A young Twilight Sparkle stood trembling before the four stern unicorn judges who held the power to decide her fate at Equestria's most prestigious magic school. No, "nervous" didn't quite capture it; she was downright petrified. Their disinterested gazes, coupled with the relentless scratching of pens against parchment, only intensified her anxiety.
She had no inkling of what kind of test awaited her, but a cart rolled forward, revealing a dragon egg nestled within. It was a startling twist she couldn't have anticipated. Her mind raced through her extensive repertoire of spells, searching for a solution to hatch the dragon. Beads of sweat formed on her lavender coat as she desperately sought to conjure a spell, any spell, to aid her in this perplexing ordeal.
"Well, Miss Sparkle?" The impatience in one of the judges' voices sliced through the tension. Another cleared their throat, their irritation evident as they awaited Twilight's response.
Twilight's desperation surged, intensifying her nervousness. She resorted to various poses in a futile attempt to harness her magic more effectively, despite knowing it wouldn't make a difference. Another judge couldn't hide a yawn, clearly unimpressed by her struggling efforts.
"We don't have all day.” The same impatient judge reiterated.
After several fruitless attempts, Twilight channeled every ounce of magic from her horn into the dragon egg, but all she managed to produce were feeble sparks that flickered into existence before promptly fading away. Exhausted and defeated, she collapsed onto her stomach, only to rise again with a profound sense of disappointment when she realized her efforts had yielded no results.
"I'm sorry for wasting your time.” Twilight muttered, her voice heavy with defeat as she cast her gaze downward.
The judges collectively levitated their clipboards, their expressions remaining uninterested as they scribbled down their notes.
A sudden explosion of vibrant rainbow hues rocked the castle, jolting Twilight from her thoughts. In her startled reaction, she unintentionally unleashed a spell toward the dragon egg. As the spell connected with the egg, it brought forth a purple dragon adorned with green spikes from head to tail, complemented by matching emerald eyes. The dragon yawned and stretched, wearing a contented smile.
Twilight let out another surprised yelp as her eyes abruptly turned a blinding white, causing her to levitate above the ground, surrounded by a powerful lavender aura radiating pure magical energy. Lightning surged from her body in multiple discharges, forcing the judges to shield their eyes from the unexpected brightness and menacing lightning. Meanwhile, Twilight's parents clung to each other in terror at the unfolding spectacle.
One of the lightning bolts struck the judges, lifting them into the air as if they were weightless. A second lightning strike transformed her parents, her mother morphing into a potted aloe plant while her father became a potted cactus with a blossoming flower at the top. A third bolt zapped the baby dragon, accelerating its growth into a fully-grown form, causing its head to burst through the roof of one of Canterlot's towers.
Celestia, the ruler of Equestria, couldn't ignore this extraordinary occurrence as she gazed upward at the dragon's head now visible for all to see. However, this was just the beginning of Twilight's uncontrollable surge of magic, as her panic grew with the strange events unfolding around her.
A sudden surge burst into existence, violently blowing the entire roof off and sending a powerful lavender aura shooting straight into the heavens. As the magical beam extended beyond the limits of sight, it transformed the once-blue sky into a shimmering shade of lavender.
Twilight began her ascent into the sky, lightning crackling around her. At this moment, ponies all over the world gazed up in astonishment and trepidation. The radiant aura piercing the heavens with Twilight at its core grew increasingly brilliant.
Celestia marveled at the spectacle but understood the need to take action against this uncontrollable magical surge. It was the most formidable magic she had witnessed in over a thousand years, and such immense power shouldn't even be attainable for a pony. She realized that this much energy could endanger the life of the young filly generating it or inadvertently involve others. With breathtaking speed, she soared toward the epicenter, preparing a spell that would temporarily seal Twilight's magic.
Upon drawing near, she unleashed it in a blinding golden burst, only to be met with shock as a lavender lightning strike countered it, overwhelming her own magic and connecting with her horn. The lightning appeared to leave her unharmed, but her attempts to use her magic through her horn thereafter were met with nothing but miniature lavender sparks dancing across its surface.
This development left the Princess utterly astonished. "A complete spell reversal? But such magic has only ever been wielded by the most formidable unicorns in history!" With her unicorn magic temporarily sealed, she found herself powerless to halt the filly's torrent of magic. All she could do was observe as some of her subjects, once they had recovered from their initial shock, fled in fear.
Celestia squinted, her eyes fixed on the epicenter through the blinding light. There, the filly began to radiate an ever-intensifying brilliance, until she became a mere silhouette of white. In a sudden transformation, the filly seemed to condense into a radiant sphere of pure light, losing her pony form. A moment of calm preceded a gust of wind that sent Celestia reeling backward, instinctively closing her eyes.
Upon reopening them, Celestia understood the cause of the sudden gust: a vortex of pure magic descended from the sky into the suspended ball of light that was once the filly, creating a colossal cyclone-like storm. After what felt like an eternity to Celestia, though it was only a few minutes, the torrent of magic began to wane, and the sky gradually returned to its natural state as the last traces of magic funneled into the luminous sphere.
Once all had quieted and the lightning strikes had ceased, the lavender aura enveloping the former filly dissipated, leaving the ball of light suspended in the sky. The judges were no longer levitating, the baby dragon had returned to its infancy, and Twilight's parents had reverted to their normal pony forms.
Celestia observed with fascination as the ball of light descended toward the tower's floor, its roof completely obliterated. Gracefully landing inside the tower from the now-vanished roof, she kept a vigilant eye on the slowly descending sphere of light.
"Princess Celestia!" a mare's voice cried out, capturing her attention, though she was cautious not to divert her gaze from the descending ball of light.
"What's happening?! Where's my daughter?!" The mare's voice quivered with panic, an understandable reaction.
"She's right there, Twilight Velvet." Celestia extended a hoof, pointing toward the still-descending sphere of light.
"What do you mean? Wait... you mean that's my daughter!? Don't worry, Twilight, Momma's coming!" Velvet's determination surged, and she dashed toward what Celestia had identified as her daughter.
"Wait!" Her husband's voice rang out, but Velvet paid it no heed. Her entire focus was fixed on the radiant light that was her daughter, until a large white wing unfurled before her, causing her to come to an abrupt halt.
"What are you doing!? Let me reach my daughter!" Velvet's voice trembled as she confronted the Princess, despite her knowledge that it wasn't prudent to raise her voice to the ruler of Equestria.
Celestia offered a gentle shake of her head, speaking soothingly, "I apologize, Mrs. Velvet, but I am uncertain whether it's safe to approach her right now. I also lack the ability to protect you with my magic in case of any complications. Please wait until this magical phenomenon subsides."
Velvet was on the verge of a retort when she was abruptly silenced. The luminous sphere touched the ground and began to convulse violently, as if something were attempting to break free. It underwent a startling transformation, with shapes emerging on either side, resembling griffin talons. Soon after, two leonine legs sprouted from below, along with a serpentine tail trailing behind. The body took on a sinuous, snake-like form, and eventually, a pony-like head emerged from the top, sporting two protrusions.
The radiant glow finally dimmed, and the newly formed figure descended abruptly to the ground. Every eye in the room widened in astonishment, but none more so than Celestia's. Initially, she feared that Discord had somehow escaped and orchestrated a grand re-entrance. However, as she observed the small baby Draconequus, taking note of its coloration and size, she quickly dismissed that notion.
Celestia scrutinized the young Draconequus from head to toe, noting the myriad differences and similarities to Discord. The creature possessed a pony's head, its normal mane still intact but flowing much longer. While its snout was slightly more pronounced, its ears resembled those of a rabbit and were unusually elongated. Two dark lavender straight horns protruded from its head, and its neck extended far beyond the proportions of a typical pony. The creature's body bore a serpentine resemblance but retained soft lavender fur. Two pegasus wings sprouted from its back, unusually large for its age if it were a pegasus. It also featured two dark lavender eagle talons for arms and a long, dragon-like tail with a mane-like tuft at the end. Additionally, it had two dark lavender lion-like legs.
Celestia felt relief that this being wasn't as chaotically combined as the spirit of chaos, yet she remained puzzled about the circumstances leading to this transformation. She had closely observed the little lavender filly's appearance prior to this event, not only as a promising student for her school but also for another undisclosed reason she had kept to herself for future plans.
Still, the presence of another Draconequus in this world raised concerns. She had no intention of banishing a filly to Tartarus; that wasn't a solution she would consider. Besides, even if she wanted to, the only force capable of restraining Discord had been the Elements of Harmony, which she couldn't wield herself. However, perhaps this turn of events could be an opportunity. She could nurture Twilight to embrace goodness and order, the antithesis of Discord.
Indeed, having a Draconequus on Equestria's side sounded promising. Twilight might even stand a chance against Discord if the Elements didn't work on him a second time. That was, of course, assuming Twilight possessed similar powers to Discord, which seemed increasingly likely from what Celestia had observed.
Celestia's contemplations were interrupted by a faint whimper. Looking down, she noticed the new Draconequus stirring. As the creature's eyes opened, Celestia couldn't help but notice the bright lavender eyes with darker lavender circles around each, featuring slits as pupils.
Twilight's head throbbed inexplicably, her body feeling strangely different. Yet, she also felt an incredible surge of energy, as if her reservoir of power were bottomless. Confusion clouded her mind as she struggled to comprehend her surroundings, realizing she wasn't in her own bed; the surface beneath her was cold and unyielding. Slowly, she blinked, her eyes meeting those of a towering white alicorn who regarded her with curiosity.
Twilight's mental gears began to turn, and she instantly recognized the figure before her, prompting her to instinctively rise on all fours. "Princess Celestia!?" She would have noticed that she had briefly levitated into the air before descending had she been more attentive.
Celestia offered a warm smile. "Twilight Sparkle. Your earlier display was quite remarkable; I must admit I am thoroughly impressed."
Blushing at her idol's praise, Twilight's recollection of recent events suddenly flooded back. "Wait, what happened!? I remember a loud noise, and then everything went blank!"
"You experienced the most substantial magical surge in pony history, Twilight Sparkle. Due to the immense amount of magic you absorbed, it triggered a transformation. A normal pony's body would be incapable of containing such power, especially a young filly like yourself." Celestia chose to be straightforward with the young Draconequus, allowing her to address any fears or concerns promptly rather than prolonging her uncertainty.
"Transformation?" Twilight questioned, glancing down at her body and realizing she was no longer standing on hooves, her form entirely different from before.
A sense of panic washed over Twilight, her breaths growing heavy. She cautiously lifted one of her talons and flexed it, confirming that this was not some nightmarish illusion but her new reality. Tears welled up in her new eyes, ready to spill at any moment. Then, a large white wing enveloped her, offering a measure of comfort.
"It's alright, Twilight Sparkle. I understand you're frightened and bewildered, but rest assured, you're still the same on the inside despite the external changes.” Celestia reassured her soothingly.
"I'm a monster... no pony will want to be around me anymore... I should be banished.” Twilight said sorrowfully, as if it were an unalterable truth. However, she hadn't anticipated the Princess's response.
"You are not a monster, Twilight Sparkle, and you never will be." Celestia nuzzled Twilight gently to provide solace.
"You won't be banished, and you're not in any trouble. In fact, it's quite the opposite.” Celestia assured her.
Twilight sniffled, her gaze lifting to Celestia, her expression a mix of confusion and hope.
She offered a gentle smile to the bewildered filly. "Twilight Sparkle, would you consider becoming my personal student and protégé? I will provide guidance in magic lessons and help you understand everything about your new body and abilities."
Twilight stared in astonishment for a few seconds, her tears vanishing instantly, replaced by sheer excitement. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Oof!" Her bouncing enthusiasm was abruptly halted as she struggled to control her unfamiliar body, resulting in a comical faceplant onto the ground.
Celestia chuckled, finding amusement in the filly's exuberance. "It will be a long journey for you, Twilight Sparkle, but I promise you a bright future awaits."
Twilight heard approaching hoofsteps, and she looked up to find her parents standing before her. She immediately lowered her ears and cast her gaze downward, fearing that her transformation meant her parents would no longer accept her.
"I suppose you wouldn’t want some creature like me, would you…?" Twilight asked, her expression downcast, unable to meet her parents' eyes.
"Never say such a thing, Twilight! We're your parents, and we will love you no matter what." Velvet spoke firmly.
"Twilight... Your appearance doesn't change who you are or how much we care for you. You will always be our daughter.” Night Light added, and both her parents embraced her in a warm hug, causing Twilight's eyes to well up with tears once more. This time, they were tears of joy, and she couldn't hold them back any longer.
Celestia watched the heartwarming family moment unfold with a smile from the sidelines. She knew that from this point on, everything would be different, and with a pony – or now Draconequus like Twilight – as the catalyst for change, she was confident that the future was in good talons.
End of Prologue.
"Elements of Harmony... I'm sure I've come across that that term before. But where?" mused a particular purple Draconequus, hovering in the air while navigating through the streets of Canterlot. Her face remained fully immersed in a book cradled in one talon.
Numerous ponies in her vicinity either gave her a wide berth or engaged in hushed conversations behind her back. However, Twilight paid no attention to the whispers and focused on flipping through the pages, hoping to unearth additional information. Despite her lack of attention to her surroundings, she skillfully navigated through the structures until she reached a specific tower.
With a snap of her free talon, she teleported in front of two blue doors atop the tower, the book still engulfing her face. Meanwhile, a small purple dragon, adorned with green spines along his back and tail, a green underbelly, and carrying a red present wrapped in gold ribbons, approached the doors with joy. Just as he reached for the handle, a purple Draconequus with a book still firmly planted in her face phased through the door as if it were insubstantial. The sudden appearance startled the baby dragon, causing him to drop the present and lose his footing, ultimately tumbling onto the gift.
Twilight drifted past the baby dragon, completely oblivious to his presence. The purple dragon let out a sigh of disappointment as he retrieved his crushed present from beneath him.
"Twilight, I told you not to do that!" the dragon exclaimed with irritation, holding up his broken present in front of him.
"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Spike. I didn't realize you were here. I didn't teleport into the building like you asked," Twilight apologized, finally acknowledging Spike's presence in the room.
"Well, none of that ghostly business either! I mean, seriously, what's the point of doors if you're not even going to use them, sheesh," Spike commented, expressing his exasperation.
"Spike, there's no such thing as ghosts; it's called phasing. And what's that for?" Twilight inquired, pointing a talon at the present.
"Well, it was supposed to be a gift for Moon Dancer's birthday party today, but it looks like I'll have to get new wrapping paper..." Spike said, his disappointment evident in his voice.
"Spike, we don't have time for parties. Here, I'll take care of that," Twilight declared, snapping her talons. The present instantly returned to perfect condition, flashing away in a lavender light. Spike was momentarily surprised, but he soon shook his head at Twilight's antics.
Meanwhile, at Moon Dancer's party, a sudden bright lavender light sparkled into existence, and the present that Spike was previously holding was teleported onto a table with various other gifts, without anypony at the party taking notice.
"Now, where is that book about 'The Mare in the Moon'?" Twilight inquired, initiating a display of magical prowess as she levitated every book in the room in a spiraling orbit around herself.
"Woah!" Spike exclaimed as dozens of books flew over his head. He quickly threw himself to the ground, covering his head to shield himself from the storm of floating books.
"Nonononononononononononononononononono," Twilight continued to mutter rapidly, zipping through each book's title as they flew by her eyes at speeds not many could perceive.
"Aha!" she exclaimed in an excited manner once she found what she was looking for. As she grasped the book with a talon, all the other floating books in the room collapsed to the ground, creating a sea of books covering the floor.
Spike popped out from below multiple books, with a green book opened on his head and a red book in his mouth, which he promptly spat out. Surveying the messy room, he sighed in despair and began stacking each book into a neat pile.
Twilight opened the book she had grabbed and promptly flipped to the desired page using her magic.
"The Mare in the Moon. Myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who sought to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal," Twilight read aloud, gasping in realization.
"Spike, do you know what this means?" Twilight asked, turning around to observe the scattered books across the floor and the ones Spike was diligently stacking up.
"No," Spike answered honestly.
Twilight snapped her talons after realizing the mess she had created, teleporting all the books back into their places. Unfortunately for Spike, this meant teleporting him as well, courtesy of the book still in his grasp, which happened to be on the top row.
"Aaah!" Spike yelled as he fell, realizing he was teleported along with the book. Twilight cringed at her mistake and quickly snapped her talons once again.
"Oof." Spike bounced gently on what had now become a miniature bouncy castle beneath him.
"Spike, take a note, please. To the Princess," Twilight stated, raising one talon in the air, as a scroll and quill magically appeared in Spike's claws.
"My deares—" Twilight was suddenly cut off by Spike's laughter. Glancing over, she saw him joyfully jumping up and down on the new bouncy castle, completely ignoring her.
"Spike, this is serious!" Twilight shouted, snapping her talons once more and causing the bouncy castle to vanish from existence.
Spike's laughter was abruptly cut off when, in mid-jump, he fell and faceplanted onto the floor. Slowly, Spike peeled himself from the ground and grumbled.
"Alright, alright. I got it," Spike said as he got up and prepared to write.
Twilight cleared her throat and then proceeded, "My dearest teacher, my continuous study of pony magic has led me to discover that we are on the precipice of disaster."
"Hold on... Preci... Preci..." Spike looked at Twilight with a completely lost expression.
Twilight sighed before snapping her talons and making the word "precipice" appear on the paper.
Twilight cleared her throat before continuing, "For you see, the mythical Mare in the Moon is, in fact, Nightmare Moon, and she's about to return to Equestria to bring with her eternal night. Something must be done to ensure this terrible prophecy does not come true. I await your quick response; your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight concluded her letter and waited for Spike to finish writing.
Spike frantically scribbled everything down until he finished the letter with Twilight's name. "Got it!" he exclaimed.
"Great, now send it," Twilight stated.
"Now?" Spike questioned, looking in Twilight's direction with an unsure gaze.
"Yes, Spike. She needs to know as soon as possible," Twilight responded.
"But she's probably busy with the Summer Sun Celebration, and it's like the day after tomorrow," Spike argued.
"That's just it, Spike! The one-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration is the day after tomorrow! It's imperative that this reaches the Princess, or do I have to send it myself?" Twilight questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Spike immediately pulled the scroll away from Twilight. "No way! You promised I would be the one to handle the letters!"
"Then send it!" Twilight shouted, causing the room to shake and prompting Spike to cover his ears.
"Alright! I'll do it, jeez," Spike replied, blowing green fire onto the letter. It transformed into magic sparkling smoke that quickly zipped out of the open window at the top of the room.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up though, Twilight," Spike stated in a lecturing tone.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry, Spike. She trusts me completely. In all the years she's been my mentor, she's never once doubted me," Twilight said with confidence.
Spike's cheeks suddenly puckered up before he released a belch along with green fire that spiraled until a letter poofed into existence.
"See, I knew she would want to take immediate action," Twilight proclaimed.
Spike grabbed the letter from the floor before clearing his throat and reading it. "My dearest, most faithful student Twilight. You know that I value your diligence and that I trust you completely, but you simply must stop reading those dusty old books."
Twilight gasped in surprise before teleporting the scroll into her talons.
"Hey!" Spike yelled in objection.
Twilight read through the part Spike had read out loud and confirmed it was true. She sighed in disappointment, letting the parchment glide toward the ground. Before it could hit the ground, Spike ran and caught it.
"I wasn't finished, ya know?" Spike said, giving Twilight an irritated glare.
Spike cleared his throat once more before continuing. "My dear Twilight, there is more to life than magic and studying, so I am sending you to supervise the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville. I hope that a smaller town will receive you better than Canterlot so that you may complete a more essential task—making some friends."
Twilight sighed. Despite never feeling the need for friends in her life, it didn't mean that it didn't hurt when other ponies gave her strange stares or made unkind remarks in Canterlot. The experience was disheartening.
News had spread like wildfire in the capital of Equestria that she was some powerful monster that Celestia kept close to ensure the world's safety. Despite Celestia's best efforts, it seemed that the judges from that day blabbed about whatever happened, and from there, rumors just kept getting more and more out of control. The situation had escalated to the point where everypony would simply try to avoid her if possible.
Living in Canterlot for her whole life had caused most ponies to realize she wasn't a threat, but they still didn't trust her one bit. At this rate, no pony would trust her besides her family, Celestia, and Spike. However, she was content with this. Friends weren't needed when she had magic to learn, or at least that’s what she told herself.
Suddenly, a light bulb appeared above her head, both figuratively and literally.
"I know what I can do!" Twilight suddenly shouted, startling Spike.
Before Spike could question her, Twilight snapped her talons and poofed into a unicorn version of herself.
"What do you think, Spike? Ponyville will see and treat me like a regular unicorn since no pony there will know about the name Twilight Sparkle," she stated with a grin while checking her body to make sure she got everything right.
"Uh... Twilight, I don't think Celestia wanted you to..." Spike was suddenly cut off.
"Oh! I need a cutie mark as well! What do you think I should use, Spike?" she asked while still floating in mid-air.
Spike sighed. He knew he wouldn't be able to convince her to simply go as her true self, so he might as well play along. "I don't know, Twilight, maybe something about magic or books?"
"Hmm... maybe you're right. Well, let's see." Twilight began to shift through various cutie marks across her flank until one resonated with her the most. It was a 6-pointed pink star with a smaller white one underneath it.
"I think this is the one! I feel a strange connection to it," Twilight stated proudly.
Spike took a close look at it while a claw rested under his chin. "Nah, too sparkly."
Twilight simply rolled her eyes. "Spike, my name is Twilight Sparkle. It would make sense for me to have a cutie mark much like this one. I'm keeping it."
"Fine, but I say the one with the flaming book was the best," Spike pouted childishly.
The next day, Twilight in her unicorn form and Spike were heading towards Ponyville, carried in a golden chariot pulled by two pegasi stallions. Twilight sighed in annoyance; she had hoped to try living as a normal unicorn for once, but due to the oncoming disaster, she predicted, she knew she didn't have time for such things. Plus, she didn't even know where to start when making friends anyways.
"What's wrong, Twilight?" Spike asked curiously.
"Well, Spike, I'm not even sure where to begin when trying to interact with other ponies. Most ponies in my life avoided me like the plague," Twilight explained her thoughts just in time for the chariot to come to a stop in the center of town. She nodded gratefully to the two stallions that flew her there after stepping onto the ground.
"Well, maybe start by introducing yourself. See, here comes one now," Spike pointed to the pinkest pony Twilight had ever seen.
The pink pony walked up to them and stopped right in front of them.
"Um... hello?" Twilight nervously said. The pink pony made an over-exaggerated gasp and leapt off the ground before speeding off over their heads while still in mid-air.
"Jeez, Twilight, you didn't have to use your magic on a random pony," Spike accused.
"I... didn't..." Twilight stated in a bewildered tone.
"Mhm," Spike said with a disbelieving quirked eyebrow.
Twilight and Spike both walked to their next destination, which was a large farm filled with apple trees.
"Number one. Banquet preparations, Sweet Apple Acres," Spike said as he read the list of locations they were supposed to visit.
"Yeehaw!" a voice yelled out as both Twilight and Spike looked in the direction the voice came from.
There was an orange mare with a blonde mane, green eyes, and a Stetson on her head running up to an apple tree and then bucking it so that all the apples fell out perfectly into the buckets below it.
Twilight sighed. "Well, let's get this over with."
Twilight trotted towards the orange mare and began to introduce herself. "Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm here to..."
Before Twilight could finish her sentence, the orange mare grasped her hoof and shook it vigorously. "Well, howdy do, miss Twilight. A pleasure making your acquaintance. I'm Applejack."
Twilight hadn't expected such a hard hoof shake, but she wanted her body to stop rattling, so she rooted herself in place with magic. To Applejack, Twilight's hoof suddenly became immovable.
"Whoowee! That's some mighty strong leg strength you got there, you're as firm as a deep-rooted apple tree! You should come sometime and help us at the farm!" Applejack stated after realizing she could no longer shake Twilight's hoof, no matter how much more strength she put into it.
"Umm, I'm here to check on the festivities. I heard that you were in charge of the food, correct?" Twilight asked after the hoof shake was over, and she released her magic.
"We sure as sugar are! Would ya care to sample some?" Applejack asked enthusiastically.
"Well... we're on a tight schedule and..." Before Twilight could finish, she was lightly elbowed by Spike, who gave her a look.
Twilight sighed and decided to take the offer. "That would be wonderful, yes."
Applejack's voice rang out across the orchard. "Soup's on, everypony!"
Following her announcement, a stampede of earth ponies, each adorned with different apple-baked goods as their cutie marks, came rushing through. In the whirlwind of activity, they swiftly snatched up both Spike and Twilight, depositing them at a table covered with a checkered cloth. The sudden lift left both Twilight and Spike dizzy and slightly disoriented.
"Now, why don't I introduce you to the Apple family?" Applejack said, gesturing with a hoof towards her bustling family.
"This here is Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp." Applejack took a deep breath before continuing.
"Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, annnd Granny Smith." She finished the rapid-fire introduction by playfully shoving a green apple into Twilight's mouth.
"Up and at 'em, Granny Smith! We got guests," Applejack called out to the elderly lime-colored mare who was dozing in a rocking chair.
"Huh? Wah? Soups on. I'm here, I'm comin'," the elderly mare mumbled as she slowly roused herself and ambled towards the rest of the group.
"Why, I'd say you're already part of the family," Applejack said, putting a hoof around Twilight's back.
Twilight swallowed the apple that was still in her mouth and nervously chuckled. "Uh... Thanks for your hospitality, but I think we need to get going."
Twilight wasn't used to this level of warmth and friendliness from so many ponies, and it made her feel a bit anxious.
"Arne't ya gonna stay for brunch?" asked a little yellow filly with a large pink bow on her mane, named Apple Bloom, who gave Twilight the puppy eyes.
"Sorry, but we got a lot to do," Twilight apologized.
"Awww." The entire family synchronized their disappointed sighs, making Twilight feel more guilty.
Twilight sighed in surrender. "Fine."
"Yay!" Immediately, the Apple family rejoiced.
After some time, Twilight and Spike were finally able to leave to continue the preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration.
"Foods all taken care of, next is weather," Spike said after checking the list.
"Ugh... I ate too much pie," a bloated Twilight said in discomfort. Twilight's horn lit up suddenly, and her bloated belly went away.
"Ah... much better," she sighed in relief.
"There's supposed to be a Pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds," Spike said as he looked towards the sky.
Twilight looked to the sky as well, only to see that the it was filled with clouds. "Well, she's not doing a very good job, is she?"
"Oof!" Twilight was immediately hit by a rainbow streak.
She was thrown into a muddy puddle, finding herself alongside a rainbow-maned cyan Pegasus lying on her back.
The Pegasus noticed that she had crashed into somepony and chuckled nervously. "Excuse me."
Twilight grumbled and stood back up on all fours.
"Here, let me help you," the cyan mare said, grabbing a small rain cloud before Twilight could say she could clean the mud herself.
The rainbow-maned mare then proceeded to jump on the cloud repeatedly, causing a small downpour onto Twilight until the cloud had returned to a white color.
The rain had cleaned the mud from Twilight's mane but had made it soggy, completely drenching her coat.
"Oops, I guess I overdid it... umm, how about this?" The pegasus asked and proceeded to make a miniature tornado around Twilight before she could protest.
"My very own patented Rainbow-Dry! No need to thank me; you're quite welcome," she exclaimed boastfully after ending her miniature twister and landing to look at Twilight.
Twilight had an unamused look on her face with her mane poofed up and completely messy.
The cyan mare snickered before she simply couldn't hold it anymore and fell on her back while laughing. Soon Spike also joined her after also failing to hold it in.
"Let me guess, you're Rainbow Dash?" Twilight said unamused.
Hearing her name made the cyan pegasus leap back up onto all fours, causing Spike to be flung off her back.
"The one and only!" She stated with pride.
"Why, you heard of me?" She asked as she flew into Twilight's personal space.
"I heard that you were supposed to be keeping the sky clear," Twilight responded.
Twilight sighed before trying to start over. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and the princess sent me to check on the weather."
"Yeah, yeah, that'll be a snap. I'll get it done in a jiffy just as soon as I'm done practicing." Rainbow Dash waved off Twilight while laying on a cloud.
"Practising for what?" Twilight questioned curiously.
"The Wonderbolts! They're going to perform at the celebration tomorrow, and I'm gonna show them my stuff," she claimed after pointing to a poster of the group in question.
A sudden mischievous idea sprang into Twilight's mind, giving her a devious smirk. "The Wonderbolts?" she asked.
"Yep," Rainbow Dash responded.
"The fastest flyers in all of Equestria?" Twilight continued.
"That's them," Rainbow Dash confirmed.
"Pfft, please. They would never accept a pegasus who can't even keep the sky clear for one measly day," Twilight egged her on.
"Hey. I could clear this sky in ten seconds flat!" Rainbow Dash claimed.
"Prove it," Twilight said smugly.
Rainbow Dash immediately took off in a blur, bucking cloud after cloud and moving fast enough to make Twilight's poofy mane sway in the wind. Twilight was honestly surprised at how fast the mare was.
"Loop the loop around and wham!" Rainbow Dash finished the last cloud with a loop.
"What'd I say? Ten seconds flat," Rainbow stated proudly before adding, "I would never leave Ponyville hangin'."
"Well... I have to admit you are fast," Twilight said with a devious glint still in her eyes.
"Yup, I know," Rainbow said arrogantly.
"But it looks like you missed one," Twilight said before pointing a hoof behind Rainbow Dash.
"Huh? But I'd never miss a..." Rainbow Dash turned around and was cut off mid-sentence when she saw a cloud still floating behind her.
"Huh!?" The pegasus exclaimed in disbelief before zipping to the cloud and kicking it. The cloud dispersed just like all the others, but just when Rainbow Dash was about to head back to the ground, the impossible seemed to happen. The cloud almost seemed to reverse time and suddenly reappeared as if nothing happened.
"What the!?" Rainbow exclaimed in bewilderment before bucking the cloud again, but ending with the same result. The cloud simply floated there like normal as if it was taunting her. Rainbow growled like a feral dog and began to rapidly dash through the cloud over and over again, causing it to disperse and then simply reappear each time.
Rainbow Dash had enough of this stubborn cloud and was thoroughly confused at what was going on until she heard two bouts of laughter behind her on the ground. Curiously Rainbow looked down to see both Twilight and Spike on their backs laughing much like she had done to Twilight earlier.
"Huh!? What's so funny!?" Rainbow asked irritated.
"S-sorry." Twilight apologized as she got up and wiped some tears from her eyes. "But I couldn't help myself, but now we're even." She said which confused Rainbow Dash before Twilight's horn lit up and the cloud vanished permanently this time.
Rainbow gaped for a moment before she put the pieces together and chuckled a bit herself. "Good one! We should hang out sometime Twilight Sparkle! I'd love to come up with some pranks with you, see ya!" She said as she flew away.
Twilight and Spike then headed for the largest building in Ponyville, which was the town hall. Once they had entered, they were dazzled by the numerous decorations adorning the inside of the building.
"Beautiful!" Spike exclaimed.
"Yes, the decor is coming along nicely. Beautiful indeed," Twilight agreed.
"Not the decor, her," Spike said as he pointed a claw toward a pristine white unicorn with a curly dark purple mane and tail.
The mare hadn't noticed them walk in yet and was floating many ribbons in front of her face. "No, no, no, Oh goodness no," she exclaimed as she kept looking at the ribbons one by one.
Spike had hearts floating over his head and in his eyes as he stared at the white unicorn. "How are my spines? Are they straight?" Spike asked as he ran one claw over his green spikes. Twilight just rolled her eyes at Spike's question and then continued to approach the alabaster unicorn.
"Good afternoon," Twilight greeted before being cut off by the unicorn she was addressing.
"Just a moment, please. I'm in the moment, as it were," the unicorn stated as she continued to look at each ribbon.
"Ah, yes. Sparkle always does the trick, does it not? Why, Rarity, you are a talent," the unicorn said after wrapping a large sparkling red bow onto one of the poles near the stage. "Now, um..." She continued before facing Twilight's direction and yelping in surprise.
"Oh, my stars, darling! Whatever happened to your coiffure!?" She exclaimed with a horrified look on her face.
"Oh, you mean my mane? Well, it's a long story. I'm just here to check on the decorations, and then I'll be out of your hair."
"My hair? What about your hair?" Rarity exclaimed before galloping behind Twilight and pushing her towards the town hall's exit.
"Wait, where are we going? I can fix it on my own!" Twilight said in a panic, but the unicorn didn't listen and instead insisted that she must visit her Boutique. Spike followed along with a lovesick expression.
Twilight was dressed up in multiple outfits, and none of them seemed to satisfy Rarity until she finally settled on a white corset decorated with many small gems, while a large emerald decorated the front and two ribbons flowed from the back.
"Now go on, my dear, you are telling me where you're from," Rarity said as she gripped the ribbons on the back with her teeth and pulled back to tighten it.
Twilight found herself in a tight embrace, struggling to breathe as Rarity eagerly awaited her response. Gasping for air, Twilight managed to utter, "I've been sent... from... Canterlot... to..." Before she could finish, Rarity released her with a surprised jolt, sending them in opposite directions.
"Oh, Canterlot! I am so envious! The glamor, the sophistication. I've always dreamed of living there!" Rarity gushed with excitement, expressing her admiration for the prestigious city.
"I can't wait to hear all about it. We're going to be the best of friends, you and I," she declared, her enthusiasm causing her to get a little too close for Twilight's comfort. The lavender unicorn, still adjusting from the unexpected squeeze, couldn't help but feel a mix of surprise and uncertainty about the prospect of a newfound friendship in Ponyville.
"Emeralds!? What was I thinking? Let me get you some rubies," Rarity declared before trotting away to retrieve a different set of gems.
"Spike! We're getting out of here before she comes back," Twilight exclaimed once Rarity was out of earshot. In an instant, she teleported herself and Spike out of the boutique, leaving behind the discarded corset and beaded bracelet.
Spike sighed with a dreamy look on his face as he clung to Twilight's back. "Wasn't she wonderful?"
"Focus, Casanova. What's next on the list?" Twilight inquired as she continued down a dirt road, determined to stay on track with the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration.
Spike cleared his throat and consulted the list. "Oh, uh... music is the last one."
Suddenly, both Spike and Twilight heard what sounded like birds singing in sync in the distance, capturing their attention. Peering out of a bush, they spotted a butter-yellow pegasus with a long pink mane hovering in the air, orchestrating various birds perched on a single tree.
All the birds were singing in sync, except for a single blue jay that caught the attention of the yellow pegasus. "Oh my. Um, stop, please, everyone," she said softly, flying over to the bird in question.
"Excuse me, sir. I mean no offense, but your rhythm is just a teeny tiny bit off." The bird nodded in confirmation, and she returned to her original spot.
"Now follow me, please. A one, a two, a one two three." Just as the pegasus was about to start the practice again, a voice inadvertently interrupted her.
"Hello!" Twilight exclaimed, startling the yellow pegasus and causing the birds to fly away in a panic.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten your birds. I'm just here to check up on the music, and it sounded beautiful," Twilight explained as the butter-yellow pegasus landed in front of her, nervously kicking at the ground with a forehoof.
An awkward silence ensued, and Twilight looked around nervously before continuing. "I'm Twilight Sparkle... what's your name?"
The pegasus turned her head away, softly whispering in her mane. "I'm Fluttershy..."
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Twilight asked after failing to hear the nervous mare's answer.
"Um... my name is Fluttershy." The shy pegasus said in an even quieter tone than before.
"I didn't quite catch that..." Twilight said after another failed attempt to hear the pegasus.
Fluttershy became even more nervous and shied away from Twilight, making incomprehensible squeaks. Another awkward silence formed, and many other birds that had flown away were returning.
"Well... it looks like your birds are back, so I guess everything is in order. Keep up the good work," Twilight said, but the only response she got was more incomprehensive whimpers.
"Ok..." Twilight said awkwardly before heading back to the bush Spike was watching from.
"Well, that was easy," she told Spike.
Fluttershy looked in the direction Twilight had headed and saw Spike coming from the bush, making her exclaim in surprise, "A baby dragon!" Scaring off some of the birds once more.
Twilight got knocked aside once again after the pegasus had bumped her to the side. "I've never seen a baby dragon before. He's so cute," she exclaimed as she took a close look at Spike.
"Well, well, well." Spike said smugly at Twilight before crossing his arms in a prideful manner.
"Oh my, he talks! I didn't know dragons could talk. That's just so incredibly wonderful. I just don't even know what to say," Fluttershy said in an excited manner as she flapped her wings to hover in the air.
"Well, in that case, we'd better be going," Twilight said after levitating Spike onto her back and trotting off.
"Wait, wait. What's his name?" Fluttershy asked as she caught up with Twilight.
"I'm Spike."
"Hi Spike, I'm Fluttershy. Wow, a talking dragon, and what do dragons talk about?"
"Well, what do you want to know?" Spike inquired.
"Absolutely everything," Fluttershy answered.
"Augh," Twilight said in dismay as she conjured two corks into her ears so she wouldn't have to hear the baby dragon babbling on and on.
After some time, Twilight had arrived at the library she was supposed to be staying at just in time for Spike to finish.
"...and that's the story of my whole entire life, well up until today. Do you wanna hear about today?" Spike asked.
"Oh, yes, please," Fluttershy accepted.
'Note to self, never let this pegasus know you're a draconequus,' Twilight thought to herself before making the corks disappear and turning around to face the yellow mare.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. How did we get here so fast? This is where I'm staying while I'm in Ponyville, and my poor baby dragon needs his sleep," Twilight said with a fake smile.
"No, I..." But before Spike could finish his protest, he immediately passed out and started snoring, due to Twilight secretly casting a sleep spell.
"See, he's all tuckered out," Twilight said, gesturing to the now-sleeping Spike on her back.
"Oh my, poor thing, we simply must get him to bed," Fluttershy said in concern.
"Yes, yes, we'll get right on that. Well, goodnight," Twilight said before entering the library and shutting the door.
After entering the dark room, Twilight released the sleeping spell on Spike, allowing him to wake back up.
"Huh?" Spike said dazed before turning his head left and right.
"Really Twili? A sleeping spell?" Spike asked in a deadpan manner.
"Sorry, Spike, I'll make it up to you later with some gems," Twilight apologized.
"You better, and there's gotta be rubies in it too," Spike demanded.
"Yes, yes, we'll talk about it later. Now we need to figure out a way to warn Celestia about the upcoming disaster. Now, where's the lights?" Twilight asked.
Suddenly, the lights switched on, and the entire town was inside the library with party decorations and confetti. Both Twilight and Spike jumped at the startling surprise.
"Surprise!!!" The town all yelled together.
Twilight was so surprised she almost reverted to her draconequus form but luckily kept her transformation up.
"Surprise! Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you!" A familiar pink pony said animatedly.
"Very surprised... libraries are supposed to be quiet," Twilight stated with a slightly irritated undertone.
"Well, that's silly. What kind of welcome party would this be if it were quiet!?" Pinkie started on a rant, but Twilight started to tune her out and glanced uncomfortably in every direction where there were ponies being loud and laughing.
The amount of noise and ponies catching up to her made her relive the first time she went out in public as a baby draconequus. Suddenly, the smiling and laughing faces around her seemed to warp into silhouettes of fearful and disgusted ponies that harassed her in Canterlot. Her breathing grew heavy, her ears folded back, and her eyes dilated. The only thing she could hear now was her own heartbeat, and her eyes were slowly growing her usual slits, with her transformation slowly unraveling until she felt a hoof gently press on her shoulder, managing to snap her out of her panic. This brought her back to reality, preventing a full-blown panic attack.
"Are you alright, sugar cube?" Applejack asked in worry, while the other ponies she met today were also looking concerned, except for Pinkie Pie, who didn't seem to notice Twilight's plight and kept babbling.
"You don't look so good, darling. Are you feeling sick?" Rarity asked, stepping forward.
Twilight shook her head to snap out of her state and tried to calm her breathing. "I'm fine, but... I gotta go..." Before any of them could speak up, Twilight vanished in a lavender flash, which made the others gasp.
"Oh! Oh! Are we playing hide and seek now!?" Pinkie asked excitedly.
"I don't think so, Pinkie. She looked mighty panicked there for a second," Applejack said, still worried about the lavender mare.
"What's her deal anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused while floating in the air.
"I don't know, Rainbow, but I think she might need some space," Applejack replied honestly.
"Oh... I hope she's alright..." Fluttershy muttered worriedly.
Twilight flashed into the bedroom of the Golden Oak Library and then proceeded to conjure enough locks on the door until it was no longer even visible. She transformed back into her draconequus form and snapped her talons, creating a magic bubble that perfectly fit the room, keeping the noise and any unwanted guests out.
Twilight sighed in relief as she hovered in the air and began stretching her body and limbs, creating some satisfying pops. She then floated to the window to gaze worriedly at the full moon. The mare in the moon was still there, but the stars were aligned like the prophecy foretold. She thought maybe she could simply snap her talons and move at least one of the stars out of the way to potentially prevent any disaster, but she wanted to trust Celestia in this matter as well. Moving any of the stars in the sky without permission would almost certainly get her in trouble.
Troubled with her plight, she decided to sift through the books that were currently inside her room.
Meanwhile, Spike, who had run to Twilight's room in concern, tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Knocking several times to get her attention also didn't seem to work.
Spike sighed in defeat and looked worriedly at the door. He knew it was impossible for anyone to reach Twilight when she gets like this.
Spike walked back to the party, although he looked less excited than he was previously.
After some time, Twilight hadn't found any book mentioning the Elements of Harmony within her room. Frustrated with no results, she decided to revert to her unicorn form and head towards the Summer Sun Celebration.
"Twilight!" Spike yelled as he ran up to the draconequus in disguise.
"Oh, hey Spike," Twilight said glumly.
"What's wrong? I saw you leave the party earlier. The ponies we met yesterday said that you had suddenly looked like you were in a panic and then flashed away. Were you having another one of those panic attacks?" Spike asked with a concerned look on his face.
"What!? No, of course not, Spike! Don't be silly!" Twilight exclaimed while looking anywhere except at the baby dragon's emerald eyes.
Spike simply raised an eyebrow in disbelief and changed his expression to a questioning gaze.
Twilight coughed in a hoof from the awkward silence that followed and then proceeded to change the subject.
"Spike, we currently have other things to worry about, like the evil mare in the moon descending upon us and causing havoc!" She exclaimed in fright.
"Twilight, that's just an old ponytale. If the Princess isn't worried about it, then neither should you. Plus, you're probably the strongest being in Equestria! If a problem arises, which it won't, then you could simply solve it with a snap of a talon." Spike emphasized his ending statement with a snap of his claws and a nonplussed look on his face that showed how he wasn't worried about it in the slightest.
Twilight sighed for two reasons. One was because she managed to successfully steer the conversation, and two was because she knew that she wouldn't be able to convince Spike that her theory was correct.
"Fine, I sure hope you're right Spike."
"Of course I am! Now let's go to the Summer Sun Celebration, and maybe it'll cheer you up when you see that everything will go just as planned!" Spike exclaimed with one claw raised as he turned on his heels and began to walk towards the town hall, with Twilight reluctantly trotting behind him.
Once Twilight made it to the town hall, she swallowed with anxiety plaguing her mind at the amount of ponies all crowded into one space and reluctantly squeezed through the mass with Spike trailing behind her.
"Hey!"
"Oof."
"Sorry!" Twilight apologized nervously as she pushed past the ponies to reach the front so she could see for herself that Celestia was alright when she would inevitably appear to announce the beginning of the celebration and raise the sun.
After she had squeezed her way through the front line of ponies, she looked up towards the balcony, only to get a pink mare to fill her vision instead.
"Hey, Twilight!"
The sudden shout and breach of personal space made her head move back instinctively. Though Twilight was frightened at her sudden appearance, the pink mare didn't seem to notice.
"I noticed you didn't even eat anything at the party. Which is weird because it was your party after all! And that's just silly because like who doesn't eat anything at their own party!? Certainly not me! With the last sweet and delicious cupcake just sitting there I thought. Pinkie, you gotta save at least one for the new pony in town! But then I was like, but I want to eat it too! And then I fought with myself because they're totally delicious and who would say no to eating that! But then I realized you probably needed it more than me since you skipped out, so I brought you this!" The crazy pink mare suddenly shoved a pink frosted cupcake up to Twilight's face.
Twilight blinked a few times before reluctantly taking the cupcake.
"Uh, thanks, I guess..." She responded hesitantly.
"No problem! Enjoy your cupcake!" Pinkie smiled and then bounced away happily.
Twilight blinked in bewilderment as she watched the strange pink pony vanish into the crowd, not noticing her trusted assistant hadn't caught up to her yet.
"Excuse me! Woah!" Spike yelped as he squeezed through a small gap within the line of ponies and tripped, making him smack straight into Twilight's flank, causing her to fumble the cupcake she was given and dropping it straight onto the floor.
Twilight was about to shoot an annoyed glare at Spike as he leapt onto her back, but her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of trumpets and birds singing in sync. Her head immediately turned to gaze at the stage.
"Fillies and gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!" A tanned mare with a gray mane and blue eyes announced to the crowd of ponies, which was followed by cheering.
"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this longest day of the year!" The mayor continued.
"And now, it is my great honor to introduce you to the ruler of our land. The very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day! The good, the wise, the bringer of Harmony to all of Equestria! Princess Celestia!" As the mayor finished her speech, the birds sang as orchestrated by Fluttershy, while Rarity gripped a rope with her teeth and pulled to allow a set of curtains to open up on the balcony.
"Huh?!" Rarity exclaimed in confusion as the curtains and spotlight revealed no pony.
Panicked murmurs started to erupt from the crowd as everypony began to let panic set in.
Twilight's ears wilted in worry. "This can't be good..." She mumbled under her breath.
"Remain calm, everypony. There must be a reasonable explanation." The mayor tried to calm the crowd but seemed just as surprised and panicked as everypony else.
"Oooh! Ooh! Ooh! I love guessing games! Is she hiding?" Pinkie exclaimed as she started to look around for the Princess while Twilight just rolled her eyes at the crazy pony's antics.
"She's gone!" Rarity exclaimed in shock to the crowd after checking the backstage.
The crowd of ponies gasped in shock from the new information.
"Oooh, she's good." Exclaimed Pinkie Pie before looking back to the stage and yelping in surprise.
A black fog of smoke filled with stars seeped onto the balcony before shifting into a large black alicorn with green slitted eyes, a starry flowing mane, and silver armor that adorned her head, barrel, and hooves.
Twilight looked up worriedly at the alicorn while Spike fainted and fell off her back.
"Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces." The black alicorn, known as Nightmare Moon, said with a venomous undertone.
"What did you do with our princess!" Rainbow Dash demanded as she tried to fly at the evil alicorn but was stopped by Applejack, who gripped the rainbow-maned pegasus by the tail with her teeth.
"Woah there, nelly," Applejack said from between her teeth, her mouth still full of Rainbow Dash's tail.
Nightmare Moon laughed at the pony's reaction. "Why am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?"
"Ooh! Ooh! More guessing games! Umm Pokie Smokes, how about Queen Meanie! No, no. Black Snoody!" Before Pinkie could continue, Applejack managed to shove a nearby apple into Pinkie's mouth, cutting her off and only allowing her to mumble.
"Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?" The Alicorn asked Fluttershy after looming over her, causing all of her birds to fly away in fear and the butter-yellow pegasus to turn away in fright.
"Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?" She continued after getting in Rarity's personal space and tilting her chin up with her star-lit mane.
"I did!" Exclaimed a voice that caught everypony's attention, including the alicorn’s.
Twilight gulped nervously at having so much attention but decided to press on.
"A-and... I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon, N-Nightmare Moon!" Twilight exclaimed as the crowd of ponies gasped.
"Well, well, well, somepony who remembers me. So you also know why I'm here."
"You're here to.. to.." Twilight swallowed nervously, feeling all the eyes pointed towards her, but the Alicorn mistook it as fear directed at her and laughed.
"Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!" She exclaimed as she began to laugh maniacally while her mane began to swirl upwards in a spiral as lightning flashed around her.
"Not if I can help it!" Twilight exclaimed after gaining enough courage, making the Alicorn and all the ponies look towards her in surprise.
End of Chapter 1
Author's Note
For those concerned about me adhering closely to canon, fear not! This story will undoubtedly deviate from canon soon, though I won't disclose precisely when or how to avoid spoilers. Additionally, I'm aware that some may be eager to delve into Twilight's foalhood, or whatever you call a baby Draconequus. Rest assured, I plan on crafting separate short chapters about her earlier years at some point. Thanks for the support.
