"… and that's the story of how Equestria was made!"

Trixie grinned and applauded as Lyra finished. Cheerilee had decided to incorporate Ponyville's best bard into her lesson on myths and tales, and so the foals and a few passerby had sat in the park and listening to her story. Now  that she was done, the foals clamored for more.

"Can't we have one more story?" asked Apple Bloom. "Please?"

Cheerilee smiled. "I'm sorry, class. Maybe another time. But for now, please get into a single-file line, and we'll start walking back to school."

"Hey, Trixie!"

Trixie turned to see Carrot Top running over. "What's up?"

Carrot Top gasped for air. "Something's coming this way! There's a bunch of ponies with some kind of monster!"

"Monster?" gasped the foals.

Trixie leapt to her hooves. "Cheerilee, get the foals inside. Carrot Top: what kind of monster?"

"It's got four feet, and gray, leathery skin, and a really long nose. Like, longer than three ponies standing front to back! And it's got big floppy ears and a long tail and--"

Lyra chuckled. "That sounds like an elephant. They're not dangerous, but why would a bunch of ponies be traveling with one?"

Trixie heard faint music drifting from the direction that Carrot Top had arrived from. "Is… is that a full band?"

Lyra nodded. "Yep."

"Who would just show up in town with an elephant and a full band?" mused Trixie.

"Who can even afford that?" wondered Carrot Top. "Shipping an elephant and a band here?"

Trixie paused. "Oh. Uh oh."

"What?"

"I know who this is."

Cheerilee paused in her efforts to corral some of the less ruly foals. "Are they dangerous?"

"Only in the sense that we might all be annoyed to death." Trixie sighed. "I had a feeling she'd be showing up soon anyway."

"Should we do something?" asked Carrot Top.

"Grin and bear it?"

The ground began to vibrate slightly, and then the entourage came into view around a bend. The ponies stared as the band, dancers, and ponies bearing litters of treasure marched around a corner and headed towards the main square. In the center of the group was indeed an elephant, with a covered structure mounted on the top. In the front of the processions was a pink-and-white pony, her cutie mark a baseball and a screw, who was waving a baton and leading the group.

The dancers began to sing.

"Make way, for the Vicereine!"

The treasure bearers chimed in.

"Say hey, to the Vicereine!"

The leader began to wave her baton around. She bounced into the air, clicked her hooves, and jumped into the rapidly gathering crowd.

"Hey! Clear the way to the market square!

Hey you! Let us through! She's a breath of fresh air!

Oh come be the first on your block to meet my pal!"

A drum and a bell set popped into existence in front of her. She began to play them with joyful abandon.

"Make way! Here she comes!

Ring bells! Bang the drums!

Oh, you're gonna love this gal!"

Her horn glowed, and the curtains on the elephant pulled themselves back. Inside was an aged pegasus, with a purple coat and a mane that had faded to white. She smiled at the crowd and waved from atop the elephant.

"She looks completely ridiculous," murmured Carrot Top.

Trixie nodded. "When you have that much money, nopony'll tell you when you look like a fool."

"Good thing you don't have that problem!" chirped Lyra.

Cheerilee, Carrot Top, and the foals all laughed. Trixie blushed.

Meanwhile, the pink pony was singing again.

"Vicereine, glorious she, Vicereine Puissance!

Genuflect, show some respect, down on one knee!" She struck her baton out and tripped a passing Rarity and Colgate, knocking them into a bow.

"Now try your best to stay calm!

Brush up your formal 'salaam!'

And come and meet her spectacular coterie!"

"Is this a party?" Trixie turned to see Pinkie Pie bouncing out of the Sugar Cube Corner. "Wait for me!"

The pink pony appeared next to Pinkie, grinning and spinning her baton.

"Vicereine, mighty is she, Vicereine Puissance!

She won't fear, even the bear-

ers of Harmony!"

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Really? Really?"

"I don't fear her either," said Lyra. "Laugh at, maybe."

The pink pony jumped into the air and seemed to suspend herself. Trixie wondered if she was related to Pinkie Pie. "She faced the high-soaring hoards!" She vanished and reappeared in the back of the crowd. "A dozen griffin warlords!" And then she was right next to Trixie, causing the showmare to jump in fright. "Who sent those goons to their lords? The Vicereine!"

"She's got seventy-five golden camels." "Don't they look lovely, everypony?"

"And for peacocks, she's got fifty-three!" "Yes, they're remarkable!"

The pink pony was suddenly on top of the elephant's nose, balanced on one hoof. "When it comes to exotic-type mammals

Such a fabulous zoo

I'm telling you

It's a world-class menagerie!"

Puissance waved at the crowd, who were smiling and clapping along with the music -- except for Pinkie, who seemed to be chasing the leader around and trying to get her baton so she could lead the song.

"Can we say hi?" asked Apple Bloom. "She looks really funny!"

"Is she a clown?" asked Snails.

"A really rich clown?" added Diamond Tiara.

"You could say that," said Trixie, as Cheerilee shook her head. "But don't underestimate her. She's brilliant when she wants to be."

The pink pony did a spiraling cartwheel into the air, where she stuck. "Vicereine, wealthy is she, Vicereine Puissance!"

The flower trio chimed in. "So fancy!"

Trixie had to choke back laughter. Some of the foals weren't so inclined, and began giggling.

"She's got treasure, far beyond measure, wait 'till you see!

Rarity chimed in, "Glamorous!"

More bits than Canterlot bank! "Marvellous!"

And let's be perfectly frank: "Stupendous!"

"She's got more jewels than Luna's treasury!"

Pinkie Pie had finally caught up with the pink pony and tackled the baton away from her, narrowly avoiding being smushed by the elephant's feet as she did so. "Ooh, ooh, I want to do the next verse! I want to do it!"

The pony shrugged and conjured up a script, then tossed it to Pinkie. "No problem!"

"YAY!" Pinkie grinned.

"Uh oh," said Trixie.

Pinkie began to sing.

"She's got sixty fine tapiran monkeys!"

The foals jumped up as one. "We want the monkeys! Let's see the monkeys!"

Cheerilee began trying to herd the ponies back to the schoolhouse, which was fortunately relatively close. "Come on, class. We have a lesson to return too."

"And to see them there's just a small fee!" "So generous! So generous!"

Pinkie grinned and jumped up into the air. The other pink pony followed, until the two were somersaulting over each other in the sky in a manner that Trixie didn't quite understand. Meanwhile, the dancers were swirling around beneath them.

"She's got serfs! She's got servants, and flunkies!" "Yes, we do

Bow to that girl

Love serving her

We're just lousy with loyalty!

Cheerilee, with Lyra, Trixie, and Carrot Top helping, managed to corral the foals into the schoolyard. Cheerilee put on a big smile. "Alright, class. Let's get inside, and--"

"To the Vicereine!" The pink and white pony had taken over again. "The Vicereine!"

The entourage wheeled around and began bearing down on Trixie's house.

"Oh no," said Trixie. She took off at a run, trying her best to weave through the crowd. She almost made it… but then Pinkie Pie jumped in front of her in some acrobatic endeavor, and the two tripped and rolled over.

"Hey!" cried out Trixie as the elephant began to trample her lawn. Its trunk waved around and knocked into her front window, which broke and fell to the ground. None of the dancers or singers seemed to mind. The pink pony, in fact, had appeared atop the elephant and opened her mouth for one last verse.

"Vicereine! Fabulous she! Vicereine Puissance!" She swooped down the elephant's nose, summersaulted, and landed right in front of Trixie. "Heard your rep here was a sight lovely to see!" She gestured at the showmare.

"Huh?" asked Trixie..

"And that, good ponies, is why--

She got decked out and dropped by--

With buckets of rubies, pallets of gold

Bits and jangles, and riches untold!

With her movers and shakers, her cooks and bakers,

Her pega-corns singing in key!

Make way for the Vicereine!"

Puissance stood as the pink pony finished and bowed. "Hello, Ponyville!" she called out in an imperious tone. "I am so pleased to be here."

Trixie stared at the mare and gulped. What does she want now?