#tmp prompt

"What do you mean you want me to compete in a duel tournament?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"I think that it would be a good test of a number of your abilities, Twilight," said Princess Celestia, "it would be a good test of how well you can think on your hooves, as well as your overall speed, agility, and raw power."

"I don't want that kind of magic to be my focus, though," said Twilight, a slight whine creeping into her voice.

"Twilight, given the events at your brother's wedding, I would have thought that you would be eager to improve yourself," said Princess Celestia. Twilight looked away, and Princess Celestia sighed and walked down the steps of her throne.

"Twilight, you should not feel guilty for hurting those changelings. You were defending yourself. I am not asking you to enlist as a battle mage, I am asking you to compete in a sanctioned, well-regulated and civilian tournament. I know that your own brother would appreciate you knowing at least how to defend yourself."

Twilight sighed, and looked up at Princess Celestia.

"Alright," she said, "Where do I sign up?"

*************

And that was how Twilight Sparkle found herself staring across an open field at her first opponent, a young noble unicorn who Twilight vaguely recognised from her time around Canterlot. The other unicorn was being attended to by a pair of earth ponies while the referee announced the rules.

"Concussive blasts are the limit of force. Nothing cast to pierce or slice flesh. Do both of you understand?"

"I understand," said Twilight.

"Ugh, can we please just get on with this so I can get to my pedicure appointment?" moaned the other, shooing her attendants away, while taking up a ready position that looked incredibly uncomfortable to Twilight.

"Ready?" asked the referee, looking at both participants, "And go!"

The second the referee jumped backwards, a spell left both unicorn's horns. Twilight ducked under a blast of magical force and watched as her own spell suddenly erected a bubble around the other unicorn. Irritated by this, the other unicorn attempted to pop the bubble by blasting it again, only to have her own spell knock her unconcious.

"Winner, Twilight Sparkle," said the referee.

****Time****

The unicorn laughed as Twilight's spells bounced off his shield.

"This is my speciality! You'll never get a clear shot."

Twilight cocked her head in thought, and then cast three spells in quick succession. Each impacted on the front of her opponents shield, then ricocheted off as they had before. Then, instead of her magical missiles dissipating on the protective field around the duelling area, they rebounded again, too quickly for the gloating unicorn to readjust his shield to protect himself, and they stuck him from the back, knocking him out of the competition.

"Winner, Twilight Sparkle!"

**********

A wedge of earth drove up underneath the especially fancy unicorn, disrupting her next step and catapulting her into the air, even as Twilight teleported out of the way of the last spell. Twilight's horn lit up again, tearing the spur of earth she'd previously used from the ground, and shaping it into a cup which she used to catch the flying unicorn, and then trapped her inside.

"Winner, Twilight Sparkle. Please put the ground back how you found it."

**********

"And our grand champion is Twilight Sparkle," said the referee. There was a polite smattering of applause, as well as a few dirty looks from the noble ponies who had paid for countless duelling lessons, only to be defeated by what they believed was a peasant.

"Now, Miss Sparkle," said the referee, levitating a small bag of bits over to Twilight, "here is your prize, and I will respectfully have to ask that you not enter another Canterlot Duelling Tournament."

"I wasn't planning to, but can I ask why?"

"The judges and sponsors of the organisation, knowing that you are a student of Princess Celestia, watched your performance very closely, Miss Sparkle. What they saw, I am informed, scared the tails off them. None of your opponents were unskilled, Miss Sparkle. A number of them have won in previous meets. None of them ever hit you, even once."

Twilight blinked.

"So, I thank you for your participation, Miss Sparkle, and here are your winnings, and now I will request that you please never come back."

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Written for Prompt #124: “The Dance That Broke My Jaw”

The prompt: 

"Really, Twilight?" asked Rarity, "I was your only option for this?"

"I can't keep him at the castle, Rarity. He unnerves me in a very strange way," said Twilight, glancing around Rarity to the figure currently standing completely still in the centre of Carousel Boutique's shop floor."

"What about-," began Rarity, only for Twilights to cut her off.

"Rainbow Dash's house is made of clouds, Applejack's out of town on a family thing, and if he stayed with Fluttershy we'd never get her to come out of the closet for a year."

"What about Pinkie?"

"I'd rather keep this quiet. Nopony needs to know that he was ever here," said Twilight, "Look, it's only for a few hours until I can calibrate the mirror to lock onto his own dimension, and send him back to wherever he came from."

Rarity sighed, and glanced backwards to where the giant figure was standing.

"Alright, darling, but you are going to owe me a full spa session, and a full explanation once this is all sorted out."

"Thank you so much, Rarity!" said Twilight, quickly hugging Rarity, then flying off in the direction of the Crystal Castle of Friendship. Rarity gave another quick sigh, closed her door, and then turned around to inspect the figure currently standing in her house. He, she supposed, was tall, almost as tall as some of the teenage dragons that she'd encountered, and like them, stood on two legs.

But unlike the dragons, his feed ended not in claws, but blunt, almost hoof-like appendages, while his arms finished in not-quite claws. He was clad almost entirely in some kind of green armour, which completely obscured his natural form. And now that she was alone with this not-dragon, Rarity immediately picked up on what had unnerved Twilight so much.

He was a predator. This was a being that could, without a shadow of a doubt in Rarity's mind, end her. It was in the way that he stood, how he held himself, that even without moving told a tale of blood and violence, and that aeons of prey instincts had immediately picked up on.

"I am, as you have gathered, Rarity, a close friend of Twilight. She should have you back to your home as soon as possible."

The not-dragon predator stayed still and silent.

"Do you have a name, dear?"

Further silence. Rarity couldn't even tell if he was blinking behind the helmet.

"Are you a soldier, where you come from?"

There was a moment of silence, then the head of the not-dragon bobbed up and down once.

"Is that a yes?"

The not-dragon nodded again, and Rarity internally celebrated. It was non-verbal, but at least it was communication. She strode towards the figure, her designer's eyes flicking up and down the armour adorning the figure.

"Ugh, green," muttered Rarity, "hardly the most imposing colour for a soldier, don't you think?"

Despite meaning the question as a rhetorical one, the not-dragon shook it's head from side to side.

Rarity thought for a moment.

"Ah, so it's for camoflage, is it?"

Another negative. Rarity hummed to herself in thought.

"Still, it is rather damaged. I don't suppose that you would allow me to fix it, would you?"

Yet another negative, then a pause, and the not-dragon mimed a knife cutting.

"You want a knife?"

He nodded, and Rarity floated one of her chopping knives out of her kitchen and onto the table besides the not-dragon. He picked it up, and ran the edge over one of the sections of his armour, succeeding in just dulling the knife.

"Ah, it isn't that you won't allow it, it's that you do not believe that I can fix it?"

A nod.

*****Time****

"Can I feel it?" asked Rarity. After a moment, the not-dragon offered out on his arms, and Rarity gingerly ran his hooves over the scarred surface of the armour. It was far harder than anything she had ever felt before, possibly even harder than diamond.

"So, you are right in thinking that I cannot mend your armour, however," began Rarity, "I will not let you go unaccesorised! While your armour may be beyond my means, and your form is not the one I usually design for, never let it be said that Rarity shies away from a challenge!"

Rarity moved away from the not-dragon, her magic pulling out several bolts of cloth.

"Now, you are clearly fond of green, and I will admit, it does seem to work with you, so perhaps-," Rarity was abruptly stopped by a blunt claw pinching around her mouth as she turned to face the not-dragon, and she was abruptly reminded that he was a predator.

Gently, he released Rarity's mouth, and guestured to himself, and then with one of his claws, drew a line across what Rarity supposed would be his throat. Then, he shook he head, and pointed to a nearby half-finished dress.

"You...kill? No dress?" asked Rarity, trying to make sense of the limited communication that she had.

The predator nodded, and picked up the knife again, tapping the point on his arm, then using the knife to cut through a piece of fabric that Rarity had dropped. Once more, he tapped his armour, and nodded his head, then pointed at the dress, and shook his head.

"Armour stops weapons, fabric doesn't," said Rarity, "armour yes, dress no?"

The predator nodded again, leaving Rarity to put the information together in her head.

"So you prefer function over beauty? That whatever it is you do does not let you embellish your outfit?"

Another nod.

"Well, I suppose that I can understand that outlook," said Rarity, "I'll just let you wait until Twilight comes for you, then."

-------

Written for Prompt #291: “It Is Green”

It was a normal day. We were assigned to scout a number of regions of Equestria, our closest source of food. The other changelings in the brood had all split off earlier, leaving this one  to scout a desolate path by itself. The brood had all disguised itself as unremarkable ponies, aiming to imitate travellers, or other folk that would not attract attention for being alone in unusual places.

This drone was proceeding along a path when it came upon a young pink pony beside the path, laying down. Despite the pony's weak physical condition, this one could feel a great outflow of positive emotion from the pony.

"H-Hi there," the pink pony said, breaths heavy and slow, "I don't suppose that you could help me out? Pretty please?"

"What is the problem?" this one asked.

"See, I wanted to go to Ponyville, so I sort of snuck out of home so mommy couldn't stop me and keep me on the rock farm forever and ever." The pink pony paused, gasping in what  hive memory told this one could be physical distress. "But then I took a bad tumble, and I haven't had anything to eat or drink in ages, and I haven't seen anypony else on the road at all."

The pink pony's face twisted in what this one was sure was physical pain.

"And my hoofsies and legs are super-duper sore. I can't walk far at all. I just need to get to the next town, so will you please help me?"

This one reached out with its mind, attempting to contact its brood-folk, but got no reply.  It did not know if its brood had been caught or killed, or were simply too far away to respond, but that meant it had to deal with the situation.

"Allow me to assess your condition," this one stated. Using the odd personal words felt strange to this one, but it was stressed to this one in the breeding pods that it was the correct way that would not alert the ponies to this one's true identity. This one placed its hooves on the pink pony, feeling with both magic and touch.

"Your legs are broken."

"Oh bummer," the pink pony said through clenched teeth. This one considered its options. It could leave the pink pony here, and continue with its assigned mission, and this was the most efficient option. From its senses, it could tell that the pink pony would not survive without urgent medical care as not only were the pony's legs broken, but a number of open wounds were infected. It could also help the pink pony to the next town, wherever that was, but that could raise questions about what this one was. The pink pony did not know this one as anything but a fellow pony, and it could use some nourishment. It could also drain the pink pony, leave no witnesses to its presence. The hive memory showed this one how such a thing could be done, but lacked much of the details. it was not a long-term feeding strategy, the hive memory told, but rather extracted everything from the pony, and allowed the drone to survive independantly for long periods of time.

"I can help," this one said, "just close your eyes, and think of happy thoughts."

The pink pony nodded, and followed his one's directions. The positive emotions began to raidiate out from the pink pony, and this one shifted back to its natural form, and bit into the pink pony's neck, binding the pony's mouth shut to prevent the pink pony from crying out.

****Time****

So much emotion flowed into this one. So much happiness, so much joy, so much love, that this one felt like it would burst. And then the memories came. The hive memories had told this one nothing about this aspect of the feeding. It could remember both being born in a pod, deep underground, in a brood of similar changelings, and it could remember growing up with sisters, it could feel the love the pink pony had for her sisters, but deeper still this one drew on the pink pony's emotions and thoughts. And for the first time, I could feel the need to feed completely disappearing. For the first time, it-I felt full.

The body of the pink pony who had given her life to nourish me-this one lay on the ground. It was the work of a moment to shift this one's front hoofsies into something that was more suitable for digging, and a moment later to place the drained corpse of Pinkie Pie, her memories whispered to me, into the hole, and cover it back up.

And it was only once that was done did this one realise that I could no longer feel the connection with the brood. I could no longer even feel the distant connection between myself and the main hive. This one was then left with a problem, and a natural solution presented itself. The queen would not notice a single drone going missing, even if she noticed the drone at all, except to order them. There was a young pony that was recently deceased, and this one - I had her memories. I could take her place.

Magic flowed around me, shifting me into an exact replica of the pony that I had drained, and armed with her memories, I set out to make a new life for myself.

--------

Written for Prompt #57: "Ch-ch-ch-changes"

"You arrived in my world in a blast of colour and light, and I think that was when I fell in love with you. Of course, I didn't know your name, or anything about you at that time. I could only see the effect that you left in your wake. It wouldn't be until many years later that I finally found you, though I wasn't aware that I was ever looking until recently, though I may be reading too much into it.

"I should have told you how I felt before that fateful night when we all came together for the first time, when we bonded with the Elements of Harmony. I was still searching for a prince, then, and oh, how naive I look to myself now.

"I should have confessed my feelings when I arrived in Cloudsdale, wings of gossamer and dew on my back, before I so elegantly attempted to ruin your day. On second thoughts, perhaps I shouldn't have shown up with said wings.

"I should have confided my feelings in you nearly a hundred times, but each time, my mouth refused to utter the fateful words, even as my heart  pulled me closer and closer to you. It refused to open even when Applejack, obtuse though she may be, noticed my infatuation with you.

"But no more, for today is the day that I bear my heart forth, offer it up to you with all the conviction that I can muster."

"Rainbow Dash, I love you."

"Well, duh," said Rainbow Dash, as she lay on a cloud above, "I mean, how could you not love me, Rare? I'm awesome."

"Rainbow Dash, you utter boor, here I am pouring my heart and soul out before you, and all you can say is 'well duh?' Have you no sense of tact or...I am not going to finish that sentence because the answer is obvious."

"Well, it's like you said, Rarity," said Rainbow, a grin creeping across her face, "If Applejack's noticed, then everypony in town already knows. That includes me, you know."

"Well then, the only question is if you are going to make me a very happy mare, or if you are going to leave my beared heart shattered on the cold ground while my tears freeze from the cold air as they roll down my grief-stricken face as I sob from your cruel rejection, but I shall still continue on, despite the gaping wounds in my soul."

"Rarity, it's the middle of summer." Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"That does not answer my question, or in any way respond to my declaration of my feelings for you, Rainbow Da-mmph!"

Rainbow Dash had swooped down, and pressed her lips to Rarity's. Rarity's eyes drifted closed as she lost herself in the kiss.

"Will that do, Rare?" said Rainbow, tossing a wink back at Rarity.

------

Written for Prompt #99: "I Should Tell You" (Theme Week, Day Six)

Pinkie Pie knocked on the door to the Golden Oak Library wearing a lab coat, with a pair of safety goggles perched on top of her head.

"Hi Twilight!" said Pinkie Pie once the door opened, "So, what fun experiments are we doing? I wasn't sure, so I came as prepared as I could."

Twilight blinked.

"Pinkie, when I said that I wanted to experiment," began Twilight, but Pinkie Pie cut her off.

"You were talking about probing the extent of ponies' knowledge, delving into the deepest depths of your understanding, right?"

"Well, you're not entirely wrong," murmured Twilight, as she fought back a blush.

"Ooh, I just can't wait. Twilight and Pinkie, pushing the bounds of science for knowledge and profit! Which way's the lab?"

"Pinkie," said Twilight.

"Oh right," said Pinkie, "I bet you have a science room. No, a science dungeon!"

"Pinkie Pie," sighed Twilight, her eye beginning to twitch.

"Oh wait, I know where the lab is. Right, that time when you tried to figure out Pinkie sense." Pinkie mostly seemed to be talking to herself at this point, almost oblivious to any of Twilight's attempts to get her attention.

"Pinkie!" called Twilight, magically holding Pinkie Pie's mouth closed, "When I said I wanted to experiment with you, I wasn't talking about my science room!"

Pinkie's eyes blinked, and her head cocked to the side.

"I...I want to figure something out about myself, and Rarity suggested that you could help me," said Twilight.

"Oh, you were talking about sex!" said Pinkie Pie, having her mouth freed from Twilight's magic. Twilight managed a full-body twitch at Pinkie's declaration. "So, did you have a specific fetish in mind, or just a more general 'Am I into mares or stallions?'"

"The-the second one," Twilight managed to stammer out.

"And you chose me? Twilight, I am honoured to be your first pick for casual exploratory sex escapades. Sexcapades?" said Pinkie.

****Time****

Seeing as Twilight was not being responsive, Pinkie Pie shrugged, and pulled off the safety goggles. She was about to wiggle out of the lab coat, but Twilight spoke up.

"Could you leave the coat on?" asked Twilight.

Pinkie smiled. "Does science excite you, Twilight?" The full face blush that bloomed on Twilight's face was all the answer Pinkie needed as she leaned forward and kissed Twilight full on the lips.

It was a number of hours later when the two finally broke apart, chests heaving.

"Sooo?" asked Pinkie "You think you're into mares?"

"I don't think so," said Twilight, after a moment, "It was fun, but it didn't feel..." Twilight trailed off, searching for the word that described how she felt.

"Like you were just along for the ride, not like it was something that you wanted to do over and over again until you go cross-eyed?" offered Pinkie.

"Yes, that's exactly it," said Twilight. Pinkie Pie smiled.

"Well, I'm glad that you figured that out," said Pinkie, as she rolled out of Twilight's bed.

"Um, Pinkie?" said Twilight, her voice halting.

"Yeah, Twilight?"

"Could you go to Rarity and tell her what I told you? And tell her...that I'm really sorry."

A soft smile that didn't quite reach Pinkie Pie's eyes found its way onto her face.

"Sure thing, Twilight."

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Written for Prompt #368: "You Only Hurt The Ones You Love"

Write a letter to one of your character's loved ones (could be a parent, sibling, guardian, friend etc.) that is not part of the exchange and tell them about their experience so far. How do they feel about the other students? Has it been a positive or negative experience? Are they looking forward to or dreading the end of it?

This prompt is a bit different than the past two in the way that you already have a set format to use - a letter - but it's still pretty free in what to include and how long it could be. It really depends on the character and how much they would be willing to share with their loved one and how they feel about the exchange so far.

If your character was to stumble across the Mirror of Erised, what would s/he see? What is their deepest dream and desire?

Here we have our second prompt. Just like last time, you can go about it in any way you’d like - a drabble, a short answer to the question, a graphic, bullet points or whatever gets your creative juices flowing. Just have fun with it! Again, a muggle wouldn't know what the MoE was, but it's good for character development so we thought it could be a fun prompt to post regardless.

This is not a mandatory task, but it is certainly encouraged that you do it, and you have until next task is posted to complete it.

What form would your character's boggart take and why? For the wizards: Could your character combat it with a Riddikulus spell or would s/he be too terrified to do it?

There you have it, our first prompt! You can go about it in any way you'd like - it could be a drabble, a short answer to the question, a graphic, bullet points or whatever gets your creative juices flowing.

We know that a muggle wouldn't know what a boggart is, however they can sometimes see them (though they usually believe it is a figment of their imagination). We think it would be a good character development task to explore what their greatest fear is and the reason why, so you could just replace 'boggart' with 'greatest fear' if you would like.

This is not a mandatory task, but it is certainly encouraged that you do it, and you have until next weekend, when the second prompt will be posted, to complete it.