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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
The Grocery Revolution
“Um… excuse me? Twilight?” Rarity called out into the halls of the Crystal Palace, taking slow and timid steps forward as she looked for her friend. Twilight was not far, seated at reading desk, and she quickly looked up.
“Oh! Hello, Rarity,” she said, closing her book. When she looked up, she saw that Rarity was not there alone, but that all her other friends were behind her, hiding under the library archway with Rarity in front. “Uh… and everypony else. What brings you all here so late?”
“Twilight…” Rarity look a deep breath to steady herself. “The others have all nominated me to ask a question on our behalf. One we’d very much appreciate it if you could answer directly.”
Twilight sat up straight at her desk, her wings tightening against her side as she saw how serious her friends looked. “Yes, of course. Of course I’ll answer any question you have.” She swallowed, and looked between the nervous ponies under the arch. “What’s wrong?”
“Well…” Rarity said. “You recall when you first came to Ponyville. That Princess Celestia gave you a seemingly innocuous task that somehow, precisely, resulted in you doing what she needed you do and defeating Nightmare Moon.”
“Yes…” Twilight nodded slowly.
“And now you’re a princess,” Rarity continued.
“That’s right. Wings and all,” Twilight agreed, her tone still cautious as she waited to see where this was going.
“Specifically, you became a Princess when you realized you could manipulate the destinies of others,” Rarity continued, “and since then, you’ve been sending us on little innocuous tasks. Like when you invited Trenderhoof to see Ponyville. Or when you—a powerful wizard—failed to notice that Spike’s comic book was magic. Or like that time you told Applejack to take the cutie mark crusaders to the rodeo. Or when you sent Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash to Griffonstone, but insisted they couldn't take anypony who could have actually saved the idol.”
“Rarity, what are you saying?” Twilight asked, holding her hoof over her chest. “Those were all accidents!”
“Yes, dear. Yes, of course. But accidents seem to happen an awful lot around you and Celestia. Now, we’re not upset, but we do need to ask…” Rarity took a long breath, let it out, and locked eyes with her friend. “Are you using your Princess magic to manipulate us into going on magical friendship adventures?”
“Ugh…” Twilight looked down, and flicked her tail left and right. “No. I don’t know how you could possibly… think that! I would never…”
“Oh my gosh, she’s lying!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “This is what lying Twilight looks like. It’s true. It’s all true! Free will is an illusion!”
“I knew it!” Applejack stomped her hoof hard on the crystal floor. “That’s why so many of our adventures just so happen to end with one of us picking up your groceries!”
“No, no!” Twilight quickly stood from her chair, walking over to her friends. “It’s not like that, everypony. It’s not like I have some master plan and you’re all just running along it. I can nudge things a little, but that’s all.”
“Dear…” Rarity drew her lips into a line. “That seems like a rather fine distinction…”
“No, here, I can prove it,” Twilight said, turning back to her reading desk. “Oh, Rarity, hand me that red book on the shelf over there would you?”
“And that’s how we defeated the book demon, saved Ponyville, and learned that just because Twilight has a few powers we don’t, doesn’t make her any less our friend,” Fluttershy dictated. All the friends sat in a circle, with Spike in the middle, his quill working rapidly as he took dictation.
“Awww, thank you, Fluttershy!” Twilight beamed, rising to spread her wings. “Group hug, everypony?”
“Group hug!” Pinkie Pie shouted, and all the friends piled in around each other. “Aww, it feels like friendship!”
“You’re all the best, you know that?” Twilight said, her voice warm and friendly. “The best friends a pony could ask for.”
“Aww, shucks, Twi,” Applejack said. “We know that.” After a moment she added, “Oh, by the way, I picked up your groceries on the way back.”
“That’s great,” Twilight said, giving the group hug one last squeeze. “Just put them over there.”
“Sure thing, Twi.” Applejack laughed. “Good to be a Princess, huh?”
“Aww, it’s not that different.” Twilight smiled. “Although, while we’re on the topic, how would you feel if I started calling you all ‘my little ponies?’”
“Oh! Hello, Rarity,” she said, closing her book. When she looked up, she saw that Rarity was not there alone, but that all her other friends were behind her, hiding under the library archway with Rarity in front. “Uh… and everypony else. What brings you all here so late?”
“Twilight…” Rarity look a deep breath to steady herself. “The others have all nominated me to ask a question on our behalf. One we’d very much appreciate it if you could answer directly.”
Twilight sat up straight at her desk, her wings tightening against her side as she saw how serious her friends looked. “Yes, of course. Of course I’ll answer any question you have.” She swallowed, and looked between the nervous ponies under the arch. “What’s wrong?”
“Well…” Rarity said. “You recall when you first came to Ponyville. That Princess Celestia gave you a seemingly innocuous task that somehow, precisely, resulted in you doing what she needed you do and defeating Nightmare Moon.”
“Yes…” Twilight nodded slowly.
“And now you’re a princess,” Rarity continued.
“That’s right. Wings and all,” Twilight agreed, her tone still cautious as she waited to see where this was going.
“Specifically, you became a Princess when you realized you could manipulate the destinies of others,” Rarity continued, “and since then, you’ve been sending us on little innocuous tasks. Like when you invited Trenderhoof to see Ponyville. Or when you—a powerful wizard—failed to notice that Spike’s comic book was magic. Or like that time you told Applejack to take the cutie mark crusaders to the rodeo. Or when you sent Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash to Griffonstone, but insisted they couldn't take anypony who could have actually saved the idol.”
“Rarity, what are you saying?” Twilight asked, holding her hoof over her chest. “Those were all accidents!”
“Yes, dear. Yes, of course. But accidents seem to happen an awful lot around you and Celestia. Now, we’re not upset, but we do need to ask…” Rarity took a long breath, let it out, and locked eyes with her friend. “Are you using your Princess magic to manipulate us into going on magical friendship adventures?”
“Ugh…” Twilight looked down, and flicked her tail left and right. “No. I don’t know how you could possibly… think that! I would never…”
“Oh my gosh, she’s lying!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “This is what lying Twilight looks like. It’s true. It’s all true! Free will is an illusion!”
“I knew it!” Applejack stomped her hoof hard on the crystal floor. “That’s why so many of our adventures just so happen to end with one of us picking up your groceries!”
“No, no!” Twilight quickly stood from her chair, walking over to her friends. “It’s not like that, everypony. It’s not like I have some master plan and you’re all just running along it. I can nudge things a little, but that’s all.”
“Dear…” Rarity drew her lips into a line. “That seems like a rather fine distinction…”
“No, here, I can prove it,” Twilight said, turning back to her reading desk. “Oh, Rarity, hand me that red book on the shelf over there would you?”
“And that’s how we defeated the book demon, saved Ponyville, and learned that just because Twilight has a few powers we don’t, doesn’t make her any less our friend,” Fluttershy dictated. All the friends sat in a circle, with Spike in the middle, his quill working rapidly as he took dictation.
“Awww, thank you, Fluttershy!” Twilight beamed, rising to spread her wings. “Group hug, everypony?”
“Group hug!” Pinkie Pie shouted, and all the friends piled in around each other. “Aww, it feels like friendship!”
“You’re all the best, you know that?” Twilight said, her voice warm and friendly. “The best friends a pony could ask for.”
“Aww, shucks, Twi,” Applejack said. “We know that.” After a moment she added, “Oh, by the way, I picked up your groceries on the way back.”
“That’s great,” Twilight said, giving the group hug one last squeeze. “Just put them over there.”
“Sure thing, Twi.” Applejack laughed. “Good to be a Princess, huh?”
“Aww, it’s not that different.” Twilight smiled. “Although, while we’re on the topic, how would you feel if I started calling you all ‘my little ponies?’”