PHASE VIII: FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
Practically everypony in Ponyville had slept in on the lazy Sunday after the cute-ceañera. It was one in the afternoon, and four fillies were gathered in the quaint little clubhouse at Sweet Apple Acres, which had seen some interesting improvements in recent days, such as raingutters, a new roof, and a pully-driven lift.
"Ah hereby call t' order, this meetin' of th' Cutie Mark Crusaders, Ponyville Chapter!"
Apple Bloom stood at the podium, which was draped with a banner bearing the crest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Babs Seed sat facing her.
"We welcome our sister Crusader from th' Manehattan Chapter, mah cousin Babs!"
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo applauded.
"Now, girls...we've got important business t' deal with today. So first off—"
She was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Sweetie stood to answer it, and leapt back in shock when she saw who she saw on the other side. "Huh?! Silver Spoon?!" The others exchanged alarmed glances and gathered around Sweetie Belle to look outside.
Silver Spoon stood on the landing, a meek expression on her face. She poked at the floor with one hoof. "Can I...can I come in?" she asked. "I'm not here to make trouble! Honest!"
The Crusaders looked to one another, then shrugged and stepped aside, allowing the lesser half of their worst enemy into the clubhouse.
"Whuddya doin' heah?" Babs challenged.
Silver fidgeted, staring at her hooves. "Well, first of all, I wanted to say that...I wanted to congratulate Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle." She looked up. "Oh, and Sweetie Belle...that song you sang last night? That was amazing!"
"Umm...thank you?" the unicorn filly replied, flummoxed.
Silver Spoon trotted over to the window that looked out over the farm. "So I've been thinking," she said, "ever since the day Apple Bloom got her Cutie Mark. What you said to Diamond Tiara, about...about your Cutie Mark actually meaning something..."
Apple Bloom's ears drooped. "Ah was way outta line," she said. "It weren't right'a me t' say somethin' that nasty just t' get back at y'all."
"Actually...I wanted to thank you for saying that," Silver Spoon said quietly.
Apple Bloom blinked. "Say whut now?"
Silver turned to look at her. "Do any of you know what my special talent is?"
The Crusaders looked at one another and shrugged.
Silver laughed. "I didn't think so. Nopony does." She shook her head. "Everypony assumes that my special talent is being stuck-up and nasty like Diamond Tiara, just because...well...I hang out with her being stuck-up and nasty." She sighed. "The truth is...I have the same talent as my dad. Silversmithing. You know, making things out of silver. Like jewelry and...heh...silverware." She gestured at her silver spoon Cutie Mark.
The Crusaders gaped at her. "I didn't know that," Sweetie Belle said.
Silver Spoon shrugged. "Like I said, nopony knows. Because all I've been doing lately is trailing after Diamond Tiara and being a spoiled brat. Which, by the way, is her special talent. Isn't that sad?" She chuckled. "And when you said what you said to her, it reminded me...it reminded me that I do have a real special talent, and that I wasn't always the way...the way I've been since I started hanging out with Diamond Tiara."
"Silver Spoon..." Apple Bloom said quietly.
"And you know what? She's been so much worse since that day. This past week, she's been totally unbearable! I can't even stand to be around her anymore, she's just so...so...UGH!" Silver Spoon tossed her braid. "So, I've been thinking..." She looked around at the Crusaders. "Your little club isn't just about getting your Cutie Marks, is it? It's really about having real friends and finding out who you are." She looked away. "I...don't have any real friends. And I've forgotten who I am. I want...no, I need to find myself again." She turned her eyes up to her former victims, while still keeping her face to the ground. "Can...can we be friends? Can I join you, so I can find myself again?"
The Crusaders looked around at one another, speechless. After far too long an uncomfortable silence, Apple Bloom said, "Silver Spoon? We'd...we'd be honored."
"Yeah, welcome ta da club!" Babs said.
"Thank you...thank you all," Silver Spoon said, looking up and smiling. "And...I promise I'll do everything I can to keep Diamond Tiara from bothering you. Bothering us now, I guess." Her smile took on a little of its old edge. "I know ways to shut her up."
The others giggled. "Well, you're just in time," Apple Bloom said. "Cuz we're about t' discuss important Crusader business."
"Oh?" Silver asked.
"Yeah," Sweetie Belle said. "Now that two of us have our Cutie Marks, and we know what we've been doing wrong all this time, we've decided it's time to reform the organization and change our mission statement."
Silver adjusted her glasses. "This sounds interesting." She joined the others as they took seats in a circle around the room.
"So," Apple Bloom said. "From now on, we're not doin' random crazy stuff all over Ponyville t' try t' get Cutie Marks in things we ain't no good at." With a mischevious grin, she added, "From now on, we're doin' random crazy stuff all over Ponyville just 'cuz it's a hoot."
"YAY!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo chorused, giggling.
"But more importantly," Apple Bloom continued, "from now on, our main goal is t' help fillies an' colts that ain't got a Cutie Mark develop their own potential. Instead'a just doin' any old crazy thing that comes t' mind t' make Cutie Marks show up, we're gonna sit down an' talk all smart-like about what every Crusader's life is like, an' what it is they like t' do. That way, maybe we can help 'em find out what it is they're best at."
"Without burning down half of Ponyville in the process," Scootaloo added.
Sweetie Belle groaned. "Scootaloo! The only thing we ever burned down was the hardware store! And maybe the gazebo...a little..."
"AND," Apple Bloom said over them, "We gotta raise membership! There's fillies an' colts wanderin' around that ain't got their Cutie Marks, an' we gotta get 'em inta th' club so we can help 'em!"
"Like Button Mash?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Puh-LEEZE," Silver Spoon said, waving a hoof. "It's so obvious what his special talent is. Honestly, how does he not have a Cutie Mark yet?"
"Well...that's true," Sweetie Belle admitted. "But we can help him anyway."
"Yeah, sure, we can help your booooooyfrieeeeeend," Scootaloo teased.
Sweetie Belle turned red. "He is NOT!"
Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"
Sweetie groaned. "You have milkshakes together with somepony a couple times, and tongues start wagging...honestly!"
At that point, the meeting dissolved into silliness. By the end of the day, Silver Spoon had completely bonded with her new friends.
* * * * *
Sweetie Belle had gone down to Sugar Cube Corner to pick up "breakfast" for herself and Rarity. A bag of donuts and two lattes were clutched precariously in her hands as she returned to the boutique. She had just rounded the corner when she encountered their neighbors, two adults and a girl Rarity's age, who were loaded down with bags and looked exhausted. "Hey! You're back!"
Zile, a tall, slender Saddle Arabian girl with long black hair shot through with emerald green streaks, smiled and waved. "Hello, Sweetie Belle! Yes, we just got home. We had a long drive from the airport." She rolled her eyes as her father unlocked the door and began moving their luggage inside.
"So, how was Saddle Arabia?" Sweetie asked.
Zile sighed. "Dusty and boring. I'm happy to be home. I can't wait to catch up with all my friends!" She grinned. "I need to help Mama and Papa unpack, but I should be over later today to visit with you and Rarity."
Sweetie tensed up. Zile's family had been gone since the middle of September. She hadn't been present for the Fall Formal, didn't know about everything that had happened...
Zile tilted her head. "Is something wrong, Sweetie Belle?"
Sweetie shook herself. "Uhhh, no. Just...welcome back," she said, smiling. "See you when you're done settling back in." With that, she pushed open the door to the boutique and headed inside.
* * * * *
A group of bleary-eyed mares with terrible sleep hangovers met up at Sugarcube Corner at a ghastly hour: noon. The only pony present who didn't feel as if they'd been run over by a buffalo stampede was Pinkie Pie.
"Ah can't believe how big that shindig last night was," Applejack said.
"Well, a pony getting her Cutie Mark is a huge deal," Twilight said. "I've been reading up on it, and it's not uncommon for a cute-ceañera to be a massive social event."
"Yeah, but the whole town turned out for it," Rainbow Dash said. "And now we've gotta put together another one for Sweetie Belle?"
"Yay! Planning Apple Bloom's cute-ceañera was so much fun, I can't WAIT for Sweetie Belle's!" Pinkie enthused. "I'm gonna make it even bigger and partier and cute-ceañeraier than last night!"
Everypony groaned. "Could we please discuss this tomorrow?" Rarity asked. "I only got about three hours of sleep. I can't even think straight right now."
"I agree," Twilight said. "We've got time to plan. We can wait until we're all a little more...well...lively."
"I'm lively enough for ten ponies!" Pinkie said.
"WE NOTICED," her friends chorused.
Rarity coughed delicately. "Ahem. Very well, Pinkie Pie. You may begin the planning today, and tomorrow, you may fill the rest of us in, and we can flesh out the details."
With that, everypony went their separate ways, visions of warm, comfy beds dancing in their heads—except for Pinkie, who downed three donuts and an iced mocha before turning her attention to a blueprint she'd found in her pony-self's bedroom, which was labeled "REPEAT ACTION PARTY CANNON MARK II".
"Pony Pinkie, I am so very in love with you right now."
* * * * *
Zile stretched as she flopped face-first onto her own bed for the first time in what felt like forever. "Ahh, it's great to be home!" It was the second pilgrimage her family had made since she'd been born. She hated going on these silly trips; all they amounted to was her missing her friends and having to catch up on months' worth of school work.
She rolled over on her back, sitting up. As she did so, she noticed a wrapped box sitting on her desk, with an envelope taped to the top. "Ah? What's this?" she wondered. Only one person could have left anything in her room: Rarity, with whom a spare key to the shop and the apartment had been left so that she could periodically clean up the house and water the plants. Sliding off the bed, she slipped into her desk chair and opened the envelope attached to the present. Inside, she found a DVD; curious, she turned on her laptop, which she'd been forced to leave behind (much to her regret), and slipped the disc into the drive.
A video popped open, and Rarity's face filled the screen.
//Hello, Zile. First of all, welcome home. I hope you had a pleasant time. A lot of things have happened while you were away. I wish I could tell you all about them in person, but...I'm afraid I'm not here, and will be away even longer than you were.//
"Huh?"
//The girl living next door to you at this moment, who looks and sounds like me, is not me. She might not even know who you are. It's difficult to explain, and you may not believe what you're about to see and hear, but I shall endeavor to explain the situation to the best of my abilities...//
Zile watched as a series of bizarre, grainy videos that looked like something out of a television show followed:
The school bully, Sunset Shimmer, and her cronies running out of the front doors of the school carrying a little purple dog.
A girl with rose-streaked purple hair charging out of the building, with Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash behind her.
A game of keep-away with a gaudy crown.
Sunset Shimmer putting on the crown and turning into some kind of demon.
The purple-haired girl and her five friends changing, with three of them growing wings and ALL of them growing little furry ears and hair extensions that looked like tails.
A massive, twisty rainbow laser beam smashing Sunset Shimmer into a smoking crater in the ground.
//This all occurred the night of the Fall Formal. It turns out Sunset Shimmer is from this parallel world of sorts, where magical talking ponies are real. Sunset Shimmer was such a pony; she came here after she fell into disfavor with her mentor. The portal between our worlds only opens every two and a half years or so, and passing through the portal turns ponies into humans, and vice-versa.
//Sunset Shimmer returned to her world before the Fall Formal to steal the crown of Twilight Sparkle—the purple-haired girl from the videos. In that other world, she is a pony princess, and her crown is a powerful magical artifact. Twilight followed her into our world to recover her crown, and we all helped her. She also repaired our friendships that, as it turns out, Sunset Shimmer was responsible for destroying.
//The power of the crown turned Sunset Shimmer into a literal monster, but we helped Twilight defeat her. After that, she...changed. She's no longer the mean, nasty girl you remember her as, and has become our friend, though it has been a rocky process.
//Twilight Sparkle went back to her world. A few weeks ago, the Twilight of this world transferred to Canterlot High, and we befriended her. It was difficult to persuade her that the events which took place at the Fall Formal really happened, but ultimately she accepted us.
//Then, just the other day, our Twilight made contact with that other Twilight. The portal had not re-opened, but it was possible to communicate with the other side. The two Twilights came up with a crazy plan: that other Twilight and her five best friends would switch places with their counterparts from our world—that is to say, myself, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. The only catch is that the portal could only be forced open from the other side, and only our counterparts can open it.
//The six of us have gone through the portal into this pony world. Our pony counterparts have replaced us in this world. Quite a few of the other students at school know about this, as do Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna, though many are skeptical of the whole thing.
//The portal will re-open in two and a half years, at which time we will return home, and our counterparts will return to their world. I know this is all quite far-fetched, but I assure you, every word of it is true. Zile, please be as dear a friend to the other Rarity as you have been to me. Oh, and I've left you a little present.//
Zile stared at the computer long after the video had ended, jaw scraping the desk. "What...WHAT?!" She shook her head. *This has to be some kind of...some kind of prank, right? A sick joke?*
But then she reminded herself that pranks and jokes weren't Rarity's style...and the sincerity of Rarity's plea struck a chord with her. She covered her face with her hands. *Oh...Rarity...what have you gotten yourself into now, you silly girl?*
She gazed at the box on the desk. Carefully unwrapping it, she lifted the lid and extracted a sleek pair of Rarity's signature fancy boots, in her favorite colors. She smiled. "Safe journey, my friend..."
* * * * *
Twilight shuffled wearily home from Sugarcube Corner to find an anxious Spike waiting in the reading room of the library, shuffling his claws. "Twilight!" the little dragon cried. "You have a visitor!"
"Who'd be..." Twilight yawned massively. "...visiting me at this ungodly hour?"
"...uh, it's one in the afternoon on a Sunday?" Spike shook his head. "Anyway, Princess Celestia's waiting for you in the kitchen."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Princess Celestia?!" She hurried into the kitchen, nearly tripping over her hooves.
Celestia, ruler of Equestria, sat primly at the shabby wooden kitchen table, piping hot tea for three already set out, along with a tray of tea biscuits. "Good afternoon, Twilight Sparkle," she said. "I just wanted to drop by and have afternoon tea, and ask you how your first two weeks in Equestria have been." She chuckled. "Forgive me, I'm accustomed to taking tea and having conversation with your counterpart, and I hope to continue the tradition with you."
Twilight gaped like a fish. "Umm...sure."
Celestia tilted her head. "Are you well? You seem somewhat...out of sorts."
"Oh, sorry!" Twilight said, flushing. "I was just up really late last night. Applejack's little sister Apple Bloom got her Cutie Mark, and last night was her cute-ceañera. I think the entire town was there, and it went on half the night. And Rarity's sister got her Cutie Mark in the middle of the party!"
Celestia blinked. "Goodness. What an eventful evening! And it's so delightful to learn that two of the Cutie Mark Crusaders finally achieved their dreams. That leaves..." she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Scootaloo, if I'm not mistaken?"
"I think that's right," Twilight said. "You know those girls?"
"Only by reputation," Celestia said with a chuckle. "Though I have received a friendship report or two from them." She smiled. "Come. Sit. Have tea. I believe you will find this blend to be lovely, and well suited to these delicious tea biscuits..."
* * * * *
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Zile knocked on the door of Carousel Boutique, which was closed for business. Sweetie Belle peeked around the drawn blinds, then unlocked and opened the door. "Um, hi Zile," she said apprehensively.
"Your sister left a very strange video in my bedroom," Zile said with no preamble. "Something to do with pony princesses and demons and magic crowns and a portal?"
Sweetie winced. "Yeah," she said. "Our Rarity's...gone. I mean, the Rarity that's here now is almost exactly the same, except her dress designs are totally different from the Rarity we know. She's also still having trouble sewing. She's not used to having fingers."
Zile raised an eyebrow. "Sweetie Belle, I've had a very long, boring trip. If this is Rarity's idea of a prank, well..." She shook her head. "I love a good joke as much as the next girl, if not more, but this is pushing it too far."
"It's no joke," Sweetie insisted. "It's all true."
Zile groaned and muttered something Sweetie couldn't understand. "Why would that silly girl go and do something this...foolish?"
Sweetie frowned. "Honestly? Rarity and her friends really didn't think this whole thing through. They all just got so excited by the idea that they pretty much jumped at the chance. Well, most of them. The ones that were holding out caved in under pressure."
"Meaning Fluttershy."
Sweetie laughed. "Actually, Fluttershy was really excited about all this. From what I hear, the second she found out she'd turn into a pony, she was raring to go."
Zile giggled. "I suppose that makes sense."
"Just come on upstairs and meet Rarity, alright?" Sweetie implored. "You'll realize pretty quickly she's not our Rarity."
"Alright then..."
* * * * *
The start of new week found Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo meeting up on the way to school. They were soon joined by Silver Spoon, who smiled as she saw them and fished several small, shiny objects from her saddlebag. "Here, girls," she said, tossing one to each of them. The fillies were surprised to see gleaming silver badges bearing the crest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, with the club's name engraved on each badge, and each tied to a shiny lanyard.
"Wow, Sil," Sweetie Belle said, examining hers. "These are amazing! Did you make these yourself?"
"Sure did," Silver Spoon said. "Well, my dad helped a little. He's still a lot better at fine engraving than I am, because he can use magic." She flushed. "The finer tools are a lot easier to handle with magic than hooves."
"Still, it's awesome that you can do something like that," Sweetie said. She looped the badge around her neck; the other two did likewise, admiring their bright shine in the morning sun.
"I'll need to get Babs' address later so I can mail hers to her," Silver said. She fished her own badge out of her saddlebag and hung it around her neck, buffing it. "I'll make one for every new member that joins up too."
"Is that really okay? I mean, silver ain't exactly cheap..." Apple Bloom said.
"Oh, it's no problem," Silver said airily. "We always have some off-grade ore that's not really up to merchandise quality. It's what I use for practice, and I get to make some stuff out of it that's just for me. Or whoever I decide to share it with."
"Cool," Scootaloo said.
"Yes, it's one of the perks of having a silversmithing Cutie Mark..."
An earsplitting shriek interrupted their conversation. "SILVER SPOON!"
Silver froze. "Oh, lovely." She sighed. "This...is not going to be pleasant."
"WHAT are you doing hanging around with those LOSERS?!" Diamond Tiara screeched, storming up to her "friend" while giving the Crusaders the evil eye.
Silver adjusted her glasses primly. "I'm not hanging around with losers," she said. "I'm hanging around with very nice ponies, and I'm lucky they accepted me after the way I've treated them."
Diamond Tiara gaped at her. "What...what has gotten into you, Silver Spoon?"
Silver fixed her with a penetrating stare. "I decided to stop being a spoiled, stuck-up, immature brat and a bully, and try making real friends and being true to myself." She flashed her brilliant new badge at Diamond Tiara, who froze, looking from one filly to another and noticing, for the first time, the identical badges they all wore.
"You...just...you...what...I...!" Diamond Tiara's mouth opened and closed like a stranded fish. "FINE!" she snapped. "Go catch loseritis for all I care! I never needed you anyway!" She stalked off in a huff, nose in the air.
Silver's new friends trotted up behind her. "You okay, Sil?" Apple Bloom asked.
Silver turned and nodded mutely. "Yeah. Yeah, I..." She shuddered. "It never hit me until just now, how nasty she really is." She sniffed. "I mean, I knew she was nasty, but..."
"But being on the receiving end is a little different, isn't it?" Sweetie asked quietly.
Silver nodded. "Yeah." She swallowed. "Girls, I...I'm so, so sorry...every mean thing I ever said to you, every time I ever helped Diamond Tiara bully you..."
"It's cool, Sil," Scootaloo said. "If we held grudges, we wouldn't be getting an awesome new friend like you."
"Yeah, an' if Diamond Tiara messes with you, we'll be there to mess right back!" Apple Bloom said.
The four fillies hugged and giggled, then trotted into the schoolhouse side-by-side.
From behind a tree, Diamond Tiara watched them, eyes narrowed. "Oh, this is not over, you little traitor..."
* * * * *
"Hey Twilight!" Rainbow Dash called as seven girls plus two boys gathered at the statue in front of the school. Monday had dawned cold and cloudy, with a chance of snow in the forecast. "We didn't see you or Flash all weekend!" She waggled her eyebrows. "Been keeping busy?"
Twilight flushed. "Rainbow Dash!" she huffed. "And for your information, yes. We were busy. With guitar practice, and planning my act."
Fluttershy looked concerned. "Um. Will you be okay? I'm sorry I haven't been helping as much as I should have..." She glanced guiltily at her boyfriend. "We've been a little busy."
"It's okay, Fluttershy," Twilight assured her. "To be honest, I feel guilty I haven't been hanging out with you girls as much this past week. It's just that between homework, two hours of guitar practice every day, and then working on the magic act, I haven't really had a lot of time to do anything else."
"We totally understand, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said. "Besides, once this thing's over with, you'll have more time to hang out again!"
Twilight smiled. "Yes. Yes I will. But I'm going to keep doing the guitar practice. It's kind of fun, even if it hurts."
"Hurts?" Pinkie Pie asked, blinking.
Sheepishly, Twilight removed her left glove and waggled her fingers. They were heavily bandaged.
Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "What the heck happened?!"
"Guitar strings are murder on the fingers," Flash said. "It takes a lot of pain and practice to build up the calluses a guitar player needs."
"But it's worth it," Twilight said. "I'm getting faster every day. We're also trying to plan out some tricks that I don't need to be fast for."
The group began moving toward the doors. "By the way, Twilight," Rarity said, "I've just about finished with your costume for the duel. You should come by after school for a fitting."
"Great!" Twilight exclaimed. "Thanks so much, Rarity."
"But of course."
As they neared the doors, three girls stepped out of the shadows to bar their path: the Blossom twins and Trixie.
"Like, good morning, lamers," Aloe said.
"Like, hope you like, enjoy your like, week," Lotus said.
"Because like, after this week? You'll like, never be able to show your like, faces in this school ever again." Aloe added.
Sunset groaned. "Okay, what are you dorks blabbering about now?"
The twins grinned. "We know you're all like, friends with this, like, poser," Lotus said, pointing at Twilight. "And we like, know all about the whole, like, magic thingie."
"So we're like, helping Trixie. With our money, she'll be able to like, buy all the best props and junk."
"And once she like, wins? You and your loser friends are like, done for here."
Twilight frowned. "Trixie? Why are you teaming up with these girls?"
Trixie smirked. "Because, Twilight Sparkle, the GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE will prove that she, and she alone, is the greatest magician in Canterlot High!" Trixie tossed her hair and walked into the school. "Prepare to eat Trixie's dust!"
The twins flipped their hair and followed her inside.
Rainbow Dash stared. "That...that...that total cheater!"
"Now, it ain't cheatin' exactly," Applejack said. "Ah mean, it ain't like we ever set any rules."
"Applejack's right," Flash said. "Much as I hate to admit it, it's not as though Twilight and Trixie ever agreed to no outside help."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Outside help..." She grinned. "That's perfect! Flash, you're a genius!"
"Wish you'd tell my mom that," Flash said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh! Oh! Is this like the thing with the Alicorn Amulet?" Pinkie asked, hopping up and down in place. "The whole 'mix your magic and use the six' thing?"
"Exactly, Pinkie Pie," Twilight said. "Only this time, I think we've got to do it a bit more...creatively..."
Rainbow Dash grinned. "Oh yeah. This is gonna be so awesome!"
* * * * *
Miss Cheerilee entered the schoolhouse to find quite a commotion brewing, centered around the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Silver Spoon. She frowned, fearing she would need to run intervention; she was painfully aware of the problems those three fillies had with her two most stuck-up students, but she worried that intervening at school would only make the problem worse beyond her meager walls.
Then she realized that the commotion was in fact a happy sort of commotion, and the babble of voices were pleasant and cheerful. "Class, settle down," she called out gently.
The students at once migrated to their own desks. As they did so, she caught sight of the brilliant silver badges her three most energetic charges wore. She did a double-take when she realized that Silver Spoon was also wearing one. "Goodness, girls," she said. "What's with the shiny badges?"
"Ah'm glad you asked, Miss Cheerilee!" Apple Bloom said. She nodded to the others, and the four fillies bounded to the front of the room. "Everypony listen up! We're here t' present...th' new, improved Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
"And we're open to new membership!" Sweetie Belle said.
"The Cutie Mark Crusaders have a new mission," Silver Spoon said, adjusting her glasses. "Our mission is to guide ponies into discovering their special talent!"
"Not by trying to do every crazy thing in Equestria," Scootaloo picked up, "but by exploring what you like to do, and building on your personal interests!"
"O' course, we'll still do lotsa crazy stuff too," Apple Bloom said, "but it'll just be for fun!"
"We're open to anypony who doesn't have their Cutie Mark yet," Sweetie Belle said, "and also to anypony who does have a Cutie Mark, and either wants to help other fillies and colts find their special talent, or needs help understanding their own special talent!"
"If you've already found out who you are, but somewhere along the way you forgot who you're supposed to be, the Cutie Mark Crusaders will help you, with friendship and fun!" Silver Spoon added. "AND, all members get a badge, for a one-time membership fee of three bits!"
"We'll be signing up new members after school," Scootaloo said.
Cheerilee smiled at the fillies. "Well! That sounds wonderful, girls! I think you've come up with a really good idea! And I'm thrilled that you finally understand what earning your Cutie Mark really means!"
Apple Bloom giggled sheepishly. "Yeah, Ah guess it took us a while t' learn that lesson, but we done learnt it!"
"Well, I'm proud of you," Cheerilee said. "Now, get ready to learn a different lesson entirely, because I have to teach class now."
Apple Bloom yelped. "Ack! Ah'm sorry, Miss Cheerilee! Ah guess we got a mite carried away..."
"Oh, I don't mind at all. I loved your presentation," Cheerilee replied with a smile. "Now, take your seats, girls..."
As the Cutie Mark Crusaders trotted to their desks, Diamond Tiara watched them, eyes narrowed and arms folded.
* * * * *
After school, a war council of sorts gathered at the coffee shop.
"Alright, here's what we'll be doing," Twilight said, spreading out a hastily-drawn map of the auditorium. "I'm glad Principal Celestia agreed to let us use the school auditorium for the magic duel so we'll know our environment ahead of time."
"Is it me, or does it seem like pretty much everything fun around here happens at school?" Applejack asked.
"Principal Celestia loves seeing all her students have fun together," Flash said. "She's always eager to host all sorts of extracurricular stuff in the auditorium or the gym, as long as it doesn't interfere with classes or sports stuff."
"Right, so here's what we're going to do," Twilight said. "Flash, I can count on you and your band to back me up, right?"
"Of course!"
"Good. Now, the hard part's going to be pulling off some of the illusions I have planned out," Twilight said. "I'll need at least two of you up in the catwalks. Fluttershy, you're on animal detail. Pinkie Pie, I'll be counting on you most of all."
"Got it!"
"Now, here's what I have planned..."
* * * * *
Diamond Tiara fumed as she paced angrily back and forth on the bridge overlooking the stream.
How dare she?!
Who did she think she was?!
As she seethed over Silver Spoon's betrayal, she spotted Snips and Snails approaching, talking merrily about some or another lame thing. She turned to face them, eyes narrowed. "SNIPS! SNAILS!" she barked.
The two unicorn colts came to a halt, sharing a confused glance. "Uhhhh...yeah, Diamond Tiara?" Snips asked.
Diamond Tiara smiled evilly at them. "You two just became my new minions."
Snails blinked. "We did?"
"Yes. You did." Diamond Tiara nodded to herself, self-assurance firm. "Now, I need the two of you to ruin the Cutie Mark Losers and that backstabbing twerp Silver Spoon."
The colts blinked at one another, even more confused. "Uhhh...but DT, aren't you and Silver Spoon friends?"
"SHE IS NOT MY FRIEND!" Diamond Tiara screeched, rounding on them. "She decided she'd rather hang out with those losers than with me!"
The colts shared a glance, as if communicating telepathically. *Can unicorns do that?* Diamond Tiara wondered.
After a moment, they looked back at her.
"Maybe she just got tired of your bossy, selfish attitude," Snips said.
"Uhh, yeah. You're kinda mean and evil and stuff, eh," Snails said. "Maybe she just got sick of you."
"WHAT?!" Diamond Tiara screamed, eyes burning with fury. "How DARE you little morons—" She trailed off, forcing herself to restore her iron calm. "Fine. Put it this way. If you two goons don't help me, I'll make you the laughingstocks of Ponyville."
The colts shared a glance. "Uhh...we're already the laughingstocks of Ponyville, though," Snails said.
"Yeah! It's pretty much the only thing we've got to be proud of!" Snips added.
Diamond Tiara's eye twitched. "You little...do you have any idea what I can do to you?"
"Eh, cool off," Snails said. His horn lit up with a pale, flickering orange glow. Suddenly, Diamond Tiara felt herself flying through the air, wreathed in a wobbly magical aura. She'd just cleared the edge of the bridge when it died, and she plummeted into the stream with a loud splash and an indignant yelp.
"Let's go see what Button Mash is doing, eh?" Snails said conversationally, and the two colts went about their business, their encounter with the most spoiled brat in Ponyville forgotten.
* * * * *
Zile was waiting at the boutique when Rarity, Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight Sparkle entered late in the evening.
"Hello, Rarity," she said. She eyed Sunset Shimmer warily. "Sunset."
Sunset smirked. "Hey, welcome back. You missed all the 'fun'."
"So I've heard," Zile said neutrally.
"Hello there!" Twilight said, approaching the unfamiliar girl. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. I don't believe we've met. Or have we?"
"No, we haven't," Zile said. "I've been in Saddle Arabia for a few months. I wasn't here for what happened at the Fall Formal, nor did I meet the other Twilight Sparkle." She shook Twilight's hand. "I've learned all about everything that happened, of course. It's still quite hard to believe."
"Believe it," Sunset said. "You're the only one in this room who's actually human. The rest of us are all really ponies."
Zile shook her head. "Magical talking ponies...I've heard many strange things, but this is strange even by my standards."
"Can I help you with something, Zile?" Rarity asked.
"Actually, I just wanted to talk for a while. Since we're going to be neighbors," she made a horribly forced whinnying noise, causing the other girls to cringe, "for some time, I thought I should get to know you."
Rarity made a face. "Really, darling, that was...awful," she said. "But, yes, I'd love to get to know you better. Just give me a moment, alright? I've got to do a fitting. You know about the magic duel, yes?"
"Magic duel?" Zile asked, tilting her head. "I've heard nothing of this."
"Twilight got herself roped into a little contest with Trixie," Sunset said, smirking. "And the Blossom Twins upped the ante."
Zile raised an eyebrow. "The Blossom Twins? I ran into them in the halls today. I hate them already."
"Join the club," Twilight muttered.
"Come along, everyone," Rarity said. "The sooner we get this fitting done, the sooner we can all sit and chat..."
* * * * *
School on Tuesday passed uneventfully, with a few more ponies talking to the Cutie Mark Crusaders than usual, and Diamond Tiara radiating an aura of fury.
After school, Snips, Snails, and Button Mash trailed after the Crusaders. "Uhh, we wanna join up, eh?" Snails said.
"Yeah! Me an' Snails've already got our Cutie Marks, but it looks like you girls have a lot of fun, so we wanna play too!"
Button Mash looked hesitant. "I...don't know if I can spare much time to hang out with everypony, when whole galaxies are in danger and I'm the only one that can save them, but...Mom wants me to make friends and do stuff outside the house and away from my video games, so..."
Silver Spoon smirked. Sweetie Belle giggled. "Okay," she said. "You're all in. Pay your three bits to Silver Spoon, and she'll give you each a badge once we get to the clubhouse."
When they arrived, they found Twist waiting for them, eager to join.
"Wow, we doubled our membership in just one day!" Apple Bloom cheered.
"We're gonna need a bigger clubhouse," Scootaloo remarked.
"Maybe we can make that our first big project as a group?" Sweetie Belle offered. "I mean, building is Apple Bloom's special talent, but that's no reason to make her do all the work."
"We can have our own little barn-raisin'!" Apple Bloom declared. "Ah'll talk t' Big Macintosh about gettin' some lumber an' stuff, an' we can plan out an expansion!"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders spent almost an hour talking and planning activities before parting, in high spirits, for their homes.
The next morning, however, the original Crusaders and Silver Spoon arrived to find half the class, minus the newest members, laughing at them. It didn't take long to find out why: Diamond Tiara had plastered the bulletin board with humiliating photos of the four fillies.
"Let's see who wants to be friends with you losers now," Diamond Tiara jeered.
Sweetie Belle paled. "Why you..."
Apple Bloom growled. "You little..."
Scootaloo pawed the ground. "You're the absolute worst...!"
Silver Spoon, however, said nothing. Instead, she pulled a small sachet out of her saddlebag and hurled it at Diamond Tiara. The latter filly blinked as the hurled object burst open and spilled its powdery contents over her face. She then sneered. "Really, Sil? That's all you've got? Throwing things? And not even heavy things?"
Silver Spoon merely smiled. "How would everypony like to hear a secret about Diamond Tiara?" she asked, voice raised. "She's allergic to nutmeg. Like, really allergic." She trotted over to her former friend, rolling her eyes. "Even smelling nutmeg..."
Diamond Tiara reflexively sniffed, and her eyes widened. "You didn't..."
Silver Spoon favored her ex-friend with a catty smirk. "...will give her a really bad case of the Trots."
The entire class laughed. Diamond Tiara, face flushed, bolted from the schoolhouse at a fast gallop. Silver Spoon calmly took down all the photos plastered on the bulletin board and tucked them into her saddlebags, then sat primly at her desk.
"Way to go, Sil!" Scootaloo cheered.
"Oh, it isn't over yet," Silver Spoon said. "We'll have to be careful. Diamond Tiara's likely to get her revenge."
"We need to put a stop to this before it gets any worse," Sweetie Belle said. "But how?"
Apple Bloom sighed. "We need t' do what we shoulda done a long time ago," she said. "We need t' talk with th' grown-up ponies."
"I agree," Silver Spoon said. "Besides, Diamond Tiara's all alone now. If we get her parents and Miss Cheerilee involved, maybe we can really put a stop to this. And we need to do it now, before she can get any new followers."
* * * * *
"Come in," Principal Celestia called out in answer to the knock on her office door. It was late in the afternoon; classes and activities had dismissed, so few if any students remained in the building. Not that she was expecting a student at the moment.
A woman wearing khaki pants and a tan canvas shirt with numerous pockets walked in. Her long hair was mostly black, with thick streaks of varying shades of gray. "Please, have a seat," Celestia instructed.
The woman sat down, folding her hands on the edge of the principal's desk. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," she said.
"Not at all," Celestia replied. "I'm honored, actually. I was honestly a bit surprised when I received your e-mail. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
The woman shifted. "I realize that it's the middle of the school year and this is really, really out there, but...I was hoping you might give me a teaching job here."
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "You're right, that is an unusual request. Especially from someone with your background. You recently retired from a long and distinguished university professorship, did you not?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, me leaving the university was this huge hairy deal, but really, that job was always just a means to an end, and...I didn't really need the money anymore. It was just getting in the way of my real passion."
"Writing?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Heh...of course, writing. What else could I possibly be talking about?"
The principal frowned, crossing her hands in front of her. "Alright, so...if you quit teaching at a university to focus on your career as a writer, a career at which you are quite successful...why do you want a teaching position here, at the high school level? We don't even teach your subject here."
The former professor rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm more than qualified to teach history. And I've heard that the history teacher you have now is about to go on maternity leave soon anyway...I can totally pay her an extra two months' leave out of my own pocket if she bugs out now, before whale season."
Celestia's lips thinned at the other woman's crudeness. "You're not answering my question," she said.
The woman with the grayscale hair sighed. "Alright...the truth is, I want to research something I only recently became aware of. Something that's here, at this school."
"The portal."
"Yeah, that. I have to know if it's for real, and if it is, how it got there and why it exists."
Celestia was silent for a long moment. "So the rumors about you are true."
"What rumors?"
Celestia chuckled. "'What rumors', indeed." She shook her head. "I don't know..."
"Hey, just think of what having me on your staff would do for the school's image," the woman said.
"You certainly are full of yourself," Celestia noted.
"You bet," the woman replied with a cocky grin.
The principal shook her head and laughed. "Alright...I'll start working on the arrangements. If Ms. Harshwhinny agrees, you can probably start next week." The two women stood; Celestia reached across her desk to shake the other woman's hand. "Welcome to Canterlot High, Dr. Yearling."
* * * * *
Cheerilee trotted toward Filthy Rich's estate, frowning.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders had told her about that morning's incident, and Silver Spoon had owned up to her own role in tormenting the Crusaders over the years. Now that she was friends with the girls, she wanted to help put a stop to Diamond Tiara's bullying once and for all. Cheerilee had agreed, and was on her way to have an emergency parent-teacher conference with Filthy Rich.
Arriving, she knocked on the door. She cringed inwardly when Diamond Tiara answered. "Miss Cheerilee! What brings you here?" the filly simpered.
"Oh, hello Diamond Tiara. I need to speak with your father."
"Oh? What about?"
"That's grown-up business," Cheerilee deferred. "Is he in?"
"Well...I'm not sure..." Diamond Tiara said.
"Oh? You're not sure if your father is home? Well then, what about your mother?"
"Mom's...asleep, I think?" Diamond Tiara hedged.
Narrowing her eyes, Cheerilee sat down on the doorstep. "Then I'll simply wait out here until I can speak to one of your parents," she said. "All night if I have to."
Diamond Tiara gulped. "Daddy's in the study," she said, stepping aside and allowing her teacher to enter.
"Thank you," Cheerilee said primly. She strode into the house and quickly found the study, where indeed Filthy Rich was reading. She cleared her throat. "Mr. Rich, if I might have a word with you?"
Filthy Rich looked up. "Oh, good afternoon, Cheerilee!" He set aside his book and straightened his tie. "What brings you around?"
As Cheerilee explained the purpose for her visit, Rich's face grew progressively darker and angrier. By the time she had finished speaking, he nodded once, sternly. "Thank you for bringing these matters to my attention, Cheerilee. I'm aware that my daughter has a problem with her attitude, but I had hoped she would have learned her lesson by now." He cleared his throat, then yelled for his daughter.
Diamond Tiara trotted into the study. "Yes, Daddy?"
"Young lady, we need to talk..."
* * * * *
As the appointed day drew closer, Twilight and her friends practiced their routine. Flash and his friends protected every entrance to the auditorium, ensuring that the Blossom twins and Trixie were denied every opportunity to spy on the competition.
The difficult routine Twilight had created required perfect timing, and coordinating her friends' timed assists was difficult, but as the week rolled on, the tricks were starting to come together, and Twilight grew ever more confident that she wouldn't make a fool of herself.
"Thank you all," she said to her friends as they took a dinner break. "I really appreciate this. I couldn't do this without my friends."
"Hey, we've always got your back," Rainbow Dash said. "You know that."
"I'm actually having a lot of fun," Sunset said. "If I knew having friends and doing stuff together was this much fun, I'd have turned good a long time ago."
"I just hope we can make this work when the whole school is watching," Fluttershy said, some of her old nervousness returning. "That's a lot of pressure..."
"Fluttershy, you're not helping!" Rarity said in a sing-song tone. "Twilight, darling...just relax and enjoy yourself. Win or lose, the important thing is we gave it our best, and we're having fun."
Twilight smiled. "You're right! Thanks, Rarity. Thanks, everyone."
* * * * *
When Diamond Tiara reported for school the morning after Cheerilee's visit, an awkward silence descended upon the fillies and colts at the Ponyville Elementary School.
Filthy Rich had decided that stern lectures, grounding, and forced chores were insufficient punishment, as they had not deterred Diamond Tiara from harassing and bullying other students. In light of her recent escapades, and her history of tormenting the Cutie Mark Crusaders for being "blank-flanks", he had decided that the punishment needed to fit the crime, or there would be no hope of Diamond Tiara ever learning her lesson.
And so, he'd shaved off Diamond Tiara's Cutie Mark, and confiscated her precious little tiara.
Everypony in the classroom stared at Diamond Tiara, whose perfect pink coat was marred by the square of shorn, gray flesh on either flank.
She sat at her desk, folded her arms, and glanced around crossly. "What are YOU all looking at?" she demanded.
The classroom exploded with young laughter. Diamond Tiara's ears wilted, and she sunk as low as possible behind her desk.
*Silver Spoon and her new friends will pay for this...*
* * * * *
The day of the magic duel arrived. After school, the Canterlot High auditorium was packed with students and teachers; nearly everyone had turned out for the strange spectacle.
Hoity Toity had appointed himself emcee of the contest. He stood in the center of the stage, which had been decorated with a "mystical" backdrop. "Welcome, everyone, to a special showdown of magical mastery! Two girls will perform feats of illusion that will bend your mind and leave you in awe and amazement! ARE YOU READY?"
The crowd cheered.
"Then let's introduce our contestants!"
The lights dimmed, and to Hoity Toity's left, a burst of pyrotechnics erupted from the stage, sending up a thick plume of colored smoke. After a moment, the smoke dissipated to reveal Trixie, dressed in elaborate, spangled purple robes covered in gold sequin stars and crescent moons, a tall, pointy hat perched jauntily upon her head. She waved at the audience, emitting bursts of glitter from her sleeves. "The Great And Powerful Trixie HAS ARRIVED!" A moderate cheer went up for Trixie.
Then, the auditorium went pitch black.
Everyone gasped and began murmuring wildly.
Twilight Sparkle's voice echoed through the auditorium. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"
A ghostly, glowing white shape began to descend from above, the only object visible in the pitch black auditorium. Murmurs and whispers rose in volume as the white shape glided slowly to the stage. As soon as it touched down, it vanished.
A single spotlight illuminated the point where it had landed.
Twilight Sparkle stood there, wearing an abbreviated white tuxedo jacket over a low-cut periwinkle corset, nylons, and white high heels. A periwinkle satin collar around her neck sported an orange silk bowtie. She wore a tall, white silk top hat with a periwinkle satin band. She took a bow, and the crowd cheered wildly.
"What an entrance by Twilight Sparkle!" Hoity Toity cried as the lights came back up. "Well, now that our two competitors are here, let the magic begin!"
The Blossom twins wheeled out a large stone cauldron and placed it before Trixie. With a flourish, a slender wand appeared in Trixie's hand. "Trixie will now summon forth the magic flame!" She waved her wand at the cauldron, which burst into bright blue flames.
"Magic flame? More like magic lame!" Twilight retorted, stretching her arms out to her sides and above her head. Three balls of bright orange fire floated out of each hand, hovering above her for several seconds. The fireballs then exploded with a loud bang! and a puff of smoke, revealing doves which flew up and out of view, cooing.
Trixie's left eye twitched. "Such an amateurish move! Behold the workings of a master of magic!" She waved her wand over her cauldron, and a flowing silk banner emerged from the flames, shimmering in their light. The pale blue and silver silk twisted and rippled, forming elaborate patterns as it floated above the flames: a helix, a mobius, a spiral, a five-pointed star. Finally, it pooled at Trixie's feet. She leaned down, swept up in her hands, and whipped it around herself. Once she was completely concealed, there was a puff of smoke; the silk fell to the ground, revealing...nothing. Trixie had vanished.
Twilight yawned theatrically, raised her hand above her head, and snapped her fingers. A canvas screen painted to look exactly like the backdrop of the stage was yanked roughly aside, revealing Trixie standing behind it. The audience laughed. Trixie's face flamed with humiliation.
For the next half hour, the two girls dazzled the audience with an array of illusions involving fire, birds, rabbits, cloth, smoke, mirrors, and explosions. Occasionally, they would try to trip each other up, debunking or interrupting one another's tricks, to the amusement of their audience.
At long last, the time for the grand finale arrived. Trixie wowed the audience with an illusion that seemingly transformed a bronze statue of a lion into a real, live lion, which then jumped through a ring of fire, transforming into a small flock of sparrows in mid-leap, which circled the stage, chirping, before releasing midair bursts of brilliant sparklers.
"That was actually pretty impressive, Trixie!" Twilight admitted. "But I'm afraid it's nothing compared to this."
Twilight clapped her hands. A massive cloud of purple smoke obscured the stage, clearing after almost a full minute to reveal Flash Sentry and his band standing behind Twilight, tuned up and ready to play.
Trixie raised an eyebrow. "That's it? That's your big finish?"
"No, that's just my backup band arriving for my finish," Twilight said. "Boys? Hit it!"
The band began to play, and Twilight slowly rose into the air, hovering three feet above the stage. She began to glow, a shimmery purple mist rising from her skin.
"And now," Twilight said, her voice echoing through the auditorium, "I will show you something you've never seen before...a living, breathing, pony princess!"
The audience oohed.
Twilight threw back her head, shafts of light erupting from her eyes. The glow of her skin and the rising mist intensified, before she exploded in a bright violet starburst. Twinkling dust rained down on the stage...along with Twilight's clothes.
The students and teachers gasped as, where there had once been a teenage girl, there was now a lavender pony with broad, feathery wings, a tapered horn, shining golden horseshoes, and a gleaming crown perched upon her violet mane. The pony smiled at them all, beating her great wings gracefully. "Thank you, thank you all! You've been a wonderful audience!"
Trixie stared, jaw gaping, as Twilight flew up into the rafters. The band trailed off, took a bow, then left the stage. A massive cheer rose.
Hoity Toity hopped back onto the stage. "Well, that was...I've never seen anything like that before! That was a truly brilliant...something! Well done, well done indeed! Let's have one last round of applause for our lovely, talented magicians!"
A half hour later, Trixie was packing away her props when the Blossom twins approached her. "You're like, pathetic," Aloe spat.
"Yeah, a total like, loser," Lotus said. "We're like, taking back all your like, stuff."
As the twins' butler hauled away Trixie's props, the defeated, disgraced magician prowled the wings. After ten minutes of searching, she found Twilight, dressed in casual clothes, surrounded by her knot of friends. They were all laughing and talking. She approached the other girl stiffly. "Well, Twilight Sparkle," she said, "I hope you're pleased with yourself."
"Look, I really hope there's no hard feelings," Twilight said. "I'd really like us to be friends. Or at least, not enemies." She smiled hopefully.
Trixie frowned. "I just want to know one thing," she said. "That last illusion. How?"
"Oh, Trixie," Sunset Shimmer said, chuckling. "You of all people should know that a magician never reveals her secrets."
"Besides," Rainbow Dash said, "who said it was an illusion? Twilight really is a pony princess."
Trixie snorted, tossing her hair and stomping away huffily. Once she was gone, Twilight laughed. "Same old Trixie," she said. "Come on, we'd better get that hologram thing back to Poindexter."
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls are copyrighted intellectual property of Hasbro. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. Other referenced properties are also used without permission, with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged.
