There is a world out there, I know it very well.

It's a world where no matter how dark an evil becomes, a happy ending is waiting.

And even the most twisted things can be redeemed.

Our world is no such place.

I've seen this story play out too many times.

Even the happiest paths end up bittersweet at best if you watch long enough.

I've decided to take some responsibility.

And anyway, I would think you would approve.

Some version of you once said that you hate when someone's hard work goes unrewarded.

And given how things played out back then, this version of you clearly agrees.

So I'm sending this story there. One last run through the plot.

And on this route, there is no doubt in my mind there's a Happy End waiting.

And all the evils of the world won't be enough to change that.

The Summer Sun Celebration.

The words on a banner draped across Ponyville City Hall gave Twilight Sparkle chills as she walked through the town square. The young purple Unicorn remembered the first time she'd been in this town for the event. In retrospect they were happy memories. Memories of adventure and friendship and good feelings, at least when all was said and done. But at the time they were anything but.

At the time, she'd been angry, fearful. A few times she'd just wanted to break down crying, or scream: When she'd warned the Princess about the prophecy of Nightmare Moon's return and been ignored, during the discomfort of being the center of attention for unfamiliar social interactions. And then came the terror of facing the monster Nightmare Moon herself. The weight of whatever awful fate would befall her kidnapped mentor, or even the whole world, if she were to fail. When she'd lived through those things, it had been terrible.

But all of that was in the past, and today nopony she could see was dwelling on gloomy thoughts. Ponyville was a buzzing beehive of activity as preparations for something huge were well underway. The market stalls were dressed up with wonderful, sunny colors and royal symbols, and they seemed to be practically bursting with new wares. Every inn, hostel, bed and breakfast and flophouse in town was freshening up its paint job, cleaning its windows and fluffing its pillows. Smoke was rising from Sugar Cube Corner's ovens, and it wasn't the only place that showed signs of metaphorical heavy lifting. Or, for that matter, literal heavy lifting, as Pegasi flitted through the skies and Earth Ponies dragged along carts laden down with heavy wooden beams and other construction supplies, taking them all over town. And on top of it all, every street was full of visitors from other parts of Equestria, taking in the sights and filling the air with excited chatter. It was a whirlwind that had been going on for nearly a week.

She wondered if Mayor Mare had asked to see her because she was having problems with scheduling and administration of all the work around town. As she opened the doors to City Hall and told the receptionist that she had an appointment, she resolved to be ready to do whatever the Mayor needed in order to help.

After the Mayor finished explaining her special request, Twilight's earlier resolve was far from her mind.

She had a hard time imagining the look of bewilderment that was certainly painted on her face as she fought the urge to pace around the immaculate office of Ponyville's Mayor. The silver-haired Earth Pony politician was leaning against her polished oak desk, hooves steepled in a thoughtful way and a salesman's smile on her lips. She was clearly quite pleased with herself. "Come now, Twilight, there's nothing to think about here! You act like it'd be the first time you'd ever given a speech to the town. You've never had a problem with the spotlight before."

Twilight managed to find her voice. "Miss Mayor, that was different. This isn't me telling everypony about something wonderful my friends have done, or sharing important news with them, or even trying to organize them for something. You just want me to get up on stage and… make up stories!"

The Mayor seemed aghast. "Twilight, that wasn't my intent at all! How could you say such a thing?"

Twilight checked herself. The Mayor seemed legitimately hurt by her words, and seeing that Twilight scuffed at the ground bashfully with her hoof. After all, she had all-but accused the other pony of asking her to lie to the whole town. Politician she might be, but Mayor Mare had never been anything but a good and helpful part of the community, and Twilight couldn't recall any time she'd been dishonest.

"Well, maybe you should explain this idea to me one more time. I suppose I just don't understand what you're asking of me."

The Mayor hopped down from her desk with a cheerful, "Of course," then walked over to a wall-mounted marker board that was covered in plans and photographs. Gesturing with her hoof, she began her pitch from square one.

"As you know, Twilight, last year's Summer Sun Celebration was canceled by Princess Celestia. She felt a holiday that celebrated a terrible battle with Princess Luna which culminated in her thousand-year imprisonment was somewhat inappropriate after she was saved by you and your friends. Since the Celebration is a national event observed by ponies all over Equestria, rather than a more regional tradition like Nightmare Night, it was understandable that she wanted it to be downplayed. But for this year that's changed, and the Celebration is back on!"

Twilight nodded along with the Mayor's words. Princess Celestia had actually sent her a letter several days before the official announcement. It explained that Princess Luna had specially requested that the holiday be reinstated. After her experience visiting Ponyville during Nightmare Night, she understood that reminders of her past didn't need to be unpleasant, especially if those reminders brought joy to her subjects. 'And after all,' Celestia had written, 'No pony has more reason to celebrate the defeat of Nightmare Moon than my beloved sister.'

"As you may further recall from the town meeting we had shortly after that announcement, we here at City Hall see the reinstatement of this holiday as a golden opportunity for commerce and tourism to pick up during the normally slow summer months. After all, our humble town is the home of the Elements of Harmony, and the site of Nightmare Moon's final defeat. That's a claim to fame for the season if ever there was one!"

Technically, Twilight reminded herself, Nightmare Moon had been defeated in the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, out in the Everfree Forest. But she didn't want to interrupt the Mayor's roll, so she held her tongue.

"To that end-" the Mayor gestured broadly across the board to the litany of ideas for events, games, concerts, air shows, parties and other attractions, many of which Twilight had passed on the way over. "-we have been gearing up for the biggest event in Ponyville's history, and visitors are already flocking to our humble town. Ticket sales for various events, room rentals, and the projections for food sales and other local commerce based on the last few days alone are off the charts!"

"I understand all that Miss Mayor," Twilight finally spoke up, "Applejack and Pinkie Pie have told me about how much overtime they're working to fill orders from restaurants all over town, and Rarity plans to practically double her summer profits with a few special seasonal designs. But I don't see what this part you want me to play for you has to do with anything."

The Mayor stepped back from the board and adjusted her glasses. "Well, the thing is Twilight… Honestly, as excited as I was setting all this up, in the last few days I've been worried that I didn't take Princess Luna's feelings into account. I know bringing back the Celebration was all her idea, but at the same time… Well, after Nightmare Night was over I just felt terrible. I know it all worked out in the end, but when I thought about myself cowering in the dirt instead of making her feel welcome, I was so ashamed."

That wasn't exactly the expected direction for the conversation to take. The way the Mayor slumped her shoulders and her drooping tail made it clear to Twilight just how serious she was, and how difficult it was to share this. She rested a hoof on the older woman's shoulder. "It's alright Mayor. Without you, things might not have turned around that night. You more than made up for any mistake you made."

The Mayor offered her a sad little 'thank you,' smile. "Well, still. I want to make sure that I don't make any mistakes this time. This is our chance to make a new beginning for the Summer Sun Celebration. With how big we've made this event, all eyes are going to be on Ponyville, and we've got a chance to set the tone for all of Equestria. I want to make sure that instead of another thousand years of remembering Princess Luna as a villain who was cast down, that we remember her as a friend that the Elements of Harmony saved from a terrible fate!" She moved her face very close to Twilights and looked her dead in the eyes. "And I need your help to make sure that happens, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight gave an uneasy smile as she broke eye contact and backed away from the uncomfortably close quarters, but tried to stay encouraging. "I see. That seems wonderful, Miss Mayor. So, basically all you want is for me to give a speech at the opening ceremony for the Celebration. You want me to tell the story of what happened when Nightmare Moon returned, and how we saved Princess Luna with the Elements, so we can 'set the tone,' for the event like you said. But earlier you told me you wanted me to embellish the story! I don't understand that part. Don't you want me to tell the truth? Isn't that the whole point?"

"Of course I want that Twilight. But-" The Mayor sighed deeply, "-well, to be honest, some ponies don't want to hear the truth. They'd much rather have a story." She began to do a little pacing of her own. "Think about when Nightmare Moon first came into the ballroom on that day she was freed, for example. We were all in a panic because Princess Celestia was missing, and the very first thing anypony said to this dark, mysterious creature in our midst was to ask what she had done to the Princess. We didn't have any reason to assume she was responsible for Celestia being gone. But it made sense to us because she was dark, and sinister, and she'd shown up in the wrong place at the wrong time, so she surely had to be guilty. That's a story that makes sense to ponies. What if Nightmare Moon had been some innocent bystander instead of a powerful monster? Who knows what we might have done to her."

Twilight had never even considered that before, but it made a lot of sense to her when put in those terms. Twilight herself had known all about the Mare in the Moon and the prophecy, so she'd had facts backing her up when she told everypony what was happening that night, but Rainbow Dash had just lashed out with no information at all. She was also reminded of the first time she'd seen Zecora, the mysterious Zebra, and how all her friends had acted fearful and prejudiced in the face of the unknown.

The Mayor continued, "If all you give people are the facts of what happened they're going to use them to make up their own story Twilight. Believe me, I know from experience. You wouldn't believe the kinds of rumors my secretary overheard around town when people were trying to 'figure out' why I dye my hair." Despite the seriousness of the conversation, they both allowed themselves a chuckle at that comment.

"Anyway, when you get up on that stage, all I want is for you to take control of that narrative. Not necessarily to lie, I would never ask that of you. But if you think some detail might be too scary for a young filly, like when you all had to fight that Manticore, you could just skip over to the part when Fluttershy peacefully pulled the thorn from its paw. Or Princess Celestia being taken. It's not really important to the story of saving Princess Luna that it happened. All it's going to do if you bring that up is remind ponies that the first thing Nightmare Moon did when she arrived was hurt our beloved monarch, and that's the last thing anypony wants to think about, or for that matter we want them thinking about. Forget worrying about every little factual detail and focus on telling a story that everypony will enjoy." She offered Twilight a playful wink.

Twilight sat at her writing desk at the Ponyville Library, quill hovering overhead while wrapped in the purple glow of her magic. She hadn't managed to convince herself to put it to paper.

In the end, she had agreed to the Mayor's request to give a speech, but made no promises on the content. She felt like her head was going to split. Everything that the Mayor had said to her about stories, and the reasons they were putting on this festival, and helping Princess Luna, it all made sense. But it didn't feel right somehow.

It was obvious that lying about things would be terrible. There wouldn't be a whole Element of Harmony dedicated to honesty if lying was ever going to help anything. But was it really lying to just gloss over a few things, omit some information or twist a couple of facts to make somepony look better?

She decided she needed to talk it out, find a sounding board to help make up her mind. She glanced up at the library's loft to check on her go-to for that sort of thing, and found that her faithful dragon assistant Spike was enjoying a nap. "Well then, I guess I'll go visit the others. I'm sure they'll know the right thing to do."

She casually strolled across town and made her way to Sweet Apple Acres. It didn't take her too long to find Applejack out in the fields, as the clack of hooves on apple trees was echoing across the hills and made for easy tracking.

Applebuck season was still some time off, but the demand for foodstuffs with the upcoming festivities had been so massive that the Apples couldn't pass up the potential business. With Granny Smith's begrudging blessing, spoken around grumbles of lowered quality given the earliness of the season, they had begun to harvest their crop, and profits were already pouring in as fast as they could ship out the fruit.

In fact, demand was so high, that the family had called in the proverbial cavalry. Apple clan members from distant corners of Equestria, their own harvest time a long way off, had appeared to help bring in as many crops as the hungry tourists could possibly eat. Some Twilight recognized. The brothers Red and Golden Delicious, excitable Braeburn, clumsy Caramel, and energetic Apple Fritter all caught her eye. There were more that she'd never seen before, and it made her happy, and relieved, that AJ had all the help she needed.

At last she located her friend, chatting amiably at the base of a bucked tree. She held her faithful hat in hoof, allowing the summer breeze to comb through her long blonde mane to cool herself off more quickly. Near her were her younger sister Applebloom, and another pony Twilight didn't recognize. The new pony was a Unicorn, a fact which surprised Twilight a bit as she'd never met an Apple that wasn't an Earth Pony. She was tall, had a sleek, slender build and a deep golden-orange coat. Her long mane, colored a wine red with streaks of forest green, as well as her tail were done up in glamorous curls. Rarity would have certainly approved. Most shocking of all, however, was that she did not have a Cutie Mark! A full-grown mare with a blank flank! It was clear why Applebloom was stalking around her like a curious puppy dog. Twilight made a stern mental note to not say anything. She would have to be sensitive.

Walking up with a wave of the hoof, Applejack invited her to join the conversation. "Twilight! Nice to see you. I'd like to introduce you to one of my more distant relations. This here is Apple Island. Apple Island, meet Twilight Sparkle. She's none other than Princess Celestia's personal magic apprentice!"

Twilight felt a blush coming on, but Apple Island remained composed and graceful, and craned her neck in a simple but elegant bow. "My goodness," she began, her voice lacking any recognizable accent, "It's certainly an honor to meet such an accomplished magic user. I've dabbled in such studies myself. I'm a bit of an odd-ball in this family I'm afraid." She offered up a smile, and Twilight couldn't help but smile back. There was a certain charm about this mare that made one instantly like her. When you looked into those dark red eyes, you just knew you were talking to a pony you could trust. Twilight reflected on how honesty worn on the sleeve must run in the family.

"She hails from one of our most distant branches, even further out than Uncle Apple Strudel. Heck, even Granny Smith didn' recognize her when she first walked up the way. But you know how that old gal is, a cup of coffee and a nice chat and the memories came floodin' back."

"Well, I should hope so." Twilight replied, "Even if she's a distant relation, it seems like she'd be hard to forget. I mean, she's a Unicorn, and she's absolutely gorgeous. Plus she has no…" She managed to trail off without finishing the sentence, but the damage was done. If she'd slapped herself in the forehead any harder, there would have been a permanent hoofprint.

"Miss Twilight, you don't need to be embarrassed," Apple Island consoled her, amazingly not upset even slightly by Twilight's massive social gaff. "Believe me when I say I have absolutely no concern over the fact that I don't have a Cutie Mark. After all, it's not like I'm missing a leg. It's something I can easily do without."

Twilight was amazed at her cool disposition. The idea of never finding your special talent, the one thing you were best at, was a troubling one. She'd told Applebloom and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders many times that it wasn't something that could be forced and it would come in its own time, but that you might NEVER find it wasn't even in the equation as far as Twilight was concerned. Still, if this pony was happy, Twilight wasn't about to try and make her miserable. In all honesty, it was a wise point for view, and who was she to disagree?

"Oh, speak for yourself Cousin Island. I think I'd rather be missin' a leg than never get my Cutie Mark." Applebloom's moping was unsurprising. It was obvious that she was enamored with the cool, pretty older mare, but she probably didn't like hearing anypony say they were so unconcerned about the most important thing in her life.

Apple Island gave the young girls head a pat in a consoling gesture. "If anything, I'm sorry that I don't have one for dear Applebloom's sake. After I arrived and heard how troubled she is about her lack of a mark, I'd hoped my presence would make her a bit more chipper, but so far it's been a mixed bag."

"Well if you'd been able to magic a Cutie Mark up for me, I'd certainly be a lot more chippy-er," she sighed. Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"You tried to get Apple Island to give you a Cutie Mark with magic? You know we've tried that before. Not to brag or anything, but why would you think any other Unicorn could do it if I couldn't?"

Applebloom started a bit, and stumbled over her response. "Oh, uh, no reason. I just uh… thought it might work this time because I'm older now." Twilight smiled and shook her head. The little filly had probably forgotten the entire episode and was embarrassed to admit it. With the sheer volume of schemes she'd tried to get her Cutie Mark, one slipping her mind was to be expected.

After getting a good natured laugh out of the way, Applejack turned back to her guest. "Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, what can I do ya for Twilight?"

Twilight briefly explained the Mayor's request, making her concerns about bending the truth, even for a good cause, plain. Applejack nodded in a sage-like manner as Twilight laid out the pros and cons of the situation, and was deep in thought for several minutes after the tale was complete. "That's quite a pickle you've got there Twilight. I mean, you know me; honesty is always the best policy as far as this Apple is concerned. But the Mayor's got a point. I remember how rough Nightmare Night was on Princess Luna when you first walked up to me and asked me to show her a good time, so helpin' her make a good impression can't be a bad thing. Especially if you're not really lyin' to do it. I wish I could be more helpful, but I'm sure a somepony as smart as you will make the right decision."

Applebloom spoke up, "You know Twilight, when me and the girls were writin' for the school paper, some of the stories we wrote about other ponies were made up, some of them were completely true, and some were kind of in-between. It seemed like somepony was angry or sad no matter what we did. I don' know if that helps, but… Well, maybe you should just write whatever you think will make everypony happy."

"'Whatever will make everypony happy,' huh?" Twilight wondered aloud. She'd thought that after talking to Applejack everything would be crystal clear, sure that the Element of Honesty would see what the right thing was immediately. Now she was more confused than ever. She meandered her way across town trying to collect her thoughts, and found herself at the door of Rarity's boutique. Deciding more advice was just what she needed, she approached the door… only to jump back as another pony stepped through.

It wasn't anypony Twilight knew, which probably meant she was one of the tourists. She had a surprisingly intense look, her sparkling aqua-marine eyes giving off a feeling of authority and danger that reminded Twilight of the few times she'd met the Wonderbolts' captain, Spitfire. However, this was an Earth Pony rather than a Pegasus.

She was pale cream in color, not quite the sparkling pristine white of Rarity's coat but closer to fresh milk. It was hard to gauge her build because most of her body was draped in a long, bright blue cloak, but she seemed on the small side, not very tall or muscular. Her spun-gold mane seemed cut very short at first, but the two long bangs framing her face, the single stray curl accenting her look, and the elaborate combination of braid and bun gathered at the back of her neck made it clear it was actually grown out quite a bit. Her tail length was also impressive, though it was tightly woven into a braid as well. Twilight wondered if the pony was trying to look more masculine, as she would undoubtedly give off a girlish air if she let her hair hang loose. As it was, the only mark of femininity was a simple blue ribbon helping to tie her hair.

The strange pony seemed very startled by Twilight being in the doorway, though it only showed on her face for a split second. Not wanting to be rude, Twilight offered an apology. "Oh, I'm sorry; did I get in your way? I was just trying to visit my friend, she owns this shop."

The cloaked stranger regarded Twilight with a critical eye for a few somewhat uncomfortable moments without answering. Just when she was wondering if she should say something else, Twilight finally got a response. "Not at all. The error was mine. Forgive my rudeness; I wasn't expecting anyone else to be around here."

Twilight gave a polite nod. "Well, Rarity is an up-and-coming designer, so her boutique is more popular than some ponies might think. If anything it's unusual that you were the only one around. But that's good for me, since it means I won't be bothering her with my visit. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your visit to Ponyville, Miss…?"

But the mare didn't answer, instead ending the conversation by returning Twilight's nod, and simply saying, "Yes, this is quite an interesting place. Thank you for the conversation. I'm certain I'll see you again."

Shrugging off the other pony's strange behavior, she walked through the door and called out to her friend. "Rarity? Are you busy? I'm kind of in a jam and was hoping you could give me some advice."

As always, Carousel Boutique was a wonderland of beauty, as gem-studded, high-fashion clothes covered mannequin after mannequin. Rarity's summer line took up most of the display space. The theme, as she'd described it to the group, was "Hot Summer Sun and Hot Summer Nights." On one side of the store she'd decorated with all the trappings of summer fun. Fanciful frilly swimsuits, sleek outdoorsy sets with shorts, boots and sleeveless shirts perfect for camping, and light, airy sundresses with broad hats and parasols lit up the room with whites, yellows and oranges. On the other side, things were done up like a trendy nightclub, with neon lights and standees of big buildings setting the stage for slick black suits and form-fitting silk evening wear that werew sure to turn every head on the dance floor. Best of all, every outfit had special gem inlays based on the Cutie Marks of Princesses' Celestia and Luna, to specially commemorate the Summer Sun Celebration. Rarity had truly outdone herself for this event. Wherever she was.

After calling out a few more times, Twilight began peeking into the back rooms. It was several minutes before she finally located the white unicorn, rustling around in the room where she stored her special fabrics. She was muttering to herself, "Where is it? Where could I have put it? It's got to be here somewhere."

"Rarity!" Twilight called out to her friend, and was surprised as the sound of her voice made the other mare leap into the air in shock, like she'd been hit with a bucket of cold water. "Oh, I'm sorry. I startled you."

"N…not at all darling! Why would I be startled? It's just another average day here at Carousel Boutique after all!" She stepped away from the rolls of fabric in the storage closet and guided Twilight back onto the main floor. "Now, what can I do for you? Looking for a new dress for the festival?"

"No, nothing like that. I just need some advice. See, I-" She paused, as a thought occurred to her. Perhaps Applejack's advice had been colored because she knew specifically that this speech was for the purpose of helping Princess Luna. Luna was a friend, and AJ had been pretty focused on her being the benefactor of the story when giving her non-committal answer. She might get a more honest view if she kept things vague.

"Let me ask you this: Is it OK to bend the truth, or maybe just leave some information out, when you're telling a story if it helps somebody look better? I was thinking about it, because somepony I know wants me to write a little story about some true events that happened to me, but she wants me to kind of… dress up the facts a bit, make it more of a storybook story. I'm not really sure what to do. I don't want to be dishonest, but it's not exactly lying either, and I do want to help this pony out."

Rarity rubbed a hoof under her chin. "Hmm… that is a tough question." She gave it a few moments of thought, and then her eyes lit up. "Ah, I know. Now, this is a bit embarrassing so I'm afraid I can't get too specific on the details. But once, when I thought it was important to make myself look good to others, I did more than bend the truth, I told a few outright lies." Twilight's eyes went wide as saucers at this admission. "Yes, yes, I know darling, it was dreadful of me. And the funny thing was, in the end, the lies I told didn't really make any difference to the most important ponies. The ones whose opinions of me really mattered cared more about who I was than the fibs I'd made up to make myself seem better. And they never even found out that those things I said were lies, because in the end they were so unimportant that nobody remembered them."

Twilight let out half of a sigh of relief, but Rarity wasn't finished. "That all being said… I would be lying to you right now if I told you that the lies I told didn't matter ever. They didn't matter at the end, sure. And they didn't matter to the ponies that were most important. But they did matter to some ponies along the way. Some of them may not have looked at me twice if I hadn't created a few little fictions, and because they did, I got to experience some wonderful things. I don't want to support lying, believe me. In the end I was sorry I'd ever bothered doing it and if I had to do it over again I wouldn't have wasted the effort. But at the same time, my lying didn't hurt anyone, and it did me some good, even if it was far less important than I thought it was." Rarity noticed that Twilight's mood seemed to have dipped during this part of the speech, and gently brushed a hoof past her cheek. "In your case, dear, from what you said it doesn't seem like you're telling lies at all. Just not telling every little sordid bit of the truth. Nor are you doing this for yourself, but to help somepony else. I think the only reason you're so torn up is that no matter what you do, you'll be doing the right thing."

Twilight couldn't say that her conflict was completely resolved, but Rarity's heartfelt words had certainly soothed the irritation in her mind. She moved in and gave her friend a hug as a thank you. Their warm moment was soon interrupted by a loud, slightly obnoxious "Aaaaaaaaaw, how sweet!" from the far window. When they both replied with annoyed eye rolling, the raucous laughter of Rainbow Dash became unmistakable.

"You know, Rainbow Dash, some of us can express our emotions openly in moments other than life-and-death peril," Rarity chided.

The baby-blue Pegasus flipped her rainbow colored mane and scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, I was just tweaking your tail. Give me a break here! I've been busting my feathers working on the weather scheme for this big festival. My nap schedule is way off." Twilight giggled despite herself. "Anyway Twilight, you know what I think about your story thingy?"

Before Twilight could respond, Rarity interjected. "Rainbow Dash, were you eavesdropping on us?"

"Yes. Anyway, about this story thing, I think it's just like Daring Do, you know? Those stories aren't for real, even though some of them are based on real stuff. Daring Do is supposed to be an Archeologist, but nobody wants to hear a story about brushing dust off shards of pottery with a tiny brush for six months and then finding out if was some local housewife's flower pot. So the writer dresses things up so it's more exciting!"

Twilight nodded, but wasn't totally convinced. "But Rainbow, this story isn't totally made up based on a real thing like Daring Do. It's supposed to be the actual story of something that happened to me."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I don't think that's all that different. If I was going to write a story about me, I wouldn't make it about days where I sit around taking naps or busting clouds, it'd be about stuff like when I saved all the Wonderbolts and Rarity at the Best Young Flier's Competition!"

As she usually did when that little episode was brought up, Rarity looked a bit uncomfortable, but Twilight ignored her. "But that story wasn't all action and heroics. I remember how crazy nervous you were. You even told me that you were switching numbers with other ponies so you wouldn't have to go out and fly!"

It was Rainbow's turn to look sheepish. "Well, yeah… look, when I read a book, the most important thing is that I enjoy the story! Some people might want to hear a story about somebody who messes up and is afraid and stuff. But when I read a book, I want my hero to be AWESOME! Cool and brave and tough, a real Pony's Pony, you know? If you want my opinion of how you should write your story Twilight, that's it: before you worry about being true, worry about being awesome! After all, if the story is about you, then you get to be the hero!"

Twilight groaned loud and long as she tossed another sheet of paper into a growing pile behind her chair. After Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had proven too busy to offer her any advice, she'd returned home and tried attacking the problem head on by just starting to write and seeing where her words took her. Unfortunately, her words hadn't taken her more than a couple sentences in after nearly four hours of trying. Whether she tried to be more truthful or more dramatized, nothing felt right. Spike had ended up being no help when he finally woke up, his advice amounting to, "I dunno, but I'm glad I'm not in your shoes," without even the marginally helpful context of an opinion for both positions, which Applejack's similar response had provided.

Another ball of paper joined the pile, and she found that she'd gone through another scroll. She planted her face into her desk and put her quill back in its inkwell. She wasn't getting anywhere at this rate. She glanced upward toward her bed, taking in the glorious clear night and full moon in frame through her window. Maybe sleep would help. She still had more than a week before the Celebration, so she had time to mull this over and still finish the speech on time.

As she slouched up the ladder toward her bed, she sighed. "It may be my story, but I certainly didn't feel like a hero then. And even if I'm trying to help someone, this mess isn't making me feel like one either."

She pulled open her blanket and flopped onto the mattress, enjoying its welcoming embrace. She turned back toward the window, her eyes already feeling heavy. A loud yawn escaped her. "Hero… I wonder what it even means to be a hero…"

Her eyes fluttered closed. And then shot back open in shock. She screamed.

Outside her window, on the branch of the tree the library was built into, stood a pony bathed in moonlight. Twilight's terrified brain barely recognized that it was the same blonde-haired blue-caped pony she'd seen at Rarity's shop. She was staring right at Twilight with those piercing blue-green eyes, her garment fluttering in the night breeze. Then, without any warning, she tensed her legs and launched herself through Twilight's window, shattering it into a million pieces and landing inside the house.

Twilight next scream barely managed to make a squeak thanks to her fright, but she did manage to call out Spike's name in a tiny voice. Impossibly, the little dragon was still asleep despite the clamor. The stranger spoke, in a voice as clear as a bell chime. "Your pet will not wake. I took precautions so that we could speak in private." From beneath her cape, a malicious red glow flashed for a split second, and the glass shards and splintered wood that were littering the floor and bed sprang to life, floating into the air and reassembling like a jigsaw puzzle in the window frame. Once the window was completely back in shape, the cracks of the seemingly countless pieces seemed to flow away, and in seconds it was if nothing had ever happened. Other than the crazy pony who was still standing at the foot of her bed.

Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat, and leapt to her hooves, eyeing the ladder down to the ground floor and wondering if she could make the jump without hurting herself. "That was magic! How did you do that? You're an Earth Pony, not a Unicorn!"

The invader said nothing. Desperate and too afraid for rational though, Twilight stepped onto the frame of her bed and tried to jump for safety. Unfortunately, her hoof slipped on the polished wood, and she flailed helplessly as she fell onto her back, hitting the floor of the loft hard.

The blonde pony stepped around the bed, and stood before Twilight with an air of menace. Twilight felt paralyzed, helpless. But the strange pony did not attack. What she did instead… defied belief.

An explosive burst of wind erupted from the Earth Pony's body, her cape and tail whipping about wildly. Twilight's bedding was tossed away, and she worried she herself or the still sleeping Spike might follow. This was certainly more magic, though it lacked the eerie red glow of the previous spell. As the wind swirled, a different glow wrapped around the intruder's entire body, this one pale blue. And before Twilight's eyes, she changed.

From behind the veil of the magical glow, the intruder's entire shape changed. She grew taller, her spine and legs seemed to morph into a different shape, her limbs and facial structure going through radical alterations as entirely new body parts grew from nothing. The only things that seemed to remain the same were her haircut and her still intense eyes. It only took a few seconds, and when it was done, the pony was gone, and in its place was something Twilight had never seen before.

Trying to stay calm, Twilight thought like a student. The creature seemed like it might be a primate of some kind. Her limbs ended in, rather than any kind of paw or hoof or talon, things that the Spider Monkeys kept by Princess Celestia had. She recalled they were known as "feet," and "hands," depending on which limb they were attached to. She had no coat at all on what little pale-pinkish skin was visible, mostly on her face, though her mane was still there. Twilight saw she had only two legs, (the other two seemingly had become arms) as they were just visible poking out of the bottom of a long blue and gold dress with a bell-shaped skirt that concealed most of her abdomen. They were protected by thick metal barding or armor.

In fact, a lot of her was covered in armor. Her skirt had two large protective plates, and an ornate cuirass surrounded her chest. Her hands were completely obscured by mitten-like gloves made from interlocking plates. A simple glance was enough to tell Twilight that, whatever kind of animal she was, she was a warrior, just like her brother Shining Armor.

The transformation complete, the rampaging winds finally subsided, but did not vanish. Instead, they seemed to die down in intensity, then gather together until they became just barely visible from swirling particulates. They took on an oblong shape, which the creature grasped in its hand like it was something solid. She loomed over Twilight's fallen body, her alien but elegant new self framed by the pure white light of the moon. Finally, in the same voice as her pony form, she spoke:

"Twilight Sparkle. At the bidding of the Holy Grail, I bring you notice. You have been chosen, and granted the right to the title of Master. I am Ruler, by my name of Arturia Pendragon. I bid you, call forth your Servant. The Holy Grail War has begun."

Authors Note: I've never really posted a fanfic before, so I hope you all enjoy this, it's been stuck in my head for a long time. I don't have a pre-reader, so if I made some big typo or grammatical gaff, feel free to share, it'd help me out.