Friendship is Failure #25- Death to Twilightby DakariKingMykanChaptersAct 1: TrappedAct 2: Much needed VacationAct 3: Reckless BusinessAct Four: Trouble BeginsFinal Act: Back to StartAct 1: TrappedACT ONE The sun beamed down hard over the massive desert, far away from the Equestrian borders, or any borders for that. Here in these blazing, desolate lands-- far out in the middle of nowhere-- there were no laws at all, and no witnesses either. Anything was possible in places like these, including the most unpleasant of happening. Far along the stretches of a dried river trench that cut through the desert, Princess Twilight Sparkle lay in the hot, dry sand-- buried in the sand up to her neck! Right there, beside her, Spike was also buried the way she was. Around Twilight’s horn was an anti-magical lock, which prevented her from using any sort of magic, and prevented her from being targeted by magic as well. She was totally powerless. Spike had an anti-magical collar fastened round his neck, which rendered him the same as Twilight. He couldn’t even receive or belch up any magical letters. They had been placed in this fix by two sinister looking female beings wearing desert robes, looming over them with vile stares in their eyes. Twilight and Spike gazed up very wearily at the villains, who were staring a long way along the river at a large dam. The dam was unmanned for it was magically enchanted to automatically open flood the river with pure, clean water… which it was going to do very soon. Twilight and Spike were really in a bad fix to be buried at the bottom of the river trench when the water would come rushing in like a raging torrent; they would surely drown… that is if the force of the torrent wouldn’t take their heads off instantly like hitting a ball with a bat. The two villains, satisfied with their evil deed gave a final snicker at the victims. “So long, suckers!” sneered one. “Give our regards to oblivion.” hissed the other. They took off, flying away laughing wickedly, leaving their helpless victims to their fate. “They’re gone, Twilight.” Spike peeped. “I know, Spike. I know…” groaned Twilight. The hot sun blazed on their heads making them sweat horribly. “Is there any way for us to get out of this?” asked Spike. Twilight tried all she could, but her magic was useless, and both she and Spike were hopelessly bound by the tightly packed sand, unable to shift it. “What are we going to do?” cried Spike. “When that dam opens up, it’ll wipe us out!” The very thought made Twilight shudder in fear. “There’s only one hope left.” she said to herself. “…It’s all up to Starlight now.” In Equestria, Starlight Glimmer and the rest of the gang were very worried. “They still aren’t back yet?” Rainbow Dash asked. Starlight nodded. “I’ve tried telepathic messages, but I can’t seem to locate Twilight anywhere. I tried sending letters to Spike, but they just don’t send.” Now everyone was starting to feel worried. Twilight and Spike had left for their mission outside Equestria’s borders one week ago and were now a day late in their return. “This isn’t like them.” cried Fluttershy. “Especially not for Twilight. She’s always so well organized and scheduled.” “…Or maybe they’re just off someplace having a wonderful time?” suggested Pinkie. “After all, there’s so many sights to see, so many new friends to make, food to eat… I’d probably want to stay a bit longer.” Applejack shook her head, “Nu-uhn, Pinkie. You know the rules when it comes to missions; you come home exactly when. Twilight knows this especially.” Rarity began to tremble. “Are you okay?” asked Applejack. “Fine! Fine… Just fine.” Rarity shakily remarked. “Whyever wouldn’t I be fine? The very thought of Twilight and My Poor Precious Spike being lost out there, far from home, and POSSIBLE NOW AY TO EVER GET BAAA-HAA-HAACK!!” She caught ahold of herself when all the others were staring awkwardly at her for that outburst. Starlight then remembered one spell she had been meaning to try. She told the others about it… “Yeah. You want to run that by us again?” asked Rainbow. Starlight sighed and explained again. “It’s a spell Twilight and I had both been experimenting with, we call it a Holographic Seeker. I’ll concentrate really, really, hard of the creature I’m trying to message, and then I’ll magically be whisked away, as a hologram, to wherever that creature is.” Everyone’s eyes lit up. “Well, what are you waiting for?” asked Applejack. Starlight sheepishly admitted. “We’ve never actually practiced it long distance before. I mean, we have throughout Equestria, but we’re talking even further away than ever. There’s no guarantee it’ll work.” “Well, could you at least try?” asked Fluttershy. Starlight didn’t have to be asked. “Okay, here I go.” She sat down tightly into her chair, with her hooves against her temples, and her eyes shut as she cringed in deep thought. “Um… you okay?” asked Applejack. “Shhh…!” said Starlight. “I need to concentrate.” Pinkie held her hooves over her mouth so as not to make a sound. Starlight was focusing so hard; you’d think she was going to blow up inside. “Twilight Sparkle!” she kept saying in her mind, “Twilight Sparkle! Please, help me find you!” Suddenly, in a bright flash, Starlight had transformed into a sparkling hologram version of herself, much to the awe and astonishment of the others. Then, without warning, the hologram simply vanished. Back in the river trench, Twilight and Spike were positively sweltering as the desert sun beamed right on them. “Whew! It sure is hot.” Spike groaned wearily. “For you?” Twilight asked in confusion. “How can that be? You’re a dragon. You can bathe in molten lava.” “…That’s different.” replied Spike. “This is hot even for me.” They both felt hotter by the second, it was getting hard to stay awake. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light before them, and Starlight’s voice calling to them. “Twilight! Spike!” At first, they thought they were hallucinating, but Twilight soon realized, “…Starlight! The Holographic Seeker spell...” A small sense of relief came to her. “Can she stop the dam opening and get us out of here?” asked Spike. “I can’t…” replied Starlight. “I’m just a hologram-- nothing more than thin air, and besides, this spell only keeps me close to you two. But don’t worry, I’ll get help right away. You just sit tight.” Then she vanished and left Twilight and Spike with perplexed expressions. “…Like we have a choice.” grumbled Spike. The moment Starlight had returned to her solid state, she immediately wrote a letter to Princess Celestia explaining the situation. This was no ordinary letter. It was written on a red, magical parchment, which would tell the princess that danger was imminent, and she was to answer immediately, which she did. Before long, Celestia had arrived at Rainbow castle, and Starlight pointed at the desert on the map. “They’re somewhere in this area here. I didn’t get exactly where, but we haven’t much time.” Celestia was livid at the two ponies who did this to her friends, but the most important thing now was saving Twilight and Spike. “How ever are ever going to get to them?” asked Rarity. “That desert must be hundreds of miles wide.” “Of course, we’ll find them.” Said Pinkie, but then she looked up at Celestia. “…Can’t we.” “Well, it won’t be easy.” she admitted. “As long as Spike and Twilight have those anti-magic locks, I can’t locate them as easily, let alone teleport to their location, but not to despair-- there is still a way.” She looked at Starlight and explained to her. “You’ll have to cast yourself back to their location. If I can home in on your magical energy, I’ll know exactly where you are, and my team will be able to help.” Outside the castle her team of Pegasus guards stood ready, and she gave them all a quick briefing on the situation. “Let’s go, there’s very little time!” The guards complied, and Celestia took off into the air with her team flying behind her-- off to the west and beyond the Equestrian borders. “There they go.” said Fluttershy. Rainbow sulked, “This is so a mission for me, and I don’t even get to go.” Rarity was still heavily worried about Twilight and Spike. “Do you think they’ll make it in time?” “I hope so,” said Applejack “But Starlight said they didn’t look so good when she saw them. I can’t blame them. The midday sun in parts like that can be tough stuff.” Rarity shuddered with worry. Meanwhile, Starlight had already begun working on her spell to transport her, but it was getting harder this time, for the spell to work properly, her subject had to be fully conscious and neither asleep nor passed out, which could mean Twilight wasn’t doing so good. Back in the trench, the sun beamed right down on the hapless victims. They were both beginning to lose themselves to the heat. Twilight kept wondering about the dam far away. “I’d say we have about an hour left before it opens.” “I don’t think I can last that long.” admitted Spike. “I think… I’m… going to--” his head dropped forth and he was out of it. “Spike! Spike!” called Twilight. Her voice was very hoarse due to the dryness, but Spike was far gone--- out like a light. At that moment, Starlight’s hologram appeared again, floating above the trench, and she informed them that Celestia’s team was on the way. “It’ll take a while for them to reach here. Celestia’s homing in on my magic. I must keep it up until she gets here.” “That won’t be easy.” said Twilight, and she softly motioned next to her that Spike had already collapsed. Then she, herself felt woozy, “I don’t think I can hold out much longer myself.” “Twilight, listen to me…!” insisted Starlight, “You have to stay awake, or I can’t maintain the spell.” Twilight looked as if she could barely keep her eyes open. “Hot…! So hot!” she groaned. Starlight could feel the spell already beginning to weaken, but what could she do to keep Twilight awake when she couldn’t even touch her? “Twilight, listen to me. You’ve got to keep on talking, it’ll help you stay awake.” “Keep… talking…” panted Twilight. “Yeah… that may work.” “I want you to tell me exactly how you got yourself into this mess. Start at the beginning and go through it slowly.” Finding a little of her strength again, Twilight began her story. “It all started six months ago; I was on vacation with Spike…” Act 2: Much needed VacationACT TWO Twilight was on a train with Spike heading for Las Pegasus for a much-needed vacation from the School of Friendship and Friendship Missions altogether. “This is going to be so much fun!” Spike said all giddy and excited. “I can’t wait to hit the buffets and the swimming halls.” Then he noticed Twilight seemed rather uneasy, which was expected, she had many objections about going on this trip and being away from her post. “I wonder how they’re all getting on without me back home.” she said for the zillionth time. Spike sighed, “Twilight, you’ve been working too hard, and you need some time off. Starlight’s in charge of the school, and she and the others will be just fine without you.” Twilight tried to calm herself. “But what if there’s something wrong in the world, like a friendship problem that needs solving. I should be there to at least supervise or make suggestions upon it.” “My point proven. You’re overworked, and I’m glad the others talked you into this.” “Talked me into it?” joked Twilight “More like forced me into this without much consent. They even packed my luggage and insisted I go.” Spike slumped back into his seat. “Face it, Twilight. You’re just a work-a-holic, who can’t find much time for fun anymore. You’d rather be solving a problem.” Twilight felt struck at what he just said. “I am not a work-a-holic. I know how to have fun and relax.” “Sorry, Twilight, but grading test papers and having adventures isn’t exactly the idea of fun I’m talking about.” They decided to give it a rest, not wanting to start an argument, and they were too far along their journey to go back anyway. Twilight refused to teleport back anyway. Soon, the train arrived at Las Pegasus Station, and the massive metropolis spread out before them. Spike was awed at the glamours sights, and Twilight was a bit too. She was trying her best to keep her mind off work. She and Spike gathered their luggage-- one suitcase each-- and they soon hailed a taxi-coach to take them to their hotel. Twilight kept looking all over the streets to see that every pony was getting along well and that no one was having any troubles. “…Are you okay?” Spike asked. He sounded very serious; suspecting that Twilight was slipping again. “Fine, just fine. I’m ready for this.” Spike was not convinced. “Grand Star Hotel.” the driver suddenly said as he stopped the coach. Twilight and Spike looked up and gazed in astonishment at the large building ahead of them. This hotel was white coated with golden edgings around the building showing its forty stories. The ground level was wide enough to be the size of a small shopping mall, stretching out in all directions. Atop the roof were large golden stars that shimmered in the sunlight. “Look at this place.” exclaimed Twilight. “It’s even bigger than our castle and school put together.” Spike checked the brochure he had. “It’s been voted among the top three hotels in all Las Pegasus. You must make a reservation at least three months in advance to get here.” Twilight had a reservation, but it was made by her friends behind her back-- A full week’s stay for her and Spike, including room service, spa treatment, and shopping, and of course, full buffet privileges, which Spike was still drooling for. “Maybe this will be fun after all.” Twilight said to herself. Spike was pleased to hear her say that. Soon, they settled into their room, which seemed just as prestigious as Twilight’s bedroom at home at the castle. A large four-poster bed, big enough to fit at least four ponies in. A large, soft couch which Spike took comfort with, and a commanding view of the city from being many floors up. “Wow!” exclaimed Spike. “You can see everything up here.” Twilight was still able to see many citizens in the streets below and beyond, but she quickly held herself back to avoid relapsing. “I’m not going to break!” she kept telling herself. “I’m here to relax.” Then she felt, “Maybe I could send Starlight at least one message… just to tell her that we’ve arrived and all.” “Twilight…!” Spike scolded. Twilight bit into her limb. “You’re right, I’ve got to get a grip.” She took a deep breath, and then she and Spike went off to enjoy the sights and hotel luxuries. They went swimming in the large indoor water park and took a moment to relax in the hot springs. They had their spa treatments, complete with massages, mud baths, and complementary cider in fancy glasses. “Ahh, this is delightful.” Spike drowsed, and the mare masseuses giggled at his compliments. Twilight rolled her eyes. She and Spike even went shopping, and they bought souvenirs for their friends back home. Spike even bought a large Star-Shaped diamond for Rarity. “She’s going to melt when I show her this.” “Spike, that’s so expensive.” protested Twilight. “We need our money to last all week.” “No sweat.” Spike insisted and he motioned across the lobby at the casino. “Uh, Spike…” Twilight said pointing at a sign which read, “Patrons must be 21 years or older to enter. Those who are underage must be accompanied by an adult.” “So… you’re an adult.” said Spike, but Twilight shook her head, “I never gamble, Spike. It just feels so wrong and dirty-- taking risks with money like that.” Spike could already see he was defeated there, but he cheered up that evening when he and Twilight went to the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet for dinner. He ate so much that he let out a huge belch. “Spike!” Twilight snapped, only to suddenly let out an equally big belch herself. Spike snickered. Then, suddenly, there was a small fanfare, and an announcement was made. “Mares and Gentle-ponies, presenting our hotel’s owners and proprietors… Goldie and Silver Star.” Out came two Pegasus Mares… Goldie Star: A yellow pony with a shimmering blonde mane and a cutiemark of a dollar sign in a gold star. And her younger sister, Silver Star: a faded gray pony with a light gray mane, and a cutiemark of a cent sign in a silver star. The sisters were greeted by gracious applause, and some of the patrons came up to shake hooves with them. The sisters made it to the center of the restaurant, and Goldie announced, “Honored Guests… Your admiration of our establishment is most appreciated.” Silver then added, “It’s a great pleasure for us to serve you and treat you all well, and we only hope that we shall gain further opportunities in the near future.” “Carry on!” the sisters both said together, earning themselves more applause, especially from Twilight herself. Spike would have applauded had he not fallen asleep with such a full belly. “Aww, Spike…” Twilight sighed. She paid for their dinner, and then levitated Spike onto her back to carry him back up to the room and put him to bed on the couch. She knew Spike was a heavy sleeper on a full-stomach, and he most likely wouldn’t wake up until morning. Still feeling restless and not ready for bed, Twilight decided to go walking around the hotel--really, feeling her nerves tinkling with a need to snoop and see that all was well enough for her satisfaction. “At least spike won’t be able to nag at me this time.” she chuckled. The hotel was still bustling, even in the late hours. Many families had already returned to their suites to head to bed, while others were still swimming, or at the spa and at the casino, but there really wasn’t all that much out of place in Twilight’s view. “This is just what I like to see,” she said to herself. “Everyone is getting along well, nothing chaotic happening…” Then she felt worried. “What if I’m just looking in the wrong places? Surely some-pony somewhere could use help with something.” She was about to get her wish as she passed the main lobby when she could hear arguing coming from the office behind the desk. The Star Sisters were in a meeting with another hotel owner-- A dark brown Earth pony with a red mane and a cutiemark of a business contract. Name: Big Buy Bill. and they were speaking quite loudly so it was quite hard not to ignore them. “We told you before…!” snapped Goldie “We are not selling our hotel!” “But look at your profits?” Bill pointed out showing them diagrams of seriously declining income. “If you sell to me, I promise, your hotel will be in great hooves, and you’ll receive quite a profit from it.” “Again, the answer is “No!” insisted Silver. “We will only sell our hotel when, and only if we have absolutely no hope and no other alternatives, and at the present we are not in that situation.” “Besides,” said Goldie. “We know you and why you really want this hotel, and we assure you, it will never be yours.” Seeing the fruitlessness to argue further. Bill gathered up his papers and left, “My offer still stands.” he called. Then he was gone, while Twilight stood behind a large stone column, having overheard everything. “What are we going to do?” cried Silver. Goldie shook her head, “There’s got to be a way for us to make more money. We can’t take out anymore loans from the bank, and our stock is all dried up. If we don’t get our profits soaring soon, we’ll just have to sell.” Silver looked as if she would faint. Then she and her sister gazed at a large family portrait on the wall of the girls when they were younger, with their parents standing in front of the hotel. Just then, there was a knock at the office door. “Excuse me…?” Twilight called. The sisters could hardly believe their eyes. “Princess Twilight Sparkle…?” exclaimed Goldie. “Oh, right… you are registered with us for a week.” said Silver. “Um… what are you doing here. This office is off limits to guests.” Twilight explained how she overheard things and being rather honored to be in the presence of the Princess of Friendship, the sisters couldn’t help but explain their troubles. “Our parents inherited the hotel from our grandparents…” explained Goldie. “It’s been in the family for generations, and it started out as just a regular building of low-income condominium units built by our 20th Great-Great Grandfather.” Silver then added, “Our parents passed away in a road accident, and they left us the hotel, which we were prepped and worked to takeover anyway, and we’ve done well… expect up to now.” Goldie showed Twilight another diagraph of their declining profits. “We aren’t getting enough guests, which means we aren’t making enough money to maintain our business.” Then the sisters looked furious. “The worse we do, the easier it’ll be for us to accept Big Bill’s offer if we expect to make ends meet.” “Well, why don’t you accept?” asked Twilight. Goldie answered, “You don’t know Big Buy Bill, when he purchases other buildings, he changes them completely for his own personal businesses. He bought a boarding house and turned it into a comedy club. He bought out a mansion and turned it into a wax museum.” Silver then pounded her hoof on the table. “Who knows what he’ll do to our family’s hotel if he gets his hooves on it. Our family’s reputation will be surely ruined and disgraced.” Twilight felt very sorry for the sisters. She had only been at their wonderful hotel for a day, and she’d hate to see it go bankrupt. “How much money are you looking at?” she asked, and Goldie offered her a paper with such a large sum on it, that Twilight’s eyes nearly popped from her head. Even she, as Princess of Friendship with a massive fortune of her own, couldn’t just loan that much money all at once. But suddenly, a great thought struck her mind… … Back in the present, Twilight groaned, “Yeah, some great idea it was… and it led me to this.” She referred to her entrapment. “You’re doing great, Twilight.” Starlight said “Now, keep going. What happened after that?” Twilight didn’t answer. She was looking rather weak with the heat blazing at her. “Twilight! Answer me!” cried Starlight, and she could feel the spell starting to weaken. If Twilight passed out, all hope would be lost! “Twilight!!” Act 3: Reckless BusinessACT THREE The blazing sun sure took its toll on Twilight, and there was not a sign of Celestia’s team anywhere due to the desert being so far away and so massively wide. Starlight had to maintain her holographic form to save her friends. “Twilight! Twilight, come on! Stay with me!” she begged. Twilight slowly lifted her head up. “Sorry…” she peeped in a weak tone. “Where was I?” “You said you had an idea to help the Star Sisters.” replied Starlight. “Oh… right…” … “You did What?!” Spike snapped when Twilight told him the next day... “I’m going to be a small and temporary partner in this hotel.” replied Twilight. While Twilight could not offer the Star Sisters the exact amount of money they needed, she agreed to loan them a small amount from her own royal savings, which would keep the hotel going for a little while. The Sisters were nearly speechless at the amount she gave them. “We don’t know what to say.” said Goldie. “This is so generous of you.” added Silver. Twilight smiled, “It’s the least I can do for your wonderful services. After all, Friends help Friends.” Spike sighed in outrage. “I knew it! I knew something like this would happen. We’re supposed to be here on vacation, and you turn it into a Friendship Mission.” “Come on, Spike. I don’t want this hotel to be ruined. Do you?” “Well… no…” “So, can I count on you to help me?” Of course, Spike relented. “…So much for vacation.” The first thing Twilight had in mind was to make a few suggestions to The Sisters to help save money for the hotel. “Close the casino?” exclaimed Goldie. “But it’s one of our best attractions. Lots of ponies come for the gambling.” “Maybe,” agreed Twilight. “But those who win, or even strike up jackpots, will often take a lot of money.” Spike showed them a diagraph Twilight had asked him to write up, and a second one showing that profits were likely not to drop so hard if the casino shut down for a while. The Sisters were still unsure. “And you could also lower prices of stays so that more patrons will be able to afford to stay here.” said Twilight. “Slow down a minute…!” said Silver. “If we lowered the prices, then we really wouldn’t make nearly as much as we do now.” “Actually, you could.” said Twilight, and she magically lifted another diagram. “I studied a little bit of marketing, and even though you may not make as much as you do, you can sell far more, and the profits will add up. So, you may end up making even more than what you usually make.” The Sisters fell silent. “…But then there’s our staff.” said Goldie. “If the casino shut down, we’d have to lay off our card dealers, and wheel spinners.” “Not only that,” added Silver “We’d have to reduce salaries for those we keep.” The more the ladies all spoke, the more Spike kept secretly marking “Pros” and “Cons” on his clipboard, and the Cons were starting to look very risky. “I think they’re right, Twilight.” he said. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing. I mean you’ve never actually been part of a business like this before.” Twilight, confident as ever, insisted, “Trust me, but the time we’re finished, this hotel will be making more than if ever did, and like I said, all these changes don’t have to permanent.” The Sisters thought it over, but they were still not certain of doing all this. “Well, we could reopen the casino after a while.” said Goldie. “And once we make enough money, we can rehire the staff and raise their pays again.” added Silver. “And this is just part of my idea.” said Twilight “I have quite a few others…” In a song montage she put her plans to work over the next few days… Cutting corners just enough, we’ll make the mark just right, Giving more for much less so the budget’s not so tight, Think of all the happiness that every pony will share, Fun for all and more in sight, the profit’s in the air. Sort the profits, that’s the thing, When the market makes the call. Sort the profits, do it well, Make enough for one and all, Sort the profits, you will see… …In the end it’ll all work well. There’s no other fine way, There’s no way to go wrong, Now one more chorus of this song… Sort the profits, that’s the thing, When the market makes the call. Sort the profits, do it well, Make enough for one and all, Sort the profits, you will see… …In the end it’ll all work well. Other prices were reduced, such as the restaurant bills for the all-you-can-eat buffet, and longer hours for the pools, waterpark, and spas to be open. The current patrons were at first astounded, and the areas were most enjoyable. Twilight really thought she was something wonderful… …But it was all soon to come crashing down! As the days went by, the hotel was seemingly busier than ever-- with all the patrons enjoying their stays. Twilight and Spike went around greeting all the guests and asking how they were doing, to which they received gracious replies. “I’m loving it here.” “I’d definitely come back.” “I’m glad there’s no more gambling.” Twilight was glad there was no more of it as well, which she felt would lead to great savings for the Star Sisters. “How are the profits doing, Spike?” Spike checked the balance. “Well, they’re doing okay, but I don’t think this is sizeable enough.” Twilight checked the sheet herself. “That’s odd… I would’ve thought there’d be far more profits than this by now.” She shrugged it off thinking, “It’s only been a few days, I’m sure things will get going. How can they not?” On the day before she and Spike were due to return to Ponyville, the hotel was almost a complete ghost town! Many of the staff had quit their jobs, either they didn’t like their new positions or the lower salaries they got. “I can’t wait tables like this, I was meant to deal cards.” “I’ve got needs that need filling, and I can’t do it with this pitiful income I get.” Many of the patrons had left, not just because of their vacations being over, but some checked out early. “I came for the casino, and there isn’t any.” “I’m going someplace to have to some real fun!” “This place is way too cheap for me.” Twilight could hardly believe her ears, the way many ponies preferred gambling over other fun and recreational activities. This was only the beginning…! Hardly any new patrons were coming in-- many had written in to cancel their reservations when they found out what was going on at the hotel, and it wasn’t pretty. Not only was the casino shut down, but other places in the hotel were failing too… The gift shop had only pitiful trinkets to sell, and hardly a good amount of them either… The buffet was closed due to there being no budget left to order more good quality foods and supplies… The water park shut down because the water and heating bills were piling up high… The biggest flop of all was the staff quitting their jobs, unable to take any more of their new positions or reduced salaries. “I was meant to deal cards, not wait on tables.” “I have needs that need filling, and I can’t get them with this pitiful income I make.” “I miss the hooting and hollering of the casino. I’m out of here.” “I can’t even buy my kids a decent gift here.” Twilight’s profits earned from her changes were not nearly enough to put things right again. Nothing could reopen with such pitiful earnings. “I don’t believe this!” cried Twilight. “This can’t be happening!” “Nice going, Twilight!” scolded Spike. “There has to be something we can do!” she thought and decided, “What if we invited huge celebrity guests to appear, and put on great shows and stuff, or… or… we could hold great exhibits… or maybe…” “Maybe you could WAKE UP!!” shouted Spike. “We can’t do any of those things because there isn’t enough money to afford it. People don’t just work or do things for free, you know, and now nobody wants to even come to this hotel, let alone help it.” “No! No!!!” cried Twilight. “I’ll… I’ll give another loan… I’ll hold donation charities… I’ll… I’ll--” “…You’ve ruined us!!” growled a voice. Twilight slowly turned to see the Star Sisters with mixed expressions of fury and sadness in their eyes. Goldie held up a letter from the bank with large black letters that read: “Notice of Foreclosure!” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s over!” cried Silver “We’ve been officially declared bankrupt! We’ll never be able to rebuild now!” Goldie also held up a check, “We were forced to sell to Big Bill. He’s taken over now, and he’s going to convert the hotel apartment buildings for his employees!” Every word they said hammered into Twilight’s stomach painfully. She just couldn’t speak or find any words to say. Even Spike was sorry for the sisters, but he didn’t know what to say either, even though none of this was his idea at all. Then he thought of something, “Twilight, you invested money in this hotel. How are you going to get it back?” Twilight’s eyes widened. “My money!” Suddenly, a check for a large fortune floated in front of her. It was the money The Sisters had received for the purchase of their hotel, and it was more than five times the amount that Twilight had given. “Take it!” snapped Goldie, then she and her sister turned to leave. “Wait…!” cried Twilight. “Why are you giving me all this?” “We don’t want a single bit of that money!” growled Silver. “This hotel was more than a business to us; it was part of us!” “Our ancestors worked hard, and our family harder to keep it going all these ages…” sobbed Goldie “…And now, It’s all over, AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!” Her scream echoed along the empty halls. “How can you think for one minute that we could accept that dirty money!” cried Silver. “Um… to start over and at least help yourselves survive?” said Spike. The Sisters cared more about their destroyed family honor than even their own lives at that moment. “Your just lucky our parents aren’t alive to see this!” said Goldie. “They’d probably disown us both for ever have trusted you… Princess!” Twilight tried to apologize, but nothing she could say or do would make up for this blunder. “If you give me a chance, maybe I can help you…” “Save it!” snapped Silver. “If we ever see you again…! IF WE EVER SEE YOU AGAIN…!!” She couldn’t finish-- she was too upset. “Let’s go!” said Goldie. “Let’s get out of here before she does something else to ruin what’s left of our dignity.” Then the sisters left the hotel for the last time leaving Twilight standing with tears coming to her eyes. “Twilight…?” Spike said to her, but all Twilight could do was fall on her tail and gaze tearfully at the ground. “What have I done?!” she sobbed. “You messed up! That’s what you did!” Spike scolded. “You don’t know to properly run a business like this-- it’s nothing like the School of Friendship, and now you’ve not only ruined a perfectly good hotel, but you also wrecked our vacation, and you sullied the honor of the sisters!” Those were all said in his mind, as much as he wanted to say them for Twilight to hear, despite them all being true, he could see she was already feeling crushed enough. All he could do was hug her softly. Act Four: Trouble BeginsACT FOUR With the hotel being prepared for renovation under its new ownership, Twilight and Spike were forced to leave for the train station. As she walked through town, many passersby called to her. “Look, there she is.” “It’s Princess Hotel Wrecker!” “Thanks a lot! Oh, yeah, and I’m being sarcastic!” This was all Twilight needed, taunting, and hooting from Equestrians. Even at the train-station, a little colt who stayed at the hotel with his family blew a rude raspberry at her. His mom stopped him, but she gave Twilight a cold stare before moving herself and her away from her. Twilight was in disgrace. Spike could see she was far too lost in despair to be spoken to, so he said nothing to her the entire journey home. Once off the train at Ponyville Station, all their friends were there to greet, but not exactly with open hooves. Starlight Glimmer held up the front page of the Ponyville Times newspaper, which told the story of the doomed hotel and how Twilight played a large role in the bankruptcy. “You were supposed to be on vacation, not on a friendship mission.” she scolded. “Ohh…!!” Twilight groaned. “Twilight Sparkle… how in the hayfields did you do this?!” sneered Applejack. “Yeah, how…?” repeated Pinkie. Then she acted genuinely curious. “…I’d really like to know.” “Oh, the shame of it!” cried Rarity. “I was planning to visit that hotel and open a boutique there.” This put Spike in mind of the gift he wanted to give to Rarity, but seeing as she was in a bad mood now, he decided to wait. Twilight was deeply upset and embarrassed that all Ponyville-- nay, all Equestria had heard of her blunder. “What will Princess Celestia about this?!” she fretted. “…She won’t be very pleased, will she?” said a familiar voice. Everyone turned and saw Celestia and Luna with extremely disappointed expressions on their faces and Luna was levitating another newspaper up which showed the story. Twilight felt like passing out, but she managed to explain herself. “…The hotel was just so beautiful, and I didn’t want it to shut down.” “I understand your reasons, Twilight.” said Celestia “But it was your lack of understanding the business world, and the feelings and wishes of others which lead to this.” Luna agreed, “However, part of the blame may also be rested with The Star Sisters. They should have known better than allowing someone of your inexperience in such a trade to assist them.” Twilight felt no better. Hearing herself being called “Inexperienced” or that her help should never had been accepted was too much to bear. “Poor Twilight…” peeped Fluttershy. Rainbow sighed, “It’s going to take an awful lot of work to clean up this mess.” Fortunately, Twilight was more than given the opportunity. She wrote letters to every newspaper across Equestria explaining her actions and motivations, and Celestia and Luna added their own comments about it, also being the Star Sisters’ mistake as well. Finally, one of Twilight’s most-heart felt speeches to the story was. “To Goldie and Silver Star… I would like nothing more than to find someway to make it up to them and give them back the money that they gave me.” This, combined with her sincerity saved her reputation as many were moved by her speech and willing to make up for her folly… …Unfortunately, her wish to help the Star Sisters was easier said than done. The Sisters were nowhere to be found-- not in Las Pegasus, nor any place in Equestria. They were obviously so depressed, ashamed, and furious, that they had fled to somewhere beyond the borders. Twilight could never find them and hope to make up with them now, which really depressed her more. All she could do with the large fortune she had acquired, was not only take her own investment back, but to use the remainder of the fortune to simply give to other businesses needing it, while not interfering with the work systems of said businesses, fearing for a repeat of her mistake. She even made sure to introduce new subjects in the School of Friendship, such as Business Economics. “What’s this got to do with Friendship?” the students asked. Vice Chancellor Starlight Glimmer told the class, “Working in business is a matter of trust, kindness, generosity, and deep thinking. Also, you should beware of what strategies you try and understand the business you are working with before you decide to help or change things up.” The students felt this was interesting and took to the study. Despite all the goodness going along, as well as Twilight’s reputation remaining unharmed, Twilight never forgot about the sisters, this, and the fact she couldn’t find them to make up for her mistake, ate at her soul day and night for months. … Back in the present, Celestia and her team were just flying over the desert. She was now concentrating hard to home in on the magic of Starlight’s hologram. “Come on, Starlight.” She thought softly “Just hold up a little longer.” Poor Twilight didn’t think she could last too much longer. “This heat…!” she groaned. “Her voice sounded very dry and weak. “…I need… water.” She was bound to get some in less than twenty minutes, for the dam would open, and all the water would rush in. Starlight was feeling the magic weakening again as Twilight drifted off. “Twilight, stay with me now!” she practically demanded. “You’ve got to hold up until Celestia gets here. Keep going with your story. What happened next?” Twilight managed to keep awake-- barely! “What… happened… next?” she paused. “…Oh, right, then Spike and I… we were… on our way… to Klugetown!” … The Friendship Map had called Spike and Twilight over to Klugetown, far, far away in the desert beyond Equestria’s borders by their old friend Capper. They arrived by airship as Klugetown was much to far away to fly to in just one go on their own-- especially with all the luggage they needed to bring. Capper was delighted to see them, and he explained… Ever since their first meeting and all the kindness Twilight and the ponies had shown him, he thought, “Maybe its time this town cleaned up its ways-- started brand new, and who better to help them than the Princess of Friendship.” Twilight was naturally delighted to assist in teaching the townsfolk about Friendship and how to better manage their lives as opposed to being con-artists and shady sales-creatures… She and Spike even helped fix up buildings-- enforcing them with bricks, cement mixed from sands, mud, and water-- to help make them stronger and cooler against the desert heat. With all this happening, Klugetown was on the verge of becoming a greater place, with proper shops, inns, hotels, tourist attractions, and even better laws to ensure fair play and safer living conditions. In return for their work, Capper treated Spike and Twilight to good meals at an Inn he owned, as well as a free suite. “It’s the least I can do… for a friend?” he said with a smile. Twilight felt grateful. “I’m really pleased that everyone around here is starting to embrace friendship.” “Me too!” Spike said with his mouth full. “This cooking is so wonderful.” Twilight was just relieved that she had learned from her mistake all those months ago and was able to use better and smarter skills to get the town on its way to bettering itself. Little did she know that two familiar faces were watching her! Two creatures garbed in brown burlap desert robes, and scarves over their mouths, and sheets over their heads, had stopped at the inn on the last day of Twilight’s visit for a bite to eat. It was Goldie and Silver Star, and they could hardly believe their eyes. “Princess Twilight Sparkle…?!” Goldie growled softly so as not to be overheard. “What is she doing here?!” grumbled Silver. They were seated at a table right near Capper’s. It was fortunate for them that Twilight and Spike didn’t recognize them because of their coverings, and just as well. The sisters carefully listened in on the conversation happening… “Are you two sure you have to leave tomorrow?” asked Capper. “I’m afraid so,” replied Twilight. “We have a school to run back home, not to mention and a country to look after, but we’ll come back and visit soon.” “You can bet I will…” Spike sighed as he stroked his full belly. “I could get used to this place.” Twilight giggled and said, “I hope you didn’t eat too much, Spike. We have to catch the airship at first light, so no oversleeping.” Spike had already fallen asleep in his chair and hadn’t heard a thing. “Poor little guy.” laughed Capper. The sisters both snickered. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” whispered Silver. “Mm-hmm,” agreed her sister “I think it’s time to give Princess Twilight a little payback for what she did to us!” Early the next morning, the airship bound for Equestria was boarding, and Capper was bidding goodbye to Twilight and Spike as they boarded. “You really know your stuff, Twilight.” he said to her. “Maybe I’ll come to Equestria and visit you someday.” “That would be wonderful.” agreed Twilight. “It’s always nice to invite new friends over, especially if it helps Equestria connect to other places beyond our borders.” Soon, Spike and Twilight were safely aboard, and the ship took off, bound for Equestria. Capper kept waving until the ship was way out over the desert. Little did he or anyone onboard the ship realize the trouble that was about to happen. Spike and Twilight were relaxing on the first-class deck-- on big lawn chairs and just soaking in the sun like other passengers. “Ahh, this sun feels great.” sighed Spike. “Sure does.” agreed Twilight. “Oh, by the way, did you happen to write to Starlight Glimmer telling her when we’d be arriving?” Spike bolted upright, “I thought you did?” Realizing this blunder, Twilight aimed to correct this mistake at once, but she and Spike left all their writing tools in their suitcases, which were down in the hold with all the rest of the crates and the luggage. Passengers were welcome to go down into the hold to get their own bags in case of emergency, or if they needed anything, provided they ask the guard at the hold door first. Strangely, there was no one guarding the door to the hold. “That’s odd.” said Twilight. She decided to get their writing stuff first and then report this to the ship’s crew. Spike looked up and down and all round for his little knapsack. “Ah, here you are…” but as he picked it up, he almost screamed. “What is it?” Twilight asked as she hurried over to him. Then she nearly freaked at what she saw. There was the guard to the hold, tucked behind the shelf and unconscious-- as if someone had knocked him out and stowed him behind there. Twilight and Spike gawked at each other, and before either of them could say a thing to each other… PEW!! “D’ah!” PEW!! “Ow…!” They both felt something sharp strike them on the backs of their necks, and they both instantly fell into complete and total blackouts of unconsciousness on the floor. That’s when the Star Sisters came out from behind large crates-- which they had used to stow themselves onboard-- and they had just shot their victims with tiny darts from blowguns. “Out like candles in the wind.” snickered Goldie. Silver held up a small bottle of a knockout potion the darts had been dipped with and stroked it, “I love this stuff. Makes the job less dirty.” Her sister agreed, and then she said. “Let’s get a move on while their out of it.” The ship was flying clear over the desert, far, far away from any civilization and any laws or witnesses. The sneaky sisters, with their unconscious victims, leapt out through a hatch in the hold, and flew down, down, down, into the sandstorms of the desert. Not a single soul saw them. Final Act: Back to StartFINAL ACT Starlight understood now. “So that’s why I didn’t get any warning from you two.” Then she asked Twilight, “What happened then?” “Ohh… uhnnnn…!” groaned Twilight. She had hardly any strength left, but she continued her story. “Spike and I… we were… knocked out… a long… long time…!” … Twilight and Spike had been knocked out for exactly twenty-four hours, thanks to the knockout darts. They finally began to awaken, the next morning, to find themselves buried in the sand up to their necks! “Spike!” Twilight groaned. Her head was still spinning from a mix of the knockout and the desert heat. “Twilight?” Spike answered, and they both discovered the trouble they were in. “Well, well, look who decided to wake up one last time.” hissed an unpleasant voice. The duo looked up and saw the villains standing over and glaring down at them. They even removed their sheets and scarves, revealing themselves. “Goldie… Silver…?!” cried Twilight. The sisters chuckled wickedly. “What’s going on?” Spike asked as he tried to struggle loose. “What’s going on is payback time!” sneered Silver. “There’s no use struggling; we’ve packed the sand extra tight.” Twilight then tried to magic her way out, only to realize the manacle on her horn. “Oh, no!” she cried. “Oh, yes,” laughed Goldie. “Just a little extra precaution we took so you don’t try any of your tricks.” The Sisters then explained everything… After their hotel was shut down-- thanks to Twilight’s foolish business antics. They couldn’t accept the money because of their family’s honor, and were so outraged and upset, that they fled from Equestria, wishing to start a new in a place where Twilight Sparkle could not find them and ruin them a second time. Of course, rejecting the money meant they hadn’t much to work with or to sustain themselves with for very long, and eventually they became poor, which lead them to becoming desert bandits… …Slick and sly creatures, making a living by selling trinkets for unfair prices, or stealing whatever they could with their mad skills. As settled as they were with their new lifestyles, they never forgot Twilight and the role she played in all this-- despite their own faults in trusting her in the first place and rejecting much needed money. All they could think about was revenge, and how to do it. “We may be bandits, but we still have some levels of standards.” admitted Goldie. Silver nodded, “We like to do things clean, without getting our hooves too dirty, and we also like to leave no traces or leads that can get back to us.” That’s when the sisters pointed out that Spike and Twilight were buried in the river trench. “You see that way over there?” Goldie said while pointing upstream at the large dam. “Soon, it’s going to open, and the water will come rushing out of it. If your heads don’t get knocked off by the rushing currents, you’ll surely drown. Either way, you’re both history!” Twilight and Spike gulped hard. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” Twilight begged, “You two don’t have to do this, we can work all this out.” She explained how she felt guilty all this time, and she really wanted to make it up to the sisters. “If you let us go, we can all go back to Equestria, and everything will be okay again.” Unfortunately, her pleas fell on deaf ears, or rather heartless ones. The Sisters only laughed at her. “I don’t think their interested.” muttered Spike. Indeed, The Sisters were not! “We’ve come this far, why end it all now?” asked Goldie. “Besides,” added Silver. “You messed us up once already, why should we trust you again?” Goldie pointed at Twilight, “Your time is up, for wrecking our lives.” Then Silver pointed at Spike, “And you… well, we just can’t have any witnesses.” The two villains, satisfied with their evil deed gave a final snicker at the victims. “So long, suckers!” sneered Goldie. “Give our regards to oblivion.” hissed Silver. They took off, flying away laughing wickedly, leaving their helpless victims to their fate. “They’re gone, Twilight.” Spike peeped. “I know, Spike. I know…” groaned Twilight. … There was nothing left for her to tell, and not that she could anyway, she had totally exhausted her voice. “Twilight, stay with me!” Starlight begged, but it was no use. Twilight finally passed out from the heat, causing Starlight’s hologram to disappear with the connection being broken as promised. Twilight and Spike were both out of it now-- unconscious, baking in the sun… …That’s when it happened! The dam magically began to open as promised, and the waters came rushing out, and rapidly filling the river in a raging torrent. The water had nearly reached Twilight and Spike, ready to knock their heads off…! …When suddenly, it all just stopped! Celestia and her team had arrived and not a moment too soon! She had used her powerful magic to encase the water in a stasis field holding it at bay. While she stood where she was to maintain the spell, “Get to work, men!” she ordered her guards, and the men got straight to work digging Twilight and Spike out of the ground, and remove the ant-magic manacles, Soon, they were safely out, and Celestia let the way rush. She was very relieved to have arrived just in time. “Your majesty,” one of the guards asked her. “What of the two ponies who did this?” Celestia grimly remarked, “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do. They may as well be a million miles away. For now, we must get these-two some water, and get them home!” Soon, Twilight and Spike were home and safe, much to the happiness and relief of all their friends, but Celestia had ordered Spike and Twilight to take a week off work due to the excessive amounts of desert sun and dehydration they had suffered. Starlight managed all of Twilight’s classes and office work, while the rest of the ponies maintained their own classes and duties as well. Naturally, they all met up at the castle one night to check up on Twilight and Spike. Starlight came out from visiting Twilight. “Is she alright?” asked Fluttershy. “Poor thing,” answered Starlight, “She hasn’t been sleeping well lately.” “I can hardly blame her.” said Rarity. “Given all that she’s been through, and that we nearly lost her in the process… Oh! I feel faint.” “I don’t think it’s all that.” said Applejack. “I don’t think Spike or Twilight will be sleeping too well, what with the Star Sisters still out there.” Rainbow was fuming angrily, “I don’t get it! They just tried to kill our friends! Why don’t we just go out there, and make them sorry they ever crossed our paths?” Starlight shook her head, “We’ve been over this! I can’t find them, not even with the Hologram. It worked on Spike and Twilight because we share strong bonds, it won’t work with the sisters. Even Celestia can’t find them. Who knows where they’ve got to by now? Even if we did find them, there’s nothing we can do. They attacked outside of any borders-- where there is no rules, laws, or any form of penalties for crimes. We don’t have a legal leg to stand on.” The friends were all horrified and livid. “So that’s it?!” wailed Pinkie. “They just tried to kill our friends, and we just let them go? What if they come back? What if they try to finish Twilight off again?!” Even Starlight felt her stomach turn at such a thought, but all she could say was, “We’ll all have to keep our guards up if they ever try such a thing again. As for Twilight and Spike…” she paused “…I just hope they’ll be alright.” Poor Twilight was shut up in her room. She had enforced every window, all the walls, and even the floor and doors with her best spells to prevent unwanted creatures from sneaking in at night. She even carried a large broom with her to attack anyone or anything that would dare sneak up on her, but due to her lack of sleep and paranoia, even the slightest sound made her jump. “Who’s there!” she shouted when saw something moving, but it was just her own shadow. “Don’t do that!” cried Spike, and he hid under the bed sheets shaking nervously. He was far too scared to sleep in his own room by himself. Twilight nervously climbed into bed with him, and held him close to her, while they both quivered nervously while trying to get some sleep… But all they could hear was the sound of the Star Sisters laughing at them and expected to one day come and try to get at them again! Author's Note Heh-Heh-Heh...! Ohh, I enjoyed this one-- really socking it to Twilight like that... ...Just as I look forward to the next one too.
Act 1: TrappedACT ONE The sun beamed down hard over the massive desert, far away from the Equestrian borders, or any borders for that. Here in these blazing, desolate lands-- far out in the middle of nowhere-- there were no laws at all, and no witnesses either. Anything was possible in places like these, including the most unpleasant of happening. Far along the stretches of a dried river trench that cut through the desert, Princess Twilight Sparkle lay in the hot, dry sand-- buried in the sand up to her neck! Right there, beside her, Spike was also buried the way she was. Around Twilight’s horn was an anti-magical lock, which prevented her from using any sort of magic, and prevented her from being targeted by magic as well. She was totally powerless. Spike had an anti-magical collar fastened round his neck, which rendered him the same as Twilight. He couldn’t even receive or belch up any magical letters. They had been placed in this fix by two sinister looking female beings wearing desert robes, looming over them with vile stares in their eyes. Twilight and Spike gazed up very wearily at the villains, who were staring a long way along the river at a large dam. The dam was unmanned for it was magically enchanted to automatically open flood the river with pure, clean water… which it was going to do very soon. Twilight and Spike were really in a bad fix to be buried at the bottom of the river trench when the water would come rushing in like a raging torrent; they would surely drown… that is if the force of the torrent wouldn’t take their heads off instantly like hitting a ball with a bat. The two villains, satisfied with their evil deed gave a final snicker at the victims. “So long, suckers!” sneered one. “Give our regards to oblivion.” hissed the other. They took off, flying away laughing wickedly, leaving their helpless victims to their fate. “They’re gone, Twilight.” Spike peeped. “I know, Spike. I know…” groaned Twilight. The hot sun blazed on their heads making them sweat horribly. “Is there any way for us to get out of this?” asked Spike. Twilight tried all she could, but her magic was useless, and both she and Spike were hopelessly bound by the tightly packed sand, unable to shift it. “What are we going to do?” cried Spike. “When that dam opens up, it’ll wipe us out!” The very thought made Twilight shudder in fear. “There’s only one hope left.” she said to herself. “…It’s all up to Starlight now.” In Equestria, Starlight Glimmer and the rest of the gang were very worried. “They still aren’t back yet?” Rainbow Dash asked. Starlight nodded. “I’ve tried telepathic messages, but I can’t seem to locate Twilight anywhere. I tried sending letters to Spike, but they just don’t send.” Now everyone was starting to feel worried. Twilight and Spike had left for their mission outside Equestria’s borders one week ago and were now a day late in their return. “This isn’t like them.” cried Fluttershy. “Especially not for Twilight. She’s always so well organized and scheduled.” “…Or maybe they’re just off someplace having a wonderful time?” suggested Pinkie. “After all, there’s so many sights to see, so many new friends to make, food to eat… I’d probably want to stay a bit longer.” Applejack shook her head, “Nu-uhn, Pinkie. You know the rules when it comes to missions; you come home exactly when. Twilight knows this especially.” Rarity began to tremble. “Are you okay?” asked Applejack. “Fine! Fine… Just fine.” Rarity shakily remarked. “Whyever wouldn’t I be fine? The very thought of Twilight and My Poor Precious Spike being lost out there, far from home, and POSSIBLE NOW AY TO EVER GET BAAA-HAA-HAACK!!” She caught ahold of herself when all the others were staring awkwardly at her for that outburst. Starlight then remembered one spell she had been meaning to try. She told the others about it… “Yeah. You want to run that by us again?” asked Rainbow. Starlight sighed and explained again. “It’s a spell Twilight and I had both been experimenting with, we call it a Holographic Seeker. I’ll concentrate really, really, hard of the creature I’m trying to message, and then I’ll magically be whisked away, as a hologram, to wherever that creature is.” Everyone’s eyes lit up. “Well, what are you waiting for?” asked Applejack. Starlight sheepishly admitted. “We’ve never actually practiced it long distance before. I mean, we have throughout Equestria, but we’re talking even further away than ever. There’s no guarantee it’ll work.” “Well, could you at least try?” asked Fluttershy. Starlight didn’t have to be asked. “Okay, here I go.” She sat down tightly into her chair, with her hooves against her temples, and her eyes shut as she cringed in deep thought. “Um… you okay?” asked Applejack. “Shhh…!” said Starlight. “I need to concentrate.” Pinkie held her hooves over her mouth so as not to make a sound. Starlight was focusing so hard; you’d think she was going to blow up inside. “Twilight Sparkle!” she kept saying in her mind, “Twilight Sparkle! Please, help me find you!” Suddenly, in a bright flash, Starlight had transformed into a sparkling hologram version of herself, much to the awe and astonishment of the others. Then, without warning, the hologram simply vanished. Back in the river trench, Twilight and Spike were positively sweltering as the desert sun beamed right on them. “Whew! It sure is hot.” Spike groaned wearily. “For you?” Twilight asked in confusion. “How can that be? You’re a dragon. You can bathe in molten lava.” “…That’s different.” replied Spike. “This is hot even for me.” They both felt hotter by the second, it was getting hard to stay awake. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light before them, and Starlight’s voice calling to them. “Twilight! Spike!” At first, they thought they were hallucinating, but Twilight soon realized, “…Starlight! The Holographic Seeker spell...” A small sense of relief came to her. “Can she stop the dam opening and get us out of here?” asked Spike. “I can’t…” replied Starlight. “I’m just a hologram-- nothing more than thin air, and besides, this spell only keeps me close to you two. But don’t worry, I’ll get help right away. You just sit tight.” Then she vanished and left Twilight and Spike with perplexed expressions. “…Like we have a choice.” grumbled Spike. The moment Starlight had returned to her solid state, she immediately wrote a letter to Princess Celestia explaining the situation. This was no ordinary letter. It was written on a red, magical parchment, which would tell the princess that danger was imminent, and she was to answer immediately, which she did. Before long, Celestia had arrived at Rainbow castle, and Starlight pointed at the desert on the map. “They’re somewhere in this area here. I didn’t get exactly where, but we haven’t much time.” Celestia was livid at the two ponies who did this to her friends, but the most important thing now was saving Twilight and Spike. “How ever are ever going to get to them?” asked Rarity. “That desert must be hundreds of miles wide.” “Of course, we’ll find them.” Said Pinkie, but then she looked up at Celestia. “…Can’t we.” “Well, it won’t be easy.” she admitted. “As long as Spike and Twilight have those anti-magic locks, I can’t locate them as easily, let alone teleport to their location, but not to despair-- there is still a way.” She looked at Starlight and explained to her. “You’ll have to cast yourself back to their location. If I can home in on your magical energy, I’ll know exactly where you are, and my team will be able to help.” Outside the castle her team of Pegasus guards stood ready, and she gave them all a quick briefing on the situation. “Let’s go, there’s very little time!” The guards complied, and Celestia took off into the air with her team flying behind her-- off to the west and beyond the Equestrian borders. “There they go.” said Fluttershy. Rainbow sulked, “This is so a mission for me, and I don’t even get to go.” Rarity was still heavily worried about Twilight and Spike. “Do you think they’ll make it in time?” “I hope so,” said Applejack “But Starlight said they didn’t look so good when she saw them. I can’t blame them. The midday sun in parts like that can be tough stuff.” Rarity shuddered with worry. Meanwhile, Starlight had already begun working on her spell to transport her, but it was getting harder this time, for the spell to work properly, her subject had to be fully conscious and neither asleep nor passed out, which could mean Twilight wasn’t doing so good. Back in the trench, the sun beamed right down on the hapless victims. They were both beginning to lose themselves to the heat. Twilight kept wondering about the dam far away. “I’d say we have about an hour left before it opens.” “I don’t think I can last that long.” admitted Spike. “I think… I’m… going to--” his head dropped forth and he was out of it. “Spike! Spike!” called Twilight. Her voice was very hoarse due to the dryness, but Spike was far gone--- out like a light. At that moment, Starlight’s hologram appeared again, floating above the trench, and she informed them that Celestia’s team was on the way. “It’ll take a while for them to reach here. Celestia’s homing in on my magic. I must keep it up until she gets here.” “That won’t be easy.” said Twilight, and she softly motioned next to her that Spike had already collapsed. Then she, herself felt woozy, “I don’t think I can hold out much longer myself.” “Twilight, listen to me…!” insisted Starlight, “You have to stay awake, or I can’t maintain the spell.” Twilight looked as if she could barely keep her eyes open. “Hot…! So hot!” she groaned. Starlight could feel the spell already beginning to weaken, but what could she do to keep Twilight awake when she couldn’t even touch her? “Twilight, listen to me. You’ve got to keep on talking, it’ll help you stay awake.” “Keep… talking…” panted Twilight. “Yeah… that may work.” “I want you to tell me exactly how you got yourself into this mess. Start at the beginning and go through it slowly.” Finding a little of her strength again, Twilight began her story. “It all started six months ago; I was on vacation with Spike…”
Act 2: Much needed VacationACT TWO Twilight was on a train with Spike heading for Las Pegasus for a much-needed vacation from the School of Friendship and Friendship Missions altogether. “This is going to be so much fun!” Spike said all giddy and excited. “I can’t wait to hit the buffets and the swimming halls.” Then he noticed Twilight seemed rather uneasy, which was expected, she had many objections about going on this trip and being away from her post. “I wonder how they’re all getting on without me back home.” she said for the zillionth time. Spike sighed, “Twilight, you’ve been working too hard, and you need some time off. Starlight’s in charge of the school, and she and the others will be just fine without you.” Twilight tried to calm herself. “But what if there’s something wrong in the world, like a friendship problem that needs solving. I should be there to at least supervise or make suggestions upon it.” “My point proven. You’re overworked, and I’m glad the others talked you into this.” “Talked me into it?” joked Twilight “More like forced me into this without much consent. They even packed my luggage and insisted I go.” Spike slumped back into his seat. “Face it, Twilight. You’re just a work-a-holic, who can’t find much time for fun anymore. You’d rather be solving a problem.” Twilight felt struck at what he just said. “I am not a work-a-holic. I know how to have fun and relax.” “Sorry, Twilight, but grading test papers and having adventures isn’t exactly the idea of fun I’m talking about.” They decided to give it a rest, not wanting to start an argument, and they were too far along their journey to go back anyway. Twilight refused to teleport back anyway. Soon, the train arrived at Las Pegasus Station, and the massive metropolis spread out before them. Spike was awed at the glamours sights, and Twilight was a bit too. She was trying her best to keep her mind off work. She and Spike gathered their luggage-- one suitcase each-- and they soon hailed a taxi-coach to take them to their hotel. Twilight kept looking all over the streets to see that every pony was getting along well and that no one was having any troubles. “…Are you okay?” Spike asked. He sounded very serious; suspecting that Twilight was slipping again. “Fine, just fine. I’m ready for this.” Spike was not convinced. “Grand Star Hotel.” the driver suddenly said as he stopped the coach. Twilight and Spike looked up and gazed in astonishment at the large building ahead of them. This hotel was white coated with golden edgings around the building showing its forty stories. The ground level was wide enough to be the size of a small shopping mall, stretching out in all directions. Atop the roof were large golden stars that shimmered in the sunlight. “Look at this place.” exclaimed Twilight. “It’s even bigger than our castle and school put together.” Spike checked the brochure he had. “It’s been voted among the top three hotels in all Las Pegasus. You must make a reservation at least three months in advance to get here.” Twilight had a reservation, but it was made by her friends behind her back-- A full week’s stay for her and Spike, including room service, spa treatment, and shopping, and of course, full buffet privileges, which Spike was still drooling for. “Maybe this will be fun after all.” Twilight said to herself. Spike was pleased to hear her say that. Soon, they settled into their room, which seemed just as prestigious as Twilight’s bedroom at home at the castle. A large four-poster bed, big enough to fit at least four ponies in. A large, soft couch which Spike took comfort with, and a commanding view of the city from being many floors up. “Wow!” exclaimed Spike. “You can see everything up here.” Twilight was still able to see many citizens in the streets below and beyond, but she quickly held herself back to avoid relapsing. “I’m not going to break!” she kept telling herself. “I’m here to relax.” Then she felt, “Maybe I could send Starlight at least one message… just to tell her that we’ve arrived and all.” “Twilight…!” Spike scolded. Twilight bit into her limb. “You’re right, I’ve got to get a grip.” She took a deep breath, and then she and Spike went off to enjoy the sights and hotel luxuries. They went swimming in the large indoor water park and took a moment to relax in the hot springs. They had their spa treatments, complete with massages, mud baths, and complementary cider in fancy glasses. “Ahh, this is delightful.” Spike drowsed, and the mare masseuses giggled at his compliments. Twilight rolled her eyes. She and Spike even went shopping, and they bought souvenirs for their friends back home. Spike even bought a large Star-Shaped diamond for Rarity. “She’s going to melt when I show her this.” “Spike, that’s so expensive.” protested Twilight. “We need our money to last all week.” “No sweat.” Spike insisted and he motioned across the lobby at the casino. “Uh, Spike…” Twilight said pointing at a sign which read, “Patrons must be 21 years or older to enter. Those who are underage must be accompanied by an adult.” “So… you’re an adult.” said Spike, but Twilight shook her head, “I never gamble, Spike. It just feels so wrong and dirty-- taking risks with money like that.” Spike could already see he was defeated there, but he cheered up that evening when he and Twilight went to the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet for dinner. He ate so much that he let out a huge belch. “Spike!” Twilight snapped, only to suddenly let out an equally big belch herself. Spike snickered. Then, suddenly, there was a small fanfare, and an announcement was made. “Mares and Gentle-ponies, presenting our hotel’s owners and proprietors… Goldie and Silver Star.” Out came two Pegasus Mares… Goldie Star: A yellow pony with a shimmering blonde mane and a cutiemark of a dollar sign in a gold star. And her younger sister, Silver Star: a faded gray pony with a light gray mane, and a cutiemark of a cent sign in a silver star. The sisters were greeted by gracious applause, and some of the patrons came up to shake hooves with them. The sisters made it to the center of the restaurant, and Goldie announced, “Honored Guests… Your admiration of our establishment is most appreciated.” Silver then added, “It’s a great pleasure for us to serve you and treat you all well, and we only hope that we shall gain further opportunities in the near future.” “Carry on!” the sisters both said together, earning themselves more applause, especially from Twilight herself. Spike would have applauded had he not fallen asleep with such a full belly. “Aww, Spike…” Twilight sighed. She paid for their dinner, and then levitated Spike onto her back to carry him back up to the room and put him to bed on the couch. She knew Spike was a heavy sleeper on a full-stomach, and he most likely wouldn’t wake up until morning. Still feeling restless and not ready for bed, Twilight decided to go walking around the hotel--really, feeling her nerves tinkling with a need to snoop and see that all was well enough for her satisfaction. “At least spike won’t be able to nag at me this time.” she chuckled. The hotel was still bustling, even in the late hours. Many families had already returned to their suites to head to bed, while others were still swimming, or at the spa and at the casino, but there really wasn’t all that much out of place in Twilight’s view. “This is just what I like to see,” she said to herself. “Everyone is getting along well, nothing chaotic happening…” Then she felt worried. “What if I’m just looking in the wrong places? Surely some-pony somewhere could use help with something.” She was about to get her wish as she passed the main lobby when she could hear arguing coming from the office behind the desk. The Star Sisters were in a meeting with another hotel owner-- A dark brown Earth pony with a red mane and a cutiemark of a business contract. Name: Big Buy Bill. and they were speaking quite loudly so it was quite hard not to ignore them. “We told you before…!” snapped Goldie “We are not selling our hotel!” “But look at your profits?” Bill pointed out showing them diagrams of seriously declining income. “If you sell to me, I promise, your hotel will be in great hooves, and you’ll receive quite a profit from it.” “Again, the answer is “No!” insisted Silver. “We will only sell our hotel when, and only if we have absolutely no hope and no other alternatives, and at the present we are not in that situation.” “Besides,” said Goldie. “We know you and why you really want this hotel, and we assure you, it will never be yours.” Seeing the fruitlessness to argue further. Bill gathered up his papers and left, “My offer still stands.” he called. Then he was gone, while Twilight stood behind a large stone column, having overheard everything. “What are we going to do?” cried Silver. Goldie shook her head, “There’s got to be a way for us to make more money. We can’t take out anymore loans from the bank, and our stock is all dried up. If we don’t get our profits soaring soon, we’ll just have to sell.” Silver looked as if she would faint. Then she and her sister gazed at a large family portrait on the wall of the girls when they were younger, with their parents standing in front of the hotel. Just then, there was a knock at the office door. “Excuse me…?” Twilight called. The sisters could hardly believe their eyes. “Princess Twilight Sparkle…?” exclaimed Goldie. “Oh, right… you are registered with us for a week.” said Silver. “Um… what are you doing here. This office is off limits to guests.” Twilight explained how she overheard things and being rather honored to be in the presence of the Princess of Friendship, the sisters couldn’t help but explain their troubles. “Our parents inherited the hotel from our grandparents…” explained Goldie. “It’s been in the family for generations, and it started out as just a regular building of low-income condominium units built by our 20th Great-Great Grandfather.” Silver then added, “Our parents passed away in a road accident, and they left us the hotel, which we were prepped and worked to takeover anyway, and we’ve done well… expect up to now.” Goldie showed Twilight another diagraph of their declining profits. “We aren’t getting enough guests, which means we aren’t making enough money to maintain our business.” Then the sisters looked furious. “The worse we do, the easier it’ll be for us to accept Big Bill’s offer if we expect to make ends meet.” “Well, why don’t you accept?” asked Twilight. Goldie answered, “You don’t know Big Buy Bill, when he purchases other buildings, he changes them completely for his own personal businesses. He bought a boarding house and turned it into a comedy club. He bought out a mansion and turned it into a wax museum.” Silver then pounded her hoof on the table. “Who knows what he’ll do to our family’s hotel if he gets his hooves on it. Our family’s reputation will be surely ruined and disgraced.” Twilight felt very sorry for the sisters. She had only been at their wonderful hotel for a day, and she’d hate to see it go bankrupt. “How much money are you looking at?” she asked, and Goldie offered her a paper with such a large sum on it, that Twilight’s eyes nearly popped from her head. Even she, as Princess of Friendship with a massive fortune of her own, couldn’t just loan that much money all at once. But suddenly, a great thought struck her mind… … Back in the present, Twilight groaned, “Yeah, some great idea it was… and it led me to this.” She referred to her entrapment. “You’re doing great, Twilight.” Starlight said “Now, keep going. What happened after that?” Twilight didn’t answer. She was looking rather weak with the heat blazing at her. “Twilight! Answer me!” cried Starlight, and she could feel the spell starting to weaken. If Twilight passed out, all hope would be lost! “Twilight!!”
Act 3: Reckless BusinessACT THREE The blazing sun sure took its toll on Twilight, and there was not a sign of Celestia’s team anywhere due to the desert being so far away and so massively wide. Starlight had to maintain her holographic form to save her friends. “Twilight! Twilight, come on! Stay with me!” she begged. Twilight slowly lifted her head up. “Sorry…” she peeped in a weak tone. “Where was I?” “You said you had an idea to help the Star Sisters.” replied Starlight. “Oh… right…” … “You did What?!” Spike snapped when Twilight told him the next day... “I’m going to be a small and temporary partner in this hotel.” replied Twilight. While Twilight could not offer the Star Sisters the exact amount of money they needed, she agreed to loan them a small amount from her own royal savings, which would keep the hotel going for a little while. The Sisters were nearly speechless at the amount she gave them. “We don’t know what to say.” said Goldie. “This is so generous of you.” added Silver. Twilight smiled, “It’s the least I can do for your wonderful services. After all, Friends help Friends.” Spike sighed in outrage. “I knew it! I knew something like this would happen. We’re supposed to be here on vacation, and you turn it into a Friendship Mission.” “Come on, Spike. I don’t want this hotel to be ruined. Do you?” “Well… no…” “So, can I count on you to help me?” Of course, Spike relented. “…So much for vacation.” The first thing Twilight had in mind was to make a few suggestions to The Sisters to help save money for the hotel. “Close the casino?” exclaimed Goldie. “But it’s one of our best attractions. Lots of ponies come for the gambling.” “Maybe,” agreed Twilight. “But those who win, or even strike up jackpots, will often take a lot of money.” Spike showed them a diagraph Twilight had asked him to write up, and a second one showing that profits were likely not to drop so hard if the casino shut down for a while. The Sisters were still unsure. “And you could also lower prices of stays so that more patrons will be able to afford to stay here.” said Twilight. “Slow down a minute…!” said Silver. “If we lowered the prices, then we really wouldn’t make nearly as much as we do now.” “Actually, you could.” said Twilight, and she magically lifted another diagram. “I studied a little bit of marketing, and even though you may not make as much as you do, you can sell far more, and the profits will add up. So, you may end up making even more than what you usually make.” The Sisters fell silent. “…But then there’s our staff.” said Goldie. “If the casino shut down, we’d have to lay off our card dealers, and wheel spinners.” “Not only that,” added Silver “We’d have to reduce salaries for those we keep.” The more the ladies all spoke, the more Spike kept secretly marking “Pros” and “Cons” on his clipboard, and the Cons were starting to look very risky. “I think they’re right, Twilight.” he said. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing. I mean you’ve never actually been part of a business like this before.” Twilight, confident as ever, insisted, “Trust me, but the time we’re finished, this hotel will be making more than if ever did, and like I said, all these changes don’t have to permanent.” The Sisters thought it over, but they were still not certain of doing all this. “Well, we could reopen the casino after a while.” said Goldie. “And once we make enough money, we can rehire the staff and raise their pays again.” added Silver. “And this is just part of my idea.” said Twilight “I have quite a few others…” In a song montage she put her plans to work over the next few days… Cutting corners just enough, we’ll make the mark just right, Giving more for much less so the budget’s not so tight, Think of all the happiness that every pony will share, Fun for all and more in sight, the profit’s in the air. Sort the profits, that’s the thing, When the market makes the call. Sort the profits, do it well, Make enough for one and all, Sort the profits, you will see… …In the end it’ll all work well. There’s no other fine way, There’s no way to go wrong, Now one more chorus of this song… Sort the profits, that’s the thing, When the market makes the call. Sort the profits, do it well, Make enough for one and all, Sort the profits, you will see… …In the end it’ll all work well. Other prices were reduced, such as the restaurant bills for the all-you-can-eat buffet, and longer hours for the pools, waterpark, and spas to be open. The current patrons were at first astounded, and the areas were most enjoyable. Twilight really thought she was something wonderful… …But it was all soon to come crashing down! As the days went by, the hotel was seemingly busier than ever-- with all the patrons enjoying their stays. Twilight and Spike went around greeting all the guests and asking how they were doing, to which they received gracious replies. “I’m loving it here.” “I’d definitely come back.” “I’m glad there’s no more gambling.” Twilight was glad there was no more of it as well, which she felt would lead to great savings for the Star Sisters. “How are the profits doing, Spike?” Spike checked the balance. “Well, they’re doing okay, but I don’t think this is sizeable enough.” Twilight checked the sheet herself. “That’s odd… I would’ve thought there’d be far more profits than this by now.” She shrugged it off thinking, “It’s only been a few days, I’m sure things will get going. How can they not?” On the day before she and Spike were due to return to Ponyville, the hotel was almost a complete ghost town! Many of the staff had quit their jobs, either they didn’t like their new positions or the lower salaries they got. “I can’t wait tables like this, I was meant to deal cards.” “I’ve got needs that need filling, and I can’t do it with this pitiful income I get.” Many of the patrons had left, not just because of their vacations being over, but some checked out early. “I came for the casino, and there isn’t any.” “I’m going someplace to have to some real fun!” “This place is way too cheap for me.” Twilight could hardly believe her ears, the way many ponies preferred gambling over other fun and recreational activities. This was only the beginning…! Hardly any new patrons were coming in-- many had written in to cancel their reservations when they found out what was going on at the hotel, and it wasn’t pretty. Not only was the casino shut down, but other places in the hotel were failing too… The gift shop had only pitiful trinkets to sell, and hardly a good amount of them either… The buffet was closed due to there being no budget left to order more good quality foods and supplies… The water park shut down because the water and heating bills were piling up high… The biggest flop of all was the staff quitting their jobs, unable to take any more of their new positions or reduced salaries. “I was meant to deal cards, not wait on tables.” “I have needs that need filling, and I can’t get them with this pitiful income I make.” “I miss the hooting and hollering of the casino. I’m out of here.” “I can’t even buy my kids a decent gift here.” Twilight’s profits earned from her changes were not nearly enough to put things right again. Nothing could reopen with such pitiful earnings. “I don’t believe this!” cried Twilight. “This can’t be happening!” “Nice going, Twilight!” scolded Spike. “There has to be something we can do!” she thought and decided, “What if we invited huge celebrity guests to appear, and put on great shows and stuff, or… or… we could hold great exhibits… or maybe…” “Maybe you could WAKE UP!!” shouted Spike. “We can’t do any of those things because there isn’t enough money to afford it. People don’t just work or do things for free, you know, and now nobody wants to even come to this hotel, let alone help it.” “No! No!!!” cried Twilight. “I’ll… I’ll give another loan… I’ll hold donation charities… I’ll… I’ll--” “…You’ve ruined us!!” growled a voice. Twilight slowly turned to see the Star Sisters with mixed expressions of fury and sadness in their eyes. Goldie held up a letter from the bank with large black letters that read: “Notice of Foreclosure!” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s over!” cried Silver “We’ve been officially declared bankrupt! We’ll never be able to rebuild now!” Goldie also held up a check, “We were forced to sell to Big Bill. He’s taken over now, and he’s going to convert the hotel apartment buildings for his employees!” Every word they said hammered into Twilight’s stomach painfully. She just couldn’t speak or find any words to say. Even Spike was sorry for the sisters, but he didn’t know what to say either, even though none of this was his idea at all. Then he thought of something, “Twilight, you invested money in this hotel. How are you going to get it back?” Twilight’s eyes widened. “My money!” Suddenly, a check for a large fortune floated in front of her. It was the money The Sisters had received for the purchase of their hotel, and it was more than five times the amount that Twilight had given. “Take it!” snapped Goldie, then she and her sister turned to leave. “Wait…!” cried Twilight. “Why are you giving me all this?” “We don’t want a single bit of that money!” growled Silver. “This hotel was more than a business to us; it was part of us!” “Our ancestors worked hard, and our family harder to keep it going all these ages…” sobbed Goldie “…And now, It’s all over, AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!” Her scream echoed along the empty halls. “How can you think for one minute that we could accept that dirty money!” cried Silver. “Um… to start over and at least help yourselves survive?” said Spike. The Sisters cared more about their destroyed family honor than even their own lives at that moment. “Your just lucky our parents aren’t alive to see this!” said Goldie. “They’d probably disown us both for ever have trusted you… Princess!” Twilight tried to apologize, but nothing she could say or do would make up for this blunder. “If you give me a chance, maybe I can help you…” “Save it!” snapped Silver. “If we ever see you again…! IF WE EVER SEE YOU AGAIN…!!” She couldn’t finish-- she was too upset. “Let’s go!” said Goldie. “Let’s get out of here before she does something else to ruin what’s left of our dignity.” Then the sisters left the hotel for the last time leaving Twilight standing with tears coming to her eyes. “Twilight…?” Spike said to her, but all Twilight could do was fall on her tail and gaze tearfully at the ground. “What have I done?!” she sobbed. “You messed up! That’s what you did!” Spike scolded. “You don’t know to properly run a business like this-- it’s nothing like the School of Friendship, and now you’ve not only ruined a perfectly good hotel, but you also wrecked our vacation, and you sullied the honor of the sisters!” Those were all said in his mind, as much as he wanted to say them for Twilight to hear, despite them all being true, he could see she was already feeling crushed enough. All he could do was hug her softly.
Act Four: Trouble BeginsACT FOUR With the hotel being prepared for renovation under its new ownership, Twilight and Spike were forced to leave for the train station. As she walked through town, many passersby called to her. “Look, there she is.” “It’s Princess Hotel Wrecker!” “Thanks a lot! Oh, yeah, and I’m being sarcastic!” This was all Twilight needed, taunting, and hooting from Equestrians. Even at the train-station, a little colt who stayed at the hotel with his family blew a rude raspberry at her. His mom stopped him, but she gave Twilight a cold stare before moving herself and her away from her. Twilight was in disgrace. Spike could see she was far too lost in despair to be spoken to, so he said nothing to her the entire journey home. Once off the train at Ponyville Station, all their friends were there to greet, but not exactly with open hooves. Starlight Glimmer held up the front page of the Ponyville Times newspaper, which told the story of the doomed hotel and how Twilight played a large role in the bankruptcy. “You were supposed to be on vacation, not on a friendship mission.” she scolded. “Ohh…!!” Twilight groaned. “Twilight Sparkle… how in the hayfields did you do this?!” sneered Applejack. “Yeah, how…?” repeated Pinkie. Then she acted genuinely curious. “…I’d really like to know.” “Oh, the shame of it!” cried Rarity. “I was planning to visit that hotel and open a boutique there.” This put Spike in mind of the gift he wanted to give to Rarity, but seeing as she was in a bad mood now, he decided to wait. Twilight was deeply upset and embarrassed that all Ponyville-- nay, all Equestria had heard of her blunder. “What will Princess Celestia about this?!” she fretted. “…She won’t be very pleased, will she?” said a familiar voice. Everyone turned and saw Celestia and Luna with extremely disappointed expressions on their faces and Luna was levitating another newspaper up which showed the story. Twilight felt like passing out, but she managed to explain herself. “…The hotel was just so beautiful, and I didn’t want it to shut down.” “I understand your reasons, Twilight.” said Celestia “But it was your lack of understanding the business world, and the feelings and wishes of others which lead to this.” Luna agreed, “However, part of the blame may also be rested with The Star Sisters. They should have known better than allowing someone of your inexperience in such a trade to assist them.” Twilight felt no better. Hearing herself being called “Inexperienced” or that her help should never had been accepted was too much to bear. “Poor Twilight…” peeped Fluttershy. Rainbow sighed, “It’s going to take an awful lot of work to clean up this mess.” Fortunately, Twilight was more than given the opportunity. She wrote letters to every newspaper across Equestria explaining her actions and motivations, and Celestia and Luna added their own comments about it, also being the Star Sisters’ mistake as well. Finally, one of Twilight’s most-heart felt speeches to the story was. “To Goldie and Silver Star… I would like nothing more than to find someway to make it up to them and give them back the money that they gave me.” This, combined with her sincerity saved her reputation as many were moved by her speech and willing to make up for her folly… …Unfortunately, her wish to help the Star Sisters was easier said than done. The Sisters were nowhere to be found-- not in Las Pegasus, nor any place in Equestria. They were obviously so depressed, ashamed, and furious, that they had fled to somewhere beyond the borders. Twilight could never find them and hope to make up with them now, which really depressed her more. All she could do with the large fortune she had acquired, was not only take her own investment back, but to use the remainder of the fortune to simply give to other businesses needing it, while not interfering with the work systems of said businesses, fearing for a repeat of her mistake. She even made sure to introduce new subjects in the School of Friendship, such as Business Economics. “What’s this got to do with Friendship?” the students asked. Vice Chancellor Starlight Glimmer told the class, “Working in business is a matter of trust, kindness, generosity, and deep thinking. Also, you should beware of what strategies you try and understand the business you are working with before you decide to help or change things up.” The students felt this was interesting and took to the study. Despite all the goodness going along, as well as Twilight’s reputation remaining unharmed, Twilight never forgot about the sisters, this, and the fact she couldn’t find them to make up for her mistake, ate at her soul day and night for months. … Back in the present, Celestia and her team were just flying over the desert. She was now concentrating hard to home in on the magic of Starlight’s hologram. “Come on, Starlight.” She thought softly “Just hold up a little longer.” Poor Twilight didn’t think she could last too much longer. “This heat…!” she groaned. “Her voice sounded very dry and weak. “…I need… water.” She was bound to get some in less than twenty minutes, for the dam would open, and all the water would rush in. Starlight was feeling the magic weakening again as Twilight drifted off. “Twilight, stay with me now!” she practically demanded. “You’ve got to hold up until Celestia gets here. Keep going with your story. What happened next?” Twilight managed to keep awake-- barely! “What… happened… next?” she paused. “…Oh, right, then Spike and I… we were… on our way… to Klugetown!” … The Friendship Map had called Spike and Twilight over to Klugetown, far, far away in the desert beyond Equestria’s borders by their old friend Capper. They arrived by airship as Klugetown was much to far away to fly to in just one go on their own-- especially with all the luggage they needed to bring. Capper was delighted to see them, and he explained… Ever since their first meeting and all the kindness Twilight and the ponies had shown him, he thought, “Maybe its time this town cleaned up its ways-- started brand new, and who better to help them than the Princess of Friendship.” Twilight was naturally delighted to assist in teaching the townsfolk about Friendship and how to better manage their lives as opposed to being con-artists and shady sales-creatures… She and Spike even helped fix up buildings-- enforcing them with bricks, cement mixed from sands, mud, and water-- to help make them stronger and cooler against the desert heat. With all this happening, Klugetown was on the verge of becoming a greater place, with proper shops, inns, hotels, tourist attractions, and even better laws to ensure fair play and safer living conditions. In return for their work, Capper treated Spike and Twilight to good meals at an Inn he owned, as well as a free suite. “It’s the least I can do… for a friend?” he said with a smile. Twilight felt grateful. “I’m really pleased that everyone around here is starting to embrace friendship.” “Me too!” Spike said with his mouth full. “This cooking is so wonderful.” Twilight was just relieved that she had learned from her mistake all those months ago and was able to use better and smarter skills to get the town on its way to bettering itself. Little did she know that two familiar faces were watching her! Two creatures garbed in brown burlap desert robes, and scarves over their mouths, and sheets over their heads, had stopped at the inn on the last day of Twilight’s visit for a bite to eat. It was Goldie and Silver Star, and they could hardly believe their eyes. “Princess Twilight Sparkle…?!” Goldie growled softly so as not to be overheard. “What is she doing here?!” grumbled Silver. They were seated at a table right near Capper’s. It was fortunate for them that Twilight and Spike didn’t recognize them because of their coverings, and just as well. The sisters carefully listened in on the conversation happening… “Are you two sure you have to leave tomorrow?” asked Capper. “I’m afraid so,” replied Twilight. “We have a school to run back home, not to mention and a country to look after, but we’ll come back and visit soon.” “You can bet I will…” Spike sighed as he stroked his full belly. “I could get used to this place.” Twilight giggled and said, “I hope you didn’t eat too much, Spike. We have to catch the airship at first light, so no oversleeping.” Spike had already fallen asleep in his chair and hadn’t heard a thing. “Poor little guy.” laughed Capper. The sisters both snickered. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” whispered Silver. “Mm-hmm,” agreed her sister “I think it’s time to give Princess Twilight a little payback for what she did to us!” Early the next morning, the airship bound for Equestria was boarding, and Capper was bidding goodbye to Twilight and Spike as they boarded. “You really know your stuff, Twilight.” he said to her. “Maybe I’ll come to Equestria and visit you someday.” “That would be wonderful.” agreed Twilight. “It’s always nice to invite new friends over, especially if it helps Equestria connect to other places beyond our borders.” Soon, Spike and Twilight were safely aboard, and the ship took off, bound for Equestria. Capper kept waving until the ship was way out over the desert. Little did he or anyone onboard the ship realize the trouble that was about to happen. Spike and Twilight were relaxing on the first-class deck-- on big lawn chairs and just soaking in the sun like other passengers. “Ahh, this sun feels great.” sighed Spike. “Sure does.” agreed Twilight. “Oh, by the way, did you happen to write to Starlight Glimmer telling her when we’d be arriving?” Spike bolted upright, “I thought you did?” Realizing this blunder, Twilight aimed to correct this mistake at once, but she and Spike left all their writing tools in their suitcases, which were down in the hold with all the rest of the crates and the luggage. Passengers were welcome to go down into the hold to get their own bags in case of emergency, or if they needed anything, provided they ask the guard at the hold door first. Strangely, there was no one guarding the door to the hold. “That’s odd.” said Twilight. She decided to get their writing stuff first and then report this to the ship’s crew. Spike looked up and down and all round for his little knapsack. “Ah, here you are…” but as he picked it up, he almost screamed. “What is it?” Twilight asked as she hurried over to him. Then she nearly freaked at what she saw. There was the guard to the hold, tucked behind the shelf and unconscious-- as if someone had knocked him out and stowed him behind there. Twilight and Spike gawked at each other, and before either of them could say a thing to each other… PEW!! “D’ah!” PEW!! “Ow…!” They both felt something sharp strike them on the backs of their necks, and they both instantly fell into complete and total blackouts of unconsciousness on the floor. That’s when the Star Sisters came out from behind large crates-- which they had used to stow themselves onboard-- and they had just shot their victims with tiny darts from blowguns. “Out like candles in the wind.” snickered Goldie. Silver held up a small bottle of a knockout potion the darts had been dipped with and stroked it, “I love this stuff. Makes the job less dirty.” Her sister agreed, and then she said. “Let’s get a move on while their out of it.” The ship was flying clear over the desert, far, far away from any civilization and any laws or witnesses. The sneaky sisters, with their unconscious victims, leapt out through a hatch in the hold, and flew down, down, down, into the sandstorms of the desert. Not a single soul saw them.
Final Act: Back to StartFINAL ACT Starlight understood now. “So that’s why I didn’t get any warning from you two.” Then she asked Twilight, “What happened then?” “Ohh… uhnnnn…!” groaned Twilight. She had hardly any strength left, but she continued her story. “Spike and I… we were… knocked out… a long… long time…!” … Twilight and Spike had been knocked out for exactly twenty-four hours, thanks to the knockout darts. They finally began to awaken, the next morning, to find themselves buried in the sand up to their necks! “Spike!” Twilight groaned. Her head was still spinning from a mix of the knockout and the desert heat. “Twilight?” Spike answered, and they both discovered the trouble they were in. “Well, well, look who decided to wake up one last time.” hissed an unpleasant voice. The duo looked up and saw the villains standing over and glaring down at them. They even removed their sheets and scarves, revealing themselves. “Goldie… Silver…?!” cried Twilight. The sisters chuckled wickedly. “What’s going on?” Spike asked as he tried to struggle loose. “What’s going on is payback time!” sneered Silver. “There’s no use struggling; we’ve packed the sand extra tight.” Twilight then tried to magic her way out, only to realize the manacle on her horn. “Oh, no!” she cried. “Oh, yes,” laughed Goldie. “Just a little extra precaution we took so you don’t try any of your tricks.” The Sisters then explained everything… After their hotel was shut down-- thanks to Twilight’s foolish business antics. They couldn’t accept the money because of their family’s honor, and were so outraged and upset, that they fled from Equestria, wishing to start a new in a place where Twilight Sparkle could not find them and ruin them a second time. Of course, rejecting the money meant they hadn’t much to work with or to sustain themselves with for very long, and eventually they became poor, which lead them to becoming desert bandits… …Slick and sly creatures, making a living by selling trinkets for unfair prices, or stealing whatever they could with their mad skills. As settled as they were with their new lifestyles, they never forgot Twilight and the role she played in all this-- despite their own faults in trusting her in the first place and rejecting much needed money. All they could think about was revenge, and how to do it. “We may be bandits, but we still have some levels of standards.” admitted Goldie. Silver nodded, “We like to do things clean, without getting our hooves too dirty, and we also like to leave no traces or leads that can get back to us.” That’s when the sisters pointed out that Spike and Twilight were buried in the river trench. “You see that way over there?” Goldie said while pointing upstream at the large dam. “Soon, it’s going to open, and the water will come rushing out of it. If your heads don’t get knocked off by the rushing currents, you’ll surely drown. Either way, you’re both history!” Twilight and Spike gulped hard. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” Twilight begged, “You two don’t have to do this, we can work all this out.” She explained how she felt guilty all this time, and she really wanted to make it up to the sisters. “If you let us go, we can all go back to Equestria, and everything will be okay again.” Unfortunately, her pleas fell on deaf ears, or rather heartless ones. The Sisters only laughed at her. “I don’t think their interested.” muttered Spike. Indeed, The Sisters were not! “We’ve come this far, why end it all now?” asked Goldie. “Besides,” added Silver. “You messed us up once already, why should we trust you again?” Goldie pointed at Twilight, “Your time is up, for wrecking our lives.” Then Silver pointed at Spike, “And you… well, we just can’t have any witnesses.” The two villains, satisfied with their evil deed gave a final snicker at the victims. “So long, suckers!” sneered Goldie. “Give our regards to oblivion.” hissed Silver. They took off, flying away laughing wickedly, leaving their helpless victims to their fate. “They’re gone, Twilight.” Spike peeped. “I know, Spike. I know…” groaned Twilight. … There was nothing left for her to tell, and not that she could anyway, she had totally exhausted her voice. “Twilight, stay with me!” Starlight begged, but it was no use. Twilight finally passed out from the heat, causing Starlight’s hologram to disappear with the connection being broken as promised. Twilight and Spike were both out of it now-- unconscious, baking in the sun… …That’s when it happened! The dam magically began to open as promised, and the waters came rushing out, and rapidly filling the river in a raging torrent. The water had nearly reached Twilight and Spike, ready to knock their heads off…! …When suddenly, it all just stopped! Celestia and her team had arrived and not a moment too soon! She had used her powerful magic to encase the water in a stasis field holding it at bay. While she stood where she was to maintain the spell, “Get to work, men!” she ordered her guards, and the men got straight to work digging Twilight and Spike out of the ground, and remove the ant-magic manacles, Soon, they were safely out, and Celestia let the way rush. She was very relieved to have arrived just in time. “Your majesty,” one of the guards asked her. “What of the two ponies who did this?” Celestia grimly remarked, “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do. They may as well be a million miles away. For now, we must get these-two some water, and get them home!” Soon, Twilight and Spike were home and safe, much to the happiness and relief of all their friends, but Celestia had ordered Spike and Twilight to take a week off work due to the excessive amounts of desert sun and dehydration they had suffered. Starlight managed all of Twilight’s classes and office work, while the rest of the ponies maintained their own classes and duties as well. Naturally, they all met up at the castle one night to check up on Twilight and Spike. Starlight came out from visiting Twilight. “Is she alright?” asked Fluttershy. “Poor thing,” answered Starlight, “She hasn’t been sleeping well lately.” “I can hardly blame her.” said Rarity. “Given all that she’s been through, and that we nearly lost her in the process… Oh! I feel faint.” “I don’t think it’s all that.” said Applejack. “I don’t think Spike or Twilight will be sleeping too well, what with the Star Sisters still out there.” Rainbow was fuming angrily, “I don’t get it! They just tried to kill our friends! Why don’t we just go out there, and make them sorry they ever crossed our paths?” Starlight shook her head, “We’ve been over this! I can’t find them, not even with the Hologram. It worked on Spike and Twilight because we share strong bonds, it won’t work with the sisters. Even Celestia can’t find them. Who knows where they’ve got to by now? Even if we did find them, there’s nothing we can do. They attacked outside of any borders-- where there is no rules, laws, or any form of penalties for crimes. We don’t have a legal leg to stand on.” The friends were all horrified and livid. “So that’s it?!” wailed Pinkie. “They just tried to kill our friends, and we just let them go? What if they come back? What if they try to finish Twilight off again?!” Even Starlight felt her stomach turn at such a thought, but all she could say was, “We’ll all have to keep our guards up if they ever try such a thing again. As for Twilight and Spike…” she paused “…I just hope they’ll be alright.” Poor Twilight was shut up in her room. She had enforced every window, all the walls, and even the floor and doors with her best spells to prevent unwanted creatures from sneaking in at night. She even carried a large broom with her to attack anyone or anything that would dare sneak up on her, but due to her lack of sleep and paranoia, even the slightest sound made her jump. “Who’s there!” she shouted when saw something moving, but it was just her own shadow. “Don’t do that!” cried Spike, and he hid under the bed sheets shaking nervously. He was far too scared to sleep in his own room by himself. Twilight nervously climbed into bed with him, and held him close to her, while they both quivered nervously while trying to get some sleep… But all they could hear was the sound of the Star Sisters laughing at them and expected to one day come and try to get at them again! Author's Note Heh-Heh-Heh...! Ohh, I enjoyed this one-- really socking it to Twilight like that... ...Just as I look forward to the next one too.
