My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Starlight Sparkle

Your Faithful Student

It was technically night by the time the inhabitants of Ponyville gathered in the pavilion for the Queen's coronation, but neither the sun nor the moon had been seen in Equestria all week. Not since Twilight's take over. Tonight was no exception, and the sky maintained the same starry dawn hue that was the norm now.

"Where's Applejack?" Astra said as she watched ponies trudge past her and Spike. The little dragon pointed excitedly.

"Over there, look! Ha! I knew they could do it!"

Spike had asked the Cutie Mark Crusaders to bring AJ to the coronation, as the earth pony was too weak to make her own way there. Nor was she even inclined to. The Crusaders were themselves reluctant to attend as the new Queen utterly terrified them. When Astra explained that their help could potentially save Equestria however, they had immediately perked up and leapt to the task.

And here they came now, riding Scootaloo's scooter with Applejack loaded sullenly into the trolley on the back. They skidded to a stop before Astra and Spike, Scootaloo giving them a salute.

"It wasn't easy Princess, but we brought her!"

AJ glowered at Astra. "You! Ah might have known you were behind this. Tell them to turn this thing round and take me back home right this second y'hear!" Applejack struggled to clamber out of the trolley, but this went about as well as an upturned turtle trying to right itself. She flailed about ineffectually for several seconds before running out of steam. "Darn it, this jus aint funny!"

Apple Bloom was inclined to disagree, and snorted with laughter at her big sister's efforts. "That's where yer wrong sis, it's plenty funny! 'Sides, it's for a good cause. We're gonna save Equestria from evil Queen Twilight."

"What in tarnation are you talkin about? Astra, jus what is this meanin of this?"

"No time to explain, sorry," she brushed the question aside, "If all goes according to plan then you'll have your answer. Girls, put her front row centre, right next to Fluttershy."

Spike and Astra watched as the Cutie Mark Crusaders deposited a protesting Applejack on the ground besides a large cart, which was positioned in front of the pavilion stage. The cart was loaded with soil and currently contained the replanted Fluttershy. Applejack scowled at her little sister as she and her friends scurried away.

"Hey AJ," said Rainbow Dash, who peered out from beneath the cart containing Fluttershy. It took Applejack several seconds to locate the pegasus.

"Rainbow! What's goin on?"

"Search me. Astra levitated me up into the air and wouldn't let me down until I agreed to come to this stupid coronation. She's definitely up to something."

She was, and she fervently hoped that it was going to work. She didn't want to imagine what Twilight would do to her as punishment if it didn't. Spike ticked off AJ's name on the list he held.

"That just leaves Pinkie Pie and Rarity. How did you convince them to come along?"

Astra spotted the two ponies in question enter the pavilion, Rarity following behind Pinkie by gripping the earth pony's tail in her mouth, as she was still blindfolded. Pinkie did not look happy. Then again she couldn't look happy, because of the shock she'd receive if she did. Astra swallowed nervously.

"I told them that Twilight needs their help."

Spike seemed puzzled by that. "But ... Twilight's the one that did these terrible things to them."

Astra frowned and shook her head. "No Spike, she didn't. It might look like Twilight but it's no more her than Nightmare Moon is Luna. Whatever dark magic transformed Luna also transformed Twilight, and the real Twilight Sparkle is trapped inside somewhere." She sighed heavily, her face lined with worry. "I just have to hope I can reach her."

Pinkie strolled past Astra, casting the princess a very brief sideways glance as she did so. It was the kind of look that said 'I don't want to be here one bit, so you better have been on the level'. Amazing how much a split second glance could convey, really. Spike ticked both names off the list with a flourish.

"That's the last of them."

The pavilion was crowded with the inhabitants of Ponyville, none of whom looked all that thrilled to be there. Least of all Twilight's former friends, who Astra had made sure were at the very front of the crowd. It was essential that the Queen see them when she gave her speech. Several ponies backed away from Rarity as she settled into place, cringing at the hissing snakes on her head. She turned this way and that, unable to see a thing because of her blindfold.

"What's going on? Has it started yet?"

They all heard trumpets sound outside, heralding the arrival of Queen Twilight at long last. Everypony present visibly tensed, and Astra could hardly blame them. Her own stomach was full of butterflies, metaphorically speaking. Everything hinged on the speech. Doubt began to creep into her mind, nagging at her with worry. What if it wasn't good enough? She was hardly an expert on the subject, and had very little experience in such matters. Would it really work?

"Here goes ..." Spike muttered, hastily shoving the list out of sight. Astra gulped and turned to watch the entrance to the pavilion. There was no going back, and no time left to change anything. It was now or never. If Celestia weren't currently a sunflower sitting on her windowsill back in Canterlot, Astra would have sent a silent prayer to the princess. As it was all she could do was wait and see. And hope she'd done enough.

The Queen's Royal Guard entered first, and everypony was shocked when they recognised the unmistakable sight of the Wonderbolts. Equestria's top pegasus team - now decked out in gleaming armour - marched into the pavilion and formed an escort detail. Moments later Twilight herself appeared, her uniformly red eyes sweeping the pavilion interior before coming to rest upon Astra.

"Everything has been prepared just as you asked, Your Majesty," Astra bowed along with everypony else as Twilight approached her.

"Asked?" Twilight said, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Instructed," Astra corrected herself. The Queen relaxed somewhat and nodded, striding majestically onwards and taking to the stage. As Astra stood her gaze met that of Spitfire. Unable to help herself she winked at the pegasus, whose own eyes widened in response. Saying nothing, Astra turned about hoof and followed Twilight up onto the stage. She kept to one side however while the Queen stood at the very front in order to address everypony present.

"CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE!" Twilight's words boomed out in the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice, causing everypony present to cower, save for her own guards. "WE HAVE GRACED YOUR INSIGNIFICANT LIVES WITH OUR PRESENCE SO THAT YOU MIGHT BEAR WITNESS TO THE GLORY OF OUR MAJESTY! TONIGHT WE SHALL OFFICIALLY BE CROWNED QUEEN OF EQUESTRIA, AND CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING OF OUR ETERNAL SOVEREIGNTY OVER ALL OF PONY KIND! REMEMBER THIS MOMENT WELL, FOR IT MARKS THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA!"

Twilight finally seemed to notice her former friends gathered before the stage, watching her with a mixture of fear and hatred. At least, Rainbow, AJ and Pinkie were; Fluttershy was a tree and lacked the means to watch anything, hatefully or otherwise, and Rarity couldn't see a thing with her eyes covered. In any case seeing them all, cursed as they were, brought a thoroughly wicked smile to Twilight's cruel features. Astra realised that one of the reasons she was holding her coronation here in Ponyville rather than Canterlot was because she wanted to further rub it all in her friends faces. They couldn't lift a hoof to stop her and she knew it.

A short ceremony followed, in which the Mayor of Ponyville took a golden tiara from a red velvet cushion and placed it upon Twilight's head. She burned her hooves on the Queen's fiery mane as she did so, which only seemed to amuse Twilight further. Finally Queen Twilight stood at the front of the stage once more, behind a special stand that had been placed there. All eyes fell upon Astra, who swallowed one last time and trotted forwards to place the speech she had prepared upon the stand for Twilight to read. Surrounded by an aura of magic, the scrolls slid into place. Astra hastily backed away and held her breath.

This was it. The moment of truth. It all hinged on what happened next. The fate of Equestria lay with the words she had written down on those scrolls. The Queen cleared her throat and began to read.

"DEAR QUEEN TWILIGHT," she began. She stopped and blinked, surprised by the words she had just spoken. Behind her and off to one side, Astra was holding her breath so tightly that she nearly fainted. Unless Twilight read on she was finished. Doomed. The ponies packing the pavilion all forgot their fear momentarily, bewildered by this strange start to Twilight's coronation speech. She stared intently at the parchment in front of her and then very slowly continued to read it aloud.

"I HAVE FINALLY REALISED the real reason I was sent to Ponyville. I was told by Celestia that it was to learn magic from her star student, and this much was certainly true. There was more to it than that, however. There is a special type of magic that I had never studied or even understood until now. A kind of magic that is more important than all the unicorn spells in the Canterlot library of magic combined ..."

Everypony was listening with rapt attention, stunned by the words Twilight Sparkle was saying. Rainbow, Pinkie, AJ and Rarity in particular were amazed by what they were hearing. Astra finally allowed herself the luxury of breathing before she passed out. Twilight went on.

"It is called the magic of friendship, and it is truly a wondrous magic indeed. The magic of friendship is an integral part of everypony's life and is something that should be nurtured and treasured at all costs. Princess Celestia knew exactly what she was doing by sending me to Ponyville, and to you, because nopony in all of Equestria understands the value of friendship as well as you do. It helped you to vanquish Nightmare Moon and Discord, saving us all from eternal darkness and chaos. It has brought you endless joy and fun, and taught you many important lessons.

"In Canterlot I hid away from the world, burying myself in my studies and books, believing as I did that friendship was something I did not need. Yet seeing you with all your friends made me realise just what I had been missing out on. Celestia hoped this would be the case, and you did everything you could to help me take those first steps towards forging friendships. I can only hope to someday be as rich in friends as you, and if I ever have friends as kind, strong, loyal and caring as those ponies that you count as your friends, I shall be a very lucky pony indeed.

"You see Twilight, you have taught me the most valuable lesson you possibly could. You taught me about the magic of friendship, and to embrace it to the fullest. And I intend to do just that. You have my eternal gratitude.

"They say that a picture paints a thousand words, so here are a thousand words that perfectly sum up everything I have learned about friendship. Your faithful student, Princess Astra."

Twilight removed the top scroll and stared at the one that lay underneath. Taped to it was a photograph that she had intended to send to Princess Celestia, but had forgotten.

It was a picture of herself and all of her friends, smiling brightly.

Twilight Sparkle glanced up from that picture and saw those same friends staring at her. But where the ponies in the picture were smiling and happy, the ponies standing before her each showed some sign of her magical wrath. Rarity with her mane of snakes. Applejack with scarcely the strength to sit upright. Pinkie Pie with her twitching eye and flat hair. Rainbow Dash cowering close to the ground. And of course Fluttershy, who wasn't even a pony anymore.

And there, right in front of her, a thousand words that could be succinctly reduced to one all important word.

Friends.

There was a chorus of gasps throughout the pavilion. They had been listening to everything Twilight had said, and whilst the assembled ponies could not see the picture that had been mentioned, they all witnessed the transformation that overcame Twilight at that moment. Gone was the towering white unicorn with the flaming mane and red eyes. In its place was the purple pony they all knew, smoke gently rising from her singed hair.

Twilight Sparkle.

Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over onto the photograph, great fat droplets that splashed as they hit the glossy picture. Twilight wept with despair as the full realisation of everything she'd done over the last week hit her in that moment.

A series of magical pops showered her friends, and more gasps sounded as each of them returned to normal. Rarity's mane became its former gorgeous glory. Rainbow Dash sat upright, glanced about for a moment and then tentatively flapped her wings for the first time in a week. Pinkie Pie's mane inflated with a sound like a balloon being blown up, and a broad smile spread across her face like a fresh sunrise. Applejack stood and stretched, then leapt onto the arms of the cart containing Fluttershy. Fluttershy, who was a tree no longer, found herself propelled onstage. She let out a squeak of alarm but quickly recovered, shook a handful of pink leaves from her mane and gently prodded Twilight.

"Oh Twilight, don't cry. Everything's going to be okay."

Twilight Sparkle nevertheless collapsed into a sobbing heap, and her friends rushed onto the stage to comfort her. The assembled ponies of Ponyville all began to cheer as they realised that she was back to her normal self at last, whilst Astra dropped onto her rump and let out a tremendous sigh of relief.

It was over. Broken fragments of the Starlight Sapphire lay scattered around Twilight, dark wisps of energy curling from them and evaporating into nothingness. As if to confirm the return to normality, somepony cried out and pointed upwards.

The moon had finally risen.