Canterlot Academy Trials

Our group of heroes heard the voice and ran towards it. The Mindscape would eventually shift to a small prison cell where Zesty’s younger, much heftier self could be seen locked behind bars. Tucked away in the farthest corner of her mind.

“...w-who are you lot?” The young Zesty Gourmand, wearing an orange jumpsuit called out to them.

The entire group froze for a moment as they realized where they were…and who was there with them.

“...How pitiful,” Archsage commented as he tilted his head to take a look around. “...she hates her young self that much, so she deems herself as a prisoner in her own mind? I can’t even imagine…”

“I know what that’s like,” Priestess spoke from her own experiences in reference to how she thought of her past self. “...being unable to come to terms with who you once were is difficult. But Zesty’s allowed it to corrupt herself and everyone around her.”

The young Zesty behind bars called out to them, “...did I do something wrong? I…I shouldn’t have let myself get this big, huh?”

Speaking with someone’s internal framework was a bit new to them, so the group made sure to choose their words carefully as they had no idea what could happen if they weren’t.

Trickster stepped forward and spoke first, “...as long as your health was in order, there’s nothing wrong with having a bit of extra thickness on your body. Just look at me for example.”

“I wasn’t unhealthy at all,” the young Zesty spoke up to them, “My metabolism worked a bit quickly along with my job, so I had to eat quite a lot to keep my appearance up. But…” she looked off to the side in a regretful fashion, “...that all changed when I accepted that modeling gig…never should’ve done it.”

Wyvern joined in the conversation and wanted to highlight the exact problem that led her down this path. “You got carried away by greed. I know exactly what it’s like to see that happen as many dragons become selfish, irredeemable assholes when they’re faced with an overabundance of money or gems…”

“It may be too late to go back to the past,” Archsage tried to motivate her inner self as much as possible, “But you can still change your present and future. I don’t think you want to live in a world where Harissa has to starve herself.”

“N-no…” the prisoner mare shook her head as she approached the bars, “I don’t…I can’t let her or the other members of the population live like this. I have to think for myself.”

Just then, as a result of her newfound courage, the young Zesty’s prison cell would disappear, along with her orange jumpsuit.

When this occurred, the team huddled together to discuss what should be done next.

“...okay, so we motivated her younger self,” Wyvern whispered to the group. “Now what do we do?”

“We need to locate Zesty The Ambassador,” Trickster dubbed the older Zesty with a title to help them differentiate between the two. “And once we do, we’ll be able to get them to confront each other so she can realize what she did wrong to herself.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Priestess replied, “We just need to keep a low profile. We don’t want to set her off or we could risk being thrown out of here before we’re finished.”

Archsage looked at the ground beneath their hooves, and realized that they were standing on a gray carpet. On top of that, they could also hear voices nearby, which caused the unicorn stallion’s ear to flick. “Hm?” he broke off from the huddle, and everyone on his team followed as they took a look around…

As it turned out, Zesty’s Mindscape had begun to shift. Now they were in a giant buffet hall where many ponies, griffons, yaks, dragons, and other creatures were seated to enjoy plates of…practically nonexistent food scraps disguised as “art.” The carpets, tablecloths, chairs, and drapes were all a drab gray to match what Zesty liked.

Then, the group could see her--the older Zesty--on a stage at the end of the room as everyone in the audience clapped for her.

“Thank you, everyone!” she called out as she took a bow, “I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I acknowledge that my food has become an international sensation! No more greasy fried nonsense or unhealthy seasonings. Our children will grow up to be obedient thanks to my dishes. Princess Twilight Sparkle’s tendencies to eat such food will no longer be accepted once I take over!”

Everyone continued to clap and shout in agreement, showcasing just exactly how deluded and self-centered Zesty Gourmand actually was. The idea that her food would somehow change the world; from the Equestrian cities to the non-pony ones, it was the reality that she desired for herself.

And our band of mind divers wouldn’t stand for it.

They were also hidden as to not draw attention to themselves. Everyone was perched near the ceiling to keep themselves from the view of the audience below. Wyvern and Priestess hovered in the air via their wings and Archsage and Trickster used self-levitation to keep themselves up high.

“Horrible,” Wyvern spat, “Can’t let her think that this is how it should go down.”

“The fact that she thinks this is how everyone would see her…” Archsage shook his head, “It’s saddening. Not to mention what she thinks of Princess Twilight.”

“No wonder she sees herself as a politician,” Priestess added, “She wants to usurp Twilight’s rule…”

However, there was a certain someone that had gone missing. Trickster pushed up her glasses upon realizing that they had lost them. “Uhh…guys? Where’s the young Zesty?”

They all paused and glanced around the room…until they spotted her at the end of the banquet hall. The younger version of the mare stepped forward, getting closer and closer…

“W-what is she doing?!” Wyvern let out a panicked whisper, “We gotta--”

“Shhh!” Archsage held a hoof in front of his friend before he could take off, “...she needs to face herself.”

And face herself she would.

Soon enough, the audience members would look on in confusion as another Zesty came out of nowhere.

“...you…” she muttered under her breath before looking up at her older self and screaming, “You’re a fraud!”

“You?!” Zesty’s older self hissed upon seeing her younger self, “No! I threw you away a long time ago! You no longer exist to me!”

“Look at what you’ve done to me--yourself!” the younger mare went on as she cried out--her voice breaking with sobs, “...You left your husband and manipulate your child! Why would you do such a thing?!”

ZAP!

With a flash of magic, Zesty The Ambassador struck her younger self to the ground. “Because. You are the part of me that I rejected. You no longer matter in a world where I exist!” she levitated herself in the air as a dark aura consumed her body. The audience members started to boo and jeer the younger Zesty and cheered for the Ambassador to destroy her.

“KILL HER!”

“KILL HER!”

“KILL HER!”

“N-no…” the young Zesty muttered as she tried to pick herself off the floor. “It can’t…end like this…”

And then, a voice called out from above--

“ENOUGHATHISSHIT!”