Prologue

Opportunity

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The night was beautiful. The stars glistened within the infinite blue expanse. The nearby trees flashed pink every few seconds, accompanied by crackles and sparks. Trixie was tired, but she had to get this spell right. This was going to be her new big finale, she had to get it perfect. She attempted it again, taking her stance with a lowered head and arched back, placing a hoof in front of the other. Her horn erupted with a pink aura before being outshone by a flash of red.

"Hi there!" A pony bellowed, emerging from the flash.

Trixie stumbled back in surprise. She came out to the edge of the Everfree away from any town to practice her spells in secret, yet this mare just popped up out of nowhere.

"Who are you?" She questioned.

"I'm someone who can help you.”

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The room was dark. A single being lingered within it’s shadows. She stood there in complete silence, appreciating the halcyon atmosphere. She lit her horn, a low red tainted the dark walls but turned a serene green as the pendant around her neck activated. She closed her eyes. Images formed in her mind, hazy images of balloons, streamers, cake. Mares danced to muffled music, laughing. 4 mares. One in particular caught her attention.

“Twilight.”

Suddenly the room was bathed in sunlight. The door swung open. It closed almost immediately, plunging the room back into near-darkness.

“So, you said you wanted to help me?” Trixie spoke.

The mare smiled in the green light.

         “We’re going to help each other.”

The unicorn looked at the first with confusion, “How can we possibly help each other anyway, we don’t know anything about each other.”

         “Oh, I know about you. You had a run-in with the very pony I’m after. you know who I’m talking about, don’t you?” The first stated.

         “... Her...” The second voiced.

         “She’s strong, you know that, but I can make it easy for you to get a little... payback... if you can help me out first.” The first pony sneered.

The second pony rolled the idea in her head for a few moments, not sure what this mare wanted. “Just what are you planning?” She retorted.

“If I told you, you might not want to go through with it, so it’s best if you don’t ask questions and just take the opportunity.”

“And that is?” The other questioned.

The first giggled, “I’m just after what you’re after. I want to see Twilight Sparkle suffer.”

The second didn’t believe her. “Why? What did she do to you?”

The mare looked her in the eyes, irises burning scarlet red through the dim green glow. This sudden change in attitude startled the unicorn.

“What to you have in mind, then?”

The mare turned towards the pony. “Go to her friend’s cottage. This is what I want you to do there...”

…

The second pony stepped back in horror. How could she do such a thing? Was this mare deranged? She was sick in the head, that’s for sure. How would that hurt Twilight?

         “Don’t give me that look. Trust me, it’s part of my plan.” The first mare donned a sickening smile. The second just stared in shock.

         “You can’t expect me to really do such a thing can you?” She protested, “Tell me, how that could possibly hurt Twilight?”

         “You have your version fun, and i have mine. Trust me, just do it.”

She didn’t reply. This mare indeed had a few loose screws if she requested such a thing on a whim. But for some reason, she found herself agreeing, probably because of the prospect of a suffering Twilight.

         “Whatever, fine, I’ll go.”

The mare smiled once more. “Excellent. Return here after you’re finished.”

The second pony nodded, lighting her horn with a pink aura before flashing away.

         The mare reactivated the pendant. “Soon, Twi. Very soon.”