Chapter 19: Release!

Today…

“Now remember, Starsword, keep your willpower clear of anger.”

“Twilight, I know. I’m ready.”

“Don’t forget to slowly channel your magic during the Focus pillar.”

“Got it. Thanks. Can we go?”

“Starsword, keep balanced and steady when you levitate whatever they-“

“TWILIGHT. SPARKLE. Can we please leave now? I got it.”

“…Tom, you don’t need to yell. That’s very rude.”

“Sorry.”

The day of the competition is finally here. Twilight drilled me on everything I learned from her within a matter of a few days. For once, I didn’t feel like an amateur as a magician: I had mastered everything that my teacher taught me and felt prepared to win this thing. Defensive spells, focusing my energy, levitating objects and even other ponies; it was as if Starswirl’s magic began to transition into something completely my own.

Not since I met with Princess Celestia for the first time have I given the old codger much thought. Starswirl may be the originator of my new powers, but in reality, there is nothing attaching me to him. No mentor relationship, no friendship, for all intents and purposes, he is simply an additional weight I’ve been predestined to carry. Not to mention Jonah, who through no fault of his own, is totally reliant on my success for survival.

Jonah…the promise I made to him is my rock, a firm foundation through this entire struggle. Making allies and friends here only helps me keep solid footing on that promise, and fortunately for me, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, and Twilight have been extraordinary in their kindnesses. They all provided encouragement and hope in a world completely alien to me.

Finally, it was time to head to Canterlot Plains, the sight of this year’s Amateur Magician’s Competition. After donning my bodysuit and jacket, we walked to the northwest end of Ponyville, where countless balloons had docked outside of town. Off to the right was a massive crowd of ponies waving to two particulars sitting in one of the baskets.

“Who are those ponies, Twilight?”

“The mare on the left with the blue and white streaked mane and shades is the town DJ, Vinyl Scratch. She’s originally from Canterlot, and was a classmate of mine before she dropped out and became a full-time disc jockey. The mare on the right with the lyre cutie mark and mint green coat is Lyra Heartstrings. I actually don’t remember her special talent, to be honest; she loves strumming the lyre on weekends, though!”

Suddenly, a swarm of kids ran up to us near our balloon basket.

“He’s here!”

“It’s Starsword, everypony!”

“Hey, can I have your autograph?”

“Do it again, do it again!”

“Silver Spoon, let me get on top of you, I wanna see!”

“Tiara, stop it-OUCH! Hey, that hurts…”

The mess of students all had their lanyards and VIP passes around their necks. Parting the sea of kids was Miss Cheerilee, walking right up to the two of us.

“Wow, I can’t believe you all waited for me. That’s awesome!”

Cheerilee gave us a warm smile. “We wanted to wish you both well in case our class doesn’t get a chance to interact with you at the competition grounds. We know you both will be busy with the hub-bub going on today!”

Applebloom burst through the crowd of ponies with Applejack and Rarity close behind.

“Tom-I mean, Starsword, I reckon yer gonna blow ‘em all out of the water today!”

“Thank you, Applebloom! I appreciate that.” My gaze shifted from the little filly to the mares standing behind her. “Hey, you both made it! But don’t you have responsibilities this weekend?”

Rarity blew her mane away from her face. “Oh, darling! We wouldn’t miss this for the world!”

Applejack cocked her hat to the side. “I promised Twilight I’d find a way tuh make it to the competition, Starsword. My brother, Big Mac, offered to take care of the chores while I’m away. What a swell brother, I tell ya wut!”

Cheerilee shouted for her class to get inside the insulated balloon adjacent to ours. Applejack and Rarity walked towards the class’ balloon with Applebloom; they are the class chaperones for the ‘field trip’. The mob of children galloped quickly inside the basket and took off in the direction of Canterlot, following the other baskets. Twilight and I walked into our basket as she explained the excitement happening around us.

“Starsword, typically, from a town like Ponyville, you are lucky to receive even one invitation to Canterlot’s branch of the competition. This year, three unicorns got invited; no town like Ponyville has ever qualified so many ponies! Although, your invitation was a matter of association rather than actually qualifying…”

So those two unicorns are my competitors, huh?

“There’s another thing you should know: a Canterlot unicorn has won this competition each of the past 20 years, with the last non-Canterlot pony to win this branch hailing from Trottgart. Beyond that, Canterlot hasn’t seen another unicorn from another city or town win for the past 200 years!”

And I have to win this competition? Is Celestia mad?! She has to know how much this stacks up against me!

“Twilight, I…I don’t need to tell you how hopeless this sounds for me! I still have to try…”

Twilight shrugged her shoulders. “That’s all we can ask of you. I can’t make you win, but I’ve adequately equipped you to perform at a competitive level. You will be fine! Let’s make our way over there, shall we?”

The balloon had taken off, giving me an opportunity to see the landscape in a different light. The Everfree Forest and Ponyville sat to my left on the ground as I turned to face south. As the sun caught my eye through a lone cloud, it glared in my face, causing me to turn away to look in the direction of Cloudsdale.

The flight was very short, but instead of landing in the castle town, Twilight directed the balloon to land adjacent to the river at the base of the falls. Around the landing site were countless balloons of various shapes; an erector set arena sat in a field a short walk away from where the balloons were parked. One gigantic banner in the arena read “405th Annual CAM: Presented by Calm Whisper’s Organic Horn Cream.”

So they aren’t above product placement, either. This must be their version of an amateur Super Bowl!

Surrounding the arena were hundreds of vendors selling food, beverages, and comforts for the guests watching the competition. Anything including seat cushions, socks, foam fingers, flags, and other fan gear were sold for expensive prices to anyone willing to squeeze their wallets clean. There were two names I saw frequently appearing on the gear being sold: Andromeda and Aries.

“Who are those ponies on the gear they’re selling, Twilight?”

Twilight gave the flags a good look, and jerked up in surprise. “So they both qualified this year! Starsword, I grew up going to class with these two unicorns. They are twin brother and sister, Aries and Andromeda; together, they’ve gained some fame as the ‘Starborn Siblings’.”

“I see…hold on a second, Twilight. Those are the very names of constellations our planet can observe during certain season of the year. How is it that these ponies have those names when we are in an entire foreign part of the universe?”

Twilight gave the question a moment’s thought. “Well, that’s a good point, Star…I guess Princess Luna would need to answer that, since she gave them the names.”

“Princess Luna named those two? Are they her children?!”

Twilight giggled at my suggestion. “Not at all, silly! They are top graduates from the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns, same school I attended. If it weren’t for Princess Celestia dropping me out to become her personal protégé, I would have been valedictorian instead of those two. They both graduated with the exact same grade point average as the other sibling. Princess Luna signed a recommendation for them to join the junior division of the Equestrian Magician’s Guild, and that’s their story!”

They are prodigies! I’ve only done this magic business for a month, and they have been doing it their whole lives! And they are graduates of a school for ‘gifted’ unicorns! How am I supposed to compete?!

*ding* WILL ALL AMATEURS MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE TESTING GROUNDS SOUTHEAST OF THE ARENA *brrpt*

“They’re calling for me, Twilight! Let’s go!”

Twilight and I hurried to the site of the qualifying round. The content of this year’s amateur competition, Twilight told me, would always be slightly different than prior years. Because I only had one month to prepare, there could be concept thrown at me that I might not be ready for; she prepared me with the essentials.

After arriving at the testing grounds, we marched into the crowd of on-lookers waiting patiently for the competition to get under way. Most of the guests were gathering inside the arena, so a good two hundred ponies were in observance where we were. A unicorn with an official’s badge and jacket walked up to the makeshift podium.

“Welcome to the qualifying round of the Amateur Magician’s Competition, Canterlot branch. I am Director Tally Mark, and it is with great pleasure that I introduce the 18 unicorns who qualified for this year’s contest. Please step forward as I call your names aloud.”

“From the city of Vanhoover: Maple Hooves.”

“From the city of Los Pegasus: Sea Spray and Sea Swirl.”

“From Dodge City: Jim Appleseed.”

“From the city of Fillydelphia: Belmont Stripes and Brave Lancer.”

“From the city of Manehattan: Morningside, Neon Lights, and Colt Rockefeller IV.”

“From the city of Canterlot: Amethyst Star, Andromeda, Aries, Beatrix Lulamoon, Racquet, and Silver Ringer.”

“From the town of Ponyville: Lyra Heartstrings, Starsword, and Vinyl Scratch.”

The competitors and I stood side-by-side, receiving the approval of the on-looking crowd. I turned my head around the Manehattanites standing next to me to get a good look at the Starborn Siblings. They eagerly waved to their section of the crowd, receiving a flurry of chants of their names.

The crowd came closer to us, giving each of us pats on the shoulder and wishes for good luck. I was startled as Snips and Snails leapt out from the crowd, running up to Beatrix Lulamoon. This unicorn was obscured by a purple hooded cloak, which also covered up her cutie mark.

“Snips, is it really her?!” “It sure is, Snails! That’s the Great and Powerful Trix-“

The unicorn pressed her hooves against the two sets of lips. I heard a stern whisper, and the two colts scampered away quickly, giving her a wink and sheepishly grinning.

Director Tally Mark stepped forward to speak again. “Welcome everypony to the preliminary testing grounds of the 405th Amateur Magician’s Competition in Canterlot! Please turn your attention to the center of the field; as you can see, there is nothing here that you can see. However, there is, in fact, a massive object that each of you must attempt to lift 200 yards into the air. Your score will either be the highest altitude the object reached, or the amount of time it took for the object to reach 200 yards. Here is what you must lift: a 2 ton boulder!”

The Director channeled his magic, revealing an invisible boulder towering over us.

Sea Swirl from Los Pegasus dropped to her knees in shock at the size of the rock.

“Tha-tha-that’s huge! How in the world are we supposed to lift that thing?!”

The siblings, Andromeda and Aries, walked over to Sea Swirl and knelt down, patting her on the back.

“Andromeda, what should I say?”

Aries’ sister, Andromeda, whispers gently to Sea Swirl. “Don’t focus on the size, but on the inner strength I know you possess. No challenge is too great if you give it your best shot!”

Sea Swirl wiped her tears away and grinned. “Thu-thanks, Andromeda! Wow. I needed that.”

The director gave a slight cough and returned to explain the preliminary round.

“Thank you… now this boulder is what every competitor will attempt to levitate to that 200 yard marker floating in the air. The best six attempts will advance to the Four Pillars in the arena. This means only six of you will advance beyond this point of the competition.”

“Here are the rules for this round:

(1) You must use telekinesis on the boulder to levitate. No space-time spells allowed!

(2) You must maintain positive velocity moving upward. If your vertical velocity drops below a positive value, we will record the height you reached.

(3) Do not tamper with the boulder to sabotage other attempts. You will be disqualified and incarcerated.”

“That is all I need to say. Are we clear on the rules for this round?”

Everypony nodded in unison.

“Fantastic! Our first randomly selected participant is…Number 8! Neon Lights of Manehattan, please step forward and begin when ready!”

Neon Lights came forward in his black suit, white tie, and aviator shades. Removing them and setting them to the side, he flexed his legs and lay prone on the ground. His magic energized and lifted the boulder from its rooted position. The timer behind him had begun, and he slowly raised the boulder. He brought it to the 80 yard mark before it fell down, not without it being abruptly stopped short of the ground by the Director.

“Very noble attempt, Mr. Lights! 80 yards is the benchmark. Next up: Number 3! Sea Swirl of Los Pegasus, at your ready!”

Sea Swirl quivered in fear of the massive rock overshadowing her. Looking for sympathetic glances, she turned to the crowd, visibly shaken and distraught. Her eyes drifted to Andromeda and her fellow mare from Los Pegasus, Sea Spray, as they gave Sea Swirl reassuring nods and smiles. Sea Swirl’s shaking ceased as she turned to face her foe.

Her magic encompassed the boulder and lifted it from its resting position on the ground. Surprising even her, the rock made its slow journey into the sky. After around 60 yards, the boulder no longer moved, and descended in the same way Neon Lights’ attempt had done. Sea Swirl turned and leapt joyfully into the air; the crowd erupted with laughs and cheers for her success.

“Great attempt, Ms. Swirl! That was thrilling! Let’s call up the next competitor; Number 12! Aries of Canterlot, please step forward!”

For the next hour, names and numbers were being called; Aries gave an incredible effort, eclipsing Neon Lights’ initial attempt by 90 yards! The benchmark had been set high, and it felt like nobody could get close, as multiple ponies gave less than inspired efforts:

12 – Aries of Canterlot – 170 yards

6 – Brave Lancer of Fillydelphia - 115 yards

7 – Morningside of Manehattan - 95 yards

15 – Silver Ringer of Canterlot - 90 yards

8 – Neon Lights of Manehattan - 80 yards

3 – Sea Swirl of Los Pegasus - 60 yards

2 – Sea Spray of Los Pegasus - 55 yards

“Next up: Number 11! Andromeda of Canterlot, please make your way forward!”

I could see Sea Swirl leaping up and down, cheering her new friend on with the rest of the crowd. Andromeda fixed her attention only on the boulder, charging her magic. The boulder fluidly ascended at a fixed pace upward. The crowd screamed their approval of Andromeda’s stamina; the rock never slowed down as it crossed the 200 yard marker at around three minutes and ten seconds!

11 – Andromeda of Canterlot – 200 yards, 3:10

5 – Belmont Stripes of Fillydelphia – 120 yards

“Next up: Number 18! Vinyl Scratch of Ponyville, please step forward!”

As Vinyl made her way to the middle of the field, I shouted out “You got this, Vinyl!” leading to a wave of cheers from her fans on the other side of the procession. She turned around and hoofpumped the crowd, rousing another eruption of cheers.

Her attempt started off ready bad. After about 40 yards, it appeared like she had used up all of her magic; that is, until someone to my right shouted “Drop the bass, DJ!” Vinyl’s horn burst into a radiant blue aura, and the rock suddenly shot quickly higher into the sky. Beverages fell to the ground, jaws dropped, and ponies bobbed their heads to an inaudible rhythm as the boulder finally stopped at 165 yards, placing Vinyl solidly in qualifying range.

The director could hardly announce the next pony’s name. “Wuh…well then! Ummm…next up is Number 13! Beatrix Lulamoon of Canterlot, please step forward!”

The mystery mare under the hooded cloak trotted to the rock and started up her levitation spell. Unlike Vinyl’s attempt, she immediately threw the massive object high into the sky at an incredible speed. Her strategy was to give the rock intense momentum to move, allowing it to naturally slow down using the planet’s gravity. The ascent lasted until the 160 yard marker before it began to fall.

“In-incredible attempts by both ladies! Wow! Next up is Number 16! Lyra Heartstrings of Ponyville, please begin!”

As she brushed past me, I gave her a nudge with my hoof, and she spun around to look at me. Her face showed a look of total surprise!

“Hey! You’re that pony I met in the park a couple weeks ago! Tom, right?!”

I shushed her a bit. “Sorry, Ms. Lyra. It’s ‘Starsword’ now, but yes, it’s great to see you again! Good luck!”

She blushed at her ignorant blunder. “Sorry, Starsword, I didn’t realize! Thanks!”

The second of the Ponyville entrants started her levitation spell. Her technique was solid, but Lyra had little endurance, and could only lift the boulder as high as 40 yards. Who would have guessed the unicorn I met in the park only two weeks ago had a high aptitude for magic?

“Valiant effort, Ms. Heartstrings! Now onto the next pony…”

The next two attempts made were by Maple Hooves of Vanhoover, and Racquet of Canterlot, both logging in distances of 60 and 100 yards, respectively. After those two, it was finally my turn to surmount this challenge.

“Next up is Number 17! Starsword of Ponyville, please step forward!”

Everything that Twilight has taught me is coalescing into this moment; I have to qualify! These ponies are aiming to achieve recognition, to prove themselves to others, to make their dreams come true. I don’t diminish their efforts by any means…but I must do this for something greater than myself. I must do this for Jonah, for Starswirl, and for the peace that Celestia is trusting me to accomplish!

This piece of earth standing before me meant more than a simple exercise in magical power; it was standing in the way of my friend’s safe return. It stood in the way of peace; it stood in the way of the lives of many ponies and griffons that need my power. I knew I could fail, but thinking like that has no place in my mind anymore!

My horn drew my magic out and encased the boulder in a brilliant white aura. Its ascent began, and the timer ticked forward. The shouts from the director burned in my ears; 20 yards, 40 yards, 60 yards.

Excellent progress! The rock isn’t weighing down at all, and at this rate…woah, crap, it’s getting heavy, aaah!

The boulder slowed to a crawl at around 85 yards, and the doubts crept back into my mind.

I’m too weak for this; it’s getting to be impossible to carry…

Tom.

“What?”

“Tom, promise me you will finish this mission and take me home. Do this for me and the project team. See where our DESTINY will take us.”

Jonah…I promised I would get you back home. Alive. I promised I would unite the ponies and griffons. So many promises made, so many depending on me…and I cannot go back on my WORD!

An incredible surge of power ran to every pore of my body; the energy output from my horn just about tripled in measure! The boulder sped up and the director fumbled announcing the altitude of the rock.

“100 yards, 105-no! 120 yards! 140 YARDS! It’s- 160 YARDS!”

I got to the point of screaming as the magic burned my horn; but I had to continue or I would risk not qualifying.

“180 yards! 185 yards! 190 yards! It’s slowing down…195 yards!”

The boulder had just hit 200 yards when it immediately stopped and made its way short of the ground, being stopped by the Director’s magic. The audience at the testing grounds went insane, a mixture of cheering and looks of bewilderment.

“Well, Starsword, my eyes in the sky are confirming the boulder made it 195 yards. Incredible score, congratulations!”

I took my spot in the mess of ponies patting me on the back, and watched the final three ponies make their attempts. Colt Rockefeller IV of Manehattan made it to 155 yards, Amethyst Star of Canterlot reached 130 yards, and Jim Appleseed of Dodge City passed the 150 yard mark. Director Tally Mark conferred with his staff before approaching the anxious crowd, and announced the names of the qualifiers.

“Thank you for your patience, we can finally confirm the names of the unicorns that qualify for the Four Pillars! They are: from Canterlot, Andromeda, Aries, and Beatrix Lulamoon; from Manehattan, Colt Rockefeller IV; and from Ponyville, Starsword and Vinyl Scratch! Competitors, please make your way to the arena!”

Twilight Sparkle charged up and gave me a tight squeeze around the neck. The Ponyville Elementary class surrounded me and shouted all kinds of encouraging cheers my way.

“Twilight, I can’t believe it! That rock flew!”

“I know, I saw! Where did you find the power to move it so quickly after all that exertion?”

“Truthfully, I think I literally felt the weight of all that I had promised I would accomplish. I couldn’t imagine giving up and not keeping my word. I’ll never give you all a reason to not trust me ever again, not like I did Applejack…”

Twilight lifted a hoof to my face. “Starsword, you’ve proven your trustworthiness to all of us by now. You work hard despite the fear of failure and losing your friend in the end. That takes incredible inner strength, and I just want you to realize how much that means to everyone watching.”

Wow…I can’t even respond to that. That’s too kind of her to say.

“Twilight...”

“I know, Star. Go to the arena, and do us proud."