1.

Spike wakes up bright and early. Still a little tired, he wanders down to the main hall, where breakfast is being served. While Celestia performs her sun-raising ceremony, visiting nobles and members of the inner family are allowed to eat and talk together. Spike takes his seat next to Blueblood, a prince of only distant relation to Celestia who nevertheless enjoys the luxuries of the castle's service. The servants bring Spike a bowl of assorted gems, mostly corundum with a diamond or two mixed in. As he eats, Bronze Plate appears, looking upset. “Hey, Spike. Is Celestia around?”

“Nope, shory. She's buzy,” Spike says through a mouthful of ruby.

“Dang it! She had something important for me to do, but my orders fell into a puddle of water, and now I don't know what they were!”

“Oh, that's easy,” Spike replies. He swallows his meal, then pulls out a scroll from his fire breath. “I've got it all right here. If you're Bronze Plate, then... ah, that's right. She needs you to fly up to the Griffin lands and give Cadance a message.”

“A message? Oh no. Did that get wet too? Now I'm really toast!”

“No, no, she still has it. Got to the court room at 9 and pick it up. It says, and I quote, 'I never mentioned it, but you must ask the chief for an extra shipment of wheat this year. Our crops have not fared so well recently. Offer in exchange some of our surplus gemstones. We certainly have enough for our jewelers, our dressmakers, and Spike's voracious appetite!'”

Plate laughs. “I assume you didn't mean to repeat that last part.”

“Yeah...” He grabs a sapphire from his bowl and eats it guiltily. “In any case... you're good, then?”

“I think so. Thanks, little guy!”

“Glad to be of service,” Spike replies. Bronze Plate leaves, and Spike passes his plates towards the nearest servant. Before he can go up to find Twilight, Lyra finds him first. “Spike! Spike!” she calls out.

He stops and turns around. “Hey, Lyra! What's up?”

“Last night! Twilight! Hallway! Crazy! Help!”

“Lyra, Lyra! I can't understand what you're saying. Slow down! What's this about Twilight?”

“Okay, so last night, I was walking back to my room from late-night studies,” Lyra says, “when out of nowhere, Twilight runs into me!”

“What was she doing up?” Spike asks.

“I don't know. She didn't say. But she looked absolutely horrible. Her mane was all twisted and mussed. She looked so scared and tired. Anyway, she ran into me, and she seemed so upset! She said, 'I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!” And she looked so sad! I felt bad for her, so I told her, 'Don't worry about it. Do you have some time to chat?' She said no, but hopefully I'll be able to talk to her more tonight!”

“Hmm... Twilight really looked like that? That can't be good at all.” He frowns. “I was also sort of hoping for a better first impression. Do you think the plan for tonight might not work now?”

Lyra's face falls as though her favorite pet has died. “Really? I thought I gave a good impression, like maybe not a great impression, but a pretty good impression, you know what I mean, I mean I don't think she doesn't like me, please tell me she doesn't like me, Spike, DON'T LET HER HATE ME!”

A hush falls over the room. All of the nobles sit and stare at the crazy-eyed mare by Spike. He quietly ushers Lyra out the door while she regains her breath. After Lyra has finally regained her sanity, Spike asks her with a sly grin, “You like Twilight, don't you?”

“What? No...” Lyra replies. Spike remains unconvinced.

“So, did Twilight say anything else to you?”

“I think I heard her muttering something about Celestia and the moon. But she was gone so quickly, I didn't hear her very well.”

“Hmm... Did she go up to see the Ghost?" Spike wonders to himself. "I hope not. If she did, Celestia will have her head!”

“And that can't be good!” Lyra adds.

“...No. No it can't. We'll have to catch Celestia up on this new development. Perhaps things will still work okay.”

2.

Twilight wakes up early as well. She knows that she will have to learn more about Celestia, Selene, and the alignment of the stars before she can make a decision. Right now, there is no one she can trust. That leads her straight to the place where she feels most safe: the Canterlot Library.

As soon as she enters the library, she immediately recognizes the effect the glasses give her. As the rising sun peeks through the large glass windows, the light fills much of the room. Most of the shelves, though, are still covered in shadow. The glasses pierce through it all as though it weren't even there. She wanders the aisles, looking at the books with an odd mixture of joy and bewilderment. It is almost unnatural, to see what was hidden from view. But she has other things to worry about; for the moment, she will only be grateful to Selene for the gift.

Twilight finds herself quickly frazzled as she searches through the library. She can find no reference to Selene, Celestia's peytral, or anything between the founding of Equestria and the banishment of Night Mare Moon. In anger, she cries out, “I just need a book about Selene! Anything, even a little! Is that so much to ask?”

She hears the pulsation of magic behind her. When she turns around, a group of books are lit up in bright purple. She thinks, “I see. 'The shadows will hide nothing from you.' Since I couldn't find it, the shadows are making sure I can!” She realizes, though, how utterly powerful this artifact must be. The shadows serve her...

But she must not be distracted. She grabs each book with her magic and stacks them neatly next to her. The first book she opens is not terribly helpful. It calls Selene “The Mare in the Moon,” “a myth,” and “a powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria.” It does, however, confirm Selene's belief: “the stars will aid in her escape.” Finally, it mentions how Selene was defeated: “The Elements of Harmony.” Twilight asks the shadows about the Elements of Harmony, but they do not respond. Whatever the Elements were, they have been scrubbed from history, just as Selene has.

The second book immediately catches Twilight's attention. It is a large, heavy book covered in a patterned black binding. Its spine reads simply, Creatures of the Dark, but the inside is filled with vibrant paintings and drawings. She flips excitedly through the pages, and pictures of new and fantastic monsters she has never seen reveal themselves to her. There is even an incredible, detailed schematic of a dragon. What is most important to Twilight, however, is a section detailing all of the creatures that rely on the stars and moon for life. Night Mare Moon, so-called “Ancient Servant of the Moon” who can “walk among us beneath the Full Moon's light,” is listed alongside living constellations, Ether Elementals, and werebeasts, creatures bound to the phases of the moon. Surely, Twilight thinks, she can find something of use in this!

As she picks up the third book, Celestia enters the tower. She sees Twilight studying so assiduously and smiles at her. “How are you, Twilight?” she asks.

Twilight jumps, and the book tumbles to the ground. Celestia picks it up. Twilight stammers, “Nothing much, I mean, fine! I'm fine! Just, you know, reading...”

Celestia frowns as she flips through the yellowing pages. “I'm not sure this is a book you'll enjoy,” she says. “It is very dark, and it concerns itself with some very difficult topics. Are you sure...?”

“Ugh, yes, of course!” Twilight shouts. She throws the books in all directions, snapping up the second book with her magic and dashing out the door.

Celestia sighs. She picks up the books lying about and returns them all to their proper place. “So,” Celestia says, “you are still angry.” She takes a book from the shelves at random, setting it in front of her and staring at it. The story is a charming one about a mouse and a magic hat, but Celestia's heart remains in Equestria. “I can understand your unhappiness, Twilight. Please don't hold onto it for much longer,” she says. “I'm not sure I can survive under your scorn.”

3.

Spike listens to the hushed whispers coming from the throne room. Celestia leads the conversation, but there are two other voices that occasionally interject.

“I think Twilight trusts you more than anypony else.”

“I agree, Your Highness.”

“If you could talk to her and find out what's wrong, I would be extremely grateful. There will be a special bonus in it for you if you do.”

“Entirely unnecessary, Your Highness!”

“We live to serve you, Your Grace.”

“No matter what you find out, I'll be happy to hear how she is. She... isn't really on speaking terms with me right now.”

“We will do our best, Your Grace.”

“Very well. Twilight's down the hall, if you're ready.”

“We are, Your Highness.”

Spike steps aside as the door opens. It is two of the servants that come out together. The first is Gilded Lily, a sweet young pegasus mare who specializes in decorating and cleaning. Rosy Ray, on the other claw, is a practical, snarky earth pony who keeps track of Twilight's dresses and accessories. Celestia is right; Twilight interacts with Lily and Ray all of the time. She is very close to them, although the job mandates a certain aloofness. Spike himself has a unique relationship with the servants of the castle, somewhere between their equal and their superior. Rosy sees him standing by the door and asks, “Hey, Spike! Did you see Twilight down that way?”

“Nah, she must be down the other way, then,” Spike replies. “Celestia said she wanted me?”

“She wanted to make sure the plan with Lyra is still on,” Gilded says.

“We have no idea what that means, but it sounds sneaky,” Rosy adds.

“No, it's nothing like that,” Spike says. “Sorry, I really gotta go!” He pushes them away and closes the door behind him.

Celestia greets him with a warm smile. “Why, hello, Spike! I'm glad to see you. There was something you wanted to tell me?”

“Yeah. Lyra may not be the best option for this friendship anymore...”

“Oh? And why would that be?” she asks.

“She's, uh... kinda in love with Twilight.”

“Hmm.” Celestia pauses in thought. “I suppose that shouldn't be too much of a problem. For all we know, Twilight may feel the same way. Don't get Lyra's hopes up unjustly, though. Give her the ticket next to Twilight's. If they become friends, so much the better. If they start dating, they'll think of this as their first date!”

“I hadn't thought of that,” Spike says. “I guess I always thought Twilight was into stallions.”

“You never know in this day and age,” Celestia comments. “In either case, can you send the tickets off to Lyra and Twilight?”

“Sure thing!” Celestia passes him the tickets, and one by one he breathes magical fire on them. As Twilight's heads off, Spike notes, “That one didn't feel very far. Where is Twilight, anyway?”

“I... don't know,” Celestia replies. “I thought she was just outside in the hallway.”

“I didn't see her.”

“Hmm. Perhaps she is in the library, then. I saw her up there in the morning. She was reading very strange books.”

“How strange?”

“...Strange.” Celestia turns her head as if to say, No more of this. “If you see Twilight soon, can you tell her we need to talk?”

“Sure, I guess,” Spike says.

“Then I need a break. I'll be down by the kitchens if you need me.” And a dumbfounded Spike watches Celestia leave her throne room, putting him all alone in the cavernous chamber.

Spike contents himself with the fact that the closed doors will preclude wanderers from coming into the room. When he turns around, however, Twilight is standing right in front of his face! He reels back, then asks her, “Twilight! What are you doing here?”

“Oh, nothing much. And how is my little duck?” she asks.

“I'm not a duck, Twi,” he says, a bit peeved. “I'm a dragon.”

“Ah, but you are male and a drake, therefore a duck.” She flops down onto the throne, her head lolled back as she looks at him intently. A book floats out of her saddlebags, and then hovers upside-down in front of her.

“Oh. Uh... good joke, Twi,” Spike answers. He looks at the spine of the tome she is reading, but it seems to be in an older script. “Whatcha readin', Twilight?” he asks.

“Words, of course,” she replies. If that was a joke as well, it certainly didn't sound like one.

“Okay. What's it about?” Spike asks.

“This thick,” Twi answers. She moves her front hooves to the right spacing, then lets them slack again.

“I swear, you're trying to be difficult! What is the subject of the book?”

“Well, one chapter was about dragons. It said they have sharp fangs, strong eyes, greedy hearts, and deceitful tongues. You don't have those things, so you must be a duck. Though perhaps your bill shall be sharp, like my mind, and your greed shall overtake you, like another's, someday.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” says Spike. “Now get off of that throne, before Celestia sees you.”

“No. I know the owner, and she said she doesn't mind.” But she teleports off of it anyway, setting her hooves on the carpet.

“What's wrong with you, Twilight? You sound like you've gone completely insane!” Spike yells.

“I am not insane,” Twilight says, “though I am mad.”

“Oh.” That explained a lot. Spike asks her, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Sure.” She briskly trots towards the door, and Spike follows uncertainly. Once they are out in the hallway, she says to him, “I met Lyra last night, an old friend of mine.” She pauses, then stares into his eyes. He tries to avert his gaze from the powerful, burning stare. “Did you know it?”

Spike's heart jumps. “K-k-know what?”

“That we were friends.”

“Yes, I did,” Spike says. He breathes a sigh of relief. She doesn't know.

“I received a ticket to go to a play tonight. Perhaps she will be there as well.”

“Maybe.”

“Perhaps she will have her ear to me.”

“Umm... maybe?” Suddenly Spike isn't so sure again.

“In any case, it will be nice to see her.” The hall is silent for a moment before Twilight adds, “Do you know who's performing?”

“Some stallion named Starbuck, I think.”

“Ah, I've heard of him. He's a storyteller who uses magic in his act.”

“Yep, I think so.”

“Do you think he'll teach me his tricks? No, probably not,” she says before Spike can respond, “for liars always keep their secrets.”

And just when she'd started to sound normal. “Twilight, that's magicians.”

“Yes, magicians are liars, and so are storytellers.”

“I give up!” Spike shouts.

“Spike? Was that you?” Rosy Ray and Gilded Lily appear from around a corner.

“Oh, good, you found Twilight. We've been looking for her.”

When Twilight sees them, it's as though a switch goes off in her brain. “Girls! I'm so glad to see you!” Spike can only gape as she eagerly hugs the two of them. She turns to Rosy Ray and says, “Oh, while you're here, we'll need to pick out a dress for tonight. What do you think?”

“I think you'd look lovely in a white and blue evening gown, Twilight.”

Spike whispers to her, “We'll need to pick something that works for Lyra, too. She's green.”

“Can do,” Rosy replies. She turns back to Twilight, asking, “So, how are you, then?”

“Great! Never better!” Twilight chirps.

“That can't be all true...” Gilded Lily says. “We heard you've been fighting with the princess, miss.”

“Oh, right.” Twilight's entire body sags. “I'd been trying not to think about it.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?”

Twilight sighs. “...No, I don't think so. Celestia and I just need to be apart for a little while.” Suddenly, she pounds one hoof against the floor. “Oh, I'm so confused!”

“What are you confused about, miss?” Gilded asks.

“I don't know. I'm just so alone with nopony to turn to.”

“Well, why not us, or Spike here, or Princess Celestia?” Rosy asks.

“I don't know who to trust.”

“You can trust us!” all three reply.

“Isn't that exactly what someone untrustworthy would say?” Twilight says with a shake of her head.

“Hmm...” Ray ponders this for a while. “Well, trust the truth, right?”

“Trust ponies who want to help you.”

“Trust actions over speech.”

“Trust ponies that give without taking!”

“Trust ponies who make you happy!”

“All right! All right!” Twilight says, mock-pushing them away. “I get it.” She turns away, however, saying, “I still don't know where you all stand, though.”

Rosy puts a hoof on her shoulder. “Will you at least try talking with Celestia?”

“Sure.” She turns and looks at Rosy Ray's eyes. Suddenly, her mood shifts. “Why... were you two looking for me?”

“Oh! I wanted to get that dress for you," Ray says.

Twilight stares even more. After a pregnant pause, she adds, “What about Gilded?”

“Do you ever see us apart?” Ray says with a snort.

“Oh, I also wanted to find you a nice flower to go with your dress, miss,” Gilded adds. “Morning Glory, maybe?”

Twilight looks at them... almost glares at them. But after a few seconds, she perks up again. “Oh, okay! Good. That makes sense. For a second, I was afraid you were spying on me for Celestia.”

The two respond, “N-no, of course not!”

Twilight is about to continue when a huge boom echoes in the courtyard. “What was that?” Spike asks.

“I don't know, Spike,” she replies. “Let's find out.”

The four of them race to the front, hoping there is no immediate danger.

4.

“Fireworks?!”

The stallion in front of Twilight laughs. He is a tall, silver-coated pony in a long black cape that swirls wildly as he talks. “Haha, of course! How else to make a good entrance?”

“You're completely nuts, old man,” Spike says.

“I am but mad north-north-west, young one!” he replies. “And I am not 'old man;' I am THE SIDEREAL STARBUCK!” He rears up on his back hooves, and another explosion shoots from his wagon. The other four hit the deck, practically cowering.

Twilight's interest is piqued from his name. “'The Sidereal Starbuck?' How did you get that name?”

“Haha, young filly, I'm glad you asked! Allow me to tell you a story...”

“Oh, boy...” A young filly steps out of the cart, her mane and tail a mess. “Dad, can't you save it for the performance tonight?”

“No I cannot,” Starbuck says. “Trixie, these are my new friends... err, I don't know their names. New friends, this is my daughter, Trixie.”

“Does she have a title? You know, 'Sidereal?' 'Magnificent?' 'Beautiful?'” Twilight adds with a blush.

“Yeah, Dad, when can I have a title?” Trixie implores.

“Someday, when you are as great and powerful as me, you can have a title. Now, where was I?”

“You were about to tell us the story behind your name,” Rosy says.

“Haha, that's right! My name! Listen closely, new friends. Here is my story.” Starbuck lights up his horn, and a parade of figures appear floating above him. He begins to speak, and Twilight is enraptured by the story:

“It was a very dark and stormy night,

and all the ponies near the Whitetail Wood

had settled into houses to relax

while rain and wind were pounding all about.

But my poor mother found herself alone

among the woods, eleven months in term

with me within her. Father had gone out

to find the food neglected for their meal

they'd planned outdoors. The pegasi had made

a sudden shift in weather, and now they

were separated by the rolling storm.

She saw a figure running through the dark--”

“Dad, that's later.”

“Hmm?” Starbuck turns toward his daughter, and Twilight, Spike, Ray, and Lily all release breaths they didn't know they were holding.

“Granddad didn't find Grandma until later, after the birth.”

“Shh! Spoilers!” He quickly magicks Trixie's mouth shut. The four give him an odd look, and he laughs. “Haha, pay no mention to her! Let us continue the story:

“--were separated by the rolling storm.

She wished most sorely to be at his side,

but he did not return. She feared him dead,

and then who would take care of her young foal?

She felt a sudden kick, and then she knew

the baby would be coming. 'No,' she cried,

'I cannot do this solo! I need him,

for I will die if he does not stand by

and hold my hoof.' But on and on it went.

She felt her life force draining, and despaired.

Then, suddenly, as though the clouds were gone,

the field was filled with starlight all around.

She looked nearby, and there she saw a deer

with stars emblazoned on it. She knew not

wherefore it stood by her. It looked at her,

and raised a single hoof to touch her head.

At once she felt revitalized. She saw

within her mind the image of her mate

and felt his presence there. She birthed the foal

and thanked the deer for giving her his peace.

He nodded once and vanished in the mist.

She saw a figure running through the dark

and knew it was her husband. When he saw

the colt, he asked her, 'What shall be his name?'

She answered, 'Starbuck shall it be, for I

beheld a starry deer among the trees.”

That was his name, and strongly did he grow;

along with strength, compassion did he know.

“And fin,” Starbuck says, lowering himself into a bow. There is now a small crowd gathered around him, and they all stomp their hooves in appreciation.

“Ooh! Ooh!” Spike says as he hops up and down, claw in the air. “What about Trixie?”

“Ah, yes! Trixie's name has a story of its own! Trixie, my dear, would you care to tell it?”

“It's my great-grandmother's name,” Trixie says, deadpan.

“Nooo...” Starbuck moans. “What about the part with the monkey and the rack of bicycles?”

“That's made up!” Trixie scowls. “And so is the story with the deer.”

“Well, of course it is!” Starbuck booms. “It is a story, after all. It's meant to make ponies happy! Who cares if it's true or not?”

“Actually, it might really be true,” Twilight says. She flips through it until she finds the section on star animals. “See, here. 'Orion the Deer. Guardian of life and forests. Manifests near troubled, lonely ponies.'” She shuts the book and gives Starbuck a happy smile. “So your origin story might be true after all!”

“Wow... I can't believe it...” In front of all those ponies, Starbuck begins to cry. “After all these years...”

“Sir...” Rosy Ray says,” are you all right?”

“Of course!” he replies, his voice returning to its normal strength. “See here, Miss... uh, Smart Purple, whatever your name is. My mother almost died, and that Orion saved her. If you ever meet him, tell him I said thanks!”

“Uh, sure,” Twilight answers.

“Also, if there's anything I can do to help, name it! I'm in your debt!”

“...Actually, there is something you can do. Tell me, what story are you doing?”

“We're telling a delightful story about a filly named Screwball who finds herself in a crazy world of chaos and magic. It's called, 'Screwball in Wonderland.' Trixie helped write it!”

“A little,” Trixie says, but Twilight can tell she is proud.

“Would you mind doing another story after it?”

“For you, Purple Trixie, anything. What's the story called?”

“It's called, The Banishment of Selene. I'll teach it to you. Don't worry, Celestia's going to love it!”

Author's Note

I originally intended section 3 and 4 to be one section, but I felt they were better separated. (They're both pretty long as-is...) XD
Starbuck is fantastically fun to write for. Believe me, so much of his weird dialogue was totally unplanned. And yes, I had to slip in a little bit of Twixie shipping. (I don't even like that ship that much.) :P
Hope you enjoy! :)