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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Rational Fears
Twilight stepped into her dining area to find all of her friends waiting for her. They all had smiles that seemed to be a little too big.
“Hi, Twilight!” they called together.
Twilight’s eyes roamed between them.
“What’s going on…?” she carefully asked.
Applejack took a step forward. “Now, Twilight, before you say anythin’, I want ya to know we’re just here to help.”
“Help with what?”
Pinkie Pie popped up into her field of view. “We’re here to help you get over your fear of qwuesadillas!”
Twilight looked past her to the table and saw a platter stacked with gooey, cheesy quesadillas. Her eyes once more drifted back to the beaming expressions of her friends.
“…Nope, I’m not doing this.”
Her horn glowed and she ascended out of the story.
The author turned away from his writing as a very irate Twilight Sparkle appeared behind him.
“Really?” she asked. “You’re going to make me face my fear of quesadillas?”
The author simply rolled his shoulders. “I thought it was a good idea.”
“It just seems like you could do more,” she said. “You’re basically a god, aren’t you?”
The author let out a laugh. “If I were a god, I’d have no need for editors.”
“But you can make me do whatever you want, right?” Twilight gave him a skeptical look.
“If you insist on thinking of me as a god, then consider me a benevolent one.”
“But why write a story about my fear of quesadillas?” she asked. “It’s not a big deal.”
“I only want what’s best for you, Twilight,” he gently explained. “I want you to grow as a character—or as a pony, if that helps.”
“What makes you think you know what’s best for me?”
“Let’s be honest here, Twilight.” The author straightened up. “You’ve faced monsters and demons and villains, all thanks to the magic of friendship. Does it even make sense for you to be afraid of something like quesadillas?”
“Well, when I was little, I spilled the cheese inside a library book and got in a lot of trouble with the librarian…”
“And I think it’s time that you’ve grown past that,” the author said flatly. “Don’t you?”
Twilight looked around nervously. “It’s just… I don’t think I want to get over it.”
The author raised an eyebrow at her. “What do you mean?”
“It’s like you said: I’ve faced all sorts of scary things, but it’s not like I’m some fearless pony like Rainbow Dash.” Twilight smiled. “I kind of like the fact that, even after everything I’ve been through, there’s still a small part of me that hasn’t changed. I may be an alicorn, and a princess, but I’m still Twilight Sparkle.”
The author deliberated on her words.
“Okay, then,” he finally said. “How do you think the story should go?”
Twilight brought a hoof to her chin. “Does it really matter what I think?” she asked. “I mean, in the end, you’re still going to write the story how you want it, right? Or is this your way giving me some free will?”
“‘Free will,’ she says.” The author chuckled to himself.
“I suppose that’s my answer,” Twilight said in annoyance. “So what do I do now?”
“Now?” the author asked. “Now you go back to the story, and trust that I’ll write it in the way that’s best for you.”
Twilight nodded as her horn glowed once more.
Twilight reappeared before her friends.
“Uh, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Where did you go just now?”
“It’s not important,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I just needed time to think about all of this.” She held out her hoof to the platter of quesadillas.
“Well, we’re here for you, darling,” Rarity said, placing a hoof against her.
Fluttershy took a step forward. “You don’t have to go through with this, if you don’t want to.”
“And ya definitely don’t have to go through this alone,” Applejack said with a nod.
Twilight looked between all of her friends and took a deep breath.
“It means so much to me that you girls would get together to do this,” Twilight said. “And I know it’s silly, but I’m fine with it.
“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” she continued. “I like vanilla ice cream, red balloons, dancing, and I’m afraid of quesadillas. But I have the best friends in the world, so I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Aww…” her friends said, hugging her tight.
“…Now get those things away from me.”
“Hi, Twilight!” they called together.
Twilight’s eyes roamed between them.
“What’s going on…?” she carefully asked.
Applejack took a step forward. “Now, Twilight, before you say anythin’, I want ya to know we’re just here to help.”
“Help with what?”
Pinkie Pie popped up into her field of view. “We’re here to help you get over your fear of qwuesadillas!”
Twilight looked past her to the table and saw a platter stacked with gooey, cheesy quesadillas. Her eyes once more drifted back to the beaming expressions of her friends.
“…Nope, I’m not doing this.”
Her horn glowed and she ascended out of the story.
The author turned away from his writing as a very irate Twilight Sparkle appeared behind him.
“Really?” she asked. “You’re going to make me face my fear of quesadillas?”
The author simply rolled his shoulders. “I thought it was a good idea.”
“It just seems like you could do more,” she said. “You’re basically a god, aren’t you?”
The author let out a laugh. “If I were a god, I’d have no need for editors.”
“But you can make me do whatever you want, right?” Twilight gave him a skeptical look.
“If you insist on thinking of me as a god, then consider me a benevolent one.”
“But why write a story about my fear of quesadillas?” she asked. “It’s not a big deal.”
“I only want what’s best for you, Twilight,” he gently explained. “I want you to grow as a character—or as a pony, if that helps.”
“What makes you think you know what’s best for me?”
“Let’s be honest here, Twilight.” The author straightened up. “You’ve faced monsters and demons and villains, all thanks to the magic of friendship. Does it even make sense for you to be afraid of something like quesadillas?”
“Well, when I was little, I spilled the cheese inside a library book and got in a lot of trouble with the librarian…”
“And I think it’s time that you’ve grown past that,” the author said flatly. “Don’t you?”
Twilight looked around nervously. “It’s just… I don’t think I want to get over it.”
The author raised an eyebrow at her. “What do you mean?”
“It’s like you said: I’ve faced all sorts of scary things, but it’s not like I’m some fearless pony like Rainbow Dash.” Twilight smiled. “I kind of like the fact that, even after everything I’ve been through, there’s still a small part of me that hasn’t changed. I may be an alicorn, and a princess, but I’m still Twilight Sparkle.”
The author deliberated on her words.
“Okay, then,” he finally said. “How do you think the story should go?”
Twilight brought a hoof to her chin. “Does it really matter what I think?” she asked. “I mean, in the end, you’re still going to write the story how you want it, right? Or is this your way giving me some free will?”
“‘Free will,’ she says.” The author chuckled to himself.
“I suppose that’s my answer,” Twilight said in annoyance. “So what do I do now?”
“Now?” the author asked. “Now you go back to the story, and trust that I’ll write it in the way that’s best for you.”
Twilight nodded as her horn glowed once more.
Twilight reappeared before her friends.
“Uh, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Where did you go just now?”
“It’s not important,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I just needed time to think about all of this.” She held out her hoof to the platter of quesadillas.
“Well, we’re here for you, darling,” Rarity said, placing a hoof against her.
Fluttershy took a step forward. “You don’t have to go through with this, if you don’t want to.”
“And ya definitely don’t have to go through this alone,” Applejack said with a nod.
Twilight looked between all of her friends and took a deep breath.
“It means so much to me that you girls would get together to do this,” Twilight said. “And I know it’s silly, but I’m fine with it.
“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” she continued. “I like vanilla ice cream, red balloons, dancing, and I’m afraid of quesadillas. But I have the best friends in the world, so I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Aww…” her friends said, hugging her tight.
“…Now get those things away from me.”