by G. M. Berrow
“Chill out, Twily. Being royalty is a cinch! Right, Cadance?” He was clearly missing the point.
Cadance’s face became serious. “No, Shining Armor. It’s not as simple as that. I completely understand what she’s going through.” She turned to her fellow princess. “Maybe I can help you, Twilight.”
She started by leading Twilight Sparkle down the street and through the city. Twilight was happy to follow.
CHAPTER 4
A Tail to Tell
It was a busy day in the Crystal Empire. The streets were bustling with Crystal ponies rushing home from the markets and shops, their packs filled with fresh apples and other luxuries.
“Good afternoon, Moondust!” Cadance greeted an iridescent white pony with a sleek silver mane. She was selling baskets of Crystal berries (an Empire specialty) at a little stand near the fountain. “How are your foals doing?”
The pony beamed as she bowed to the two princesses. “They are wonderful! Would you like some fresh Crystal berries?” Moondust asked, and gave them each a small bunch. The sweet tartness exploded in Twilight’s mouth as she devoured them. Twilight made a mental note to bring some back for the Cakes. The berries would definitely taste delicious in a pie.
“Thank you very much!” Twilight said as they walked away. How did Cadance do that—remember the names of a whole kingdom’s residents? Twilight sometimes found it difficult to remember the names of just the entire Apple family. So far in the Empire, she’d met Topaz Twist, Citrine Star, Rosie Quartz, and now Moondust! Cadance’s memory was impressive. Twilight wondered if she studied every night.
“I always try to remember everypony in the kingdom, because each one is special,” Cadance explained as they walked. “We all play our part in making the kingdom a happy and fun place to live.” Twilight sighed. Cadance definitely had a point, but all these new responsibilities were starting to add up. Maybe she could make flash cards with each pony’s picture on it.
“You’re such a great princess, Cadance,” Twilight said. They approached a young Crystal pony couple, who smiled and bowed as the princesses passed them. “I wish I could be like you. I feel so lost.”
“You know,” Cadance offered, “I didn’t always feel so confident.”
“You didn’t?” Twilight asked, trying to think of a time when Cadance had seemed as lost as she felt now.
“When I was found as a baby Pegasus, in a forest far, far away…” Cadance began the familiar tale. Twilight listened intently as Cadance recounted her path to becoming the great pony leader she was today.
Cadance told her how some Earth Ponies from a nearby village took her in as their own little filly. And as she grew up, the natural love and compassion she had for others filled everypony with warmth and the urge to protect her. Cadance was definitely special.
But all was not well for long.
An evil pony enchantress named Prismia lived alone nearby. She rarely came out of her cottage because she felt nothing but jealousy for the other ponies in the village—the way they loved and took care of one another. And yet, she had nopony who cared for her. Prismia always wore a powerful necklace, which she cared for more than anything else in the world, and it served to amplify the evil and jealousy within her own heart. When Prismia’s bad feelings and the power of the necklace finally overtook her, she cast a spell on the villagers that leeched all the love from their homes. She hoped to capture some of that love for herself. Everypony was distraught and sad.
Cadance decided that she couldn’t let that happen, so she went to see Prismia. Luckily, the enchantress’s powerful necklace also amplified the power of Cadance’s love, and she soon defeated Prismia with her incredible gift of compassion. Once Prismia changed her horrible ways, Cadance was surrounded by magical energy and transported to a strange place—a place that nopony except Princess Celestia had ever been! So when Celestia discovered special little Cadance in that mysterious location, her fate was sealed. The princess brought her back to Canterlot to raise her as her very own royal niece—the special and loving young Princess Cadance.
Princess Cadance’s special talent had always been her amazing ability to spread love wherever she went—settling conflicts and bringing ponies of all kinds together. In her final exam at Celestia’s school of magic, Cadance was even able to make two known rival pony families of Canterlot become best friends for life.
“So I spent a long time in Canterlot just resolving conflicts whenever I was needed and helping other ponies find love. I never really experienced it for myself.” Cadance blushed a little and giggled. “Even though I did have a crush on your brother.”
Twilight made a disgusted face. “Yuck.”
“Everyone was telling me what a great princess I would be someday, but I just didn’t feel like I knew what to do!” Cadance said. Twilight nodded in enthusiastic agreement. Now they were talking. “So I went to Princess Celestia for advice.”
“And…?” Twilight asked, all ears.
“She asked me if I felt like a true leader.” Cadance stopped walking and turned to her young companion. “I told her that no, sadly, I didn’t.”
“And…?” Twilight repeated again. She could hardly take the suspense!
Cadance continued, “She told me about an ancient spell that had the power to make anypony who was destined to lead become the pony they were meant to be.”
Twilight smiled. She knew that there was an answer to all of this—and of course it was a spell!
True leadership was only an enchantment away.
The two ponies soon found themselves standing in front of a giant crystal statue of Cadance. The sun shone through it, creating hundreds of tiny rainbows in the water flowing through the fountain. “Wow, they must… really love you a lot here, Cadance.” Twilight cocked her head to the side. She could never imagine having a statue of herself. It was a bit much.
Cadance shook her head and shrugged. “Oh, I guess so!” she said, chuckling.
The famous, powerful Crystal Heart stood next to the statue, shining brilliantly with the magic of the Crystal ponies. Thankfully, it was safely displayed right where Twilight had last left it, rather than hidden away with some evil king. Rescuing the heart once had been difficult enough. She didn’t want to have to do it again.
“So where can I find this leader spell, then? Can you teach it to me? Is it in one of the old spell books?” Twilight asked eagerly. As soon as she learned the words from Cadance, she’d be on her way back to Ponyville. Then everything would be solved.
“Oh, no, Twilight.” Cadance shook her head. “This spell isn’t something that can just be learned. The Crystal Heart Spell can only be revealed when a future leader of Equestria understands what her biggest challenge in leadership will be. Only then will she know how to rule, in her heart.”
Twilight furrowed her brow in confusion. What in Equestria was Cadance talking about? Revealed? Twilight was somehow supposed to get some random spell to appear out of thin air? This was going to be trickier than she’d expected.
“How in the hoof am I supposed to do that?!”
“I can help you with one clue, just as Celestia did with me.” Cadance’s voice was gentle and reassuring. “Just think about the elements that make up a great kingdom, Twilight.”
“The Elements of Harmony?” Twilight asked. It was the first thing that popped into her mind, so it probably was too obvious.
“Not exactly…” Cadance said. “What are the best things we have in Equestria?”
Twilight cocked her head to the side, completely baffled. Cadance thought it might be time for a different approach. So she began to recount her search for the spell in greater depth. Cadance warned Twilight, though, that the spell worked differently for everypony. It couldn’t be repeated.
“Once I received the clue myself, I decided to start by asking my friends what they thought,” Cadance remembered. “They had all sorts of crazy ideas about what they liked in a kingdom.”
“Like what?” Twilight w
as soaking everything in like a sponge. This would all be useful in helping her find the Crystal Heart Spell.
“Well, my friend Buttercream said she thought every kingdom should have a chocolate fountain in the center. And another pony I knew, Sky Chariot, suggested a curfew time for all ponies to be home by.” Cadance scrunched up her face in distaste. “I didn’t really agree with any of them, but I used their ideas anyway.”
Twilight nodded along as she listened to the story.
“But nothing happened!” Cadance said dramatically. “The spell was nowhere to be found, and I was more lost than ever.”
Twilight’s eyes grew wide. “So how did you find it?”
“One day, I was sitting by the lake just outside Canterlot, reflecting on the situation,” Cadance recalled. “I thought about how all I had ever done was listen to the suggestions or commands of other ponies.”
“Like the way they would always ask you to help them fall in love?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, exactly! I never made any decisions for myself.” Cadance stared out into the water of the crystal fountain. “As soon as I realized this, the spell appeared, shimmering in gold letters on the surface of the lake.”
“Wow…” Twilight cooed, imagining the pretty scene. Maybe she should go visit the Crystal Lake after all.
“As soon as I read the spell aloud, I instantly knew that my destiny was to lead other ponies with my strengths of True Love and Tolerance. But the only way to do it was by listening to my own heart as well.”
CHAPTER 5
A Gift Horse
Cadance led Twilight through a massive wooden door and into a lush castle bedroom. It was decked out in rich, royal velvets of deep purple and gold. Hundreds of precious gems of every color adorned the bed frame and hung from the chandelier. The early-evening light shining through tall, gilded windowpanes was dazzling. It raked across the gray and silver stones of the walls and onto the lavish furnishings. With all the glitz, the castle quarters would have suited Rarity perfectly. The only thing about it that screamed “Twilight” was the fully stocked bookcase in the corner.
Twilight blinked her eyes in disbelief. “This room is all mine?”
“Well, not all yours!” Spike popped out from behind the purple drapes and did a little vaudeville dance. “Surprise!” Cadance laughed at the little dragon’s antics.
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed, and instantly felt guilty for leaving him behind earlier. “Sorry I left Ponyville in such a rush. You know how I get when I’m on a mission.”
“Do I ever!” said Spike. “It’s just lucky you came back here when you did. I almost ate that entire bed frame while I was waiting for you.” Spike’s eyes grew large with longing as he looked around the room. Jewels and crystals were his favorite meal. It had taken a lot of self-control to keep from nibbling the furniture.
“Good thing you didn’t.” Twilight’s eyes landed on a small, wrapped golden box with a bow on top. It was sitting in the center of the bed. “Spike, you didn’t have to bring me a present. It’s not even my birthday!”
“But I didn’t….” Spike scratched his head. “I don’t even know where that came from!”
“It’s from me,” Cadance said, nudging it toward Twilight with her muzzle. “Just a little gift from one princess to another.” Cadance winked.
Twilight tore open the packaging. Inside was a beautiful necklace made of purple jewels. At the center was a large, prismatic gem in the shape of a heart. It had a special quality to it that Twilight had seen only one other place… around Cadance’s neck!
“Cadance, is this your favorite necklace? From when we were growing up?” As a filly, Twilight had admired the necklace. It had always seemed to be extra special in some way that she couldn’t quite put her hoof on.
Cadance smiled warmly. “Of course it is! I think it’s time that a new princess wore it proudly.”
“Oh, Cadance!” Twilight put the necklace on and spun around. Spike’s eyes were glued to the adornment. Twilight admired herself in the mirror. “I’ll take such good care of it! Thank you.”
“Of course, my dear new sister,” Cadance said as she made her way to the door. “I just want you to know one thing.”
Twilight was still spinning around in front of the mirror, dreamy-eyed. “Yes?” she said, though it didn’t seem like she was paying much attention.
“The rare gem in the middle has been enchanted with a powerful charm,” Cadance explained. “As long as the pony wearing it is filled with the magic of love and positivity, the necklace will wrap her in warmth and protection.”
“It sounds amazing!” Twilight said, looking down at the rare gem in awe. “Wait, is this the same necklace from the story? That Prismia wore?”
“It very well may be,” said Cadance with a wink before she turned serious again. “But you must also remember that if the pony wearing it does not display those traits, it will only serve to magnify the negative thoughts and doubts within her!” cautioned Cadance. “Be careful, Twilight. Remember: If you stay true to your heart, the spell will soon reveal itself.” And with that, Cadance was gone.
“Got it!” Twilight replied lazily, exhaustion from the long journey finally beginning to overtake her. She climbed into the cushy bed and nuzzled down into the covers. In the morning, she would begin to look for the elements of a perfect kingdom. “True to your heart…” she whispered before falling into a sweet, dreamless slumber. It was the sound sleep of a princess with a purpose.
She’d only been there a day, but Twilight Sparkle’s Crystal Suite was already a mess. All the books from the shelf in the room were pulled out, littering the floor and bed. Some were open to pages filled with spells and history lessons; others lay closed in stacks. Spike sat on the window seat, gazing out at the panoramic view of the Crystal Empire and then looking closer with a telescope. He was trying to guess how many crystals were out there and also how yummy each one would taste.
“Where did Cadance say she started looking for the spell?” Twilight asked Spike, who hopped down and started restacking the books onto the shelf. It was almost like being back home in the cottage.
“I don’t know!” Spike replied. “I was up here waiting for you, remember? I didn’t hear her story.”
Twilight wandered over to the box that held her gorgeous new necklace. It was sitting on a beautiful dresser with a mirror. As soon as she slipped on the necklace and looked in the mirror, she knew exactly what to do. “She asked her friends for their opinions—that’s what Cadance did!” Twilight exclaimed. “Spike, take down a letter! No—make that five letters! I’m going to hold a secret spell summit with my best friends.”
A meeting of the greatest minds in Ponyville was just what she needed to crack this case wide open.
CHAPTER 6
On a Scroll
Spike had been extra busy all day delivering the invitations for Twilight’s emergency secret meeting. He’d visited Fluttershy’s cottage first. She politely accepted and asked Spike if he wanted to come inside and play with her new fruit bat, Toby. “He’s ever so shy, and I think he could use a new friend like you, Spike,” she said in her tiny, gentle voice.
“Sorry, Fluttershy! I have all these scrolls to deliver for Twilight. Maybe Toby and I can ‘hang out’ later!” Spike chuckled at his own joke, but Fluttershy looked confused. “Get it? ‘Hang out’? Because bats hang upside down?”
“Oh yes, of course. See you at the meeting!”
Next, he found Applejack working in the orchard at Sweet Apple Acres. She bucked her hind legs against a tree and a batch of juicy apples came tumbling down into a basket. “A meeting for Twilight?” Applejack looked relieved. “Phew! Nopony has seen her around for a few days! I was about to send out the Apple family search party.”
“Did somepony say party?!” An excited Pinkie Pie popped out from behind a tree. “Because my Party Watch just went off!” She held up her hoof to show Spike and Applejack a bright neon accessory. It looked like a watch, but
instead of numbers it just had pictures of colorful balloons, streamers, and confetti with the word party spelled out twelve times. Little blinking lights rimmed the edge, and a honking noise was being emitted from a tiny speaker at the top.
“But where are all the numbers?” Applejack asked, confused.
“Who needs numbers?” Pinkie said, and shrugged.
“To see what time it is, silly!” Applejack threw her hooves in the air to illustrate her point.
“But it does tell the time! It’s party time… all the time!” Pinkie shouted with glee. “Now who said the magic word, huh? Huh?!” She came up to Spike and looked him straight in the eye. “Was it you?”
“It’s not a party, really… but here you go, Pinkie.” Spike handed her a scroll. She quickly unfurled it and read the message. “A secret meeting party?! Oh goody, goody gumdrops! I have to go get ready!” And then Pinkie Pie bounced off toward her house.
“Thanks, Spike,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “I guess you can count me and Pinkie in.”
Rarity, on the other hand, was less thrilled about the invitation. She peered down at the scroll through her purple cat’s-eye work glasses. “I’m in the middle of making a huge order of hornaments! Can this wait until later?” Rarity was always trying to finish some new garment or accessory for her Carousel Boutique. She was a very hard worker.
“Twilight said it was an emergency.” Spike looked down at his feet. He didn’t like to upset Rarity, because he really, really liked her. But she always responded to a few well-worded compliments. “Say, Rarity… have you done something special to your mane? It looks super-duper shiny today!”
“Well, actually, I did go to the spa this morning to have my hooves done and they gave me some new conditioner….” Rarity began to ramble. Five minutes later, Spike was still standing there. “… and then I said, ‘Darling, if you must do my tail as well, just do it.’ I knew it would be worth it!”