by G. M. Berrow
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For my three “mane” girls—Rachel, Pam, and Sidnie
CHAPTER 1
A Crown Achievement
All of Equestria had been celebrating since the joyous wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Cadance, as she was called, was one of the most loving mares in all of ponydom. The citizens of Equestria, including the newly recovered Crystal Empire, were living in a time of happiness and prosperity. Apples grew in the orchards, creatures big and small played in the lush green fields, and ponies of all three tribes lived in harmony. And now, another promising young royal had been inducted into the highest ranks of pony society. It seemed like the cherry on top of a delicious ice-cream sundae.
Ponies of all kinds from the far reaches of Princess Celestia’s kingdom were curious about the new princess who had just been crowned. She wasn’t just anypony. This was a young Unicorn pony with a violet-hued hide, a beautiful purple-and-pink-striped mane, and incredible raw abilities. Her name was Twilight Sparkle, and she was indeed very special. Stories of her amazing magical gifts had even been passed along all the way from San Franciscolt to Manehattan. These tales had started to become legendary—especially the one about the time she took on the formidable ursa minor on her own, or better yet, the time she defeated the evil Queen Chrysalis in order to save the royal court of Canterlot. Everypony was excited to see what wonders would accompany such a unique princess’s reign.
Twilight was excited, too. Not only did she bear an esteemed new title, but she had earned something unique as well. Twilight had received her very own set of wings. Real Pegasus wings! She was officially a part of a special breed of pony called an Alicorn. This meant that Twilight was now able to harness the magical powers of the Unicorns, the flight abilities of the Pegasi, and the strength of a good, true heart of an Earth Pony. She was becoming more like her mentor, the talented and kind Princess Celestia, every day.
Although it was very exciting for Twilight to become an Alicorn, she didn’t take her new gifts for granted. It was an honor to become part of something so rare and exclusive. She didn’t care about all the shiny jewels and castle quarters she’d been given as part of the job. Twilight was happy to remain in Ponyville for now. She loved to spend time studying in her library with Spike, the baby dragon who was her number-one assistant, and having barrels of fun with her best friends. Luxurious castle furnishings could wait.
Ever since Princess Celestia had sent Twilight away from Canterlot to study and learn the magic of friendship, she had really felt that Ponyville was her true home. Twilight was uncertain how she would feel if she had to leave it. And ruling her own kingdom? That was another story.
It was true that Twilight Sparkle loved to help other ponies, to teach them the interesting facts she’d read about in the pages of her beloved books. She also enjoyed her position as designated leader of the Ponyville Winter Wrap-Up. But being in charge of the well-being of a kingdom of ponies didn’t seem easy. She could tell that much from having studied with Celestia for all this time. Twilight was nervous. She still had so much to learn about being a leader. But, then again, there was always more to learn. Twilight never seemed to be able to acquire enough knowledge on any subject. The world was so vast and fascinating!
One afternoon in Ponyville, just after the Pegasi had moved some clouds into the sky for a short rainfall, Twilight went home to scour every book in her library yet again. She was hoping for some guidance on exactly how a pony could become a great princess and leader. There was bound to be some information that could help a pony out. She thought she was on to something when she first laid a hoof on the pages of The Princess Bridle. It was one of her favorite stories about royal ponies, but not quite right.
“What about this one, Twi?” Spike exclaimed, pulling a dusty book with a teal cover from one of the low shelves. He couldn’t reach the higher ones without a ladder. Twilight perused the book, titled Purple Reign by somepony named Crystal Ball. But that was no good, either. It just had a ton of song lyrics in it.
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed. “What am I going to do?” She threw her hoof up into the air, exasperated. “I need somepony’s help. I just know there’s more to being a leader than what I already know.” Twilight began to pace around and around the room in her usual manner. She did this so often that the floorboards had worn down, forming a large circle. Spike liked to call it the Twilight Zone.
Spike furrowed his scaly brow and clapped his claws together. “That’s it!” He sprang up and knocked several titles from the shelf. A moment later, he appeared in the pile of fallen books clutching one with a familiar blue-and-yellow cover. Twilight recognized it immediately as Daring Do and the Trek to the Terrifying Tower. She had already read all the books in the series about the fearless pony adventurer at least three times. Twilight cocked her head to the side. “I don’t get it, Spike. What’s Daring Do got to ‘do’ with it?”
“Well, you know how Daring has to rescue a pony who’s been locked in a tower surrounded by a moat filled with sharp-toothed piranhas?”
“Yeah… so?”
“And you know how she has to dive into the water in order to get to the tower even though fish are secretly her biggest fear?”
“Spike! Spit it out, already!” Twilight exclaimed. “Do you have an idea on how to help me or not?” She was beginning to look a bit stressed. Her mane had gone frizzy and one of her eyes was twitching ever so slightly. Twilight took her responsibilities very seriously—sometimes too seriously.
“Well, basically Daring Do wants to overcome her fears once and for all. So she asks some older ex-adventurer ponies, like Professor A. B. Ravenhoof, for tips on how to do it!” Spike spread his short arms wide in triumph.
Aha! It was so obvious to Twilight now. She needed guidance. Real guidance from somepony who had been around the stable block a few times. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Twilight’s face lit up, thinking of all the ponies she could interview. “Good work, Spike! It’s perfect.” Spike blushed. He loved nothing more than to be a good assistant to his best friend. But he could hardly say “You’re welcome!” before Twilight Sparkle was out the door to find out about the great leaders of Equestria—straight from the horses’ mouths.
CHAPTER 2
A Foal House
“Who in Ponyville might be able to help me?” Twilight said aloud as she trotted through the town square. Then she caught sight of Mayor Mare walking on the opposite side of the courtyard, heading into the town hall with a group of important-looking ponies. The mayor would be a good choice. She ran their whole town! She would definitely know a thing or two about leadership. It was a good place to start.
But by the time she reached the steps of the town hall, the mayor was already behind closed doors. “Sorry, Princess Twilight,” Senior Mint, the tall green guard pony said. “Ms. Mayor Mare is in an important meeting about next year’s Summer Sun Celebration and won’t be out for some time.”
Twilight slumped in defeat. “Oh well. That’s all right! But you don’t have to call me, um, Princess. Just Twilight will do,” she advised. Senior Mint nodded, embarrassed.
“Will you t
ell her I stopped by?” Twilight asked. Maybe they could talk about being a leader later.
“Yes, of course, Princess Twilight.” He cupped a hoof over his mouth. “Oops, I mean Just Twilight.” He was clearly a bit nervous around her.
“Thanks!” She flashed her shiny white smile, turned on her hoof, and headed back to square one—wandering around the town square trying to come up with her next move. Suddenly, she smelled the scent of something sweet and scrumptious. Her tummy rumbled in response.
“Fresh cupcakes! Extra icing!” shouted Carrot Cake, the town baker. He pulled a pink-and-yellow cart filled with sugary delicacies of every flavor and color. Maybe it was time for a snack!
“Hello, Mr. Cake!” Twilight said, trotting up to the cart, which had begun to draw a sizable crowd of hungry ponies hoping to snag one of the fragrant delights. Twilight hadn’t seen such a commotion since the last cider sale at Sweet Apple Acres.
Mr. Cake nodded in response. “Hiya there, Twilight Sparkle!”
“Is this your new treat cart?” she asked. “What a wonderful idea!”
“Mrs. Cake and I are always trying to come up with new ways to share our desserts with the ponies of Ponyville.” Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake, twin foals, giggled and trotted alongside their father. Pound Cake, who was a Pegasus, beat his little wings until he was hovering near a tray of pink and purple pastries. When his father wasn’t watching, he sneakily snatched one and ate it in a single greedy bite. His sister, Pumpkin Cake, jumped as high as she could to grab one, but she couldn’t quite reach. She finally used her Unicorn magic to steal a blue cupcake and deliver it gently to her mouth. She licked her lips with a satisfied smile. Then she burped.
“Plus, the babies love to get out of the shop,” Mr. Cake continued, oblivious to his little foals’ devious actions. He was too busy dishing out baked goods to the crowd of hungry townsponies. “Fresh air sure does them good!”
Twilight watched as Pumpkin and Pound chased each other. They ran in circles and through the legs of a nearby gray Pegasus pony. The pony wobbled helplessly before toppling over into a nearby rosebush. When she popped her head out, her lemon-yellow mane was adorned with prickly thorns. “Mr. Cake! Do you have any muffins today?” she called as she tried to climb out. Her hoof got caught on a branch, and she tumbled onto the soft grass.
“Fresh out of muffins, unfortunately,” Carrot replied, looking concerned.
“Well, I’ll take one cupcake please.” Twilight licked her lips in anticipation. Mr. Cake reached inside the glass display case, but all that was left were crumbs. “Oh dear, we seem to be out of everything!” He frowned. His business venture was more successful than he’d expected.
“Why don’t you trot back to SugarCube Corner with us?” Carrot offered. “Mrs. Cake is sure to have whipped up some more by now.”
Twilight hesitated. She was supposed to be on a fact-finding mission, not lounging around Ponyville eating sweets. Her stomach rumbled again and Pumpkin Cake giggled.
“I guess that’s my answer,” Twilight said ruefully. “Just for a few minutes, though. Then I have to get back to my quest.”
The twins cheered and hopped on Twilight’s back for a ride to the bakery. “Giddyup!” they chorused.
“Mrs. Cake, this rainbow chip… mmmf… delight is… mmmf… delicious,” Twilight said with a full mouth. A dollop of pink icing made its way down her chin. Rarity would have been appalled at her bad mane-ers. “Excuse me,” she said as she cleaned her face. “I don’t mean to eat and run like this, but I really must be on my way.”
“Of course, Princess,” Mrs. Cake said, bowing quickly. She stood up and continued to pipe a tube of icing onto a strawberry layer cake, creating a beautiful border of plump roses in the process.
Twilight blushed with embarrassment. “You really don’t have to call me that,” Twilight replied. This princess business was tricky. Maybe she should put up a banner in the town square telling everypony to treat her as they normally would. “I’m just the same old Twilight, really.”
She caught sight of her reflection in the shiny cake display case. Other than the new wings, she still looked the same. She wasn’t even wearing her tiara. “In fact, I don’t really know how to be a princess at all. That’s what I’m doing today. I’m trying to ask some older ponies what it means to be a leader, but I don’t want to ask Princess Celestia—that would be embarrassing—and when I tried to go see Mayor Mare, she was busy and…” Everything seemed to spill out at once.
Mrs. Cake furrowed her brow in motherly concern. “My goodness, that sounds like quite the sticky situation. Why don’t you visit your big brother and Princess Cadance?”
Twilight brightened at the suggestion. What a great idea! Her BBBFF (Big Brother Best Friend Forever) Shining Armor and new Pegasister-in-law had much more royal experience than she did. Older siblings were practically made for giving guidance. “You’re a genius! They are bound to have some royal advice!”
Carrot Cake popped his head in from the storeroom. “We’re not out of royal icing! We have a whole carriage full back here, my dear!”
“No, Carrot,” Mrs. Cake shouted back. “Royal advice. For Twilight!” She shook her head and then sighed. “Stallions. They never listen.”
Twilight chuckled as she made her way out the door. “In that case, maybe I’d better talk to Cadance and not Shining Armor.” She was feeling much more confident now that she had a real plan. “Thanks for the terrific tips and treats, Mrs. Cake! Bye, Pumpkin! Bye, Pound!” And then the young monarch was off to the Crystal Empire to find out exactly what made a royal pony tick. Or at least talk.
CHAPTER 3
Empire State of Mind
Twilight Sparkle didn’t think it was possible, but the Crystal Empire looked even more beautiful than the last time she’d been there. The winding, cobble-gem streets and tall spires sparkled and glistened in the sunshine. Every facet of shining glass turned a different hue when the light danced on it. It had been a long journey, but it was well worth it to be back. As she entered through the front gates, Twilight felt a sense of overwhelming pride in her brother’s new realm.
Everything appeared to be fully restored back to its former glory, partly thanks to her, of course, though she would never brag about it. The Crystal Empire had been through many dark days after the evil King Sombra tried to keep the source of the Empire’s power—the Crystal Heart—hidden away. The Crystal Heart, charged by the power of the ponies’ love, was the only object that was able to offer the Empire protection. Once it was stolen, the kingdom was overtaken by darkness.
Luckily, Princess Celestia had put Twilight to the test when she recruited her and her best friends to help. They came to the rescue, putting on the long-forgotten Crystal Faire while Twilight searched for the Empire’s beloved Crystal Heart. When Twilight finally succeeded in recovering the precious, magical gemstone, not only did she pass her test, but balance was also restored to the stunning city.
As Twilight walked past a group of Crystal ponies, she smiled and waved. “Good afternoon, everypony!”
“Hey, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” they shouted in response. “Welcome back!”
A sparkling teal-colored pony with a light blue mane jumped up and down in excitement. The pony was named Glitter Dance and reminded Twilight of her eternally energetic friend, Pinkie Pie. “We’re going to the Crystal Lake today!” she exclaimed. “Come play with us!”
Twilight politely declined but was pleased by the invitation. The ponies were having tons of fun with one another, which was always a good sign. Every corner of the kingdom appeared to be filled with light and love. It was certainly the perfect place for Shining Armor and Princess Cadance to live and rule. Of course, having Cadance as their princess had likely contributed to the warm, fuzzy feelings of the Crystal pony population.
“Twily!” a handsome white stallion with a blue mane yelled from across the courtyard. Shining Armor hadn’t seen his sister since her coronation. He galloped over and e
mbraced her in a classic big-brother hug. “How’s my second-favorite princess?” He knocked her cheek lovingly with his hoof.
“Hey, now!” Twilight laughed. “I was around first!”
“Only kidding!” he said as Princess Cadance trotted over to join them. “You’re both my favorite princesses.”
“Cadance!” Twilight called out. “Sunshine… sunshine…” she started, looking to the elegant princess for acknowledgment.
“Ladybugs awake!” Cadance yelled in joyous response.
The two of them sang in unison as they hopped around and shook their tails at each other. “Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” It had been their secret tailshake since Twilight was just a little filly and Cadance was her foal-sitter. It was still amusing after all these years, even though a couple of nearby ponies watched the scene in slight confusion. It was unusual to see their composed princess acting so silly.
“So what brings you to the Crystal Empire, little sis?” Shining Armor asked. “Isn’t royal life great?” He beamed with pride and smiled wide. His little sister had come so far in her studies that she’d achieved princess status. It was very impressive, and he loved to tell other ponies all about her accomplishments. But ever since she was crowned, it was no secret to anypony. Twilight was famous all across Equestria now.
“Well… that’s sort of why I’m here.” Twilight dropped her eyes to the ground and scuffed a hoof around. “I’m not good at being a leader of other ponies. I don’t know how to act! I don’t feel anything like a princess, and it’s just weird to have everypony call me that. I don’t feel very graceful…. Not like you, Cadance.”
“Oh, Twilight!” said Shining Armor. “It isn’t an easy transition. But you are doing great!” Twilight knew he was trying to help, but she couldn’t resist rolling her eyes a little bit. “Of course you would say that. You’re my brother—you have to think so!”