The Power of Six
By Alaborn
Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.
Zecora and Fluttershy sat around the hoof-carved wooden table in Zecora’s home, calmly drinking tea. But Twilight Sparkle was far from calm. The unicorn paced the hut nervously.
“I can't believe I didn't recognize the Alicorn Amulet!” Twilight Sparkle said.
“The more she uses it, the more it will corrupt her,” said Fluttershy, concerned.
“But how am I supposed to beat that amulet?” wondered Twilight Sparkle. “My magic's not good enough!”
“Twilight Sparkle, much work you have done. You learned all of my lessons; all but one. If Trixie's tricks have you in a fix, you must nix your magic and use the six,” Zecora rhymed.
“Nix your magic, use the six... nix your magic, use the six,” Twilight Sparkle muttered to herself. Suddenly, inspiration struck the unicorn. “Use the six, that's it! Zecora, you're a genius!” she exclaimed. The zebra nodded sagely.
Twilight Sparkle conjured a paper and quill and started writing. “Now I need to get you back inside Ponyville, Fluttershy,” she said.
The plan came quickly to Twilight Sparkle. She needed her friends, and she needed to get back inside that infernal dome. Fortunately, she knew Trixie’s personality.
With Zecora at her side, Twilight Sparkle left the Everfree Forest and returned to Ponyville. She placed her hoof on the magical dome. As expected, she couldn’t pass the dome; its magical force field would strengthen to match any opposing force. But that simple contact would attract Trixie’s attention.
It took surprisingly long for anything to happen. Ponyville’s just not that big, Twilight Sparkle thought. When she caught sight of Trixie, though, it was immediately clear why she took so long to arrive. The showmare had chosen an extremely unwieldy method of transportation, a gilded sledge dragged by two physically unimpressive unicorn colts.
Her dismissive attitude to her servants was clear through the dome, even though her words weren’t. Then she caught sight of Twilight Sparkle, and her next word was very clear.
“You!”
The showmare approached the dome. “What's the matter, Twilight Sparkle? Not enjoying your exile?” she taunted.
“I know about the Alicorn Amulet. I know you cheated,” Twilight Sparkle replied.
“Cheated? Moi?” Trixie replied in mock innocence.
“Yeah,” Twilight Sparkle affirmed. “And I thought you might want to see what a real magical amulet looks like.” She levitated a golden amulet set with a strange green gem, carved in exotic patterns. “Zecora gave it to me. It's from beyond the Everfree Forest, and it's way more powerful than your measly little Alicorn Amulet!”
“Ha! Nothing's more powerful than the Alicorn Amulet! And nopony's more powerful than the Great and Powerful Trixie!” the showmare scoffed. But there was just a hint of hesitation in her words, a slight doubt reflected in her posture.
Twilight Sparkle smiled. “Care to put your amulet where your mouth is? How about another duel?”
“Why should I? I already beat you,” Trixie replied.
“That's up to you!” Twilight Sparkle said. The trap baited, she turned around. “But I guess you'll never see the totally awesome magic from beyond the Everfree Forest. Come on, Zecora.”
“Wait!” Trixie called, raising her hoof. She concentrated, dispelling the magical dome surrounding Ponyville, and then teleporting in front of the departing unicorn. “Okay, okay, you're on! A second duel.”
Whether summoned by Trixie’s powerful magic or simply a scheduled storm system trapped by the dome with nowhere to go, the weather over Ponyville set the perfect backdrop for the second duel between the two unicorns. Lightning flashed and covered the corrupted unicorn in shadow. Twilight Sparkle, her friends at her back, stomped her hooves on the ground and stared at her opponent. The gloom covering Town Hall reminded everypony of the stakes of this battle for their town—and for them.
“Let's start with a simple age spell, shall we?” Trixie suggested.
“Let's,” Twilight Sparkle said in agreement.
“Snips, Snails,” Trixie ordered. The two colts, long past their adoration and now motivated by fear, did as the azure unicorn commanded. They followed her tacit instructions and galloped in front of her.
A red glow spread from the Alicorn Amulet, through Trixie, and out her horn. With an explosion of magical gas, the effects of the age spell were revealed, changing the two colts into infants. Both infants cried; whether it was from the age regression or the constant mistreatment, nopony could tell.
“An oldie, but a goodie,” Trixie said with a laugh. “Now, let's see what your little charm can do.”
“No problem,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “Um, Applejack, Rarity? Could you help me, please?”
Both Applejack and Rarity replied with expressions of confusion. But they stepped up. Trixie showed her disdain for her opponent by filing her hooves, only sparing occasional glances at the action.
Twilight Sparkle concentrated, creating a similar red cloud of magical gas. When it faded, it revealed the unicorn’s magic had no effect on the two mares.
Trixie guffawed. “Giving up already, Twilight?”
“I admit it, Trixie. I can’t do aging spells, and to attempt one on a friend, without decades more practice, would be unconscionable,” Twilight Sparkle explained. “This amulet? It’s one of Zecora’s doorsteps.” The fake amulet flew off her neck, landing on the ground.
“Zecora taught me so much about magic while I was in exile. She even taught me when not to use it. Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie?” Twilight Sparkle looked at her friends as they gathered around her. “Besides, I have access to a much more powerful kind of magic.”
“Bah. Nothing is more powerful than the Alicorn Amulet!” Trixie boasted.
Twilight Sparkle smirked. “Are you sure? Because while you were distracted by me not using the magic of that fake amulet on my friends, I was using my magic to get another amulet. Or, rather, it’s more of a crown.” A chest rose in her telekinetic aura and opened, revealing five amulets and a crown. In a flash, the Elements of Harmony flew to their mortal bearers.
“Now, to banish the wicked Alicorn Amulet forever!” Twilight Sparkle called. Her crown glowed, light spreading to the amulets worn by her friends. The brilliant aura of goodness encapsulated each mare and lifted her into the air. Twilight Sparkle’s eyes opened, and the essence of magic itself shot out, surrounding Trixie and the evil amulet she wore.
Six mares felt their hooves softly connect with the ground. Around them, the effects of Trixie’s magic had disappeared. Snips and Snails were back to their normal size, although they appeared still sucking their hooves. Pinkie Pie’s muzzle returned, and the mare inhaled a deep breath. Banners and statues with the interloper’s visage vanished. Even the oppressive gray clouds disappeared, and the light of Celestia’s sun again shined on Ponyville.
“That does it,” Twilight Sparkle said. “The Alicorn Amulet has been banished to the sun. Never again will somepony be tempted by its power and corrupted by its sinister nature.”
“Wait a minute. Why were the Elements of Harmony in Ponyville?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Princess Celestia is visiting Saddle Arabia. If something were to threaten Equestria, it wouldn’t do to have the Elements locked in a vault nopony could access,” Twilight Sparkle explained. “So when the Princess is away, the Elements are kept safe, just where they were when we fought Discord. The library.”
Zecora approached the six Bearers. “Twilight Sparkle, your plan surprised me. The power of six was friendship, you see.”
“Oh, I learned that lesson well, Zecora, and I thank you for the timely reminder. But you know what’s more powerful than the magic of friendship?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “The magic of friendship PLUS the magic of legendary artifacts.” The other bearers nodded.
“I’m just glad that’s over,” Fluttershy said quietly.
“I’m just glad I can talk and sing and play the flugelhorn again!” Pinkie Pie chirped.
“Wait a minute,” Applejack said. “Just where did Trixie go to?”
“Don’t tell me you banished her to the sun!” Rarity exclaimed. Several ponies gasped.
Twilight Sparkle laughed. “Don’t be silly.” Her friends sighed in relief.
“Trixie was banished to the moon.”
“WHAT?” everpony else yelled.
“Of course she wasn’t banished to the sun. Nopony could live there,” Twilight Sparkle stated. “So I used the power of the Elements to send her to the moon. Besides, I think we can all agree that Trixie could use the time to reflect on the lesson she learned.”
“What lesson is that? Not to let jealousy consume oneself?” Rarity wondered.
“That kind words will open everypony’s forgiving heart?” offered Fluttershy.
“That a magic trinket is no substitute for honest hard work?” Applejack suggested.
“Don’t be a Meany McMeanerson?” Pinkie Pie said.
“That loyal friends are the greatest power of all?” suggested Rainbow Dash.
“No. It’s something simpler,” Twilight Sparkle stated.
“Nopony challenges Twilight Sparkle over matters of magic. Nopony.”
