her horn. It melted the tiles as it raced over them straight at Spike’s friends.

“No!” he screamed and jumped into the way. The plasma crashed into his claws, blasting off some of his scales and turning his palms bright red. Sunset did not relent and kept the spell going even as it drove Spike back. He feet scraped through the melting ring.

“Too easy!” Sunset cackled. “You actually thought I’d do it! Even if I could break the barrier, did you forget Princess Celestia is here? As if she’d ever allow anypony under her watch to get hurt!”

“D-doesn’t…” Spike grunted.

“C’mon!” Sunset gloated. “Speak up! Put on that brave face while I sear this defeat into you!”

“Doesn’t matter!” Spike gripped the beam with all his might even as smoke rose off his claws in doing so. He planted his feet and would not budge another inch. “Even if Princess Celestia could’ve… could’ve stopped it, I still won’t allow you to even try hurting my friends!”

“And you’re going to lose because of that!” The tip of Sunset’s horn blackened but her beam’s intensity magnified. Spike’s palms blistered and more of his scales flew off. Beyond her beam and Spike, Sunset leered at Twilight. “Watch, Twilight! Your friends lost to me! You ruined your chances of winning this! And now, I’ll complete your failure!”

The beam exploded into a mass of fission. Spike was swallowed up along with a chunk of the ring.

“Spike!” his friends cried.

In the midst of the ball of fusing helium and hydrogen, Spike felt himself drifting into unconsciousness. Getting burnt was a new sensation to him and having it happen to his whole body made it go numb. He tried to breath, but his mouth and nose were sealed by the blistering heat. He tried to blink, but his eyes would not move. Darkness encroached on him.

Twilight… everyone… he thought with his last shreds of consciousness. Sorry. I wanted…

Something deep inside him flickered. Earlier, that same feeling had pulled him out of his nightmare when Rarity had called to him. It pushed back the darkness and made him struggle against the paralysis that had overtaken his body. His heart thudded in his chest. His thoughts raced.

That’s right! What I want more than anything else is…

The miniature sun Sunset had summoned shrank down to nothing. A large chunk of the ring was gone. A scorched crater was left in its wake. Everyone gasped when smoking fragments of stone plunged into the middle of the wreckage. Some were in the shapes of claws, spines, and limbs.

“Spike!” Twilight screamed.

Rarity, Pinkie, and Dash turned white. The audience fell silent. Sunset’s eyes shrank. She lurched over to the new edge of the ring and looked down at the shattered pieces of Spike. “Oh crap, I didn’t mean to ki—”

She paused. On closer inspection she saw the pieces of Spike only came in thin bits. There were no chunks as if he had fully turned to stone. Sunset knew her spell was not designed for that anyway.

“Whoa!” Dash gasped.

“Holy guacamole!” Pinkie grinned ear to ear.

“My stars.” Twilight’s eyes glistened. Having heard about what had happened while she was recovering, a question had bothered her, but now the answer was right before her. “So, that’s what it was.”

Sunset noticed the odd reaction from Twilight and her friends. They were staring up at the sky. She moved to look that way, but a shout stalled her.

“Sunset, move!” Twinkle yelled as hard as she could. “Move now!”

Seeing Spike apparently shatter and using her most powerful spell slowed Sunset’s mind and reaction time. The meaning behind Twilight and her friends’ actions and her mother’s warning dawned on her just as a shadow fell upon her.

A fist that glistened with every color of the rainbow smashed into Sunset. It plowed her into the ring with such force that faults spiderwebbed out and divided up what remained of the concrete. Debris swirled through the air obscuring the ring, but the crowd could still make out Spike’s silhouette leaning over Sunset with his fist pressed into her cheek.

The crowd was silent. Spike took a breath and felt new muscles and bones on his back. Something sliced through the air around him, cutting through the dust. With a mighty flap, he cleared away the debris, revealing brilliant wings.

“No way,” Dash gawked.

“Wow-wow-wow!” Pinkie gasped. “Even I hadn’t planned a party for this!”

“And he looks simply marvelous!” Rarity took in the prismatic aura that flowed over Spike’s entire body. The light that streamed through his wings’ membranes took on dazzling colors and cast the ring like stained glass.

“I want to be…” Spike looked down at Sunset, irises brimming with shifting colors. His fist had left an indent in her cheek. She twitched and heaved, barely clinging onto consciousness. Spike clenched his fist, raised his head towards his friends, and declared, “I am the hero that always protects his friends!”

Author's Note

It's Sunset Shimmer Day over at EQD so...

Dragon's Ascent

Author's Note

If you're a Sunset fan, you can put the fight to the tune of The Violence
If you're rooting for Spike, here's Dragon's by Stratovarius

Dragon's Ascent

~~~

“‘Things you know but shouldn’t know?’” Twilight tilted her head to the side.

Spike used some charred remains of the bed to rake his back. “Yeah, it just keeps coming to me in bursts.”

“I mean, we studied a lot over the summer.”

“Not about dealing with pegasus weather manipulation or fighting off a mental spell.” Spike belched but forced his jaw shut with his claws. The flames hissed through his fangs, but they dissipated before they could cause any damage. After a few coughs and thumps to his chest, Spike sighed, “I just don’t get it, and there’s no way I could have learned it before meeting you.”

“Before meeting me…” Twilight tucked her chin. After a moment of contemplation, she took a breath and looked at Spike. “I wouldn’t worry about it for now, you just focus on your fight…”

~~~

The prismatic glow coming off Spike reflected in Twilight’s eyes. “So, I was right.”

Pinkie bent over to her. “Right about what?”

“Oh, uh…” Twilight’s eyes darted left and right before a half-truth escaped her mouth. “Over the summer, Spike and I teleported together once, somehow some of my knowledge must have spread to him.”

“Lucky you two didn’t get spliced together,” said Dash.

“That only happens in books,” Twilight replied. She centered her focus back on Spike. To think the Elements would affect him too.

~~~

Up in her box, Celestia shared Twilight’s thoughts. She mused, “How curious. Now, is he a full bearer or is this just from having them used on him? But, if that were the case…”

~~~

“Color me impressed.” Smolder grinned. She then furrowed her brow. “What’s with the glow? The molt’s over and it’s definitely not a summon from the lord. Just hope Lady Ember isn’t too cheesed when I try and tell her about all this.”

~~~

“What an upset!” Vinyl declared. “Sunset had Spike on the ropes, but he managed to pull what looks like a victory! I’m pretty sure the rules don’t say anything against growing actual wings, so let’s get that ten-count started!”

“Aye,” said Rockhoof. “One!”

“Astounding,” Tantabus muttered.

“Two!”

“That’s that,” Starlight sighed. “He’s in a league of his own.”

“Three!”

“I think, with the right strategy, we could take him,” said Trixie.

Starlight furrowed her brow. “He could smell you. He can resist me. Suri would probably break against him, and we saw how he handled Thunderlane. Lightning wouldn’t do much better.”

“Four!”

“Sheesh,” Suri pouted. “Talk about a hay of an advantage.”

“It’s more than that,” said Starlight. “Natural talent can only get you so far. Behind all that, there needs to be a drive.”

“Five!”

Twinkle Shimmer ground her hooves into her leg rests. “Damn! Damn!”

“He did beat my Shim-Shim,” Firelight mused.

Twinkle shot him a glare and then focused back on the ring. “Sunset! Get up! You’re better than this! You think Princess Celestia would just lie there and take it!?”

“Six!”

To Sunset, Twinkle’s shout came through muffled and accompanied by a constant ringing. All she could feel from the left side of her face was a faint burning sensation, like standing too close to a fire. The rest of her body felt distant from her brain. Her vision was blurred and the sensation of rock pressing against her was dulled.

“Seven!”

Then, Spike looked down at her. He looked at her with those eyes that shone not just with multiple colors, but with something that made the haze ebb away from Sunset. Sparks ignited in her chest.

No, she thought as the sparks started a fire. Not here. Not to him! Not to that look!

“Eight!”

I worked hard! I slaved to master my Talent! I threw everything I had at this! Tiny flames licked at her coat. Her jaw clenched. Stop looking at me like that! I… I…!

“Nine!”

Twilight’s friends pressed against the rails. Twilight leaned forward in her wheelchair. The word was right on the tip of Rockhoof’s tongue.

“Te—”

Sunset exploded off the ground, knocking Spike back. The air warped around her as the heat in the ring skyrocketed. Veins ringed her irises as they shifted from cyan to crimson. Her shout echoed throughout the colosseum. “I will not lose!”

Flames consumed her entire body. They did not fade but rather got sucked into Sunset. It left her with a mane and tail of ruby and gold plasma. A near blinding white coat had overtaken her regular amber fur, even covering up her cutie mark.

In a burst of heat that shook the barrier, she crashed down on Spike. He raised up his arms to block at the last second, but the blow still lifted him off his feet. Sunset’s hoof brightened and Spike felt his arms grow hot. He flapped his wings and flipped over Sunset an instant before an explosion obliterated the space he had occupied a moment before. His velocity spun him upwards. Sunset snarled and gave chase.

“And another shocking turn of events!” Vinyl announced. “Sunset’s pulled out a trump card of her own! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“It’s thaumic combustion,” Tantabus gasped.

Vinyl swiveled towards Tantabus. “What?”

“It’s rare, but the proper amount of magic and a precise emotional trigger can cause a unicorn to, for a very short time, have magic radiate through their entire body, not just their horn. It’s the first time I’ve seen it last more than a few seconds.” Aside from sister.

“You heard it, folks…” Vinyl paused to cough. Her throat felt dry.

Jackpot levitated his water to his mouth, but found the cup was empty.

Rarity waved a hoof in front of her face. Pinkie offered fans to everypony.

“My job as announcer is over,” Tantabus declared. Before Vinyl could ask what Tantabus meant, Tantabus melted away.

While Sunset shot after Spike inside the barrier, a translucent night sky overtook it. The barrier now glowed a soft blue and twinkled with stars. Everyone felt the heat die down a little. Some of the younger attendees were able to breathe easy again.

Tantabus’s voice echoed, “For security purposes, this match is now limited to one minute! If neither contestant is rung out or knocked out by then, the match will be a draw!”

“‘Draw?’” Sunset stopped and hovered in the air, propelled by the fire streaming from her hooves. She ground her teeth. “A draw!?”

She angled her horn down and fired. Rockhoof blanched. “Ah, hay.”

He rushed over to Cheerilee and swung his shovel down. Earth morphed upwards and around Rockhoof and Cheerilee, sealing them against the barrier. Seeing their predicament, Tantabus opened a hole in the barrier for them to escape through a second before Sunset’s attack crashed into what remained of the ring.

Plasma shot out in all directions and lashed at the barrier. The ring was consumed, leaving nothing but scorched dirt.

“There!” Sunset yelled and went after Spike again. She fired a blast of fire laced with veins of plasma. Spike rolled and fired a blast of his own to push away from the blow. It sent him hurtling toward the barrier, but he flapped his wings and managed to come to a stop. Sunset raced straight at him. “No more ring! Just us!”

Spike snorted. The glow around him brightened and he flew at Sunset. “Fine.”

Hoof crashed against claw. An explosion rippled up Spike’s arm and burned his palm, but with his free arm, he slashed through the smoke from the blast and aimed for Sunset’s horn. She fired her hooves and swooped back, but Spike managed to shred her cheek. The wounds instantly seared shut.

At the same time, Sunset hooked Spike with a hoof to his right shoulder and sent him tumbling down. His shoulder smoked but he managed to turn with his back to the ground. His wings cut through the air, blasting it away in a cloud of debris only held back by the barrier. His right shoulder and left palm were scorched, and his left arm felt numb. He pushed the pain down and charged upwards. Sunset zoomed down.

Rather than fighting with his claws this time, Spike shot a flurry of fireballs. They glowed green with a volatile inner core of blue now. Sunset zoomed around some and took the brunt of others. They left charred marks on her, but she kept flying at Spike. Seeing her dead set on him no matter what, Spike swung to the left, missing Sunset by inches. She tried to swing at him and blasted the area behind Spike, but the force of the attack just forced him further upwards. While he climbed, he continued to shoot fire that careened back at Sunset.

“Get back here!” Sunset roared before launching her own fiery torrent at Spike. He spiraled around the torrent while he felt his lungs get close to bursting. In her mad chase, Sunset failed to notice that some of the fireballs had missed her completely and were now converging behind her.

All of Spike’s friends looked up to Spike. He was as high up as Twilight had been in her fight with Dash just as Sunset felt the heat behind her. The massive fireball soared toward her, but she snarled and fired a blast at point blank range. Smoke obscured her for a moment.

“Thirty seconds left!” Tantabus declared.

Spike gasped for breath.

Then, a blinding point of light shone through the haze. Jets from Sunset’s hooves cleared the air. She angled her horn at Spike. “I’ll knock you off this damn planet!”

Spike felt the muscles on his back straining. With time ticking, he glanced at his friends and then filled his lungs with as much air as they could hold.

Smoke rose off not only Sunset’s horn, but other parts of her body as well. Various ponies gripped their seats. Guards had noticed Smolder trying to take off but had grabbed her before her feet left the ground. Fleetfoot glided a safe distance away. Celestia and Twilight did not dare to blink.

Sunset and Spike fired at the same time. A beam far bigger than anything Sunset had summoned before tore out from her horn in a shower of sparks. Gold and crimson plasma swirled together and soared up to Spike.

Bright flames of every color flooded out of Spike’s mouth. They coalesced into a burning rainbow torrent that washed down on Sunset.

Tantabus braced himself. When the attacks met, he could not fully contain the force of their shockwave and directed it down. The colosseum rumbled. Ponies were jostled out of their seats. Smolder managed to shake off the guards and went into the air to get a better view.

The attacks surged against each other. Spike blew with all his might while Sunset fired her jets even as her hooves distorted from the heat. More smoke spilled off of Sunset. The forehead near her horn blistered. Spike felt himself sliding back and he slashed through the air with all the force his wings could muster. His muscles strained but he inched forward.

Everything burned to Sunset. Her horn. Her hooves. Every fiber of her. Yet, she kept her jets at maximum blast as her horn blackened. She would not loosen up on her spell.

“Ten seconds!” Tantabus rasped.

“No!” Sunset shouted. With every scrap of magic she could muster, she plunged forward at Spike. She heard multiple cracks around her, but her world crumbled down to only Spike. Through the flames, she could see his shadow looming over her. “I will not lose! I will not lo—”

Sunset barreled at Spike with all her might as Spike’s flames consumed her. Rainbow flames swirled out of the air meters below and Sunset plowed out of the flames straight at the ground. Tantabus bunched up around the earth at the last second, cushioning the blow. The explosion from the crash once again made the colosseum shudder.

Smoke covered the lower half of the area inside the barrier. The time limit had expired. Tantabus pulled back, his form a little shaky from taking the brunt of the collateral damage. Spike glided downwards, barely able to keep his wings open. His limbs felt like lead and his breath was ragged.

Yet, as the smoke cleared and everyone leaned forward, they saw Sunset on the ground before Spike flopped onto it. Her body was covered in burns, her mane singed off in places, and her muzzle was bent slightly to the left. It was only thanks to Tantabus that her muzzle rather than her horn hit the ground first. At that speed, and in its brittle state, it could have easily broken off. Her hooves had partially melted. She lay prone letting out only the smallest of breaths to indicate life.

“He did it,” Twilight gasped. With her casts, she could only tilt her head up, but she shouted at the top of her lungs, “He did it!”

“Woohoo!” Pinkie fired off her cannon and showered the stands in confetti.

“Spectacular!” Rarity cheered.

“Awesome,” Rainbow Dash murmured with a slack jaw.

“Winner of the First Year Sports Festival…” Vinyl amplified her voice with her magic to its maximum non-harmful volume. “Spike the Dragon!”

Awards and Advice

“Whew.” Vinyl sank into her seat but made sure she could still peer down at the remains of the ring. With precision cutting spells, medics pried Sunset from the ground. Spike tried to move, but none of his limbs responded. His wings laid limp at his sides. Even breathing hurt. A medic came over and scooped him up. “What a hay of a day.”

Tantabus did not respond. Vinyl was not sure, but it looked to her like the stars around where his brow would have been appeared brighter. As galaxies churned across Tantabus, so did his mind. So, even a dragon’s body cannot handle one-hundred percent use of the Elements. Then again, Spike is technically an infant. Hmmm, things are set for Twilight, but I’ll need to reconsider future plans…

Back down in the ring, Rockhoof looked around at the desolation and hefted his shovel. A grin spread across his face. “Ah, now this was a festival! My ancestor would be proud!”

“I’ll say.” Cheerilee thwapped her hindlegs with her tail and bit her lip. “What an amazing display. I want to have a one-on-one with all of them. Oooh, or maybe they could take me all at the same time.”

Rockhoof ignored Cheerilee’s swooning and buried his shovel in the ground. Dirt roiled like waves that rippled out from Rockhoof. In an instant, there was an earthen sea before him. It sucked in what remained of the ring, covering up the burn scars and other damage. Three pillars started to rise out of Rockhoof’s work.

~~~

“Spike!” Twilight and her friends cheered when they were allowed into the recovery room. Spike beamed at them but remained silent. He opened his mouth, but Redheart spoke before he could.

“Uh-uh-uh.” She turned toward Spike’s friends. “I’m sure you all have a lot to discuss, but Spike will need to take it easy on his throat for the next few days. He burnt it severely.”

Smolder jumped over Spike’s friends and landed in front of Redheart. “He burnt it?”

“Yes,” Redheart curtly replied.

Smolder blinked, stared at Spike, and then shook her head. “I’m done questioning what you are.” She then smiled. “Regardless, Lady Ember will totally want you as an intern, especially since you’re not grounded anymore.”

“Oh, congratulations!” Rarity ran forward and gave Spike a hug. She glanced at Twilight, who smiled, and then pressed close to Spike. His cheeks flushed. “I’ll have to do this in place of Twilight for today.”

“I wanted hug duties,” Pinkie pouted before giggling. She jumped back and forth around Spike’s bed. “I can’t wait to do a ‘Good-golly-gosh, you grew wings!’ Party! It’ll be my first time planning one! Ooh! Maybe Rainbow Dash can…”

Pinkie turned toward Dash, but she had split from the group. “Hmmm…”

~~~

“Well…” Shadowbolt grinned. “Seems Twilight knocked some business acumen into your head, too.”

Dash stared straight at him from across the hall. There was an intensity in her eyes, but the prior fury was gone now. Shadowbolt thought he saw a multicolored glint in her irises, but it may have just been a reflection of her mane. “So, is it a deal?”

“Of course, it is,” Shadowbolt bellowed. “Now, why don’t you run along and claim your bronze? I’ll blame this on you not having your head in the right place, but it’s gold from here on out.”

~~~

“It’s time!” Vinyl announced. Below her, the remains of the ring were gone. Thanks to Rockhoof, three pillars now stood amidst a flat earthen plain. “Let’s hear it for first place and the runners up!”

“Woohoo!” Pinkie cheered. Many in the participant area joined her, but stomps and cheers were spotty elsewhere in the stadium.

Looking at their friends, Spike and Dash were able to crack grins. Spike noticed others in the crowd muttering and whispering.

Sunset, confined to a wheelchair, kept her head down. Her eyes were dulled.

“Now, is this any way to treat future heroes?” boomed a voice from all directions. Everyone looked up as the area above the stadium radiated light and coalesced into the winged and horned pony everyone was familiar with. Celestia beamed at the crowd as she swooped down. “I am here t—”

“Let’s give it up for Princess Celestia!” Vinyl declared at the same time Celestia made her entrance.

“—o deliver the medals!” Celestia finished and landed in front of the winners. It was only for a second, but the faintest hint of a blush could be seen on her cheeks when she glanced up at Vinyl. Vinyl, on the other hoof, was pure red and steaming.

Whatever awkwardness remained evaporated as Celestia stepped forward. Medals of bronze, silver, and gold floated around her. With all eyes on her, she did not break stride.

“Such poise,” Rarity whispered with glistening eyes.

Celestia came to a stop in front of Dash. Dash stood stiff as a board. Celestia smiled and bent close while she slipped the bronze medal onto Dash. “You’ve certainly lived up to your name with those colorful displays today, Rainbow Dash.”

Dash blushed. “Heh, thanks.”

Celestia drew close to Dash’s left ear. “I couldn’t help but notice you seemed to falter a little at the conclusion of your fight with Sunset.”

Dash looked down. “I…”

“You’re still recovering from your fight with Twilight.” Celestia embraced Dash with a wing. It felt like a gentle summer breeze enveloped Dash. “She hit you with something far harder than any hoof.”

Dash was left speechless when Celestia backed away with a grin on her face. “I can’t wait to see how you grow from here.”

Celestia then proceeded over to Sunset. She could feel a slight warmth on her bandaged torso— her legs were in thick casts similar to what Twilight wore—but even with Celestia right in front of her, she did not look up. Celestia glanced at the silver medal floating between them: one side displayed a glistening sun and the other a crescent moon. “You know, Sunset Shimmer, first place is not everything.”

Sunset kept her head down.

“What matters is that you gave it your all. You showed great promise in today with your tactics and power. Nopony here doubts you have the ability to become a great hero.”

“Then…” Sunset slowly raised her eyes up. They were hollow spheres that reminded Celestia of another pony from long ago, but she kept up her smile to comfort Sunset. “What was I lacking?”

Celestia glanced at the other pillars. “I think it’s something Rainbow Dash remembered, and Spike always had: something to protect. I’ve lived a very long time, Sunset Shimmer, and I’ve found that beings that fight only for themselves burn out far sooner than those to fight for others.”

Sunset strained to ask, “Where can I find that?”

“It’s a lot closer than you think.” Celestia glanced over at Twilight. She then placed a hoof on Sunset’s chest. “You’ve strived hard on your own to be the best you can be, but sometimes we must expose our hearts in order to gain something even greater than strength.”

“What is it?” Sunset pleaded.

“It starts with friends,” Celestia beamed as she placed the silver medal on Sunset.

When Celestia flew up to Spike, Sunset bowed her head, but this time her eyes were contemplative.

“Spike,” Celestia said, “I heard from Nurse Redheart how you’re a bit tongue tied at the moment, so feel free to respond with your thoughts and I’ll listen.”

Spike bowed to Celestia. Thank you, Princess. I just wish Twilight could be up here too.

“Well, I think she’s pretty proud that all three of you made it to this point.” Celestia turned her head toward Twilight. Spike did the same as did Dash. Twilight looked at them all with a smile that even dwarfed Pinkie’s. Pinkie hefted a massive banner with Congratulations written on it and Rarity applauded with her hooves as loud as she could.

Behind them, Derpy and Tree Hugger blew party horns—likely provided by Pinkie. Bulk flexed at Spike to show his awe. The other class members cheered at the top of their lungs. Maud slowly clapped.

Starlight grinned. “Well, it may not have all gone according to plan, but hopefully damage control won’t be too bad.”

“I think we got what was coming to us,” Wallflower sighed and pressed an ice pack to her swollen face.

“We’ll be a little more scrupulous from now on,” said Starlight. “It’s what got everypony but Sunset so far, and she’s in a class of her own when it comes to firepower.”

“Trixie would just like to point out, she did nothing wrong,” Trixie pouted. “Trixie is quite proud of how Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Spike performed. Quite the pizzazz our year has. Speaking of pizzazz, where in Equestria has Lightning gone?”

“A dragon of all things?” Blueblood sighed.

“Quite,” said Jet Set. “What sort of example to heroes of our year is that?”

“Especially after he brutalized Starlight,” added Upper Crust.

A glare from Starlight froze all of them. “I’d watch my tongue if I were you. My injuries are my own fault. Rather than condemn Spike for losing control, you should commend him for regaining it and coming out as the ultimate victor.”

“Speaking of Twilight,” said Celestia just as she draped the medal onto Spike. She spun around. Her voice reverberated across the stadium. “These are your winners, Equestria, but I want to say something else! Everyone here today, be they pony, dragon, or any of the other races that prosper in our great land, they all have the potential to be standing as heroes! They pushed each other to higher and higher heights and forged bonds that will last a lifetime. The sprouts of today, with the nourishment of friendship, will grow to become the great heroes of tomorrow. Now, let’s have one final cheer!”

Twilight held her head high. “Through night…”

Dash thought of Scootaloo. “Through day…”

Sunset muttered, “… and ever onwards!”

Others in the crowd were saying the same phrase, but they were all drowned out by Celestia shouting, “Thanks for your hard work!”

Vinyl nearly fell out of her chair.

Tantabus shook his head. You never change, sister

Twilight and the others were stunned for a second before breaking into laughter. It had been a long day, but they had made it to the end. Their only shared regret was that Applejack could not be there with them.

Recovery II

Applejack burst into the Dodge City Hospital’s lobby. She lurched over to a desk where a wide-eyed nurse, like all the other ponies in the lobby, stared at her.

“Big… Mac…” she rasped between gulps of air. A bit of crimson spittle flecked the corners of her mouth.

“I… I think he’s still in surgery,” the nurse gulped. The hospital, while better equipped than anything in a frontier town like Appleloosa, was still relatively small, so the staff were all well aware of what was going on. The desperation in Applejack’s eyes sent a shiver down the nurse’s spine. “His injuries were severe, so he’ll be in surgery for some time. We got a transfusion going, so he’s stable, bu—”

Hearing the word “stable,” Applejack let her muscles give way and she collapsed to the ground. The nurse rushed out from behind the desk and began administering first aid. Applejack’s explosive entry had only allowed the nurse to notice Applejack looked exhausted and covered in dust. Closer inspection revealed the dust was only the outermost layer. Underneath, her mane and fur were matted and gnarled with sweat and mud. A few dehydrated leeches clung to Applejack’s legs, alongside thorns and needles.

The nurse recognized the needles from local cacti, but there were no bodies of water that hosted leeches nearby. The thorns were also unfamiliar; no plants in the surrounding area took in enough water to form thick thorns like the ones stuck in Applejack’s legs and sides.

Taking Applejack’s pulse, the nurse found it matched up with somepony having gone through an extended amount of strenuous exercise. The nurse recalled treating merchants for severe exhaustion and dehydration after they were pursued by marauders. She gauged Applejack was in an even worse state.

Lighting up her horn, she sent out a message to get a bed and an IV ready.

~~~

Twilight awoke the day after the Sports Festival as well rested as was possible with her legs still bound in casts and her horn coated in a pungent healing balm. From her bed, she called out, “Dad!”

Night Light galloped into the room. “What is it, sweetie?”

“Could you help get me downstairs for breakfast?”

“Of course, of course.” He lit up his horn and tenderly grasped Twilight with his magic. Levitating Twilight down the stairs, it took Night an extra bit of time to make it to the table as he made sure not to unsettle Twilight too much.

Velvet was already in her chair. She took a bite of toast, but her eyes were locked on Twilight while Night seated her.

Night dared not look in Velvet’s direction. Instead, he asked Twilight, “What would you like, sweetie?”

“Oatmeal with the supplement marked ‘emergency recovery’ mixed in and topped with a banana, please.”

“Gotch’ya.”

Night moved over to the stove and pulled out the ingredients from the cupboard above it. As he cooked, Twilight and Velvet stared across the table at each other. Velvet took a sip of her tea and then floated the newspaper at her side across the table. “You’re mentioned a few times, but it’s not going to net you any points for internships.”

“Mom…” Twilight grumbled.

“Not my words, it’s theirs.” Velvet went back to eating her toast but kept the paper floating in front of Twilight.

With a slight twang of pain, Twilight managed to grasp the paper with her magic and spread it across the table. Sunset and Spike’s final attacks clashing dominated the center of the page. Several other pictures from the fights orbited around it, including one of Twilight spreading out the wings she had created in her match with Dash.

“Unprecedented! First-Ever Dragon Student Wins First-Year Sports Festival!” read the headline. Below the pictures, the story started, “It was another memorable Sports Festival and Equestria now stands poised to expand who counts as a ‘hero.’ Spike is the first-ever dragon student at Equestria’s premier Hero school, but also the first non-pony to win the Sports Festival. Some are expressing concern about what this means for future Festivals though…”

The piece was already souring to Twilight, so her eyes drifted to the stories in the corner. Her eyes went wide at the bottom right piece. Its headline was “Big Mac in Big Trouble?”

With her heart beating faster, Twilight tore into the story. Big Mac had been attacked and seriously injured in a fight with a villain dubbed the Black Griffon. The rest of the story was just speculation as that was all the Apple Agency, Big Mac’s agency, had been willing to comment on. Twilight closed her eyes and prayed for Applejack and her family.

~~~

Sunset glared at the letter sitting on her desk. Its edges were brittle and black from her first read of it. She had almost burnt the whole thing to ash, but the loss from the other day extinguished her initial perception of the letter. She had taken some breaths and re-read it. She considered the sender and the writing-style— even with the rough hoofwriting, Sunset guessed it was likely a third or fourth draft. With each retread, Sunset’s opinion shifted until she sighed and summoned over a piece of paper and an envelope.

The letter Sunset had received took up about a quarter of a page, but Sunset’s response was a single line:

Fine. I’ll meet you in two days at eleven.

From,

Sunset

With help from her father, Sunset had the reply sent off. Reading the letter and writing the reply left Sunset’s eyes heavy. In truth, the gnawing feeling since she had had since she regained consciousness after her loss had robbed her of a good night’s sleep. Yet, she had powered through the day into the afternoon until the letter arrived.

With a yawn, she maneuvered onto the bed with her casts making her movements blocky. While the fight still replayed in the back of her head, the meeting now occupied the front of her mind. In the past, she had always put together meetings. At least, that is how it had been since she got her cutie mark. Reflecting on her response and thinking about what may come up, Sunset fell fast asleep.

~~~

Rainbow Dash had spent most of the first day after the Festival asleep or talking things over with her parents. Both sides had said much, and it left them all tired yet content as far as their family matters were concerned. Awakening the next day, Rainbow Dash, in addition to preening like she normally did, took additional time to comb her mane, brush her fur, and be extra extensive in cleaning her teeth. She looked in the mirror and took a breath to steel herself. She set off for the train station.

Sitting on the train, the thought that had bothered her since the conclusion of the Festival once more popped up, Should I have sent a letter first?

Watching the landscape roll by with Canterlot shrinking further and further away, she reaffirmed her choice, No, if I’m going to do this, it’s going to be face-to-face. That way…

She always stopped herself before her thoughts could go further down that path. She stared out the window and drifted back to thinking about her fight with Twilight and the words they had exchanged. Replaying the fight in her head, she nodded off to sleep.

A conductor awakened Dash when the train reached its stop. Giving her neck a crack and rolling her wings around, she stepped off the train and into the bustling station. Weaving through the crowd, she eventually made her way onto the streets, which were also flooded with ponies on the sidewalks and carriages in the road, many of them colored yellow. Above the street soared carriages of an identical hue with their reflections rippling across skyscrapers. Before now, the only building Dash had seen that rivaled the towers that lined the streets was the Castle.

In the moment she took to gawk at her first view of Manehattan, several ponies bumped into her.

“Watch it!” one yelled at her.

“Tourist,” another grumbled.

Dash snorted back at them and moved along. When the crowd freed up a little, she took to the air and sped off. Her flight lasted until a cop pulled up to her and made her land beside a hay-dog cart. “You realize how fast you were going?”

“Pretty?” Dash winced.

“Dang tourists.” The cop pointed to a nearby sign displaying a hoof and a wing above the number fifteen in large bold print. A similar sign but with a wheel painted on it stood next to it. Identical markers lined the streets. “Flight and gallop speed is fifteen miles per hour. I clocked you at fifty.”

Dash bowed her head. “Sorry, I was ju—”

“Wait a minute.” The cop took in Dash’s vibrant mane. “You’re the third-place winner of the Sports Festival, aren’t you? Rainbow Dash, right? Sheesh, already getting calls for interviews, eh?”

“That’s no—”

“Okay, okay. I’m just giving you a warning this time, but keep the speed down until you’re patrolling the streets.” The cop took to the air and tipped his cap to her. “Looking forward to working with you in the future.”

Dash watched the cop disappear into the stream of ponies and vehicles. A few other ponies were now looking in her direction. Lifting off the ground, she made sure to stay under the speed limit and continued on her way.

Every couple of blocks, she would check the map she had bought the day after the Festival. She looked at it in shorter and shorter intervals until she came to the steps of an apartment building. Despite the butterflies multiplying in her stomach, some relief washed over her seeing the well-cleaned windows and walls that faced the street. Matching the address in her head with the one emblazoned on the front of the building and confirming the name was right, she climbed the stairs.

The front led past a leasing office and into a small courtyard with some tables set up for residents to enjoy on a nice day like today. A few colts were playing a game of marbles when they caught sight of Dash. They watched her crest up to the second floor, whispered to each other with wide eyes, and then scampered up the stairs. They peeked around a corner just as Dash reached a door.

Dash paused. She once again considered if she should have sent a letter. Even as she thought this, she lifted up a leg. Her heartbeat drummed in her head. The knock of her hoof against the door seemed to echo.

She waited. She tensed when she heard a deadbolt slide out. The doorknob turned. For what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open.

Purple eyes peered up at Dash. Her heart caught in her throat. The filly half-hidden by the door was taller now, but her violet mane and orange fur were just as Dash remembered. Her flank was still blank. Dash and Scootaloo stared at each other for a precious moment.

Scootaloo broke the silence. “Rainbow Dash?”

Dash had had time to think of all the things she wanted to say, but now even a single word got caught in her throat. “H-hey.”

~~~

“Thanks for setting this up, Pinkie.” Twilight took a sip of hot cocoa. Pinkie and Rarity had steaming mugs in front of them as well. All three sat around Twilight’s living room.

Pinkie glanced at the bandages that had replaced the casts around Twilight’s legs. “No-problemo! It’s a bit smaller than when we got accepted, but I’m still so happy with how well we all did!”

“And I don’t mind a little additional attention,” Rarity chuckled. “My word, you should have seen how ponies were looking at me on the way here.”

All three of them glanced at an empty seat. Twilight bit her lip. “I hope th—”

Everypony’s ears perked up when a door opened up. Hearing the patter of feet, they all looked toward the back of Twilight’s house. Save for the purple claws poking out of a trenchcoat, Spike was completely covered with said coat draping over his legs and tail, a wide brimmed hat concealed his head, and a pair of oversized sunglasses and a scarf hid his face.

Unwinding the scarf with one hand while rubbing his back with the other, he sighed, “Sorry I’m late.”

“Your hero costume got quite the update!” said Pinkie. “I definitely wasn’t expecting you to go for the noir look!”

“It’s not an update,” said Spike. “Even at the castle, the crowds and press are crazy trying to get to me. I had to walk on all fours here just to keep up my disguise.”

Rarity glanced at the stained sleeves of the coat. “Ah, well, I’ve heard worse reasons for dirtying up a coat.”

Removing said coat, Spike stretched and spread out his wings. He jerked a claw back at them. “And that’s not even getting into these things. I don’t get how pegasi deal with them.”

“They’re born with it,” Pinkie quipped.

“Speaking of pegasi, where are Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?” Spike asked while he took a seat. He seized up a moment when he leaned back and bent a wing at an odd angle. Lying back at a slower pace, he managed to get comfortable.

“I checked in with Fluttershy this morning, she’s doing much better, but said she wanted to take it easy until tomorrow,” Pinkie answered. “As for Dashy, I guess she’s with her family. I haven’t seen her for the past two days.”

“And Applejack?” Spike asked. Everypony turned their heads down.

Pinkie’s mane lost a bit of fizz. “Nothing.”

“I just can’t believe the Black Griffin was able to hurt both Big Mac and Braeburn.” Twilight’s mug shook in her magic’s grasp, so she set it down. “They’re both high-ranking heroes. Griffins are known for having a lion’s strength but it’s still hard to believe just that and an aerial advantage would be enough to take out two pros.”

“I’ve read it started with targeting lower ranking heroes, but it’s growing bolder.” Rarity shuddered. “What in Equestria could it want? You’d at least expect a villain to steal something.”

“Creepy,” Spike murmured. He blinked and a pink hoof holding a mug of cocoa with emeralds in place of marshmallows was in front of him.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” said Pinkie. “Applejack and her family are some of the strongest ponies I know. They’ll get through this.”

Twilight forced a smile. “Agreed.”

“I just hope Applejack is back by tomorrow. It’d be a shame to miss school.” There was a glimmer in Rarity’s eyes. “Oh, speaking of which, I’ve got some wonderful news regarding Coco…”

~~~

Fluttershy’s eyes darted left and right every couple of seconds. She could feel the attention focused on her. Her ears twitched when she thought she heard her name or the name of the pony sitting across from her at the café.

“You chose to meet here,” Sunset snorted. While just as aware of the stares and murmurs around the two of them, Sunset leaned back in her chair and perused the menu after shooting a glare at Fluttershy. “So, what’s good here?”

“Oh, um, well.” Fluttershy stiffened when she saw a waiter approaching. “The, uh, avocado toast is really good!”

“ ‘kay.”

After ordering, Sunset directed her gaze at Fluttershy, who was still alert to the occasional attention she and Sunset garnered. Sunset furrowed her brow. “If you’re going to be jumpy like this, how are you going to handle actual work?”

“I… I’ll get over it,” Fluttershy quibbled. “How do you deal with it, Sunset?”

“I don’t care. Getting the job done is what matters.” Sunset lowered her eyes to her coffee. “That’s why I don’t lose.”

“I see. I can’t do that. I lose a lot. I get scared… I get weak.” Fluttershy took a sip of her tea. When she looked up at Sunset, the air seemed to shift. “But I always try to get better because there’s somepony out there I need to get stronger for, somepony I have to protect.”

Sunset took in Fluttershy’s words, but a reply could not form in her head. An unfamiliar sensation of emptiness sank into her gut. She understood what Fluttershy had said, but when she applied it to herself, she found herself lacking. For years, she had lacked for nothing: strength, popularity, prestige, but now there was something missing.

A poke at her side drew Sunset out of her thoughts. The smell of fresh eggs and kale from the plate in front of her finally reached Sunset. Fluttershy bowed her head and backed away. “Sorry, you looked really focused, but I didn’t want your food to get cold… did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Sunset sighed while Fluttershy went back to her seat. “I’m just a little distracted with recovery and the fight. Thanks for bringing me back to reality.”

“That’s what friends are for.” Fluttershy smiled, but it quickly receded. She blurted out, “I mean, if that’s okay with you to call you a friend… I just felt natural since you were kind enough to come out and I just wa—”

“It’s fine,” said Sunset. “You’ve earned it after that fight.”

“W-well…” Fluttershy summoned up a smaller grin between her blushing cheeks. “Why don’t we enjoy brunch then?”

As the two commenced with eating, Sunset felt her stomach fill not with just food. It was only a little bit, but the feeling that had driven her into deep thought shrank. Plus, the food was actually quite good as well. She made a mental note to thank Fluttershy for showing the place to her.

Author's Note

I have returned!

Names

Following the post-Festival break, Twilight entered Classroom 1-A with legs no longer in casts, but still bandaged. Her horn was bare, revealing a discolored section that started at its tip and cut a jagged line down to its base.

“You’re near your limit, Ms. Sparkle,” Redheart had warned. “Even I can’t fix everything and, even if I could, I wouldn’t if it would encourage the reckless behavior you’ve shown.”

Twilight glanced up at her horn while she took her seat.

“My parents sent a letter with a clipping from the newspaper in it,” BonBon whispered to Lyra.

“Didn’t they know you could get a copy?” Lyra giggled.

“I wish we’d gotten a picture,” Aloe sighed.

“We’ll have plenty of chances in the future,” Lotus replied. “We’ll kill it in the internships!”

“Then prove it!”

Sunset’s shout jolted Twilight’s attention from the back to the front of the room. Rarity stood before Sunset in what appeared to be a very convincing imitation of Fluttershy. Like Twilight, Sunset had her legs bandaged up, but her horn was fine. Twilight noticed that her mane was a bit shorter though, as if the ends had been singed off.

Rarity inched back in the face of Sunset’s yell, but she took a breath and tightened her jaw. “Very well, after school at the training field.”

“Fine,” Sunset snorted. “But there’s no ref this time. You chicken out, and I’ll really show you what will happen if you keep screwing around.”

With a curt nod, Rarity trotted over to her seat. Rainbow Dash entered the classroom and the two passed each other. Rarity turned to look back at Dash. “Rainbow Dash, did you do something different getting ready today?”

Dash glanced up at her mane and then down at her coat. “Uh, nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe a little tired— I had some family stuff going on over the weekend.”

“Strange, you have a different air about you.” Rarity tapped a hoof to her chin before going to her seat. A pensive look stayed on her face.

Dash shrugged and slid into her desk.

“I think I see what Rarity was talking about.” Tree Hugger popped up near Dash Pinkie-style with her face pressed close to Dash’s reformed cutie mark. “Your aura is way more ha—”

Dash shoved Tree Hugger away. “Personal space!”

“I’m just glad to see you back in town!” Pinkie giggled from behind Dash. Dash groaned and folded onto her desk. “Oh, that reminds me, I still need to throw you a third-place winner party!”

“I do not need this on a Monday,” Dash grumbled.

“But we’ve got so much to do today, I ca—” Pinkie was cut off when the door opened and Applejack entered. The classroom fell silent.

Nopony said anything and neither did Applejack as she took her seat by Twilight. She bore a few bags under her eyes, but otherwise looked no more tired than Dash. Her cheekbones did appear a bit more pronounced. When Twilight turned to her, Applejack raised up a hoof before Twilight could speak. She faced Twilight, but she made sure she was loud enough for everypony to hear. “Sorry if I worried ya, Twi. Or anypony else for the matter. It was a tough weekend, but thank Celestia, everything will be fine.”

“Oh, that’s great to hear,” said Fluttershy. “I—”

“Now, you might see some stuff in the papers, but it’s nothing to worry about. That’s just the news getting all puffed up about this ‘Black Griffin’ character.” Applejack flexed her hooves to emphasize her thoughts on the Black Griffin. “Happens all the time when there’s some villain that gets a lucky shot in on a hero. He ain’t gonna last long now that he’s messed with the Apples, that’s for sure.”

Applejack crossed her legs over her chest and leaned back in her chair. Twilight blinked. “Well, good to have you back.”

Nearby, Derpy leaned over to Spike as he got into his seat. Amidst Applejack’s entrance, he had slipped in with nopony noticing until Derpy spoke up. “Good to see you too, Spike.”

“Just glad I made it here in one piece,” Spike sighed. “The press is still hounding me and flying is too conspicuous.”

“Well, um…” Derpy reached into her pack and produced a box. With a blush on her face, she hoofed it over to Spike. “Here’s this to get back some energy.”

“Thanks.” Spike took the box and opened it up. A muffin studded with gems to form the words Thank You rested inside.

Derpy’s blushed deepened. “It… it’s the least I could do.”

“But you would do well to save that until lunch.” Tantabus materialized at the front of the classroom. Everyone straightened in their seats. “The break is always an important time in your development: to think over your victory, to reflect on your losses, and to feel the spotlight on you for the first time. The spotlight also ties into today’s two special lessons…”

A chill went up everyone’s spines at the mention of special, and two at that.

Pop quiz? Twilight thought.

Fluttershy shivered. Extra hard training?

Hmm, my tail isn’t swirling and my left pupil isn’t dilating. Pinkie reached down to touch behind her hind right knee but it felt the same as the rest of her body. What could it be?

When Tantabus produced multiple stacks of sealed envelopes out of his body, Twilight felt her guess was confirmed.

“These are Pro Hero Draft Picks. Students that receive these will have the opportunity to intern with the sender during the upcoming internship period. Do not be concerned if you don’t receive a Pick, the School has a formal application process for internships as well. Personally, I would prefer that you go through the application process because it will find an internship best suited for you.”

Tantabus directed his gaze away from the stack. “Going through these letters and starting the internship application will be the second part of class. The first will lead into it because there is one thing all students require to intern, the one thing all heroes have…”

Pinkie’s eyes, along with a few other students’, widened as the class started to realize what was coming. Twilight shook with excitement. Dash looked ready to take off from her seat. Fluttershy paled. Spike looked over the class and wondered what Tantabus had in mind.

“… you’ll be coming up with your hero names.”

The class erupted in cheers. Dash actually did leap out of her seat and did a loop. Pinkie set off a party popper.

“And I’ll be here to assist!” The classroom door flew open and Cheerilee stepped in, adorned in her hero costume.

“Still can’t believe that’s legal,” Rarity muttered.

A crack of Cheerilee’s cat-o-nine-tails calmed down the room. Cheerilee strode to the front of the class. “You may have all played around with names in the past, but these are ones that may stick with you for the rest of your careers!”

“She is correct,” said Tantabus while he sent out plaques to the class. “We’ll consider the names from both a pragmatic and an appeal angle. We know some of you probably already have names in mind, but there will be a ten-minute wait before anyone can volunteer to share their name. Anyone may go after that. If you cannot think of a name, you may just use your actual name instead, but no family names are allowed. Take time to reflect on what your name will mean to others. What message it will send.”

What message it will send, Twilight repeated in her head.

“I am Equestria’s protector and its symbol of peace!” Celestia had declared at the WTF.

Twilight reflected on Celestia’s words.

Other students stared at their plaque like Twilight was. Pinkie was the first to pick up a quill and scribbled something in a corner. Then, she scratched it out and wrote something else before repeating the process. Reaching into her desk, she pulled out some extra sheets of paper.

Lyra and BonBon talked with each other, as did Lotus and Aloe.

Fluttershy had to take some breaths to steady herself.

Dash was second to write something down. Unlike Pinkie, she left it alone after etching in the name. She inhaled deeply and waited.

Derpy and Bulk both scrunched their brows and pressed their faces close to their plaques.

If Applejack’s plaque were alive, it would have sweated under the intensity of her stare. She pressed her quill hard onto its surface.

Only Sunset’s expression could rival Applejack’s. She sat with legs crossed over her chest and bore holes with her eyes into her plaque.

Maud blinked a couple of times over the ten minutes and eventually wrote something down.

Tree Hugger stared off into space.

Nearing the ten-minute mark, Pinkie started shaking. Her eyes bugged out and honed it on the clock as the seconds ticked away. Clenching the plaque, she shook it against her desk. When the second hand finally passed twelve, she bolted to the head of the class.

“Phew!” She wiped off some sweat from her brow. “I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold it!”

She held aloft her plaque— it was covered in multiple erase marks but the name she had decided on took up nearly the whole thing. “I wanna be The Perfectly Pink Pony Protagonist That Makes Everypony Smile!”

That’s a sentence, not a name, thought the class collectively.

“Verbs are usually not a part of a name, Ms. Pie,” said Tantabus.

“It’s got a kick to it though.” Cheerilee twirled her cat-o-nine-tails around. “Perhaps shorten it a little, but try to keep all the energy.”

Pinkie saluted. “Roger!”

While Pinkie skipped back to her desk, Lyra, BonBon, Aloe, and Lotus all stood up at the same time. They eyed the front of the classroom and bolted for it. Lyra morphed a hoof into a foot and leapt forward. She turned around and caught sight of Tantabus restraining the other three and smirked back at them. Then, she crashed into the chalkboard.

Lyra slowly slid down the chalkboard and Tantabus shook his head. Cheerilee let out a small giggle. Staggering back onto her hooves, Lyra righted up onto her hindlegs and changed her forehooves into hands to clasp her plaque.

“I’m the Human Hero: Head to Feet!”

The entire class did not think it, but at least Rarity, Twilight, and Spike thought, Again with verbs?

“Hmm, not quite as much of a mouthful and the ‘human’ aspect could potentially confuse villains…” Tantabus nodded.

“Does it really have a kick though?” Cheerilee asked.

“Wait!” BonBon flailed a hoof around and struggled against Tantabus’s grasp. “It’s supposed to work in tandem with mine!”

Aloe stopped squirming in Tantabus’s grasp and sighed, “That’s what we have in mind too, so we’ll cede the next turn to you.”

“But we call dibs afterwards!” Lotus shouted.

Cheerilee grinned. “Interesting. Well, let’s see what you’ve got!”

Lyra walked to her seat. A few students felt a little queasy seeing the ends of her “feet” twitch. The ends weren’t quite talons or paws, but not quite the same as fingers species like minotaurs had. They were these blocky stubby things. The class had gotten used to her hands, but the feet were a new addition.

BonBon made her way up to the chalkboard and placed her plaque at the bottom of it and read it to the class. “Sticky Sweet!”

“From my head to my feet!” Lyra cheered. “Yeah!”

“I… see,” said Tantabus.

“I like it!” Cheerilee gave her cat a thwap. “Who’s next?”

BonBon and Lyra knocked their forehooves together. Up front, Aloe held up her plaque.

“I’m Soothy!”

Next was Lotus. “I’m Softy!”

“Simple and acceptable,” Tantabus commented.

“And alliterative!” Cheerilee added. She peered at the rest of the class. “Now, what have we got?”

Tree Hugger raised a leg. “Can I go next, Teach?”

“How many times must I remind you it’s ‘Professor,’ Ms. Hugger?” Tantabus shook his head. “But yes, you may go.”

“Right on, te— I mean, Professor.” Tree Hugger slid to the front of the class and presented her plaque. It was a bunch of squiggles.

“Ms. Hugger,” Tantabus sighed, “we are doing names not designs we want to incorporate into our costumes.”

“Oh no, no, no.” Tree Hugger drew a hoof diagonally from the top left to the bottom right of her plaque and then backwards from right to left. “See, I was meditating on a name and it came to me as a vision. This is the closest I could come to putting it into words… I think it would read something like Danse Vie.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “You speak classic griffon?”

“Speak what?”

Rarity sighed, “Oh, never mind, but it is a nice name.”

“Indeed, it has a smoothness to it that suits your… mellow attitude,” said Cheerilee.

Tantabus took a seat and pressed her forehooves together. “I have lived many years and you and Ms. Pie continue to find new ways to vex me. I dare not prod any further than that.”

“Thanks, teach!” A glare from Tantabus made Tree Hugger sweat a little. “Uh, I should get back to my desk.”

Derpy grinned and stood up. “Me next please!”

Tantabus massaged his forehead. “Very well.”

“I’m the Bubble Hero!” Derpy announced. “Call me DerBub!”

“Aw, I thought I was being creative with only using part of my name!” Bulk moaned. As Derpy returned to her seat, Bulk skulked up to the front of the class. He sighed, “I’m Bulkdozer”

“Oh, don’t be discouraged,” said Cheerilee. “Lots of heroes incorporate part of their actual name into their hero name.”

Pinkie shot up just as Bulk slumped into his seat and shouted, “The Prodigiously Pink Partier that… that…”

Her words trailed off and she plopped back into her seat, mumbling to herself.

“Give it time,” said Tantabus.

Cheerilee scanned over the class, but no one got up. When she turned back to the head of the class, Maud was right beside her. She jumped back and was poised to strike with her cat.

Maud blinked. “I’d like to go now.”

Cheerilee lowered her cat. “O-okay.”

Maud held up her plaque. “I chose Obsidian. It’s an igneous amorphous rock that often has a dark color to it due to its natural formation and the nanoinclusion of magnetite. Its creation and hue fit well with my Talent.”

“Riiiiigggghhhhttt,” said Cheerilee. “Well, it does have a nice ring to it.”

Tantabus nodded. “Agreed.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood up at the same time. Neither said anything, but Dash ceded the front of the class to Applejack. Applejack marched forward. The only sound in the room was her hooves clacking against the tiled floor. Even Pinkie stopped working on a name.

Applejack placed her plaque on the board. “This is a name passed down by the heroes of the Apple family for generations: I’m Red Apple.”

“The first Red Apple is credited as a key savior of Equestria after the first Hearth’s Warming,” Tantabus remarked. “There have been many Red Apples since, all of whom accomplished great feats. That’s not a name to be taken lightly, Ms. Applejack.”

Applejack turned to Tantabus and met the intensity he was radiating with her own piercing gaze. “I understand. I talked it over with my family. It’s time for Red Apple to fight for justice once more.”

Cheerilee grinned. “I like the dedication!”

Dash took center stage. “I’m Blitz because I will blitz villains before they even think of hurting anyone. Plus…” Dash glanced at Twilight and Fluttershy. “… it’ll give time for other heroes I’m working with to set up a plan.”

“That’s quite thoughtful of you, Ms. Dash,” said Tantabus. “I might have discouraged that name a week ago, but it appears you reflected well on what it means.”

Cheerilee swung her cat. “And it suits your fighting style too!”

Pinkie sucked in her breath and jolted upright. Everyone looked at her. She then collapsed back in her seat. She murmured, “Never mind.”

“Well…” Rarity stood. “I suppose it’s my time in the spotlight now.” In front of the class, she floated up her plaque so all could see. “I’m the Radiant Hero: Brilliant Cut!”

“Oh-ho,” Cheerilee mused. “Could that be a homage to the Fashion Hero: Briolette Cut?”

“Indeed,” Rarity grinned. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my Talent until I saw her taking Equestria by storm both on the runway and in the Hero Rankings.”

“Like Ms. Applejack, that will come with some pressure,” Tantabus cautioned.

Rarity tossed back her mane. “How else are diamonds formed, Professor?”

Spike gained a slight blush from Rarity’s perfect delivery.

As Rarity sashayed back to her seat, Cheerilee eyed the five remaining students. Fluttershy inched out of her seat but then slid back in. She shook a little. Pinkie continued muttering to herself, scratching something out on sheets of paper, and crumpling them before moving onto the next sheet. Sunset glared at her still-blank plaque. Spike had a few pieces of scratch paper lying around like Pinkie, but he kept his eyes on Twilight.

Twilight took a breath and got up. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her. Sweat dotted her forehead but she moved closer and closer to the front. Remembering Celestia’s words, she tried to smile but it came out in a shaky way that was now practically unique to her. Her plaque floated at her side, hidden from the class.

“I…” she started.

“I am Equestria’s protector and its symbol of peace!” Celestia had declared at the WTF.

And I’m her successor, Twilight thought. So…

Multiple flares of color flitted through her eyes and her cutie mark gained a slight glow. “I am the Hero of Friendship: Guiding Star! I will be a Hero that guides those in need through whatever trouble comes their way!”

“Hmm, a ‘star’ name, then?” asked Tantabus. “You take that up, knowing its history?”

A few students raised their eyebrows.

The colors in Twilight’s eyes and the glow around her mark were replaced with a blush on her cheeks. “W-well, I thought back to how I looked at the WTF and the Sports Festival and it seemed like a good fit… I just…”

“It is fine, Twilight Sparkle,” said Tantabus. “And your initial declaration was most encouraging.”

“I like your reasoning!” said Cheerilee.

“Th-thank you.” Twilight, half-giddy, and half-ready to lose her breakfast shuffled back to her seat.

Along the way, Sunset with her eyes still on her plaque, grumbled, “Fake.”

Spike, also being along the way, asked, “What was that about?”

Twilight let out a wobbly chuckle. “It kinda sorta might be used by Heroes that have had a close association with Princess Celestia.”

“Got it.” Spike nodded and turned back to his own plaque. He finally put his quill to it.

While Spike continued to write out a name, Fluttershy managed to get out of her seat. Her breathing calmed when she laid eyes on Twilight. Twilight smiled back at her, as did Dash, Pinkie, and Rarity. She whispered to herself, “Okay, I can do this…”

She held up her plaque. “I’m the Animal Hero: Mundi.”

She winced, expecting a backlash, but instead, Tantabus remarked, “Ah, Ancient Equestrian, I was wondering if we’d get one this year.”

“I think I took Yak instead,” said Cheerilee. “What does it mean?”

“A concept of the world being linked together,” Tantabus answered before looking at Fluttershy. “I assume, given your Talent, it relates to how you connect with animals?”

“Yes, but it’s more than that.” Fluttershy looked straight at Twilight. “I want to be a hero that connects to those in need and extends a helping hoof.”

Cheerilee thwacked her cat, making Fluttershy jump. “Good. Very good!”

It was Spike’s turn next. He pressed his plaque close to his chest to hide it from the class. “Twilight is my partner, so I wanted something that complimented it… probably should have talked to her while we were working on them, but she seemed so focused. I’m also the first dragon student here, so I need to be a guide too while burning hot like Twilight’s star.” He flipped the plaque around. “I’m the Trailblazing Hero: Blaze!"

“Tch.” A little smoke rose from Sunset’s quill. But, with his, Twilight’s, and Fluttershy’s declarations, she resolved to write something down.

Pinkie sprung up once more. “Ah-ha! Yes, that’ll work.”

Rather than walking between the desks, Pinkie flipped through the air through the front of her class. Maud wrote an eight on the back of her plaque and held it up. Pinkie looked at her. “The landing?”

“The landing,” Maud answered.

“Anyway,” said Pinkie. “This was super-duper extra hard, but I finally realized all my names kept using pink, so I’ll be Pinky!”

Everyone peered at the plaque noting the slight variation in the name.

Pinkie grinned ear to ear. “No one will ever guess that the Hero Pinky is actually Pinkie Pie! Plus, if I didn’t go for this one, I’m sure somepony would have said something.”

What would we have said? the class thought collectively.

“Given the unpredictability of your Talent and your personality, I find it acceptable,” said Tantabus.

“I agree.” Cheerilee tapped the hilt of her cat to her chin. “I can’t quite put my hoof on it, but it just works.”

“Yippee!” Pinkie cartwheeled back to her seat.

The room grew silent. If Sunset noticed the others staring at her, it did not show on her face with her eyes still concentrated on her plaque. She got up out of her seat and marched to the front of the class.

Her board only displayed half of her name. “I’m still working on it. For now, just go with Sunset.”

“That is fine as well,” said Tantabus. “As I said, the time immediately after the Sports Festival is a major turning point in your education. What may have passed before is no longer up to snuff. Regardless, I hope you all take these names to heart and what they will mean for you and the rest of Equestria.”

“Yes, sir!” everyone said together.

“Ah, I love it.” Cheerilee grinned and shivered. Her next words were a whisper to herself. “I can’t wait to see how far they’ve come by semester’s end.”

After Cheerilee left, Tantabus settled into his seat. Everyone could sense his attention on the letters and their eyes were drawn to the stacks as well. “Now that we have names settled, it’s time to discuss internships. Your homework will be looking over letters you’ve received and starting appropriate responses or filing out applications.”

Tantabus lifted the stacks with his magic and divvied them out. Large stacks went to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Both wore expressions of surprise and Fluttershy wore a bit of anxiety as well. Dash honed in on the one marked with the seal of Shadowbolt’s Agency.

Moderate stacks went to Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, and Maud. Only a few went to Tree Hugger, Bulk, Lyra, and BonBon, and Sunset. One letter that caught Sunset’s attention had a seal consisting of a heart and a piece of bread broken in half.

Lotus and Aloe received none and frowned.

Derpy, Spike, and Twilight received only one each. Derpy’s had a seal with an hourglass on it. Spike’s was sealed with a wax wreath of flames around a claw imprint.

Twilight’s bore a seal in the shape of a pale moon. The craters on it formed the rough silhouette of a unicorn mare’s side profile. Turning it around, Twilight squinted at the name and tried to recall if she had ever seen if before. It was an impressive name, but she had never heard of the agency. Princess Luna had said she would reach out through the internship program but Twilight wondered why she had gone out of the way to set it up like this and why something about the name scratched the back of her mind: The Nightmare Moon Agency.

Author's Note

Ha-ha! You were expecting FlutterSun... or RariSun... or you know what, Sunset it probably top shipping target (darn you Oroboro) but it DerpSpike (at least one sided) today!
That came out longer than I was expecting but that was a lot of names. Anyway, hope all of you are safe and getting through things.

Internships: Start!

Gilda groaned when light slipped through her apartment’s windows and hit her eyes. She brought a claw to her head to try and contain what felt like her brain seeping through her skull. Lifting her upper body, she felt some of the talons of her other claw slip through something. Her eyes flared open.

Her mattress and pillows were shredded. Claw marks raked through her covers as well. She squawked with a mixture of anger, shock, and anxiety.

“Again?” she growled. “What in Grover’s name is wrong with me? I’m not a hatchling!”

With a sigh, she went to work cleaning up, even as her head pounded. She took solace that she had a doctor’s appointment in a few days to get this sorted out. Just a few more days and the night-clawing, the migraines, and the hunting dreams would be dealt with.

Between the waves of pain breaking on her head, blurred images of the dreams came to her: a silhouette of prey, something hitting her in a last desperate act of survival, the smell of a fresh kill. All griffons got them from time to time— a remnant of the era before markets and non-aggression treaties— but the frequency of them lately combined with everything else had convinced Gilda to schedule a checkup.

~~~

“The Minotaur Hero?!” Rarity gasped. Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash all stared at Fluttershy with raised eyebrows. Spike scratched his head. Applejack stared at Fluttershy but kept her face neutral.

Fluttershy blushed. “W-well, I’ve heard Mr. Iron Will is good at instilling confidence in his interns.”

“I have heard that too,” said Twilight. “But I’ve also heard he can be quite the taskmaster.”

“I can handle it.” Fluttershy managed to smile just a little. “My fight against Sunset got me thinking about what I need to improve on as a Hero.”

“I see.” Despite it only being early fall, Rarity used her magic to clutch her scarf tighter. There was sweat on her brow, but she kept a coat on as well. With Rarity’s uneven gait and the black eye Sunset sported, it did not take many guesses as to what had happened. Yet, the air between both seemed far less tense than yesterday. “You’ll make it work.”

“Hay yeah she will!” Dash wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy’s back and gave her a cheer.

“Th-thanks.” Fluttershy peered at Twilight. “What about you? I’ve never heard of the Nightmare Moon Agency.”

“It’s a bit obscure, but it’s an old agency that actually stretches back a few centuries,” Twilight recited the lines from the letter. “They periodically open and close, but they’re known for dealing with Heroes that have…” Twilight glanced down. “…hard to manage Talents.”

“Bull,” said Dash. “Your Talent kicks all sorts of flank… It’s just…”

“Impractical given my current usage?” Twilight interjected.

“Cheer up, Twi!” Pinkie slid over and gave Twilight a pat on the back. “I’ve got a good feeling about your internship!”

“Yep,” said Applejack. “It’ll be a good time in Ponyville too. Keep the peace. See old friends. Do some apple bucking. All good.”

No one immediately responded. If they had not read the paper over breakfast, they had seen the headlines on the way to school:

Big Mac to Retire Due to Injuries; Black Griffin Still At Large

“Applejack…” Twilight spoke up after a moment. “If it ever gets too much and you need to talk, just say something. We’re your friends.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Applejack smiled, but everyone felt something hollow about it. “Right.”

~~~

Spike gulped. His grip tightened around his briefcase’s handle. The mouth of a cave on the outskirts of Canterlot gaped in front of him. He could feel heat flowing out from the large opening. Steeling himself, he entered the cave.

The darkness increased as he went deeper into the cave as did the heat. Like all dragons, his eyes quickly adjusted. Some distance in, a scent drifted into his nose. His pupils narrowed and he tensed up— it was the smell of gems and gold.

With more tepid steps, he advanced until he rounded a corner and was met with a hoard. It glistened in his eyes for a second before he averted his gaze.

“Relax, whelp,” came a voice at the base of the hoard. “You’re winged now. It’ll take more than this paltry hoard to trigger sickness in you, especially if what Smolder tells me is true.”

Spike opened his eyes and focused on the source of the voice. Amidst the gems and gold was a stone slab. There were various papers stacked on it along with writing implements. Behind the slab sat a cyan dragon with a slightly lighter underbelly. Her flare-like red eyes gazed at Spike. Spike also noticed Smolder off to the side with drooping eyelids and deep bags, barely able to stand on her feet.

The cyan dragon stood. She was a good six feet taller than Spike— the biggest dragon Spike had seen at this point. Yet, unlike Garble, her body was sleek rather than angular. She marched around the slab, over to Spike, bent down and gazed at him, particularly his wings. He wondered if some dragons could project heat through the eyes given the intensity of her stare.

“Hmm, so it is an actual molt.” She bowed back. Suddenly, she let out a burst of flame. Spike yelped and tried to escape, but the fire washed over him. It only lasted a second and it felt no worse to Spike than a pony touching a hot stove for a split-second, but it scared the life out of him. Before he could be thankful the flames had somehow avoided the briefcase containing his costume, the blue dragon remarked, “Good, good! That’s winged-age heat resistance too! Oh, you’ll make a good tr—”

“What the Tartarus is wrong with you!?” Spike yelled.

“You really don’t know?” The dragon kept a cool expression. “Such a fascinating little trinket. Well, consider that a dragon greeting, from Princess Ember no less. All newly winged face the flames to make sure the molt is complete.”

“You could have warned me.”

“To most dragons, it’s common knowledge.” Ember smirked. “But there’s nothing common about you, is there? That’s why you’re here. That’s why you’re mine.”

Spike could not help but feel like he had just been put on a dinner plate with the way Ember’s eyes glinted and her fangs shined.

~~~

“What are you doing here?!” Rarity and Suri both yelped when the latter walked into the office.

“My internship, of course,” Suri huffed. “This is the perfect internship for a fashion-minded Hero.”

“You realize it will be more hooves on than that.”

“Well…” came a third voice from behind a desk. A svelte cerulean mare with a vivid vermillion striped mane and heavy eyeshadow looked over both Rarity and Suri. “… the Sassy Saddles’ Agency is a boutique business, so we’ll work to make the best of both worlds.”

~~~

“First rule of starting an internship right is a good cup of tea.” Time Turner swirled a spoon around in his cup. Gears and other apparatus clicked and tocked around him and Derpy. Various tubes and beakers boiled and steamed, including one device that twisted itself into knots but was no more than the kettle Turner had used to boil the water for the tea. There was also a great pillar-like machine in the center of the room just a little to the right of the coffee table that gave off a rhythmic mechanical hum. All this and a desk fit into what, on the outside, appeared to be too small a room, but it was quite spacious on the inside.

Derpy took a sip of the tea and recoiled at its bitterness. She blushed in embarrassment but Turner laughed it off. “Oh, my dear, no fault on you. Always been a terrible cook. So much for my pride as a Trottingham citizen.”

“I can make it in the future… oh and muffins too!”

“Hmm…” Turner tapped his chin. “I suppose that is a thing interns do, but do tell me if it’s too much. I want the main focuses of this internship to be on your growth and helping with my investigations.”

Derpy’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, so you’re like a detective too?”

“Somewhat.” Turner glanced at one of his machines. “My investigations are just a bit more on the… theoretical side.”

~~~

Sunset stared up at the agency’s name. Like the letter’s seal, it contained a heart overlaid with a piece of bread broken in half. Taking a breath, she stepped inside.

The heavy scent of perfume greeted her. She recalled aspects of it, but the majority of it was new to her. She made her way to the receptionist, who wore a big grin despite the natural clenched jaw Sunset bore.

“Can I help you miss…”

“Sunset Shimmer.”

“Ah, Ms. Shimmer!” The receptionist stood up and extended a hoof. Sunset took it in a professional manner and gave it a shake. The receptionist turned to the side and opened a door with her magic. “Bread Breaker is waiting in her office.”

“Do you call her that even here?” Sunset asked.

“Lots of Heroes do that, but I’m sure it’s fine if you use her actual name inside the agency at least.”

Sunset nodded and went through the door. The door led to a short hall decorated with plaques, medals, and pictures. Bread Breaker stood beside a different pony in each one, all of them being around Sunset’s age. There were also group photos of Bread Breaker with dozens of other Heroes. It painted a vivid history that Sunset correlated with her own.

“She really picked up business quick,” Sunset noted.

Reaching the door at the other end of the hall, she knocked.

“Come in,” sang a voice from inside.

Sunset braced herself and opened the door. Immediately, she was caught in a hug.

“Shimmy!” cried the cerise unicorn who squeezed Sunset close. Her violet, rose, and golden mane brushed against Sunset’s. “Oh, it’s been way way too long! You won’t believe how happy I was when you accepted my invitation!”

Shit! Cadance hasn’t changed at all! Sunset internally groaned while trying to free herself.

“This internship is going to be perfect!” Mi Amore Cadenza AKA Cadance AKA Rank Three Hero Bread Breaker cheered.

~~~

“Alright.” The muscular thestral stallion clasped his hooves together. They were covered with studded leather shoes—a hit from them would be quite painful. A bulky fur jacket covered his frame, making him look less like a pony and more like a yak. Multiple hairy spikes protruded out of his goatee. A mask adorned his face, framing his eyes in white surrounded by shadow. On top of all that were his natural fangs. Overall, he looked like a particularly dangerous resident of the Everfree Forest. Yet, his voice had a smooth quality to it. “Any questions?”

“A bunch!” Pinkie replied. “First, does the costume help with the pie business, Mr. Mincemeat?”

Mincemeat grinned. “Surprisingly, yes.”

~~~

Tantabus led Twilight through the Castle. At a split in the path, instead of going to the east wing, like Twilight normally did when visiting Celestia, Tantabus turned toward the west. Neither had said anything when they met at Twilight’s usual secret entrance, but now Tantabus chose to speak as they walked down a hall stained blue by the windows like a clear night.

“You should know, I voiced my concerns about this,” she said, having assumed her true form of a living galactical shadow of a mare. “Princess Celestia had some as well, but Princess Luna insisted that the progress you made during the Sports Festival guarantees this internship will be successful. Personally, I would have preferred you continue training with Princess Celestia, but unfortunately her schedule is packed.”

Twilight did not respond. Her eyes scanned around, making note of various moons framed in the stained glass and images of night across Equestria. Whenever there was a full moon, it bore the same mark that had been on Luna’s letter: the cratered side profile of a mare.

They stopped before a grand door marked with stars, galaxies, and all the phases of the moon. Twilight braced herself. Given Celestia’s true state, just imagining how Luna must have looked set a chill down her spine.

~~~

Celestia, fully empowered, stood over a table covered with pieces of rock. Most of the pieces were indistinguishable, but a few could be made out as fangs, claws, horns, and the remnants of a serpentine body. With her horn aglow, she pressed it against a piece. After a good minute of concentration, Celestia backed away.

“A different signature from this piece as well.”

“That’s seven.” Redheart made a check on the notepad she had on hoof. “Is this normal?”

“Nothing is normal about a draconequus, but so far, this doesn’t match with what I’ve observed from Discord. Petrified at least, his signature is literally sickening to observe— it would probably drive an untrained pony mad.”

Redheart shuddered. “And this?”

“It’s a hodgepodge, but a traceable one.” Celestia furrowed her brow. “Rather than a creature born before time, this was a creature made through a specific process, I hypothesize a fusion.”

Redheart gulped. “Of what?”

Celestia looked straight at Redheart. She had not worn a smile throughout the entire investigation, but the tranquil fury she had shown at the WTF kept her jaw clenched. Now, there was a hint of something not seen in Equestria in many moons: horror on Celestia’s face. “Of Talents and bodies.”

~~~

Tantabus opened the door and allowed Twilight to step inside. The room was quite similar to Celestia’s: large canopy bed, walls lined with books, and a great stargazing window above. The main difference was the color: whereas Celestia’s room was decorated with vibrant crimson and gold, Luna’s was marked by deep violets and blues.

Twilight spotted something glint from the bed and called out, “Prin— I mean, Luna?”

There was no response. When she peered closer, Twilight found there was only a tiara, a chest scarf, and a set of shoes. Then, the regalia were covered in a deep blue aura and lifted up.

“Behind you,” came Luna’s voice.

Twilight turned and was met with Tantabus shrinking down. Her eyes appeared but the pupils were rounded rather than slitted. Her flanks stopped swirling and instead became black splotches adorned with a crescent moon that matched the scarf. Said scarf wrapped around Tantabus’s chest and the shoes and tiara also fitted onto her. Shadowy wings materialized out of her sides.

“It’s good to see you again, Twilight,” Tantabus said with Luna’s voice.

“Princess?”

“I’m borrowing Tantabus’s body for now.” Luna glanced down. “I suppose we should clear this up. In our battle, Celestia suffered a great injury to her thaumic system, as you have seen. I’m the opposite case. My magic, the core of my being, still exists, but my physical body is no more.”

Twilight was left speechless. Her shock turned to confusion as Luna took up a battle stance.

“Now,” said Luna. “Let’s see what fruits our little talk has yielded.”

“Wait, wh—”

Luna launched off her hooves and rammed into Twilight, knocking the wind out of her. While Twilight wobbled back to her hooves, Luna beamed, “I think a game of tag is a good way to start things off. You’re it, so let’s see if you can catch me.”

Author's Note

And now you begin to wonder who's a liar

Bonus points to anyone who guesses who inspired Mincemeat

Cowl

Twilight sped around the room, trailing after Luna. She skimmed the edges of the shelves that lined the walls and used all her strength to jump over the bed when Luna hopped across it.

“C’mon, Twilight,” Luna teased after swooping into the air. She gave her wings a flap, rattling the shelves and disturbing the bedsheets. “I’m not even going to use my wings after I come down. If you’re worried about my stuff, I can easily fix it.”

“I…” Twilight paused to suck down some air. They’d been at it for ten minutes and Luna had kept a constant distance from Twilight. “I got it.”

“Do you?” Luna shot down, and then lunged to the right. She rammed into some shelves, sending their contents tumbling, while she herself sprung diagonally to the ceiling. Rather than shifting her body around like Tantabus, she actually twirled mid-air so that her hooves hit the ceiling first. Taking the impact with her legs, she curled in a split-second and then bounced off the ceiling before gravity could take hold of her. In a blink, she was on one side of the room and then another.

Her afterimage left an angular blue trail that Twilight could barely keep up with. A second later, Twilight felt something rushing behind her and turned just in time for Luna to slam a foreleg down on her collarbone. Twilight fell to the floor again.

Luna loomed over her. “If you’ve really ‘got it,’ why haven’t you activated the Elements? Could it be that you didn’t take our talk to heart?”

“I did,” Twilight hacked. With shaky legs, Twilight got back to her hooves. Her bangs obscured her eyes. “I thought long and hard about what you said and I practiced.”

Luna’s eyes glinted. “’Practiced?’”

“It felt like I’d blow myself up at first, but when I was finally too tired to be tense anymore, I found the answer.” Twilight’s mark started to glow. “The Elements are connected to all magic, which means, as its Bearer, so am I. That means…”

Rainbow colored lightning crackled off Twilight. Multihued veins traced across her coat and up her horn. Her mane and tail flowed even though there was no wind, revealing her eyes shining with many colors as well. Although in her current form, Luna lacked a mouth, she had the sensation of forming a grin.

“I’m not limited to just unicorn magic!” Twilight launched off the ground with enough force to crack the tiles. Luna jumped out the way but Twilight slammed her hooves against the ground and chased after her. “I can’t access other magic for right now, but I can get Earth Pony at least! This is the Elements of Harmony: Earthen Cowl!”

“Interesting. Interesting.” Luna sped ahead, rebounded off some shelves, the ceiling, and back to the floor behind Twilight. Her horn vanished right before she struck Twilight in the back. The blow knocked the glow out of Twilight and she fell down. “You definitely can keep up better, but if one little attack like that is enough to stop the Elements, how can you hope to fight?”

“I’m… I’m just not used to actually moving and fighting yet,” Twilight huffed. “Earth Pony magic is easiest since it distributes magic through my whole body, but that also means the flow is easier to disrupt. When I tried Pegasus magic, it was similar, but the buildup in my back nearly caused me to pass out. I get the feeling if I ke—"

“Enough with the hypothesizing!” Luna sent a chill down Twilight’s spine even while she concentrated on cowling herself again. “It’s been ages since I’ve had somepony to really play with in the waking world and I don’t want to waste either of our time, so…” Luna’s wings merged into her sides. “I’ll keep things at Earth Pony level for now too. When you can catch me, we’ll take a break and then move up to the next level, are you ready?”

Twilight furrowed her brow. Remembering Celestia’s advice, she summoned her shaking grin. “Yes.”

“Then show some more confidence!” Luna bounded off the ground and Twilight gave chase.

~~~

“You’re sure about this, sis?” Big Mac, for probably the first time in his life, looked up at Applejack from his wheelchair. Both of his legs were bound in casts and bandages crossed his body. They were especially thick near his back. He looked out over the apple orchard that stretched to the horizon. “We can always ask Filthy fo—”

“No.” Applejack slammed a hoof down. “We’re already indebted to him enough for letting me intern with him, so at least I can stay here for the bucking. This is Apple family business: Apple Bloom is too young and still too hurt by all this, Granny is too old, and you need to recover.”

“You know what the doctors sa—”

“I know!” Applejack’s shout scared away a few nearby birds. She lowered her head. “But he was just saying for the immediate future. You’ll be up and fighting again in no time.”

“Nope,” Big Mac sighed. “Walking in a few weeks, maybe; bucking in a year if my recovery goes well. Fighting? It’s over, Applejack.”

Applejack snorted, turned, and marched off. “Sorry, Big Mac, there’s some bucking I need to do.”

Big Mac did not pursue her and just watched her go.

When she was a good distance away from Big Mac and into the orchard, Applejack started her work. With each kick to a tree, she sent apples tumbling into buckets below and thought over her plan: mornings at the farm for chores and harvesting, intern with Filthy Rich in the afternoon and evenings, ready the farm for the next day before bed. It would take a lot, but with her speed and determination, Applejack was convinced she could do it.

By nine, Applejack’s coat was slick with sweat and her legs ached. She kept kicking trees while going over the plan.

By ten, she was gulping down air. She continued harvesting.

By eleven, her legs were numb. She had never harvested this many apples in one go, and she was still only in the first row. Yet, her plan drove her on and the thoughts that went with it.

If everything goes like this, it will be fine, she thought while pulling herself to the next tree. The end of the row was in sight. She reared up her hind legs. And, I’ve studied its path, so I know it’ll show up here.

Despite the state her legs were in, she unleashed a kick hard enough to crack the bark and leave an imprint. Applejack gave a snort. Underneath her sweat-drenched hat, her eyes blazed. So come and face Apple justice, Black Griffon!

~~~

Shadowbolt and Rainbow Dash stood on the edge of a cloud. Below them stretched towns, roads, train tracks, and outposts. To the east lay a vast desert, to the west, some lakes could be glimpsed glistening in the morning sun.

Shadowbolt spread his wings. “We’ll patrol from the air for the morning, I’ll take the east and you’ll take the west. Do not go north or south past the latitudes we discussed. Keep constant track of me— I’ll send out jolts every ten minutes— if you spot anything, immediately fly to my location. Roger?”

“Roger,” Dash said in a mechanical but serious tone.

Shadowbolt grinned. “Good. Oh, and do be careful of your altitude. Buffalo have been spotted in the area and they won’t hesitate to spear a filly. A rainbow scalp would be highly treasured.”

With that, he sped off to the west. Dash took a breath and flew in the opposite direction.

~~~

“So…” the unicorn mare, costumed in a domino mask and a purple and beige bodysuit, looked over the application in front of her and then at Maud. “Tell me a little about yourself, Ms. Pie.”

“I enjoy the study and harvesting of rock clusters.” Maud produced a medium-sized pebble. “Boulder is my favorite because of his natural smoothness and distinct hardness. I was so proud the day I found him.”

“I see…” A bit of sweat formed on Mt. Mare’s brow. Why? Why did I think having an intern would be a good idea?

~~~

A vein throbbed on Sunset’s temple. “What. The. Buck?”

“Language!” Cadance gave Sunset a playful shove in the shoulder. She then walked up to and held open the door to the spa for Sunset. “This is an important part of being a pro.”

“Is it?” Sunset growled.

“Yes, and it will help with that attitude.”

A short while later Sunset found herself getting a hooficure with Cadance getting the same treatment next to her.

“I’m glad you decided to come in,” said Cadance.

“Not worth fighting it,” Sunset sighed. “I don’t see what this has to do with Hero work though.”

“Appearance and giving yourself some de-stress time are necessary to lead a balanced life as a pro,” Cadance answered. When she turned to look at Sunset, the intensity of her eyes quelled Sunset’s annoyance. “I always wondered why Twilight stopped talking about you, but I can see it now: you’re putting yourself under too much pressure. It makes you angry and you lash out like at the Sports Festival.”

Sunset flared her nostrils and glanced at Cadance’s horn. It did not glow, but Sunset still snarled, “Don’t think you can use your Talent ju—”

“My Talent would be useless if I couldn’t see the plainly obvious. Sunset, you need to relax and stop being so harsh on yourself. It’s made you prideful and unable to handle loss. Those that can’t handle loss are bound to wander a dark path.”

“Like a villain?” Sunset huffed.

There was a pause. Cadence closed her eyes and bowed her head. “Regrettably, that is one way, but it’s not a healthy mindset in general.” The grim look on her face was replaced with a smile. “That’s why I want this internship to focus on getting you looking right and taking on a positive attitude that can take you to all the right places!”

Sunset sighed and sank into her seat.

Day Three of Internships

Twilight bucked from underneath Luna’s bed. It split apart, sending fragments all over the room. Luna flipped through the air, having added wings back to her body.

“Ha-ha! You think that’s enough to knock me do—”

Twilight leapt up from the ground amidst the debris and plowed straight at Luna. “No, but it paused you for a second and that’s all I need!” Twilight reared back a leg, crackling with the Element’s energy, and flung it at Luna. “You’re i—”

Luna dodged at the last second with a flap of her wings powerful enough to scatter the remnants of the bed— Luna had moved all books out after the first day. With nothing to absorb the impact of her blow, Twilight plunged forward and then down. Luna zipped over and gave what to her might have been a light ribbing with an elbow, but it knocked the air out of Twilight.

Twilight slammed into a shelf and then slumped on the floor.

“Still need work on your follow-through but Tia was right, you are quite the quick learner.”

“Th-thanks,” Twilight coughed. As she got up, she sighed, “I’m still it.”

“On the contrary.”

Twilight looked up. The area around Luna’s left cheek was warped and smoked. “Oh my gosh! Are you okay?”

Luna laughed. “Nothing compared to what you did to Tantabus. Plus, this confirms your attacks with this ‘Earthen Cowl’ are imbued with the Elements. That will be most advantageous in the future.”

Twilight could not help but notice the way Luna sometimes slipped into using more advanced vocabulary over her bubblier playful wording, but suppressed the thought with a grin between catching her breath. “So now what? You chase me?”

“We’ve been at it for a while now, wouldn’t want you to get used to using this power just based on fighting me. It’s time we add some randomness to what you may face and do our duties as heroes!”

Luna spread her wings in a grand fashion. “It’s time to head out for the Everfree!”

~~~

Gilda grimaced. With the way her wings were raised, her tail resembling a coiled snake, and her blazing eyes showing through their bags, all the ponies on the street stayed a good distance away.

“Damn quack!” she grumbled. “‘Nothing wrong?! Just take some sleep medication?!’ What a ripoff!”

Just to exacerbate things further, a bolt of pain slammed into her head. She brought a claw to her head and stumbled into an alley. “D-damnit! This sucks!”

She pressed her back against a wall and slid down to the soggy ground. She took deep breaths but the pain did not go away. It intensified. Her feathers and fur bristled. The pain became so great that she slammed her head into the ground and clawed at the cobblestones with her claws, leaving small gashes in them.

As she writhed, her groans became more guttural and the marks she made with her claws deepened. A crackle of red lightning burst from her chest. Her claws lengthened, her muscles expanded, and even while struggling on the ground, it was clear she was getting taller. Her fur and wings darkened until they were a pitch black. Blood spurted out from her flanks as if something were trying to dig its way out of her legs. A mark appeared, that of a horn stained crimson.

She stopped groaning. Only a deep husky breathing remained— that of a beast ready to hunt.

“Hmmm.” Equality emerged from the shadows. “A bit more painful on your end of things, but much faster than before.” She strode around Gilda. Despite the air of intimidation Gilda sent out, Equality looked her over like she was inspecting a piece of art. “Well then ‘Black Griffon,’ shall we go check on Applejack?”

Ponyville

Luna looked over Twilight, who was clothed in her costume. “You really are quite a fan of Tia, aren’t you?”

Twilight blushed. “What do you mean?”

“I was alive during her ‘silver age’ as well.” Luna strode around Twilight and gave the star in the middle of her chest piece a tap. “The star and helmet are a nice touch but I can clearly see where you got your inspiration from.”

Twilight said nothing and continued to blush.

Luna chuckled, “Oh, you are even easier to tease than Tia. But, let’s focus.”

Feeling the air around her cool, Twilight stood up straight. “Right… um, it’ll be safe at night, right?”

“‘Safe’ isn’t the point of this excursion.” To Twilight it looked as if the stars and galaxies that comprised the majority of Luna’s body flickered for a moment. “Don’t worry though, I’m not dropping us straight in the Everfree. We’ll work our way up from Ponyville to our goal.”

“Oh, maybe we’ll spot Applejack.”

“Yes…” Luna’s ethereal horn glowed. “… perhaps we will.”

~~~

The tray of muffins Derpy had just pulled out of the oven clanged against the oven’s cover. “Oh no!”

Time Turner turned away from the slab coated in a jelly-like substance he had attached jumper cables to and was analyzing the patterns that appeared on it. “Something wrong? You didn’t get burnt, did you?”

Derpy hastily scooped the muffins up with some bubbles and onto the counter. “No, I just got this terrible feeling that somepony did something horrible with muffins.”

“Really?” Turner asked. He flicked a switch and stopped the flow of electricity from going into the slab. “Hmm, I wonder if that’s a secondary Talent?”

~~~

Filthy Rich, veiled in a blue body suit that included a cowl over his head, a crimson cape, and his cutie mark— a trio of bit bags— emblazoned on his chest, rubbed his left temple with a hoof. “It was just muffins… I don’t understand and after such deft handling of that cattle stampede the other day.”

Applejack walked beside him, also in costume, with her head hung low. It was unclear if she held her head at that angle out of shame or because of how heavy it felt to her. She cast her baggy bloodshot eyes down to the ground. “I’m sorry, Mr. Rich, I—”

“And names!” Filthy interrupted. “We’re on duty, so it’s Money Bags right now.” He shook his head and came to a stop. Applejack kept trudging along until Filthy grabbed her tail. She nearly tripped. He sighed, “Applejack, you’re pushing yourself too hard. You’re failing in striking a balance between work, sleep, and pleasure. Go home, get some rest, and we—”

Something crashed into a nearby building, creating a huge hole in the roof and part of the wall. Applejack, who had dozed off in the midst of Filthy’s lecture, jerked up. She, Filthy and the other residents of Ponyville either returning from work or heading out for dinner peered at the hole.

Then, a monotone hoof with wriggling tentacles poking out of it grabbed the shattered wall and pulled the rest of the creature out. It had the body of a pony, but its head had no eyes, nose, or mouth. Mismatched ears— one pointed like a diamond dog’s, but the other just a hole like a Griffon’s— adorned the sides of its exposed brain rather than at the top of its head. Its tail was like a long rope. None of its legs were the same—one the tentacled hoof, another a spindly jointed limb like a spider’s, the third resembled a bear’s, and the fourth constantly aflame.

The creature lurched up and then pounced into the center of the road, cratering the earth under its legs. Despite its lack of eyes, everypony felt it gazing at them like a hungry predator. Somepony screamed and the crowd burst into a stampede.

“Tartarus,” Filthy cursed. He twisted his head toward Applejack. “Applejack! I’ll try and keep that thing contained while you work to ge—”

Applejack was no longer by Filthy. She had bolted away from him, not out of fear of the creature, but because in an alley nearby, she had spotted black feathers and a pitch lion’s tail.

“Buck,” Filthy cursed again.

Equality viewed the scene in a darkened area. The viewing crystal was the only source of light. A smile pressed against her mask as she watched the chaos unfold. Enigma and three other monochrome monstrosities stood around her. “Hee-hee-hee. Well, with this town and Applejack out of the way, we’ll have two issues taken care of.”

~~~

While she was more used to teleportation now, Twilight’s vision sometimes blurred for a few seconds after a teleport, especially over a long distance. As a result, she smelled something burning before she saw what it was. Given how teleporting weakened Celestia, Twilight turned to where Luna had been when they were in her room. “Lu—”

“Get down!” Luna commanded.

Twilight felt the air rippling behind her and ducked. At the same time, Luna extended out a wing so that it warped over Twilight like a flexible wall. A paw with blunt glistening claws banged against Luna’s morphed wing.

The paw belonged to a monochrome creature that had the upper body of a diamond dog, but below the waist it was just a snakelike tail. Twilight felt a little sick when she saw its head: it was just a lump of flesh with two eyeballs poking out of it, one in the center of where its forehead would have been and the other where it should have had a chin.

Then, Twilight caught sight of the scene behind the monstrosity. Flames ate away at roofs and flared out of windows. Walls had collapsed. Civilians were running in all directions. More of the monochrome creatures were rampaging around.

Two of them were tussling with a pair of heroes. A yellow stallion assaulted one monstrosity that resembled a bipedal chimera minus the snake tail with a Talent that warped the air around his hooves and made the monstrosity’s fur catch aflame.

The other hero was a blue mare. Whenever she managed to land a blow on the monstrosity with a skeletal frame but forelegs like a buffalo, hindlegs like a cow, and wings that were somewhere between a thestral’s and a dragon’s, the spot attacked swelled and spurted out what looked like frosting. The monstrosity did not howl with pain, it did not even snarl with its crooked fangs. It just continued to rush at the mare.

“Tough cookie, aren’t you?” The mare jumped back at the same time as the stallion. They stood back to back and stared their opponents down. “Any backup coming?”

“Comfy Couch and Peach are still out of commission from the muffins.” The stallion dodged a claw from his opponent.

The mare avoided a hoof from hers. “And Money Bags?”

“Still keeping that big one at bay,” the stallion huffed. “Still no sign of Applejack?”

Twilight’s heart caught in her throat.

The blue mare grimaced. “I hope she just rushed back to the farm.”

Meanwhile, Luna entrapped the monstrosity looming over her and Twilight with her morphed wing up to its shoulder. She flung it diagonally with enough force to rend the air apart, forcing Twilight to clench tightly to the ground. The monstrosity careened off toward the horizon and was barely a speck in mere seconds.

“The Badlands are the only appropriate place for such a thing.” Luna shifted her wing back to a normal size and shape. Even though she had no lungs, she inhaled, signaling to Twilight to cover her ears. When she spoke next, it was Tantabus speaking with her male voice. “Citizens, this is Nightmare Knight! Head east toward the dam! I will guide you!”

Luna’s body lost its structure and melted into the ground. The street turned darker and gained a shimmer. Tantabus’s voice echoed throughout Ponyville, Stick to darkened path and you will be guarded!

“Luna… Tantabus… either of you!” Twilight called out while her horn glowed. “I—”

We know, a voice that sounded somewhat like Luna’s but a bit deeper responded. Go to her.

~~~

The Black Griffon held Zecora, the Hornless Mage, with one claw against a wall.

“Th—this is quite a pinch,” Zecora hacked, “I cannot move, not even an inch!”

The Griffon started to squeeze. Then, its feathers and fur bristled. It felt the air from its left distort. In one swift move, it dropped Zecora and swiped at an incoming hoof with the back of its claw.

The swipe knocked Applejack back and made her whole leg shake, but she crouched and glared at the Griffon. “Black Griffon! I’ve been looking for you! I a—”

The Griffon let out a blood-curdling screech. Its screech was so strong that it blew Applejack back and forced her to shut her eyes. When she opened them again, the Griffon loomed over her. It opened its mouth and a voice came out, but its beak remained still.

“I know who you are… Applejack,” came Equality’s voice from within the Griffon.

As set as she was in facing the Griffon, Applejack could not help but feel a twinge of fear upon recognizing the voice, but she pushed through it and snarled, “Equality! I should have known it was you!”

Equality, through the Griffon, let out a chilling giggle. “Oh, let’s not kid ourselves, Applejack. You were dead set on revenge no matter who attacked your brother. It’s quite entertaining.”

“You think this is entertaining!?” Applejack zipped under the Griffon, angled and bucked with all her might.

A claw caught Applejack’s leg and flung her against a wall. The blow cracked the bricks and knocked the air out of Applejack. The Griffon strode over.

“I do,” Equality cackled. “To think I was actually worried not delivering a finishing blow would be enough to push you over the edge, but here we are.”

Applejack gritted her teeth and pushed herself up. The Griffon slashed at her just as she got on all fours. She jumped back at the last second, but its claws still tore through her shoulder.

“Pathetic,” said Equality. “I’ve watched you try and handle all these things on your own, tried to use your Talent to scrape by, but it will all be for naught.”

“Shut up!” Applejack plowed toward the Griffon but it batted her away. Applejack rolled with the blow so that her hooves were facing the wall. She sprung off it with enough speed and force to make the wall shudder. “I am the hero, Red Apple! It’s time for you to pa—”

The Griffon licked its blood-stained talons. Applejack seized up in midair. The Griffon dodged her and she crumpled to the ground, stuck in the same position. The Griffon placed a claw on her back and dug its talons in.

“So, tell me, ‘hero’…” Equality made the Griffon twist Applejack around so she could see Zecora immobilized against a wall. “Would a real hero think of just fighting the Black Griffon instead of saving somepony?”

“Y-you set that up!” Applejack hacked.

“Perhaps, but I gave you a choice.”

“Th-that…” Applejack wavered. Hot tears moistened her mask. “That doesn’t matter! You’re still the villain that hurt my brother!”

“Not very memorable last words.”

The Griffon raised up a claw while shoving Applejack further into the dirt with its other claw. The raised claw ripped through the air and down on Applejack.

Applejack closed her eyes and sobbed. Granny, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, I’m sorry!

A hoof smashed against the Griffon’s beak, knocking the Griffon back. Applejack gasped for air now that her diaphragm was no longer constricted. She still couldn’t move, but she managed to look up.

Twilight stood over her, crackling with rainbow energy.

“T-Twilight?!” Applejack gasped.

“I’m here to save you, Applejack!”

Stand

Luna sprouted tendrils of night up from the road and batted away a monochrome monstrosity. It pained her to see the town around her burn, but her priority was the ponies scrambling atop the road she currently covered. While her form in the waking world could morph to any size or shape that she wished, paying attention to herself and the world around her was another issue. She could see from the middle of Ponyville until a few yards away from the dam— about three miles away—and at a myriad of angles.

She was relieved there appeared to be only three of the monstrosities left, but, as the citizens fled, they followed, abandoning the Heroes they were fighting to pursue more vulnerable prey. Discord had not acted like this, but then again, everything was vulnerable prey to him.

Luna continued to bat them away with her tendrils, but spread out as she was, her power was lacking as well. She turned her eyes on the biggest of the monstrosities. It was barreling toward a duo of young mares with flower cutie marks. Even with her eyes on it, it continued its charge. Then again, this monstrosity did not appear to have eyes Luna could focus an assault of fear through.

Instead she shrank a little and used the additional mass to summon a starry wall between the monstrosity and the flower ponies. She let out a grunt from the strain the charge put on her. Drat, I didn’t think a pale imitation would have enough strength to resist like this.

Her thoughts were not laced with anxiety but with a growing anger. The first time she had defended from the monstrosities and they had made contact with her, she investigated their bodies as best she could with a quick swipe of her tendrils. Even without a stomach, she still felt queasy upon putting the pieces together and realizing what the monstrosities were made of.

The monstrosity reared back and its legs swelled up, blackened, and cracked. A sickly orange light roiled within its flesh. Luna braced herself when it shot its legs down.

A wave of electricity, incomparable to a mere lightning bolt, washed over the monstrosity before the blow could land. The attack hit with enough force to blow it off its feet and left it sizzling and crippled on the ground. Luna focused a part of her attention on where the lightning had come from.

“Nightmare Knight, eh?” Shadowbolt mused while electricity crackled around him. “Guess I can’t be too hard on Rainbow Dash if she spotted an emergency like this.”

~~~

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out.

“Hold tight.” Dash flapped her wings and a gale rushed through the alley. It slammed against the Black Griffon but it curled around Twilight, Applejack, and Zecora like a cradle and deposited them behind Dash. Dash kept her eyes on the Griffon, but the others could feel her attention on them as well. “So, this is the Black Griffon, eh?”

“Be careful,” Twilight warned. “I don’t know how, but it has a Talent. If it ingests your blood, it will paralyze you.”

Dash took note of the Cutie Mark on the Griffon’s flank. “Okay that’s new.”

“And it’s being controlled by Equality.”

Dash furrowed her brow. “The crazy unicorn villain from the WTF, right?”

“If only you knew,” Equality snarled. The Griffon readied itself to pounce. “But it’s pointless. The three of you are not leaving this alley.”

Even as Dash felt goosebumps run up her legs from the bloodlust, she took up a stance and breathed in deep. Then, she burst off the ground.

Wings and talons slashed through the air. Dash spun to avoid the Griffon’s attacks and the Griffon weaved and blended in with the night to try and get at Dash. Yet, at the same time, it crept closer to the others. With every advance, Dash fired off a bolt. Many were dodged by fractions of an inch, but some found their mark and made the Griffon’s limbs go numb for a second.

“You’re sloppy.” Dash did an aerial backflip away from a swipe.

Equality growled. The Griffon clawed at its own chest and tore out some feathers. The unorthodox move made Dash pause for the second the Griffon needed to throw them. Dash lunged out the way so they did not hit her square in the barrel but they still streaked across her left foreleg and then embedded into the wall behind her.

The Griffon was upon her in a second with its beak agape and tongue flicking out. It licked up towards Dash’s wounds but electricity exploded off of Dash, forcing the Griffon to retreat. A bit of Dash’s mane and fur smoked but she still stood tall.

“Still think I’m sloppy?” Equality hissed.

“No, you’ve graduated into full-blown nutcase.” Dash charged, leapt, and raced around the Griffon. Blasts of electricity showered down from Dash’s hooves and onto the Griffon. Its knees buckled. It crouched and spun, sending up dirt at Dash, but she blasted it away with a gust of wind. “See that’s what I mean. You may control the Griffon, but you’re not fighting like a griffon.”

At some point in the fight, tears had welled up in Applejack’s eyes even as they blazed with fury. “S-stop it. It’s mine. For my brother!”

“Family issues? I can understand that.” Wind and droplets of water whipped around Dash. While she continued to dodge the Griffon’s strikes, now far more furious and erratic, the air grew dense around her until a cloud formed. It was barely the size of a hoof one instant, but then grew at an exponential rate as puddles in the alley vanished and the air grew dry. Those that were paralyzed had the sweat wicked off them and into the cloud. Dash bucked the cloud, turning it from grey to jet black. Lightning exploded off it and pushed the Griffon back.

Dash glanced back at Applejack. The latter’s face was framed by hot tears and bared teeth. “But the Applejack I know would never make a face like that.”

The cloud warped and feathers burst through it. Dash blasted them away with her wings, just as a shadow fell over her. The Griffon, with its wings spread wide, covered all the heroes from above.

“Crap.” Electricity crackled around Dash just as the Griffon divebombed.

Midway through its decent, a purple hoof slammed into its side, knocking it off balance. In that split-second of freefall, Twilight poured magic into her horn and bound the Griffon with a ring of aura around its torso. With all her might, Twilight pressed the Griffon against the wall while she ran against it.

Twilight felt gravity tug at her, but observing Luna enough had taught her how to position herself and half-step, half-jump against a wall to keep running against it while she dragged the Griffon along.

“Damn, damn, damn!” Equality hissed. Twilight held the Griffon at such an angle that its claws could not reach even with Equality literally able to bend it to her will. Unable to draw blood, she moved the Griffon and it struck Twilight with an elbow to the back hard enough to knock her to the ground.

The Griffon rolled through the air and slammed onto the ground with its claws. Feathers fluttered and settled all around it. Twilight and Dash stood opposite of it, ready to attack.

“Any clue why you got free before the others?” Dash asked.

“Just theories but I’m guessing the amount of blood, race, or magic capacity.” Twilight glanced back. “Zebras have low magic and generally rely on potions, Applejack’s exhausted, but I’ve just had time to recover from training.”

She focused on Dash with her eyes centered on the blood seeping down her left foreleg. “You need to be careful. You’ve got too much exposed blood.”

Dash lifted a hoof and summoned lightning around it. “Want me to take rear then?”

“Right.” Streaks of rainbow aura traced over Twilight’s body.

“So annoying,” Equality growled. “But I just need one. Just one and it can end.”

Twilight and the Griffon charged. Lightning blasted past Twilight but the Griffon dodged, only getting skimmed by it. They got within striking range. Hooves missed by centimeters. Claws raked against magical shields that cracked under the force of the blows.

Lighting and gusts of wind struck when Twilight was regaining her footing or recovering from a blow. Yet, a word Twilight had used lingered in Dash’s head: exhausted.

There was no time now to look back at Applejack, but her gritted teeth and bloodshot eyes were vivid in Dash’s head. She had seen that look in the mirror many times. Those times in the mirror seemed so far away, even if they had only truly been banished just a few days back.

~~~

Scootaloo was the first to cry. Before Dash knew it, they were embracing and tears were spilling down her face too. Words of apology and forgiveness had spilled out of their mouths. How long this had lasted neither could say, but when they were ready, they got up and moved inside. Scootaloo made them some lemonade.

“Not Cutie Mark worthy, but I still think it’s pretty good.”

Dash took a sip and her lips puckered tight.

Scootaloo sighed, “Yeah. Guess I just have a higher tolerance than everypony.”

It was quiet for a second before Scootaloo spoke again. “I remember seeing you in the papers after the WTF incident. You looked so strong… but you also looked tired.”

“I’d been fighting for a while.”

“You look so much better now.” Scootaloo smiled and then blushed bringing a hoof to her puffy eyes to wipe off some leftover tears. “I mean we both look tired now, bu—”

“I get it, squirt. I’m glad I finally remembered what got me into this.”

“Being the best flyer in Equestria?”

Dash reached out and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “That’s a perk, but more than that it’s being loyal to ponies and protecting them with all my might.”

~~~

You’re the same, aren’t you, Applejack? Dash thought.

The Griffon’s body creaked and fibers in its leg snapped but it managed to slash at such a blinding speed that Twilight could not summon a shield in time. It tore through her shin. Blood spurted up and coated its claws. Twilight’s uninjured foreleg glowed bright even as pain assaulted her mind but the Griffon licked the blood before she could launch and attack.

As paralysis took hold of Twilight, the Griffin spun to bring its claws down on Twilight with even more force. A blast of lightning followed by a gust of air kept the Griffon at bay and lifted Twilight close to Dash. Sweat streaked down Dash’s face.

“You’re not killing anyone today!” Dash roared and charged.

Fresh tears spilled down Applejack’s face. “I… I can’t take this… stop please…”

Dash dodged a strike and slammed a crackling hoof into the Griffon’s chest. She punched with enough force to knock it back as electricity coursed through its body. “Then screw this blood Talent and stand up!”

“I should have said something,” said Twilight, lying next to Applejack. “I could see it in your eyes. How hollow your words were. We’re your friends, Applejack, and we know you wouldn’t have gotten here if your head was clear. So be honest and fight for what really matters!”

~~~

Applejack had run. It was as if distance had meant nothing. She had run soon as she had gotten the letter in Manehattan all the way back to the farm. Her tears were blasted away by her speed. But, hearing the news in person from Granny even as Granny was sure she was dreaming, fresh tears had welled up. She had cried until she fell asleep.

The rooster’s crow and the sound of hoofbeats downstairs awoke her. Somepony had put her in her bed. It was still a little dusty from the months of nonuse but she did not care as she threw off the blanket. She tried to rush down stairs but her muscles were so worn out that she fell to the floor when she first put her hooves on the ground. Still, she struggled to her hooves and ambled downstairs.

In the first rays of dawn, Big Macintosh stood and gazed out at the orchards. It was only spring, so the harvest was still far off, but there was always work to be done on the farm. Big Macintosh had donned the yoke—Pa’s yoke—and was getting tools and water ready for the day. The yoke was still too big on him, but he used his Talent to fortify his legs and stay upright even under the yoke’s weight.

With his Talent, Big Macintosh already had the strength of a full-grown earth pony, and a big one at that. He had been an indispensable part of working the farm for the past two years, even as he studied to become a Hero. Now, he stood in Pa’s place.

He turned from his inspection to Applejack who stood by the door with fresh tears dotting her face.

“It’s okay, Applejack, I can handle the chores today, you just get some rest.” Despite the news that had shattered Applejack’s and his world, he smiled. “Granny says she’ll make your favorite pancakes to celebrate getting your Mark.”

“My what?” Applejack blinked, one half of her mind still asleep and the other half focused on not falling over. Yet, she managed to turn and spotted the trio of apples on her flank. “Oh…”

The momentary lapse in concentration was all Applejack needed to wobble. Big Macintosh drove his hooves into the ground and was at Applejack’s side in an instant with massive holes in the ground where he had stood. “I got you, sis.”

“I…I thought it was all a nightmare,” Applejack cried. “When I saw you, I… I…”

Her words devolved into sobs. Big Macintosh held her tight. “I’m still here, Applejack. And so is Granny. And so is Apple Bloom. We’re family, Applejack, and we’ll always be there for each other.”

Applejack pressed herself closer to Big Macintosh.

“To be honest, aside from supporting the farm, that’s the main reason I want to be a Hero.”

“Huh?” Applejack sniffled.

“Some ponies aren’t lucky to have a family like ours. A family that will protect them no matter what. I want to be a Hero that makes everypony feel like they’re a part of my family.”

Applejack clutched Big Macintosh and cried, “Me too! I… I’ll be a Hero that treats everyone like family!”

~~~

And that’s what I’ve got to do now! Applejack’s Mark glowed bright.

Ahead of her, Dash weaved around the Griffon’s strikes, but her breath was labored. The Griffon seized upon her wounds, making every move an effort to lap up Dash’s blood. Dash was forced to evade according to the Griffon’s whims. It was inevitable that it would have her up against a wall. Even if she had time to get airborne, the risk of her blood dripping right onto the Griffon was too high to take off. The Griffon’s claws gleamed in the moonlight as it struck.

“Barnstorm Burst!” Applejack shouted at the top of her lungs. She had exploded off the ground and was upon the Griffon in the split second before its claws could rend Dash. With a buck that cracked the air, she drove her hooves into the Griffon’s leg.

Bone crunched, joints inverted and popped. The Griffon went flying.

Author's Note

Braces for the Jojo jokes because of the title

The One

With space to move, Dash hopped away from the wall and took up a stance beside Applejack. “Good to see you looking like yourself again.”

“Get Twilight and Zecora out of here.” Applejack kept her head lowered. “This has nothing to do with either of you.”

“This again?” Dash groaned.

“It’s more than that.” Applejack took a breath and stared ahead. A bit of color swirled in her eyes. “I’m not letting anyone else lose blood on my account!”

“Oh, so you got a little bravado back,” Equality sneered despite the Griffon now sporting a limp and mangled leg. “But you’re right on one thing, this is all your fault!”

Back in her lair, Equality’s horn smoked. In the alley, the Griffon kicked off the ground. Any debris left in the alley was scattered by its powerful wings. It zoomed at Applejack and Applejack rushed at it. When the Griffon struck and Applejack blocked, Equality got a good look at Applejack’s face. The bags under her eyes were still there, but much smaller and her eyes themselves were clear and glistened with color.

Veins throbbed across Equality’s entire body and streaked her own eyes with red. “Already? You have this much of a bond already!?”

“Hay yeah we do!” Applejack nailed the Griffon in the shoulder with a solid kick. “I let revenge get in the way but now I’m throwing it all on the line for my fri—”

The Griffon’s tail lashed out, its tip like thousands of steel wires. It slashed right over Applejack’s eyes and her world turned black and crimson.

“Applejack!” Dash and Twilight cried.

Magic surged off Twilight and she burst off the ground. She and Dash double teamed the Griffon while Applejack tried to stand but staggered.

“That’s it!” Equality hissed while blows rained down on the Griffon. When Dash threw a punch, the Griffon caught some of the blood flying off her in its mouth. “Fall for your precious friends!”

“Never!” Twilight sprung off the ground with enough force to crater it under her hooves. She hit the wall and then ricocheted back at the Griffon. She angled herself to buck with her hindlegs shimmering with rainbow aura. A zing of pain went through them, but Twilight compressed her muscles further and put all her strength into her legs. “Resonance …”

Somehow, through the darkness and the pain, Applejack could see a faint purple light with flickers of other colors. There was also a sickly black and crimson mass that writhed like an inferno just a little ahead and above her. She charged with all her might as she felt tendons tear and muscles burn.

“Barnstorm…” she cried out as she spun right at the perfect point to hit the Griffon.

With her bloodlust solely on Twilight, Equality did not notice and instead braced for Twilight’s attack.

Twilight bucked. “Smash!”

“Raze!” Applejack drove her hooves into the Griffon’s chest.

Its beak cracked and its eyes rolled. Its ribs were pulverized. Rainbow aura exploded over its head and tore through its body. In her lair, Equality was thrown to the ground with her horn blackened and blood streaming from her nose. The viewing crystal went dark and she blacked out.

In the alley, all three combatants fell. A gust managed to catch Twilight and Applejack and guided them to the ground. The Griffon crashed onto the dirt.

“It’s over,” Dash huffed.

“Is it?” Applejack coughed. She swiveled her head around but dared not get up given the state of her eyes.

“If Dash can move again, I think we’re safe.” Twilight limped over to Applejack. Each step sent shocks through her hindlegs and made the gash on her foreleg throb. She lowered her horn to Applejack’s head and it glowed bright alongside Applejack’s face. “I’m pretty spent, but this should help with the bleeding and the pain.”

At the same time, she pulled Applejack’s rope out of its holster and floated it over to Dash. “Sorry to ask this while you’re injured too, but think you can tie up the Griffon?”

Dash clasped the rope. “Can d—”

She froze when she turned toward the Griffon. Its body had shrunk a bit and its fur had gained shades of light brown while its feathers had brightened to a light grey. What truly froze Dash was the scar she noticed on the Griffon’s right foreleg: exactly at the same spot Gilda had a scar from a time they had trained together in Ghastly Gorge.

Dash dropped the rope and rushed over. “Gilda?! Gilda!”

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight yelped. “What are you doing?”

“The Griffon…” Dash gulped. “She’s a friend!”

Twilight noticed that the mark on Gilda’s flank was fading and shuddered. “All this unnatural magic…” She took a breath. “She was still being controlled by Equality and she may try to take over again. We need to restrain her.”

“Allow me to assist, for all you have done, at least that I insist.” Everyone turned toward Zecora, back on her hooves. She had a gash on her side, but it was slathered with some sort of salve. Reaching into her cloak, she produced two flasks and doused Gilda with their contents. “One of sleep and one of freeze, now we can be a little more at ease.”

“I’ll tie her up too just to be safe,” Dash sighed and got to work. “Sorry, Gilda.”

~~~

Equality flared her eyes open. She tasted iron. She tried to light up her horn to remove her mask and get the blood out of her mouth, but a wave of pain slammed into her head. Grinding her teeth, she tore the lower half of her mask off with a hoof and spat, splattering the floor with crimson.

“Damn it,” she huffed. “Damn it!”

Her bloodshot eyes targeted the viewing crystal. She flailed at it, knocking it off its pedestal and cracking it. She stomped and trampled it even as the shards jabbed into her hooves’ frogs and gashed her ankles.

Seems your little pet project failed.

Equality froze. While Enigma was somewhere in the lair, the voice did not belong to him— it emanated from within Equality’s head.

I recall all the setbacks I faced against Celestia and Luna as well. Goosebumps ran up Equality’s bloodied legs. You may have failed this time. But now it is time for Equestria to once more know: I am here.

~~~

All four of them made it out of the alley and onto the street. They could see smoke rising here and there across Ponyville but it was no longer illuminated by the light of fire. Dash hefted Gilda up with some air and out of striking distance of the others at the front of the group. She, Twilight, and Applejack now had their wounds covered in Zecora’s salve.

Out in the open air, Dash sent up a bolt of lightning. She muttered, “Well, time to see which is worse…”

Applejack leaned against Twilight for guidance.

“I wish I knew where the hospital was,” said Twilight. She glanced up at her horn and felt the slight ache from it and the needles going up three of her legs. “Then again, teleporting might not be my best move right now.”

“I’m sorry…” Applejack whimpered.

“Enough,” Twilight replied, “we’re Heroes and we’re friends s—”

“Twilight!” a voice called out. It was the same as the one that had come from Luna earlier. Hearing it again, Twilight noted it was somewhere between Luna and Tantabus’s vocal range. Noticing Twilight was with others, Tantabus employed its male voice and formed near them. “Is this the Black Griffon? I had my concerns given its attack pattern as of late but I did not expect it to be connected with Equality.”

“Me neither,” said Twilight.

“Teach? What are you doing out here?” Dash asked.

“I will explain later. Getting you to a hospital comes first.”

“What about the Griffon?” asked Applejack. “I don’t exactly have the clearest picture, but it sounds like Equality did something to turn one of Rainbow Dash’s friends into that monster.”

“‘Turn?’” Tantabus stiffened. His eyes materialized to gaze at Gilda. His pupils shrank when they fell upon her chest. “No, it can’t be…”

“Rainbow Dash!” came a roar from above. Shadowbolt slammed into the ground nearby and stomped over to the group. “You may have found some good work, but you still disobeyed orders an— is that the Black Griffon?”

As if spurned by Shadowbolt’s words, red aura crackled from out of Gilda’s chest. Her eyes flared open and she flailed against Dash’s wind and tumbled to the ground. Her piercing pupils were focused on only Shadowbolt. “You!”

“You! You!” Her voice deepened until it sounded like something from the depths of Tartarus. More aura shot off around her. Once more, her feathers and fur darkened. The rope around her snapped. Her body exploded outward with musculature, but this time the transformation tore through her skin. A pair of horns ripped out of her temples. The entire scene filled everyone with dread as Gilda lumbered toward Shadowbolt.

Everyone, even Tantabus and Shadowbolt, were frozen. What radiated off Gilda was something far stronger than bloodlust or killing intent: it was a rage so pure it crushed flight or fight responses and left one in a state of awe and terror.

“Vile,” Gilda bellowed, her voice no longer her own. Tantabus shook upon hearing it. “Equestria is vile. I will burn it. I will burn it! You will all burn! I will devour Sun and Moon! Know I ha—"

The crimson aura surging out of Gilda’s chest exploded in a flash. Her horns cracked off and her muscles wisped off like smoke. The wrathful aura rose off her and for a brief moment resembled what those observing could only call a demon.

By the time Gilda collapsed, her limbs had withered to skeletal husks. The only color that returned was in her feathers and fur but the rest of her was pale as death.

“Gilda!” Dash cried.

Author's Note

Woot, made it back safe from my travels. Now quarantining for two weeks and writing up a storm

Consequences

Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Zecora were all in the recovery ward of the Ponyville Hospital. Because a majority of the town were earth ponies, the hospital only had a limited number of unicorns, and that was only due to medical mandates. So, all those injured in the fight against the Black Griffon were stitched up and bandaged.

Only Applejack had gotten spells cast on her. Even with them, her eyes remained bandaged and she was kept away from the windows.

Rainbow Dash was chained to her bed, though she was now just resting on it, having realized resisting would only impair her recovery. She muttered to herself, “I’ll get there soon, Gilda.”

Twilight was lost in thought and covered in goosebumps. That shadow…

Everyone sat up when the door to the ward opened. Tantabus walked in. Beside him was a grey-haired beige mare. Above her ceremonial collar denoting her as a government official, her head was intricately detailed. It gave off the sense of being too realistic if one stared at it too long.

“So, these are the students that took down the Black Griffon?” the mare asked.

“Indeed, Mayor Mare,” said Tantabus. “They are quite the rambunctious bunch, but I am immensely pleased to see them safe.”

“As am I,” said Mayor Mare.

Dash asked, “Gi—the Griffon, how is it?”

“She’s stable, but it will be a long road to recovery for her. Aside from the injuries you dealt to her, it’s as if the life has been literally drained out of her. We have some specialists coming in to assist with that… and with interrogation.”

“She wasn’t in control!” Dash shouted, straining against the chain binding her to her bed. “I’ve been telling you all, that brood Equality had her under her spell!”

“Calm yourself!” Tantabus ordered. He martialized his eyes to get Dash to back down. Dash felt a chill but she still remained upright.

“We’re taking everything that happened into account,” said Mayor Mare. Her gaze sharpened. “That includes what to do about you three.”

Twilight paled. “Oh no…”

“What?” Applejack turned her head in the vague directions of Twilight and Mayor Mare.

“We are a nation of Heroes, but we are also a nation of laws. Ponyville is no exception. The use of Talents has always been a delicate balancing act of freedom versus regulation, especially for Heroes. Improper use of your Talents can cause massive damage. It can even cost lives. That’s why licenses or explicit permission under very specific conditions are the only ways for Heroes to use their Talents in their line of work. There are severe punishments for breaking the law.”

Dash bristled. “Are… are you telling us we’re in trouble for what we did?”

“Putting it bluntly, yes.”

“That’s bull!” Dash jabbed a leg (as well as she could given her restraints) at Zecora and slashed it over to Applejack. “We should have just left them to die?! It’s our damn job to save people!”

Twilight bit her lip. Applejack bent her head down.

“Is this how you’re teaching now?” Mayor Mare sighed at Tantabus.

Lightning crackled off Dash. “You brood…”

Tantabus gave Dash another glare. “There’s more.”

Mayor Mare shook her head. “That’s the official warning I have to give because you now have a choice to make. All the civilians had been evacuated by the time you defeated the Griffon. Only Shadowbolt, Zecora, and Nightmare Knight saw what happened afterwards. So, you can either keep the truth to yourselves and let Shadowbolt take the credit or accept the fame that comes with defeating the Griffon but also accept the consequences.”

“Can’t Nightmare Knight get some credit too?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, at least say Teach had a hoof in this,” Dash added.

“I’ve always preferred to stay out of the spotlight,” said Tantabus.

Twilight closed her eyes and took a breath. “No one died, that’s what matters to me.”

Twilight’s words softened Dash’s expression and she sank back to her bed. “Fine, if that’s how it has to be.”

Applejack nodded. “I got everyone into this mess. As long as they don’t get in trouble, I’ll accept whatever they choose.”

“Am I to take that as acceptance of option one?” asked Mayor Mare.

“Yes,” Twilight, Dash, and Applejack said in unison.

“Then I will at least allow you this.” Mayor Mare bowed her head to the ground. “As Mayor of Ponyville, you have this town’s thanks.”

~~~

Filthy Rich came to visit Applejack a little later. Next to him was an elderly green mare. Applejack could not see her, but she froze when elderly mare ambled into the room with her walker. Despite her age, she was upon Applejack in a blink. A bit of smoke rose off her hooves.

“You foal!” she yelled. “Nearly gave me a heart attack! Caused Big Mac to fall out of his chair! Had to leave Apple Bloom with him, poor filly! I don’t care how old you are, when you’re out of here, you’re getting the biggest sp… spa…”

The mare stopped and broke down into tears. Applejack reached out and they hugged each other with all their strength.

“I’m sorry, Granny!” Applejack sobbed.

“I can’t take this,” Granny Smith sniffled. “One more of you goes and I’ll…”

“I promise, Granny. I promise it won’t happen again. Ever.” Applejack then pulled back. Her face was pale. “The Harvest! Oh shoot, Granny, my head was so cluttered, I wasn’t even thinking of the Harvest!”

Granny Smith gave her a whack on the top of her head. “What in Equestria are you talking about, girl? You already forget all the lucky stars you thanked for all the wonderful friends you have?”

Applejack tilted her head. “Granny? Are you okay? You’re not making sense.”

Twilight spoke up. “Sorry, Applejack, you were in surgery for a while, so I did some research on Apple Bucking Season. You have such a short timeframe to work with so I went ahead and sent a letter.”

Applejack’s confusion deepened. “Letter?”

~~~

“Ugh,” Suri groaned before slamming metal hooves into a tree, knocking down its apples into buckets below. “How in Equestria is this Hero work?”

“Quite better than just doing photo shoots.” Rarity bucked a neighboring tree with crystalized hooves. After the apples finished falling, she wiped the sweat off her brow.

“I guess I needed to review the basics a bit too,” said Sassy Saddles as she bucked a tree.

Nearby, a tree shook violently when a large fist slammed into it. Apples, leaves, and a few branches fell down. The owner of the fist, a hulking minotaur, grinned. “Ha-ha! Iron Will could do this all day!”

There was a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw Fluttershy hovering beside him. She shook her head at him and he bowed his head. “Oh, gentler?”

Fluttershy nodded and then glided over to a nearby tree.

“Huh, looks like you and your supervisor are really getting along,” said Spike. Instead of striking the tree, he flew up to the apples and breathed fire across the canopy. His flames danced through the branches and only engulfed the apples, which reappeared in the buckets below no worse for wear.

“We still have a lot of work to do.” Fluttershy’s hind legs thickened and her coat gained a sheen to it. Her buck sent the apples tumbling. “But I think it really helped me understand what kind of Hero I am and what I’m not.”

“Wish I could say the same about mine,” Spike sighed.

Unlike the others’, Spike’s supervisor was nowhere to be seen.

~~~

Spike had closed his eyes. Smoke afflicted him, but as a dragon, it did not affect his breathing. Even though his body was too small, he had spread his wings as wide as he could to shield the filly below him. It had been all he could do when he saw the wall of her room lurched from the heat of the fire and came crashing down, taking the roof with it.

But the impact never came. It also grew a bit cooler. Spike dared to open his eyes and saw he was in the shadow of a large teal dragon. Its mature frame supported the wall and the roof. A single breath from it scattered the flames and debris away from Spike and the filly. It glared down at Spike and spoke in a bit lower but familiar voice.

“Whelp,” Ember muttered, “I will have words with you after this, but for now get that foal out of here.”

Spike lifted his wings up and bolted out the gaping hole he now noticed in the building. His flight to the ground was crooked due to the heat warping the air, but he made it and then set the filly down.

“Crafty!” a colt yelled and raced over to her. A mare in tears and a stallion in a ruffled and sooty suit followed after him. The family all embraced.

Above them, the building shook as Ember clawed her way out of the fire. Rising into the air, her massive form was observed for just a second before it shrank down to normal size. When she joined Spike on the ground, she was bipedal rather than on all fours like in the building. Said building heaved and caved in at places while crews raced to douse the flames.

The family now turned their attention to the two dragons. Spike tensed, but his eyes widened when the father bowed his head. “Thank you! Thank you!”

Spike took a breath. “Just what a Hero would do.”

It was the colt’s turn to bow his head. “Sorry about the rock earlier.”

Spike rubbed a tiny sore spot on his arm. “It’s my job to protect others. No matter who they are.”

“So that’s how you see it,” said Ember. Her eyes seemed to be looking elsewhere when she addressed Spike. She spread her wings. “You’re not good for my hoard. I’m going to need to reevaluate the whole thing now.”

With that, she left Spike pondering her words… and dealing with the guards.

~~~

Rarity took care of another tree and looked down the orchard path. “Phew, almost there. I’m getting quite parched though.”

“On it!” Pinkie popped up by Rarity and hoofed her a mug with a straw sticking out of it that twisted and looped in a multitude of directions.

Rarity took a sip and was delighted at the fizzy cooling sensation that drink imparted on her dry mouth. “Oh, thank you, Pinkie dear…” She rolled her tongue around. “I just wish I could place the flavor.”

“Concentrated Pink,” Pinkie answered. “I figured it out from watching the boss. I just need to put everything I have into this drink and it’s good. Still not on the boss’s level though.”

As if on cue, Mincemeat’s voice echoed from the end of the orchard, “Keep those drinks flowing! We need everypony hydrated if we’re gonna clear these trees!”

“Roger!” Pinkie shouted, saluted, and scooted away to the next thirsty harvester.

~~~

“Once everything is wrapped up, they’ll visit,” Twilight finished explaining.

Applejack’s bandages dampened again. “Twi…”

Before Applejack could say more or Twilight could respond, a unicorn doctor stepped into the ward. “Ms. Applejack, it’s time for your next operation. Have you decided which option to go with?”

“I have,” Applejack sniffled and wiped her nose. Though her eyes were covered, everyone could feel the intensity radiating off Applejack. With solid footing, she got off the bed and made it over to the doctor.

At the door, she turned her head back around. “Thank you, Twilight. I’ll never forget what you’ve done.”

~~~

“We could still make it in time to help with a few trees,” said Cadance.

“I said no,” Sunset snorted. She then turned away from Cadance as they continued their patrol of Canterlot’s streets. “I just want to focus on the internship. That’s it.”

Cadance stared at her and grinned while Sunset’s eyes were elsewhere. “I see…”

~~~

While the heat from Tartarus’s infernal depths made even the guards specially trained to work there sweat, Celestia’s fur was still pristine as she marched alongside them. Their path spiraled downward into the deepest depths of Tartarus, past countless cages holding villains and dangerous creatures alike.

The journey was punctuated by occasional stops at physical gates and magical barriers, each requiring keys, spells, or both to get through in addition to identification verification by the guards posted at each checkpoint.

It went from blazing hot to cool once they passed a certain point. There were fewer cages now, but those that remained were reinforced and covered in sealing glyphs.

At the very bottom of Tartarus, they reached a cube rather than a cage. It was suspended by chains that glowed bright with magic. Only a single slot in the door allowed an outsider to peer in or deliver food. Guards stood at ledges overlooking the cube or flew up near each side of it.

Celestia looked up at the cube. “And there have been no changes?”

“No,” said one of the guards at her side. “His magic is sealed by just the binding inside. Everything else is a failsafe.”

“His magic.” Celestia clicked her tongue and then ordered, “Lower it.”

The guard gulped and walked over to a lever. The other guard at Celestia’s side joined him. Both produced keys and stuck them into the base of the lever at the same time and turned. Then, the first guard pulled it. The chains holding the cube up rattled and slowly brought the cube down to the ground.

Celestia approached the cube’s door. This time, it required five guards putting in keys at the door’s corners and its center to unlock. Celestia lit up her horn and undid the seal she had personally cast on the cube long ago.

The door creaked open.

When Celestia peered in, the cube’s inhabitant scampered into a corner. He was a withered thing with what remained of his flesh hanging off his bones.

“Tirek.” Celestia’s lone word made all the guards shudder.

Even in his current state and his four legs and two arms bound by chains with even stronger magic attached to them and his mouth muzzled, Celestia still kept her distance and her horn ready for use.

That was until she looked into his eyes. His pupils, little dots of yellow in a sunken abyss of black shook when they beheld Celestia.

She rushed at him.

“Your highness!” the guards all shouted, but Celestia was already upon him.

She raised a hoof and waved it through where his head should have been. It passed through like there was only air there. Tirek’s image wavered and vanished.

In his place was a cowering pinkish gray filly, little more than a foal. Blue curls covered her terror-stricken face. She sobbed, “He said not to say anything, he promised… he promised…”

The world seemed to crash down on Celestia. She paled. “He’s escaped.”

In the Depths of the Everfree

“Neato!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I never imagined you like this, but it works!”

“Indeed,” said Rarity. “It makes you look quite studious.”

Applejack blushed and pushed up the glasses that now adorned her face. “Shucks, I just wanted something simple.”

“Simple and elegant,” said Rarity.

“They won’t get in the way when you’re on duty?” Dash asked.

Applejack glanced at her frames. “I’ll wear contacts when I’m on patrol, but I’ll wear these otherwise.” She looked down and sighed, “Equality may be a madmare, but she was right about me losing myself to revenge. These glasses will keep my eyes from being led astray.”

“That threat she made still scares me…” Fluttershy shuddered. “Even just reading about it was terrifying.”

“To devour Sun and Moon,” Twilight muttered.

“You say something, Twi?” Applejack asked.

“No, it’s all good… just mentally bracing myself for my next internship task.”

Dash gave her wings a flap. “Yeah, I gotta be flying out too now that I’ve got a clean bill of health.”

Twilight looked at Applejack. “I’ll be sure to stop by after I’m done with my work.”

“You’re always welcome at Sweet Apple Acres.” Applejack passed her eyes over all her friends. “That goes for all of you too.”

~~~

Luna was in the shadows of a tree when Twilight arrived.

“Come,” she ordered.

“Okay, is there any specific training I sho—”

Luna took off and flew into the Everfree Forest. Aura ran through Twilight and she gave chase with enhanced speed.

~~~

Twilight gulped down some air when the trees parted and she found herself standing near a cliff. She was covered in fresh scratches and bumps but bore nothing serious enough to have slowed her down. Most of the injuries had come from having her eyes on Luna when she should have been looking ahead. But, with the Elements’ Cowling, she was able to barrel through branches and react faster to avoid rocks or other hazards.

She had sped up just as Luna had zoomed out of the forest and into the clearing. The crackle of aura around her died down, but she was ready to activate the Elements with her full might as soon as she spotted Luna again. Taking her surroundings in, she saw the weathered ruins of a bridge on her side of the canyon.

When she looked to the other side, Luna was there but remained still for only a moment before darting into the woods on the other side. Taking a breath, Twilight lit up her horn and concentrated on a teleport, but a solid mass of shadow about the size of a small acorn nailed her right at the base of her horn. She was not far enough in the spell for her magic to explode out, but the blow still staggered her.

“There are times when complex spells will be your downfall.” It was that third voice that emanated from Luna.

Standing up straight again, Twilight considered her options for crossing. Rather than activating the Elements immediately, she strode over to the remains of the bridge. There were bits of planks scattered around both edges and worn pieces of rope still clung to the ends of the bridge.

Twilight placed a hoof on one of the planks and applied what she estimated to be the walking weight of a fourth of her body. She was not even halfway through applying pressure when cracks spiderwebbed out and the wood splintered.

So repair and reinforcement are out of the picture, Twilight thought. She looked across the canyon. Modified cloud walker?

She considered the humidity in the air, but without a pegasus to make a cloud out of it, any foothold would not be able to support her.

While Twilight continued running through strategies, she felt a shudder run through her. Getting out of her thoughts, she saw a pair of piercing turquoise eyes glare at her out of the darkness on the other side of the canyon.

“I will not wait much longer.”

With a gulp and the eyes still on her, Twilight settled on her course of action. She cleared away what remained of the bridge except for the ends of it to provide a clear path. Then, she backed up a good distance, took a breath, and activated the Elements.

Aura flared and trailed off her as she went into a gallop. She became a blur of purple with streaks of rainbow flowing around her. She reached the edge and kicked off the ground with all her might. She heard something crash behind her, but dared not look any other direction but forward.

She zoomed over the canyon. The other side grew closer and closer even as time slowed for Twilight. Then, the other side got higher. Even with all the speed she had built up and all the power behind her jump, Twilight felt gravity winning. The edge was almost within reach.

Just a little more! A foothold. She needed something to grab, not even for a second. Just enough to get her to the edge. She concentrated, even as gravity’s pull grew stronger and panic set it. She channeled that fear into processing power. Just as she did, the spark of revelation came to her. Channel. Flow. Flow… let my magic flow outwards!

Beyond her horn and even beyond her body, Twilight stretched out her magic. It was unlike a spell which created an aura around or outside a unicorn’s body. Rather, she felt her senses explode with a new feeling that was like touch but without actually touching. At the same time, she felt a fire flowing up her hooves and down her back, but she focused on the new sensation.

She could tell something was flowing all around her. She could feel how her body disrupted it, but not enough to stop her fall. It needed to be made thicker, made stronger. She could not actually see what this was, so she shut her eyes to focus on it and to shut out the view of the rapidly rising cliff in front of her.

Condense! Twilight thought and willed with everything she had. The flow around her front hooves slowed. Whatever was between them now fell with her. She pressed her hooves together and felt some resistance but not enough to grasp onto and launch her out of the canyon. She pushed and pushed until her legs’ muscles could push no more. She felt something painful run up her hooves, but all she cared about was that she now had something to grab onto.

With all the strength she could control from the Elements, Twilight pulled onto the thing she had made and flew upwards. She finally opened her eyes just as she skimmed over the cliff face and tumbled onto the ground.

She gasped for air as the Elements’ aura died down. Her hooves smoked and a bit of them had blackened, not like how they would from overuse of magic, but as if something incredibly hot had struck them from the outside. Her whole body ached from escaping the canyon, in particular, her back, which felt like somepony had placed burning irons on her shoulder blades. Glancing to her side and over the edge, she caught sight of the last remnants of a tiny storm cloud getting blown away by the wind.

Once she had recovered her breath, Twilight managed to stand.

“Come,” said the voice. “You’re ready.”

Twilight’s mind brimmed with questions on what she had just done, but given that the voice was related to a Princess of Equestria, she listened and walked towards where the voice had come from.

It was only a short distance through the forest before her hooves graced not earth, but cut stone. The path that appeared before her was worn and covered in cracks, but it looked like it had just been swept clean. It piqued her curiosity as no books she read had ever mentioned ponies attempting to build a road in the Everfree.

She only followed it for a bit before coming to a stop. Her eyes widened. Amidst all the trees and shrubbery, there stood great stone steps that led to an even greater gate overgrown with moss and vines. Walls, ancient and weathered, supported the gate and extended out and around to form a thick first line of defense. Spires poked out from within the walls and made up its corners. Twilight assumed these walls had once repulsed enemy hordes but had now lost out to the Everfree.

What most caught Twilight’s eye though was the large rounded balcony that could be glimpsed through the crumbling stones. She could not make out if it had a matching mosaic, but the shape was identical to the grand dais the Princesses stood and rose up from when summoning the sun and the moon.

There was no doubt in Twilight’s mind what this structure was: a royal castle.

The gate gave a low moan. It opened just enough to knock off some dust and allow a pony to slip inside. Twilight caught a glimpse of Luna’s ethereal tail and gave chase.

She rushed up the steps and slipped inside. Just as she got into the courtyard, the gate slammed shut behind her. She tensed up and readied her horn and the Elements. Silence greeted her. A wind rustled some old leaves.

“Luna?” Twilight called out. “Princess?”

With no response, Twilight advanced forward. There were a pair of doors slightly open up ahead. Their carvings were faded, but she could see the sun and the moon rising on each side of the doors until they met in the middle.

Making her way inside, Twilight found herself in a grand hall. Light poured in through gaping holes in the ceiling and smashed windows, exposing the weathered and tattered rug and banners to the elements. At the end of the hall stood two thrones. Even age could not completely destroy the vibrant golds of the throne to Twilight’s right nor the cool blues and silvers of the throne to her left.

Luna stood between the two thrones, waiting for her.

“Princess Luna,” Twilight called out, adding her title due to the atmosphere, “what is this place?”

“It’s where it all happened,” Luna answered.

“I wanted to wait after I bungled our initial meetings,” came a male voice from above and to Twilight’s right. She looked up and saw Tantabus standing there on the corner of a balcony.

“But circumstances have changed.” The pitch-black armored mare—the form Tantabus had taken when she had first met Twilight— called out from the balcony opposite of Tantabus. “It is time to tell you, the Bearer of the Elements, the whole truth.”

“Sister may not agree, but time is of the essence now,” said Luna. “I apologize, Twilight Sparkle, but honesty has never been my strong suit. It was fun though… getting to be friends with you.”

She flashed a smile at Twilight that tugged at Twilight’s heart and then took to the air before Twilight could respond. Tantabus and the armored mare did the same until they were flying side by side.

In unison, they spoke as their bodies grew closer and closer to each other. “Tantabus. Luna. Nightmare Moon. We are all one in the same.”

There was a blinding flash. Twilight shielded her eyes with a hoof, but everything still went white for a second. When her vision cleared, the dull greys of weathered stone and near-brown faded reds of the carpet were replaced with polished surfaces and deep crimson. Restored windows allowed colored light to dance across the freshly cleaned carpet and upon the lustrous banners.

Between the two thrones, now in their full regal splendor, stood an alicorn mare only slightly shorter than Celestia. Her mane was like Tantabus’s body and swirled with brilliant stars and glistening galaxies. Her blue fur and feathers gave way to a black splotch on her flank that enveloped a crescent moon. A bandana with an identical crest rested around her neck. Twilight knew of this mare from pictures.

“Forgive me for my duplicity,” said the mare before bowing her head. Her voice was the voice Twilight had heard before. “Now I appear before you as I truly am. I am Princess Luna of Equestria, Sovereign of the Night, Defender of Dreams, Guide of the Moon, and…” She raised her head and looked straight at Twilight. “I am the one who wounded Celestia and nearly destroyed the Elements.”

Author's Note

There was a part I had originally planned for this chapter, but after looking at the timeline decided to save it for just a little later. Enjoy

A Thousand Years Ago

The words hit Twilight harder than anything the Black Griffon had struck her with. Her stomach dropped. It felt like the floor was falling out under her. Needing a hoofhold to grasp onto, she stuttered, “Y-you’re lying again. Celestia said she and you were injured fighting a great calamity.”

“I was that calamity,” Luna said while looking straight at Twilight. She then turned to the side and glanced up. “But the source goes further back than that. A source that once more threatens us…”

A hurricane of dust exploded through the windows and wiped away the stone walls. Twilight shielded her eyes. The smell of smoke filled her nose. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer on a carpet but looking down upon a burning city despite not having a cloud to stand on.

Two points of light, one gold and the other blue, streaked through the air with stripes of rainbow swirling around them. Blood-red beams wreathed in toxic orange and yellow aura almost hit the points of light, but missed by a hair and instead exploded upon hitting the ground or the remains of buildings.

Twilight turned to the beam’s source and saw a great horned shadow. She froze. The shadow loomed over the flames and the rubble. It had to be at least as tall as a Manehattan skyscraper, but it rushed at the points of light with its massive body in the blink of an eye, trying to swat or shoot them out of the sky. Its mighty arms tore the air asunder with each swing. Its four legs, thick as the largest of trees, made the world shake with each step.

Twilight knew this shadow. It was the same as the one that she had seen peel off both Gilda and Spike.

“Wh-what is that?” she dared to ask.

“That,” Luna’s voice came from somewhere, “is Tirek.”

Twin blasts from the points of light managed to strike Tirek in the sides. He let out a bellow that chilled Twilight to the core and forced her to cover her ears. He then summoned a blinding sphere between his horns. Twilight felt its heat even from afar. The sphere shot out a beam that evaporated everything it touched. All that was left was red hot rock in its wake. It carved through the city ruins, trailing after the points of light.

“Over a thousand years ago, Equestria was still an untamed land, even after we defeated Discord.”

Twilight’s teeth chattered despite the heat Tirek’s attacks unleashed. “D-discord’s not just a bedtime story, is he?”

“I can assure you; ponies do not sleep well knowing things like Discord and Tirek exist.” The blue point of light plowed into Tirek and launched him off his hooves. “We knew not where Tirek came from, but his hunger for power nearly destroyed Equestria.”

Tirek pushed himself back up. The point of light had flown away but it had left a crimson gash in his silhouetted body. But, Tirek opened his maw. Screams filled the air. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of wisps were pulled into the air and down Tirek’s gullet.

“He consumed everything in his path.” The crimson gash shrank. “Food, life, even Talents. Sister and I would not let him continue. We decided to unleash the Elements.”

Just then, the points of light converged. Their blue and gold auras gave way to the rainbow that had just been streaks until now. The light formed a sphere even bigger than what Tirek had formed. In a blinding blast, the light shot up, forming an actual rainbow that crashed down on Tirek.

The instant before it crashed into Tirek, he shot out a bolt of crimson. It plunged through the source of the light, but could not stop the rainbow from swallowing him up and vanquishing his shadow.

As Tirek faded away, the world went white.

The white gave way to the cosmos. Amongst the stars and galaxies, Twilight spotted a pair of constellations that resembled Alicorns, one brighter than the other. They moved through space, locked hooves and raised them high.

“We prevailed as we had against Discord, Sombra, and countless other foes,” Luna’s voice echoed. Above, Twilight noticed a red star glint in the center of the dimmer constellation’s chest. “But Tirek had concealed a power from us, and I was blind to my own weakness.”

The red star’s glow brightened. Stars next to it turned red and the space between them lost the deep blue of the rest of the night sky and turned pitch black. “Tirek could give just as he could take. He had seen the seeds of jealousy in the darkest corners of my heart and so planted his own power in me, where, with Equestria’s newfound peace, it festered and corrupted me until…”

Just the red stars and the black night completely overtook the constellation, gravity took hold of Twilight again. She shot down and realized she was above the castle, but came to a stop before going through the ceiling.

Said ceiling then exploded in a burst of icy blue and coal energy. The beam left a huge hole, allowing Twilight to peer into the throne room Luna had greeted her in. The hole, while smoking, was right where it had been when Twilight had arrived.

A white blur zipped out of the hole, followed by a black counterpart. They came to a stop a little higher than where Twilight floated. Both alicorns flapped their wings, one coated in feathers, the other with an angular membrane like that of a bat pony. A flap from either alicorn made the trees rustle down below.

“Luna, stop!” Celestia cried out. “You’re out of control!”

“No!” the black mare snapped back. “For the first time, I’m in control! No more listening to you! From now on, this is Nightmare Moon’s Kingdom!”

Nightmare Moon charged. The night sky was lit up with blasts. Every time a beam looked to approach the castle or the town that surrounded it, a golden barrier warded off the attack. But sometimes the barriers did not form fast enough and some beams got through, shattering the castle’s stones and setting the town ablaze.

By the time the eastern sky gained a faint glow, Celestia was battered, her chest-plate in pieces, and the aura around her horn dimmed. Nightmare Moon bore some dents in her armor and sported a bloody lip, but her breathing was far less harried than Celestia’s.

Celestia prepared to fire off an attack, but Nightmare Moon blitzed her and struck with enough force to send her crashing down into the town below. The street cratered under Celestia and she did not move.

“Pathetic,” Nightmare Moon sneered and summoned a sickly glow around her horn. “How could the day and Equestria have such a weak ruler? Worry not, sister, I will make this quick!”

Just as Nightmare Moon bolted down with power surging off her horn, Celestia struggled to get up. Tears streamed down her face as rainbow trails whipped off her horn. “Luna… forgive me.”

Six gems, five in the shape of hexagrams and sixth in the shape of a star, flew out from somewhere in what remained of the castle and encircled Celestia. The rainbow aura that had appeared around her horn spread out from each gem and linked them together.

“Sister had no choice,” said Luna. “She knew my power better than anyone, and now it was twisted and increased with Tirek’s corruption. The Elements were her only option, but…”

With Nightmare Moon fast approaching, Celestia angled her horn straight at her. The glow from the Elements spread around Celestia, starting to encase her in the same rainbow sphere that had covered her and Luna just before they had unleashed them on Tirek. At the last moment, Celestia seized up. Blood flew out of her mouth and her hind legs gave way. She managed to keep her forelegs up, but it exposed her front to Nightmare Moon. The aura around her wavered and flickered before it was torn asunder by Nightmare Moon ramming into Celestia.

Twilight gasped. Nightmare Moon’s horn, far longer and sharper than any normal pony’s, bore through Celestia’s chest. Twilight could make out the tip through Celestia’s back.

“L-Luna,” Celestia hacked, spraying blood on Nightmare Moon’s armor and fur.

Nightmare Moon’s lips curled to form a grin, but stopped. Her eyes widened and gained a softer hue. Their pupils compressed and rounded. Color drained from her face. “Sister! I… I…”

“It… It’s okay, Luna,” Celestia croaked. “W-we can fix th—”

“No!” Nightmare Moon shrieked but did not pull back. “Forgive me! Forgive me!”

Aura suddenly clawed out of the wound. It had multiple colors, but they mixed into nauseating greys, yellows, and purples.

“Luna!” Celestia cried. “What are you doing?!”

“I… I can’t hold on for long, and I only have a connection left because I’m in you,” Nightmare Moon huffed. Cracks splintered down her horn. The same sickly aura that had spilled out of Celestia’s wound pooled outside of it as well. “This is the only way. Goodbye.”

“N—” Celestia’s scream was cut off by Nightmare Moon’s horn exploding, followed by the rest of her. Twilight could only watch in horror as the town was consumed with the nauseating aura. It was all the more terrifying because this was not the first time seeing this: Luna had shown her what happened when the Elements went out of control on her first day of class.

Celestia and the chipped Elements were the only things left. Her coat was covered in ash and a good chunk of her mane, normally luscious and flowing, was burnt off and what remained hung limp. It was the first time the ruler of the sun was covered in burns. She stared out at the destruction with wide eyes and then down at her chest. Shards of horn crumbled out of the wound and dispersed into dust.

“No…” Celestia cried. Her whole body was wracked despair and she wailed, “No!”

Aura flared around her horn. The Elements lifted up out of the ashes and encircled Celestia once more. She cried out to the heavens as the Elements swirled faster and faster. As the aura grew blinding, the Elements cracked. The world turned white once more.

Twilight found herself back in space. This time, Luna stood before her. “Through the Elements’ power and my connection to dreams and the moon, I was able to survive, but at a terrible cost.”

Replicas of the Elements and the white silhouette materialized between Luna and Twilight. They swirled around the silhouette as they had around Celestia and then merged into the silhouette. “The Elements fused with Celestia, blocking off anypony else from using them until you accessed them. They also kept Celestia alive, but could not stop the wound from taking its toll on her until we reached today, where her power barely lasts a few hours. As for me, I continued my duties and tried my best to find a new Bearer, but you have seen where my obsession led me.”

“But why did you tell me now?” Twilight asked.

“I’m sure Celestia wanted to wait for a later time, but now the sooner you know, the better.” Luna strode over, dispersing the silhouette. She was eye to eye with Twilight. “I saw how you reacted. You’ve seen him, or rather, you saw his power fueling the Black Griffon.”

Twilight gulped. “Tirek.”

“Yes. Celestia is probably investigating his prison as we speak, but it will take time for even her to return. I need no confirmation. I saw it myself. There’s no doubt that he has returned, and he wants the Elements, the one power he could not devour.”

Luna reached out and clasped Twilight’s shoulder. She could feel Twilight shaking but she held firm. “You have proven yourself time and time again as a great Bearer. You will master the Elements and until then, we will protect you!”

Author's Note

Well, it feels like a thousand years ago that I was settled enough to write. What was the 2020 bingo we got in July again?

Out of the Woordwork

An apple, veiled in a purple glow, floated over bushels of other apples of varying sizes and colors until it was put down alongside others that appeared to match it.

Applejack came over to the bushel picked up the fruit that had just come to rest in it and placed it with some other apples that were large and red while it was small and yellow.

Twilight sighed, “That’s the fifth one so far.”

“Aw, don’t be too hard on yourself, Twi.” Applejack gave her a hearty pat on the back. “Even us Apples take a good few years to really figure out sorting.”

While the words were nice, Twilight could not help but feel a little insecure when Applejack sat back down across from her out the table and resumed her own sorting. With the same speed she used to gallop, Applejack sorted through the mountain of apples that sat at one end of the table.

Twilight went back to sorting her own apples. She tried to ignore Applejack and focused on the apple in front of her. She looked at its color, shape, and size before deciding to put it in bushel. Applejack did not correct her this time and she moved onto the next apple. This continued for some time with Twilight getting deeper and deeper into the task.

A gust of air from behind her mane pulled her out of her work. Applejack stood by her with a hoof stretched behind Twilight’s head. It grasped an apple.

Before Twilight could ask what she was doing, Applejack shouted up to the second floor of her family’s farmhouse, “Apple Bloom! Try that again and you’re in for it!”

Twilight caught a glimpse of a pink bow through a window on the second floor before yellow hooves slammed the window shut and closed the blinds.

Applejack stared up at the window for a few more seconds and shook her head. She went back to her seat and sighed, “Sorry about that. Figures I’m not the only Apple messed up by everything.”

Twilight glanced back up at the window and then at Applejack. She wanted to ask what Applejack was talking about, but hesitated.

The curiosity and concern were still clear on Twilight’s face, so Applejack, continued, “My little sister, Apple Bloom. She’s a good filly… when she’s not too obsessed with getting her cutie mark, but she just needs time to think about things.”

“I see…”

Applejack peered a little closer at Twilight. “Looks like you do too.”

Twilight stared back at Applejack and then lowered her gaze. Luna’s words from the other day filled her head, along with the warning that came after them. “I imagine Tirek’s escape won’t be broadcast to the public, so we’ll need to keep it under wraps for now. As to your friends, I would urge discretion.”

“There was something more than Equality controlling the Griffin,” Twilight chose to say. Her declaration to Applejack on honesty flashed through her mind.

“I figured.” Applejack gazed out at the orchard and beyond toward the horizon. A breeze blew through the farm and she shivered. “At the end, that thing was a whole lot worse than even Equality.”

“Yes.” Twilight kept her eyes down. “I… I’m worried about fighting it someday.”

It was quiet. When Twilight felt a leg wrap around her back, she finally looked up to see Applejack beside her. “I’m worried too. Equality and whatever is working with her are clearly out for me and you. I’m getting the feeling they might have plans for our friends as well.” Her grip on Twilight tightened. “But if they want a fight we’ll give it to them!”

Because of the way they were sitting Twilight felt a warmth flow off Applejack’s flanks and spotted a glimmer of color in her eyes. Drawing on Celestia’s words, she managed to smile.

“Now…” Applejack scootched away. “Let’s get our work done and then treat you to a proper Apple meal!”

~~~

Equality sipped some juice and scowled. With her horn recovering and her magic still unstable from Twilight’s attacks at both the WTF and through the Black Griffon, her recovery methods were limited. Thus, she sat in a chair bathed in ethereal light from multiple points around her, drinking a foul-smelling concoction. Bandages covered her head and crossed over one eye. A splint set her muzzle straight. She had to sit at a specific angle to avoid putting too much weight on her broken ribs.

Enigma read a tome nearby. “Hmm, is that how bone setting is done?”

“I swear if you messed up, I’ll…” Equality but stopped her threat at the sound of hoofbeats. She glared at Enigma. “I thought you had security handled.”

“Oh, sorry, sorry.” Enigma bowed his head. “Master told me a few minutes back about some new recruits but then you made demands for painkillers and food s—”

“Quiet.”

Equality then turned her piercing eyes into the sole entrance and exit from the cavern.

In stepped two ponies that appeared polar opposites. One was a young pinkish gray filly with a curly blue mane. Her bright colors and smile contrasted so much with her company and the dim cavern that it pushed passed unusual and into unnerving.

The other pony fit in much better with her black bodysuit over dark orchid fur, her rose mane styled into a sharp mohawk, and the scar running down her left eye. Equality’s attention was on the mare’s horn, or rather, the chunk missing from its upper half.

“Golly!” the filly exclaimed. She stared around with wide eyes that should have been reserved for an amusement park. “So, this is where all the fun happens! I’m so glad my BFF finally let me come here.”

“Personally, I’m a little dissatisfied,” said the mare. “The one behind the Black Griffon looks like she’s ready to croak.”

“I don’t have time for your crap,” Equality hissed.

“Now, now,” said the filly, “we all want to the same thing, don’t we?”

The filly’s grin sharpened into a sickle. She gave the ground a stomp. “To see Equestria crushed beneath our hooves! Right?”

“I fail to see what a foal like you can further offer.” Equality raised a hoof and made a shooing motion. “Do what you will with your little letters to Master, but leave Equestria to the adults.”

Animosity flared in the filly’s eyes and she spread her wings. “You want me to get my BFF involved?”

“This truly is sad,” the mare sighed. “I was led to believe you were a criminal mastermind, yet here you are squabbling with a filly. Your master just told us an alliance would be beneficial, but he never said anything about who would call the shots.”

Equality’s veins throbbed and her exposed eye bulged. “You want me to show you why I call the shots? My magic isn’t that stable right now, but I need to blow off some steam. A cripple and a foal shouldn’t be too much of a challenge!”

All three charged. Equality’s horn held the same sickly glow it had at the WTF when she had dissipated Tantabus. The mare’s horn sparked with magic. Something glinted off the filly’s wings.

Just as Equality brought her horn down on the mare and magic exploded out of the mare’s horn, Equality found her horn jabbing into the ground. The area it struck crumbled and cratered in on itself. There was a rumble from nearby but where exactly was lost amid darkness and echoes. It shook a few pebbles loose from the ceiling.

The filly lowered her wings when she sensed something enveloping them.

“Now this is not proper,” said Enigma with his horn aglow. “We could at least do introductions and our reasons for being here. Like the filly said, we all want the same thing.”

“Not exactly,” said the mare.

“Okay, well, if Master sent you, I’m sure we’d be willing to hear you out.” Enigma turned to Equality. Her eye was bloodshot and he could tell from her shaking legs that attacking had taken too much out of her. “Right?”

~~~

“Name’s Tempest Shadow.” She took a sip of a drink Enigma had put together. It was a bit too sugary for her and she pushed it away. “I don’t really care about conquering Equestria or the like, but I do desire power, especially one that transcends the way things are supposed to work. You gave a griffon a Talent and made it stronger than anything I’ve ever seen. I want that power, so I’m willing to work with you to get it.”

“And I guess I’ve just been a codename until now, but you can call me Cozy Glow! As for what I want…” Cozy pushed her hooves up against her blushing cheeks while her eyes rolled upwards in ecstasy. “I want to be like Tireky. I want to crush Equestria like he did. I want to be just like him.”

“Fanatics searching for power,” Equality grumbled.

“Oh?” Cozy snickered. “Last I checked, you’ve got some plans of your own but you need Tireky’s power to get what you want. So, what makes you so high and mighty?”

“More than you could possibly imagine.”

“Okay, okay, don’t want us fighting it out again,” said Enigma. “Now then, we’ve got Master free and some new recruits. So, what shall we do next?”

~~~

“Your mane is looking wonderful!” Rarity proclaimed and got close to Sunset.

Aloe bent down near Sunset. “And your hooves too.”

“I’m so jealous,” said Lotus. “Especially after Aloe and I had to deal with cleanup from a slu—”

“Shut. Up.” The air around Sunset grew hot. Aloe and Lotus blanched and fled to their seats in the classroom.

Rarity remained along with Fluttershy. “They were just paying some complements on how nice you look.”

“I’m not in this to lo—” Sunset paused and took a deep breath. “I should have been out stopping crime.”

Before Rarity or Fluttershy could respond, Sunset slogged over to her seat.

“So, then I picked up the rock!” Bulk declared a few desks away.

“Ah, coooool,” Tree Hugger mused. “Then what?”

“I threw it!” Both Tree Hugger and Maud stared at him for a moment. Maud blinked. “It was a big rock.”

“Between what I have heard from you and Pinkie, a new geological survey may be needed,” Maud droned.

“Yeah, surveys are awesome, especially when they say you can win free stuff if you do them,” said Tree Hugger. She looked to Maud. “So, like, how was your internship?”

“I thought it went well, and Mt. Mare provided important instruction on how to avoid collateral damage…” Maud paused. “She did seem a little annoyed at my insistence on making sure our reports to insurance agencies accurately detailed the exact composition of any buildings damaged while on patrol though…”

Lyra and BonBon sat facing each other. Somehow, over the internship, BonBon had gotten her right ear pierced while Lyra had gotten a tattoo of sticky bun near her left foreleg’s join.

“You won’t say anything?” BonBon asked.

“I think that’s for the best,” said Lyra.

“So…” Lyra glanced over at Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. “What do you think they’re hiding?”

“Drop it,” BonBon ordered. “They said what they said about the fight with the Black Griffin and that’s enough. Don’t go pestering them about it. Even Pinkie isn’t bringing it up.”

“I know, it’s just…” Lyra looked down. “It feels like there was something even scarier about it we’re not talking about…”

Nearby, Spike looked up at Derpy from his seat, “So did you ever hear back from the guard on the investigation?”

“Yep!” Derpy grinned. “Thanks to Mr. Time Turner’s Talent, we gave the guard a huge lead. They managed to trace everything back to a really big embezzlement scheme. I even got to stop one of the bad businessponies from making a run for it!”

Derpy raised a leg in victory but did so a bit too fast and lost her footing. She managed to catch herself on a desk and righted herself.

“Sounds like you had a really good time,” said Spike. He glanced out the window. “Wish I could say the same.”

“Aw, don’t be too mad about that mean dragon lady!” Pinkie chirped in.

“Yeah!” Derpy added. She then glanced out the widow as well. “Plus, I only helped Mr. Time Turner a little. I couldn’t really do much for his big project.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “What’s that about?”

Derpy stuck a hoof to her chin and thought for a moment. “I still don’t really get it, but he said it was super important because there were things he had observed that didn’t make se—”

A loud ring went off nearby. Everyone looked at Pinkie and then at the massive watch vibrating around her right foreleg.

“Time to get seated!” she proclaimed.

“You won’t be in them for long though,” came Tantabus’s voice from the head of the class. He materialized by the front desk as everyone took their seats. “We’ll be heading to Field Gamma after a brief overview of today’s schedule.” Twilight could feel Tantabus’s attention on her for a second. “It’s time to see the fruits of your internships.”

Results and Discussion

A great gate loomed over Class 1-A. While the gate towered over the class, the fences that extended out from its sides were not as tall, revealing a dense cluster of concrete, steel, and steam. Celestia stood at the base of the gate.

“Welcome!” she declared. “It’s good to see all of you back from your internships!”

“Huh, already waiting for us, eh?” Dash mused. “I’m always used to her making such a big entrance.”

“Probably just a case of the Mondays,” said Rarity.

Celestia did not react to them or perhaps had just not heard them and instead continued, “This will be a nice chance to see how you’ve improved through a small rescue mission.” She glanced up at the gate. “Think of Field Gamma as a more concentrated version of Fillydelphia’s industrial sectors. I’ll place myself deep within it and then send out a distress signal that will also be the sign to start racing towards me. The first student to reach me wins. We’ll go in groups of four to prevent overcrowding.”

She paused and looked over the class with her eyes coming to rest momentarily on Sunset, Dash, Bulk, Pinkie, Applejack, and Twilight. “Treat the race to me as if you were going through an area with highly expensive material. Some of that material is also highly combustible.”

Dash whispered to Sunset. “I feel like we’re being singled out.”

“Shut it.”

“Let’s get started!” said Celestia.

~~~

The first group waited inside Field Gamma: Twilight, Pinkie, Lyra, Applejack peered at the pipes and steam in front of them and looked up at the roofs of the buildings. Outside, the rest of the class waited alongside Photo Finish, there once more to relay the events in real time.

“Wonder if Applejack will be okay,” said Aloe.

Lyra furrowed her brow “After that fight with the Black Griffon…”

“I think she’ll be fine,” said Rarity. She glanced at one view that showed off Twilight.

“Worried about Twilight lacking in speed?” Dash asked.

“And mobility.”

Dash grinned. “Think you might be in for a surprise.”

A second later, a shot of magic flew up into the air. Applejack burst forward and used cans, pipes, and smaller buildings to gain height until she disappeared up onto the roofs. With only the gaps between buildings to stop her and her vision unobstructed, she became a blur and jumped from roof to roof. Every vault to make it to the next building shook where she leapt and landed, but left nothing more than small scuffs.

Every now and then though, she had to pause at the edge of a roof and scan her surroundings for her next landing. She then had to back up in order to gain enough momentum.

Pinkie attached a smaller version of her party cannon to her waist with a grappling hook sticking out of the barrel. The hook shot out in a blast with a rope trailing after it. It latched onto a roof and then pulled Pinkie up. She gave a squeal of delight as she rocketed after Applejack.

While Applejack had to pause to find a spot to land on, Pinkie could always pull out a new item to clear a gap or move past an obstacle. She still needed to assess what was blocking her path though and figure out the right tool she needed. This left her neck and neck with Applejack.

Lyra immediately transformed her forelegs into arms. The hands at the end now had much smoother fingers. The anatomy of her hindlegs also shifted so that the joint now bent forward. The hooves of her hindlegs also grew outwards and became more flexible. She used her transmogrified legs to leap up even higher than Applejack and then used her new hands to grip the edge of the roof. Like Pinkie and Applejack, she raced toward where Celestia was.

However, unlike Applejack, her options on where to land were not as limited because she could grab edges or clamber down to a lower level at a much faster pace. And, unlike Pinkie, she had a tool in the form of her transmogrified limbs that could be used to get past a variety of obstacles on the fly. This led her to swing past both Applejack and Pinkie.

“Humans are said to have been most populous in urban areas,” Lyra chuckled as she sped along. “This test was practically built fo—”

Something blasted past her, leaving behind thin trails of rainbow energy.

“Rainbow Dash?!” Lyra almost lost her footing, but managed to hold on and raced after the blur. Now focused on it, she could make out Twilight’s purple fur, veiled like the rest of her body in a crackling rainbow aura. “What?!”

Twilight bound across Field Gamma. To an average pony, it may have looked like she was nearly flying, but a closer inspection revealed that she dipped in height every now and then, but would land a carefully placed hoof on one of the harder surfaces and kick off it, propelling her forward.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Those are some crazy moves, Twilight!” Pinkie, while in the midst of grappling to another building, pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a better view of Twilight. “They look kinda familiar though…”

Back outside, Dash had a similar thought. I knew she was faster, but I hadn’t been able to tell in the alley. Now I’m certain…

“Oh… Oh my.” Fluttershy glanced away from the screen toward Sunset. The air waved and distorted around her. “Oh dear.”

“How?” Sunset growled. How is she doing thaumic conversion without equipment… I would have noticed if her costume changed! And those are my moves!

She managed to tear her eyes away from Twilight to Lyra, Pinkie, and Applejack. While I was getting glitzed up, they all actually improved!

In the field, Twilight noted she had passed Lyra, but kept her eyes focused on her next leap. A bit of sweat beaded on her forehead. Keep calm and let the Elements flow without letting too much out.

She recalled how among the injuries from the fight with the Black Griffon, the doctors had found torn ligaments and several sprains in her legs.

While continuing to speed ahead and keep up the task of balancing out the Elements, she failed to notice that a pipe she was set to land out was thick with condensation. She pressed down on the pipe and prepared to leap, but her hoof slipped.

~~~

“Well done!” said Celestia. Before her was Lyra with a small medal draped over neck.

Pinkie grinned. “Number two ain’t bad!”

Applejack bent down. Twilight was slumped by the rails of the roof they were on, covered in bumps, bruises, and sweat, and still trying to catch her breath. “You okay, Twi?”

“I will be after a hot bath…”

“And I mean to all of you!” said Celestia. “You’ve all shown great improvement!”

Celestia lit up her horn and placed Twilight on her hooves. While appearing to straighten her up and inspect her for additional injuries, Celestia bent close to Twilight’s head. “I barely recognize you. It seems I should have trusted Luna more. Come see me after class. We’ll talk about the Elements… and Tirek.”

~~~

Just as Twilight had gotten everything put away in her locker, it slammed shut, nearly catching a hoof and some of her mane in it. Sunset glared at her.

“Think you’re hot stuff, huh?” Magic hot enough to sear Twilight’s fur wrapped around her neck and pulled her close to Sunset. “You’re just a damn plagiarist that can’t even land right, got it?”

Twilight gulped and nodded.

Sunset undid her spell and shoved Twilight away. "Steal from me again and I’ll kill you.”

She turned around and muttered, “Cadance wishes you well. I’m sure if you don’t go squealing off to her, she’ll bug me about it.”

“You interned with her?” Twilight coughed. “How did it g—”

“Ask her yourself!” Sunset roared before stomping off.

~~~

There was tea as usual set between Twilight and Celestia, but neither moved to pick up their cups. Celestia stared down at the ground with her lips pulled tight.

“You’ve been through a lot,” Celestia spoke. “I had imagined things would start rolling once the Elements found a new Bearer. I heard from Luna, but I’d like to hear from you as well: How much do you know now?”

“I know about Tirek’s fight with you…” Twilight glanced at Celestia’s chest plate. In her shrunken form, she could see parts of the wound it was meant to cover. “And Nightmare Moon.”

“Luna…” Celestia shook her head. “I’ve been telling her for the past thousand years I forgive her, but it seems the guilt is still affecting her judgement. Though, I suppose we were both conflicted in how to tell the next Bearer about how things came to this point.”

She took a sip of her tea. “I’ve borne the Elements for so long and know far too well about the responsibility that comes with being the Bearer. You now know it’s not just about being a symbol for Equestria too.”

Twilight gulped. “I’ll have to face him. I’ll have to face Tirek, won’t I?”

“Perhaps. Until you have fully mastered the Elements, Luna and I will be there.” Celestia gazed down at her cup. “He’s not the only issue though.”

“Discord and Sombra.” Twilight felt goosebumps rise up across her body.

Celestia blinked. “Luna told me she didn’t mention them.”

“I guessed about Discord and his seal from what we’ve said before.” Twilight gulped. “Who is Sombra though?”

“He’s not well known in the mainland, but up north he was known as the Great Shadow. About a hundred years after I became the sole Bearer, he attempted to usurp the Crystal Empire’s throne. By the time I arrived, he’d already killed all but one of the royal family, but I managed to seal him.”

Celestia clasped her hooves. “Sealing is one of the Element’s greatest powers. They rob their target of their strength and had been able to restrain foes as great as Discord for over a thousand years.”

Twilight shivered. “You said ‘had.’”

“I did. There’s a reason all the routes up the Empire changed a few years ago. I investigated where I sealed Sombra and found traces of an escape. The attacks also match his magic, but they’re unrefined compared to the terrors he unleashed before. It’s possible Sombra is free but without his mind, leaving him more like an incredibly strong monster. Tirek is the more pressing issue.”

“Wh-what about Discord?” Twilight dared to ask.

“I’ve been checking his seal even more lately, but it is still holding strong. I’m now starting to think it’s because Luna and I were so united in defeating him and not even a hint of jealousy had taken hold of her yet. You don’t really have time to be envious when Discord decides he’d like to turn gravity off for a bit… your tea is getting cold.”

Twilight took the hint and had a sip, calming her nerves a little. “So, Tirek…”

“After Luna and I sealed his power, we locked him in the deepest depths of Tartarus for extra measure. After Sombra escaped, I found his seal had weakened too, but he hadn’t noticed due to all the extra security measures. At least, that’s what I thought. But at some point, he must have realized he could access some magic again and used it to reach out and manipulate an innocent filly and possibly others to escape.”

Celestia paused for a moment. The tea in her magic’s grasp boiled a moment longer and then cooled. Despite it still steaming, she took a sip, unaffected by the heat. “I imagine he used similar means to get in contact with Equality, or she might have been the one to first make contact. Regardless, he hasn’t spent his confinement just wasting away. I’d always taken Tirek for a brute and his corruption of Luna as a last-ditch attempt at revenge, but I fear he used his might as a mask for his intellect.”

Celestia’s horn glowed and there was a flash. Dark ruby shards swam in Celestia’s aura. “We extracted these from Gilda.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

“The crystallized remains of Tirek’s power, concentrated into physical form. I imagine if I’d been able to stop Luna, I’d have found similar remains in her. Based on what the Guards have learned from Rainbow Dash and others, Gilda was struck by this shortly after the entrance exam.”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. “That’s not a coincidence.”

“No, it’s not. I’m still not sure how, but combined with Equality’s actions, it is not implausible to assume she has somehow learned you’re the Bearer.”

“H-how?”

“Being sealed means the target, in a way, is connected to the Elements,” Celestia conjectured. “Spike’s also proof that exposure to the Elements can create a lasting connection to them. Back to Tirek though, it’s not just his corruption that’s an issue now. You recall the creature that appeared with Equality at the WTF?”

Twilight nodded. “Paradox. A fake draconequus.”

“Since then, I’ve been examining its body. It’s not sealed like Discord. It’s dead.” Celestia bent her head down, darkening her face. “Or rather, it wasn’t even truly alive when you fought it.”

A bit of queasiness rose up in Twilight’s stomach. “I don’t like where this is going.”

“Neither do I. What I found was that Paradox was a mixture of different bodies that were fused together through dark magic.” Celestia took a breath. “Most of its components came from a pony and with what your classmates reported about Enigma, that base body was loaded with Talents.”

Twilight had now turned green. “Th-that’s…”

“It’s an abomination beyond belief, but I now realize it’s not beyond the scope of Tirek’s powers. His victims did lose their Cutie Marks, and his power has been shown to mutate others. If he can control how the Cutie Marks he stole are distributed, it makes connecting the dots between that and making a monster like Paradox not that unlikely.”

“And all the ones we fought in Ponyville.”

“Significantly weaker according to Luna, but a threat nonetheless.” Celestia stared down at her tea. “The optimistic choice is to believe the Paradox that attacked the WTF was specially designed to counter the Elements and creating another one of similar caliber will take time and resources. Still, we now have to assume Equality and Tirek at least have more of the weaker variants at their disposal at this time.”

Celestia looked up before Twilight had time to truly reflect on what “resources” meant in this context. “Sorry if this got a little dark.”

Twilight shook her head. “I… I’ve known what would come with being a hero. Even if Sombra, Discord, and Tirek were just stories before, now I know they’re not unstoppable. When I’m with you, Princess Luna, and my friends, I feel like I can face them.”

Celestia watched many colors dance in Twilight’s eyes. In her chest she felt something stir.

Tell her

The voice was in the back of Celestia’s head but it pulled her away from the room with Twilight and stretched out the seconds.

You have to tell her! Celestia pleaded with herself. Twilight was staring at her now. Celestia brought a hoof to her chest. Her mouth loosed but no words came out. I…

Celestia bowed her head. “Thank you, Twilight.”

“I-it’s fine,” Twilight stammered, still unused to royalty lowering themselves to her.

With her head bowed and her mane obscuring her face, Celestia hid how watery her eyes had grown. I’m sorry, Twilight, I’ll fight as hard as I can to make sure that doesn’t come to pass, but…

She raised her head and showed a grin bereft of any concern, one polished by centuries of practice but this one in particular she had not worn since shortly after defeating Nightmare Moon. “Well, don’t want to keep you from your homework any more than I have, but if there’s any concerns, know that I am here.”

But I don’t know for how long.

Testing Testing

Rainbow Dash eyed the clock. Tantabus was still giving a lecture to the class, but to Dash’s ears, his words were muffled by the sound of the second and minute hands ticking away.

A chill struck Dash as Tantabus’s voice came back into prominence. “Was that made clear, Ms. Dash?”

Dash had a sharp intake of breath. Her cheeks flushed as more eyes turned to her.

“I will repeat it then,” Tantabus sighed. “My exams do not coddle you, as I’m sure my quizzes have given you a taste of. Midterms are no exception. That is why I am giving you, and all the other students, a warning, to use the school’s resources well and engage in proper time management. Is that now clear?”

“Y-yes, sir!” Dash yelped.

“Very well.” The bell rang. “Stay safe and enjoy your weekend, everyone.”

~~~

“You okay, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked. She walked alongside Dash and her other friends through the main hall after they’d all grabbed their things. “You seemed a little distracted today.”

“Yeah.” Dash rubbed the back of her head. “I’m heading out to see Scootaloo this weekend, so I was a little antsy for class to end.”

“Ah.” Twilight’s lips drooped just a small degree. “Should’ve checked with you earlier. Got distracted planning things out. I’d been hoping we could all get together to study a little this weekend.”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “For what?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow back at Dash. “The midterms?”

“That’s not for another two weeks!”

“I was in the same boat,” said Applejack, “‘till I looked at the syllabus and how the midterms are structured. Short and sweet: it makes the entrance exam look like a cakewalk.”

“I find that term insulting to cake, especially the harder to make ones!” Pinkie chimed in.

“Point is, darling, I don’t think any of us have taken a test quite as hard as this.” Rarity turned her head to beam at Twilight. “So, Twilight had the wonderful idea of a study get together. I offered my place to host, and Applejack and Pinkie were up for providing snacks.”

“I… I’m bringing extra supplies,” said Fluttershy.

“And I’m a secondary notetaker,” said Spike. “In case we miss anything, I’m there to catch it.”

“Though the train ride to Manehattan is also a good chance to get some studying in too,” Twilight said to Dash.

“Well, I was just thinking of catching some Zs.”

“If you have a chance, you should try and take a practice exam too. I think I’m steady with history and operating procedure, but I feel a little shaky on my costume protocol.”

Dash felt a cold twinge in her gut. “Practice exam?”

Twilight undid the clasp on one of her saddle bags and floated out a few sheets of paper. “We got them in the middle of class. Part of the big packet explaining the midterm in more detail.”

“Oh… right. Right!” The twinge grew heavier in Dash’s stomach. “Sorry, guess just a bit too focused on the trip.”

“Not a worry at all, Dashie!” Pinkie gave Dash a slap on the back. “I hadn’t really thought of studying and parties together but Twilight’s now got me thinking of all sorts of fun ways to get ready for this test! So, there will be plenty of chances to study together. But, don’t you think for a second I haven’t got my eyes on the prize!”

Rarity’s eyes glimmered. “An actual chance to go to the Gala.”

“Tantabus was really going all out with that,” said Spike.

“Well, it puts you in the ranking, but the finals will be what determines the two winners,” said Twilight.

Questions danced atop Dash’s tongue, but the earlier embarrassments sealed her lips.

Applejack sighed, “Guess you can tell who the top ones are in our group. I’ll be happy to just avoid the remedial punishment.”

The weight in Dash’s gut returned, doubled.

“Wh-what do you think it could be?” Fluttershy paled. “D-do you think it’ll m-make the winter training even worse?”

“No doubt there,” said Twilight. She reached out and gave Fluttershy a pat on the shoulder. “Winter training alone won’t be that bad though. You might even meet some nice new critters while we’re out camping.”

“R-right…” Fluttershy took a breath. “I’ll just have to study the best I can!”

“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie cheered.

While the other girls talked, Dash had slipped away.

~~~

As the train chugged along, Dash stared at all her prior quizzes, tests, and homework assignments spread out in no discernible pattern. Most bore red Cs and Ds, a few Bs, and even fewer As. Her notebooks for various subjects were also stacked in front of her. Even with all this out, her saddlebags were still bulky with books. The only thing that had any organized feature was the stack of papers in the middle. The top sheet read: “Syllabus” and was turned to a section marked: “Examinations.” Under that section were two bullet points:

· Midterm- 40%

· Final- 50%

Below each bullet point was a breakdown of how the exams were structured with a written half and a practical half and what subjects might be covered. Looking over the syllabus and the materials Tantabus has given the class, Dash started to feel the weight in her gut lessen. There were a few more subjects, but to her, it was just like the entrance exam. She had managed to squeak by in the written section and aced the practical then, so she reasoned a little study like before and she would be fine.

~~~

Dash grumbled to herself. The faint scent of aged paper and even old parchment drifted into her nose. She glanced up at one of the Manehattan Public Library’s grand windows, namely the bit of blue she could see above the skyscrapers. Despite willing herself here after a few hours with Scootaloo, Dash’s pegasus instincts drew her to the outside air.

Focus. She shook her head and hefted up her saddlebag onto the table. You got to hang out with Scootaloo and you’ll be having dinner with her too. So, just take the afternoon and get a little studying in.

As Dash pulled out one of the practice exams and a stopwatch, she cracked a grin. “Bet I’ll do even better. I mean, I’ve actually been doing real hero stuff now…”

~~~

There were deep indents in Dash’s quill from her teeth. She had finished the exam over half an hour ago and had just gone though, checking her answers for at least the fifth time. She had not dared to write down her score, as if that would prevent the accurate tally she had done from becoming real. The library was not cold, but Dash was covered in goosebumps.

“I’m screwed.”

~~~

“I’m really screwed!” Dash wailed.

“W-well we can try some more fla—”

“No!” Dash yelped, cutting Twilight off. “No more cards! No more rapping! No more costumes! No more plays! And no more apples!”

Dash exploded off the ground and zoomed off into the sky. Rarity, decorated in a replica of Celestia’s silver age costume; Pinkie, in a wide brimmed hat, a poofy shirt and pants, and a golden necklace and large clock; Fluttershy with Angel and Rarity’s family cat, also garbed in costumes from different heroic ages; and Twilight with cards floating around her stared where Dash had been.

“Was offering a fritter really the thing that made her crack?” Applejack asked, said pastry still in her hoof.

Twilight bowed her head. “I’ll go apologize. I wasn’t giving her enough space.”

“D-do you need my help?” Fluttershy asked.

“No, I’ll get ready on my own. That’ll give us both enough time to cool off.”

~~~

Dash rested atop a cloud and stared down at Equestria. The outskirts of Canterlot spread out before her. She wished her problems were as tiny as the ponies below appeared.

“Rainbow Dash?”

Twilight’s voice caused Dash to jump to her hooves. She had thought her mind was playing a trick on her at first, but then she spotted Twilight hovering beside her. Translucent rainbow wings flapped at her sides.

“Guess I shouldn’t be too surprised you found me up here,” Dash sighed. “I know what it takes to make those wings though. It would’ve been better if you’d used your time and magic to study, instead of wasting it on a failure like me.”

“You’re not a failure,” Twilight insisted. She was about to say more, but Dash pushed her away. She worked to reorganize her thoughts but was cut off when a pair of blades sheared through the cloud Dash had been on and where Twilight had been standing. A pony with blades in place of a mane rose up past Dash and Twilight.

“Oh, sorry!” she exclaimed. “Thought it was pretty empty out here to practice.”

“All good,” Dash moped. The helicoptering mare flew off, leaving Dash and Twilight alone.

“Uh, thanks.” Twilight furrowed her brow. “How’d you manage to notice that?”

“Nothing in the sky gets past me. I’d always been good at spotting things while flying but Shadowbolt drilled it into me to notice every single thing.” Dash looked away from Twilight. “I’m not a good student, Twilight. I only got through the entrance exam because I was so focused on showing him that I could succeed without his help, but now…”

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight drew close and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You only need to do this if you want to, but tomorrow afternoon, would you mind showing me how to fly?”

Red flooded Dash’s face. Twilight tensed and braced for a hit, but instead Dash stammered, “Wh-what? Where is this coming from?”

“I do feel bad for overloading you,” Twilight gulped, unable to get a read on Dash. “I think the best solution now is to destress and get your mind off of things. So, how about it?”

“But asking to show you how to fly like this is…” Dash shook her head. “Oh, what the hay, it can’t hurt at this point. I’m getting hit with the remedial, so may at least enjoy a last bit of freedom before Prof comes down on me.”

~~~

“I… I did this?” Dash stared with wide eyes at a piece of paper floating in front of her. Her hooves reached out to confirm it was real.

She had wondered why Twilight had insisted on asking her a variety of questions about hero work when all Dash had wanted was to comment on Twilight’s flight performance after the flight. She had assumed it was Twilight geeking out and her growing enthusiasm throughout the conversation seemed to confirm that. It only felt fair to indulge her since Dash had spent a large part of the flight talking about wings, weather, and the Wonderbolts.

Just as it seemed Twilight had been getting ready to say goodbye, there was a flash. Some sheets of paper, now free of their invisibility spell had floated over to Dash. It was another practice test. At the top, in fresh ink was an 87 out of 100 grade.

“You sure did.” Twilight smiled. “You’re not a bad student, Rainbow Dash. You just have your own way of studying.”

Dash started at the score for a moment longer. “But what did you do? You were way too busy trying to stay in the air to use any other spells.”

“This is all you.” Twilight glanced back at the sound of hoofbeats. Spike, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all appeared from down the street all either costumed, balancing large signs on their back, or ferrying some animals also in costumes. “With a little help. I realized yesterday you don’t miss a single detail while flying. So, I got everyone to put together a study session on the fly.”

“Hee-hee! I love the pun!” Pinkie giggled.

“I… oh, wow.” Dash let the tension out of her body. “Twilight this is… I don’t even know how to repay you.”

“Anything for a friend.” Twilight gave Dash a pat on the back. She then noticed how red Dash was getting. She could practically feel heat coming off her. “Dash? You ok—”

“I don’t know how to deal with this!” Dash screamed and then flew off.

“O-oh my.” Fluttershy pressed a hoof to her cheek. “I… I was worried this might happen.”

Twilight folded her ears. “Did I do something to upset her?”

“No, no, no!” Fluttershy whipped a leg back and forth. “It’s just, well… how did you ask Rainbow Dash to go flying with you?”

“Hmm, well I may have played with my wording a little.” Twilight glanced back at the translucent wings still attached to her sides. “I asked if she could help show me how to fly.”

“Twilight, there’s something you should know.” Fluttershy gulped. Throughout the conversation, she, like Dash, had gained a blush. She now appeared ready to start emitting steam. “Pegasi don’t talk about it with other races, but asking one of us to ‘show you how to fly’ is, um…”

Fluttershy’s lips moved but the last part of her sentence was cut off. With a growing sense that she had committed a cultural faux pas, Twilight drew closer to Fluttershy. “Sorry. I didn’t hear that last part. I’ll make sure to apologize to Rainbow Dash though.”

“Th-that’s not it!” Fluttershy stammered, flustered enough that her volume rose past her usual cadence. “A-asking how to fly is… is…”

“Is?” Twilight drew even closer.

Eyes spinning, sweat soaking her face, and lips trembling, Fluttershy yelled at the top of her voice. “It’s a courtship ritual!”

The Practical Midterm

While Twilight did not mind tests too much and indeed looked forward to the intellectual challenge, she had leapt out of her seat as soon as she could on the day of the midterm. Neither she nor Rainbow Dash had spoken since the other day and their flight. They had avoided each other at school but each could be caught giving a glance at the other.

The tension remained the next day when she, along with the rest of the class, gathered behind the main building. They had all been told to suit up. Chariots, with guards hitched and ready for transport, stood by a collection of teachers and staff: Octavia, Vinyl, Rockhoof, Cheerilee, Photo Finish, and Seabreeze.

“Well done on finishing the written section of the exam,” said Seabreeze. “Now, let us commence with the practical section.”

“Oooh! You even got a bunch of pros to come watch us!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Not quite,” said Tantabus. “I know the study materials I provided told you this would be a battle simulation similar to what you dealt with in your entrance exam, but that was only partially correct. For security reasons and to better test you, we could not tell you how the real test would go until now. Rest assured, it is still a battle simulation, but…”

Tantabus spread his wings. “We shall be playing the roles of villains today. Your goal will be to either escape or subdue us within a 30-minute time limit.”

A few gasps went up.

Retracting his wings, Tantabus continued, “Now, this is also a teamwork exercise. I have considered your performance throughout the semester and have made pairings based on that. If you choose the escape route, both students must pass through a designated goal. The guards here will transport you to your testing site. While on the way, your assigned ‘villain’ can answer some questions but not all of them. With that, let’s get you into teams.”

The first pair called were Rarity and Applejack. They would be facing off against Rockhoof. As their chariot departed, Twilight saw Rarity take a position as far away from Rockhoof as possible while breathing out her mouth.

Next were Aloe and Spike with Cheerilee. The grin Cheerilee flashed at Spike drove him to assume a similar position as Rarity.

“Yeah!” Bulk exclaimed, heading over to a chariot. He was courteous and let Fluttershy in first.

“Glad to see you pumped up!” said Vinyl.

“Oh cool, I haven’t really gotten to see those crazy beats since the entrance exam,” Tree Hugger said.

“I suppose being with Lyra was too much to ask for,” Bon Bon sighed while getting in with Tree Hugger and Octavia.

Derpy and Maud went off with Photo Finish while Lyra and Lotus Blossom went with Seabreeze.

Only four students remained. Twilight’s heart thumped in her chest. Yet, there was also confusion given that only Tantabus remained of the pros.

“Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash,” Tantabus called out. “You’ll be with me.”

Some relief washed over Twilight. She could see Dash unclench a little too. Had the incident the other day occurred further back than that, she imagined Tantabus would have taken advantage of that tension. Still, that awkwardness was replaced with worry given that Pinkie and Rainbow Dash would be facing Tantabus himself. That concern dwarfed in the face of the actually smoldering Sunset nearby.

“And where does that leave us?” Sunset complained. “What, do the top two test scorers not have to do the practical?”

“Even if the tests were already graded, we wouldn’t want to let you just rest on your laurels.” There was a blast of air behind Sunset. She turned and Twilight gulped. Celestia smiled down at them, but she radiated an aura that made both of them tense. “I shall be your opponent, heroes! You’d best be ready to work together, or I shall leave nothing but ash! Mu-ha-ha-ha!”

Author's Note

It is law that Celestia must always be a terrible actor.

The Practical Midterm Part II

Redheart stood beside some beds ready to take in the injured from the practicals. In front of her were a variety of enchanted screens displaying eight different shots. “Let’s hope they don’t go too crazy…”

~~~

“Shall we play a word game?” Celestia asked.

Neither Twilight nor Sunset responded from the back of the chariot. Celestia felt a twinge of nostalgia. How many times were Luna and I like this? Oh dear, thinking what to say while also using all those good lines I came up with will be tricky…

~~~

“So…” Lyra looked around from the center of the fake town square she and Lotus had been deposited in. Their testing ground contained no buildings over three stories, so they could see the gate to the east peeking over the roofs. “I’m guessing the principal will be waiting to get us by the gate.”

“That’s what I’m thinking too. There’s no way to surprise us out in the open like this.”

~~~

Spike bent his knees, ready to make a dash for the stairs. Aloe glanced over a window at the roofs of the skyscrapers nearby.

~~~

“Muffin?” Derpy offered.

“Perhaps afterwards,” said Maud.

~~~

“Now, you two have a little time to think about strategies while I get ready from my starting position.” Celestia levitated out four large metal bands and a smaller golden one studded with gems. “These take a bit to get on and the magic suppressor is always a little tricky.”

“Treating us with a handicap?” Sunset grumbled.

Celestia smiled at her. “We shall see.”

~~~

A PA system crackled to life, bringing silence to the examination areas.

“Is everyone ready?” came Redheart’s voice.

~~~

“Then…”

Rarity and Applejack were back-to-back at the bottom of a gulch.

~~~

“Begin!”

Tendrils immediately whipped out at Dash and Pinkie. They both managed to dodge, but the attacks rained down with enough force to crack the pavement.

~~~

Fluttershy and Bulk could hear no sound but the blare of a deep bass. The ground shook from the volume.

“Get ready!” Vinyl roared from out of sight. “You get the VIP experience! A villain’s implacable punishment!”

~~~

Silhouettes of several colors and shapes encircled Tree Hugger and BonBon. All of them bared their claws and fangs. From atop a nearby roof, Octavia sliced her bow across her cello strings and grinned down at them. “I do hope you’ll at least make it through my opening number.”

~~~

The ground shook with such intensity that Applejack could not remain steady to build up any speed. Swaths of rock and dirt flowed like tsunamis around her and Rarity. As the debris washed over them, Rarity crystalized and covered Applejack with her body.

In a deafening rumble on par with the assault Fluttershy and Bulk were facing, the gulch was filled up halfway.

Rockhoof hoisted his shovel onto his back, admiring his work. “Now, let’s see if they can make it out in time or if they’ll be unlucky enough to cross me.”

~~~

Aloe collapsed to the ground with her face beet-red. Spike wanted to cry out to her but he dared not remove his claws from his face.

“Ah…” Cheerilee licked her lips. “So bold. Our Talents may have some similarity but at this stage in her education, she’s outclassed. Well, little dragon, how are you feeling?”

Aloe had rushed forward, cloaked in her Talent’s scents, but had halted before reaching Cheerilee who had come straight out to confront them. At the same time, Spike had felt the air shift and a haze started to worm into his mind. With a shudder from recalling his fight with Starlight, he’d clasped his claws to his face and jumped back.

Cheerilee strolled over to Aloe’s limp form, sat down, and rested Aloe’s head on one foreleg while stroking her mane with the other. “I was so worried after the Festival that my Talent didn’t work on dragons. But, looks like that’s only under certain conditions.”

Spike felt heat on his face and running through his body. It was not that of fire, but what he felt when close to Rarity. He could also feel his lungs starting to cry for air.

With what breath he had left, he made a mad dash to the right and crashed through the window. He tumbled for a second while sucking in the air flowing past him. Unfurling his wings, he rushed upwards but kept a good distance from the broken window.

“Oh?” Cheerilee snickered from within. “Need to clear your head? That’s fine. You’re welcome to come back whenever. Shame we have so little time.”

~~~

Twilight’s eyes darted back and forth. Sunset stomped ahead of her in the middle of the street, her vision focused and her ear perked.

“C-can’t we at least stick to the alleys?” Twilight dared to ask. “That way we ca—”

“Shut up,” Sunset growled. “Let her come.”

“Sunset…” Twilight gritted herself. “Even with a handicap, there’s no way we can be—”

“I said shut up!” Sunset smashed the back of her leg into Twilight’s head, knocking her to the ground. “You thought you were hot stuff but then one little challenge comes along and you’re just a spineless worm! That’s why you’re not meant to be a hero! Now either get the buck up or stay out of my w—”

A block of buildings nearby was blasted away. There was no magic in the air that would come from the discharge of a spell. The gales from such a huge amount of mass suddenly shifting in space would have knocked Sunset off her hooves save for a quick casting on her legs. Twilight clung to the ground as best she could. With both of them being skilled casters, they knew this was not an attack even a unicorn gifted with an incredibly powerful Talent could have launched: this was pure physical might.

A good distance away, at the epicenter of the destruction, Celestia lowered a leg. “I think that was a good start to things. Now, let’s see if they can actually dodge the next one.”

Author's Note

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Prologue: We Could Be Heroes

“S-stop it, Sunset!” Twilight dug her hooves into the ground. Her knees shook.

Moondancer cried behind her and clutched her burnt leg.

Sunset Shimmer smirked. “Ooh, you gonna stop me, blank flank?”

Sunset lit up her horn. The air grew hot around it. Looking up at her own horn, Twilight concentrated and managed to get it to flicker. A few sparks fizzled out it.

“Ha!” Sunset sent a blast of fire out of her horn. It exploded against Twilight’s face and knocked her to the ground. “Pathetic. That was even weaker than what I hit your friend with.”

~~~

Once upon a time in the land of Equestria, there lived a race of ponies. Many other creatures lived there, but only ponies could access the great power called magic. Magic gave pegasi flight, earth ponies strength, and unicorns spells.

However, magic gave an even greater gift: cutie marks. When a pony attained their mark, they gained a special talent: superb cooking skills, incredible speed, mastery of complex spells. There were countless talents a cutie mark could bequeath onto a pony.

With their magic, ponies turned Equestria into a grand kingdom. While many ponies were content with using their special talents for day-to-day jobs, some honed their talents to combat threats to Equestria.

These ponies are called heroes!

This is the story of a great hero and the friends she made.

Dragon's Quest

Maud stepped out of the infirmary and blinked at Pinkie’s friends. “Pinkie will be fine. She just needs a little rest… Fluttershy looks a little better too.”

Everyone let out a collective sigh.

“That’s good,” said Spike. “I gotta get ready now.”

When he ran off, Rarity called out, “Good luck!”

“You’ll do great!” said Twilight.

“I can’t wait to see my racing partner kick flank!” Pinkie cheered just as Spike went around a corner.

Everyone jumped back from Pinkie since she had somehow appeared in the middle of them. Her grin faded away when she hunched over and coughed into one of her bandaged legs. There were more wrappings around her chest and an ice bag attached to her mane pressed against her swollen left cheek and eye. There were bags under her uncovered eye. While she recovered from her coughing fit, Applejack patted her back.

“Easy, girl,” she said. “No need to push yourself.”

“I know,” Pinkie hacked. Taking a breath, she stood up straight and summoned a smile smaller than her usual grin. “Thanks a lot for everything out there, everypony. I’ll try to work harder in the future. Now, let’s go watch Spike get that win!”

Everypony nodded in agreement. As they made their way back to their seats they passed by a hallway that dead ended with some pipes. If they had looked in that direction, they may have noticed some blue feathers and fur sticking out from behind the pipes. Dash pressed into the shadows and remained silent.

~~~

Thunderlane grinned across the ring at Spike. “Sorry about this, but I’m under a bit of pressure to win here. Can’t have 1-A hogging the spotlight.”

“And I’m the only dragon here, so I’ve got a bit to live up to also,” said Spike.

“Well, guess you’ll just have to settle this with your hooves and claws.” Rockhoof brought his shovel down. “Begin!”

Spike fired a jet of flames straight at Thunderlane, but Thunderlane launched into the air. Spike cut off his flames, inhaled, and then fired blasts at Thunderlane. The fireballs zoomed inches from Thunderlane, yet quick flaps of his wings and a combination of dives and climbs kept him from getting singed.

He flew up higher. Spike loosed another fireball, but it decreased in size until it was just embers that dissipated around Thunderlane. Thunderlane called out, “So guess this is how far you can fire! Shame I’m not as skilled with long range attacks like Lightning!”

“Don’t just go revealing your hoof like that, idiot!” Trixie cursed and shook a leg at Thunderlane.

Starlight pulled her back. “Let him be. If Thunderlane wants to draw this out, it’ll provide more information in case he loses, and I have to face the dragon.”

“Get back down here and fight!” Spike shouted.

“Okay.” Thunderlane shrugged. “You asked for it.”

Thunderlane plunged down with a leg extended in front of him. As he built up speed, sparks popped around his hoof, then his leg, and then his whole body. Spike took a deep inhale while Thunderlane raced toward him. Feet apart, Spike let out a blast but the electricity arcing around Thunderlane cut through the flames and he nailed Spike with a hook.

The blow transferred a jolt into Spike as he tumbled across the ring with bolts zapping off him. He writhed for a second while the electricity worked through his body, grunted, and managed to get back onto his feet. He snorted out smoke and glared at Thunderlane.

“My hits can be quite energizing,” Thunderlane chuckled. He then zoomed at Spike. Sparks popped and crackled around him again.

Spike rolled out of the way. Thunderlane swooped up, spun around, and charged back at Spike. Spike ducked and shot a fist into Thunderlane’s gut. A shock went through Spike and Thunderlane crashed. Both were on their knees and left catching their breath.

“Darn,” Thunderlane hacked. “Should’ve guessed you’d have higher resistance than a pony. That shock would’ve paralyzed them before they could land a strong enough hit.”

Instead of getting onto his feet, Spike got on all fours. “That’s not all that’s different about me.”

Spike shot out another fireball. Like at the start of the match, Thunderlane shot up, but this time, the fireball trailed after him. Down below, Spike kept his mouth shut and smoke streamed out of his nostrils. Thunderlane flew to his previous height, but the fireball did not lose size. Before Thunderlane could flap his wings, the ball nailed him in the chest.

In the crowds, a cloaked figure furrowed its brow. “What’s a hatchling doing with magic only a few of the Elders have?”

Thunderlane spiraled down with smoke trailing from his chest. He managed to spread his wings and halted his fall. He zoomed away, making sure to keep a good distance from Spike. A few pats at his chest beat out the singed fur and remaining embers. “Sheesh, we really need to get more books on dragons.”

“Not that that would help,” muttered the cloaked figure.

“I’m just getting started!” Spike yelled. After a deep inhale, he spewed out four licks of flame, each about the size of a grapefruit. Clenching his jaw, Spike sent the licks after Thunderlane. Will-o’-the-wisp!

“Oh.” Thunderbolt paled and bolted upwards. Two of the wisps tailed him while the other two broke to his left and right.

“We’ve got another pyromantic fight on our hooves!” said Vinyl. Thunderlane flew nearby, sending a gust of wind into the announcer’s box. This time, Vinyl managed to remain seated. One of the wisps trailing him arced under him but he swerved up before it could hit him. He divebombed to the right to avoid a blow from another wisp.

“Go, Spikey!” Pinkie cheered. Thunderlane zipped past the participants’ section and blew everypony’s mane back. He curved around the ring and tried to get at Spike, but two of the wisps zoomed over to Spike, cutting Thunderlane off. He snorted and fled towards the sky.

“I didn’t realize dragons could manipulate fire like that,” Rarity said while straightening out her mane. “It would be quite interesting to add that to a show.”

“I haven’t read about it either.” Twilight furrowed her brow. “Dragon fire has some similarities to spells, but nothing like this.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you train with Spike over the summer or something like that?”

“I did, that’s why this is surprising to me too.”

Up above, the wisps continued their pursuit. Thunderlane shuffled his attention between where he was flying, the wisps, and Spike. When he looked down at Spike, he noticed Spike had not moved and, like with the earlier homing attack, smoke curled out of his nostrils. A glance at the wisps showed they were getting smaller.

“Ah-ha!” he shouted. He plunged into a cloud and the wisps stopped. A second later, he burst through it shrouded in static. He raced at Spike. “Clever move but you have to see where I am, and you can only do it while you hold your breath! You’re mine!”

Spike grinned and opened his mouth just enough to let one last wisp out. It crashed into the tiles in front of him and consumed them in a blaze. In his race to get down to Spike, Thunderlane had failed to notice the wisps tailing him. They converged into a great flame at the same time Spike torched the tiles near him.

When the flames in the ring died down, a chunk of the tiles was missing. Thunderlane felt the air churn above him and spun, but the missing chunk of the ring still crashed down on his left wing. Feathers scattered in all directions, and his wing flopped to Thunderlane’s side, sending him into a nosedive. Focusing through the pain flaring up across his back, he managed to flap his right wing a few times, slowing his decent and guiding him to land in the ring. He fell hard on his right side, and one of his ankles twisted, but he managed to stay conscious.

“Ouch!” said Vinyl. “First time seeing the ring weaponized like that. Is that even legal?”

“If you had checked the rule book, you’d see that it is,” Tantabus sighed. “It’s rare, but it gives whoever utilizes the ring a good element of surprise.”

“And with a dragon participating for the first time in the Festival we’ve been getting a bunch of surprises from Spike!”

Spike heard Vinyl’s comments but kept his focus on Thunderlane. A bit of blood dripped from his injured wing and his twisted ankle throbbed. Spike huffed, “Yield.”

“And have Starlight chew me out? No thanks!” Thunderlane shot back.

“Fine! I’ll ring you out then!” Spike charged, but after just a few steps, bolts crackled around him. Electricity jolted through him, forcing him to cry out and sent him to his knees.

“Glad I had a back-up plan.” Thunderlane struggled onto his good legs. “I wasn’t just dodging your fire. I was charging up the air for my ace in the hole. I’m the only one that can move in this space without getting zapped. Welcome to the Thunderdome!”

Thunderlane
Talent- Static Shock: Using pegasus magic, he can manipulate the air around him to build up an electrical charge. Once he has built up a sufficient amount of power, he can use it to strengthen his attacks and act as a defensive cloak. He can also charge up the air for a short period of time for wider range moves.

Thunderlane limped toward Spike. Spike tried to raise a claw, but a jolt raced up his arm. Thunderlane got closer. Pinned, Spike grimaced and his pupils shrank.

“I think I’ll take your idea and ring you out!” Thunderlane shouted.

“Only if this idea doesn’t work!” Spike breathed in deep. His mouth got zapped from the large inhale, but he managed to get down enough air to unleash a massive torrent of flames. Thunderlane tried to turn and get away, but instead of directly attacking him, Spike sent the flames upward and then arced them down in a fiery fountain. A scorching dome sealed him and Spike in, and the temperature skyrocketed.

Thunderlane hacked and went to his knees. His lips dried, and he choked out, “Sh-shoot.”

Just as the top of the flaming dome that had enclosed Spike and Thunderlane faded away, Spike got up without any electricity zapping him. After a few gasps of air, he huffed, “It takes special conditions just for lightning to form… and that only lasts an instant. If you tweak the air, your ‘Thunderdome’ falls apart.”

“D-didn’t expect a dragon to know that much about… pegasi and weather,” Thunderlane hacked. He flopped onto his side and struggled to catch his breath. “Y-yield. S-sorry, Starlight.”

“Thunderlane yields!” Rockhoof declared.

“Winner, Spike!” said Tantabus.

Spike blinked while the crowd cheered. In a hushed tone, he asked himself, “How did I know that?”

“How did he know that?” Twilight wondered.

“Cause he’s one smart dragon!” Derpy exclaimed.

“Yepperoni!” Pinkie cheered.

“And what a marvelous finish!” said Rarity.

“Hmmm.” Twilight furrowed her brow. We never trained in manipulating weather like that. I mean, I would have done something like that, but I’ve spent years studying all the ways magic works.

Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by a chill going down her spine. Everypony else felt it and Derpy shivered. Trixie, Coco, and Wallflower sank into their seats. Suri, having just returned from the infirmary, ducked back into the corridors and fled in the opposite direction of the green room. Starlight got up. “Seems I’ll have show everypony else that Class 1-B is not going to lie down in Class 1-A’s shadow.”

“Huh. That hatchling is something else.” The cloaked figure grinned, showing off fangs for a second and then grimaced. “Ugh, now my report to Lady Ember is gonna be even longer, unless…”

The figure’s eyes narrowed on Spike.

~~~

After a quick recovery thanks to Redheart, Spike made his way back to the participants’ section. Rounding a corner, he was met with the cloaked figure standing in his path. He tensed up. The way the figure stood and its scent—that of gems and smoke—triggered his instincts. He readied his claws.

“Hey-hey,” the figure called out, her voice revealing her as female. “No need to get territorial. I’m here cause our lady requested it and you’ve got quite the skills for a hatchling. I don’t recall any Elders taking on a student. Then again, some of them are pretty reclusive. Oh, maybe your parents then?”

“Um…” Spike blinked and relaxed a little. “I didn’t get most of that. And how’d you get back here anyway? I thought only parents and officials could do that.”

“Heh, ponies know so little about us I managed to get in with a little quick thinking.” The cloaked figure raised up an arm and the sleeve fell down, revealing claws and orange scales covering her arm. She pulled back her hood to show off her snout, slitted eyes, horns, and purple spines. “Who knows, maybe we are related somehow. I’m Smolder of Clan Magma and servant to our Lady Ember.”

“You’re a dragon!” Spike gasped.

“No, duh.”

Spike took up a stance again. “Well, what do you want? My past experiences with dragons haven’t exactly been the best.”

Smolder put her hands on her hips. “What’s a hatchling got to complain about? You’ve got at least another century until your molt.” Smolder then smacked a fist into her palm. “Oh! You must be talking about the rogues that caused trouble. Don’t worry about them, Lady Ember used them as her personal training bag and they’re currently serving as the lord’s toothpicks.”

“Okay.” Spike squinted one eye at Smolder. “That’s kind good to hear. I guess? Still, what do you want with me?”

“You didn’t think the first dragon to get into CSGP wouldn’t attract our lord’s attention? He’s very busy though doing lordy things, so he’s given the responsibility of watching you to our lady and she’s given the responsibility of reporting on you in this Festival to me,” Smolder answered. “So, I’ll ask again: who taught you that pyromancy?”

“I learned it myself!” Spike beamed. “Took a bit of work, especially with the lack of books, and nearly blew myself up a few times, but I managed it!”

His smile faded when he noticed Smolder peering at him with razor thin pupils. He shuddered before she relented and allowed her pupils to widen. “Huh, well with that confidence, you’re not lying, but a dragon learning that level of magic on his own is unheard of. Every dragon either learns from his parents or, if they’re lucky, an Elder.”

“Well, I don’t know what these ‘Elders’ are, and I never got to meet my parents…” Spike scratched his head. “… I think.”

“Wait…” Smolder held up a claw. “Are you telling me you’re a feral?”

“A what?”

“A dragon that managed to hatch alone and somehow survive the birth years.” Smolder advanced over to Spike and strode around him while bending down to get a better look at him. “I’ve heard stories, but they’re so rare and prone to falling to greed that I’ve never seen one.”

A chill went up Spike’s spine at the mention of greed.

“No.” Smolder backed away and shook her head. “You can’t be a feral. Forget the pyromancy, how would you have a name? Know how to speak? A feral has none of that.”

“I…” Spike gulped. “I don’t know. Things from when I was younger are… hazy.”

Smolder bent close to Spike again. “How old are you anyway?”

“Uh, fourteen.”

“Fourteen?” Smolder yelped. “You should still be teething on quartz!”

Spike flinched back at Smolder’s cry. “I should be?”

“Gah,” Smolder groaned and put a claw to her forehead to massage her brow. “This is going to be such a pain. I was hoping talking to you directly would help, but this is getting to be a real pain in my scales.”

Smolder then snapped her claws and grabbed Spike by the shoulder. “That’s it!”

“Wh-what’s it?” Spike asked.

“Getting by in the first round probably isn’t enough, but if you do well out there, I can use that as proof for Lady Ember to take you on those one of those internship things!”

“Huh, hadn’t really been thinking about those.” Spike had had his eyes on doing well to stand beside Twilight and his friends, but a major draw of the Festival was getting scouted for a potential internship that took place soon after the Festival. “Wouldn’t it be a little biased for the only dragon hero to hire the only dragon student?”

“Not if he does well enough,” Smolder suggested. “Plus, Lady Ember would never take on a hatchling unless he could really prove himself in battle. So, go for it out there and I won’t have to write too much of a report!”

“Wait, what?”

Smolder let go of Spike and darted off while waving goodbye. “Good luck, I’ll be rooting for you!”

Spike stood in the hall. After a moment, he blinked. “What just happened?”

~~~

“Welcome back, Spikey!” Pinkie cheered and then had to pause to cough into her hoof.

“Told you to take it easy,” said Applejack.

“Great job out there, Spike.” Twilight got up to give him a hug. “How did you know changing the air would disrupt Thunderlane’s Talent?”

“About that…” Spike disengaged from Twilight and scratched his spines. “I’m not really sure… and I don’t think most dragons know about that either.”

Twilight tilted her head. “How come?”

“Well, I just met another dragon that works for Lady Ember…” Spike blushed. “… and I kinda sorta got an internship offer if I do well enough today.”

Rarity’s eyes widened. “That’s wonderful, Spike! She’s a top ranked hero!”

“Plus, she could probably tell you a lot more about dragon stuff,” said Twilight.

“There was a lot Smolder mentioned that I didn’t know about,” Spike murmured.

“This definitely calls for round one victory muffins!” Derpy popped up and produced several bags floating in bubbles and gave them out to Rarity, Applejack, Maud, and Spike. She then turned and wagged one of the bags at Sunset. “I’ve got one for you, too!”

“I’ll save it for when I win!” Sunset shot back.

“Ha-ha!” Derpy turned and smiled at Twilight. “Guess you both have your eyes on the prize. Rainbow Dash too… I wonder where she is?”

“I’m sure she’s just getting ready for the next round,” Rarity suggested with a well-practiced grin. She then leaned toward Derpy. “Derpy, dear, what about you? Shouldn’t you have a victory muffin as well?”

“Aw, thanks for the support, Rarity!” Derpy’s grin widened. “I wanted to give these out before my match in case I get banged up a little. Gotta make sure you all have time to let your stomachs settle.”

“Whoa!” Spike pulled out his muffin and found it studded with sapphires. He looked up at Derpy. “How’d you know to make this?”

“Yours was the easiest!” Derpy chuckled. “I had to guess a little with everypony else’s!”

“Thanks, Derpy.” Spike bit a chunk out of the muffin and grinned. “Iffs reaffy good!”

“Darn, I was thinking of using sapphires in case Spike won for a victory cupcake,” Pinkie pouted for a second but then grinned. “I’ll have to think of something even tastier.”

“This is just my opinion, but perhaps rubies,” Rarity suggested.

Spike’s pupils grew a little. “Oh, that reminds me, Rarity, since you’re going up against Sunset, I might have something that helps out.”

“Really?” Rarity grinned.

“Yeah, I was saving it as a treat for myself, but I think you’ll need it more than I do.”

“Well, why don’t we discuss this more after the match?” Rarity turned toward Derpy. “You ought to be on your way but thank you again for the muffins.”

“Right!” Derpy gave the group a salute and flew off.

~~~

Derpy kept one of her eyes aimed straight at Starlight. Starlight wore a stern expression that held Derpy’s attention but did not chill her like earlier.

“Begin!” Rockhoof shouted.

Derpy flared out her wings. “Okay! I think I’ll star—”

A blast of aura from Starlight knocked Derpy’s head back and then her neck went limp. She lifted her head back up and stood stiff as a board. Both of her eyes focused on Starlight but were only half open. Starlight took a smooth exhale. “I need to put my class back in good standing, so what say we have a nice demonstration?”

Starlight’s horn flashed. Derpy spread out her wings and flew straight at Starlight. Pulling back a leg, she summoned a bubble onto her hoof and hooked at Starlight’s head. With a duck, Starlight dodged and sidestepped around Derpy.

Derpy twisted her head toward Starlight and pursued her. Lifting her wings, she summoned a volley of bubbles and launched them at Starlight. Starlight summoned a shield and swatted half the bubbles away before they burst in a shower of sparks. The other half she wrapped in aura. Contained, the bubbles went off without harming her. With her bubbles gone, Derpy rushed at Starlight and struck at her with a combination of punches and bucks.

“Looks like Derpy is giving it her all, but Starlight is ready to counter her every move!” Vinyl commented.

“We should really revise the rules,” said Tantabus.

“Huh?” Vinyl turned toward him. “This is actually pretty tame compared to some of the other matches we’ve had so far. What’s up?”

“In my opinion, Starlight has already won, but until Ms. Hooves is knocked out, ringed out, or yields, the match will continue. That said, I am most impressed with Ms. Glimmer’s spell proficiency.”

Vinyl put a hoof over her mike. “Could you, uh, fill me in?”

Tantabus sighed and covered his mike as well before giving an explanation to Vinyl.

Down in the participant’s section, Sunset snorted, “Tch, braggart.”

Taking Sunset’s reaction and the announcers’ commentary into account, Twilight lit up her horn. Aura flowed around her eyes for a second and then vanished. She lost a bit of color. “Oh no.”

“Can somepony tell me what’s going on?” ask Spike.

“Starlight has Derpy under her thrall,” Twilight explained with a quiver in her voice. “It normally takes advanced spells just to infiltrate somepony’s mind, let alone give them complex commands like this. Even then, there’s still the risk of somepony throwing off the spell the longer it lasts, but despite all of that, Derpy is showing no resistance at all.”

“So that’s why she was making me space out and eat my own words,” Applejack gasped. “What a dirty Talent!”

“Now, Applejack, no need to be rude,” said Rarity. “There’s no such thing as a ‘dirty’ Talent. What matters is the way you use it.”

“Well, the way Starlight is using it is downright dirty!” Applejack shot back. “If she can make Derpy do whatever she wants, why not just ring her out?”

“Because she wants this as an example to us and to internship scouters.” Twilight shuddered and glanced at Spike. A pit formed in his stomach. “She’ll probably do this to her other opponents too.”

Starlight Glimmer
Talent-Plaything of the Mind: Starlight knows how to get into her opponent’s head. She excels in a variety of spells designed to whittle away and control her opponent’s mind. She can do the same to her allies, putting them on a sort of auto-pilot or giving them more direct orders. It’s quite useful if her allies are injured or she just wants them to follow her plan. It gets harder to control more allies and opponents.

Starlight grinned while dodging another blow. Derpy drove a bubble into the ring. When it burst, the tiles under it cracked. “Let’s show them a little more utility.”

Pivoting, Starlight uppercut a hoof into Derpy’s right side. Two sharp cracks rang through the air, but Derpy just let out a small gasp. Her lips returned to a neutral line and her eyes remained half-open. She sliced at Starlight with a wing and continued her pursuit even as the area Starlight had struck discolored and swelled.

“That was a pretty solid hit from Starlight, but Derpy keeps going.” Vinyl lacked the excitement she had exuberated before in her commentary. “Guess it’s a battle of stamina now?”

“It seems that way.” Tantabus kept his eyes on the ring.

Another hoof nailed Derpy in the gut. Starlight leaned into the attack, swung Derpy around, and slammed her into the ground. Her head banged against the ring. Derpy laid there for a second before tears welled up and she cried out.

“Oh no, can’t have this over quite yet.” Starlight blasted Derpy with a spell and she shut her mouth. A few tears still spilled down her face. “Hmm, can’t get a perfect hold anymore. Well, let’s say we show them what you’ve got?”

Derpy said nothing. Starlight allowed her to get up, and she flew up above the center of the ring. Starlight’s horn brightened and Derpy produced a bubble on her left foreleg that crackled. There was a pause and then Derpy produced another bubble on her right foreleg with innards that swirled around.

“Yes, that seems to be the gist of it,” said Starlight. “A good Talent for a pegasus to have… and quite showy when it needs to be.”

Bubbles flew off Derpy in all directions until they encircled her. With a flash of her horn, Starlight commanded Derpy to send them flying back at her. At the last second, Starlight grinned and relinquished control. A look a pure dread filled Derpy’s face before she was consumed in a maelstrom.

“Derpy!” her friends called out.

She plummeted out of the haze from the attack with a large amount of her fur and mane either burnt or torn off by her own bubbles. Smacking into the ring, she did not get up. Starlight strode over and looked down at her. “I think that’s a start to regaining our reputation.”

“Ms. Hooves is unable to battle!” Tantabus declared. “Winner, Starlight Glimmer!”

“That’s my girl!” Firelight cheered.

“Well, somepony needs to put on a show if my little Trixie is out,” said Jack Pot.

Trixie leaned back in her seat and grinned. “That’s our president for you.”

Rarity furrowed her brow. “That was completely uncalled for.”

“That was scary.” Pinkie shuddered.

Maud blinked. “I’m glad she’s a hero.”

Twilight switched between watching Starlight stride out of the ring without a scratch and glancing down at Spike.

Spike balled up his claws. They crunched against the muffin bag Derpy had given him. He could still taste the sapphires. “Unforgivable.”

Author's Note

Derpy also had runner up muffins prepared to hand out to everypony. Poor girl.

Even If You Don't Ask

“Where are you going?” Sunset roared. Her freshly straightened mane crackled and burst back into its normal style. Ahead of her, two fillies ran off screaming.

Cadance gave her a soft thwack on the head with a clipboard. “That’s not going to reflect well on your grade.”

“I was just answering their questions,” Sunset grumbled while rubbing her head. “Not my fault they asked stupid things.”

“They’re fillies.” Cadance furrowed her brow. “How would you feel if you were their age and got to meet Princess Celestia and she was broody and grimacing before she started barking at you?”

“Princess Celestia isn’t like that.”

“Exactly.” Cadance beckoned Sunset over to a nearby bench. With a sigh, Sunset joined her. “You’ve had classes with her and so did I when I was in school. I’ve even had some private talks with her.”

Sunset glared forward, but her ears were perked up.

“She’s always got that brave smile on no matter the situation,” Cadance continued. “She embodies the ideal of the hero: one who always gives out help even if it’s not asked for. That, more than her power, is what makes her number one.”

~~~

The Black Griffon skidded backwards, digging in its claws to prevent it from getting launched off the ground. Twilight stood opposite of it, shimmering with the Elements’ energy, with Applejack and Zecora behind her.

“Twilight…” Applejack rasped. “How…”

“Luck and calculation,” Twilight answered. “Lu— Nightmare Moon and I just got here to go to the Everfree. When I saw the state of things and heard you’d left your supervisor, I put out a tracking spell. Luckily, I was familiar enough with your thaumic signature to find you after adding a bit more mana to the spell.”

The Griffon shook its head and growled, “Always count on you to ruin things.”

“That voice!” Twilight gasped. She retook her battle stance. “I had a feeling when I saw the monsters, but you’re behind this, Equality!”

“Indeed,” Equality said with a regained calm. “It’s a shame I won’t get to do it with my own hooves—not with the damage you did to me— but I’ll still enjoy tearing you to shreds!”

Twilight shivered at the intense bloodlust of the Griffon. Just as it bent its knees in preparation for a pounce, rainbow streaks sizzled out from where Twilight had struck it. Talons clawed at its beak and it threw itself against the alley’s walls.

“D-damn!” Equality snarled. Back in her hideout, her horn smoked. Pushing through the pain, she focused on the view from her crystal but her vision periodically blurred. “Don’t tell me that that attack…”

“Applejack!” Twilight called out while keeping her eyes on the Griffon. “Can you move?”

“I can’t. Must be some strange griffon magic.” Applejack huffed. Even though Twilight had her back to her, she could feel Applejack’s glare intensify. “I’ll handle this! This is Apple family business!”

The words stunned Twilight for a second. “What are you talking about?”

A roar focused her back on the Griffon. It was upright and glaring straight at her. Twilight squared off with it. Aura crackled off her. Her body still shivered from the bloodlust the Griffon gave off, but she managed to turn her lips upward even while her teeth chattered. “Doesn’t matter. Because a friend helps out even if you’re not asking for it and so does a hero!”

With her cutie mark glowing bright, Twilight charged.

~~~

Groups of miners huddled under blankets. All of them were coated in coal dust and a few had raspy coughs.

Pinkie leapt over to each miner and hoofed them some vegetable pies. As soon as they took a bite, they perked up and those with coughs breathed easier. Nearby, Mincemeat worked away at a mobile kitchen. Hot pies continually streamed out of his conveyor belt oven while he filled up raw ones, brushed them with egg wash, and put them on the belt. He worked like a fiend and bore a grin to match his work ethic.

Mincemeat

Talent- Eye on the Pie: Thanks to his Talent, this Hero’s pies are devilishly delicious. Depending on the filling, his pies are packed with an extra punch that can give allies or those in need a boost or give his enemies one Tartarus of a heartburn.

Pinkie had just grabbed some more pies to give to the miners when she felt a tingling sensation in her flanks. One pie rolled out of her hooves but she managed to catch it. Still, her mind was occupied by the unfamiliar sensation. It wasn’t like her usual Pinkie Sense. A glance back showed there was a faint glimmer around her flanks. Focusing her attention on the sensation a word tumbled out of her mouth, “Twilight?”

~~~

Underneath the dress Rarity was adorned in, she felt a light vibration around her flanks just as a flash went off.

“Focus!” yelled the director.

Rarity blushed. “Terribly sorry, it’s just…”

“Choking at the last moment?” Suri mocked.

Rarity took a breath and refocused on the commercial shoot. Yet, she could not help but feel as if Twilight had called out to her.

~~~

Fluttershy sobbed by a creek. She could not even stand to look at her reflection. “Those poor fillies, if I’d just been kinder…”

A sensation from her flanks stirred her. She looked around in a daze with her puffy eyes. “Twilight?”

~~~

Spike paused. His fists unclenched and smoke stopped fuming from his nostrils.

Across the room, Ember noticed the change and grinned. “Some common sense come to you? Quit acting like a whelp and get back to filing.”

“It’s not that,” Spike shot back with a glare, regaining some animosity. “I just had a strange feeling like a friend needed me.”

“Ugh, again with the friends,” Ember groaned. “Is that all ponies talk about?”

~~~

Like all her other friends, Dash felt it too. She paused in her patrol and looked to the east— to Ponyville.

Klicks away, Shadowbolt could still spot her and paused his own flight. “What is she doing?”

Just then, Dash spun through the air and bolted off into the distance.

“That idiot!” Shadowbolt snarled and gave chase.

~~~

To an average pony, the fight that unfolded would have looked like a blur, but to Applejack, with her speed-focused Talent, she could see Twilight charge straight at the Griffon. Just as the Griffon raised a claw, Twilight folded her hind legs forward and slid under the massive beast. Before it could kick and gouge her with its paws, Twilight sprung up at an angle.

Rocketing towards a wall, she pressed against it with her hooves and flew back at the Griffon. Applejack’s rage was quelled to an extent that she noticed the way Twilight moved: like a lesser version of her speed combined with the dynamic and offensive attack pattern Sunset used. Twilight reared a leg back just as the Griffon snapped its head back.

Elements of Harmony! Twilight summoned all the power she could control without causing pain to her leg and brought it down on the Griffon’s jaw. Brick Hoof!

The blow smacked the Griffon down and made its body lurch toward the ground. Twilight rolled with the momentum of her attack and managed to land back on her hooves. Aura crackled around the point of impact on the Griffon and it fell to its knees. It writhed and contorted with sickening snaps and cracks. Twilight caught her breath just as it appeared to go limp.

And then she found she could not move.

The Griffon brought a paw that it had winched up to its beak back down. At the tip of a claw on the paw was just the smallest bit of blood.

“A few more of those and I might be in trouble,” Equality huffed. The Griffon got up and lumbered past Twilight and over to Applejack and Zecora. “At the end of the day, you’re still a novice. Now, I will break you.”

“N-no!” Twilight yelled, but the Griffon drew near Applejack. She tried to summon magic to her horn, but neither her muscles nor her thaumic system would respond. Her eyes darted from Applejack to Zecora to the Griffon to the mark on the Griffon’s flank. What did it do? Even if this is a Talent, it has to have limits!

She thought to how the Griffon had licked its claw and then gazed down at her own body. The was a tiny nick on her leg, practically imperceptible save for the tiny bead of blood above it. Is that it? But it’s such a tiny amount!

The Griffon raised up a claw over Applejack. The pose derailed any strategies Twilight had. She could only cry out, “Stop!”

“Become a foundation for peace!” Equality cackled and brought the Griffon’s claw down.

Lightning blasted the space between the descending claw and Applejack. Before it could hit the Griffon, it jumped back, yet did not unfurl its wings. With a snarl, it glared at the end of the alley.

Though it was a clear night, electricity crackled around Rainbow Dash. Her wings were flared out and her body tense, ready for the fight. “I don’t know how you did it, Twilight, but I’m here!”

Author's Note

Know it's not coming out until the 28th but read the manga so I'll reveal that Mincemeat is based on Tanba from Dorohedoro