Equestria Girls (Nine Elements version): Book 1: Through the Mirror

Written by Brandon Nell, Rachael Ravens, and Blake Hawkins

Chapter 1: The Princess Summit, The Magical Earth Mare, and The Brother

The castle of the Crystal Empire sparkled brilliantly in the midday sun. Ponies pranced around the kingdom, running their daily errands in the market or playing outside in the gorgeous weather. In fact, everypony was so busy that they didn’t notice that seven visitors from afar had just arrived through the front gate. It was six ponies and one small dragon, to be exact. One of them was the recently crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle, who had turned 19 years old eighteen days prior. Accompanying her were her closest friends and her adopted dragon son, Spike. This had been their third time visiting the Crystal Empire up until that point, but, this time, it wasn’t for a reason that involved them saving anypony or serving as assistants. Instead, Twilight was called here for an important Princess summit; her first one to be exact. Naturally, her friends insisted on coming to support her (and, in Pinkie’s case, sample a few Crystal berry tarts and, in Rainbow’s case, check out the Equestria Games stadium if there was time). Spike felt a bit hesitant going after the experience of being swarmed by fans the last time he was there, but, he took comfort in knowing his friends and adopted mother would keep the more obsessive fans from getting too close. It was at that point that Applejack spoke up.

“Ah bet yer excited ‘bout yer first Princess summit, Twi,” she said.

“I am,” Twilight admitted. “But, at the same time, I’m also nervous.”

“You’re nervicited~” Pinkie surmised. “It’s like you want to jump up and down and yell, ‘Yay, me!’” She happily jumped around until suddenly she stopped and curled into a ball. “But, at the same time, you also want to crawl into a teeny tiny ball and hide at the same time~!” She got out of her position and gave Twilight a comforting hug. “We’ve all been there, don’t worry.”

Fluttershy, who had floated into the air for a moment to stretch her pale yellow wings, landed gracefully on the ground. “I’m there almost every day,” she agreed in her soft voice.

Applejack was about to comfort Twilight more when all of a sudden, Rarity got closer to their recently christened friend.

“If you’ll pardon me,” Rarity said. “I couldn’t help but notice you’re not wearing your crown. You haven’t left it home, have you?”

“No,” Twilight answered. “It’s in my saddlebag.”

“Ah, thank goodness,” Rarity said. “With you attending a princess summit, it might be important to have it on you. Though, I must admit, if I was to be a princess and have a crown as lovely as yours, I would never take it off. Why, I’d even sleep in it.”

“I tried that,” Twilight said. “When I woke up, it was bent out of shape.”

“But, since it’s not sticky from soap suds,” Spike said. “I know for a fact that she hasn’t worn it while bathing.”

As soon as Twilight and her friends entered the foyer of the Crystal Castle, her nerves began to melt away like ice cream on a warm summer day. The Empire was starting to feel a little more like a home away from home to her. Twilight attempted to hold her head high in order to give off an air of confidence to anypony who might be watching, but the sound of royal trumpets suddenly blared through the castle. Twilight was startled by the loud racket and stumbled. Unfortunately, being a princess didn’t automatically make a pony graceful.

“Okay, guys,” Flash Sentry said. “Easy with the trumpets.” He helped Twilight up after she bumped into him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Twilight said with a blush. “But, what are you doing here?”

“I’m in charge of a Canterlot Guard envoy transporting something here,” Flash explained.

“Ah, that’s good,” Twilight smiled.

“Twilight! Spike!” Cadance said, approaching her sister-in-law and her nephew-in-law. “It’s so good to see you and your friends here again.”

“Likewise,” Spike said. Then, his curiosity took over. “Flash, what exactly were you transporting here?”

“Something called the Crystal Mirror,” Flash explained. “Though, we also brought an unexpected passenger.”

“Who?” Spike asked.

“Princess Cadance,” Flash asked. “Permission to show them the Crystal Mirror?”

“Permission granted,” Cadance nodded.

Flash led the group to a room along a corridor. In that room stood what appeared to be an ordinary standing mirror with a horseshoe-shaped rim lined with pink gems. Its standing base is also lined with horseshoes and attached to the top is a smaller window with a depiction of a pony inside. Near it stood a light greenish gray earth pony mare with grayish tangelo eyes, a long, tousled mane and tail of moderate aquamarine, and a Cutie Mark depicting a wilting flower in a cracked terracotta flower pot.

“Who's she?” Spike asked.

His voice startled the earth pony mare, who turned around to face him and the other Guardians of Harmony. She then started awkwardly getting herself decent before speaking up. “Uh, my Wallflower is name Blush,” she said before realizing her mistake and shaking her head. “I mean my Blush is Wallflower name.” Once again, she realized she made a mistake. “I mean my name is Wallflower Blush.” The mare was so embarrassed that she sat on her flank and covered her face with her forehooves. “Oh, I’m so terrible at introductions without Sunset.”*

“I think I know how you feel,” Fluttershy said comfortingly. “But, it’s nice to meet you, Wallflower Blush. If I may ask, what are you doing here?”

“Wait,” said Rainbow. “Did she just say, ‘Sunset?’ As in, Sunset Shimmer?”

“Yes,” Wallflower explained. “She was my best friend in magic school.”

This response left all in the room confused.

“What’s an earth pony doing at a magic school?” Rainbow asked. “Earth ponies can’t use magic like unicorns unless they’re Crystal Ponies, which you clearly aren’t.”

Wallflower noticed a potted plant close by. “See that plant over there?”

The others looked where she pointed. “What about it?” Pinkie asked.

“Watch,” Wallflower simply said before walking to the plant. She pointed a forehoof at it and focused hard. The forehoof she held out glowed with a lime green aura. The plant shuddered a bit when it suddenly grew into a 20-hoof-tall palm tree before the very eyes of all present. So fast was its growth that it hit Wallflower’s body and knocked her onto her back. “Ow.”**

The collective jaws of Flash Sentry and the Guardians of Harmony went slack and their eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. They’d never seen such a thing before.

“That was amazing!” Twilight exclaimed with her and Applejack helping the magically-gifted Earth mare get up.

“Y-you aren’t going to make fun of me?” Wallflower asked, surprised.

“Make fun of you?” Rainbow asked. “We don’t even know how you did that! You’re a non-Crystal Earth pony! Last I checked, something like this shouldn’t even be possible! How were you able to do that?!”

“Well, to tell you the truth,” Wallflower admitted. “I’m only half-earth pony.”

“Half?!” the others all exclaimed.

“Yes,” Wallflower explained. “My mother was an earth pony with some unicorn heritage while my father was a unicorn with earth pony heritage.”

“That is truly remarkable,” Rarity smiled.

“You’re the first ones outside my parents and Sunset to think so,” Wallflower said. “Others who saw me do it called me a freak. An unnatural abomination.”

“Trust us,” Spike said. “You’re no freak. You just have a unique gift.”

“That’s what Sunset said to me,” Wallflower said as tears welled up. “She saw my powers and even afterwards, she treated me like… like an equal.”

Spike and the ponies comforted her. “I know what it’s like to be considered a freak,” Spike said. “I wouldn’t wish that on any other living thing.”

“Thank you,” Wallflower sniffled. “But, you don’t seem like a freak to me. And I can tell right away that you don’t have a bad bone in your body.”

“Thank you,” Spike said.

“Anyway,” Applejack said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Ya said ya were friends with Sunset Shimmer.”

Wallflower nodded. “I know what became of her, too, but, she swore me to secrecy.”

“Understood,” Pinkie said, knowing the importance of keeping secrets. “We won’t press you about it anymore.”

“We better head back for the summit,” Spike said.

“Oh, dear,” Fluttershy said. “I almost forgot about that. It was still nice meeting you, Wallflower.”

The group made their way back just as Princess Celestia arrived.

“Good evening, all,” Princess Celestia said. “We have much to discuss.” She then noticed that the Guardians looked a bit tired. “But, it can wait until tomorrow. You all appear tired from your journey.”

The Guardians nodded in agreement.

“I have spare rooms for you all to sleep in,” Princess Cadance said. “And I have guards to escort you there.”

The Guardians were escorted to their rooms. Along the way, they spotted a unicorn stallion with a coat of brilliant gamboge with light apple greenish gray spots, a mane, tail, and beard of vivid and brilliant vermilion, and eyes in a gradient of dark cornflower blue to moderate cyan wearing glasses and a star-covered cloak that hid his Cutie Mark.

“Oh,” said the stallion timidly, adjusting his glasses. “Good evening.”

“Who are you?” Pinkie asked.

“I’m Sunburst,” the stallion answered. “I’m looking for my older sister, Sunset Shimmer.”

“That’s the second pony we’ve talked to today that knew of her personally,” Rarity said.

“Two and a half years ago,” Sunburst explained. “I went to Canterlot to visit my sister only to learn she wasn’t there and I’ve been looking for her ever since.”

“We were just talkin’ ta somepony who was very close ta her,” Applejack explained. “N’ she knows where yer sister is, but, she promised ta keep it secret.”

“I don’t suppose either of you tried pressing the subject?” Sunburst asked.

“Are you kidding?” Pinkie asked sternly. “Revealing a secret could break a friend’s trust. And breaking a friend’s trust is the fastest way to lose a friend… forever!”

“Is she always this creepy?” Sunburst asked uneasily.

“She has her moments,” Rainbow admitted.

“Regardless,” Sunburst asserted. “As her brother, I feel I should be entitled to know where she is. I’ve been traveling all over Equestria trying to find her.”

“I recommend that you talk to Wallflower Blush,” Twilight said after giving the situation some thought. “Given that there’s common ground between the two of you, perhaps you can comfort one another.”

“I hope so,” Sunburst said. “I’ve traveled so long, I grew a beard. And I’m only 17!”

“Ah guess puberty starts earlier n’ earlier every year,” Applejack observed.

“Well,” Spike said. “It was nice meeting you, Sunburst, but, we’re going to turn in for the night. Make sure you get some rest as well, alright?”

“I make no promises,” Sunburst said.

While the Guardians headed away, they didn’t notice that somepony was nearby. Somepony who was hiding in the shadows and watching their every move. Somepony who wanted to remain hidden.

In Twilight and Spike’s shared room, Twilight was unpacking. She took her crown out of her saddlebag and placed it on her vanity. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Spike was alerted to this.

“What’s wrong, Mom?” he asked.

“I’m… worried,” Twilight admitted.

“Worried about what?” Spike asked. “Maybe I can help.”

“Princess Cadance was given the Crystal Empire to rule over,” Twilight explained.

“Didn’t Princess Celestia explain that you wouldn’t be given a kingdom when you first got your wings?” Spike asked.

“She said I could stay in Ponyville if I desired,” Twilight said. “But, what if that kingdom ends up being in Ponyville?”

“I mean,” Spike said. “It could work considering Ponyville is our home now. You’ll be able to be with all of your friends there.”

“But,” Twilight continued. “It just wouldn’t feel right. Just because I have these wings and this crown, it doesn’t automatically mean that I’m a good leader. You’ve been the voice of reason more often than I have.”

“And that’s a result of how you raised me,” Spike said. “I can understand what you’re worried about, though. Maybe Princess Celestia has those answers for you during the summit tomorrow. You should let her know about what you’re feeling. She can’t help if she doesn’t know there’s a problem.”

Twilight took a deep breath. “You’re right, Spike,” she smiled. “Thank you for listening. I’m going to try and get some sleep. Maybe I’ll feel better after a good night’s rest.”

“Uh, mom,” Spike asked. “Since it’s technically the first day of winter…”

“Climb on in, Spike,” Twilight said, offering a spot next to her on the bed. Spike gratefully took the spot and got comfy in Twilight’s embrace.

“Mom?” Spike asked as his voice was muffled against her barrel. “Do you think I’m getting too old for this?”

“You can get too old for a lot of things,” Twilight said. “But, you’ll never be too old for receiving love from me.”

“Aww~” Spike said. Twilight could feel his smile. “Thank you. Goodnight, Mom.”

“Goodnight, Spike,” Twilight said softly.

While Spike slept comfortably, Twilight found sleeping with her wings difficult despite having them for barely a month.

One of these days, Twilight thought to herself. I’m going to get used to these wings.

As she twisted around in her bed, Twilight made a mental note to discuss optimal wing-sleeping positions with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in the morning. Finally, she found a good spot. That’s better, she thought, closing her eyes at last. Sproing! Suddenly, her left wing popped out of the covers. Twilight sighed heavily. Apparently, there were a lot of things about her new life that were going to take some getting used to—summits, wings, and crowns were only the start. But, hey, at least she didn’t have to sleep in her crown.

Author's Note

Here's the first chapter of the Nine Elements adaptation of Equestria Girls. Now, like the Oz crossover, this story doesn't have a weekly schedule and will have a new chapter the day after it's completed.

*Establishing character moment for Wallflower.

**Try and guess the Disney movie reference.

Comments? Questions? Thoughts? You know where to leave them.