Chapter 8

Gilda the Griffon waited patiently outside Twilight's cottage until the last pony had left the secret summit. Pinkie Pie had hung around for ages giving her friend suggestions for different holidays to start and celebrations to throw.

"Thanks, Pinkie," Twilight said as she walked her to the door. "I'll certainly consider making Gummy's birthday an official holiday." Gummy was Pinkie Pie's pet alligator.

"Great!" Pinkie squealed. "He'll be so excited when I tell him the news!"

All of a sudden, a crazy noise started sounding from Pinkie's watch. "Gotta go, Twilight! I totally forgot about the housewarming party at Berry Punch's new place!" With that, Pinkie bounced off into the distance, singing a song. "Oh, the bestest cottage is a warm one! A cottage that is filled with frieeends! So let's warm this house and fill it up with a party that never eeeends!"

"Finally! I thought those ponies would never leave," Gilda said, swooping down from a cloud and landing softly in front of Twilight. "Productive meeting, Twilight?"

"Hey! How did you know about the meeting?" Twilight asked suspiciously. It was supposed to be a secret.

"I have my ways," Gilda said, pacing around Twilight. "And I listened to the whole thing. Didn't sound like your friends had any good ideas for your kingdom…."

"So what, Gilda?" Twilight sassed back. "You think you can do better?"

"I'm just trying to say that if I were a princess like you—I wouldn't be listening to anypony's suggestions. I would do whatever I wanted! Make my kingdom all about Gilda!" The griffon cackled and flew off into the clouds again to cause some mischief elsewhere.

Twilight brushed it off. Nopony in their right mind would take advice from Gilda, the notorious bully. Twilight still trusted her best friends the most. And why shouldn't she? They had proven themselves to be honest and loyal.

But then again, they didn't have years of magical study with Princess Celestia under their belts like Twilight did. And her friends had never even lived in Canterlot, so it was silly to expect them to know very much about being royal.

Twilight went back inside her cottage and looked into a large cerulean-colored chest. It was filled with her new gowns and jewels from the coronation. None of it seemed like hers. Twilight removed a tiara from its velvet case and placed it gently on her head. She looked in the mirror. The sparkling white diamonds and red rubies shone brilliantly. The tiara made her stand a little taller.

Maybe Gilda had a point. Maybe the secret to leadership was listening to your own heart instead of everyone else's. Isn't that what Cadance had said?

If she was going to be a real princess, maybe she just needed to start acting like one.

---

The aimless search for the Crystal Heart Spell was beginning to wear on Twilight, even though she was doing her best to try to act like a princess. She still didn't know where or how to look for it. It was making her crazy!

She even felt like she was hearing voices, which was never a good sign. For example, that morning in the Ponyville marketplace she'd asked Cheerilee which type of berries she should buy. Cheerilee had suggested the blackberries, but Twilight could've sworn she'd heard a voice coming from a stack of crates saying, "Who cares what she likes? What kind of berries do you want, Twilight?"

Later, when Twilight was looking after the Cutie Mark Crusaders—Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle—she'd heard it again. They'd all been in Ponyville Park, deciding what afternoon activity to partake in. Twilight was getting frustrated because she really wanted to read the fillies a story from one of her favorite books, but all they wanted to do was jump rope. She was sitting by, watching them, when she heard the voice again. "Look at them!" it whispered. "You know what's best for them and they didn't even listen to you. You're the princess, for Celestia's sake!"

She'd looked around but hadn't seen anypony who could have said it.

It was so odd. Ever since Gilda the Griffon planted the idea in her head that she shouldn't listen to her friends, Twilight had started to feel that everyone else's opinions were wrong. But was Gilda right?

Twilight decided to trot through the forest in hopes of clearing her head. The serene green trees and silence were usually comforting and helped her work out any problem she was having at the time.

She was only alone for a few moments, however, before a loud crash signaled the presence of another, familiar pink pony.

"There you are!" Pinkie Pie shouted through the trees. "I have been looking aaaall over for you! I want to show you my awesome plan for the new kingdom's holiday celebrations… and also play and hang out and eat cupcakes and all that super-duperiffic great stuff!"

"Thanks, Pinkie. But now isn't a good time," Twilight said calmly. "I'm sort of busy taking a walk." She motioned to the leafy path ahead of her.

"Okay! Will you be busy in ten minutes?" Pinkie asked, walking alongside her and smiling wide with excitement.

"Yes," Twilight replied. She was really starting to get frustrated now. She wanted be alone.

"Okay! What about in twenty minutes?!" Pinkie asked. She thought everything was a game.

"No! I'm busy now, I'm busy in ten minutes, and I'm busy in twenty minutes. I'm busy all of the minutes!" Twilight snapped. Her necklace began to dim, the colors churning. "Can't you see I don't have time to talk about your silly little parties?"

"What?" Pinkie Pie slumped to the ground, hurt. "Sorry to bother you, Twilight. I was just trying to help. I guess I'll leave you alone and go where somepony wants me."

"Finally!" Twilight sneered. "That's the best idea you've had yet!" As she trotted off into the distance, Pinkie began to wonder what was really going on with Twilight Sparkle.

This time, she didn't think it was something a party could solve.