Defencelessly Impuissant

Skimming her eyes across the writing going from a zig-zag direction, Twilight immediately slammed the book shut abruptly and levitated it back to its place in the bookshelves. She was feeling determined to cast some spells without any chance of backfiring this time, after all, she is the Element of Magic. But in able to find which spell she would be casting she would obviously be needing to read from a book in her extended castle library.

Twilight relaxed her tongue which was sticking out and bit on it, determined that she could do this. She would always remain high-spirited when it came to situations like this.

But before she could begin, she was interrupted with a swift, ongoing wind flying into the room through the opened windows with the leaves flying about along with the breeze. Twilight groaned out of annoyance and unceremoniously used her magic to close the windows shut to prevent any more distractions disturbing her.

Twilight smiled plainly and began standing still determinedly whilst engulfing her horn with a glow of raspberry-coloured illumination. She wheezed, persistently and perseveringly, not wanting to let herself go this time. Although, she’s an alicorn now which means she has twice the power and strength than she had as a unicorn.

The violet alicorn was not certain to give up. She could do this, no, she knew she could do this.

Subsequently, she immediately dropped to the floor when it was her final breath. So much for breathing if I can’t do one simple spell, Twilight thought bluntly. How does Starlight Glimmer do it? She makes it look so easy.

‘’Twilight! What are you doing?!’’ came a voice from behind her, having wide eyes appear on her expression.

‘’What do you mean?’’ Twilight asked, confused. She turned around and had her eyes appear larger than her usual proportion, matching the lavender unicorn’s ones.

‘’I... I... I didn’t mean for this to happen!’’ Twilight blurted out.

‘’No time for communication,’’ Starlight interjected. ‘’We need to get Applejack and Fluttershy to help us round these buglocks, and I’ll use my magic to send them back to where they came from.’’

‘’Buglocks?!’’ Twilight repeated, acting like she’s never heard of such a thing.

‘’What do you think that is? A timberwolf?’’ Starlight suggested coldly. She found an embarrassed blush patterning on the alicorn’s cheeks. ‘’I thought you rounded him up so how do you not know-’’

‘’I wasn’t meant to teleport THAT into our library!’’ Twilight said defensively.

‘’Then what were you trying to do?!’’ Starlight accused, glancing at her sharply with a discipline eyebrow raise. ‘’No wonder why Trixie thought your magic went downhill!’’

‘’She what?!’’ Twilight sent a glare at her.

‘’We’ll talk about this later,’’ she shouted helplessly. ‘’Right now let’s get this buglocks to where it came-’’

She instantly got caught off when she was brilliantly smacked in the face. She rubbed her cheek, and shook her head out of her dizziness, then looked up to see an orange earth pony tying a rope onto the creature.

‘’Applejack? What the hay was that?’’ Starlight questioned. ‘’And how did you-’’

She observed as all of her friends came from wherever they came from and charged as they ran to attack the creature. Pinkie Pie was bouncing until she bit into the creature’s skin in an attempt to harm and make him cry. Rarity was sewing stitches onto his body. Fluttershy was fluttering around with her other animal friends to distract him but also to strictly reason with him. Rainbow Dash was soaring around the place to kick strongly into the creature’s leg and Spike was flying from the opposite direction from her to breathe fire at the creature.

Starlight looked amazed. ‘’Wow,’’ she uttered. ‘’This is seriously impressive.’’

Twilight’s mouth went agape until she closed it back up again and cleared her throat when the lavender unicorn looked in her direction and gave a sly grin.

Soon, once the creature fell immediately onto the ground - tied up by Applejack’s roping specialties - the cowgirl faced the lavender unicorn and shouted across the room. ‘’Now, Starlight.’’

Starlight nodded, enveloping her horn to begin her move of this moment. In a few moments and a spark of light, the creature suddenly disappeared out of the room, and they all managed to take breaths of relief.

Applejack’s smile then shifted into a frown as she turned to the curled alicorn on the floor. ‘’What were you thinkin’?’’ she questioned angrily. ‘’You nearly got yourself killed!’’

‘’I... I...’’ Twilight stammered, pawing at the floor. ‘’I’m sorry.’’

‘’Well, it’s too late for that now. We’ve already done all the work.’’ Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves.

Rarity nudged her. ‘’Rainbow!’’

‘’What?’’ she said. ‘’It’s not my fault she can’t defend herself anymore!’’

Starlight’s gaze shifted from the heroic friends to the alicorn. ‘’Wait, what?’’

‘’Ooh! Ooh!’’ Pinkie Pie bounced. ‘’I wanna tell her, I wanna tell her!’’

Spike sighed. ‘’Of course, Pinkie.’’

Pinkie Pie gasped. ‘’So ever since Twilight was granted alicorn wings and the Everfree Forest was invading Ponyville with vines because of past Discord’s plan to capture the princesses, we stumbled across a crocodile in the forest but Twilight didn’t even dare defend herself with her magic and blamed it on her wings, like come on! She’s got magic! Then this kept continuing with your revenge by time-traveling to the past and...’’

Spike clipped her mouth closed.

‘’I think she got the picture already,’’ Fluttershy pointed.

‘’Wow. Twilight, I-’’ Starlight hesitated.

‘’I know, I know.’’ Twilight stood back up from the ground. ‘’I went from-’’

‘’Powerful unicorn to powerless alicorn,’’ Pinkie Pie finished for her.

Twilight blinked. ‘’N-No!’’

‘’See what I mean?’’ Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

Starlight darted her eyes from the alicorn and the pegasus. ‘’Anyway, what were you even spellcasting, Twi?’’

Twilight sighed. ‘’I wanted to make myself into a unicorn again. I know it sounds silly but you’ve seen me then and said it yourselves that I was much more powerful than-’’

She got cut off when Starlight gave a gasp and teleported herself within a flash of light.

‘’-but it seems my powerful magic is now gone,’’ Twilight completed.

Fluttershy looked sympathetic at her friend and trotted nearer to place a comforting hoof on her shoulder. ‘’If it helps, Rarity is not so powerful either.’’

Rarity was taken aback by this, placing a hoof onto her chest. It was unlikely for her to hear this from a timid, shy pegasus like her.

‘’But she’s a unicorn,’’ Twilight said dejectedly.

‘’Yes.’’ Fluttershy nodded. ‘’But you were powerful as a unicorn, whereas she’s not.’’

‘’What are you saying?’’ Rarity looked at her with curiosity.

Fluttershy shrugged. ‘’Just trying to make her feel better.’’

Twilight slouched her face onto the ground.

Pinkie Pie tapped her chin, then gave out a gasp. ‘’Princess Celestia! She’s an alicorn and not so powerful either!’’

‘’Princess Celestia?’’ Twilight muttered quietly, then turned cold. ‘’Princess Celestia.’’

Fluttershy glanced from left to right. ‘’What about her?’’

‘’She was the one that transformed me into a powerless alicorn!’’ Twilight accused while it was unlikely in everyone’s books that she would never speak lowly of the princess, also known as her mentor.

‘’I’m sure she didn’t mean to and knew she would take your powerful magic away,’’ Fluttershy spoke.

Twilight soothed out her voice. ‘’Pack your bags, gang. We’re heading off to Canterlot.’’

‘’Hooray!’’ A cannon exploded with fancy, golden confetti behind the pink pony. ‘’I- I mean hoo-nay!’’

Everyone merely rolled their eyes.

Twilight soon teleported herself next to Starlight’s bedroom door and began to have herself knock on the door gently. Once she waited there for a few moments, she looked confused about why the door didn’t creak open so teleported herself inside.

She found a unicorn sitting at her desk table, rotating a compass in her magical grasp, then had herself perk due to the spark occurring behind her. She pushed the book away that was in front of her laying on the table.

‘’Hi, Twilight.’’ Starlight quickly adjusted herself. ‘’What do you want?’’

Twilight looked from the side of her to why she hid that book away from her, but then shook it off. ‘’Starlight, we’re heading to Canterlot for a visit.’’

‘’O-Of course, I’ll be at the train station in less than an hour!’’ Starlight informed.

‘’Good.’’ Twilight nodded in approval and exited herself out of the room again.

Starlight breathed in a sigh of relief and turned back to her book. She wiped the dust off its cover and lifted it into the air with a smirk. ‘’Oh, Twilight is going to be so proud and with the princesses too.’’

She then placed it into her saddlebag and wore it on her back before trotting out of her bedroom.

At the Ponyville train station, all of Twilight’s friends - including herself - wore their saddlebags on their backs and had their ears perked up when the train arrived with its rails squeaking. They got themselves onto the moving platform once the conductor announced his line.

As they all took their seats, they began having a conversation with each other until the end of their ride.

Once they hopped off the train, they trotted through the streets of Canterlot, saddlebags thumping against their backs, with elegantly poised unicorns trotting about and keeping their heads held high and confidently, minding their own business. But they were to no attention to the seven ponies and dragon.

Soon, they reached the Canterlot throne room and met two princesses sitting on their glorious high thrones.

The guard announced their arrival as he opened the door for them with his own magic to enter in as the princesses nodded in approval.

‘’Twilight!’’ Celestia glided herself to the floor from her throne. ‘’What are you and your friends doing here?’’

The younger alicorn tried avoiding making any eye contact with her role model and cleared up her throat. ‘’Princess, we’ve come here to talk to you.’’

Celestia tilted her head. ‘’Go ahead then, Princess Twilight.’’

The young alicorn felt the urge to roll her eyes but refrained. ‘’Well, you see, I know it’s been a long time since you did this but I was still looking up at you then. Now you look up at me so I can say anything, right?’’

‘’Sure,’’ Celestia allowed. ‘’Anything you say, Twilight, I promise you I will not be offended of such.’’

Twilight winced, but carried on. ‘’So me and my friends realised how I’ve been much more powerful as a unicorn than as an alicorn.’’

‘’Literally. She can’t defend herself right now.’’ Rainbow Dash folded her hooves, getting a glare from Rarity and a stare from Fluttershy, also known as ‘The Stare’ and ‘Glarity’.

‘’Oh?’’ Celestia’s smile faltered, ears flopping down.

Twilight stepped forth, taking a deep breath. ‘’Why did you make me into an alicorn? Didn’t you already knew this would happen?’’

Celestia sheepishly tittered. ‘’I... have no idea what you’re talking about, Twilight. I’ve made you into an alicorn because you’ve proven you’re capable of friendship, are you not?’’

‘’Yes, I am.’’ Twilight nodded. ‘’But so are my friends, so why not them as well?’’

‘’My dear Twilight! It seems like you’re putting too much thought into whatever-’’

Twilight finally stomped her hoof. ‘’Enough,’’ she said firmly.

Everyone stood silent across the room. All that could be heard was the waterfall rushing down swiftly beside the two glorious, high thrones.

‘’Pardon?’’ Celestia arched an eyebrow.

Twilight soothingly took a deep breath before continuing. ‘’Why did you make me into an alicorn, and I will not accept any answers until I know they are true judging by how you act.’’

‘’This isn’t how Twilight would act in front of her idol,’’ Rainbow Dash whispered to Pinkie Pie.

‘’Maybe she’s just fed up with Celestia’s lies and grooming,’’ Rarity offered. ‘’Goodness, I would be tired too if someone just lied to me like that.’’

‘’Okay.’’ Celestia lowered her head in shame. ‘’I will tell you but you have to promise me you will not be mad.’’

‘’That depends on what it is, your highness.’’ Twilight smiled.

‘’You’re always reasonable,’’ she observed. ‘’But the reason why I made you into an alicorn was that, well...’’ She looked away. ‘’I was annoyed that you were becoming almost as powerful as me when you were a unicorn, this poor alicorn self on me, so I just had to make you an alicorn too to prevent that from happening.’’

Twilight’s wide eyes at her outburst shifted to misery. ‘’Princess...’’

‘’And, well, because you were like a daughter to me and the first-ever friend I ever had so I couldn’t risk losing you.’’ Celestia pawed at the floor miserably.

Twilight scooted closer. ‘’I’m sorry, princess, that you felt like I was replacing you. And I am flattered, really, that you thought I was just as powerful as you.’’ She turned away with a blush on her cheek.

‘’And wasn’t Sunset Shimmer your first-ever friend?’’ Starlight guessed, raising her eyebrow.

‘’Yes,’’ Celestia replied.

Luna huffed from afar. ‘’Everypony seems to be forgetting about us when we transformed ourselves into Nightmare Moon and defeated our sister just by one. single. beam.’’

Celestia blushed at that memory.

‘’Oh... I remember that,’’ Twilight said.

‘’You do?’’ Celestia raised an eyebrow. ‘’I don’t ever recall you being a thousand years old.’’

‘’No. I mean I saw a vision of the battle through a potion Zecora gave me when we were trying to save you from those vines that captured the both of you,’’ Twilight explained briefly.

Celestia nodded in acknowledgment.

‘’However,’’ Twilight continued, ’’I really do want my unicorn self back. Do you think you can do that?’’

Celestia looked thoughtfully for a moment.

Starlight smirked, casually levitating a book from her saddlebag. ‘’I knew this would come in handy.’’

Twilight blinked. ‘’Where did you find that book?’’

‘’Ever since you said you cast that magic destruction pulled off a few minutes ago which was originally supposed to make you transform back into a unicorn because you were tired of being a powerless alicorn, I went into my room to find a book to transform ponies into alicorns or take away,’’ Starlight explained.

Twilight’s eyes flattened. ‘’What...?’’

Starlight sighed in exasperation. ‘’Basically, once I cast the spell on you it takes away your wings and gets appeared onto me. But now that I know you’re powerless as an alicorn, I declined my wishes of wanting to be an alicorn myself. So...’’ She paused to glance at the alabaster alicorn. ‘’Can I transfer Twilight’s wings onto you again, your highness?’’

Celestia observed the happiness on the younger alicorn’s face, then sighed. ‘’Do it.’’

Starlight smiled. ‘’All right, but you all better stand clear. Celestia and Twilight, stand still in front of me.’’

Everyone went to stand in the side, whereas the two alicorns stood in front of the lavender unicorn firmly.

Starlight nodded in approval, then had her horn envelop a presence of turquoise light, creating a giant orb before she pointed it at the alicorns in front of her, having terrified expressions on their faces.

‘’Hold still,’’ the unicorn affirmed.

Soon, she let go of the orb on her horn and made it zoom onto the alicorns. To everyone’s surprise, they floated back down to the floor again to see Twilight appeared with no wings and Celestia as still the same.

Twilight fluttered her eyes open, then glanced at her back with a delightful gasp. She ran towards the unicorn to embrace her in a hug. ‘’Oh, thank you, Starlight!’’

‘’That... was impressive,’’ Luna commented with her mind blown. ‘’How...’’

Starlight shrugged. ‘’I guess you can call me the Great and Powerful Starlight Glimmer.’’ She chortled at her phrasing and thought of her best friend, whereas everyone merely rolled their eyes.

‘’It was quick too,’’ Luna acknowledged. ‘’Starlight Glimmer, will you be so kindly appreciated if you would be the Princess of the Night’s student like my sister’s teacher-to-student bond with Twilight Sparkle?’’

Starlight gasped, couldn’t believe her ears. ‘’I... don’t know what to say, your highness.’’

‘’Then let that be in the affirmative.’’ Luna gave her most dazzling smile.

‘’Congrats, Starlight!’’ Rainbow Dash flew over to her side.

‘’Yes, darling. Well done.’’ Rarity smiled proudly.

Starlight was then receiving her felicitations by her friends... all, but one.

Twilight glanced at the entire room, searching for a specific alicorn but saw she was nowhere to be seen. ‘’Um, excuse me for a moment,’’ Twilight interjected, trotting herself out of the throne room.

Then she found the alabaster alicorn standing beside the wall, looking sulkily.

‘’Princess?’’ Twilight called, grabbing the alicorn’s attention whose body turned around within a royal twirl.

‘’Oh, Twilight.’’ Celestia smiled affirmatively, wiping away a tear from her eyes. ‘’Look, I merely want to say that I’m happy you’ve got what you’ve always wanted: to be powerful, and not the glory. I’m proud of that.’’

‘’Thank you, princess.’’ Twilight blushed slightly. ‘’But are you okay?’’

Celestia sighed. ‘’That’s another thing I like about you: always checking up on your... friends.’’

Twilight smiled. ‘’I guess I should thank my friends for that.’’

Celestia smiled too from ear to ear, then she sighed.

Twilight observed her. ‘’Now can you tell me what’s going on, your highness?’’

Celestia looked up at her. ‘’In all my years of ruling, ponies have told me that I was, or am, powerless when it comes to creatures attacking our land. Even if you never would do that, you were still seen as more powerful than me so I... took away that by making you into a powerless alicorn too.’’

Twilight raised an eyebrow, not understanding. She had always thought her mentor was seen as perfect and everyone else would think that too so it was understandable for her to be mind blown at the princesses’ words. ‘’Princess? What do you mean? You’re not powerless and you should never let ponies’ opinions get to you! You and Luna have faced multiple villains in your lifetime, whereas I need my friends to do that!’’

‘’Yes, but in your unicorn form, you could do any powerful spells alone.’’

‘’I suppose that is true,’’ Twilight said quietly and thoughtfully, then she looked up at her mentor. ‘’But you’re more powerful than me! You know how? Because you were the one that showed me how to do this and that. You were the one who educated me. Don’t you see? This proves you’re like a godmother to us all.’’

Celestia’s eyes were filled with tears, then sniffed. ‘’I am proud of the pony you have become: the bold speeches, leadership, all of it.’’

‘’All because of you.’’ Twilight trotted closer to embrace her with another hug.

Celestia smiled softly and took the time to accept it graciously, but then the unicorn moved away.

‘’Although, there’s one more question to ask.’’

Celestia rolled her eyes. ‘’Go ahead.’’

‘’Where are my friends’ wings and horns?’’

Just when that question slipped from the unicorn’s mouth, Celestia backed away from her and flew onto the balcony. Twilight followed her behind, and so did the others.

Celestia flapped her wings and took off into the sky, drawing herself nearer and nearer towards the sun. To everyone’s complete surprise, her eyes were starting to burn, skin starting to melt and her mane starting to stop flowing. Soon, she weakly flew herself back down to the balcony, having everyone laugh at her movement.

A twinkle was soon shown in Twilight’s eyes as her role model landed on the balcony safely and had Luna escort her inside. A soft smile then landed on her gracious lips.

Twilight’s gaze turned to the unicorn standing next to her. Powerful was a word she could describe her. If there was any pony more powerful than the sun and moon princesses, it’s the unicorn standing beside her.

‘’Congrats on accomplishing the element of magic spot,’’ Twilight whispered to her.

Once Starlight had heard this, her eyes were widening with pure shock as Twilight solemnly trotted back inside behind the two princesses. Starlight was starstruck, a smile plastered all over her dumbfounded face.